Struggling through Chemo
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Hi @GorgyS, I was only given Neulasta on AC, thankfully my white blood cells have been pretty stable, just slightly low but nothing to worry about. I did get my bloods done too early once, and the WBC were down a little too much, so the repeated on the day of chemo and they had picked up again. I have my last chemo treatment on Monday 🥳0
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@Katie46 very exciting that you have made it through the chemo treatment, sending you celebration vibes for Monday. 🎉 I finished the big 4 AC’s and in two weeks time start the 12 weeks of Paclitaxol. Keen to hear how you, @rona and @Coastiejas go with the radiation phase and what comes next after that, there is always something hey. 😊0
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@Paris_24 I have my radiation set up appointment on 3 June. I'll be getting the tattoo version radiation. The tattoos are freckle size (the radiation oncologist had one on his hand to show me) and I have so many freckles and moles I won't notice a few more 😆 good luck with your paclitaxol, despite having a few side effects I found it better than AC and had more energy.
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@Katie46, great to hear that you have come to the end of your Taxol treatment. My WBC counts were good today, and I had my 7th Taxol dose. I asked my McGrath nurse about Neulasta, and she said it is not part of the Taxol treatment and is not covered under Medicare. So far, I have not had any serious side effects and doing Ok. My hair started growing back after the 6th Taxol infusion. After the last one and break of 3 weeks I will have a radiation for 3 weeks. I will also have tattoo dots for radiation.1
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Hi @GorgyS, glad to hear they went ahead with your treatment, it's really frustrating when you have to stop. I have one more to go, next Monday. My hair hasn't started growing, although I thought I saw a few little blond hairs, my husband isn't convinced 😆 probably just wishful thinking.0
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Hey everyone, nice to hear from you all 😊. Sorry to hear you are still having trouble GorgyS, hopefully soon these times will be a distant memory. My count got down to 0.7 and my treatment stopped for a week (my last one 😩) and only recovered to 1.1 after a 2 week break, I wasn’t offered the injection either.Katie the finish line is near!! Have you inquired about “the bell”?? 😂. I have a great pic of me dressed as a witch ringing it.I have my Radiation mapping app on Monday then all systems go the following Tuesday.
Congratulations Paris, it’s tough going that AC, well done. The Paclitaxel is sooooo much easier to tolerate, really hope you manage it as well as me.
The fatigue was the hardest, along with that taste! But I’m thinking it may have been the AC wearing out of my system.My hair is starting to grow back……. pure white!!! I can’t believe it….. it’s fluffy and white! I had a dream the other night I had hairy legs 😂, not looking forward to them growing back 🙄.
Will let you know how my mapping app goes 😊2 -
OMG @Rona, white fluffy hair! Hopefully it will become more normal as it grows through. I often wonder what mine will be like, I was 50 when diagnosed, brownish hair and hardly any grey at all, just the odd sparkle, I was quite proud of that, oh how the mighty have fallen. My sister has beautiful silver hair, so I won't mind if it comes back like that, and worse case I can dye it. Did you get to the Chinese restaurant yet? My taste is almost normal again, and luckily I never had the strange taste. I know what you mean about the leg hair, quite honestly I be happy if it came back on my head, eyebrows and eyelashes and nowhere else, I feel like I've earned that 😆
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@Rona good luck with the mapping and for the first rad session Tuesday. Love that your hair is fluffy and white. Glad to hear taxol is going to be easier than the AC. With the AC I could taste only chilli spicy stuff which is not really good for the mouth ulcer care. We keep joking I will likely end up with straight hair and white based on the fuzz when it grows back after all this, mine was long and curly what seems like ages ago now before the cancer.0
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well done, Katie46. I have the same question as Paris_24. I have 5 more of Taxol to go through and started really looking forward to the radiation part.1
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Congratulations Katie! I’m glad to hear they had a bell for you to ring. I felt a bit emotional leaving there for the last time but I’m over it now 😂.
They certainly aren’t wasting any time for you Katie, I’ve only just had my mapping done yesterday too. I don’t want to alarm anyone bout the radiation but for me I’m actually terrified. I had cancer in my left breast and had a mastectomy (was made aware yesterday that treatment is different for left and right) so I have to have a hose with a mouth piece to breathe through, with my nose clamped off! I have to inhale to full capacity then the air is switched off! I then have to hold my breath for 30 seconds whilst in the machine having radiation delivered. This will occur up to ten times per session 😢. This is to keep my heart from being radiated as much as possible……. I had a dummy run yesterday and I am not looking forward to this at all!! I just have to keep a strong head to get me through. I had no idea this is what it would be like. I have constant pain in my left arm and was actually grateful I didn’t have cancer on the right…… now I’m not so sure 😩.
I also had an oncologist appointment on Friday, she wants me to start tamoxifen already, have a bone density scan blah blah. I’m just over it all tbh…..I’m still struggling with fatigue and the taste thing. I’m still losing weight and I just want a break and my old life back…….I should be grateful I know for having my life saved but negative Nancy has kicked in.2 -
Sorry to hear you're feeling a bit down Rona, but I'm sure that's completely natural. Getting chemo done is such an achievement and a bit of a high, and then you have to prepare to soldier on with the next stage of the journey.
I got a bit emotional ringing the bell 🔔, everyone cheered, and my husband printed me a Last Chemo sign, which made me cry (happy tears).
@Paris_24 and @GorgyS my oncologist said I'd have 3-4 week break after chemo. My McGrath nurse organised my CT scan and set up to be done on a day when I was already there, I did have an appointment for 3 June, but a free appointment must have come up. No mention of holding my breath they just got me settled into position on my beanbag which they pumped air into to mold to my shape in the position they wanted, and it was comfortable enough. I will use this for each appointment so I'm in the same position.They took a load of measurements and gave me 2 freckle marker tattoos, and used 2 of my actual freckles as well. My cancer was in my inside right breast, so I'll be getting radiation to my right breast, under arm and clavicle. I am practising holding my breath just in case. If they hand me a snorkel Rona, at least you have me prepared!
I've been told I can eat goats cheese and sushi in four weeks. My white blood count is only slightly down, so my immune system should be good to go then.
Hopefully your taste will come back soon Rona, I was lucky and never completely lost mine, and I didn't get the strange taste in my mouth either. It's improved a bit on the reduced dose, so I'm hopeful it will be back to normal fairly soon.
I have an appointment with my oncologist on Friday, and we'll be discussing hormone therapy, I assume I'll be starting that sooner rather than later.
The thought of radiation therapy doesn't bother me too much, I'm not looking forward to hormone therapy and hoping I don't get too many side effects, particularly as I think they said I'd be on it for 7-10 years.0 -
Hey Katie, it sounds like you are doing well and yes, it’s great to finally finish chemo but with that twist of “goodbye for ever), it’s emotional.Enjoy the time off of treatment, I am, but obviously with the cloud of Radiation with a snorkel 😂, that did make me laugh. I had a lung capacity test prior which then got programmed into a machine so I’m sure there will be no surprises for you.I too have my own beanbag which was moulded to suit my positioning.Im hoping for that elusive Chinese meal soon 😂, my son has just tested positive to Covid (yes he lives with me) and he said he has a craving for Chinese 😂. Neither of us could taste it right now 😂 so maybe next week.How did it come about for you not to eat Goats Cheese and Sushi? Did you mention it to the Oncologist? I sure hope you can enjoy that soon.
My Radiation has been put back to Thursday 30th now. Apparently the Docs meet on a Wednesday to discuss “Case study Patients” of which I am so I have another 2 days reprieve.Here’s to being treatment free (coffee in hand) for a few weeks. 😊0 -
Hi Ladies
I have my last chemo tomorrow all being well! I bought my victory Bell 🔔 on the weekend and have been practising ringing it! Well done @Katie46 for finishing chemo🥳 and we'll done @Paris_24 for finishing up the AC🥳 -the paclitaxel hopefully will be kinder to you..... keep up the treat regime!
@Rona thanks for the heads up about the snorkelling, I will probably have something like that too as mine was left side and I remember being told about having to hold my breath to avoid damage to the heart...oh joy!
I have a CT and mapping coming up but apparently I don't get tattoos which is disappointing!
My hair is already regrowing but blonde and fluffy....I was blonde before it fell out.... don't say it's white, call it platinum blonde.... and don't call it grey..... it's ash blonde!!! 😉 The hair seems to grow back everywhere you don't want it to.... like the sides of my face which is fluffy like a peach....
One of my nurses who has been through all of this herself did warn me about tearing up after the last chemo...apparently it's quite common!
Keep calm and carry on Ladies.... we've got this! Xxoo
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