Has anyone started a Dec 2011 group?

nancyjac

Hello.  I just joined this forum.  I am having my portcath put in today and my first Chemo (TCH) is Wednesday.  Haven't had a chance to read all the way through this thread yet, but hopefully will be able to do that this afternoon after I get home from surgery.

markat

Hi all. I'm plugged in!!



I got here and they hooked me up with saline. Then an IV of emend and pepsid. Then they put the herceptin for 90 min. They just gave me the taxotere. My nurse told me that she hadn't heard of nails falling off with taxotere. 2 more hours...

seacretgardn

Markat! Best of luck! You're almost through. Here's to no SEs!



Laura

FLislander

Hi December girls

I have a question about the halo wig, has anyone tried it and did it work well, comfortable and all. I have a wig but it feels cumbersome and I had very curly hair and just does not match up. I,ve picked out a halo and hats, about to order

bc50

Had my first AC treatment starting at 9:30 this morning. Everything lasted around 2 1/2 hours. I didn't feel anything when they used the port.  Sure I will after a few treatments.

 Like some of you, I don't sleep well anyway and, of course, didn't sleep the night before my first treatment.  About an hour after treatment, I started feeling very tired.  Not sure if it is from no sleep or the chemo already. My husband says he I sound "loopy" and that my eyes are kind of glassy. It's probably a combo of both.

 I took a short nap on the couch when I got home and felt a little more awake.  Other than that, so far so good.  Didn't expect too much to happen on the first day. 

Wanted to point out also that they gave me a quilt throw and hat that people crochet for chemo patients.  Nice and very much appreciated!!

FLislander

Hi bc50

I was the same no sleep night b4 and I,m on AC also

I was very tired, I came home and took a nap then went to bed by 7pm. Keep us posted, be prepared to take it easy for a day or two. Overall the nuelasta shot was worse than first treatment I'm going to try taking claritan with nuelasta shot this time.

3girls

Had 1st dose of AC today -went well.  Beautiful day here in Mass. so actually went for a walk when I got home.  Hoping to continue to feel well!  Glad everyone seems to be doing OK!

markat

Hi ladies. So far so good. All in all e

I was at the center for about 6.5 hours for my TCH today. Premeds and check in took forever. The actual tx time was only about 4 hours.



Glad everyone is doing good tonight. I feel lolly and tired and mouth is very dry. Go back to get my neulasta tomorrow. Made my husband pick up some claritan.

Mardibra

Sounds like today's first timers did well. One down..... Happy thoughts to the others starting soon. Today was rough for me. The fatigue was baadddd. Had to leave work and come home and take a nap. Felt very tired and very weak. Hoping for a better day tomorrow. Back to bed. Goodnight!

darlam

Glad to hear others are surviving. I kept trying to tell myself it couldn't possibly be as bad as I was imagining. It now officially is. Have barely been out of bed in two days due to nausea. Since the meds are keeping me from actually throwing up, no one is concerned. Supposed to start back to work on Friday. I have no idea how. Feel so overwhelmed. Is there such as thing as a "chemo dropout?" I know that would be stupid, but if every treatment takes more of a toll, just kill me now!

markat

Oh darlam and Mardi I'm so sorry the side effects are hitting you.



Darlam you are getting the sa e tx as me and are taking the same emetic. I wonder if phenegran would be better because it always knocks me out.

Hope it goes away quick!

rachelvk

Nice going to the first-timers today. May the rest of your week be as side-effect free!

FLislader - I'm curious about the hair halo, too. I saved some locks of hair from my haircut over the weekend, though they're rather short, hoping that I might be able to find a way to sew them onto my hat(s) - bangs, side hair in front of my ears, and a little out the back as though I've bunched my hair up into my cap. They also do sell small locks that you can use in front of your ears if you don't want to go with the whole halo. 

Mardibra and Darlam - Hang in there. I hope things start getting better.

Mardibra

Darlam - so sorry about the nausea. I hope it gets better for you soon.

Whatashocker3

Morning Ladies, today is my first FEC:(. I am excited to get started and a little concerned with the reactions I am reading on the boards. The waiting for me will be difficult as I get anxious in hospitals. I hope today is a better day for all! Update you all soon. I was also wondering if it was possible to make our own hair halo from our saved hair? Anyone have any ideas?

Gator65

Darlam - I know exactly how you feel. I am in the same boat. I have 3 different nausea meds and nothing makes it stop. To top it off, I have gone from constipation to the runs. This sucks!!!! I am so tired that I can barely hold my head up. I am working from home at least.

It has to get better, right????   

tammie

Welcome Ckk..I can tell you fatigue has become a new way of life lol, i think between the emotional stress and procedures then the chemo fatigue just seems to follow for quite some time...I was gonna try the cold caps but opted not to i think a couple of other ladies here r tryin them though...

Big hugs ..Tammie

markat

Have any of you tried Ginger,sea bands, or live in a medicinal state...I kid (kinda).



Hope you are all feeling good. I had a really hard time sleeping last night. I'm still taking steroids so that doesn't help.



I thought about a halo for my big head.

bc50

First three hours of sleep the first night of treatment was great.  Then, woke up with some nausea, a little bit of chest pain and tingling hands and arms.  The whole rest of the night I tossed and turned.  Slept in this morning and feel pretty good now. 

My husband refuses to let me go get the neulasta shot by myself and is leaving work to take me.  I don't really know anything about the claritan.  When should it be taken before the shot?  Does it help for most people?

Sounds like we are all doing well for the most part.  Gator65, so sorry about your nausea.  Since I had it the first night, which everyone kept saying was unusual, I'm afraid I may have an ongoing problem with that also.  Sure hope we can get a handle on that!

wildrumara

Hi ladies - To answer some questions......take the Claritin the morning after your first chemo, and then proceed with Neulasta shot later that day (or whenever).  As soon as you wake up the next day, take another Clairitin.....it has done the trick for me.  Others need to take it longer though.  I have a regular wig and a halo wig and the halos are ok.  I'm not wild about either actually.  I've been a scarf, hat kinda girl the entire time, even after spending all that money on those damn wigs!   I am now status post treatment #4 out of 6 of TC.....toughest treatment by far.  Hang in here ladies.

bc50

Thanks wildrumara,

I haven't even purchased any claritan yet.  I'm getting my shot in an hour so I guess I'm going to have to see how the neulasta is without it the first time.  I'll be sure to try it the next time.

seacretgardn

I'm so sorry to hear so many of you are having difficulty with nausea and fatigue. I hope you all recover quickly.



Bc50 that sounds scary. How to know if chest pain is from side effect, anxiety or something to be more concerned about?



Just got cleared to begin Thurs and the anxiety is building. Onc wants me to begin an anti anxiety med but don't think I want to.



Whataschocker I hope the rest of the day goes smoothly for you. not sure how you would make

that, but saved my ponytail just in case. I might order one to take a look at.



Gonna take those ginger caps too. Anything that might help and won't harm.



I wish you all a good day, I can't wait to hear that you're feeling better,



Hugs, Laura

Peacock

Hi -- I'm also in NJ, Seacret, in Essex Co. Where are you?  (I haven't had a chance yet to put my diagnosis info below, but I will.)

 Just wanted to say that all of you inspire me. I start AC on Friday, and while I'm scared, reading the old threads from women who started in the spring and are now almost done is very motivating. 

 I get my wig in the next couple of days, and I got netflix ready to go.  Together, we can do this!

lknrocha

Good Afternoon All

Had my first chemo on 1 December. Adriamycin and Cytoxin. All went well during the event.

Today is the first day I have felt decent. Side Effects - nausea (thanks for the zofran); metallic taste in mouth; headache (felt like my head was going to explode); insomnia ( last night first night I really slept as they prescribed ambien for me yesterday); strange food tastes (like being pregnant); skin, lips, and hair very dry; lost 7 pounds which I did not need to lose.

They say the symptoms can be different each time.Anyone know?

2nd treatment on 22 Dec

capinva

Hi ladies. I will be joining this group. I have already had 1 tx of taxotere & cytoxan then 4 tx of A/C. Had surgery but 5 out of 7 nodes were positive so I go Dec 12 to see when I start taxol.



The A/C was hard for me but I got through it. Unfortunately it is a cumulative effect and the last one was the worse. But I got through it and you will too. I was able to work through most of the treatments, the last 2 treatments my days were scheduled differently so I ended up missing a week of work. Keep on top of the nausea and sea bands were a big help for me. I recommend them highly.



Good luck and hoping minimum s/e for all.

kimdy

Out patient surgery tomorrow for port placement. Then chemo will start Friday AM. I will be getting cytoxan and taxotere every 21 days for 6 treatments. Anyone had any experience with these drugs and managing a port.



Thanks and best wishes to all of you:)

darlam

I am sad to see so many new "faces" here in just a couple of days. So glad you found us, so glad for mutual support, but so sad that the list just keeps growing. Hoping those who started last week are starting to feel better, and those who started this week are having minimal SE's. I must say, those of you who are still taking walks, and up and at 'em make me feel like a wimp for sure. The nausea is finally dying down, but still just fall asleep every time I am still. The nausea is definitely the worst for me. I think I made a mistake not taking the anti-nausea meds until I started to feel sick. Then it was too late. They just knock me out so (living in medicinal state!), that I didn't want them if I didn't need them...but wow. Had both Phenergan and Compazine. Compazine seemed like it worked better. Did SeaBands, acupuncture, ginger, yep, the whole spiel. Didn't seem like any of it helped a whole lot. Gator, hope the bowel problems are resolving. That has to be miserable also! I had a little of that, but not much.I did buy some Gummi fiber vitamins, hoping to avoid that. Don't know if that was what helped or not. 

I am just so concerned about the cumulative effect. Round 1 was more than I expected, for sure. And thinking of trying to work in between, which I have to do, just makes me want to cry.Just have to focus on one at a time, is all I know. 

3girls

What do the sea bands and ginger do?  I just had my neulasta a couple hours ago took the claritin yesterday and today.  Hope it works.  I still feel good I feel like I am waiting for the shoe to drop.  I have to work tomorrow nite so I am sure that is when it will hit me.  Just trying to enjoy the good days!  Hope we all have more good than bad!

3girls

kimdy,  I had my port place Dec.2 sore for a couple days but felt better with tylenol or ibuprofen.  LOVED having it for the blood draws and chemo made things go so much smoother.  My one good arm is still bruised from blood draws and IVs.  Good Luck!

markat

The ginger and sea bands help with nausea.



Today has been ok. Had the neulasta and everything seems alright. I keep thinking the next couple days are going to be horrible. The nurse I met with today seemed to think that my se's should be minimal. Hope so!

Mardibra

Now I know what fatigue really means. Luckily I have not had any nausea but the tiredness and weakness are killer for me. I was able to get through an entire work day which is good but Im sure I will be sleeping for the next 12 hours. I'm sure tomorrow will be better than today which was better than yesterday. I'm sort of walking around in a haze too....foggy head.



So many new names joined our group! don't be scared, it is doable. As far as the port goes, best decision so far. I have bad veins and the constant poking was painful. Within a week the port discomfort was gone.



Back to bed for me! Goodnight!