finished chemo finally!

rinaina · 08-06-2006, 08:17 AM

It's been a while since I posted on here or read other's posts so I have a lot of catching up to do. Chemo has not been kind to me at all. My health and side effects progressively got worse with each treatment, especially after my third and final fourth treatment with adriamycin and cytoxen. I received two injections of Neulasta after my 3rd and 4th treatment to try to help with keeping my white count up to minimize the side effects but it didn't really help and on the contrary, I had horrific bone pain from the Neulasta so if anything, I felt worse from those injections. My major side effects have been high fevers 2 weeks after treatments and as I said much higher after 3rd and 4th tx. I also have had terrible problems with severe dryness of my eyes, but so severe that my corneas became abraded and the surface of the cornea has changed so I have transient blurriness. I am using artificial tears by the carload along with prescription drops, ointments, gels and lacrasirt pellets to try and help this dryness along. No one thing seems to be helping enough. This eye thing has become so annoying that all I want to do is keep them closed as much as possible but even that backfires because then it is difficult to open them. Due to the dryness, if my eyes are closed too much then due to the dryness the lid adheres to the eye ball and makes it difficult to open the lid after the eyes are closed for any prolonged time. I always feel like I have stuff in my eyes irritating them too. I developed a rash on my upper chest, upper back, upper arms and a few elsewhere that has gotten worse with each treatment and am now on steroids to try and get rid of that because nothing else has helped. The dermatologist didn't know what to make of it and has given me topical creams which didn't do much. He even took a picture of it and sent it our to, get this, a dermatologist-oncologist-hematologist and even she didn't know what to make of it. My onc thinks it is definitely a reaction to the chemo. In addition to all these side effects, I have had the typical ones as well....mouth sores, burning tongue, slight nausea after treatment but not too bad actually, extreme extreme fatigue, constipation, taste and smell vastly altered. The worst though has been the fevers and headaches that went along with them and they eye problems. I am wondering if you could all tell me how long your side effects lasted after completing treatments and if any of you had problems like I did with the eyes and fevers? I ended up in the emergency room last weekend because the fever remained high for more than 24 hours, (100.8) and my onc wants a blood panel everytime the fever stays over 100.5 for 24 hours. My white count was low but not dangerously so they didn't keep me overnight. They gave me fluids and took a chest xray and ekg and took plenty of blood to check for infections but all came back fine. I am so anxious to start feeling better and I am so curious as to how long it took all of you to bounce back after you completed treament. I start Herceptin on August 17 if my Muga comes back okay next week and if my blood tests are Aok. Then when I return from a short getaway to vegas on Sept 5 I will start radiation for 6 weeks as well. They didn't want to start radiation until I came back because you can't start and stop when you would miss some days due to going away. You have to go consistently 5 days a week for the 6 weeks. I really hope to be well enough to get away a little on Sept 5 for four nights before I start up with radiation but at this point I can't imagine having the stamina to be able to. Also because of my eyes that are so bothersome. If I don't go away then they will start the radiation sooner. Can you tell me how you all did with radiation and herceptin? I have read that herceptin can cause eye issues too. What kind of eye issues can it cause because I sure don't need any more problems with my eyes. I have heard that both radiation and herceptin don't make you feel as sick as chemo and I am counting on that. I am fatigued enough and my stamina is shot. Thanks for all your feedback that I am counting on. I tried to post this last night but for whatever reason it didn't post.

penelope · 08-06-2006, 08:44 AM

CONGRATS on finishing!!!! What a long haul. I did not have the symptoms that you had (eyes) but the ones I did have went away pretty quickly with in a month. My blood was back to normal with in 6 months according to my sister who specializes in hematology. So not to long. I hope that it will be the same for you.

Are you doing Taxol? As I remember correctly you and I had the same diagnosis and you were not going to take it. Has that changed?

rinaina · 08-06-2006, 09:06 AM

Not taxol for me just herceptin and radiation. Good to hear that within a month after chemo you felt better. What side effects did you have with chemo and are you taking herceptin now and if so how is that going? How did you do with radiation?

penelope · 08-06-2006, 02:00 PM

I actually had bilateral masts for a 7mm tumor so I did not need radiation. As for the taxol I was told that it would only be of 1% benefit to me. I am hoping and praying that that is the case. As for Herceptin, I have been on it since Dec and it has been very tolerable. I do currently have headaches though around the second week after infusion. Otherwise nothing besides weight gain. Can't tell if that is herceptin or I am just a pig. I have been trying to gain weight for diep, so I have not watched what I eat, other than making sure I am making good choices with food.

The AC gave me some weight gain as well, nausea, low counts, fatigue, terrible headaches, all the usual listed. I was lucky not to get mouth sores and such. I did have a very bad round with number 3 and almost did not go back. But am glad I did.

What did you onc say about taxol?

lexigirl · 08-06-2006, 02:54 PM

Great news on being finished with your chemo!! Herceptin alone is much easier and I am sure you will be feeling better really soon. Celebrate!!

Love,
Lexi

Jean · 08-06-2006, 08:51 PM

Rinaina,

So sorry you had such a difficult time with your chemo.
You should find herceptin much easier to tolerate.
Best of luck with your radiation .....

Hugs,
jean

chrisy · 08-06-2006, 09:15 PM

Rinaina,
I'm sorry to hear you had such a rough time with chemo - wow you really went through the wringer...
Herceptin is different, despite the recent threads about Herceptin side effects...most would say it's much easier and very tolerable. I hope you will find it to be so. You sure deserve a break!
Chris

08-06-2006, 10:02 PM

Congratulations! Finishing chemo is an accomplishment to be admired. I especially admire your hanging in with it even though it was so difficult for you. Every day, you will feel a little better, I trust.

dilly

rinaina · 08-07-2006, 09:20 AM

Thank you all for your understanding and positive encouragement especially about Herceptin. I am banking on radiation and Herceptin not giving me much trouble and for sure not as much as chemo did. I am hoping every day I get further out from chemo I will feel better and better. My eyes are still so bothersome as is the rash. I just finished my steroids today and the rash has calmed down a bit but not as much as I had hoped. I have been having terrible pain in my thighs and I don't know what that is from but walking down and up the stairs or getting up from a sitting position brings on the pain. I so look forward to better days ahead. Thanks again for your responses and support.