Chemo June 2010

TMarina

batoday-sorry to hear about the nausea.  The Zofran shouldn't keep you awake (but everyone is different), its usually the steroids (dexamethasone) that make you jittery and unable to sleep.  Do you have that prescription too?  Even though it keeps you awake its worth it to ward off the nausea.  Do your best not to miss a dose.

Yes, water doesn't taste very good for me now either.  Everyting tastes "off", which is why I'm hungry all the time--there is nothing I want to eat (except pizza tasted good the other night!).  This is a normal se of chemo.

Hang in there--hope you feel better!!

T

Latte

Hi everyone,

Glad to be joining this forum.

I'm 39, and just started neoadjuvant chemo on June 7. AC every 2 weeks for 4 times, then taxol every week for 12 weeks, then surgery, then radiation, then hormonal treatment - a tough year ahead!

Main SE after first round were really low blood pressure, but that is sorted now, bad taste in my mouth, but nothing else too difficult. I had Neulasta after the first round, and was really worried about SE, but it was fine. 

Today I started getting pus-filled sores - on my head (haven't lost my hair yet), and behind my ears. they hurt, and i am worried about infection - will check with the chemo nurse on Monday at my next session. Anyone else have something like this?

take care and may SE be few and everything work well.

Poppalicious

Hi all,

I am starting my chemo on June 26 - TC*4 every 3 weeks with zoladex shots in between. 

Just made the decison to go through with it yesterday, so have much to do from now till next week to prepare for the 3 months ahead (got my wig today!) - am just so grateful for the wonderful advice and support from this forum.

Take care everyone and more laters!

Beanius

I found out yesterday that my oncotype results are supposed to be ready by next Thursday. Only problem is that's two days after I'm scheduled to start chemo (again). So I most likely will have to put off chemo start till after the 24th. Anyone want to place bets on whether I start in June or July? Congrats to all you who are getting underway and even to your second tx. My best wishes are with you!!

jenweg

Wow sorry for your wait Beanius.  That makes it tough.  Good luck.

Trusting

Hi Danileas,

 Could you please add me to the list. My user name is Trusting and I start chemo on June 21, 2010. I am getting 3 treatments of FEC 3 weeks apart and 3 treatments of Docetaxol following the FEC. Looks like you are on the same treatment plan as me . How are you doing? 

Beanius

jenweg - thanks for the sympathies and good luck wishes, I appreciate it and hope you are doing great!

Trusting - good luck to you as you get started!

mimi9186

Welcome Trusting,

There are a few of us on the FEC  D regime.  Most are in Canada I think.  We have a slight head start on you.  I hope we can help you get through this together. I had my first trmt on June 11.  It was fairly rough for a week but I made it through and now feel much better.  I will ask (or demand) the onc to adjust the meds for SE so I will be more comfortable, and maybe even able to rest and sleep. Try to enjoy your weekend and not worry too much.  I wasted much pre=chemo time worrying and crying instead of relaxing.  You will find this board very helpful. 

Blessings,  Mimi9186

Diagnosed 03/04/2010   IDC 2.8cm. Grade 2  Stage 3a  ER+/PR-/HER2-

Trusting

Hi Mimi9186 and Danileas,

Well I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. I am trying not to worry and I have lots of friends and I am very athletic. I do 9 to 10 hours of hardcore exercise a week. I am worried about my fitness during chemo but I am gonna do it ! I wonder if there are any other fitness buffs out there. I hope the meds I have for nausea will help me. I have looked at Jennifer Griffins on you tube (she is a Fox news reporter with triple negative breast cancer) and she has been on Oprah. Her 11 steps for surviving chemo are very helpful. You can google them and they will come up.I plan to make this journey and look at it as the beginning of my recovery. I will need radiation following and then reconstuction but it is fate that has dealt us this hand and we have to deal with it. A friend once told me after losing her daughter that "you can never let yourself get down there because you know you may never get back up". I don't intend to let myself go there. My other girlfriend just bought me the 2 cookbooks Jennifer Griffins recommends and I found that touching and caring. The cookbooks are by Kathy Ratz and on the 11 steps. I am so glad I heard from you and thank you all for the warm welcome to the site. I am hear to support anyone who needs it too. We have to share it helps.

Thanks,

Trusting

cheyenna

Hello ladies, i had my first tx of AC today and so far am just fine, a lil cloudy in the head but thats it.. im so very tired but i am sure it is just all emotional, and just plain drained!!! i should sleep well tonight, the only time in the past 40 days..wow!!... i hope you are all well, BC sucks!!!!

hugs

Cheyenna

kittycat

I hit the chemo wall today.  I was a little achey this morning from the Neulasta shot yesterday.  I went to work for a meeting.  I could feel myself getting very woozy.  I stopped by Babies R Us to pick up a present for a customer and then went home.  I took my meds and put on my Sea Bands.  Ate a little lunch and went to bed! 

My mole turned out to be slightly abnormal, but not cancer.  I go in next week to have it checked again.  They said 4 weeks and then I told the nurse I was a 2x BC survivor. She got it - she used to work in oncology! 

PennStater

It looked like Goldilocks and the three bears had showered with me this morning, so I bit the bullet and had my husband shave my head this evening.  Much to my surprise I didn't shed a single tear, I think it was harder on my husband than on me.  It's almost a relief to have that out of the way.  Best wishes for a SE free weekend for everyone. 

Trusting

Hi PennStater,

 I think you are brave to face your fear and I can see it lessening the load by facing up to what you were afraid of..... being bald. I am too. You have taken another hurdle and made it I think once I am actually close to losing my hair (which will be in about 2-3 weeks) I will do the same. You inspired me. I already got my hair cut short to prep myself.

 Take care,

Trusting

jenweg

Well feeling better after my second treatment.  Taking all meds at once and also have the Sancuso patch.  I guess they are all helping.  I hope this continues.  I am still tired, dizzy and a bit nauseau but nothing like after the first treatment.  Hope all are having good weekends and se free!!!  Great news about the mole kitty.

algreach

Wow--we have quite the group now. Welcome to all the newcomers, and hugs to you all for what you're going through. Sorry I've missed greeting you as you've joined--the last few days of school for my teen daughter have been hectic.

I bit the bullet and had my head shaved yesterday, too. I couldn't stand the hairs falling all over the place--some of them landing in my food. Eew. My sister, who is a 3 yr BC survivor, did it for me. I didn't cry. My daughter, sweet thing that she is, said she thought the new do made me look younger. LOL!

I'm not thrilled to wear my wig, though. It looks good--almost like my real hair--but it feels strange and HOT. I  wonder if I can get away with just wearing a hat when I go out? Will the absence of hair be too obvious?

jenweg

algreach I am with you on the wig.  I shaved my hair very short last weekend and wore my wig but really wasn't feeling it.  I ended up wearing scarves to work all week and liked them much better. 

Latte

hi algreach,

thanks for the welcome. good on you for shaving your head, and not crying about it - i'm a few days away from losing my hair still, and i know that shaving willbe traumatic for me. I'm also feeling a bit unsure about wearing a wig - i decided just to wait and see how i feel at the time.

Did you see that www.franceluxe.com is offering a free headwrap to all BC chemo patients?

dsa-deb

good morning all:

missed another couple of days & see we have some newbies w/us.  welcome to the group!

am envious (can't believe i used that word) of those of u who have gotten past your 1st round and either going into 2nd or even past that!!  I so want to be there, too.

1st treatment scheduled this wednesday, 6/23.  look forward to it/dread it at the same time!

already hit stumbling block w/pre-meds.  i have partial complex seizures & the pre-meds 'interact' w/both my seizure meds----so, onc/nurses/neurologist have to 'huddle' on monday to determine what options might be ok. 

i hope whatever change it might be will also be effective & reduce/eliminate (LOL) the se's of nausea. 

other than getting the close-cropped hair cut (not buzz just yet) i think i'm as ready for the red devil AC drug as i can be.  just want to get it OVER WITH!!   always thought i was a patient person. this dang BC has already altered my overall disposition about everything----bummer!

hope all of you have terrific weekend!

deb  

   

kittycat

dsa - I am on the "red devil" and it wasn't that bad.  I chewed on ice chips to prevent mouth sores.  I also had some red hots to fend off the odor.  I hope everything goes well on your 1st treatment and the premeds are okay.  I can't take Benadryl (I'm allergic), but I still did okay.

I sent a message to www.franceluxe.com on the free head wraps.  They support the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, which is pretty cool (since I'm TNBC). 

Today is my 11 year wedding anniversary.  My husband has to work because he went to chemo with me.  We're trying to think of something we can do tonight, even if it's simple! 

DesignerMom

Welcome to all the newcomers!  Golly, I can't even keep track.  Looking at the loooooooong list of all of us starting chemo this month, I am struck and saddened.  I am also grateful to know all you you brave, supportive ladies.  It would be so much harder without you.

Cheyenna-  You DID it!!  Sleep tight.  With every step forward you get closer to being finished.

Kittycat-I'm glad your mole turned out at least not to be dreadful.  Something like that could really scare a person.  I bet with all you have been through, it seems less scary.  Give yourself time to rest and drink your fluids!

To all you brave girls loosing your hair.  You rock!  I haven't lost mine yet, perhaps won't because I am on CMF.  You are all incredible facing the hair loss so directly (like you have a choice!).  Of course I have thought what I would do if I lost mine.  I'm not sure if I am a wig kind of girl.  I HATE being hot.  I plan on scarves and hats.  There is a great catalog put out by the American Cancer Society.  As it is not for profit, the products are very reasonable.  They have these stretchy colored wide headbands that you can wear over your ear tips.  Then when ou wear hats, it doesn't look like a hat on a fencepost.  They have loads of great products including soft cotton camisoles, cotton sleep caps, scarves, hats and wigs.  Their address is www.tlcdirect.org  Their phone is 800 850-9445.

Trusting-Welcome!  Thanks for the tips from the cancer survivor health buff.  I know there is a lady on here from the Seattle area who is a competitive cyclist and has continued to be very active.  I'll try to remember her name and let you know.  I'm sure if you PM her, she could give you some great feedback.

Any of you having VIVID dreams?  I normally don't remember my dreams.  WOW am I having brilliant, technicolor beauties these days.  My mom, who is no longer with me, was travelling with me in my dream last night.  I woke up so positive and happy.

Blessings to you all!

Sherry9316

Well, I've come to a wall.  Had my first tx Wednesday and it seemed to go fine. Went back the next day for Neulasta shot - seemed fine then too.  Yesterday, the nausea set in big time. I was not able to get out of my chair except to go to the bathroom.  Today is not much better.  RATS!  This was the one SE I worried the most about and dreaded the most. I took my meds and slept about 90% of the past 24 hours.  Is there anything that will help?  I do not want to eat anything and there's not much that I can tolerate drinking.  I didn't think it would get this bad.

DesignerMom

Sherry9316-  I'm so sorry you are suffering.  Did your Onc give you meds for breakthrough nausea?  If they did, and they are not working, you may need different ones.  Do not hesitate to call their service and tell them what you are experiencing.  They may just need to tweek your meds or prescribe something different. There are lots of very good meds for nausea. Also don't wait till you are really nauseous to take the meds.  Take them at the first sign.  Once you are truly nauseous it is hard for the meds to knock it down.  Ginger is a natural anti nausea cure.  Sipping ice cold gingerale always helps me.  A lot of people say they get relief from the ginger roots candies (health food store).  I can't tolerate plain water when I am nauseous.  You have to hydrate to flush stuff out.  Try to find something you can tolerate.  Hang in there!  It won't last forever.  Hopefully they can find some meds that will work better nest time.

TMarina

Sherry9316-->  Great advice from designermom.  If you can't keep fuids down you should go to the er and they will give you an iv--I've heard that people feel a lot better after that, and they can give you the anti-nausea meds there too.

I had my first ac on Monday, and have been feeling worse each day.  The nausea is there, but not too bad, but I can hardly stay awake!  Its too similar to what I recently went through with chemo for colon cancer, and very frustrating--I guess I was hoping this wouldn't be so bad.  My youngest's grad party is tomorrow--hope I can make it through it!  Thankfully I have lots of help.

Sorry to complain when many have it much worse--I keep reminding myself that at least I'm not throwing up!

Thinking of you all!

T

kittycat

Sherry - eating will actually help the nausea.  I force myself to eat little amounts of stuff.  Mangos have been my food of choice the last couple days.  I've drank a lot of Gatorade, water and some juice.  Water isn't as tasty, but I force myself to drink it.  You should be taking your anti-nausea meds.  I take them BEFORE nausea sets in - on the clock - every 6 hours!  If you can't keep fluids down, then definitely go to the ER.  We want you well!!! 

mari-12

Hi everyone!! I had my 1st chemo on June 7th. Taxotere and Cytoxan. I too was feeling pretty drugged and was in my bed the 1st 48 hrs., out of it but not sleeping. On day 4 after finally falling asleep with the help of an Ambien, I awoke in the middle of the night to what I can only describe as excruciating abdominal cavity pain!! On a scale of 1-10, I was an 8-9.  I thought my spleen was rupturing (had the Neulasta shot the day before). My DH called the covering MD who suggested tylenol!! Ridiculous!! My DH was smart enough to give me a mylanta and that helped somewhat. In the arsenal of drugs that had been ordered there was direction to take Prilosec. I must've misunderstood and only took it that 1st evening of the infusion. YIKES!  By day 8 I was feeling somewhat human. Better now though

A wonderful lady on this website gave me a great tip.....Zero Vitamin water, it's flavored. It has been my way of hydrating. Water tastes so yucky now but it is so important to stay hydrated. I too found that munching on candied ginger did the trick in keeping the nausea at bay. 

Picked up the wig today, have plenty of scarves....shaving the head soon!! Bring it on!!!! 

My best to all of you... we are all warriors in this courageous battle we are fighting and I'm grateful to be in such  great company!!

Sherry9316

Thanks everyone for the tips.  I did take my medicine at the first twinge of nausea, but it just doesn't seem to help.  I'm eating saltines a few bites at a time and sipping ginger ale. I hope the next 15 weeks goes by fast.  You ladies are super and a tremendous help and morale booster.  Thanks for listening.

meliss

Sherry, hope you are feeling better and get past the nausea soon. Like many of you have said, I can't do plain water very well either. I have been drinking La Croix fizzy waters. They are carbonated and flavored, but not sweetened. On ice, they work very well for me. I also really like Vernor's ginger ale. It has a stronger ginger flavor than Schweps' or Canada Dry.

 I woke up last night with terrible bladder pain, and have pushed fluids hard today. Talked to the the on-call doc, who asked lots of questions. We decided to see how I do today/tonight, and he called in an antibiotic to have on hand if it gets worse again. I had a yeast infection earlier in the week, so I don't know if this is cystitis from yeast, a bladder infection trying to get started, or a SE from the Cytoxan. I definitely feel better after more fluids, so maybe I just didn't drink enough on Friday.

Found a wig I really like, which surprised me, because the ones I had looked at previously were not exactly making me feel good about how I looked. This one is perfect. When my older son saw me in it, he thought I had gotten a haircut--he could not tell it was a wig. (That could just be because he is a somewhat absent-minded 15yo!) I also ordered some hats/scarves to try from headcovers.com. 

Now if I could just motivate myself to do my schoolwork instead of browsing websites....

kittycat

I was told to drink Smart Water. It has some electrolytes in it.  I'm drinking low cal Gatorade, too.  I got some ginger candies in China Town.  I haven't had to eat them yet, but I've been taking Protonix (for acid reflux) and Compazine (for nausea). 

RS711

Just checking in after round 2 day 4... they tweaked my anti-nausea meds this time. I got compazine in my IV, which made me extremely sleepy, luckily I had a ride home, but I didn't get the bad first night nausea like last time. Remember to ask the nurses to tweak your 'cocktail' if need be...it's worth it.

Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes... and your very flesh shall be a great poem.
Diagnosis: 4/16/2010, IDC, 2cm, Stage IIb, Grade 3, 3/20 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2+

lizzyanne

My first A/C was on Monday and I have not had too many SE. I am very tired but that may be due to a low red blood count - 3 surgeries in 7 weeks so my onc may give me some blood next week. I am a bit confused though as I felt great on Thursday - actually had an appetite. I was expecting to feel better each day that passed but that doesn't seem to be happening. I am forcing myself to eat - nothing really appeals to me. Some good advice about the flavored water. I will have to try that - I usually drink lemonade mixed with seltzr but that seems to be giving me some acid reflux issues. I do have a headache that doesn't seem to go away. It almost feels like a hangover - without enjoying the wine to go with it. But if this is the worst - so be it. Bought a wig this week, haven't been able to bring myself to even try it on at home...need to psych myself up for it I guess. I guess I still have a few days before my hair starts to really fall out. Just thinning right now. 

I am retired one year so don't have to worry about work but you ladies who have young children and try to manage work thru this are my heroes!!!