Starting Chemo in December 2013

lorreymom

hi again,

Didn't mean to scare those going for second round. My nausea was more intense the second time, but shorter duration. Had chemo on Friday, Neulasta on Saturday, and feeling better on Monday. My dehydration resolved with forced sips of fluids all day & my appetite has returned, mostly. Much less pain from the neulasta, no headache this time. Woot!

Fight on!!

OneTexasDay

Nurse called in some fluconozole for me. Sure hope it works quickly.

KLI

hopefully you guys are on the upswing. Sorry to hear it was rougher lorreymom.

I am finally feeling good can taste again so enjoying eating but house bound with low blood count. Hoping to be able to attend kids school event on Thursday.

Leealice

Had my first chemo today. so far so good. Dr. said most side effects won't show up for a few days when meds wear off.

Carol99

had my first chemo too, I feel a little nauseous, tired. Taking it easy.

Take care everyone!

keepthefaith

leealice, neskir-hoping your SE's are minimal! I hope you feel better with one TX under your belt:).

leealice, where are you going for treatment?  I am at Austin Cancer Centers.

Carol99

thank you, yes a quarter of the way . . .

lorreymom

So glad to hear all the positiveness from first chemos!!

Fight on!

Mardibra

Just popping in to say hi. I had my first chemo 12/1/11 and my last on 3/15/12. Although it really wasn't that long ago it feels like many years. You will get through it, it does suck, but there is an end. And most importantly, you will get your life back and it won't be consumed with cancer! Chin up gals...you can do it!

atlbraves

Hey there,

I hope everyone is on the mend and the SE's are minimal and manageable.

Someone on one of the threads said that the hair loss happens in earnest on Days 14-16. For me, that timeframe seems to be accurate.

I buzzed my hair on Saturday because it seemed I was shedding more than my heavy-shedding norm. I have (had, harrumph!) thick, coarse, wavy/curly hair, which gets everywhere...I shed more than my dogs! My daughter held my hand during the cutting and I got a bit choked up.

Sunday, I just looked in the mirror and laughed...I looked so odd to myself.

This morning in the shower, lots of hair said "adios"...I was in the shower for almost 30 minutes just rubbing my head and rinsing off the hair. Thank goodness it was short; as it was, it looked like I had bathed a woodland creature what with all the hair around the drain and on every surface of the shower.

I wore a hat to work and had a couple of reactions from folks who didn't know what the scoop was. My head was itchy all day and took a shower when I got home, which was like déjà vu all over again...great gobs of hair. Now I have very obvious thinning spots...it seems where I was predominately grey was the first to go; my temples and towards the back...I have a peninsula of hair on the top of my head. Crazy stuff!

Round 2 on Friday! Rock on, everybody!

kjfromca

First time chemo gals - glad to hear you're having minimal SEs - don't forget to take your anti-nausea meds before you feel sick.

Mardibra- Thanks for checking in and encouraging us. Your timeline back then is similar to my schedules now.

I want to thank all of you who are sharing your hair loss experiences. I am counting the days..... and have decided not to buzz my hair until it actually starts falling out. I will enjoy it while I can, then I will get the clippers out. Too bad I can't pull out the wine when I pull out the clippers.

Kim

jackieak

lots of first time Chemo here, mine was last 12-12, had some SE all weekend and just achy, this morning an awful headache at 4:30 am, Tylenol day for sure. I agree with the walking, did a very slow treadmill mile and although wore out made me feel mentally better.

My appetite is odd, eat small all day and at dinner time I'm craving a nice dinner, it was sweet potatoes and a lean burger tonight, hoping to not cause chaos on the tummy doing so.

Altbraves, did you shave your head or just trim very short, then rub off? I'm thinking probably next week before it even comes out in heaps to go have it shaved and my Regis gal help me play with my wig, maybe trim it as well.

Had 2nd implant fill today, so it's going to be a Valium night! Wishing everyone well and a good night rest.

atlbraves

I just buzzed it...with the #3 guard on. That was the advice of my onc nurse. She did if you do it too short or shave, you can get ingrown hairs.

It feels better on my scalp now that the hair is falling out. Less itchy, less tightness and the "took my ponytail out and my head hurts" feeling is much less.

Hang in there!

momat927

atlbraves, what is a #3 guard? This Wed will be day 14 so I am preparing myself. My hairdresser/friend is going to shave my head as soon as it begins to fall out, but your nurse recommended not shaving so now I wonder. Do whole chunks just fall out? Could it happen anytime- when I am out? I am not afraid of this, really, just want to be ready. Thank you survivors for checking in and cheering us on! Amy

ADJ

Amy, I found that as I combed my hair, too much was on the comb. I could actually grasp and pull out sections but there was always some left behind. And my scalp was tender, soa soft wool cap was comforting.

Anita

lorreymom

i haven't shaved my head yet. I did cutmy hair short befor my mastectomy. My scalp hurt to touch before it started falling out. It mostly came out in the shower. I was able to pull handfuls out. Some came off on my combs. It came out more when it was wet vs when dry. I would say light shedding happened when it was dry. In the beginning I wore a hair net around the house, but found it wasn't really necessary as it wasn't coming out that quickly. I did & do wear the hair net for cooking, cuz no one wants that on their dinner plate. I haven't shaved my head cuz it kind of stopped coming out. My hair is really really thin, but no large chunks missing. It came outmore uniform. Looks okay still with a hat & my hair poking out underneath. I suspect more will come out with this second round of chemo. I will conisider shaving then...but I too was worried about ingrown hairs & the pokeyness of stubble coming out. My scalp is still tender, but less so now.

keepthefaith

thanks all, for the insight on the hair loss. Mine is starting to come out, but gradually. I'm not ready to buzz it yet, so wearing a hair net for now. I will probably end up cutting it short soon, but going to keep it while I can! I have a lot of hair, so hoping it won't be real noticeable for a while...

((HUGS))

Carol99

hi all, had a decent nights sleep after first round, thanks to adivan. Some fogginess, slight nausea this morning. Just chilling at home, more snow on the way!

Chaille, thats good advice for buzzing your hair, like a whiffle right? My 16 year old son is going to buzz his with me:) and my daughter is coming home from school today.

I have a nurse friend coming over to give my Nuelasta.

Mardibra, love the name! Thanks for the encouraging words.

KLI

good to here those of you just through round 1 are hanging in there.

I am on day 13 I used the cold caps no hair going yet but I won't be sure for another week I think.

momat927

Hi everyone. You all sound good! Received wig from TLC today. Looks pretty amazing for price. I guess they know what they are doing. Don't need yet, but glad to have. Does anyone else find sleeping without Ativan difficult? I am pretty afraid of its addictive quality so try not to use everynight. Hoping everyone a SE free day. Amy

RobinLK

Ativan at night or I lay on bed with mind spinning, and no sleep. I can't shut off my head at night, not sure why.

Naps during day, no medication needed.

Round 2 tomorrow....

KLI

Last night was the first night I slept through the night with nothing. Have felt like I am on steroids since the day before the first tx. I think it all just messes with your body. Between the drugs and the stress. W ewill all probably settle back to some kind of normal some weeks after our last tx. I hope....

QuirkyGirl

Cant sleep at all. Night or day. Going to try a lorazapam tonight.  Steriods are long gone. I have no idea how I'm going day after day.  

Brioche78

2 treatment tomorrow nurse called today to tell me my WBC were low so crossing my fingers that they'll be back up tomorrow. Started to lose a lot of hair 20 days after the first round, I'm not shaving my head yet I'm not ready...I don't think I will ever be. Just wanted to vent.

Crazywabbit

glad I found this group,   like all of you,  I start chemo in 2 days. Thursday. Just got my port put in today and it went wonderfully, slept through most of it. And not much discomfort now. just wondering how the heck I am going to sleep. I usually slept on my left side but now don't due to Axillary node dissection on that side.  Was sleeping on my right side but now the port is on that side,  hate to sleep on my back because I then tend to snore a bit. Any one found any solutions to this?  

I have jumped on this thread after reading the first two pages, I will go back and read through more tomorrow.   Going to work tomorrow and trying catch up on missing work today.  Not sure how I will do with work after the dose dense AC. I work in a medical office and it is cold and flu season so even with the neulasta shot I am concerned about getting exposed to the "crud". 

Speaking of neulasta I started taking my husbands generic Claritin this evening. I figure I will take it 3 nights before the neulasta shot on Friday.  

Barbara 

kjfromca

Hi ladies, my wbc is good, so I go in at 5:30 AM CA time to get my port tomorrow.  Round 2 on Thurs. 

Brioche78 - I will be pulling for your counts to get up.  I hear one day can make a difference, best wishes.

QuirkyGirl - I hope the new meds. work for you.

Kim

atlbraves

Amy, with our clippers came several plastic "guards" in different thicknesses to put over the blades, so you can trim to different lengths.  We used #3...so my hair is about 1/2 inch long.  I've lost a good bit...it's very patchy and I can easily see my scalp in most places.  I look like a molting parrot.

Robin, KJ, and Brioche, good luck tomorrow!

Welcome to our new folks!

Hey, since it's no hold barred, has anyone else had a weird period since starting chemo?  I'm a four-day gal but it's coming up on a week now.  A total drag.

QuirkyGirl

my period was almost done when I started chemo. Chemo Day 2 & 3 clotting like never before, days 4 & 5 almost gone, day 6 came back and then left the next day.  So strange!

atlbraves

Hi Quirky,

Ok, weird stuff with you, too...thanks for sharing!  

RobinLK

I keep seeing everyone posting about their counts....wondering if I will have a blood draw when I meet with MO prior to chemo tomorrow. I would think that would have been done today....anyone else have levels done day of treatment?

No periods, hyst in '99....