Well onto the next round of chemo. Round 1 Taxol. No bad reactions so far but my body doesnt like the new new anti nausea drug - so no more of that for me. However other than an achey back ( which is possibly because I have been out and about with vengance the past two days) there are no major problems ** knock on wood**. But my eyebrows are disappearing. I was sooo hoping to keep them, alas it is not to be.
What have I learnt this round - well thanks to a very wise pink lady, fruit tingles are magnificent. As are pineapple lifesavers. The flavour break through. And the most important is that the mind is a very powerful tool. I have been having success with the meditation and relaxation techniques - I slept the whole night through - it was wonderful.
Onwards I go 11 more Taxols and then the radiation. Finished by Christmas - it will be a celebration indeed.
Comments
Hi
Hi, me to have been losing the eyebrows. I was also hoping to atleast keep them, as well as the eye lashes.
Had 2nd Taxol , last Friday. Just feeling quite tired and indigestion. So happy with that compared to the other chemos before..
I have 7 more Taxol to go, then radiation as well.
Yes, celebration indeed for us all at Christmas.
Love and hugs Julie XX
Hi Julie
Just home from second Taxol and feeling well. Hoping this will be the way it stays. I got hit with a wave of fatigue on Monday afternoon and slept for four hours - I shall take it a bit easier this weekend. And my feet felt like somebody has broken the bones in them but that passed after a couple of days. I went out and bought a eyebrow pencil the other day and now I am looking for and eyeliner as my lashes are thinning. My sister sent me some eyebrow tatoo transfers which should be. fun.
Glad to read you are travelling well.
Take care
Hi
Hi
Thats graet that second Taxol went well for you.... Yes the fatigue does hit you, thats why I am not working on Mondays.
But I had a horror of chemo last Friday 13/7 ( yes Friday the 13th). Again it took them several times to put the canulla in. I cried like a baby, as is was so painful and veins kept collapsing. So hubby went back to see the oncologist to let her know. So this Wednesday 18/7 having a PICC line put in. So no more sore, painful hands and arms.
Yes, my eyebrows and eyelashes have diminished considerably over night, but luckily for glasses that hide them.
Hope all goes well with your next one, and keep in touch.
Love and hugs Julie XX
Hi Julie
So sorry to hear that your veins are not so good. My pic line is working well and except for sensitive skin around the site (but we have it under control now) and being mildly annoying it works well. It took no time to put in and only had a local. Are you OK for company on Wednesday? I am well and am happy to come and sit with you if you would like or if the tall strong one is working :).
I have invested in an eyeliner as well. Thinking my eyelashes will be going soon too although at the moment they are actually growing blonde so maybe not. Maybe I just need mascara :).
Anyway let me know. I am happy to come commiserate with you on Wednesday.
Take care. Toni
sorry...
Hi Toni
Sorry I hadn't replied, but a lot has happened.... Had the PICC line put in on the Wednesday... hubby in toe.... and all went well. I to have the sensitive skin around the site and it still throbs a little on occassions. Also annoying at times, mostly when trying to sleep.
anyway.... thats not the rest of it.... Went and saw Maree (oncologist) on the Friday and showed her these welt looking bumps on my head and around my once was hair line and eye area..... And she diagnosed me with Shingles...... oh man, I just lost it... cried and cried. Wasn't allowed to have chemo on the Friday and had to take tablets, to which I am still taking. Apparently shingles can occur when having chemo. Another crappy thing to add to the list of many frustrating side effects. So am home all week, and can't be seen in public, as the fear of spreading, and not looking to hot with these welts either. Feel like Elephant Man at the moment.
Having a few headaches also because of the shingles around the eye area, but with strong head ache tablets now under control.
So, feeling like S*** and looking like S***, and hoping the be able to have chemo this Friday.... Sad to think that I want chemo..... Just don't want to prolong the treatment.
Great that you have invested in eyeliner. My eyelashes have really disappeared since the shingles now... looking even more sparse.
Anyway, hope you are well and feeling good. Hope all is going well for you.
Take care as well, luv Julie XX
Hi Julie
So sorry to hear about the shingles. I heard it can happen. Paul has trotted these out and some possible other scenarios so I am waiting for something to happen to me. A good cry is not so bad. It can be quite cathartic I found. But it is so depressing being isolated at home.
I was concerned when I hadnt heard from you. I was worried about the picc line creating problems I am glad it is not so very bad . It is uncomfortable to sleep. I found that ice packs helped the actual wound to heal and eased the pain. I also massage the arm abit as the muscle gets a bit tight. I think because I "protect it" and carry it in an odd position.
At the moment I have a bit of neuropathy in my hands. I will be getting it checked out. In for my 4th session on Thursday. Hope you are well enough for your next session soon.
Remember we will be through this by Christmas. Aiming for fabulous New Year.
Talk soon. Toni
Hi Toni
Hi Toni
Yeah, sorry for not having communicated. Just so over this chemo crap. And then to top off having shingles, really hit a hard spot.
Picc line is okay... still hurts and feels like at times pulling. I will try the ice packs. And me to, trying to "protect" it. I also massage it quite lightly and gingerly at the moment. But does this sensation stay for the whole duration of the picc, or does it get better? So you don't feel it niggling after a while. I will ask Maree on Friday.
Not good with you and the Neuropathy in the hands. I have it in my feet, and told Maree last Friday. She is going to give me a Vitamin B injection with the next chemo.... hoping I have chemo on Friday. My pins and needles in the feet usually happen at night, and they are also restless. But it isn't constant with me..... is it for you all the time?
And quite coincidental that they both started - pins and needles and my shingles on the same night.
Hoping that Thursday goes well with you... how many more to go?
Yes bring on Christmas and New Year, atleast that is something to look forward to .
Once I get over the shingles crap, we should do coffee if you like. I am not allowed to be in public at the moment, as contagious. So in the next few weeks would be good for me.
Take care and love to you ... Julie XX
Hi Julie
The picc settles down. My physio was most insistent that I keep up the lymphodema exercises and I think that helps with the mobility of the picc line. The skin tries to heal and I think it attaches onto the picc line and it pulls. So movement is good. I get them to place the stat lock in a different place each week - this helps with the skin irritation but also with the mobility of the picc line. Every second dressing they put on this little antibiotic circle around the picc site and also pad me up to keep the dressing off the skin. It gives my skin time to heal - my body really doesnt like the dressings at all. Although my skin is better on Taxol than it was on EC. I found sleeping with a U pillow helped (I am a side sleeper) as it took the pressure off my arm.
My neuropathy is intermittent. Noticeable when I try to type or knit. At first I though it might be low blood flow because the picc has been in so long and I presume my veins are starting to be impacted by chemo. But it is now in both hands, just the pinkies and my right ring finger. Feet are good so far, although the first week I thought someone had broken all the bones in them, but that has passed.
I went and had an Bowen/Emmett massage on Monday. Was super. Its just a pressure point massage but it released my muscles and now I am free of aches and pains. I find that on Saturday and Sunday my neck, shoulder and upper back muscles start to ache and then it eases slowly, I presume it is invasion of the chemo and then it disapates. My sister explained about muscle memory and it all made sense so off I went to have a massage. I didnt realise how tight my leg muscles were because although I'm riding my bike (stationary) and I walk a bit I am no where near the activity level of prior to the chemo. My calves were always twitching when I tried to do "deep relaxation", but yesterday I was able to completely relax..
The physio also spoke of muscle memory during neuropathy. She said to make sure to touch hot and cold, soft and hard etc with my hands and feet that way the muscles and nerves are stimulated and your brain remembers the sensations. Apparently this will lessen the impact.
Thursday is number 4 - 8 more to go after this. I am scheduled to have my last chemo on September 20. But Paul says we monitor as we go and if we need to stop we stop. Radiation is due to start 4 weeks after my last chemo. They told me that I am to have a month break to allow the chemo to pass through before they zap me 30 times. So all up I finish mid December.
Coffee would be lovely. Anytime is good for me. It will give me a chance to experiment with the eyebrow pencil and eyeliner :) Let me know how you go on Friday. Be gentle on yourself, let your body rid itself of the shingles before you zap again.
Take care
Hi Toni
I have been exercising both arms, as I think also I am starting to have fluid build up again on the surgery arm. So tomorrow I will ring Maree and see what she says.
Shingles is getting a whole lot better now, but foul taste in my mouth... think its the tablets... yuck.. So over the whole mouth taste stuff now.
The girls at HOCA are great. I had the picc line flushed last Friday, and they to moved the lines so they aren't in the way, and put gauze underneath to help with the skin.
You will need to speak to your oncologist re your hands. It doesn't sound good. It seems they are getting quite sensitive
Hope Thursday goes really well for you. Will keep my fingers crossed. My last chemo was supposed to be 24/8, but now I have to add another week, as last week was a no go.... bummer.
Radiation after that, I have the appointment on 22/8 for Radiation Planning, so then I presume I will know exactly when I start. Me to, are having 30 sessions. If all goes well, and no more hic cups, then I should be finished around the end of October.
For both you and me October and December seen soooo far away still. Not fair.
I'll let you know re coffee - as hoping she will allow me to be in "public" after shingles episode. As at the moment- not allowed to be in public. Feel like Elephant Man at the moment....
So maybe not this Monday, but the following Monday would be great for me 6/8?
Take care and hoping all goes well with you. Julie XX