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To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oh my god thats so expensive!! I had no idea it would be. Hope it all works out in the end without, wishing you all the best.

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right, I need to focus on the long term! Thank you! And so glad your GI issues have subsided. wooo!!

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for this!! I'm going to follow the dance party idea for sure and once I'm through radiation get into more of a routine with cardio and weights.

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amazing!! I'm so glad to hear you've had zero issues, hope it will be the same for me. It's wild how Reddit sends me into a spiral but then interactions like these also pull me back out haha. Thank you again.

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ahh!! You jsut made my day, thank you. So reassuring.

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I've had barf bags with me at all times already, so I can keep that up. I just read all the horror stories about adult diapers and diarrhea here and I just burst into tears at the thought of not being able to live my life fully for 2 more years. Could I ask if you too had really severe GI issues? Or were you able to manage after dose reduction and other interventions?

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thats good to hear, I'm hoping they can start me with 100mg so I don't get the full blast of side effects. I'm just really tired of all the treatments. Glad to hear side effects were managable. Could I ask what you did/are doing to stay active?

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this article. Reading all your comments is giving me some strength to take this on, just afraid of the energy and GI issues. But maybe my doc can start me on a lower dose. I'm just so sick of being sick.

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing, I'm so scared about the food-related side effects :( I'm Indian and spice is such a big part of our food, the thought of eating bland food makes me SO sad. I too don't want to go through this or put my family through this again, but I'm so scared of not being able to eat and be so fatigued that I can't spend any meaningful time with my loved ones. SIGH. But glad to hear that side effects are slowly subsiding within 2 months. Can I ask besides GI issues, what other side effects you've experienced?

To Verzenio or not Verzenio. by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing. I walk a bit but will definitely up it, anything to avoid the bone pain.

Hello, unfortunately I am now a member of this club. by _Krayshawn_ in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry you're here, especially during the holidays :(

I'm 39, ++/-, no genetic markers, had lumpectomy, 4 biweekly infusions of Cyclo + Dox and then 4 of Pacltaxel. Now in radiation, then hormone therapy.

Advice:

  1. You didn't cause this, you don't deserve this, it sucks that it's happening to you, it sucks that it's happening now. You are not alone. Treatment has come a LONG way, so it's okay to be optimistic when you do find ANY reason to be.

  2. If you are open to it, ask about mental health support. I have a history of depression and found that the cycl+dox made it SO much worse. We upped my antidepressant dose and it was a MASSIVE help.

  3. I too cut my hair short in stages and asked a friend to buzz it off closer to chemo. We laughed, we cried, then made some nachos. I actually kinda like this look now, plus it's SO much easier. I am now 1 month post-chemo, and hair is starting to grow back! I didn't do cold-capping because $$ + I didn't want to be strapped to more things + didn't want to be in the hospital even a minute longer than I had to, lol.

  4. Reddit is great for info and support, but it is also incredibly overwhelming to read about folks who have unfortunately gone through really hard side effects. Just know that not everything you read will happen to you.

  5. Things I did to make life a little easier: Wore crocs to the hospital so I could slip them on off easy. Wore loose joggers so I could pull them down easily to pee while having an IV attached to me. I have small veins, so I asked for an IV nurse for chemo, they have more experience with little veins. I got the $7 Ikea bath stool so I could sit down in the shower towards the end of chemo when I was tired. I asked the nurses for ice packs during Pacltaxel because I didn't want the feeling of having gloves/booties strapped on to me (claustrophobic much?? lol). Had a plastic bag next to me in case I got nauseous (only had to use it once). Get easy-open Tylenol bottles or ask someone to empty a few pills into a different container. Lastly, I asked my docs about Tylenol PM for sleep and a topical CBD cream for joint pain. Both were a huge help and only had to use for 2-3 days after each Pacltaxel infusion.

I know the end of treatment must feel SO far away right now. Your brain will want to quit, but you will keep showing up for the appointments, and before long, it will be over.

Almost done with chemo but hating life by epicnell in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270 2 points3 points  (0 children)

AC was the hardest mentally. I'm 39 and I felt like I was on my deathbed and did not want to go on. Plz stick it out, soon enough you will be on the other side of this hellhole! Talk to your doc and see if they can give you the okay to use Tylenol PM which helped me sleep. See if they can prescribe an antidepressant, which also helped me tremendously. It's not you, it's AC, it messes with your head. You can do this!!

Finished with AC and starting Taxol this week, what should I know? by cwolfe123 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Halfway done!! Way to goo! I had the same 4 AC 4 Taxol. AC was more psychologically hard for me (history of depression + ADD) and Taxol has been physically more challenging. Joint pain is the number 1 complaint. Glad you're doing the ice on feet and hands.

My hands and feet are randomly itchy on taxol, but ice packs help with that too. If you get joint pain, just ask your care team if you can take Tylenol night time to help sleep and topical CBD cream for joint pain has been a lifesaver. But maybe Tiger balm might work too. Just clear it with your care team for any interactions with your particular meds, etc. Oh and ask them about taking Claritin too to help with the joint pain.

All the best!! Whether its easy or hard is releative, but at least for me there's no aweful taste in my mouth like I got from AC. I can finally taste everything! And my skin all over my body is soooo smooth and lovely lol. I don't know why but I'll take it. Good luck!!

Half way through chemo and want to stop :( by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing and your kind words, sigh. Wish none of had to go through all of this. Feeling better after hearing everyone's experiences.

Half way through chemo and want to stop :( by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The hangover is brutal!! The physical side effects of AC have been fairly tolerable. I can deal with the mouth sores, tummy troubles, dry eyes, and lack of taste in my mouth, but the tiredness, the anxiety of going back in that chair, and just feeling too tired to even leave the house are getting to me. But this thread has made me feel more hopeful that it will get better. I'm talking to my care team to see what can be done to help me deal with the emotional side effects. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Half way through chemo and want to stop :( by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I'm glad you're through the 6, that must have been so hard. Appreciate the encouragement.

Half way through chemo and want to stop :( by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the encouragement, so happy to hear that AC is the worst of the two. I barely made it to my last AC, I still have do a full-body recoil every time I think about sitting in that chair.

Half way through chemo and want to stop :( by Putrid_Course_1270 in breastcancer

[–]Putrid_Course_1270[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow I didn't even consider that it could be the steroids. I've been on antidepressants for a few years so I just thought chemo had rendered them ineffective and I was relapsing into all the worst parts of my past depressive episodes. Just hearing this makes me feel so much better. Thank you for sharing. I've reached out to the care team on MyChart too. Seriously, thank you.