Hello all, I have had a busy few days as has this thread! Glad people are reaching the end of chemo and totally resonate with the “not ready to celebrate yet” gang. It’s a milestone I look forward to reaching but is still not the end of active treatment so feels like a middle rather than an end to me - if that makes sense.
I am just home from chemo Nab-Pac 2 at the reduced dose with also the addition of cold feet suzi pads used (a relief on a day like today!) I am just hoping I do not have the bone pain and muscle spasms as intensely as last time. I have all my meds so just need to remain sane enough to take them at the right times and intervals. I am very grateful for my husbands “we are not having a holiday so let’s buy an air con” decision in May as it’s the only thing that has stopped me melting this week. I am now home with my compression gloves and socks on and the air con on high. Sending you all strength, and courage in this heated time!
Thanks @foxgem@felineoptimist@clarabelle1@wibbles and @m1sty.george . It’s infuriating. I do more weight bearing exercise than anyone I know, yet I’m osteopenic. Turns out steroids and chemo both impact bones (I don’t remember being told that). Obviously the hormone blockers make it even worse. I suspect the onco answer will be zolendric acid. More drugs. I’ve only had one infusion of that and it gave me flu! But I think I’ll be back on it. I’ve sent my scan to the onco team and almost immediately got a call from appointments booking me in for a phone call tomorrow. We’ll see!!
Thanks for all your support (strictly speaking I’m in the February group but hardly anyone is on it these days). And so glad to hear about tumours shrinking and people going out and generally feeling better
Hi felineoptimist! My first cycle of paclitaxol followd this path almost exactly - although I’d had fewer problems wiith Ec and am postmenopausal anyway. I upset my stomach/gut badly with ibuprofen and will be more careful this time. I started my filagasrim jabs (sp?) on Monday (chemo had been Thursday) and messed up my last one on the Froday when the (pretty bad) pains began to let up. The Onco said it sounded like it was them causing the pain and didnt comment on the timing - but the nurse today said i should start jabs and steroids both tomorrow. Really? Has anyone else been advised to do that???
???
I had to do 5 of the same jabs after all my rounds (LAST ONE TONIGHT) These had to be done from day 3.
I’m not convinced they are the only cause for the pain as I could feel it coming before I had the jabs. Though my oncologist did say that the mix of taxal chemo and the filgrastim do seem to cause more pain when put together. My EC chemo pain felt just under the surface of the skin and was mostly upper body. Paclitaxel pain was deep sharp lightening bolts all over my body. So if it was just the jabs surely the pain would be similar?
Yep. Start day 3 - so one day overlap with the steroid?
It is something to do with pac being a different drug presenting different challenges to the filgastrim? I had none with EC.
My iron and calcium are a tad low. More choc-y shakes? Thanks - i remember you had trouble with all this, I think.
Twink if your iron is diplow aim for extra heam rich foods recommended for anemia you n face plus foliate rich veg. Special k cereal is the highest enriched with iron per 30g serving I have found in the Uk (between24/29% of recommended daily intake for woman depending on age)
Try not to eat iron rich with too much dairy at the same time as diary coffee caffeine high teas and similar can interfere ith your bodies ability to absorb iron from food. I think the rough rule of thumb is to leave an hour between each.i have not had an issue with milk on iron rich cereal. I opt for @sam1204 suggestion to opt for orange juice rather than tea withit though. Kale is pretty good for both but you may need to cook it well to digest the stuff. SUmo broth works really well for grouchy guts as you can add and cook assorted greens, veg, tofu, meat and green soya beans with either potato or pasta added for carbs. you can find the recipe in the Cancer made me eat thread. It’s safe to make enough for a couple of days if you rapidly chill and keep in a fridge till it’s needed. Avoid adding fish and shellfish on chemo in this hot weather though. If you wanted fish hot grill a small piece of salmon flake and add as you serve.
Tai Chi and acupunture have been my life/sanity savers throughout. You need. To chose teachers/therapists well though. Various bodies offer classes specialising in Tai chi for health. Acupuncture is pot luck or personal recommendations….
Into asda I go… powdered eyebrows that stand out far too much, no eye lashes, plenty of bald patches on show, unashamed and determined not to be embarrassed about how I look.
We came through hell ladies! (you will all get through) And now my pacs pain has gone I feel very strong and very proud today I’ve never liked the term warrior when it comes to cancer but I think I feel it today
I’ve just had a call asking me to go for a CT scan of my chest, abdomen and pelvis. I only had one 6 weeks ago to check on the bowel cancer but that didn’t include the chest. My oncologist requested this on Tuesday apparently but I didn’t know and don’t know why I’m having another one. Really worried they’ve looked at a previous scan again and noticed something they didn’t before.
I’ve left a message for my nurse to call me but not hopeful she’ll ring back today. Going to be a weekend of worrying I think.
My current acupunturist uses massage, pressure points, tuning forks based on her knowedge of Chinese Medicine. Recently i ok’d pins to help her with supporting my feet - due to current meds ie placlitaxol. My old acupuncturist was Chinese and he wasnt comfortable with needles and at that point neither was I.
Im having an allover bone scan just before i finish chemo. Hoping its just belt and braces - I mentioned a lump on a rib, which is quite common after a mastectomy apparently so I’m focusing on that - me having been neurotic!
Someone who cared about hair is Victoria D - this link to her article/talk has been impossible to share but you should find itvon the BbC site. She cold capped but was devastated to her hair going down the plughole. She opted for the wig due to still working through chemo. Loved it. She goes into why she found the loss of hair worse than the mastectomy (snap - from me) going into the symbolism of hair for women and baldness gets associated with all sorts of rituals and why. I do hope you can access it. If i find another way Ill just share the link I used. I think just understanding more about the impact of this when we are all engaged in combatting cancer so - odd!
V Derbyshire
What a hair loss breakthrough could mean for women like me
Good for you @foxgem. It’s great if you can not care too much what others might be thinking. They have no idea what we’re all going through. And it doesn’t matter what someone looks like, it’s what’s inside that matters .
On a positive note I’ve been pretty glad to have only a small amount of hair these last few days when it’s been so hot!!
