Cumulative Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Hi, I have had surgery for BC in left breast and lymph nodes which has been follwed by chemotherapy. I completed my last session last Tuesday and have found the side effects this time very intense. Apologies in advance for the topic, it is not pleasant.At first, Following my final infusion I was unable to go to the toilet and since then (after using coloxyl and prunelax) I have experienced 'urgency' and have had to rush to the toilet frequently. I feel nauseous and have had pain in my stomach. Until this cycle, side effects were unpleasant, peaking n the expected days, etc. but this has been been really brutal. Is this normal? I am so looking forward to things settling down and I am grateful for the excellent care that I am receiving from the amazing oncology team. In about three weeks I will commence radiotherapy which I will receive every week day for five and a half weeks then I will see my oncologist and go on hormone blockers for 5-7 years. I understand that the side effects of these are unpleasant but as I am well passed menopause I believe that this will not be as bad as if I were a younger woman. I am 69 and was working .5 in an academic position until my diagnosis. I know that I am not going back to that position, this experience has been life changing and I have noticed some cognitive changes. They are not 'severe' but I am nowhere near as sharp as I was. I am accepting that and just hope to recover. Is it normal to experience such intense side effects on the final round? Kind Regards, Anni
Starting chemo this week: Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide and Pegfilgrastim then Paclitaxel
Hello everyone, this week I start chemo. As I understand it, 4 cycles of Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide and Pegfilgrastim then 12 cycles of Paclitaxel. I am looking for any advice and tips on how to get through it. We all know that experience and side effects are all different and individual but it would help to know how others have coped. I haven't had my introduction session with the oncology nurse yet and the fact sheet is a bit scary. I am in Melbourne and will be treated at St Vincent's private in East Melbourne as that is where my medical oncologist works. For the time being I am remaining a private patient as insurance covers it. I am choosing to try the 'cold cap' to see if it will help with not losing hair but as I have fine hair and already experiencing age related hair loss, it may not work. I know it will add about 2 hours to treatment and am willing to give it a go. My plan is to take audiobooks and colouring books with me to pass the time during treatment. I'm aiming to keep busy but not taxing myself too much. At this stage I do not plan to work on treatment days but do plan to work from home other days. A friend has suggested a probiotic as a precaution as a relation and her mother used one during their chemo and found it helpful. Has anyone else found this? With the second treatment and Paclitaxel I am concerned about the possibility of peripheral neuropathy side effects due to a previous condition. I read in another post that some ladies have tried cold gloves and socks - has that worked? I will have to look into it further but am curious and want to be prepared. Thank you all for reading and any advice and tips :heart:Bone and join pain side effects of chemotherapy
Hi, I’m new to this group and have only just started chemotherapy. I’m experiencing strong bone and joint pain from the chemo and wondering if anyone could suggest ways to minimise this. I’m taking Panadol but it doesn’t cut through. Im also doing the scalp cooling treatment. I’ve been advised to wash my hair only once a week. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep it looking fresh? It looks very greasy and bedraggled.
Cardio-Oncology and Chest Irradiation
I highly recommend this recording- Cardio-Oncology for Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors https://youtu.be/lyf6ZtDgkVM?si=84qAfUtTpM5I6-Vz Although the presentation focuses on cardiovascular disease risk in survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma, the information is relevant to anyone who has received radiation to the chest.
Neuropathy in feet - any advice? TNBC
Hi everyone I've TNBC and am 6 treatments down with the first Carbo/Taxel/immunotherapy regime. For part of my infusions, they put cold gloves on my hands to reduce the risk of neuropathy there, but didn't offer anything for the feet. They suggested I go online and purchase my own cold socks to wear during treatment. Last week my toes started feeling numb and then yesterday my heels started feeling sore when I walked. I walked a bit at the shops this morning and my feet felt odd the whole time. I'm assuming this is all related to neuropathy and I must admit I'm a little freaked out. I've purchased some cold socks now online and will start wearing them during treatment, but I'm worried what damage has been done already. Be interested to hear what experiences others have had with this, what they've done about it and whether it has resolved after treatment finishes. (NB I'm putting this in the general discussion arena as I thought it may not be simply TNBC related?) KathyBYO Cold Cap?
Hi all, I have just found out that my hospital (Monash) doesn’t offer the cold cap for chemo. The breast care nurse I spoke to was very disparaging of them, saying there was no evidence they worked, which surprises me as they seem relatively common in better hospitals. She said the only option was to BYO frozen caps in an esky - has anyone here tried this? Was it successful? How do you keep the caps cold enough?Update: I got heavy period 1 week after 1st Zoladex injection. Any similar experience?
Hello everyone. I wish you have a happy Sunday. I am 33 y.o. and diagnosed with localised advanced HER2-positive breast cancer last month. I got zoladex injection on Thursday (12/9). As expected, I didn't get the period which is normally usually come around last weekends. Got my first chemo on Friday (20/9) [I choose to go with Perjeta/Pertuzumab treatment btw]. Overall so good, only normal sympthoms like sore and dry throat, thrush, very mild tingling sensation. may be because I still consume the dexamethasone as prescribed for Day 2. I took the Ziextenzo (pegfilgrastim) injection around 25 hrs after the chemo as instructed. No alergic reaction. Only mild ache. But, a couple of hours later I felt burning sensation during urination and when I tried to hold my urine, then the urine got redder plus I found blood on my panty. I went to ER. Surprisingly my temp a little bit over 38C (At that time I felt okay, no sweat or chills). Got observed, blood test, urine test, chest xray. Overall nothing concerning except the blood in urine and the discomfort during urination. During the urine MCS I found blood on my pads like during period, but redder (usually I have darker spot). This made me unsure whether the blood came from my urethra or uterus. But because I feel pain during urination + the fever, I discharged with UTI diagnosis. Got antibiotic iv + antibiotic prescription. I got much better after had some sleep at home. It is still a little bit hurt during urination, but much-much better. However, the blood got redder and it become more-more similar to period sympthoms. Like a heavy period will storm in. I plan to observe what will happen today, and will consult my oncologist tomorrow. But, if someone here have experience with period after 1st zoladex injection or similar sympthoms, I will really appreciate your insight (PS: Sorry for the long post and grammar mistake, english is not my 1st language) Thank you :heart:brain fog post chemo treatment
Hi All Just a question about brain fog and how long people experience this after chemo treatment has stopped. I finished chemo about 5 weeks ago and am in my last week of radiation. I expected to have a clearer mind by now. Just wondering about other people's experience with brain fog post treatment. thxs fiona
