Calling all TNs

KSteve

Bak94 - I laughed when I read about your chihuahua!  My 21 year old daughter has a 7 lb long-haired chihuahua who is her baby.  She just left Tuesday to study abroad in Italy for 4 months, so guess who has a chihuahua under to the covers too . . . me!  She's precious, but I'm hoping I get used to her being right between my DH and I.  I don't want to squish her!  We skype with my DD so Lilo can see her mommy!  Don't know if she can actually "see" her but she definitely recognizes her voice and gets all excited.  Anyway, I had a visual when you mentioned about your doggy!  Aren't dogs awesome?

Kathy

christina1961

Khs, That looks really promising!!  I want to follow that vaccine trial.

My BS wanted me to do the mastectomy - I have a lot of faith in him - he is actually an oncology surgeon.  He said it was better local control and occasionally it can be hard to after the neoadjuvant chemo where the remaining cancer is - it turned out the remaining cancer was right where it started, but I still feel better in terms of local control.  Before I followed his advice, I talked to some of his other patients and found that he doesn't always suggest mastectomy. Having said all this, it still has been very hard psychologically for me to lose the breast.  I cannot wait to have reconstruction.  I'm getting a little better with it, but I don't like taking a shower or looking at myself naked. 

mccrimmon324

Annie,

I took a claritin the day off and for 2 days after the neulasta shot as well as 2 aleve a day for the same days.  I didn't really have any pain.  Sometimes I felt a bit achey, but nothing too bad at all.  I never tried to go without it so I can't say it worked for me or maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones that didn't get pain from the shot but I would try it if I were you.  I heard it can be brutal.

Take care, you'll start coming out of it and feeling like your old self by Monday I would think. 

CatWhispurrer

Annie - I just had my first A/C treatment on Monday, then the Neulasta shot Tuesday.   I started taking Claritin (24 hr Claritin - not the Claritin-D) on Tuesday morning before the shot and am still taking it daily.  I had a little back ache yesteday but feel pretty good today.  I may go without Claritin tomorrow as I heard the first 3 days was worst.  If bone pain comes on again though, I believe the Claritin is working and will take it as needed if I get any bone pain. 

Luah

Annie, I did the neulasta shot, didn't take claritin and never really suffered any pain. I was a little achey, but nothing too uncomfortable. I put it down to the chemo, used a heating pad occasionally. Hope your SEs are mild too.

Lynn18

christina, all of my doctors suggested mastectomy for me for the same reason, after neoadjuvant it is difficult to see where everything is.  I am happy for everyone who gets a lumpectomy, that's what I would have preferred.  I am glad we have the option of reconstruction.

khs113

Annie, Glad that your first chemo went so well. I also had a bed the first time so they could monitor me more carefully. Did you have a port put in? That makes things easier. I didn't have a port the first time and it burned my vein. Looked pretty hideous for a few weeks. I had a bad reaction to the Nulasta each time. In fact, for me it was worse than the chemo in some ways. I would wind up in bed for a few days hurting all over. Claritin didn't touch it so the second time I would just take vicodin and that helped the pain considerably although it made me sleep for 3 days. Usually, the first week after chemo was pretty good because of the steroids. I actually had lots of energy after the first two rounds but by rounds 3 and four I felt definitely poisoned. Pretty much became a homebody. My friends organized bringing over meals which was nice for my husband. At least he was fed and watered. Hope this info is not too much of a downer. But it is what it is. At least I didn't have to shave my legs for four months and it does get better. Let everybody help you and bask in their caring. Shed the toxic friends and watch funny movies.

gillyone

Annie - I didn't notice any effects from the Neulasta shot, nor did I take Claritin. Hope you are as lucky as I was.

beckyv

CatWhispurrer - I am going to be a week behind you in treatment.  I get my port on 1/30 and get my first round of A/C on 1/31.  Get my nuelasta shot the next day.  Let's hope we are the lucky ones with minor SEs.  I think I will definitely start on the Clartian and Alleve before the Neulasta - just to hopefully avoid some of the SEs. I had a BMX - so no rads - but will be looking at reconstruction (currently hve T/Es) as soon as possible after chemo; I really want to start this whole chemo schedule as positive and upbeat as possible - some days are good and some days not so good,

Hope60

Annie - I guess I was lucky. I didn't have any side effects from the Neulasta shot, and I didn't take Claritin.  My side effects from A/C were also pretty manageable.  I hope it goes well for you, too.

laurajane

Good evening ladies! Hope you all had a good day.

Bak- So sorry you are going through all of this. I'm hoping you heal quickly.

Painting- so happy you got to take a much deserved celebration.

Annie- I hope chemo goes by quickly with few if any SE's. My acupuncturist has helped me with many of the SEs I had. I didn't take anything the first time I had the nueprogen shot and was in horrible pain I thought was caused by the chemo my oncologist pharmacist told me to take 1 clariton and 1 Zantac(heartburn) 1/2 hr before shot and I never had pain from it again except the time I forgot.

Tracie- any mouth sores I had were quickly cleared with oral Fluconazole a yeast infection med. I learned that from my phar. Onc gal too. I've done a lot of chemos too.

I'm believing this Halavan is starting to show signs that it is working. Pain slightly decreased and edema in my hand starting to go down. Skin mets lighting up too! Fingers crossed.

Hope you all have a great evening

Titan

I hope none of you having the nuelasta have to have any pain...I had enough for all of you....you can thank me later..lol.   I was just getting ready to contact the acupuncturist (found out it was covered by my insurance)...but it was late in my chemo..I think I had just one more shot to go so I didn't do it....I wish I would have known about it earlier or I would have had it done the whole time.

Good to hear from you Laura Jane!  It's always good to hear from you...I just smile when I see that you have posted...

Sugar77

LauraJane - good news.  I really hope Halavan is working for you.

Annie - I also took Claritan with the Nuelasta and had no bone pain....hope you have no pain either.

Suze - hope you're getting all rested up and ready for your wonderful Disney Cruise.

Bak - hope your infection clears up soon. 

Hi everyone. Wow, when I look above at what I've just written the word "hope" pops out in each line. Maybe that's my word for the day...HOPE. Take care!

riley702

Sorry, bak. But no worries, it's the sputum that has the odor, not the people themselves. And most people aren't paying attention to the possible smell of a loogie unless it's their job, like me. Yay, my job! [/sarcasm]

CatWhispurrer

Hi beckyv - I thought I was one of the last ones to start chemo this month.   Join us over in the January Chemo group forum - there is always discussions and helpful hints with SE's over there.  Wishing you have a smooth sailing thru it.

Bak - thinking of you.  Keep us posted and I'm praying that the infection is clearing up.

riley702

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of my being diagnosed with BC. In some ways, time has flown, and in other ways, it's hard to remember what it was like before my world was consumed by cancer, before I became "aware" of breast cancer in a way I never imagined. I'm going to mark the milestone with a big mug of hot chocolate with Baileys and whipped cream. Yum!

TifJ

Happy 2 years Riley!!!

LRM216

Ditto to Tifj's post, Riley.  Congrats and may it turn into at least another 100 yrs!

mccrimmon324

LauraJane-praying the Havalen does it's job! 

Bak-hoping your infection clears up quickly so you can get started on Radiation. 

Riley - Congrats to two years!  That Hot Chocolate sounds delicious!

journey4life

Riley - YAY!! Congratulations

GuyGirl

Way to go Riley. 

For those going through Chemo, I did have pain from the shot but Claritin did nothing for me.  I got a terrible sinus headache the first treatment while using the Claritin.  For the 2nd treatment and thereafter I took Mucinex D Extra Strength.  I would start taking it on a Sunday, have Chemo on Monday, the shot on Tuesday and I would take the Mucinex till Thursday.  The only problem with taking this was that it kept me awake at night, good thing I was on sick leave.

journey4life

What exactly is the connection between Claritin/Mucinex and the relief of bone pain?

CharB22

lisajcj - my MO said the theory (there's no proof) is that some people have a slight allergic reaction to the Neulasta shot which causes the pain and that the Claritan (which is for allergies) helps counteract it. I took it for 1st shot and only had back pain 1 day (the day after I stopped taking it...duh) but was able to manage the pain with a heating pad. I get my Neulasta shot today so I took Claritan yesterday and today.

journey4life

Char - Is the shot given thru your port? Do you take Claritin for the day before, the day of, and the day after the shot or longer?

LRM216

I tried the Claritan and unfortunately, it did nothing for me.  Those Neulasta shots were just disgusting for me.  The pain would begin about 8 to 12 hrs after the shot and dear Lord, it did not let up for a minimum of 2 solid days of the worst bone pain and spasms.  It just amazes me how some gals feel nothing from it and some of us suffer like dogs - always wondered why.  Same with chemo - some of us skate right through it (which I did NOT), and others have a gazillion side effects.  Just is what it is, I suppose.  To all those just starting out - I wish you easy, gentle journeys.  No matter what, there is an end to it, and you will reach it too.  I didn't think it would ever end, but it does. 

Linda

Fighter_34

I didn't get pain from the shot either, but I gave myself the shot though. LOL, and that is probably why. Sometimes I would only put half in because I was so scared of doing something wrong. I was a hot mess. I have always wondered what the Claritan connection was. I never took it since I didn't get sick after the first two treatments. My major complaint was my mouth. It was soooooo yucky after treatments.

Riley702- *all smiles* We love to hear that, and we are eager to see more people hit that mark and move on with their life.

mccrimmon324

Fighter, my mouth was sooooooo gross after each treatment and it lasted a little longer each time.  I hate to say it was my worse side effect because it doesn't sound that bad but that taste was so awful, and nothing I tried really helped.  As disgusting as it sounds the bad taste would wake me out of a deep sleep.  My onc said there really isn't anything to help, it's just your tastebuds dying. 

ksmatthews

I took Clariten and Aleve when I had my shot.  They gave me the shot in my arm.  I only had pain one time and that was on #5.  Other than that I did really well.  I think your bones hurt cause it is pulling from your bone marrow to help keep your #;s up.

annie3310

So far I might be one of those skating through, given that all things are relative and I've only had one treatment. I don't feel like doing much, but I'm not incapable of doing things either. I'm not miserable, and that's a relief. I'm even escaping the Nuelesta pain, without any Claritan. Now I'm just going to pray that I don't experience the mouth nastiness, cause I gotta tell you, that sounds like about the worst thing. Heather and Fighter - hope that's just a memory for you now.

Annie 

OBXK

Annie - so glad the treatment has been manageable for you. It was my experience that the recovery from each, was different. The shot was hard for me, they cut my dose in half. My first chemo was nothing worse than a bad hangover. - my fourth had me praying for death - followed by an easy number five. Rest well...