Is there a July 2011 group?

pinkpalette

beccad, thank you for your wealth of advise.  I really appreciate that this can be "doable"!  I so want it to be for me!  My surgeon inserted a port to administer the chemo.  I am not crazy about it, as I have difficulty sleeping and it tears at me when I toss and turn at night.  I have lousy veins, so I hope it will be for the best. I have a couple meds to take prior to chemo and I am also getting something in my cocktail that will hopefully ward off the nausea and other side effects.  I have questionable blood counts because of RA so I hope they are going to give me Neulasta when needed.  Do you know if it is acceptable to drink green tea with ginger or to take a multivitamin while receiving chemo? 

Snoopy73

Jamie and all you ladies that have started chemo, THANK you for all your updates, they arevery very helpful. I am scheduled to get my port placed tomorrow morning and start chemo on thursday; 6  rounds of TC every 3 weeks. I am soooo nervous, scared and extremely emotional. I have 2 small kids (4.5 & 3 yrs) and I would like to let their days be as normal as possible, they will be going to pre-school everyday from this week, I feel like I am abandoning them, I feel so alone (altho I have a loving husband and wonderful sisters and friends) I wish I could close my eyes and wake up from this nightmare; but again as Frances said God doesnt give you what you cant handle, so I believe this too shall pass:-) I am praying for minimal SEs.

kris1

Pinkpalette, it makes me sad to think you feel alone, you definitely are not!   Continue to put your faith in God and your onc and know that you will be just fine!

FrancesC, thanks for your posts and prayer...I'm thankful everyday that a friend sent me the link to this site.  Everyone is so supportive and positive, exactly what we all need.  Good luck to everyone starting treatment this week!!  Does anyone know about cold mitts or ice packs for your nails??

dexxy

pinkpalette - as far the green tea goes, hold off the day before and 2 days after.  Green tea does have caffeine so you want to keep your liver and clean as possible.  But other than that drink away, its has lots of great properties.  You should definitely take a multi - lots of women take B6, Vit D3, among others.  Talk to your Nurse practitioner and check what they suggest or if you get a list together present them to your Dr and she if he/she has a problem with you taking them.

I'm on a ton of supplements that were prescribed by my herbalist and were Dr approved.   Starting chemo on thursday, I'm already a wreck, just the thought makes me sick to my stomach.  I think more anticipation of what is to come then the process

pinkpalette

dexxy - thank you for the heads up on the green tea.  It makes sense not to drink before, during, and after a little bit.  I can handle that.  I thought the ginger would do my tummy some good hiding in the green tea.  Oh well.  I suppose ginger water with a twist of lemon is the way to go.  I will check with the onc nurse on the multi-v.  I want to try to eat super healthy, but avoiding some fruits and vegs with e-coli issues.  I really don't want to gain weight at this time.

Wishing you a pleasant and uneventful 1st treatment this Thurs.  Will be waiting to hear all the details when you are up to it.

pinkpalette

dexxy

pinkpalette - i hear you on the weight thing, key things are balanced diet with lots of vegetables, and your healthy proteins and grains.  If you can buy organic in the long run its worth it. chicken, fish and eggs for your protein. but if you want you can always ad Whey to an almond milk.  DO you have trader joes where you are?  They have tons of great items that are perfect for the "chemo diet" as I call it.  Feel free to PM and I'll give you more details

debb

I've been reading your notes and would love to join your group, I met with my MO last week and the plan is 4 X DD A/C and 6 X DD Taxol administered every 2 weeks followed by Rads. I'm almost 3 weeks post op BMX w/TE, drains came out 7/1 just waiting on the appt for a port and see the MO 7/13, I'm sure I'll be starting before the end of July. Interesting to read about the penguin caps and cold mitts... what effect does the chemo have on nails?? Following my rads I will start Tamoxifen X 5 yrs. I thought all this wouldn't be necessary as I did the BMX but pathology came back with 1 sentinel node + and microinvasion to the chest wall...

Jamie30

Welcome to the group noone wants to join Deb.  Sorry to hear you have to have the chemo but glad you fighting back! I started taxotere/cytoxan on June 28th.  Not much help with the DD A/C.  Chemo can cause nails to become discolored, dry, crack, and maybe fall off.  My onc says that she has only seen a few that actually fall off.  I was so worried about that.  So far, I do notice my toenails are a little dryer but I keep them oiled up.  I had my BMX on May 26th and also went with TE.  Also cant help with the cold caps.  My onc is totally against them.  IDK the reason because I just overheard her telling someone else but I am sure that someone on here has used them and can help.  Im glad you found this site and hope you can find the answers you need here!!

Jamie30

Snoopy...idk how I missed your post earlier...chemo brain maybe...idk.  I am more than happy to keep people updated.  I have 3 boys ages 8, 10, and 12.  My kids are a little older but I was worried as well.  I have been a stay at home mom for so long and they depend on me.  We have been very open and honest with everything and let them ask lots of questions.  There are also some really good books for kids out there.  I believe one is called something like "Whem Mama wore hats".  My husband had to go to work the day after my chemo and wasnt off again until my day 5.  I found that day 3 and 4 I was tired but it is doable with some planning.  I have been doing stuff like movie time with my kids.  I have a simple snack and we watch a movie together.  It gives me a chance to lay on the couch but still be doing something with them.  I know it is harder with younger ones but this too shall pass and they will see in the future how strong their mom is!  Let me know if there is anything I can help with!

shinypop

Glad to hear everyone is doing well. Welcome to newcomers. A few of us have already started chemo, so ask away. My SEs weren't too bad. I think I was having an adverse reaction to one of the antiemetics. Turns out it's a bipolar med and I'm bipolar and already taking a med. It made me pretty anxious and I wanted to clench my muscles in my arms and back. Other than that, the SEs were manageable. I have a very long road ahead of me, so I'm just taking things as they come.

FrancesC

GOOD MORNING from this part of the earth!  I have just packed my gals off to school.  Welcome pinkpalette, Allenan and debb - you have all our support here and we share all our experience.  Snoopy73 you are not alone in this too and we can do it. If its any help, I remembered 5 years back when I was ER+/PR+, the chemo was very doable with the drugs onco gave for SEs.  I experienced mainly insomnia for the initial days and just a little queasy tummy.  Water tasted metallic so I mixed honey into my water and that helped.  

 Chemo whacks out the good cells in us too whilst killing the monsters, so during your chemo treatment, focus of staying healthy so that your good cells can regenerate.  Stay away from crowds and wear mask if you have to.  Maintain good oral hygiene to prevent sores in the mouth, once that sets in eating is going to be very difficult.  Rest well, and there are days when laundry, dishes etc all can wait... just FOCUS on your own well being.  I am not shy to ask for help too, and reach out to my friends who all gladly chipped in.

 Although I have been through this once, it still scare the hell out of me thinking about the port installation this friday and TC coming monday!  God is my constant companion and I know He is here for me and all of us.  All the best! 

FrancesC

rabbit and Jamie30 I love your positive attitude ---- one chemo down XXX to go!  way to go!

debb

Thanks for the welcome and all the great tips, I am taking notes. It is so comforting to "talk" to others going through or having been in the same situation. Anyone with experience in clinical trials? I was given info on 2 clinical trials I would probably qualify for. I don't see a downside at this point, any thoughts?? 

pinkpalette

How do you get the diagnosis band under your replies? 

pinkpalette

Hi to everyone new and all I missed...Snoopy, FrancesC, JamieC, and debb --- I'm a Deb too! 

Shinypop - Great to hear the SE's are OK...I'm still in awe that you had sushi on a chemo day - girl you rock!!!!

Dexxy - I never been to Trader Joes, got one about 30 min away.  Is it worth the drive?  Wegmans is my fav. and it is 30 min the other way. They have more organic than my neighborhood grocers.  I live in a rural area, there are farm markets and stands around selling corn and tomatoes... but I dislike tomatoes. I've done the vegetarian/vegan route for a year or two - but it was hard when I am cooking a meat entree and a vegan dish each meal for family and then myself. I'd love to go back, but I don't know if I'll be up to the challenge.  It is exhausting to think about it, and I haven't even chemo yet.  LOL

FrancesC

Pinkpalette - go to My Home (header at the top of this page) and there you can edit your profile.

Oh i dislike raw tomatoes too.  Tomatoes best eaten cooked so that lycopene is released.  So I cook mine and use them mashed in pasta. 

mommaof4

Pinkpalette- I think you and I will be on the same schedule. I am tch every 21 days x 6, then rads daily x 6 1/2 weeks, and then continuing Herceptin for the remainder of the year... I get my port tomorrow am. I've been feeling so great this past week, I wish the 11th was a little farther away!

beccad

pinkpalette, I would ask your onc, but I didi drink green tea and took a multivitamin when I thought about it.  The port will get better, I know the first couple of weeks with mine I just could not stand to have anything touching it,  Then I got to where I could wear a seatbelt normally and bras didn't bother me either, now I am able to sleep on my right side (the port side) and it does not bother me.  I was a tummy sleeper before, but with the tissue expanders in, that is not happening yet.  

paulamati

tomorrow is my first TCH ...hope everything goes ok!!

FrancesC

Paulamati - all the best.  Let us know.

rabbit

I used to drink a ton of green tea and ginger, but I was told I shouldn't take much that thins the blood and ginger and is a natural blood thinner..so I backed off of it. I wasn't aware of not having caffeine during chemo not being good. At the infusion clinic they actually gave me a cup of coffee during chemo...should I not drink coffee during? 

Okay, i have a few possibly bizarre questions....I was told about 7 years ago that I had a virus similar to herpes on my butt. at first I thought it was a spider bite, and every 6 months or so it would flare up and I thought it was just a reaction from this "spider bite" but finally found out it is a herpes simplex type of virus like a cold sore, which I've never had....okay....so it flares up a time or two a year, after a few days of the chemo, it flared up worse than ever. It is so swollen and blistery, about the size of a half dollar, it never got that big before nor that blistery, it would fade after a few days or week...it keeps getting worse...anyone know what I can do for it? I will see the onco today to get my blood work done so I will ask him, just curious if any one else has has this happen, I'm sure I'm not the only one one with this "cold sore" problem.

Also, on another note, are we supposed to avoid sex? I mean I don't have the energy really, and haven't wanted to at all, just curious, are we supposed to avoid that contact, is it dangerous to have sex if we are sure it's completely monogomous?

 Sorry for the  personal questions, once you get to know me, you'll know I am an "is what it is" kind of person and I am pretty open about everything..

Jamie30

Hi rabbit.  I can answer the sex question.  My onc told me that I should avoid sex for 48-72 hours after the infusion because the chemo drugs can be passed on during that time.  After the chemo is out of your system sex is fine.  My hubby and I have a joke about it.  The night of my infusion, I jokingly told him, hey we should have sex but then again I could "chemo" you but I wonder if that would help you shave less!   So we joke about it.  But it is perfectly fine as long as the chemo is out of your system and you are careful of stds (monogomous sounds good)  and getting pregnant.  Hope this helps!

Valbee

Am I crazy?? The infusion clinic just called me to tell me there's a cancellation for tomorrow, the day I initially wanted to start my chemo. And I turned it down! I'm still scheduled for the 14th.

I just don't feel ready yet. But now I'm not sure if I'm silly for putting it off. 

rabbit

hi thanks Jamie, that's great info!

Valbee, you're not crazy, if you're not ready, don't push yourself, make yourself ready for the 14th, it's all in preparing and  being ready, you're almost never really ready for this, but it will be fine, it will work out. 

Sandysoo

HI guys

I had my first chemo last Thurs. I am having TCH, six sessions, and then4 weeks of Radiotherapy.

Keep in touch. Im from Ireland, but the treatments are exactly the same as you guys.

Sandra.

kris1

Shinypop, happy to hear your SEs are minimal.  I'm a sushi lover too, hoping I'm just as lucky!

Paulamati, I'll say a prayer for you, hope all goes well.

Debb, I did some research myself about the cold caps because I was really intersted in trying them.....my understanding from what I found is that they freeze your scalp to such a low temperature that there is concern from the MDs that the chemo isn't getting all the way to the places it needs to be. I made the decision for myself to shave my head once my hair starts to go...figure it's not worth taking the chance, hair will grow back!  And in the meantime you can rock whatever look you like!

Jamie30, thanks for answering the sex questions...was wondering that myself.

Snoopy73

Hello ladies, I got my port inserted today in the morning, the procedure was soo much better than i anticipated, they gave me the meds to relax me and numb the area, and i kept talking al through the process haahahahaa.. the only thing is i passed out AFTER the surgery LOL while at the recovery area. They brought me bfast so i sat up on the bed trying to eat then i started feeling dizzy, so i kept telling my hubby i feel dizzy i feel dizzy as i was laying down and that was it!!! he said he called me but i was not responding:-( anyway, the nurses put the oxygen tube in abd IV etc and they kept me for 3 hours after whcih i felt so much better, came back hoem and slept most of the afternoon. 

My first chemo day is tomorrow; 6 TC cycles every 21 days then rads for 6 wks then tamoxifen. Let the fight begin!!

Jamie - thanks for the sex tip:-)

paulamati

hi Ladies i just finished my first session of TCH..what a long day, almost 6 hours ..but everything went ok.I just hope not to have so many SE.

Bless you all!! 

Robyn6463

Can anybody tell me more about menopausal status and breast cancer? I had a thermal ablation many years ago, so I don't have periods, but I still have a uterus and ovaries. Haven't had any menopause symptoms to speak of, but haven't noticed the "cycle" symptoms in quite a while either. Blood work got done today.

I don't even see my oncologist for the 1st time until 7/20, yet my surgery is next Tuesday 7/12. The surgeon seems to be leaning towards chemo, today she mentioned because of the size of my tumor, just under 2 cm per the MRI, not 1 as previously expected. I just don't know what to expect yet.

Left the surgeon's office today a bit confused about menopausal status and Oncotype DX testing, and a little confused about axillary disection if I'm pre-menopausal. 

FrancesC

All the best Snoopy73!  Pray you have no SEs