July Chemo

scribblinhanna

I start my first chemo July 1st. I think everything is happening so fast that I'm not nervous.  Every two weeks for it looks like around 4 months then surgery.  Guess my summer is going to be crappy   Still so many unknowns in my diagnosis that it makes me crazy.  Any one else starting in July?

SheilaB330

Hi,



I had surgery on June 12, 2013 and told I would start chemo 6 wks later to allow healing so believe around July 24 I will be getting port and chemo. Funny to say that because port idea initially sad to contemplate another surgery as I am in pain from the cancer surgery - mainly from nodes. But I am discovering that have a port makes the process easier. I am all for easier and diminishing discomfort!



So, my friends told me she was close to her chemo group-- are we it so far for July 2013 starting Chemo? If not and there is already a group established we should head over. Pretty new. :-)

Dani18

Hi,



I will be starting chemo July or August. The unknowns are making me crazy too! I found my lump February 26th it took two months to get in for mammogram (both myself and my doctor thought it was a cyst so it wasn't rushed) I'm 42 years old and live in Canada. In my province mammograms aren't usually started until 50. Once I had the mammogram everything went pretty fast. I had surgery June 13th but still waiting for hormone receptor information to be referred to oncologist to start chemo. It seems everyone has different side effects so its hard to know how we're going to feel during chemo.



Do you work? That's what I'm finding hardest whether i should work a little during treatment to keep my mind off it or to take a leave of absence.



I hope you're doing ok and able to get some sleep. I know it took me awhile to get my emotions in check to cope day to day.



Danielle

jbdayton

scribblinhanna, please try to keep calm, the waiting is the worst part of this journey. 

I was diagnosed in early February and I too had chemo first.  My last treatment will be tomorrow June 24.  I did chemo because of grade 3 and the 2.5cm tumor was located up against the chest wall.  After 2 rounds of chemo the tumor had already shrunk by 60% and was no longer touching the chest wall.  The good thing about pre-surgical chemo is you get to know if it is working.  If the results are not what your oncologist wants they can adjust the drugs and try again.  To me this was a win win situation.   

Hopefully they will be able to explain why they are advising chemo.  Make sure you get copies of all your biopsy reports so you can ask detail questions as to your cancer type, grade, receptor status, HER-2 status, etc.  Then they can explain what drugs and why.  The more you understand your drugs and your cancer it will empower you to finish the course. 

Take care and feel free to ask questions. 

puppymama09

Hi, I will be starting chemo in July.  I' right there with you getting anxious.  I just want to get started to get it over with.  I thought I would be starting in June, but this process seems so slow.  I have already had my surgery and will be meeting with Oncologist on June26, hopefully I will come away from that appointment with a lot more info.  I'm not sure.  I have been following the June Chemo group, it has been very informative.  It would be good for us all to keep this thread and go through it together.  So stay in touch, I am sure many more will be joining.

BabyRuth

Hey Ladies! I will be having my chemo in July also. So glad you all started a thread already. My start date is July 18th (thought it was going to be in June but it was pushed back)and I am getting my port this Wednesday. This is my second go round with chemo. I previously did chemo 4 years ago. This time I am doing a different combo, consisting of herceptin, perjeta and taxotere. Let's keep each other company on this journey through chemo land.

daisy72

Hello! I will beginning chemo also in July. I find out tomorrow the date, hopefully. I had surgery June 5th but now I have an infection in that breast. I saw my surgeon twice last week to only hear "no infection, your fine". Then last night I'm in the ER with glowing red, swollen, painful left breast and a fever. They gave me IV antibiotics and sent me home with strong antibiotics for 10 days. They said I should see my surgeon today preferably, at the last est first thing in the morning to see if I have a possible abscess that would need to be drained. He didn't do anything last week, and he was going to be putting my port in this week. I really like him but after the port is in, I should be done with surgeries. Should I just go back and let him see how bad it got in a matter of 2 days and go ahead and let him put my port in (when infection clears)?? I was told the Radiologist can put them in also.  Any advice would be great! Thanks!

scribblinhanna

I'm still anxious, but should not have much time to dwell on it this week.  PET scan on Tue and I get the results of  second biopsy Thur, with port placement Friday.  I just want to know what I'm dealing with.  I am one who feels knowledge is power and as of now I am in the dark.  My first biopsy was of axillary lymph node.  Second biopsy was of a 7cm mass in right breast that mammo missed but mri picked up and then bulky nodes extending after teh axillary apex and into the subpectoral chain.  All I know is that I am at least stage ii because of the lymph involvement but that is it  Just ready to play ball and get rid of it all and get on with my life

Dani18

I feel the same way, first the fear of the unknown (especially while waiting for results) and now I'm just impatient and want to hurry it along so I can be on the other side of it.



Good luck with all your appointments this week.



Danielle

csprof

I am starting my chemo on June 27th(if not July 1st). I will be on TCx4. I am scared too.

BabyRuth

It is not as bad as you think.  Just the waiting and the unknown is the worst.  I think we all have in our minds what we think it will be like(worst case scenarios) but in most of the cases it will not be anything like that.  With my first chemo plan in 2009, I was very tired, of course I lost my hair and had very little appetite from the strange metal taste in my mouth.  I did not ever get sick and I was able to continue to work during my entire treatment.  That being said, everyone is different and our bodies react differently to medication so there is no way to know how each of us will do.  The things that I did that helped the most were drinking lots of water and walking every day.  Some days I was tired and could not walk very far but I still made sure I walked a little.  Also, working kept my mind off of the reality I was dealing with at the time.  I asked all my friends and co-workers to treat me as they normally did and that helped because I stayed in the same routines. We can get through this together.

Karen

msphil

hello I did chemo and it did take my hair out and naseous but meds helped that and i agree not as bad as I thought it would be, very tired so I didnt work thru my treatment, but every one is different, and (Praise GOD) I am a 19 yr Survivor this year, hang in there and we all are in my prayers.msphil(idc,stage2, L mast, chemo and rads and 5 yrs on Tamoxifen, 3 nodes involved)   

csprof

I  went for my chemo this morning(taxotere,cytoxan). I took the steriod pills yesterday and this morning. They started my IV with steriods, anti-nauesa and then benadryl.

Then they started the taxotere. It took two minutes. I started having chest tightness, heart was racing, face was numb(they said face was so red) and severe lower back pain. I tried to open my eyes and see, all I was little bubbles floating in the air. I called for the nurse. The MO on duty came. They stopped the IV. Brought the oxygen. It took half hour to get back to normal breathing.

The MO said no more chemo today. Come back on monday(my regular MO will be there). So I am going back on monday. Any one else had this reaction?

SheilaB330

Danielle,



I worked up to day before surgery. I was intending to go back after 2 weeks but let them know I was still in pain after surgery because of cancer in lymph nodes. Then my port durgery got scheduled for Monday July 1. Work is supportive. We'll see how it goes but my health -physical, emotional and spiritual most important now. I can do some work remotely. My plan is to see how it goes. :-) Can't do what I can't do. Lots keeping me busy at farm but post surgery just heal. This is a long road. Good luck to you. Sheila