Cindy (cconsolver)
 

Cindy I see that you are located in Bedford,Texas? I am in Hurst.

Do you go to Texas Oncology, across from Harris Methodisit Hospital?

I had 4 AC Dose dense followed by 4 Abraxane Dose Dense and I have until the end August and I will finished with my year of Herceptin. I get weekly Infusions.


Vicki

My time clock is definitely off. I go to bed early, by 9 pm, and today I was up at 3:45am, wide awake for now. Sure hoping this will change at some point. I also, even with the Ativan last night before bed, still woke up 3 times for sure. I keep reading how we need our rest but this interupted sleep is terrible for us. Am I alone in this? I do remember the onc nurse saying I could take two Ativan....what do you think? I hate to rely on drugs but I must get back in a better sleep pattern.

My mom's oncologist also told her that she could take two ativan pills. He has also given her sleeping medication.

last night one ativan did the trick, slept from 9 til 7am this morning thank goodness, needed it.

Hi LovingDaughter

I took exactly the same chemo that your mother is currently on.

Although many people told me that Taxol would be "easier", I would best describe the side effects as different from AC. Taxol didn't make me feel nauseated at all. But since it follows AC, your body is also more physically stressed. As a result, I found that there was somewhat more fatigue associated (but I don't know if I would strictly blame taxol as by that time your body has been doing the chemo-marathon for a number of months by the time you switch to taxol).

My main symptom was physical pain in the lower joints, particularly feet and knees. However I would not describe this as very bad. It was worse when you first stood up in the morning. At that time I would have to grit my teeth before I stood. It could also be uncomfortable to walk, but not bad enough to limp. I found this faded as I forced myself to walk around. (after each treatment however the "discomfort" time zoneexpanded). I also found that my finger nails (not toes) became tender and felt like they might come off. I avoided doing dishes because of this.

I also gave myself injections of neupogen. It is unpleasant, but doable. It is less painful if you stab yourself FAST rather than inserting the needle carefully. Rotate injection sites. Usually one side of your body (either left or right) tends to be less sensitive.

While you are on chemo, it is important to maintain a very high quality of mouth hygene. These are the steps that I took:
Dental hygenist every 3 months. Use biotene toothpaste (available behind the counter from your pharmacist). Remember that flossing removes 40% of the bacteria but must be done gently. Clean your teeth after eating anything. And most important........swish with baking soda every 4 - 8 hours (depending on where you are in the vulnerability of your chemo cycle.) This changes your mouth chemistry from acid to alkali. (Don't rince with fresh water after a swish) I used to swish whenever I got up at night to pee. If you follow the above rules you are likely to miss out on the mouth sores that are so common during chemo. Once you get them, they are hell to get rid of.

Good luck with your mom. Let her know that her hair will be back on her head really quickly after finishing her chemo.

Regards,
Merridith