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After Chemo - recovery?
Will have six rounds finished tommorow. Carbo and Taxol. Still recovering from the surgery, from December, 05. 27 staples stage 3c. Can anyone tell me how long after chemo will you start to feel yourself again?
I feel so much better knowing I found others that have same complaints as me. Finished Taxol and Gemzar Dec 10 and was expecting to be home free in two weeks, boy was I surprised. I got worse than any of the previous treatments and side effects are still showing up or maybe they are all in my head. I was in bed until Dec 29, not sleepy just so tired I could not hold my head up or keep my eye lids open. My weight gain finger nail pain and numb feet are bad enough but my muscles are hard as rocks and i can hardly walk, my oncologyst says it should go away but he doesn't give it a name, blames the steroids. Do any of you know if steroids make your leg muscles and back muscles large and hard?
I am delighted I found this site this AM and that there are others in the same boat as I am. I too just finished 6 rounds of Carbo and Taxil. My surgery was April29/08. 5 1/2 hrs and 12 days in hospital! I've had my chemo every 3 weeks as my blood has been good. Actually, they did not give me the Taxil this time as my fingers and toes were really numb. It's driving me nuts. To hear that others have this problem as well as the puffiness and weight gain makes me feel much better. Even although my oncologist wasn't worried I put on over 25# during the treatments. I not only feel like, but also look like the Good Year blimp! And the mood swings, I can sure identify with that. I'm hungry all the time but nothing tastes good except all the things I shouldn't be eating, namely Dairy Queen and chocolate pudding! If anyone is suffering from nausea, ginger works excellently! Fresh slivers of ginger in tea or candied ginger to chew on. It only takes a little and there is nothing better. You need good quality candied ginger. Some of it is sticky and too sugary. If you want more info on where to get good ginger let me know. I live in BC, Canada am a 62 year old retired school teacher, and believe it or not I raise horses too. I am trying to get myself back into "stall cleaning mode" but it is tough as you have all said. The energy just isn't what it used to be.
I finished IV / IP Taxol and Cisplatin last March 2008. My CA125 dropped to 8 or 9 after surgery (on a 21 scale) and never went lower during chemo. I also gained 10 - 12 lbs. I still have that weight with more around the middle. I ride my road bicycle, jog, yoga and am now starting some weight training. I used to do all that before cancer too. Nothing is getting the weight off. I have lost some of the puffiness however. Since I am happy to be here and feel good I am trying to accept the new me.
I had 12 rounds of carbo and taxol and gainned an average of 5 lbs per round. I stopped in Nov2007. It took about 7 months to get the steroids effects out of my body and weight started to drop, sleeping pattern improved and "hot flashes" stopped. I did a lot of detox to flush the stuff out of my body as fast as possible...have now lost all the weight that I gainned and like you I took matters into my own hands and doing all alternative support..acupuncture, reflexology, reishi mushroom, lots of vitamins and mind control. My Ca has stayed under 15 until about 2 months ago now at 40. I thought I was suffering from hot flashes but since I flushed out my system, I no longer have what them (not taking any HRT).
Hope this helps...Keep me posted on your progress
Hope this helps...Keep me posted on your progress
Hi everyone,
Well, this is a first for me. Just finished round 6 of chemo, dx. w/3c mid-March. I had a successful surgery and completed 6 rounds of chemo. Since I elected not to join a support group and took matters (my health & recovery) into my own hands, I have a couple of questions for anyone out there that can share some light. First of all, I'm happy to report that my CA125 post surgery was an 8. Within 2 weeks, I set out to prove to my medical team that I could bring my CA125 level down w/out drugs. Pre-chemo, I brought my CA125 down to a beautiful 6. Mid-way through my chemotherapy, my CA125 came down 1 point to a 5. It appears that were it wants to stay but hey, the verdict is still out. My question is this: How long does it take for the puffiness to go away. I've blossomed into 24lbs heavier and feel horrible with the body puffiness. Any tips in getting back into shape anyone? Also, any tips in reducing the hot flashes. I understand that oncologist are anti-HRT for recovery ovarian surviviors. I just can't imagine going-on with the constant hot flashes w/out any relief.
Any feed back is greatly appreciated.
Thanks all,
-Jacqueline
Sacramento, CA
Well, this is a first for me. Just finished round 6 of chemo, dx. w/3c mid-March. I had a successful surgery and completed 6 rounds of chemo. Since I elected not to join a support group and took matters (my health & recovery) into my own hands, I have a couple of questions for anyone out there that can share some light. First of all, I'm happy to report that my CA125 post surgery was an 8. Within 2 weeks, I set out to prove to my medical team that I could bring my CA125 level down w/out drugs. Pre-chemo, I brought my CA125 down to a beautiful 6. Mid-way through my chemotherapy, my CA125 came down 1 point to a 5. It appears that were it wants to stay but hey, the verdict is still out. My question is this: How long does it take for the puffiness to go away. I've blossomed into 24lbs heavier and feel horrible with the body puffiness. Any tips in getting back into shape anyone? Also, any tips in reducing the hot flashes. I understand that oncologist are anti-HRT for recovery ovarian surviviors. I just can't imagine going-on with the constant hot flashes w/out any relief.
Any feed back is greatly appreciated.
Thanks all,
-Jacqueline
Sacramento, CA
You're a hoot!
I stopped riding without a helmet after my 3rd concussion. Wind in my hair is great. Wind blowing through the cracks in my skull, not so much. LOL Live and learn (and live to ride again) is my motto now. I was a barrel racer Now I'm a dressage rider with body armor. I look more like a knight heading of to joust!
The hair thing is killer, isn't it? My first day of orientation at the treatment center, a woman walked up to me, commented on how pretty my curly, shoulder-length hair was, then said, "Do yourself a favor. Cut it off now. It'll hurt less." Of course I thought she was talking about the psychological pain. I didn't realize she meant PAIN pain! LOL I did give myself a cute trim that night--very trendy-- but when it started coming out in handfuls it HURT! Out came the horse clippers, and I buzz-cut it all. It was nice not to wake up in the morning with a face full of hair.
As for the helmet problem, I did try some solutions like knit caps and the cool "medical hair loss" goodies available at one of the online sites. What I really wanted was a black doo-rag like the kids at school had, but I couldn't find one anywhere. Anyway, it gave me an excuse to buy a very sexy new helmet that I wouldn't have splurged on otherwise. Since my hair came in baby-fine, it still fits. Yay, me!
BTW, my white hair is getting darker over time. The back is nearly black now with a few gray hairs. This morning I noticed the front is turning brown. It's certainly an adventure!
Ah, the "forcing oneself to go to chemo" thing . . ! Yep. Been there. I could have SWORN the doc told me up front I might be done after 3 rounds. I heard him. He said if my CA 125 dropped to 21 after the first treatment, we'd go for 3 and stop. It did, and I got all excited. I think he was afraid I'd quit if he told me the truth. LOL
The first two rounds were relatively easy. I didn't start feeling the "why are they trying to kill me?" thing until after round 3. Then I wanted out, BADLY. But I kept reminding myself that if I quit and the cancer came back, I'd be totally p'd at myself and have no one else to blame. I for SURE don't want to do this a second time!
ANYBDDY:
I had some serious short-term memory issues after chemo. While it did make it possible for me to watch every episode of Law and Order without noticing if I'd seen it before, the situation was not without its frustrations. I used the Nintendo DS with the Brain Age games and some others to get past it. Anyone else have that problem? I still sometimes have to pause when I'm speaking to make sure I know what I was saying. That's usually when I'm tired and haven't been using the DS for a while. Any helpful hints are welcome.
I stopped riding without a helmet after my 3rd concussion. Wind in my hair is great. Wind blowing through the cracks in my skull, not so much. LOL Live and learn (and live to ride again) is my motto now. I was a barrel racer Now I'm a dressage rider with body armor. I look more like a knight heading of to joust!
The hair thing is killer, isn't it? My first day of orientation at the treatment center, a woman walked up to me, commented on how pretty my curly, shoulder-length hair was, then said, "Do yourself a favor. Cut it off now. It'll hurt less." Of course I thought she was talking about the psychological pain. I didn't realize she meant PAIN pain! LOL I did give myself a cute trim that night--very trendy-- but when it started coming out in handfuls it HURT! Out came the horse clippers, and I buzz-cut it all. It was nice not to wake up in the morning with a face full of hair.
As for the helmet problem, I did try some solutions like knit caps and the cool "medical hair loss" goodies available at one of the online sites. What I really wanted was a black doo-rag like the kids at school had, but I couldn't find one anywhere. Anyway, it gave me an excuse to buy a very sexy new helmet that I wouldn't have splurged on otherwise. Since my hair came in baby-fine, it still fits. Yay, me!
BTW, my white hair is getting darker over time. The back is nearly black now with a few gray hairs. This morning I noticed the front is turning brown. It's certainly an adventure!
Ah, the "forcing oneself to go to chemo" thing . . ! Yep. Been there. I could have SWORN the doc told me up front I might be done after 3 rounds. I heard him. He said if my CA 125 dropped to 21 after the first treatment, we'd go for 3 and stop. It did, and I got all excited. I think he was afraid I'd quit if he told me the truth. LOL
The first two rounds were relatively easy. I didn't start feeling the "why are they trying to kill me?" thing until after round 3. Then I wanted out, BADLY. But I kept reminding myself that if I quit and the cancer came back, I'd be totally p'd at myself and have no one else to blame. I for SURE don't want to do this a second time!
ANYBDDY:
I had some serious short-term memory issues after chemo. While it did make it possible for me to watch every episode of Law and Order without noticing if I'd seen it before, the situation was not without its frustrations. I used the Nintendo DS with the Brain Age games and some others to get past it. Anyone else have that problem? I still sometimes have to pause when I'm speaking to make sure I know what I was saying. That's usually when I'm tired and haven't been using the DS for a while. Any helpful hints are welcome.
I HEAR YOU!!!! I have been back to my normal type A manic self this last month, but I have to make myself go back to chemo for the 3rd time on tues. That is something no one should have to do without a court order. I feel like I am being sent to serve a prison sentence. I know I will become my cancer persona and I don't much like her, I HATE the way she treats my husband and I hate the constant feeling of being a vomitous blob of sweat. I know I have over done it these last couple of days because I am in excruciating bone pain even with Fentanyl patches and hydros.
TO SCHOOLMARM; First off I have the utmost respect for teachers. They can make or break a child. Fortuneately, I had enough OUTSTANDING teachers to make up for the one HORRIBLE excuse for a human being. I think she liked to bully people and went into teaching so she could pick on people who could not fight back
You should buy some cotton fabric and put it in your helmet. I have only ridden 4 times in the last 21 months and that is what I did. I don't usually wear them as I like the feel of the wind in my hair when I am riding, but no hair so....
My hair was going gray when I started this and now it has all come back thick, full, healthy and about 3 gray hairs. I will probably lose it again this time and hope it does not come back gray. I have said this whole time that you don't get to start over baby fresh too often in your life and I have promised myself I will not damage it again with coloring. I am sorry you are still having problems. All I can say is enjoy the heck out of the good days and pretend the bad days don't happen.
Good luck to you with feeling better and living your life to the fullest.
Jan
TO SCHOOLMARM; First off I have the utmost respect for teachers. They can make or break a child. Fortuneately, I had enough OUTSTANDING teachers to make up for the one HORRIBLE excuse for a human being. I think she liked to bully people and went into teaching so she could pick on people who could not fight back
You should buy some cotton fabric and put it in your helmet. I have only ridden 4 times in the last 21 months and that is what I did. I don't usually wear them as I like the feel of the wind in my hair when I am riding, but no hair so....
My hair was going gray when I started this and now it has all come back thick, full, healthy and about 3 gray hairs. I will probably lose it again this time and hope it does not come back gray. I have said this whole time that you don't get to start over baby fresh too often in your life and I have promised myself I will not damage it again with coloring. I am sorry you are still having problems. All I can say is enjoy the heck out of the good days and pretend the bad days don't happen.
Good luck to you with feeling better and living your life to the fullest.
Jan
I am 60 and nearly a year post-chemo after ovarian cancer. I did six rounds of taxol/cisplatin (IV and IP). No special complications other than blood pressure related and a low neutrophil count that was counteracted with self-administered shots of Neupogen and Neulasta.
I have to say I was in super shape prior to surgery in February, '07, but took 9 weeks to recover b/c chemo started almost immediately. That slowed the healing process. I finished treatment in July '07 and was back on my horses in August and working out again by September. Having been cut right through my core muscles from breast bone to pubic bone made getting back into shape a real challenge. The pain from stretching the tight scar tissue was pretty bad. BUT, it's fine now. Really. I can do yoga all day and never feel a tug.
The bad news is that I'm still having tired days, I'm hyper-sensitive to the heat (which is totally destroying my horse-training season), and take days to recover if I overdo.
The good news is that there are also super days when I feel like my old self, can ride two horses, muck stalls, do the gardening and still do a Pilates routine after dinner. Wish I could predict which day I'll be having.
Like Newlifegal, I'm not the most patient person in the world. I'd like to be fine NOW. I am tired of the random joint pain that comes and goes.
Careylyn, I learned to love my wigs so much I hated when my hair came back in! LOL If there's anything to be said for medical hair loss it's that you get to go months without a bad hair day. Wigs always look good! Buy the ones on sale at Paulayoung.com and have fun with it. My biggest problem was that my riding helmets were too loose on my bald head and my head got sweaty if I put a wig on under them.
BTW, my hair was ash brown and curly and came in white and nearly straight. I love it! I didn't lose my eyebrows and lashes till after chemo was over, but they came back in pretty quickly in their original color. It's a bizarre experience, this cancer thing, isn't it?
I have to say I was in super shape prior to surgery in February, '07, but took 9 weeks to recover b/c chemo started almost immediately. That slowed the healing process. I finished treatment in July '07 and was back on my horses in August and working out again by September. Having been cut right through my core muscles from breast bone to pubic bone made getting back into shape a real challenge. The pain from stretching the tight scar tissue was pretty bad. BUT, it's fine now. Really. I can do yoga all day and never feel a tug.
The bad news is that I'm still having tired days, I'm hyper-sensitive to the heat (which is totally destroying my horse-training season), and take days to recover if I overdo.
The good news is that there are also super days when I feel like my old self, can ride two horses, muck stalls, do the gardening and still do a Pilates routine after dinner. Wish I could predict which day I'll be having.
Like Newlifegal, I'm not the most patient person in the world. I'd like to be fine NOW. I am tired of the random joint pain that comes and goes.
Careylyn, I learned to love my wigs so much I hated when my hair came back in! LOL If there's anything to be said for medical hair loss it's that you get to go months without a bad hair day. Wigs always look good! Buy the ones on sale at Paulayoung.com and have fun with it. My biggest problem was that my riding helmets were too loose on my bald head and my head got sweaty if I put a wig on under them.
BTW, my hair was ash brown and curly and came in white and nearly straight. I love it! I didn't lose my eyebrows and lashes till after chemo was over, but they came back in pretty quickly in their original color. It's a bizarre experience, this cancer thing, isn't it?
I am 3 months post chemo and still feel tired some days. I am running three miles a day and have gone back to weight lifting six days a week. I worry that the pain in my feet and legs will come back, and if I even experience a small itch, I start freaking out! Does anyone feel this way? I am 39 years old and had ovarian cancer
Cina M
Cina M
I went back part time in January which was about 8 weeks after my last session. I was initially very wiped out but then it's a job where I'm on my feet a lot--I work as an RN in a clinic. I'm doing better now but I have to be honest and say that it's been slow going. I think that last chemo round just kicked my butt big time.
I do not have the energy to work full time. I put in very little time, and I am not sure what will happen now that I will be starting my 2nd round, another 18 wks of chemo, beginning on May 1st.
Oh darn it, and I thought I would be feeling better end of the month...terrin2, you are just a week or so behind me. I had surgery 3c 11/23 and had my last chemo treatment one week ago. I cruised through the treatments with a fair amount of energy but the last 4 weeks were rough and spent mostly in bed. It's been a week since the last treatment now and I am not coming around at all. Very weak and tired. I can feel this will take a while to get out of my system. Bummer! I am scheduled to go back to work in 10 days but at my current energy level, no way!
How soon after chemo did you ladies go back to working full time?
How soon after chemo did you ladies go back to working full time?
I finished my 6th round of taxol/carboplatin 11/8/05. I am 52 y/o and was quite fit before I was diagnosed with 3c. I had a very rough course of treatment with lots of complications and I am still not feeling that well. It's been about 5 months for me and I have been surprised at how slow my recovery has been but then I'm not the most patient person, either! I do think this is very individual and my best advice would be to allow your body plenty of time to recover. It will let you know when you've overdone it. But don't get discouraged; you'll get there. I wish you well.
Christa
Christa
I finished with my 1st rd of chemo treatments on Dec. 22, 2005. I slowly began to feel a bit more energy...slowly. I still have neuropathy in fingers and toes, and my chemo brain is still a bit there. I do go for walks, and exercise (just not like I did and as often as I did prior to the cancer diagnosis). It has been 3 months plus.... and my hair has only grown approx 1/4 inch. On May 1 I begin my 2nd rd of chemo...I have put it off for a few weeks so that I can travel and enjoy a bit of freedom from the ugliness of the chemo side effects. I was on the same 2 drugs you have been on. This new drug has the probability for hair loss. doggone it! :( In May I will begin topotecan...5 days a week, 2 wks off, then 5 days a week, 2 wks off, etc for 6 times (18 more weeks). I was told from the beginning (August 2005 when I was diagnosed and began with the chemo treatments), that it can take a full year to actually fully recover from all the side effects. My prayers are with you; it is so terrible, I know. Know others are out here feeling your pain with you. God bless you.
I would think it depends quite a lot on factors such as age and fitness before you started treatment. I finished my first rounds of chemo last April 2005 and began to feel better within 6 weeks of the last infusion ie 3 weeks after the last cycle. I didn't exactly bound back to normal full fitness immediately but had a holiday cruise in late May with a fair bit of walking etc. By July I felt pretty well although not completely fit. One of the specialist nurses at the clinic said it takes from 6-12 months depending on age etc, but obviously everyone is different. I'm 65 now and was pretty fit from lots of gardening etc but had 2 lots of surgery before and during the chemo which I also had to recover from. Hope that helps a bit! Jenny
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