Starting chemo September 2014

HockeyCat

Hi Amy, glad to hear your 1st infusion went smoothly too. I'm still in the infusion room. I have to stay longer to finish cold caps. I'm on the last one now. It was lots of work for the therapist and my husband, it's doable. I'm getting Neulasta shot tomorrow too. Hope SE will be all manageable. 

Daniella. Hope yours went well too!

PoppyK

Thanks for the update Amy. Hope it continues to go well, with minimal SE.

Best wishes for all those starting chemo this week!

Kris103

Hi, September Sisters - Another one checking in. I'm starting dose dense Adriamycin on the 18th, for 4 rounds. I already did neoadjuvant CT from March through May, but 3/5 nodes lit up when they came out during my MX, so here I go again. Just as I'm finally getting a decent amount of hair back - sheesh! 

Gentle hugs for those who have been in the chair already. May your SE's be minimal. For those that haven't been there yet, I know it's silly to say not to worry, but I've found that infusion day can be pretty boring. At least I hope that's how it will be for you.

We got this, ladies!

VintageGal1111

Hey Amy, I was thinking of you gals starting chemo today & this week. (I'm a Sept 2013 chemo sister)

I was in the infusion chair yesterday for my Herceptin. Only 2 more to go, brings me to my year of it in October. I hope you all have as good an experience at your cancer center/infusion center as I have had. I actually looked forward to going! I felt well taken care of & was happy to have each treatment that brought me closer to being "cancer free". (yeah the SEs sucked but the day at chemo wasn't bad!)

All the best to you Amy, hope the Neulasta is kind o you! Good luck GinaBean!

zjrosenthal

I will get a scrip for neulasta and inject myself the day after chemo!  Anyone else doing this?  I am glad of this since it is a 5 hr round trip down to Sloan Kettering.  I did daily injections yrs ago for HepC treatment so it's isn't a big deal.  Love and prayers going up for all starting chemo this month.  It will not be as bad as you think and with God's help we will all make it.  Love, Jean

AmyG516

Kris I'm so sorry you have to do chemo again. I can't even imagine - Ugh!!!!    I too found my first infusion today pretty boring. I'm home now relaxing knowing its probably the calm before the storm, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts!  The only thing constant is change, right?

AmyG516

jean I can't even imagine giving myself the shot - I'm a big baby when it comes to needles. You are amazing!!

AmyG516

I just updated this thread to include everyone's start dates. Please let me know if I missed anyone or listed anything incorrectly. I'm hoping it will make it easier for all 😄

I never imagined when I started this thread just a week ago that there would be so many of us already.  I am looking forward to sharing this journey with each of you.

I know we will find strength together - it won't be easy but we've got this ladies!!!

zjrosenthal

This is my creation so please don't use without permission, just enjoy singing it during the infusion.

To the tune of Jingle Bells

Chemo drugs, chemo drugs dripping thru my veins

Wiping out those cancer cells so I'll be well again

Chemo drugs, chemo drugs nausea oh what glee

I don't care take all my hair just save my life for me!

 

DaniellaD

barremom - thank you for your sweet words and prayers. Much appreciated. Xo  It was a long day but I finished! We waited more than the treatment actually was - between seeing the doctor, the vitals, blood work, wait wait wait.

Hockey mom - yes! We did it. The capping was not so bad - just kind of annoying after awhile.

Amy and everyone else - thank you for your thoughts and kind words. Xoxo

I need my bed.  The steroids ruined me. I was even crazy anxious after Ativan. Next week, not oral steroids for me.  

Kris103

Amy - Doing more chemo is my choice. My MO would have supported me even if I had chosen not to do this. I'm a single mom with a teen daughter with Asperger's, so she's very much my incentive. I only did 4/6 rounds of CT, so I'm just focusing on getting through all 4 rounds of solo A.

Jean - Good on you for doing your own Neulasta shots! My PS had me do Lovenox shots after my MX, and even though I wasn't thrilled with it, I was surprised at how easy it was to do. Oh - and your infusion song is AWESOME! I've not got a creative bone in my body, so I really get a kick out of a neat piece of creativity!

SiStar-TX

Thank you KJ.  I was just speaking with my 19 year old daughter and explaining to her that although my family is a great support system there is definitely nothing like finding someone that has or will travel the road that I will be travelling soon. I really want to continue to work and although chemo effects everyone differently the one commonality is that you feel the worse on the second day and better by the third day.  Any thoughts?

SiStar-TX

Amen!

SiStar-TX

My team hasn't mentioned Neulesta but I have seen it mentioned quite a bit.  Is it for your bones?

SiStar-TX

I have heard that Day 1 is the slowest because they are watching for any possible side effects.  I was told that I will definitely start losing my hair by the second treatment.  I am thinking that I should start telling more people so that they are not shocked by my lack of hair.  Any thoughts?

SiStar-TX

Thanks Poppy!

SiStar-TX

Amy, I know that I am commenting pretty late but I am so glad that your first day went smoothly.  The power of positive thinking is astounding!

September Sisters, We got this!!

HockeyCat

Daniella, we did it! It wasn't too bad as I imagined. I felt bad for the PCC therapist and my husband. They did all the work while I was sitting on a comfy chair. I'm more worried about hair care during cold caps. I usually don;t baby my hairs, so it's going to be hard for me to follow all the restrictions.

Kris, sorry to hear you are back on chemo… but welcome to the Sept 14 club! We'll get through this together.

Jean, I can't image giving myself the shot either. You are a brave woman.

SiStar-TX, I plan to continue working but waiting to see how I feel. I'm fine on day 1. No idea how I'd feel tomorrow. I have a desk job but lots of people coming to work even their sick. If I get sick, I may have to take medical leaves…. Neulesta shot is to bloats up your white blood count to prevent infection. Hope it helps, though side effects are concerning…. I'm getting the shot tomorrow. I'll report what's like. 

AmyG516

sister-tx- They did go very slow with my first infusion yesterday. She kept checking to see how I was feeling and then increased the speed since I wasn't having any SE. Next time will be quicker.  I too am having the neulasta shot in a few hours to increase my white blood count.  I'll keep you posted later on how that goes.  I started taking Claritin yesterday hoping it will help with the SE.  

Dawn301

Hi everyone, this is my fist posting but I read postings everyday!! I had my first infusion yesterday 9/3 of Adriamycin and Cytoxan and it went well. I was so nervous when I first got in the elevator I wanted to run back to the car and go home but thanks to hubby and the awesome nurses it was good. I did chew on ice the whole time and drank so much water throughout the day and now forcing more down. I do have to go back for 7 days in a row for Neupogen shots so hoping all will go well I didn't see too many postings for it. I have been up since around 2 just reading on here, cannot seem to fall back asleep thanks to the steroids lol. I am also trying to work and worry a little about chemo brain but I thank God for everyday I have!! I wish all of you the best!!

simplelife4real

ZJ....I'm from the Sept. 2013 chemo group.  I'm just popping in here to let you know that I also gave myself the Neulasta shots because I was a 2 hour drive away from my treatment center.  It's no big deal...particularly after the first one.  The only thing that made it a little nerve wracking was knowing how darn expensive the shots are and that if I messed one up, I knew I'd have a hard time getting a replacement shot.  It never happened and all the injections went smoothly.  I was glad to be able to do it at home.  Also, if you can remember, take the syringe out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before to let it come to room temp.  I forgot the first time, but it was okay anyway.  It just hurt a tad that first time because the solution was cold.  The shot still worked and my white counts stayed in normal range.  The other big thing is to take Claritin the day of the infusion and for the next 5 days.  At Vanderbilt, they told me to take a Claritin in the am and another one in the pm for a total of 10 Claritin over 5 days.  I never had the slightest bone pain from the shots and I attribute the Claritin for helping in that regard.  You can do this!

SiStar-TX

Amy- I am glad that everything is going smoothly for you.  Tomorrow is my day and I will post once I am started.  Zj thank you for the info on Neulesta.  I will be standing by with claritan in the event I need it.

SiStar-TX

Hi Dawn,  what is chemo brain?

DaniellaD

BTW - I am fasting before and during chemo to maximize chemo effectiveness and reduce side effects. I didn't just come up with this - there are lots of studies out there - the first one was done by DR. Walter Longo on mice. There have been some smaller clinical trials on people who reported fewer side effects and better results. They are doing studies now at the Mayo Clinic so there is something to it. I contacted Dr Longo and he suggested I fast 48 hours before and 24 hours. That was the usual protocol for the people doing tx every three weeks.  The 24 hours after is critical but I'm post 16 hours and having decaf coffee with coffemate which had no protein or carbs - so still reduced calorie.  I'll try not to eat for a few more hours.  Anyway, no side effects to report. I feel fine.  I'm going to continue to flush my system with water today and exercise before I truly break my fast with some simple chicken soup with pastina.  It's working for a lot of people. If you're interested, check out the fasting during chemo thread. There are lots of links. It's not for everyone, but since this went so well, I'm fasting as much as I can throughout - as long as I'm able to put the weight back on between treatments.  I Have No Side Effects To Report. None. Food for thought.  

AmyG516

Welcome to the group Dawn-glad everything went well for you yesterday!  I've been up since 2am also. Got to be the steroids!  Other than that I've had no real SE yet. Just got home from my neulasta shot.  Only had a little bit of burning after she took the needle out. I'm very lucky that my infusion center is only 5 miles from home. I can't imagine making a long drive after treatments.  

Hoping everyone is doing well this morning!

Robin73014

Thanks ladies for you positivity! My first chemo infusion initially went well ! I came home and had terrible bouts of diarrhea . The following day I was pretty nauseous.  I went for the Neulasta shots s had a Bag of hydration. Due to my extreme nausea hey threw some Ativan in the IV. Waking up still a bit nauseous but hopefully not too many more side effects .....the Neulasta does make you sore! I hope all of the ladies starting today are great!

Robin73014

AmyG516, I hope my next infusion goes as well as yours!!! 

Robin73014

Dawn301 I am glad your first infusion went well! I did have side effects but I hope the next time is better!

Kris103

Si-Star - Chemo brain is just a term for cloudy or foggy thinking, kind of like some people get with allergies. Chemo can sometimes make you feel like your brain just isn't firing on all cylinders.

Daniella - That's interesting about fasting. I sure hope it works well for you! Keep letting us know about how you respond with it, especially as you get to days 3-5 or so post-infusion. That's typically when SE's start showing up. I doubt I'd be a good candidate to try fasting, as I got super-cranky just having to fast for the day before a 6:00 pm surgery. I admire your determination to get through it!

Robin - I'm sorry to hear that your first infusion brought on Big D/dehydration/nausea so quickly. Hopefully your team can adjust your meds so that it doesn't recur so severely. Be sure to call your MO if the nausea continues to be a problem; they've got lots of choices of meds to prescribe for that. I tend to get easily nauseated, so mine is having a compounding pharmacy put together a combination of benadryl, dexamethasone and reglan in case the zofran isn't enough.

kjsimpson

Sistar-TX,

The first day after chemo is pretty easy.  The second and third day are rougher.  Also, it is a cumulative effect, so the second chemo will be tougher than the first.  It hit me pretty hard on the third round.  And, four, five, and six were very hard and took most of a week to recover from.

The chemo brain is real.  I was glad to be part of a good team that really helped cover for me even when I was at work. By the fourth round, I was having real issues with concentration and complex sentence construction.  Some docs say it isn't really an issue.  I think those docs have never been through chemo themselves.  For the six months after chemo I was still having minor problems grabbing intended words to go from my brain to my lips.  I'm about 9 months post chemo now and my intellectual capacity is almost 100% again.  Almost.  ;-)

Hope all is going well.  Best advice I can give you at this point is to be patient.  The treatment is hard, but the 20 years it is likely to give you to see children grow up and enjoy life is so worth it.