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donnafischer's avatar
donnafischer
Member
10 years ago

Finally! We have a chemo start date. Time for a mountain retreat

My soul is fed by going back to my roots. It's impossible to explain the peace in my heart when I drive through areas that are few in vehicles and plentiful in trees, crops and stock. After one of my lowest weeks, we decided to grab the opportunity and flee to the mountains. The Bunya mountains holds a special place in hubby's family and his dads birthday would have been yesterday. So we packed his mum in the car and set off. The minute we turn off at Tiaro towards Woolooga my heart immediately feels lighter. It was a mad rush to get over there as I had my inititial consultant with my Medical Oncologist, then more blood tests and then sort out for an ECG asap. I'd forgotten I needed that test. Because chemo/radiation has a small risk of messing with your heart, they test it first to (a) make sure its in good nick and (b) have a base line to check back on. Hubby reckons I don't have one so I'm all good there lol. Going into the consultation with the oncologist I was so very anxious. I wanted this treatment to start yesterday. The fact that the cancer is now in the glands in my neck was freaking me out. The words rare and aggressive kept cycling round my head and I was back to the old way of thinking, am I going to survive this. Its funny how the bad stuff creeps in and the good stuff gets forgotten. I know its not in the bone or any of the main organs. I'd only just gotten those results. I guess I was a bit stunned to find out the second biopsy results of the neck. I'd completely convinced myself that the swelling / lump in the neck was a combined result of the initial surgery, the cold I had developed and the antibiotics I'd taken for a slight infection in the breast. So when I received appointments (out of sequence) that looked like I wouldn't be starting chemo for about 3 weeks, well lets just say I lost the plot. However, it has all been sorted, I spoke with my medical oncologist and he has already organised for my first chemo treatment to start on Wednesday 30th March. Hubby spoke with him while I was out of the room with one of the chemo nurses, and asked the question if we were to head to Brisbane to try and commence treatment sooner, would it be more beneficial and he explained that it would make no difference. Like my surgeon  this doctor spoke with considerable confidence, went over everything in detail to ensure we understood, answered all our questions and we left feeling once again, we were in good hands. So here's the outcome. My entire chemo treatment plan will last 6 months. It will be done in two stages ie, one cocktail of drugs will last 4 sessions then they will change drugs. This first session will be 1 treatment every 3 weeks. The first session will last 2 1/2 hours and will be delivered via a cannula. Because they only have the use of my left arm (remember because of node removal in my right breast, they have avoid damage to the veins on that side to avoid causing lymphedema in the arm) I will be having a port inserted into my chest for the duration of the chemo treatments. Basically it's a small disc that sits just under the skin in the chest. One end of the port has a small tube that will take my chemo cocktail and the other end connects to a large vein. This protects my veins from constant cannulation. I'm rather pleased about this. I dislike cannulas. Those buggers bite going in. So Monday will be our Cancer orientation/education appointment with our cancer nurses. They'll go through the procedure, the side effects (the main being hair loss 3 weeks after the first treatment, and fatigue - the others are possible side effects) we tour the unit and they show us whats what. That will be a bit daunting but naturally I have a morbid curiosity about it. And they will run through my at home care afterwards. April 4th is my date to have the port put in at the hospital. It's all getting a bit real now. I'm constantly being told "You look so well" and probably I am apart from a few faulty bits. But I will admit, I'm starting to get tired more easily these days. I napped most of the way home from the Bunyas. Hopefully its more stress etc combined with a bit of my lymphatic being out of wack. Being given a reprieve from surgery, I'm headed off for another horsey outing today while my gorgeous girl competed in her first hack day in a lot of years. For those of you who are interested my first regime will be these two chemo drugs - Doxorubicin (A) and Cyclophosphamide (C). Anyone who has experience with these, feel free to impart some advice.

Proud mum moment, its been seven years since she's competed in this type of day. And she brought home the ribbons. Excuse the rub marks on the shoulders. Had she told him she was taking him mustering the rotten sod wouldnt have had a mark on him.

 

chemotherapy
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  • primek's avatar
    primek
    Member
    10 years ago

    I am on the same chemo but will have herceptin with the taxol for the 2nd half.  I found I was exhausted for a week and flat for another few days but have felt pretty well since. I'm  due my 2nd treatment Thursday and am hoping I have sorted the many issues plaguing me....gastritis, nausea and constipation, so hoping will recover quicker after this one. Happily although neutropenic, I didn't  become unwell. Goodluck. Kath x

  • skitzy's avatar
    skitzy
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hi Donna It certainly is a daunting time, I am also waiting to have the port put in & it sounds like you could be getting the same type of chemo they have said I will be getting. A C every 21 days for 3 months followed by weekly doses of Paclitaxel for the last part.I go back to the oncologist on the 29th but they are talking about starting me a week later.

    Today I had the drains taken out from the Axillary clearance & although I do not get the official results until Thursday, the radiation Dr was at the team meeting & told me they had taken 10 nodes & they had come back clear, however she still recommended & have radiation to the chest wall & neck area, when the chemo is over.

    I was given some advice by the assistant anethetist to get some EMLA patches & place it on the port for 30 minutes before they put the chemo in, she had in the past couple of years had chemo & said it made a big difference to her. 

    I will be thinking of you & with you every step of the way wishing you well.

    Sending you a massive cyber hug.

    Eileen xx

  • Cate64's avatar
    Cate64
    Member
    10 years ago

    Tomorrow, I hope for it is scheduled, will be my last of 6 cycles of AC chemo.

    I have coped well with relatively few side effects. Yes, I lost my hair BUT surprisingly, as that was the thing I spun out most about to start with,  have not been bothered to much by that & in fact have rather enjoyed being able to get ready for work so quickly, no washing, drying & styling my hair just putting it on... Cant say i hate that..... My eyebrows have thinned but not fallen out completely so a little eyebrow pencil has done the trick well.. My eyelashes are still intact though I do have false ones in he draw just in case.

    I have continued working full time even to the point of Chemo in the morning & heading straight into the office for the afternoon. I have not suffered any nausea (thank goodness) though I do make sure the anti nausea tablets are always on hand, just in case.

    I have also continued to run 5km on Saturday mornings at parkrun most weeks, I volunteer the first Saturday after chemo instead as I find day 4 or 5 after chemo to be my 'tired' day.

    I even went on a 2 week cruise to PNG in celebration of my 30th wedding anniversary during treatment.

    My chemo journey hasnt been too bad & I wish you good luck with yours.

    Cate

     

     

  • Kymvass's avatar
    Kymvass
    Member
    10 years ago

    I wish you all the best for your treatment. On your down days remember HOPE always.  And some good advice I received is dont look too far down the track in terms of treatment. Take the information you have at hand and deal with that and wait for the next parcel of information when it is time and particularly dont read other people's parcel. Your experience is as unique as you are - no one else will be on the same track as you. 6 months will fly by and a small hiccup in your long life. Sending you hugs, Kym

  • Lindyloo's avatar
    Lindyloo
    Member
    10 years ago

    I know what you mean with waiting to start chemo. I was the same. My tumour was 9cm and involved 80% of my lymph nodes including some in the neck. I started off with chemo first to try and reduce the size of the tumour, this was TAC. A very strong dose of chemo which I was meant to have every third week for 6 sessions. However after the fourth dose, the dr's realised that it had affected my lungs and my heart was a bit strange (tuns out the irregular heartbeat was a murmur and I'd probably had it since birth). Anyway, was put on steroids for the lungs and they changed chemo to AC. In my experience much kinder to me than the first lot! I was very lucky in that I didn't really feel nauseous, maybe occasionally but I didn't take any of the pills they gave me. I was fatigued and with TAC lost taste after about 3 days, and it took about 10 days to come back. With AC  it wasn't as bad and I could taste some things , fatigue was still an issue though. I rinsed out my mouth after every meal with bi-carb soda in warm water. It seemed to do the trick and I didn't get mouth ulcers. I unfortunately ended up in hospital 5 times with neutropenia, no matter how careful I was, washing hands avoiding people!

    so 8 months down the track after chemo, mastectomy and radiation I have finished treatment. However, still have complications, chemo gave me osteoporosis of the spine, so now on medication for that. God, I don't want to sound all doom and gloom because basically I got through all of that and hopefully starting back at work soon. 

    Just deal with one day at a time, if you come up against an obstacle just treat it just as that. You can overcome them. It's amazing what our bodies put up with!

    best of luck with your treatment and you know you can come on here at anytime to vent or ask questions.

    Linda xx