Pea-n-Me
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2004
Please don’t apologize, this is what this is here for and we’ve all done it! I’m glad you can cross the AC off your list. I remember at that point all I really felt like was Pepsi and potato chips. So bad for me but that’s all I could manage and figured it was better than nothing. Milk and peanut butter crackers sound a little healthier anyway! Do they have you on any type of PPI like omeprazole (Prilosec)? Sometimes acid reflux can cause a cough like that, so it might be worth a try if they ok it. Be sure to take it on an empty stomach in the morning, and before you eat if you take a dose in the afternoon.Started with the taxol today. I was nervous to get started because of what I've read of people having reactions within the first few mins, someone here did sorry I can't remember who and scrolled back some but didn't see it. Anyways I did not thankfully and other than the coughing fit I had during the session everything went textbook. I have had major congestion for several weeks and while that seems to be clearing I now have post nasal drip which has resulted in some vicious coughing fits. I felt so embarrassed in the infusion room- it went on for a good 10 mins I just wanted to run and hide. They're really bad at night as soon as I try to be on any position other that propped straight up I start coughing. I am really hoping it ends soon.
I feel like the last 2 weeks were a bust. I was fairly nauseous from the last dose of ACT for a good week, and nothing is appetizing (I lost 5 pounds). The only things that taste good/normal is milk and peanut butter crackers. I eat other things because i know i have to but they taste like nothing. I have a sicky sweet taste going on not metallic. My kids were both sick with whatever is floating around their school- I think it's norovirus. What's the deal with kids standing by the bed in the middle of the night saying mom I'm throwing up and sure enough it's everywhere. Had my share of that these last 2 weeks.
@3threebabies, when you had dry eyes were they burning? I have been able to get my contacts in for a few hours a day but man do my eyes burn. I use those systane drops but I don't think they really do anything. When I saw the eye doctor she said I could have developed an allergy to this brand of contact since I've used them for so many years to maybe try a new brand. Idk.
@Grace&Carolinesmom, congrats on finishing treatment . Did you ring the bell? I see it on the wall at my place, saw one lady ring it so far and it was pretty anticlimactic. Did you get cleared to have the port removed? Oh how I can't wait for that day! I have a surgery date of July 26th for the double mastectomy and reconstruction so I imagine my port comes out thay day. Bye port.
I've been reading a lot about the ovary removal surgery and hysterectomy, and recovery. My oncologist says if in 4 weeks of the taxol my numbers are good she wants me to get this over with. Idk why but I am do on the fence about this. I am like torn between the whole thing or just the ovaries and tubes.
As far as other symptoms, I see that the nail beds on my thumbs are turning dark. I'm going to watch thay closely not that I can stop it but I keep them painted with the clear polish and use ice packs during treatment. Someone suggested frozen wash cloths a few times a day.
Saw a friend over the weekend and confessed what I'm going through. Turns out her bestie has brca1 positive too and has been through all of this twice. She finally had the double mastectomy and down stairs done and she is doing great. My friend is planning for the 3 of us to get together for coffee this weekend so I can pick her brain. I like my center and all, it's quiet, but I feel like it's too quiet. I read about all these informative centers with tons of resources but unless I read about it and ask the nurses they don't say much. I think it'll help to sit with someone and really ask what to expect.
I have also been very lazy lately. I have so many things I want to do, like make photo books for every year since the kids were born, but I have done nothing. I'm in a funk.
Wow this post got really long, sorry about that. I guess I should go write all of this in my journal now lol.
I can understand why you have mixed feelings on taking out your lady parts. It’s not always easy to do. I didn’t take mine out during cancer treatment, but had to later on, and it was still not something I really cared to do (even though I was sick from pain and bleeding it was pretty bad. It’s pretty well known that women get emotional about their uterus, especially, as it’s so connected to their children). My oncologist insisted on my ovaries coming out so basically everything came out. The biggest issue was the surgical menopause that came on pretty quickly. You have enough on your plate so I won’t add to that, but let me know if you have any questions about that.
I’m glad you’re meeting up with someone who’s been through this, too. I felt like that was very therapeutic for me. The medical teams aren’t always great at emotional support, which pains me to say since I am a nurse. I don’t work in oncology, but I do work with patients just diagnosed with devastating illnesses, and when I can, I try to sit down and ask something like, “How are you doing with all this?”, but not everyone cares to talk about it, and I don’t always have a lot of time to sit, unfortunately. I, personally, got a lot of support on my own, though, from friends, or friends of friends, who’d been through it all before me, and a cancer support center I went to. I also came up with the idea for this thread because I wanted to connect with others who understood, as well, way back in 2005! So as yucky as the subject is, it’s been nice to connect with so many others who’ve been down this road, too.