Re: update on chemo

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynda,

How many more chemo treatments do you need to have? The side

effects sound just dreadful. I'm glad your sister has been there

for you and am sorry to hear that she's having some health issues,

too. My mother-in-law experienced those hemoglobin issues when she

was treated for breast cancer 20 years ago, and I remember she would

get very weak and dizzy, and she would get a fever.

God bless you,

Love Sis

>

> I know it has been a while since I wrote an update. I have had my

> ups and downs with the chemo and the side effects recently.

>

> My next chemotherapy infusion is on the 13th of this month. This

> will be number 5. I got through the last one without a lot of

> hand-foot problems (iced the hands and feet regularly and kept

> calendula salve and lanolin, etc. on them most of the time. I

wore

> white gloves most of the month also, to keep the hands moist and

the

> creams on them.

>

> Same problems with nausea and problems sleeping, same problems

with

> finding things I could eat. Had thrush once, but avoided the

canker

> sores this month. This takes avoiding anything that is spicy or

> temperature hot and using a salt-soda mouth wash for the first 10

> days, then being very careful to eat soft foods and avoid any

mouth

> damage. My digestive system is taking a beating from the chemo.

>

> This month my hemoglobin dropped to 9.7 ( for those who do not

know,

> this is very low) and I had to start the shots to boost the red

blood

> counts. I had totally hoped to avoid this development, but it was

> not to be, I guess. It took a while to work and meanwhile, I

guess

> the hemoglobin fell even further, putting me in bed for almost

four

> days. They said I should have called them, as I should have had a

> blood transfusion if I was having to stay in bed. I am better

now,

> so guess that is a moot point. The shot I now have to have every

> three weeks is called Aranesp, and it has it's own side effects,

one

> of which is nausea. Ironically, another one is fatigue.

>

> So, on to the next chemo and hope that no more unexpected things

pop

> up. We still don't know how many more treatments I will have, and

> probably won't know until the end of August. At that time we will

> decide on further chemo and radiation of the scapula.

>

> So, I am still hanging in, tired most of the time, have to protect

my

> hands and feet most of the time, and I have learned to ride the

> little buggies in the stores as my fatigue and weakness is too

much

> to manage to walk through large stores on most days. I am told

the

> fatigue will be with me until the end of my treatment.

>

> My sister is still here, helping tremendously. She is having some

> medical problems which may be taken care of before she leaves

> Colorado. This includes a knee replacement. Life will really be

> interesting if we are both down at one time.

>

> Lynda

>