Hip Hip Hooray…It’s Chemo Day! 🎈🎈🎈

Posted by mjp0512 @mjp0512, Sep 16 5:36am

Heading off to the Chair in a couple hours for first dose of Taxotere (docetaxel). Low dose of 65mg/m2. Will increase to 75mg/m2 for the remainder if tolerated. I told them to put a port in because I am not an easy stick for an IV but, they said they never port on the first infusion in case it's not tolerated. We'll see how that goes.

Had a CT c/a/p late yesterday. No results yet. Have a bone scan tomorrow. Hope I don't puke on the table. 🤮

Very little sleep last night, no not anxious, back is starting to scream again. I'm guessing the bone scan is going to light up from about L3 down. On the positive side, maybe it'll work out and I can sleep in the Chair. I'll report back later. Have a great day, all!

Oh... and in keeping with treatment tradition from last year's RT...
Today's shirt...

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | Oct 31 4:30pm

In reply to @heavyphil "@mjp0512 Sorry Mike! The gist of the article is this: when all else fails, get a..." + (show)

@heavyphil - No worries, Phil. That was a little weird. I read your post 3 times and all I got was blah, blah, blah. They told me chemo might be cumulative as far as brain fog is concerned but first experience with it was strange. Anyway, I got it now. 👍

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | Oct 31 4:32pm

In reply to @charlesprestridge "@heavyphil That saying is perfect for the next T-Shirt😂" + (show)

@charlesprestridge - That would be pretty funny. I wonder how the medical staff would react.

charlesprestridge | @charlesprestridge | Oct 31 7:20pm

In reply to @mjp0512 "@charlesprestridge - That would be pretty funny. I wonder how the medical staff would react." + (show)

@mjp0512

I think they would love the shirt. 😂

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | Nov 2 4:18am

Well now...cycle 3 day 6 and I'm beginning to rejoin the land of the living. Unfortunately, Kat did not get the memo about the time change so she decided it was time to get up at 4:30AM. We'll have to work on that.

The most noticeable difference in this cycle from the previous ones is the cumulative effect chemo has on certain side effects. The standard food intolerance and digestive issues occurred but the leg weakness and joint and muscle aches were much more pronounced. The most noticeable was the severe "chemo brain" late day 3 into early day 5. I couldn't even make a decision what chair to sit in and reading comprehension was not existent. Tried to write an update on day 4 and just couldn't put 2 sentences together. Weird stuff.

Anyway, slowly sliding into normal and looking forward to eating solid food again (not quite yet though). And now, the wait. Full battery of tests on Nov 11, Blood, CT, bone scan, to see if this stuff is working. Almost hoping it isn't so I don't have to do it again.

Heading off to PCP today for her to sign off on cataract surgery at the end of the month. Sure could have timed this a little better. I'd much rather lay around in my PJ's than leave the house today. Not sure why this is even necessary since oncology and cardiology already signed off. Just the surgeon covering his butt, I guess.

Have a great day all!

heavyphil | @heavyphil | Nov 3 5:13am

In reply to @mjp0512 "Well now...cycle 3 day 6 and I'm beginning to rejoin the land of the living. Unfortunately,..." + (show)

@mjp0512 I don’t have a PCP since Covid. My cardiologist sent the sign off to the eye surgeon and that was it. Not likely a PCP will over ride a specialist anyway.
Your cat is a late sleeper! Our CheeChee started his morning opera (he’s Maine Coon) of chirping, howling and yowling at 3:30!! I told him to shut up but my wife got up to feed him.
Glad we don’t have kids - they’d be spoiled rotten too!😹
Phil

surftohealth88 | @surftohealth88 | 3 days ago

In reply to @mjp0512 "Well now...cycle 3 day 6 and I'm beginning to rejoin the land of the living. Unfortunately,..." + (show)

@mjp0512

Heyyyy 🙂, Just stopping by to ask how are you doing 🌸 ?
I hope that your appetite recovered now completely and that leg is "behaving" and that you can get some sleep.
Hang in there dear Mjp and try to rest as much as you can. If eye surgery is not urgent, perhaps you can push it back to spring (?).

Thinking of you today and sending bunch of healing vibes your way ✨🧸 ! : )))

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | 3 days ago

In reply to @surftohealth88 "@mjp0512 Heyyyy 🙂, Just stopping by to ask how are you doing 🌸 ? I hope..." + (show)

@surftohealth88 - Hey ya surf! Thanks for thinking of me. This cycle seems to be taking a little longer for things to calm down. Digestion just cleared up today and there was an extra couple days of useless leg syndrome. I guess it's that cumulative effect I keep hearing about.

Anyway, T-Bone tomorrow so I'm back. I'd love to put off the eye surgery, but I think I'll be blind by spring so might as well get it over with just in case. Hate for this hell to work and be in remission but blind.

I've got CT and bone scans on Wed. followed by blood work and PSA so we'll know this week if anything's working. Probably another PSMA PET if things light up on Wednesday's tests.

Wavin in those vibes...fingers crossed 🤞🤞🤞

surftohealth88 | @surftohealth88 | 2 days ago

Oh, I understand now 😌
I had no idea that cataracts can grow so fast ! I thought it takes years till surgery is needed - silly me ...
I am so sorry that guts are taking so long to calm down : (((, did you try taking some probiotics or fermented products : (((. I think I read somewhere that they help with chemo guts and even chemo brain, but who knows, although I guess it could not hurt to try *sigh .

Oh boy, major scans are coming up - I will definitely keep my fingers crossed ! 🤞🍀
Let us know ASAP what they show and I am wishing you the best of luck : ))) 💫 Till then take good care of yourself and try to rest as much as possible ; ).

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | 2 days ago

In reply to @surftohealth88 "Oh, I understand now 😌 I had no idea that cataracts can grow so fast !..." + (show)

@surftohealth88 - You're right, surf. It does take years for cataracts to grow to the point of needing surgery. I'm kinda at the end of those years. When I went to the eye doc this last go around, he said, "Wow, almost 10 years to the day. Right on time."

I'm sure there's something else I could take to help with digestion, but truth be told, my patience is wearing a little thin. My bathroom counter looks like I live in a pharmacy. I'm tired of taking crap to alleviate the side effects from taking crap to counteract the side effects of taking other crap. I'm about ready to do a counter sweep with my forearm into the trash can so all the crap can go to the crap landfill where crap belongs.

Sorry, rant off. 🤣😂🤣

mjp0512 | @mjp0512 | 2 days ago

In reply to @heavyphil "@mjp0512 I don’t have a PCP since Covid. My cardiologist sent the sign off to the..." + (show)

@heavyphil - Hey Phil. You having any luck getting CheeChee to sleep in a little? Any tips you can share? Kat is being consistent between 4 and 4:30AM. I tried her nighttime snack an hour later, No luck. Seems like I'm just getting to sleep when she's waking me up. Might be why the grumpy rant this morning.