May 2010 Chemo

CTherese

Thank you everyone for welcoming me and others to this group of reluctant members!

Redbarb: My first chemo appointment is tomorrow at 9am (Seattle time). It will be interesting to compare notes!  Good luck to you!

I am downing water as I type this and then off to check out some wigs.  It does indeed all seem like a dream....

Shrek4

Fotopet,

I might be the one with  long postponing of the chemo. Initially I was supposed to start it end of November - beginning of December of last year (bmx and recon on 20th of October). Had recon problems (infection) so went in for surgery again on the 18th of November. Was supposed to start it beginning of January. Took a long time to heal, so I was supposed to start it in February. Insurance problems have pushed it in May. So here I am.

GolferGirl

Happy to say I made it through work today.  A great improvement over yesterday when I was just beat.  Still tired, but could be just the grey, ugly weather.  I could use a little sunshine about now!  

Shrek4

Try the vit. B6. It did wonders for me. I washed dishes (by hand, of course with rubber gloves on), did laundry and mopped the kitchen floor. Cheers for B6.

LauraM

fotopet - I had the same incision issue with my tram, my incision kept reopening and spitting out stitches.  My Chemo was delayed a few weeks over it.  I still have two area's that are still healing but they figured they were good enough to start last week.

JennyB and Golfergirl - My AC experiences were the same as yours.  The worst for me were days 4-6.  Tired, achy and bone pain.  Day 6 I started to feel better and today is much better.  Still a little tired but overall good.  I am not sleeping well so I am sure that is compounding my issues.

Drim - You are my new role model for drinking enough water.  I always thought I drank alot or at least enough but now I am realizing that I don't drink nearly enough and that might be why my stomach was so upset.  I have been thinking about what you said all day and drinking more water too.  Thanks for sharing!

On a positive note, I picked up my wig today and it looks great, I was pretty nervous as my stylist cut and shaped it, but it looks now just like my own hair.  I brought it home and my two kids had a blast trying it on and taking pictures.  It really helped them feel at ease with it and we got some much needed laughs. 

JennyB100104

That's so funny, Laura! I brought home my two new wigs today (one is "topless" so I can wear it under a hat at the (many) baseball games I'll be attending this summer and my kids had a blast trying them on. We were laughing and laughing. It feels so good to laugh.

hugs,

Jen

frosty1

Hi all!  Popping in from the March thread ... there are days when this so unfair, and it doesn't seem like you will ever get through it, and then you are halfway there.  You will get through, with ups and downs and awful days and wonderful days.  I'm just coming off my rough days after #4; 2 more to go.  That's 2 more Sundays where I will stay in bed, 2 more Mondays where I will swim through peasoup fog, 2 more Tuesdays where my stomach does flipflops.  Wishing you all the strength and support you need ... as we say on our thread:  March On!

countryfrau

I, too, will be starting chemo this month and I'd like to join this group. I'll be starting TC x 4 on the 17th and then have radiation. I'm triple negative, so not a candidate for Tomoxafin. By chance, does anyone have a diagnosis of metaplastic bc? It's a very rare bc..there is a forum on this website for it, but very few posters. 

Anyway, your comments have encouraged me and I thank you for sharing. I'll be back after the 17th. Best wishes to all as we share this journey.

adb1971 - My drain was in 4 weeks which pushed back my chemo as well. You're starting the day after I am. 

Redbarb804

Hi Ladies,

I can't belive how anxious I am tonight.  I had to take a Xanax, which I have only taken once or twice since I was diagnosed in Feb.  My biggest fear is that I will have an allergic reaction.  I know 2 people that that happened too.  If I get through the first 30 minutes to an hour I will be fine I think.  Thanks for the well wishes and I will keep you posted.

Welcome all newcomers.  This is an awesome site with great supporters and advice! 

Good night!

Barb

Barb

JennyB100104

Hugs, Barb. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. I hope you'll get that Benadryl before the chemo. Take care,

Jen

Leah58

Barb, I just finished my 4 rounds of TC 2 weeks ago.  I did not have any allergic reactions and I have a lot of different types of allergies.   Just take a Xanax in the morning and breathe and pray.   The nurses take it very slowly and check for reactions as your treatment progresses.   They want the best for you and will take care of you.  Prayers and blessings to you.

CTherese

quick question: I am supposed to take two 4 mg decadron (steroids) the day before (which is today), the day of, and the day after chemo. Should I take the two "day of" pills first thing in the morning? My chemo is in the a.m.  Thanks for guidance!

CTherese

by the way, I picked out a wig today and looove it! Even my friends think I actually look better than with the real hair!  Of course my 11 year old son told me it looks like a "Bad Tina Fey haircut" and feels very embarrassed by his mom!  ... now if I can only sail through the chemo.....

sacphotomom

redbarb804 ..the unknown of it all is the worst ..I was bouncing off the walls the day before.....but the actual chemo treatment is not that bad...be thinking of you...

kittycat

I'm going to ask some questions here, even though I have not been staged or given a treatment plan.  I am very concerned because I keep reading about people having allergic reactions, taking Benadryl or other allergy meds during chemo.  I was told when I was very young that I am allergic to Benadryl.  I had a really bad reaction to it and broke out into hives.  My pediatrician took me off of it and my hives disappeared.  Since then, I have avoided taking it.  When I was first married, my husband insisted on me taking some cold medication.  I had a really bad reaction to it (my symptoms got much worse and I felt awful).  Come to find out, it had an ingedient in it similar to Benadryl.  I asked my PCP if I should visit an allergist to get this checked out.  He said that there is no test to see if I am allergic to a medication.  If you have a bad reaction, then they say you're allergic.  UGH....  I'm thinking of contacting an allergist anyway.  I should also discuss this with my onco. 

nanaof2

Redbarb, hang in there, my first treatment went well.  They put the chemo in very slowly and I had no reactions.  I will be thinking of you today and praying it all goes well.

CTherese, I was told I had to take the pill before they could do the treatment and if I didn't take it they would not do it.

J

Irishtess

Ladies:  Thanks for the welcome!  I really relied on the posts from the April 2010 mastectomy group to get me through Round 1, so I'm glad to be here!  Thanks, also, for the great tips.

fotopet: I'm also an attorney, but appear only in front of judges and masters (my practice is limited to divorce, custody & support).  I thought long & hard about needing a wig for those appearances, but decided to stick with scarves.  It'll be an interesting summer!

Drim

CTherese - I was told to take the decadron at 9am and 9pm the day before and after. I was given the decadron with the premeds the day of so I would definitely ask the chemo nurse about what you should do the day of as different centers have different protocols. GOOD LUCK!!!

fotopet

Irishtess - I probably won't worry too much about appearing before judges, most of the ones I regularly practice in front of are aware of my condition anyway.  It's just juries since they are difficult to predict anyway.

GolferGirl

kittycat - I'm not sure I got Benadryl in my drip.  Never felt tired the day of chemo, and no one ever mentioned it, so I'm not sure that's what I got.   I also did not take steriods the day before, those were put right in my drip.   So was Aloxi (anti-nausea meds) so I never had to take any pills after cheom except the steriods.  I'm guessing the oncs have seen it all and can figure out a treatment plan for anyone because it seems like every onc does it slightly differently.   Also, I have allergies to several antibiotics.   I thought I later had an allergy to benadryl and I think (I'm not sure, it was a while ago), but I think my allergist said that it might be the brand, but not the drug, so to speak.  So there may be other drugs that do what benadryl does and you won't be allergic to those.    But I'd talk to your onc or your allergist; I'm guessing they have ways to make it work if you need it (I hope you won't!)

JennyB100104

kittycat:

"He said that there is no test to see if I am allergic to a medication. If you have a bad reaction, then they say you're allergic."

Hmmm....I really think that's not true. My 7-year-old son broke his arm in 2008, and he had an anaphylactic reaction during surgery. Afterward, I took him to an allergist and they tested him to see if he was allergic to a certain drug in the meds. It was a long (and probably expensive) process, but it turned out he wasn't allergic--we still don't know what caused the reaction. It was very scary.

Anyway, the point is, I am about 99% sure what your doctor told you was very wrong! I do think you should be tested for an allergy to that ingredient of Benadryl. Either way, I do hope there's a substitute they can give you during chemo if you have a reaction.

Hugs and good luck.

Jennifer

JennyB100104

Hair Update, day 15 after TC #1:

I still have hair, still don't need a wig. There was no hair on my pillow this morning! However, I just gave a little tug, and maybe 50 hairs came out. So every day I'm seeing a marked increase in the hairloss. Still, nobody looking at my new short haircut would notice.

I wonder when I'm going to need the wig!

It's also getting rather uncomfortable. It was tingling/tickling at first. I told someone it was like a bunch of lice were crawling on my scalp! But now it hurts, in a strange way. Completely bearable, just not comfortable.

snipinfool

Please add me to this group.  I will start chemo on May 19th.  4 rounds of AC and then 4 rounds of Taxotere.  I want to thank you all for your honesty and courage related to this journey.  I have learned so much from all of you.

Merry

sacphotomom

Kittycat  I didn't have any Benadryl in my drip..I should tell the onc about the reactions you have had and they well do something different...alway tell your Onc about drug reactions...

redbarb804 Just remember to take all your meds on time even if you don't feel anything..and drink, drink, drink get the meds out of your system as soon as possible...

snipinfool   welcome 

jennyB  Only still noticing the hair on my left arm going   but nothing as far as my head ...even when I tug...the nurse told me to expect a lot of itchy scalp before it falls out...

Out to lunch, then off to pick out my wig....

Thinking of all you starting or going through the first few days of Chemo...Hang in there,

Oh yea I just discovered ginger gum....it really works to rid the nausea feeling....you can find it in the pharmacy next to the nausea meds and flight sickness stuff....

fotopet

snipinfool - welcome and I added you to the list.

bethcat24

fotopet - I'm starting CMF chemo treatments tomorrow and would like to be added to the May thread.  I've also been on the CMF thread and that has been most helpful.  It helps just to be surrounded by others experiencing similar situations.  My best to everyone . . . .  Beth

sunflower87

Hi All,

So my advice for today is do not stop rinsing your mouth.  I got caught in the "oh I am fine" mode and now have two canker sores.

Redbarb- Hope everything went alright for you...been thinking about you and hoping that you did not have an allergic reaction.

Jenny B- Thanks for keeping us updated on the hair.  I have to face reality this weekend and go look for a wig.

To All- Thanks again for all your posts!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Remember PMA!

Redbarb804

Hi ladies,

Treatment 1 done.  Good news.  No reactions during treatment.  As of right now no real side affects.  Alittle belly rumbling, but I think that might be what I ate.  Just took a anti nausea pill(compozin) I just want to nip it in the butt in case it is from the chemo.  I had my wonderful husband, sister in law and brother in law with me to support me.  It was great.  My sister in law took pictures as the started the chemo.  She is such a riot.  She also sends me goodie boxes from time to time with fun stuff in .  The last one she sent had all kinds of pink stuff in it, food, sock, bubbles, gum, magazines, etc.   I took a little nap when I got home, had a few visitors, and just relaxed.  Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers.

Welcome to all newcomers!!!

JennyB;  I'm loving your hair updates.  I'm not sure what I want to do about shaving my head.  I had a pre-school program 13 days from now and I'm afraid it I don't shave it before then and wake up with lots of hair falling out I won't have time to shave ti and get to work on time.  I will be continue to watch for updates.

Kittykat: I didn't have a Benadryl drip in my infusion.  My onoc only using it if you have a reaction during chemo. I would definatly talk to your ono before you go for treatment.  I can tell you that when my son had hives after taking amoxicillian they sent me to an allergist,(this was 10 years ago) they told me they had no real test to see if he was really allergic so they gave me a dose and we sat and watched to see what happened.  Of course nothing did.  He said that it might be a long term reaction so said to just say he is allergic.  Like I said that was 10 years ago.  So who really knows?

Dana14: Good luck tomorrow.  I hope you have an easy infusion.  I will be thinking of you and praying. ((((HUG)))

CTherese

I had my first TC cycle today - it went great. Seven hours later, I am still feeling good, although a tiny bit tired and feeling "out of the body" - ie like there is a cloud between me and the world - perhaps like a hangover, but no nausea; nothing painful, etc. 

Anyways, I wanted to share this experience for those of you who, like me, feel anxious about the first treatment on TC. I am drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water today and over the next days! 

 All the best

Redbarb804

CTherese: I'm glad your first treatment went well too.  I have been drinking a ton of water.  I'm hoping this will help to keep me from getting any SE.  The one thing I have noticed that I am getting several more hot flashes today.  I'm hoping they settle down, but I have a feeling I will be dealing with these for a long time to come.  I hope your great days continue!!