I'm done with chemo!!!

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liz11808
liz11808 Member Posts: 34
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hello Everybody,
I'm glad to tell all my "sisters" here in this network of brave and strong women that I am done with another chapter of my on going journey.

Today is my last round of chemo, I'm hoping that it will be easy on me but not really. The nurse poked me twice because she didn't get it right the first one ( my veins are tiny and they are under the skin ). She poked the second one in my wrist and it hurts as much as the first one. Taxotere feels it's burning so the nurse moved the needle and loosen the tape. This helps and then with the Cytoxan, the drip is so slow and it took me 3 hours to complete the infusion. It usually took only about 2:20 hours. In between, I have to go to the bathroom to pee about 5 times. All in all, it's OK because it's over.

My onco doctor will see me after 3 weeks to discuus the next treatment ( Tamoxifen ). I'm reading a lot of stories about this drug but I guess I have to have it as part of the on going journey of treatment.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement from all of you. I will keep you posted on any side effects ( I hope not as hard as the 3rd one ). Please join me to celebrate this day of accomplisment. HOORAY!!!!

God bless, Liz

Comments

  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #2
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    1. Congratulations on completing another stage in the process!!
    2. I don't know how long you will be on your next treatments, but have you and your Dr. discussed having a port put in for the delivery of the chemo? A port is a little plastic device that is surgically inserted under the skin, often in the upper chest, whith a tube that inserts into the vein. The needle goes through the skin into the port and the medicine is delvered into the vein that way. I have one, and it is MUCH less painful than IV in the wrist. I suppose not everyone is a candidate, but a LOT of patients at the center I go to have them. If you haven't already discussed it with your Dr. I would.

    I hope you are one of the lucky few who can sail through Tamoxifen.

    best wishes, seof
  • blessing43
    blessing43 Member Posts: 11
    #3
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    Hi Liz
    A big congratulations to you for having done with chemo. That's a big step despite the pains and harshness of the treatment. I pray the drug your doctor will prescribe will not have much side effect on you. Keep focusing on God and you will be fine. Please make sure you go for a walk whenever you can, I understand it helps.
    I was just recently diagnosed, and have had only one session of chemo and will be going for the second on 6/13. It is tough but it's worth it. God bless you and all the other sisters out there.

    May
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
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    HOORAY! is right! You go girl!
    I took tamoxifin for 7 years with no 'terrible' side effects. Some depression which may have been triggered as much by other things I was going through at the time as by the drug.
    Just keep your onco's number handy and bug him (her) to death if you experience anything that disrupts your days or nights. Something can be done.
  • liz11808
    liz11808 Member Posts: 34
    #5
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    Hello Seof,
    I had only 4 rounds of chemo ( taxotere & cytoxan ) and maybe that's reason why I don't have a port. A lot of the patients in the clinic have those port and I'm not one of them.

    My onco doctor said that the tamoxifen will be for 5 years but we will still be discussing this on my next appointment. I know that there are a lot of not so good stories about this drug so I will ask a lot of question to my doctor.

    Thank you again for your support.
    God bless, Liz
  • liz11808
    liz11808 Member Posts: 34
    #6
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    Hello May,
    Thank you for your support and you too will go through every single round of your chemo. Just hang in there as what they say to me, you will be done with it.

    God bless, Liz
  • liz11808
    liz11808 Member Posts: 34
    #7
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    Hello Zahalene,
    I hope too that I won't have a bad side effect with Tamoxifen, that is still to be discuss with my doctor. Do you have any special diet and exercise regimen that you religously follow after your chemo? Can you please give me some advise. Thank you very much for your support.

    God bless, Liz
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
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    Liz, Hip Hip Hooray!!!!! This is indeed a big milestone and I am very happy for you. Your post made me laugh when I got to the part about having to pee during your infusion. I remember having to drag my IV pole with me to the bathroom every 20 mins. or so. And my taxol treatments lasted for about 4 hrs. so thats a lot of trips:0) Thanks for the laugh, and congrats again! Eileen
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #9
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    HOOORRRAAAYYY!!!!Congratulations Liz; what a relief that it's over, now you continue the journey into your new life. I've been on Tamoxifen since December with no side effects other than hot flashes but they are getting better. Keep us posted on your ongoing treatment. Love, Lili
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #10
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    Yea! I'm dancing with you, dearheart!!!

    Now all that's left is the living!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • liz11808
    liz11808 Member Posts: 34
    #11
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    KathiM said:

    Yea! I'm dancing with you, dearheart!!!

    Now all that's left is the living!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

    Hello Eileen,
    I will always remember my last round of chemo bacause of the bathroom thing. It will make me smile and give me a good laugh. Thank you for celebrating with me. Take care,

    God bless, Liz
  • liz11808
    liz11808 Member Posts: 34
    #12
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    KathiM said:

    Yea! I'm dancing with you, dearheart!!!

    Now all that's left is the living!!!!

    Hugs, Kathi

    Hello Kathi,
    I am dancing too and will continue living.
    Thank you & God bless, Liz
  • mgm42
    mgm42 Member Posts: 491 Member
    #13
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    CONGRATULATIONS AND BIG HUGS! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! I'm six weeks over from mine and I can tell you that you will feel better and better with each new day. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. YOU DID IT! Hugs, Marilynn
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #14
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    liz11808 said:

    Hello Zahalene,
    I hope too that I won't have a bad side effect with Tamoxifen, that is still to be discuss with my doctor. Do you have any special diet and exercise regimen that you religously follow after your chemo? Can you please give me some advise. Thank you very much for your support.

    God bless, Liz

    You realize that my chemo was in ummmm....1986-89.
    Back then my onco just kinda pushed me out the door and said 'have a good life...come back every 6 months'. I hope yours is a bit more up to date with his (her) recommendations. I just kinda figured it out on my own. What made me feel ok I did and what made me feel bad I quit doing. LOL
    Seriously, just your basic healthy diet and exercise and paying attention to what your body tells you is enough to worry about right now. Don't try to loose weight, gain weight, define your abs, or any of that stuff for now. Give your body and spirit time to get used to the new order of things.
    Hugs. You will be fine.
  • blessing43
    blessing43 Member Posts: 11
    #15
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    blessing43 said:

    Hi Liz
    A big congratulations to you for having done with chemo. That's a big step despite the pains and harshness of the treatment. I pray the drug your doctor will prescribe will not have much side effect on you. Keep focusing on God and you will be fine. Please make sure you go for a walk whenever you can, I understand it helps.
    I was just recently diagnosed, and have had only one session of chemo and will be going for the second on 6/13. It is tough but it's worth it. God bless you and all the other sisters out there.

    May

    My dear sisters
    Does anybody know of any one diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer so that I can compare notes as I was recently diagnosed of same? I'll be glad to hear from any sister out there. Hugs to you all and God bless.

    May
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #16
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    I laughed about the peeing too. The sad thing is that I thought chemo sessions were so boring that I actually looked forward to a trip to the bathroom (how do I do this with a tube in my arm?) for a diversion.
    And how nice to be able to say, been there, done that, to chemo. I'll tell you that its been almost three months from chemo and I am having a harder time each day remembering what it was like. Here's wishing you a forgetful memory for chemo.
    Time to heal, sweetie. Soon it will be time to buy cream rinse again, too. Yahoo! love, Joyce
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #17
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    Oh, shoot, I misspelled creme rinse. I guess it has just been too long since I've seen any....
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159
    #18
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    Hooray!!!! So wonderful to have the chemo part over and done with, isn't it?? I was thinking back, and recalling the tears of absolute fear I shed when the darling chemo RN was "hooking me up" ( sheesh! what a different meaning that has when we are talking chemo! ) for my initial infusion. It somehow seemed more real to me than the surgery, the drainage tubes and the painful exercises. I also remember crying on my LAST day of chemo too! Not quite sure why, but I think it was because I had come to rely on that killer cocktail , and now I was on a high wire without the safety net.

    As most of you know, I went on to radiation, and celebrated my 5 year anniversary earlier this year.

    So, sweetie, congratulations again! You are one of the courageous ones as well! And you too, will pass one milestone after another and be encouaging others 5 years later! Well, unless they have cured cancer by then~ and wouldn't that be wonderful??!

    Hugs,
    Claudia
  • coug90
    coug90 Member Posts: 59
    #19
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    WAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Congratulations! May you spend the next few years focusing on being healthy and enjoying life!

    HUGS!
    Coug

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