Chemo May 2011

Cyborg

Sheribell

The steroids are pretty terrific til I have to sleep and not keep the whole house up!

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solds19,

yeah, i am taking Colace, too.  once in the morning and once at night.  i also have prune juice ready just in case.  i hope colace is helping you out.

Laureen 

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bkj66,

just like what i told cyborg, started getting clumps of hair this morning when i took a shower.  my friend's husband will see me tomorrow night to shave it.  i was recommended to do clipper blade #1.  the people at Look Good Feel Better workshop discouraged complete "shaving" as it might cause ingrowns.  they suggested to leave just a bit of the hair's length.

Laureen 

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EVERYONE,

I just came back from my A/C#2 today.  Headache started during infusion of Cytoxan.  Advil helps a bit.  Bloating and water retention pretty evident now from the Decadron. I am ready to rest a lot as I expect the same SEs from two weeks ago.

I will try to keep with all the other entries here.  I see that we are getting more and more company.  

I started getting clumps of hair this morning as i took my shower.  I am scheduled to have my hair shaved tomorrow.  I will post picture as well.

Take care everyone!  We are all here to support each other.  I am very happy and lucky to have you guys as my support system.

Hugs to everyone,

Laureen 

neecee

DebRox - feeling good so far!  I get my Neulasta shot this afternoon, then going to work.  I expect things to get interesting tomorrow.

Laureen - are you on TC?

neecee

Laureen - nevermind.  I just saw your post that you are on AC.

Barb_in_BR

Today's the day...my turn. I'm nervous, but reading all of your posts help a lot to calm me down....some anyway. I feel like I'm about to jump out of an airplane without a parachute!

My daughter is going with me today and other family & friends are signing up to go with me. And I'm so grateful for their support. Hubby will get his turn, too. For now, he's the babysitter for grandkids...lol.

Wishing all of you a blessed day!

neecee

Good luck today Barb!

mccrimmon324

Praying for you Candice!

MargieC

Good luck to those going in for chemo or their Neulasta shot today.   I hope everyone has a side effect free week.

neecee

Thanks MargieC!

MamaV

Ditto on MargieC's post - good luck to all!  Take it one day at a time and we will get through this together!

V-

jrh1953

Neecee,

I am  glad your first is over.  Listen to your body over these next few days.  Let others help if you do not feel like doing anything.  Take care of you.

ellumi

Greetings...I stumbled onto this forum this morning in a panic - I start chemo tomorrow.  Carboplatin and Taxotere. I am so grateful to read some of the experiences to give me an idea of what I might encounter.  

DebRox

Thanks for all the well wishes, I am up and nervously getting ready to leave for my first appointment with TC as I type.  Going to eat a light breakfast.  I wanted to fast, but decadron requires food intake.  Will talk to my MO about this.

I started the decadron yesterday 2 twice per day and they didnt affect me at all in terms of energy or sleeplessness.  I took melatonin as usual last night and slept soundly. 

BTW I am doing ice caps, in an attempt to preserve the fine, thin hair I have.  I will be icing fingers and toes as well in an attempt to prevent neuropathy and loss of nails.  Practice run last night and boy it is cold.  Purchased an electric throw to try to keep warm while icing.

Is it recommended to pain my nails dark?  I cannot find a definitive answer.  Right now toes, french, fingers light pink.

Time to take a klonopin to help my nerves! 

Wishing everyone here well and SE free days!!!!  ((((hugs)))) to all.  Big hug for Candice.

Debby

Cyborg

Debby- nails dark. I have them a very opaque purple gray now.



Everyone- glad I didn't shave my head all the way down. No ingrowns.



Still fasting. Still taking decadron. Drinking tons of water. I love steroids! No depression.

neecee

jrh - I am listening to my body really closely!  I have a sinus headache, I think from the Cytoxen.  Tried ibuprofen at 7, didn't touch it.  Think I'm gonna switch to a sinus med in an hour or so.

DebRox - good luck today!

To all on TC - I started a new topic for those on Taxotere and Cytoxen, to compare notes.  I love this thread, and would never drop it, but want to be able to converse with those on the same treatment plan as me as well.  I will bump it to the active topics page for anyone who wants to join in.

40-years-old-now

Morning all,

Ok just got back for the Oncologist office. Lung biopsy was breast cancer, so it has matisised. I am now stage 4, t2, m1, n0.

The pain in my leg can be the cancer too. If the bone is damaged then it can easily break. I might have to get a pin.

Tomarow I have a MUGA scan.

Earliest I will start chemo is June 2, but that depends on the bone thing in my leg. If I have to have a pin put in then that delays chemo.

Doctors talking about 3 different meds every 3 weeks (all three at each appt)

Interesting thing is that if I was not doing self exams this all would not have been found for 2 years or more. As I currently dont have insurance and I would not have gone in for a check up.

I guess it is good that I caught this as early as I did.

Good news is we got a charm bracelet for my daughter and her graduation from Kindergarten is next Wednesday June 1.

Well I think that is it for now.

Candice

Hugs to all of you.

DebRox

Candice I am so sorry to hear this news!!!  I admire you looking for all the good news you can!  Keep positive, you can get through this!  Hugs!!!

bak94

Candice, More hugs to you! I hope they can fix the pain in your leg fast, and get your chemo going soon.

Your little girl must be so excited to graduate from kindergarten.

neecee

Big hugs to you Candice!  I am so sorry that it has spread.  We are here to support you!  I will add you to my prayer list.

40-years-old-now

Yes I think that a positive attudude is important.

You know the song, "I was afraid, I was petrified, ... I will survive". I think it was played in Birdcage . I told hubby that I may have to play that for a while.

He is having a harder time them me I think. He is scared but is trying to put on a happy face. I am worried about him but trying not to show it.

Candice

MamaV

Candice - Hang in there - day by day.  You will win!

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Candice,

Thank you for sharing.  I am sorry to hear about all the metastasis status.  I am impressed with how positive you remain about all this.  Good wishes to you husband in managing all these.  Best of luck to both of you!

Laureen 

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neecee,

how are you feeling today.  the advil helped  with my sinus headache from the cytoxan.  i was bad last night, major headache and nausea.  woke up this am feeling better and reprieved a bit from the SEs.

I hope you're having a decent 2nd day.

Laureen 

Patriotic

Hi Ladies,



I started chemo on May 5th. My regimen is Taxol + Herceptin x12 and then AC x 4. So far, I feel great. Little SE's with Taxol have been:



Facial flushing at the end of day 2 (when the fab steroids wear off)

Minor blood in nasal passages upon blowing nose

Tingling/Numbing in fingers and toes (mostly, days 1-4; taking Glutamine for this-seems to help)

Occasional runny nose (due to Herceptin)



I haven't felt any marked nausea, fatigue or any other scary SE's. I have been taking mineral oil twice a day for the minor constipation. I have increased the exercise in the hopes that I will feel better, it will boost my blood counts and it will prevent weight gain from the steroids. I think it works. I don't know if I will be able to maintain this on the AC but I will try.



I am getting the 4th treatment (DD) now. Hair is hanging tough! But, I dropped a small fortune on a beautiful wig and 8-10 hats! LOL. I plan to cut it short soon but not shave it bald. I am going to have to bust out the self-tanner for my white head, too.



Anyway, be well and stay positive. We can do this!

Patriotic

Candice, congrats to your daughter. Focus on the family and feeling good. You will get through this. I have talked with many women at my local cancer center who have been living a long time as Stage IV. There are so many new drugs and options. It's not the news you were hoping for and I am sorry for that. Big hugs and prayers being sent your way.

40-years-old-now

I think I am just shocked that I havent even started chemo and I am not at a stage 4. I wonder when it will hit me??

Will I cry? (I havent yet) How will I react?

Time to go pick up daughter at school.

Candice

Beaglesgirl

Oh Candice I am sorry to hear your news. My hope is that your treatment will start and you will have a hold of that reign. Bless you for your strength.



Laureen the cytoxan sinus headache didn't start until a couple of hours after I got home from treatment and it lingered for days the only thing that would touch it was vidicon.



I can't find a happy medium for my belly problems it's either on full blast or off. I may just have to deal with that. Colace and miralax works but can't figure out the daily amounts. I still have no appetite or am naseus I can't keep losing weight, it can't be good.



Welcome all the new ppl on the thread!

NanaSusie

Wound up in the ER Sunday and they kept me there until today.  I got severe diarrhea starting last Friday and got dehydrated.  Then they did blood work and said I had Neutropenia and had to stay in the hospital until my white blood count came up.  Today they said the count was elevated which could mean an infection so I can't seem to get it right.  On 2 types of antibiotics and something for the stomach cramps and diarrhea.  I'm so glad I had decided to wait on taking anything for constipation unless it happened.

Got my assortment of turban, scarf, and hat in the mail today so I did a fashion show for DH.  Definitely not a turban person.  The bucket hat wasn't too bad, at least he didn't laugh.  I guess the scarf looked the best.  I'm estimating I have one more week of hair.

Candice, I'm sending you hugs and prayers and hope everyone else is doing ok this week.

Susie