Struggling through Chemo
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Hello everyone. So I have confirmation of my next phase treatment. Monthly Goserelin injections starting 2 August, a week later I start Letrozole tablets daily. On 30 August I start Abemaciclib tablets twice a day for 2 years. Every six months I'll be given Zometa infusions for my bones and I also have to take calcium plus vitamin d daily. I don't think there is anything else. For someone who never needed daily medication that is quite a list.
The Abermaciclib was added to the PBS in February and is now available for women with aggressive early stage breast cancer.
My oncologist told me my chance of reoccurance will improve to approx 10%, meaning 90% chance of no reoccurance. Hopefully I'll tolerate them ok.
Long weekend here in Darwin and we're heading off in the caravan for a few days 🥳
Have a nice weekend ladies!1 -
Hi @Katie46
That sounds pretty much like my regime moving forward too....I've already had my first goserelin depot and start exemestane a week after my second injection next month. My experience is that the goserelin amps up those menopause systems, for me lots of hot flushes at night and sprouting facial hair everywhere! I'll have the infusions for my bones and take vit d and calcium. I start ribociclib next year. Like you I've never taken medication until all this happened and I reckon I'll be rattling like a maraca with all of the tablets! How are you going post radiation? I'm a bit tired still and pink, I've got some broken skin under my armpit but otherwise OK. I'm starting back at work on Monday 2 days a week.
Enjoy your long weekend and have a great time heading off in your caravan.....will be great to get away! 😀0 -
Hi @Coastiejas, I'm going ok after radiation. I get the occasional blast of tiredness, but nothing like chemo. I have a bit of redness under my arm and I've been smothering it in sorbolene and so far it's not painful and the skin hasn't broken. Everywhere else seems to be settling down, although my nipple is peeling on the radiation side 😮, which is normal. I'm back to work 4 days a week, and full time mid August, and will see how I go. Work have been really great and have left it up to me to decide how much I can do. I'm actually feeling fairly normal. My hair is growing and I have definite eyelashes and eyebrows 🥳
I'm considering buying one of those pill boxes as I know I'm going to forget if I've taken one. I'm already getting hot flushes, so hopefully the side effects aren't too bad for me. The unknown is always a bit daunting, so I'm keen to get started and see what I'm dealing with.
Hope you enjoy being back at work Monday, back to a bit of normality 🙂0 -
I have a question please.
l’ve just finished 4 rounds of AC and will start 12 rounds of Taxel in a few weeks.
The staff at the Cancer clinic did not give me anti nausea tablets for when I start Taxel so I’m presuming I don’t need it. Is that correct?0 -
@CeeCee though it was a quiet a while ago I didn't get nauseous on the taxol just the AC even that was manageable with the anti nausea pills i went home with. I did feel tired with the taxol I only made 8 round due to peripheral neuropathy. Just watch out for that it didn’t start straight away. Its a numbness in the toes fingers and feet. Just let the chemo nurses know about anything you’re not sure about they get all sorts of questions and because they’ve seen it all.Most people have said taxol is much easier.0
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Hey Cee Cee, congratulations on getting through that horrid treatment, that AC is a tough gig!
Im sure you will find the Taxol so much easier, the side effects are so minimal as far as nausea etc goes.
I never had anti nausea meds with Taxol, I did have antihistamines that the Clinic gave me prior to treatment (as in, on the day).
Good luck.
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Hey Cranky Granny, interesting your treatment stopped due to peripheral neuropathy. My taxol treatment stopped and started due to this (although I finished the 12 rounds).I was told it could get worse after treatment and it definitely has for me (10 weeks since my last chemo). I haven’t mentioned it to my Oncologist but will next time I see her.
How long did this last for you?
My feet are affected the most, I can’t bear touching them! Showering, with the water hitting them is making showering an unpleasant experience now.1 -
Thank you all for the comments above.
I am very happy to have completed AC but now have the fear of the unknown again but the majority of people here have said it’s easier to handle with different side effects. Good to know nausea is not a big one as I’m a bit over that. My Oncologist told me that most people don’t make the 12, so we’ll see how we go.
Thanks again and good luck to you all.1 -
Hi @Rona, that's awful, I have some minor peripheral neuropathy in my fingertips and although it's improving my oncologist told me it's a slow process that will take months. Thankfully my feet don't seem to have been affected.
Congratulations @CeeCee on finishing AC, I felt better on paclitaxel. They gave me antihistamines and dexamethasone on the day of the first dose and then gradually stopped them all once they were happy I wasn't going to have a reaction.0 -
Hey Katie, it’s all relatively minor to the AC treatment in my mind but it does appear to be getting worse for me. It’s a very weird sensation, not painful and it doesn’t stop me doing things (no falls 😂), that question always makes me laugh when visiting the Oncologist. I work in Aged Care……. When does it change from “falling over” to “having a fall?” 😂, there’s a big difference 😂
Hope you enjoyed your getaway.0 -
@Rona I did get a fair bit better from what I started out with, now I just suffer from some neuropathy sad to say. Only as in I feel like I have gunk under my finger nails as for the feet. A little bit worse my toes and sole of 1 foot. My fault as I didn’t recognise what the funny feelings were. Theres no pain involved I just have to watch what Im doing on uneven surfaces and check my feet properly, if I bang them in that area on anything I don’t always realise how hard I have hurt them. Its actually only happened twice in 6 years. So thats pretty good. Among all the other crap that goes with getting old and a mets diagnosis the neuropathy is not much. I’m still working part time so thats a plus keeps the brain functioning.Best if luck with the taxol.1
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Hi Ladies
@CeeCee congratulations on finishing the AC chemo 🥳
I found the paclitaxel a bit kinder....I had the worst symptoms after I finished it. My toenails went black in the corners and I had a strange feeling in my feet, like I'd walked 500 miles but I hadn't. It's starting to get better 2 months post chemo, still feels a bit weird occasionally, but Ifind wearing comfy shoes helps a lot. I also had steroids and antihistamines for the first 5 rounds of the paclitaxel, they tapered them off each round. I didn't have much nausea with the paclitaxel but was offered Maxalon each round, which I didn't need. I did get a bit of heartburn with it though I took pantaprazole which made it bearable. Also all of my hair fell out including eyebrows and lashes on the paclitaxel as well as all my nasal hairs so I had a constant runny nose and sensitive to everything sneezingall the time! My eyebrows and lashes are back now (hooray! ) My liver enzymes went a bit haywire on the paclitaxel too so they had to tweak my dose and I was able to have 12 rounds. Thankfully they are now back to normal!
Hope everyone is going well!1 -
Hi everyone,
I hope you are doing well. Today, I finished my radiation treatment after 3 weeks, and it went well. In two weeks, I have to start Letrozole. However, today I was offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial. I received information about the medication, which is CAMBRIA-2. I am nervous because I feel it will be a difficult decision to make. Has anyone had any experience they can share? Thank you
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@Coastiejas thank you so much for that information. That will help me to know what I can expect. Congratulations on getting through everything, must be a nice feeling. Hope you are feeling back to normal very soon.0
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Hi Ladies
@GorgyS congratulations on finishing your radiation 🥳 it's great to be finished! Although I found that the symptoms peaked about a week after I finished. Just keep slathering on whatever cream they have given you and you should be fine. I'm 16 days post radiation now and don't have a whole lot to show for it, thankfully!
@CeeCee thanks, I'm starting to feel more like my old self again. I started hormone therapy, and have had one injection of goserelin depot. I will start exemestane in about 2 weeks time after my second injection....so will see how that goes!
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!0
