Other Side Effects
I've been trying to research what to do about the neuropathy I'm feeling from the Taxol treatments. I hope maybe my acupuncturist can help through treatments or herbs or other supplements. I finished the 4 AC treatments & have 2 out of 4 Taxol left. There's constant mild tingling & numbness in my feet and hands. It's not painful, but uncomfortably annoying (hard to sleep!) & it may or may not be reverseable. :-(
Luckily I've been handling side effects better than expected -- I'm glad I'm not wasting away and on bed rest or something. Maybe because I'm younger and was in generally good health before my diagnosis. Being bald & having black fingernails & toenails, are just temporary external side effects. However, I'm in "chemopause" -- I'm given monthly Lupron shots to shut down my ovaries in order to protect them from chemo treatments (we're hoping to have another child after the "wait & see" period of about 2-3 years after my treatments). I experience hot flashes sometimes, so I need to go get some black cohosh to deal with them. I'm also taking Gabapentin, which is to help deal w/joint & muscle pain from the Taxol. I recently read that Gabapentin can also help reduce hot flashes in women undergoing chemo, so that's a good thing too! Also, I'm getting much less hesitant about giving myself Neupogen shots now. They're to increase my white blood cells, but they give me throbbing aches in my lower back, so I stop them when it's too painful. I initially injected my thighs, but caused myself bruises, so I switched to my abs (more fat there!) to make it easier.
This past Saturday, I went to an American Cancer Society sponsored luncheon for women who have had mastectomies. A certified fitter from Honolulu came to sell products like silicon breast protheses, & special swimsuits & bras that had pockets for breast forms. It was kind of weird to see all these silicon breast forms laid out on display. I'm pretty small chested, so it was hard to find something ideal. She recommended I wait a bit after my treatments in case my weight changes. Kaiser will pay 50% of a prothesis (which costs several hundred dollars) & 50% of up to 3 bras. No big hurry anyway, just like deciding on breast reconstruction surgery. I was the youngest woman there, but there were a couple other women who were even "newer" survivors. The attendees went around saying their names & how long it's been since their diagnosis or initial treatment & they ranged from 8 weeks to over 20 years. I guess you're considered a survivor if you're still breathing after your initial treatment. But what are you called if you have a recurrence or a new cancer?
Luckily I've been handling side effects better than expected -- I'm glad I'm not wasting away and on bed rest or something. Maybe because I'm younger and was in generally good health before my diagnosis. Being bald & having black fingernails & toenails, are just temporary external side effects. However, I'm in "chemopause" -- I'm given monthly Lupron shots to shut down my ovaries in order to protect them from chemo treatments (we're hoping to have another child after the "wait & see" period of about 2-3 years after my treatments). I experience hot flashes sometimes, so I need to go get some black cohosh to deal with them. I'm also taking Gabapentin, which is to help deal w/joint & muscle pain from the Taxol. I recently read that Gabapentin can also help reduce hot flashes in women undergoing chemo, so that's a good thing too! Also, I'm getting much less hesitant about giving myself Neupogen shots now. They're to increase my white blood cells, but they give me throbbing aches in my lower back, so I stop them when it's too painful. I initially injected my thighs, but caused myself bruises, so I switched to my abs (more fat there!) to make it easier.
This past Saturday, I went to an American Cancer Society sponsored luncheon for women who have had mastectomies. A certified fitter from Honolulu came to sell products like silicon breast protheses, & special swimsuits & bras that had pockets for breast forms. It was kind of weird to see all these silicon breast forms laid out on display. I'm pretty small chested, so it was hard to find something ideal. She recommended I wait a bit after my treatments in case my weight changes. Kaiser will pay 50% of a prothesis (which costs several hundred dollars) & 50% of up to 3 bras. No big hurry anyway, just like deciding on breast reconstruction surgery. I was the youngest woman there, but there were a couple other women who were even "newer" survivors. The attendees went around saying their names & how long it's been since their diagnosis or initial treatment & they ranged from 8 weeks to over 20 years. I guess you're considered a survivor if you're still breathing after your initial treatment. But what are you called if you have a recurrence or a new cancer?
posted by goforsushi @ 11:45 PM
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