Anyone starting chemo in June 08

kiya123

hunkydory ,

Thanks for responding. Looks like it is a normal thing to monitor these things....yeap better to be safe...

Kiya

Jo-Anne

Jumping back in - haven't had much energy for much of anything the past few days. I have gone back to work and they are pretty flexible so I work 'til I 'm tired and come home to rest (sleep). I should have myself back by day 21 my next infusion.

I too have been very emotional - today the movers brought some things to us from my mom's and that was very emotional.

I haven't started losing my hair, but it's gonna happen soon, the hair itself is lifeless, so it's about to start. I tried on wigs on Monday and the people could not have been nicer. I found maybe two - the one I liked the front of it looked like they cut the front, but couldn't figure out what to do with the back. The other was just too much hair!

Hope everyone is doing well, will try to 'catch  up'.

Jo-Anne

SuePeet

Hey Sarah - I get the cravings in the second week after treatment - first was for MacDonalds french fries - nachos - right now I want chips and salsa! anything salty which is wierd because I am more a sugar person.  Now - sugar gives me severe heart burn until about week 3 after treatment - chocolate still doesn't taste the same - Yikes what will I have to live for now!

I am big on lemon water - it also keeps the mouth sores at bay!  Definitely a learning process!

Talked to a friend today who is a BC survivor - asked about Taxol  - we don't do that in Canada any more - so I guess I am lucky - except I am sure we get some equally mean drug which I think would be the Epirubicin - which causes the hair loss and everything else - its red and I call it the evil one!

I was given a really good muffin recipe by a nuse at the clinic to help with the BM movements - I will pass it along as soon as I find it!  Hopefully after my next treatment I will only have to worry about hamster size rather then the big elephant!

sarahsewer

Hi Sue, Sadly I have lost my taste for chocolate. Friends bring over cookies and they are not appealing. I had worried that I'd lose my taste for coffee. Thankfully it came back after day 3. I just have to drink extra water.

I have a question about mouth sores. Are they canker sores? Does salt seem to agggravate them?

I can hardly wait to try out your muffin recipe, if you'll kindly share it. 

 How many women go wig free? I really want to try and go the scarf route.  My 10 year old gave me grief when I tried to wear a college football rally rag as a scarf. I guess beer logos on mumma's head is not cool. Style is so personal.

Sarah 

Rovergirl

Sarah -

My oncol. says 4-6 weeks between chemo and surgery and then another 4-6 weeks between surgery and radiation. 

Rovergirl

Vinogal

Well.....did the Big shave......and it is a big relief........I posted pics on the "Road to Hell" thread.......it'll take to long to do it again so check em out over there.....actually had a good time......and post some pics already would ya!.........

Cheers

Jax

Donalee

Sarah,

Hi! I am anti-wig. I have been wearing some bandanas and scarves. I actually went to dinner at our fav. gourmet resaurant the other night, bald. I couldn't find a scarf to match my outfit so my DH suggested I go "commando" so I did! It felt great!! The chef (we know him well) came out and rubbed my head. hahahaha

Donalee

Bonnie02

kija123  - I had a muga scan which is a heart scan , it was set up but my first chemo came a few days before so they gave it to me anyway which turned out ok. When I had the heart scan the heart wasn't pumping fast enough so all meds had to be changed because it is dangerous to your heart.  They took me off of AC and put my on TC instead. I am also haveing my second round changed which was supposed to be Herseptine and something else. They are debating on the hersepting and will be doing another heart scan to decide. But I do know the worst one is the AC because damage from it is not returnable but hersptine the heart can recover.  Hope all is well for you.

Bonnie

Jill_45

Jax... you are beautiful and loved the pics, glad you made it a fun time

Bonnie.....How did your  chemo go yesterday and how are you feeling today?

To everyone else .. hope you are all doing well.

Jill. 

Jo-Anne

If you haven't gone to "The Road To Hell...." thread do go and take a look at JAX pics - they are really great - she looks wonderful

Rovergirl

I had my head shaved on Tuesday and cried through the whole process - I'm such a baby!  Went directly from the salon to the saloon for margarita's - everything goes better with Jose Cuervo.  As it turns out I have a pretty good looking head - the Kojak look may work for me if I get the nerve to go commando.  Right now I have this terrible rash on my head - not a good look.  I thought I was mentally prepared for this but I'm finding I'm not.  Can't hide the cancer now that the hair is gone - the final betrayal.

Vinogal

Thanks to all for the kind words........feeling a bit crummy........just a tad nauseaous.......same as last time........probably tomorrow too........haven't really gone very far with the bald yet.......went to the hardware store with the Dh......with a sarf/hat combo.......and already with the looks.......you're right Rover.......can't hide the cancer now........

SuePeet

Hey Rovergirl - I had rash on head too - mine was apparently from blocked pores or ingrown hairs on my head - Really!  Alymays Onc nurse advised to get Johnson's Baby shampoo and a lufa sponge.  Be gentle with lufa - I went and bought the shampoo and lufa - head is good now.  Hope it works for you!

Sue from Red Deer

BBLady

Sorry to change topics but need some advice.  I'm on day 10 out of 2 tx and yesterday afternonn I started getting stomach cramps and got real 'gassy'.  Last night around midnight diarrhea started and has gone all night.  Didn't have anything like this the first time, and with it being so far out from tx I'm wondering if it is a s/e?  Is Imodium o.k. to take?

Thanks,

Kathy 

Vinogal

Hey Kathy......I've read that immodium is OK to take.........sucks that you have to though........It does seem far out from treatment,,,,,,,but this whole thing is a roller coaster.......good luck......I hope it doesn't last too long.........

Cheers

Jax

BBLady

Thanks Jax - It's just one thing after another, isn't it!  BTW, loved your pix!

Kathy

Wyoming

I had my second treatment on Thursday. I had to get two units of blood as my hemogloban was low. Made my treatment 6 hours. Didn't have the SE but am taking steroids as soon as I got home. Am a little tired.

I'm a big water drinker but tastes like salt so I have been using flavored water, kool-aid, and capri suns. I like the cherries and strawberry flavors. My onco said that a few of his patients have said that popcorn helps. Going to try it.

For throat problems try gargling with 1/2 hydrogen proxide and water twice a day. My onco says this will also help with the threat of catching most things you can catch from other people such as strep, colds, staph, etc.

Hair is gone. I kinda like it. My wig has more hair than I'm use to but looks like my old hair.

Rovergirl

Thanks Sue for the tip on head rash, I'll give it a try.  The disadvantage of being blue eyed, freckled and fair skinned - we're sensitive. 

Rover

LeggyJ

It's to hot, where I live to wear a wig, so I found Baker hat's, look good on me, and cover most of my bald self.  I tried scarves, and just don't like them on me.

otter

Hi to the June gang!

I'm just stopping in from the April/May/Taxotere&Cytoxan threads, which was where I hung out until I finished chemo last month.  I'm now 5-1/2 weeks out from my last Taxotere/Cytoxan treatment and feeling mostly normal, although still bald and in the process of losing my eyelashes.  (Warning:  eyelashes and eyebrows sometimes don't go AWOL until well after you've finished chemo.)

I just have a couple of comments.  Some of you asked about wigs vs. scarves/caps etc.  I decided to go without a wig, since my only wig-buying expedition was a disaster.  That decision has worked out pretty well.  At home I go bare-headed; when I go out to eat or go shopping or visiting, I wear a bandanna, a scarf, or a cap.  Someone here mentioned that her hair/scalp gets sore from wearing a scarf.  That's one problem I've had--my hairline in front is rubbed by scarves and caps, and I'm worried I might be pulling out or traumatizing the newly growing hair.

Someone here mentioned a rash on her scalp.  I got that around day 8 of tx #2.  My onco said it was folliculitis.  She told me to switch from my "Finesse" shampoo to something mild, like J&J baby shampoo.  That seemed to work, because the bumps dried up, went away, and never came back.

BBLady, you should probably call your onco about the gassy cramps and diarrhea.  Taxotere can cause diarrhea--I had it for a few days with my first 3 tx's.  Mine came during the first week of each tx.  When it occurs so late in the cycle as yours (day 10) and is accompanied by bad cramps and gas, it could be Clostridium difficile colitis.  That can be serious, so it's good to talk to your doc about it.  Taking Imodium isn't always a good idea until you find out for sure what the problem is.

Anyway, I've been reading your thread and watching your progress, knowing you'll be going through the same things the rest of us experienced--and survived!

Hugs to you all...

otter 

Bonnie02

Had my chemo on Thursday, still don't feel very good but at least I am at home this time so hoping things go a lot better this time. Finding it real hard to get liquids down and I know that is most important. Can't stay on here long finding it real hard to sit up for awhile although I try to get up and walk a bit I feel just terrible doing that but got to get going again.

Talk to you all later

Bonnie

hunkydory

Hope everyone is getting past this crappy chemo S/E stuff for this round.  It is very frustrating to have all these things creep up on ya.  Shaved heads, head rashes, head stares, nausea, cement elephants, running of the bulls or bowels(diarrhea), mouth sores, butt sores...bone pain...mouth ulcers, mad cow disease, water weight retention, depression, fatigue, etc.  List is too long.  I have so many pill bottles I am not intelligent enough to differentiate between all the pharmaceudical names so I have labled them PUKE 1, PUKE 2, etc, Sleep, Pain1 & 2, Cement elephant realease (just kidding), Antibiotic 1 and 2, Heartburn, Screw Off, F%$K Off, and others. Well, just hoping the rest of you are coping with all this.  Happy Sunday, HunkyD

Wyoming

Bonnie, Sorry you feel so bad. I also had my chemo Thrusday. I'm doing fine but tired. Keep trying to get the liquids down. Every little bit helps.

Good luck!!!

Kellke

Hello, I have chemo 3 tomorrow.  It is scheduled for the afternon but I hate waiting all day for it so I am going to call in the morning and see f I can get in earlier.  I have been very lucky and had few side effects.  I even went back to work part time.  Today I had some friends from my womens group over and had to tell them about my diagnosis since the scarf gave it away.  They are not ladies I spend a lot of time with so I had not told some of them.  To me the first telling is always the worst. 

 I wondered if any of you had joined any in person support groups, I want to somewhat more to have people to visit with than to cry about cancer if you know what I mean.  What experiences have you had with them?   Thank you,  Kelly

ps I would post my baldie photo but I have to wait for my teenager to show me how...      

hunkydory

Kellke,  good luck with chemo 3 today.  This is the only cancer support/discussion board I have registered for.   I guess I haven't really come across what you seem to be looking for.  Hope you can get in early today. Wishing you well today....HunkyD

Vinogal

This is the only support group I am part of also.......I do have great family and friend support at home.......so that definately helps.........How was treatment this time HunkyD?........I had my 2 rough days......Friday and Saturday...........2 more of this AC.......then on to the T.........how does the T compare?.......what have others experienced........or heard.........

Cheers

Jax

familyroks

Jax - stopping in from the May group and saw your last question.  Are you referring to (T)axol?  I had my first round of Taxol two weeks ago and it was SOOOOOO much better than the AC.  Its the best I've felt since I started tx.  Some minor bone pain day 4 & 5, but definitely manageable.  Taxol #2 this week.  I hope the good luck continues!

~Adrienne

KKing

Wow, so much has been happening.

Jax, you look really good with your shaved head.  I also need my teenager to help me to post my picture...working on that.   You mentioned the T... I will be on that for 3 treatments... the nurse called it Taxotere.. I think it is similar to taxol.   I am told they put ice around the wrists during the treatment so to stop it affecting your nails.    Beyond that, I don't know much else.

Hunkydory..you had me laughing with all your descriptions of all our problems combined.  It is amazing what everyone is going through.

Kelke.... there is a support group near where I live but I hav'nt gone to it.  I did go to the Look Good Feel Better session but that was it.   Are you able to attend that,  it is a bit of a pick me up and the ladies that volunteer are really good.

I go for session three this Wed.. I always get anxious about it... 

Glad to hear everyone is doing so well.    Cheers for now

Karen 

hunkydory

Vinogal,

I haven't done too badly this time so far either other than my pain after the neaulasta shot for a couple days.  Last time all my pain came a week out when my white cells were trying to rebuild.  My white count went down to 0.7 so that was pretty low I guess. Anyway, that was when I suffered the most on trt #1.....we'll see what happens this time.  I am on all three (TAC) at the same time so I can't split out the S/E's for ya. 

KKing:  Seems like the S/E's are endless.  I haven't even hit the herceptin or radiation yet. 

Everyone have a good day.  HunkyD

sarahsewer

Hi Ladies,

I go for my 2nd TAC on Wednesday. It seems to me I read somewhere the second goes MUCH quicker than the 1st. Are any of you vets able to tell me how much quicker?

Thanks, Sarah