Oh dear, you must have been under a car in the past replacing a brake line when someone pumped the brakes. I was enjoying my morning coffee until I read this and now it tastes and smells like brake fluid.
Beth, the fact that you have a hankering for something you like to eat and can keep it down is fantastic. Not everyone has that reaction while undergoing chemo. I think you are doing fabulously well. Sometimes, even though I use a good brand, coffee takes like pond scum to me. Not that I really go around checking out pond scum. lol. Keep the faith and stay the course.
Uh oh. Sorry about that, Faye!! I guess I hung around with my dad so much as a kid, I know all the "garage smells." My morning coffee tastes almost like coffee, I'm happy to report.
I need to stop "hankering" ice cream, Terry!! They always weigh me before chemo (I'm sure they dose by body weight) and when I saw I had gained 2 pounds yesterday I told the guy to let me take my earrings off and try again... haha. (He thought I was serious...geesh.) Seems like my taste buds have calmed down since I started sucking on ice chips during the infusion, but I still have some taste weirdness the day of treatment. I had a male nurse yesterday; 64 years old. (Yes, a chatty fellow so I know all about him now, lol.) When I could get a word in, I told him I was scared of the upcoming "red devil" AC and he was very reassuring. He said that many of his patients don't have trouble with it at all, or if they have side effects they are very mild. He said they load up the "pre meds" (anti-nausea, steroid, anti-anxiety, etc) and that infusion takes longer than the actual AC. Also, doctors keep a watchful eye and have a whole warehouse of meds available to keep a patient comfortable. One other medication I will probably get with AC is Neulasta, which is to build up bone marrow production of blood cells. My blood counts keep going down each week but so far I'm not in the danger zone. Neulasta causes terrible pain in the long bones of the body... ugh. So that sounds really awful. I think hearing what's ahead causes me entirely too much anxiety... but I like to know what to expect.
Everyone's different, Beth as is evidenced by your ability to tolerate the chemo so well. Do not anticipate. Just go with the flow. They will keep you as comfortable as possible. One thing about oncology, they do not allow patients to suffer too much. It is probably one of the most compassionate medical disciplines.
I have to agree with you there, TC. When I began chemo, my medical oncologist gave me his personal cellphone number and instructed me to call if I have any difficulties at all, particularly after office hours. I was amazed.
For the past couple of days I've been having a weird intermittent pain just above my waist on the right side of my back. It's not exactly a muscle cramp but that's what it feels like... sort of. Naturally I have freaked myself out, imagining that The Cancer has metastasized to my kidney. I was hoping the pain would go away but no such luck. I'm going to have to check with my doctor, or I suppose I'll see what the nurse thinks at chemo tomorrow. Ugh, it's always something.
Thanks very much, Tony. It is so annoying that every little pain has suddenly become a reason to panic. I'm sure it's nothing but my mind automatically "goes there."
@Beth Gallagher -- I just read through this lengthy thread. I have prayed for you fervently, and for your husband, as well. I shall continue to do so. Count on it.
Thank you sincerely, Logan. I need all the help I can get and I appreciate your kindness very much. (Logan is a great name; my youngest son shares it with you.)
Hey TC. So far the blood numbers are OK; I have chemo today and will have blood work before the treatment. I called my doctor's office because now I'm concerned that this might be my liver. I wish I knew more about anatomy (or maybe I don't!! ) The pain was gone when I got up this morning but is slowly creeping back. How are you feeling these days? Is your radiation still on for next week?
Ugh, today sucked. Since I told my doctor about the pain I was having, when I got to his office this morning I was shuffled directly to the "Acute Care Facility" which is the cancer center's "ER." I was put into a hospital gown and into a bed, hooked to an IV, and got to stay there ALL DAY. I was waiting to have a CT scan and it didn't happen until 5:30 this afternoon. I was not allowed to eat all day so I was in a very bad mood, plus I had a nurse with the worst IV skills EVER. She stuck me three times in one arm and totally missed the vein, causing a massive bleed under the tape. Then she tried using my chemo port and MISSED it; when she said she'd try again I advised her that she would not. I don't want that port screwed up. So she moved on to the other arm and I told her to call someone who knew how to put in an IV. Another dimwit showed up and they stuck me 3 more times in the other arm before finally getting it in. The good news is the CT scan didn't find anything. Nothing suspicious on my liver, kidneys, etc. and no apparent reason for the pain. This made me feel a little better, but I'm irked that I missed my chemo for this week. Plus, I still don't know what's causing the pain.