Cancer Support and Caregivers Who Are Trail Blazers!

[deb_U_taunt]

Dapper,

Hmmm 5 FUs sounds appropriate for any cancer lol

Cyclophosphamide/Adriamycin every two weeks 4 times (this one I didn't have too many side effects from, hair loss and the steroid moon face was about it)
Taxol every two weeks 4 times (this is the one that kicked my ass)

Skipping words!!! YES. Its hurt my career, since I don't retain things like I used to. I can't work the hours that most IT people work anymore either. I went from 60 hours on average to 40 now.

Hugs, Deb

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Hi, deb.

Yes, the chemo fog has been quite hard for me as well, and my 6 months of chemo ended in 3/2011. The worst for me is word finding. It has become a bit better, but is still an ongoing, daily problem. I also seem to skip words when writing, or write the wrong word.

Additionally, although it has gotten better, immediate memory is a problem. Three or four sentences into a paragraph, I can't remember what the first and second sentence said. I had actually planned to return to graduate school for an additional degree, but wasn't able to get through the GRE due to the above problem. It is better, but since it has been so long, I don't know if it will become good enough to be able to return to school.

Evidently, the biggest reduction in chemo fog happens in the first year. After this, it either leaves much more slowly or doesn't get any better.

What type of chemo did you get? I received 5FU for colon cancer.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by deb_U_taunt

Dapper,

Hmmm 5 FUs sounds appropriate for any cancer lol

Cyclophosphamide/Adriamycin every two weeks 4 times (this one I didn't have too many side effects from, hair loss and the steroid moon face was about it)
Taxol every two weeks 4 times (this is the one that kicked my ass)

Skipping words!!! YES. Its hurt my career, since I don't retain things like I used to. I can't work the hours that most IT people work anymore either. I went from 60 hours on average to 40 now.

Hugs, Deb

Yes, mine was 12 times, every other week, for 6 months. I would have a 4 hour infusion, and then I wore a chemo pump for 48 hours. I would do my chemo on a Wednesday morning, get the pump on, go back to get pump removed on Friday afternoon and then crash for the entire weekend (evidently, it is common to get tired AFTER the chemo finishes, not during). I worked full time the whole way through, which really was probably dumb. I won't do that again, if it comes back. I started not working the afternoons of the infusions, however, because the steroids made me so agitated I would be irritable with my coworkers (fortunately, only the ones I was close too). So, at some point I just started taking those Wednesdays off.

pynnkameleon, I loved your post and have a lot to say, but will have to get to it later.

[clay]

[deb_U_taunt]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Yes, mine was 12 times, every other week, for 6 months. I would have a 4 hour infusion, and then I wore a chemo pump for 48 hours. I would do my chemo on a Wednesday morning, get the pump on, go back to get pump removed on Friday afternoon and then crash for the entire weekend (evidently, it is common to get tired AFTER the chemo finishes, not during). I worked full time the whole way through, which really was probably dumb. I won't do that again, if it comes back. I started not working the afternoons of the infusions, however, because the steroids made me so agitated I would be irritable with my coworkers (fortunately, only the ones I was close too). So, at some point I just started taking those Wednesdays off.

pynnkameleon, I loved your post and have a lot to say, but will have to get to it later.

I worked through it too. I would get chemo Friday and have the weekend for rest. I was back at work Monday, until I started the Taxol and then after chemo Friday, I would work from home Monday and Tuesday.
I agree, I wouldn't do it again. BUT, it kept my mind on other things, too.

[julieisafemme]

My Mom is on hospice now. The cancer is in her lungs, spine, brain and liver. She just finished a 10 day course of palliative radiation. It did help. She is on all kinds of medication now. She also forgets words and has neuropathy from the chemo. She is 74! The doctor did not attribute it to old age! The lesion in her brain was causing headaches and slurred speech and that has improved with the radiation and steroids. Sorry to be a downer here! We have to be with her 24/7 now and sometimes she gets annoyed at allllll these people up in her business! She really enjoyed Christmas though.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

My Mom is on hospice now. The cancer is in her lungs, spine, brain and liver. She just finished a 10 day course of palliative radiation. It did help. She is on all kinds of medication now. She also forgets words and has neuropathy from the chemo. She is 74! The doctor did not attribute it to old age! The lesion in her brain was causing headaches and slurred speech and that has improved with the radiation and steroids. Sorry to be a downer here! We have to be with her 24/7 now and sometimes she gets annoyed at allllll these people up in her business! She really enjoyed Christmas though.

Hi, Julie. You are not a downer. I have wondered how your mother is doing. We want you here in the thread!

Glad to hear she enjoyed Christmas. I hope the New Year is happy for her, as well.

Take care.

[clay]

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

My Mom is on hospice now. The cancer is in her lungs, spine, brain and liver. She just finished a 10 day course of palliative radiation. It did help. She is on all kinds of medication now. She also forgets words and has neuropathy from the chemo. She is 74! The doctor did not attribute it to old age! The lesion in her brain was causing headaches and slurred speech and that has improved with the radiation and steroids. Sorry to be a downer here! We have to be with her 24/7 now and sometimes she gets annoyed at allllll these people up in her business! She really enjoyed Christmas though.

Hi Julieisafemme:
You most definitley belong in this thread..always. We are here for you...and I wish you and your mom, and your family, comfort and peace during this time. That is great she had a good Christmas...and I send you comforting energies and healing energies to your mom.
Know you have the love & support of all of us here...we are here for you always....hugs to each of you....Clay

[Novelafemme]

{{{{Julie}}}} Both you and your mom are in my thoughts. Sending you as much love and support as I possibly can.

[deb_U_taunt]

You are not a downer. Does sound like the situation is. I lost my grandma to cancer Jan 1 this year. She wanted to see 2012.
You and yours will be in my prayers and thoughts.
Hugs to you

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

My Mom is on hospice now. The cancer is in her lungs, spine, brain and liver. She just finished a 10 day course of palliative radiation. It did help. She is on all kinds of medication now. She also forgets words and has neuropathy from the chemo. She is 74! The doctor did not attribute it to old age! The lesion in her brain was causing headaches and slurred speech and that has improved with the radiation and steroids. Sorry to be a downer here! We have to be with her 24/7 now and sometimes she gets annoyed at allllll these people up in her business! She really enjoyed Christmas though.

[DapperButch]

I had a client who I last saw at the end of September. She had no health problems.

In the beginning of October I got a call from her canceling her next appt., saying she was in the hospital as they just found out she had a brain tumor.

Today I got a call from one of her friends letting me know that she passed away the day after Christmas.

She was a great person and very much a giver to others. Cancer sucks.

[deb_U_taunt]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I had a client who I last saw at the end of September. She had no health problems.

In the beginning of October I got a call from her canceling her next appt., saying she was in the hospital as they just found out she had a brain tumor.

Today I got a call from one of her friends letting me know that she passed away the day after Christmas.

She was a great person and very much a giver to others. Cancer sucks.

Cancer truly does suck. Hugs.

[uglyboi]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I had a client who I last saw at the end of September. She had no health problems.

In the beginning of October I got a call from her canceling her next appt., saying she was in the hospital as they just found out she had a brain tumor.

Today I got a call from one of her friends letting me know that she passed away the day after Christmas.

She was a great person and very much a giver to others. Cancer sucks.

Cancer is cruel!!!!!!!!

My youngest sister was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma January 3, 2012. She passed away on May 26, 2012. She was 43, physically active, never smoked nor drank and had no symptoms (discovered a swollen node on her neck). She left behind two small children. It makes no sense and it has been extremely difficult for me to accept that she is no longer with us. Just know that each of you all are in my thoughts and prayers!

[julieisafemme]

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

My Mom is on hospice now. The cancer is in her lungs, spine, brain and liver. She just finished a 10 day course of palliative radiation. It did help. She is on all kinds of medication now. She also forgets words and has neuropathy from the chemo. She is 74! The doctor did not attribute it to old age! The lesion in her brain was causing headaches and slurred speech and that has improved with the radiation and steroids. Sorry to be a downer here! We have to be with her 24/7 now and sometimes she gets annoyed at allllll these people up in her business! She really enjoyed Christmas though.

Some good news on the neuropathy. The hospice nurses prescribed a drug called neurontin? or something like that and it has helped tremendously with the mobility in her hands. I came in tonight to say goodnight and she was typing away at the computer on an email to her friends list. She has not been able to do this for a long time. She was really happy!

Also the hiccups and burping from the radiation (she had shots through esophagus to the spine) has improved tremendously! That makes her super happy!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by julieisafemme

Some good news on the neuropathy. The hospice nurses prescribed a drug called neurontin? or something like that and it has helped tremendously with the mobility in her hands. I came in tonight to say goodnight and she was typing away at the computer on an email to her friends list. She has not been able to do this for a long time. She was really happy!

Also the hiccups and burping from the radiation (she had shots through esophagus to the spine) has improved tremendously! That makes her super happy!

Hi, Julie. Yes, it is most likely Neurontin. I take that too for the neuropathy in my hands/feet from the chemo. My doc acutally decreased the Oxaliplatin in my chemo more than once due to the fact that the neuropathy started so quickly in the treatment. She ended up stopping the Oxaliplatin a all together half way through the cycle of treatment.

Her concern was how young I was to have neuropathy. For most people it goes away after tx stops, but not unexpectantly, for me, it didn't. It isn't too bad though, I really don't notice it as much now. I mainly have the pain in my feet. My fingers are less flexible...meaning, they are stiffer...it is more difficult to type and I can't type as quickly.

Of course, at this point I feel like the oncologist made the right choice in stopping the drug, since my neuropathy is quite manegable. Of course, if I get cancer again I will have to wonder if it was the stopping of the drug that allowed some of the cancer cells to not be obliterated.

[alexri]

I saw the conversations on "chemo brain" and I figured some of you might appreciate this story that was on NPR.

Another Side Effect Of Chemotherapy: 'Chemo Brain'
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012...py-chemo-brain