Cancer Vein Burns: Chemo Cycle 3 Update

One of the side effects I've experienced throughout chemo is burn at the site of infusion. I'm told it is rare -- at my clinic I'm one of 6 experiencing this burn.

I learned from online breast cancer chat/forum posts that taxaotere -- one of my chemo drugs -- can have a nasty reputation of burn when an IV is not properly placed in the vein. Any spillage will burn the skin. So far this is all I've found and it's a mystery with doctors. All they can do is document brand, lot number, batch and hope in the future no repercussions emerge.

In my case, the scars appear ten days later. On this latest chemo cycle the veins did a funny connection of one burn scar to the next (new). Overall this previous cycle did its thing -- it is cumulative so I've been more fatigued and grumpier when I get grumpy. I sleep longer at naps.

The other thing Ive done which I count as treatment or therapy is run 5 miles as soon as I wake in the morning which Ive now completed 23 days of doing this (takes 20 days to form a habit?). On some days I cruise 8 to 9 minutes per mile; my worst was running 19 minute miles. That is how big the range of fatigue can be. Again, it's therapy. The running is pounding. Pounding bones creates red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets. Bone Marrow, bone density is created - it is the exact thing chemo robs you off. So, I fight the bone marrow robber by pounding the @$#*! out of it. And it's helped. Today's labwork is the best I've had ever. Normal white blood cells ranges 4.1 to 10; typical chemo white blood cells is less than 4 and even lower than 1-2 in many; mine was 5.1 today!! Red Blood cells were slightly lower than normal but higher than I've had throughout chemo. Super silver lining! I'm going in strong into my last chemo cycle tomorrow!!!! I get one more graduation this month and I'm on path to upcoming surgery, next phase treatment --- and recovery. The worst is soon over and I see the humongous light ;)

Thank you thank you thank you for positive vibes, thoughts, prayers....you've made a difference in my life and in the life of my family!