Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

faithfulc

teemee, welcome!

Vegas, thank you for your words of encouragement.  I love this board!!

Ladies, I've updated our info at the top of the board.  I've also added a "port status" to track which one(s) of us have the port.  It is added right after everyone's screen name.

I'm happy to report that after a week I now hardly notice that the port is there.  This seemed impossible during the first 2-3 days, but the recovery after that is RAPID. 

faithfulc

Recommending a book by Prof. Jane Plant: "Your Life In Your Hands".  I happened to have read this book last year before dx of bc.  Now I'm picking it back up again.  It is quite intriguing and I plan to follow some of her advices regarding dairy products.

There are a few days before chemo starts in Feb for most of us.  If you have some spare time, you can pick this up.  It should be available in most libraries. 

faithfulc

Writer, did you port experience go well yesterday?

writer

Hi faithfulc and all... thanks for checking in. Yes, I had it installed yesterday. It was a bigger deal than I thought, I guess because my BC surgeon did it and it required the hospital thing, so I was there for 5 1/2 hours and they did give me general anesthesia.

Seemed to go very well. The neck incision hurts more than where the actual port is, but neither is that bad. I took a vicodin in the evening when the hospital stuff started wearing off, and I had to take another at 3:30 a.m., but today I'm back at work (quitting early) and just took Tylenol for it. It's really not bad, especially if I stay still. Moving much hurts the neck.

She did a fine job. It's not nearly as painful as it has been for some women.

micheleboots

Ladies, just wanted to pop in to cheer you on..I was in your place a few months ago.  Now I am getting my last treatment on Thursday...This is a great place to make friends, get support and ask questions without feeling embarrassed....take care.

writer

Update on Monday's port installation... didn't hurt too much that first night and morning afterwards, but it got a lot more painful after the hospital drugs wore off yesterday afternoon. It's not a lot of fun right now, but I know it will be better by the weekend. Vicodin helps but I've stopped because it's so damn constipating (I've taken a ton of Colace and Senokot, to no avail). To add to the misery, I'm doing South Beach boot camp until the weekend after this one, to go into chemo a few pounds lighter. Worried about the weight gain so many seem to have.... I struggle enough with my weight as it is.

Artemis

Hello, Ladies ~
Just popping in to add a little encouragement as you begin your chemo treatments.  I'm from the February '09 group, and I want to tell you that while chemo is no party, it's doable!  You CAN do this! 

The main thing for me was to stay hydrated.  I found it helped keep the nausea to a manageable level.  

Best wishes and huge hugs to all of you!
Artemis

faithfulc

Micheleboots and Artemis, thank you for your encouragement.

Just came back from onc's office and it is now official.  I will start on Wednesday 2/3/2010 with TC 6x.  No premeds the day prior.  Everything will be given through IV on the day of treatment.  I'll be given some anti-nausea meds for the few days after tx.  Also, I was told that vitamins are OK.  Just no spicy foods.  Lots of fluids.  I'll see how the port experience goes.

Writer, I had major soreness at the port site on the evening of day 2 and it lasted for about 3 days.  I know what you mean.  It did get better in a hurry too and by day 5 I was back to almost normal.  It is 12 days after the port went in and I can honestly say that for the past 3 days I already forgot that the port is there.  Hope you feel better SOON.

faithfulc

By the way, before I saw my oncologist today, the nurse automatically wanted to draw more blood from me.  I asked her if I had to do it today and she said the onc ordered it - but I could refuse it if I wanted to.  Since I'm only seeing the onc today to finalize the chemo plan, I politely refused to give blood today.  The doctor didn't even mention it.

Just thought I'll post this here since we don't have to give more blood than necessary.  Today I would have been poked for nothing, really.

CAL30

Hi Ladies, I joined the Jan group but since I started so late in the month a couple ladies said I could join this one too.. I had my first round of T/C yesterday-(27th)  it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I am feeling a lil sore and achy today, but I might have over done it when I got home (I've got 4 lil ones).

1 down and 3 more to go!!

good luck ladies, before you know it, this will all be over! we just gotta hang in there!  

precioustime

Writer - For Constipation -- Miralex and Senokot the day after Chemo infusion worked for me everytime!  I finished 6 treatments of TAC 10/30/09 and I know that it's not an easy thing for most BUT YOU CAN DO THIS and soon Chemo will be just a memory!

Loretta

frosty1

May I join you? (no offense, but I really didn't anticipate joining up, but here I am!)  Just found out yesterday that because of my HER2+ status, I will need 6 rounds of chemo, one year of Herceptin and then 5 years of Tamoxifen.  Oh boy.  Thanks to Vegas for giving the perspective of been there done that.  I don't have a date yet -- they are coordinating port installation and then I"ll start.  Debating on whether to start before or after mid-winter break.  I"d like to have a week with my husband and daugther just out and about before I find out what chemo is like.

faithfulc

precioustime and frosty1, welcome!!  Given a choice I don't any of us would want to be on this path, but I'm so glad we found each other here to give support.  I've found so much information here and hope we'll be each other's strength along the way.  I see this as an opportunity for me to improve my general health down the road by making wiser choices regarding life style and priorities in life in general.

Grazie47

faithfulc

I'm so glad you mentioned that your oncologist gave the OK for vitamins.  My primary doctor told me to stop all vitamins, I was surprised and decided to follow his recommendations until I get to talk to the oncologist. 

CAL 30 thanks for your input, hope you keep feeling OK

Grace

writer

frosty1, welcome, and sorry to have to welcome you at all. We have the exact same diagnosis and treatment. I'd encourage you to start after the midwinter break. I stalled a couple of weeks on my start date, so I can schedule a college-visiting trip with my daughter in April for the third week of a cycle, and I'm so glad I did. I was able to ski a weekend, have a mini-vacation with my husband, and take care of the endless pre-chemo chores in a more leisurely fashion. The chemo's going to kill whatever's in there, and waiting a bit won't change that. Plus give time for port recovery-- I had mine put in on Monday, and if I'd been going right into chemo I would have been totally miserable. Getting a port in is bad enough as it is (although I'm much better now).

faithfulc, you don't even want to know how much Colace, Senokot and Miralax (and water) I've taken since my port surgery on Monday, and it's just now having a (fairly modest) effect. The surgery and pain meds really locked things up, so I'm going to have to really load up on that stuff (plus water and fiber) for chemo days..... 

faithfulc

Grace, even if you skip all other vitamins, I would suggest you keep Vitamin D and calcium (as my onc told me).  Search for Vitamin D on the internet and there is a lot of information about its potential cancer suppression capabilities.  For example:

"At the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Breast Cancer Symposium held in San Francisco recently, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center made an announcement that at first glance may seem startling -- at least it may startle people who are unaware of the preventive and healing power of nutrients. When they studied 166 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the scientists found the vast majority, about 70 percent, had something other than their cancer in common: they had very low levels of vitamin D in their blood. What's more, women whose disease had progressed to late-stage (i.e. terminal) cancer had the lowest levels of all."  (link here)

On this website, there is a story about a study that did not show a connection between taking vitamin D/calcium and the reduction of new breast cancer occurence for post menopausal women (which I am not).  However, after reading the interpretation (in the pink text box), I still feel that V-D and calcium are an intergral part of an OVERALL healthy diet system that I cannot skip.  (Of course there's the exercise part, etc.)

SC_Warriors

Thank you for your words. My mom was diagnosed this past December with stage 2 ER/PR + but HER2 -, she had two tumors; both less than 2cm, though one was invasive but still grade 2, 

 Im scared and worried for my mom. 

Though we're keeping up our humor by laughing everytime we put the damn toilet lid down before flushing, and over every other new quarky piece of life 

 She's been reccomended to either take Docetaxel, or Paclitaxel? 

 We're researching now, but it never seems to be enough. 

I'm a runner from problems hereditarily (from my mom of course) and we're both going through this kicking and screaming.

 Before her oncatype test came back day before yesterday we werent considering chemo. Now, we are since she was relatively high risk at 30. We had both felt a little guilty for being so lucky. Now, not so much. We are lucky, but now it feels horrifically real. If loosing both her big huge bouncy often loved and totally taken care of breasts, now she has to loose her hair, her energy, her internal light, and I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF HER.

Im 23. Shes 55. My best friend, and the best mother I could ever imagine. Shes the closest person to me in the world. I DO NOT WANT HER TO GO THROUGH THIS.....

I guess what Im asking.... does the devil every come up and ask you what you're willing to do for life? Or is that just your oncologist peddling chemo... 

friscosmom

Hi ladies - hope you don't mind me dropping in on your thread. I'm on the January 2010 Chemo list. I have a wig that I purchased online and decided I didn't like; it's too short of a style for me, not sure what I was thinking when I bought it. Other than that, it's really a very nice looking wig.

Anyway, I would like to offer this wig to anyone that would/could use it. Here's the link to the exact wig (this is the color I bought and all). If you or anyone you know could use this just send me a PM with your mailing address and I'll send it to you. I just ask that it not go to waste, it go to someone that needs it and if you decide you don't like it you pass it on to someone else that could use it. The wig has not been worn though I did try it on the day I got it so it has been on my head (my clean head!) once for like 5 minutes.

 http://www.headcovers.com/11326/serenity-by-henry-margu-wigs/

MomWhoFan

Hi everyone - I can't believe I'm actually posting on here, but anyway here I am. I went through this seven years ago and thought when I hit the magical five year mark, everything was back to normal. Boy, what a shock when I got a phone call from the imaging center, asking me to come back in for an ultrasound because they saw "something" on my mammogram.

My husband insisted he join me for this one (I think we both knew ...) and I asked the technician to get him from the waiting room when she went through her scan and then told me she was going to get the physician. Not a good sign, right? I can't believe I have to go through this again.

After the biopsy, things weren't looking like a "normal" BC because my HER2/Neu was a 2.1, too close to negative for me to be comfortable. My first BC was ER- and chemo was FEC, not fun at all. My surgeon sent me to Yale to consult with an oncologist specialist. Of course, with the holidays, there was lots of testing and waiting for results.

So here I am, with all the results back and the HER2/Neu still shows a slight positive. This time around I'll be getting TCH (6 cycles) with herceptin for one year. After the 4th cycle, I'll be seeing my surgeon for a consultation, along with a plastic surgeon, for a bilateral mastectomy. At my age, I'm not planning on any breastfeeding, so it seems to be the logical thing to do.

I'm not familiar with these drugs and started to do some research, coming across this website. I sit here, shaking my head, knowing I got through this the first time around with the help of family and friends. I didn't need to rely on support groups, either locally or online. This time around, I'm having a difficult time accepting this. I don't know why, but I am.

So, chemo starts next Tuesday. Will anyone else be starting on Groundhog Day, too??

Grazie47

faithfulc  - I agree about the Vit D, I was taking 5,000IU daily.  My primary MD was the one who has been trying to get my Vit D levels up - he even ordered a prescription daily vit to enhance the Vit. D.  That is why I was so surprised when he said - stop all vitamins.  

I saw my primary MD again today, he drew some blood and once again told me to stop all the vitamins.   I said OK, went home and took them anyway.  I will continue to take them until the oncologist says not too. 

SC_Warriors - welcome, how lucky your Mom is to have a daughter like you.

friscosmom - that is a nice wig, that is so nice of you to offer it.  I am lucky as my insurance pays for a wig.  I hope someone who needs it see this and contacts you.  I'll be wig shopping this weekend, yesterday I had my hair cut very short.  I just don't know if I will be able to wear a wig, I hate hats.  I know I have to wear something, I just hope it dosen't annoy me all day.

MomWhoFan - welcome, so sorry you are going through all this again.  If you look at the original post faithfulc has updated when everyone is starting chemo.  Cal30 started yesterday, I think you will be the first one for Feb, then faithfulc on the 3rd, then me on the 4th.

As my Marine son would say "Welcome to the Suck"

faithfulc

friscosmom, that is very kind of you to offer the wig.  I hope someone can make good use of it.

MomWhoFan, welcome to the board.  Sorry to hear that you have to go through this again.  I hope we can help lift your spirits here.  Keep us posted.

lbreedl

Hello everyone! I am just beginning the journey. I love the courage and encouragement that is here Starting Chemo Feb. 2010. I just wrote this really funny and deeply philosophical post but some how it TIMED OUT and ERASED! So I took a break and am back now and can't feel the inspiration to be as funny as before. LOL. The truth is none of this is very funny, is it? The one thing I can't do is let the uncertanty and seeming unfairness rob me of my joy! So, I would love to join your group if you'll have me.

I am scheduled to start chemo 2/2, depending on the recommendation of the radiologist I will meet the day before. Funny how I am winding up trusting people I've just met with such big decisions. My surgeon told me I could do either surgery or chemo first so I've been trying to figure out the best way to go. Monday met with onc who said chemo unless radiologist wants to get a good look at those nodes before chemo because she thinks I might need rads even with mast.? Just when you think you have it figured, curve ball! So, I've scheduled both surgery and chemo and will cancel one I don't choose! I'm leaning toward chemo first so I can see the evidence of the progress. Part of me just wants the nasty thing out right now though. Plus I can take more time to decide lump vs. mast. They say survival = but recurrence higher with lump. I guess the = part assumes they catch and successfully treat a recurrence. Please jump in anybody to correct me if I'm wrong about anything. Sometimes I do feel like I've learned so much then to say, Oh, I forgot about that one thing and that one thing changed the whole picture. Yes, I'm blonde, at least till I loose my hair.

Onc suggests: taxol 1 x week x 12 weeks + herceptin 1 x week 12 weeks. FEC 1 x 3 weeks for 3 months + herceptin 1 x week. Herceptin 1 x 3 weeks to complete a year. Surgery, radiation and last but certainly not least, antiestogen therapy. ER status 20% weakly positive. I am scheduled for a port but will do without for first few treatments. Don't want to wait for it to get started.

I did say I want to be agressive and kick cancer butt! I hope this will do it. I just turned 46 and have 2 teenagers at home and a husband who has been great so far. 

One more thing I will be praying for each of you and your families as well. Our support system is so important.  

precioustime

I completed my 6 treatments of TAC on 10/30/09 and just wanted to encourage all of you Ladies starting February Chemo to take 1 day at a time-- don't be hard on yourselves when you feel you have no energy but to sit on the couch and always remember that you have support from Ladies that have been there.

I had neo-adjudvant Chemo due to the fact I had a positive internal mammary node that they found on MRI and 3 tumors they biopsied on the Rt. breast. 

I had no time to think about much of anything and started Chemo not really knowing much about SE's or even Cancer in general.  These forums have given me so much info. and support and I thank the Ladies that have helped me along the way. 

The first 3 days after Chemo infusion were my really Tired days-- didn't want to do much but Sleep!  I always made sure to take my anti-nausea meds as scheduled as well as antibiotics.  Eating very little the first 5 days because of food being hard to swallow-- BREAD was a "no-no"!  My choice of drink during Chemo was "Sweet Tea"!  After 5 days - I ate everything until it was time for another infusion -(probably because of the steroids).  Treatment #1 was the worst for me because I didn't know what to expect...  and then Treatment #6 because at that time my body was trying to fight back and regain energy and it knew it was going to get knocked back down again.  Nuelasta shots were easy for me expect for dragging my tired body to get the injection 2 days after the infusion-- didn't have much S/E at all!   

The PORT was awful for me-- everyday I felt like this thing wasn't suppose to be there and I wanted it out!!!  I was so happy to get it removed during my BMX that when I woke up from surgery 12/14/09-- I was thrilled it was gone and didn't even have much concern about losing my boobs!!!

After 3 months post Chemo I find myself with not too many S/E's.  A little bit of dry eyes and runny nose...  and if I sit in a chair more than 10 minutes upon standing up I have achey bones and joints until I start moving around.

You Ladies are Strong women and will make it through!  Keep your head up and know that we have each other for Support!

Loretta

faithfulc

Loretta, thank you so much - glad that chemo is 3 months now behind you.  Hope all the SE disappear soon.

lbreedl, this is truly some confusing time.  Hang in there!  We'll all be brave for ourselves and will be cheering each other along the way.  Hope you decide on the treatment timeline with your onc and get the process going.  (I've posted yours up there in the original post but not sure if I got it right...)

I'm in the midsouth and the freezing rain is coming down after the brief snow.  Staying home today - not going anywhere, work or else.

MomWhoFan

Thanks everyone for the support! I'm feeling better today about my next "bump in the road" and just want to get it all started so I can get it over with. I know I'll be having some rough days, but with all the support and camaraderie here, I should get through this relatively unscathed. 

lbreedl: Yay! Someone else on Groundhog Day! I've already planned on watching the movie when I get back home, kicking back with a big bottle of water and some much-needed coddling from the family. I hope you'll do the same. Lots of rest is what got me through this the first time around. I'm not one to sit around all day (far from it!), but I saw this as me-time that my body needed to beat this. If you don't start your treatment on 2/2, then feel comfortable knowing you've made the right decision for yourself. 

faithfulc

Three days before my chemo starts next Wednesday (2/3/10).  Did a little bit of Wii Fit today - Yoga (the easy ones) and some pseudo running - worked up just a little bit of sweat.  Felt pretty good.  I hope I can keep my body moving through the chemo weeks - I'm not big on exercise but not exactly a couch potato, either.  Now I finally have some motivation to do a bit more, LOL.

I've also bought some Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash, just in case.  Today I decided to try out the mouth wash (so at least I know what it tastes like when my taste buds are still normal) and it felt good.   Last week I also started using Mederma for the surgery scars - don't know if it works but at least I tried, right?

Next Monday morning I'm attending a Look Good Feel Better seminar.  Will see how it goes.

The freezing rain yesterday have painted all the branches silver today.  Looks quite nice but the roads are still treaturous. 

Hope your weekend is going well.  Hugs.

writer

Hi Team February,

I got the official schedule at a long meeting with the oncologist yesterday. I start TCH on Monday, 2/8. Got my chemo cut yesterday, although it's really not buzzed, just short. I'm surprised how much I like it. But sitting there and having my shoulder-length hair cut off was intense.

I also decided to take part in the BETH trial, so there's a 50% chance I'll have Avastin added to the chemo-day party. (This is not a blind trial-- I'll know before I start if I'm in the control group or get the drug.) I think it's the right thing to do, to pay it forward for those women who took part in the Herceptin studies 5-10 years ago that now mean women like me get the benefits.

The hardest thing this last week was the port surgery on Monday. It's no picnic, but it's a lot better-- today I was able to do my normal one-hour walk, so that was big.

Oh, and I went wig shopping with my daughter and a friend. What a freaky experience that is! We had fun, and picked one out. I doubt I'll wear it much, but insurance is paying, and it will be worthwhile for a few work events.

To those of you starting next week: HAVE A FUN REST OF YOUR WEEKEND! You deserve it!  

frosty1

Found out my treatment plan:  docetaxel and carboplatin for 6 cycles every 3 weeks, then Herceptin for one year, then Tamoxifen for 5.  I'm going to start after mid-winter break for my daugther -- my husband, daugther and I are planning some day trips that week.  So my thought is I will start the week of Feb 21.  Still need a date for my port surgery and then I"ll get everything confirmed.  Thanks to all of you for posting as you go through these steps before me ... it helps sort of knowing what is coming.

Iamstronger

I start my chemo 02/15.  TCH- 6 doses 1 every 3 weeks.  Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year.  Tamoxifen 5+ years.  I am also going to join the Beth Study, which, if i end up getting the drug, it will be avastin every 3 weeks for a year. Not sure whether or not on the radiation, I will know more next week.

Ezscriiibe

I just poked my head in to say hi and that I will find out this week if I will be needing chemo. I had initially thought no, but then the radiation oncologist said that with the stage and grade and that the ER was a very weak positive (making me very very close to triple negative), then chemo would most likely be recommended. I meet with the medical oncologist on Thursday, so will know more then, but may be part of the Feb/2010 chemo group ::sigh::