Starting Chemo March 2015

acmoore

i just join today. I I'll be starting my first round of chemo on this friday. How did your first one go an what to expect

TerryMarie

Hi AC, good luck to you. I've just finished my chemo, 6 rounds, I'm ok. You'll be ok too. There's a lot of information in these threads and a lot of helpful ladies going through the exact same thing. Side effects seem to differ from person to person. My last chemo was Friday and I'm having bone pain and fatigue , sleep is elusive. Just take things one day at a time and don't be afraid to ask questions of your medical people and anyone else. There is a lot of information out there. If you feel ill , don't hesitate to call the doc and let them know what youre feeling, theres a lot of medicine out there to help with anything youre experiencing.

Good luck to you. One day at a time.

Moderators

Welcome acmoore, We wish you ease during your chemotherapy and hope that you will stay connected here with others who can share experiences, information and support. The Mods

Jackbirdie

Whitney- hope spa day is going ok today. Sorry I didn't wish you well earlier, I didn't even get out of bed until noon today! In addition to the extremely slow progress healing the pneumonia, yesterday I started with the crushing bone pain and fatigue again. Now I have three choices as to what could be causing it. The chemo, the Neulasta, or the dreaded Levaquin. I am now 2 days from my scheduled #5 chemo,mand I'd say the chances are no better than 50/50 that they will give it to me.

Amy- quite coherent post! Well done! I am 58 and haven't had a period for several years. Still, the MO ran the estradiol and hair follicle tests and they both showed I was producing too much estrogen for an AI like arimidex to be effective now. So he is starting me on Tamoxifen. We will switch over to an AI at some point, but he has promised me 10 years either way. If I can tolerate it. I had significant joint pain (or what I thought was significant, until bc came knocking) before. All of my personal pain indexes have been recalibrated by surgery/amputation and chemo. So it's hard to say until I get there what 10 years of HT will really be like. I'm guessing if I've made it this far, I'll be able to do it if I think it's saving my life.

Interestingly, my original pathology reports never gave me an exact ER % number. I asked about it at my last MO appt. and they looked it up on my Oncotype dx results, which said 85%. Does that mean I can have more, or less champagne when I finish chemo? Hahahaha

Jackbirdie

Welcome AC- I have completed 4 of 6 scheduled Chemos at this point.

I remember I was very scared before the first one. They took very good care of me.

I remember it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.

However, it has gotten more difficult with each successive treatment, and as you have no doubt realized from reading this thread, the side effects can vary greatly from person to person. And there is no way to predict. You just must be mentally prepared for the worst, hope for the best, and put together a very good chemo bag of tricks to deal with any possible eventualities.

Best of luck, and a gentle hug for you.

Trvler

Whitney: ALL of my spa days have been gloomy too.

I hate everything about that place….the smells, everything.

Had my first Taxol. The Benedryl made me feel awful so now I just get to wait to see what SE's I get to have. Yeah.

eheinrich

So that my last infusion would be extra memorable it took 3 tries to get my iv in and even with the hydrocortisone given prior to taxotere I still had a reaction. They had to stop, more saline, benedryl then restart slowly. Blech. Looong day...

shaz101

damn chemo brain... I read everything and I was keeping mental notes and now they are all gone!

Congrats to those having there last infusion and for those having infusions this week, best of luck.

Amy your post was spot on. I spoke to a different MO yesterday and he said my weight gain was due to chemo throwing me into menopause and my hormones were flying around. He told me not to worry to much about it because when its over and my fatigue reduces I'll be more active again. Its more important to get through chemo as best as I can.

Acmoore, welcome but I am so sorry to see you here. Jackibirdie has given you some good advice. We've all experience different side effects so don't think you will get them all. You many not get many and I hope this is the case for you. Please read and post as much as you like. Hopefully there is a forum for those starting this month. I recommend you join in as its very helpful to go through this at a similar time with others.

I waked out of chemo yesterday nauseous and this is still the case. But I haven't thrown up 😃 have a great day ladies. Thinking of you all.

ThePrincess

Good luck Allison- hope you feel so much better after some REST!! :-)

Jackbirdie

Eileen- So sorry your last day is turning into such a nightmare. Thinking if your and there in spirit.

And here is the marching band for ringing the bell and finishing!

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎶🎶🎺🎷🎺🎷🎺🎷🎵🎼🎵🎼🎵🎼🎹🎹🎹🎊🎊🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎂🎂🎷🎺🎷🎺🎷🎺🎷🎺🎉🎉🎉📯📯📯📯📣📣📣🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔

And here is your trophy! 🏆

eheinrich

Thanks Katy!

KBeee

Tryler, are you getting weekly Taxol,or dose dense? I started weekly Taxol today too. After an afternoon Benedryl nap, I went for a4 mile walk and have my energy (what's left of it back).

Congrats to all who have finished. Stick around; others need to hear tha there is a light at the end of the tunnel andyou do feel better, and it is nice to chat about hair regrowth. There are fear issues whe finished too, so be sure to stick around with this fabulous group who've traveled this road together.

Jackbirdie

Kbee- good thoughts. I can only say for myself, but I'd have to be dragged away kicking and screaming. This community, especially my March chemo girls, have made life bearable and more these past months.

I won't be easily deterred, either, from doing anything I can, to make someone who comes after me more comfortable. I will be sticking around.

Speaking of which, my girl Diane just sent me the coolest thing. Chemophones! Hah! I made the word up (I think) and they are going straight into my chemo bag. Accompanied by a lovely peacock card. Pics below.

Looking not so good for my #5 on Thursday. They told me not to bother taking the premeds. They will give them to me in the bag if they end up doing it, but they heard my cough over the phone and said they aren't inclined to "make me sicker".

slothabouttown

Yay for Eileen finishing today! Sorry for all the hassle with the IV and the reaction but it had to be some comfort knowing you wouldn't be back in three weeks for another rodeo. Now you get to focus on vacation and hair growing!

I have my first radiation dose tomorrow. I can't decide if I'm nervous or anxious or dreadful or what. I still have pretty high daily anxiety about this BC BS so sometimes it's hard to determine where it's coming from. Sigh.

Katy, it's been three weeks with no hummingbird sightings at my feeder so yesterday I bought them an elaborate hanging basket full of verbena, mini petunias and something else I can't identify. I hung it right next to the feeder in hopes it will serve as "hummingbird porn" and attract lots of them to the nectar which I've been freshening once a week. Fingers crossed they like petunias!

ksusan

I have ornamental currant in the yard. That brings them in early in the season. They stay for the wisteria.

Jackbirdie

Sloth- Hummingbird Porn.....LMAO.

Ksusan- I'd stick around for wisteria too. Love it!

My hummers are rarely around right now. I see one occasionally, and even put out some additional feeders. They do migrate, so I try not to despair. They were here when I really needed them, in the dark, painful days after surgery. They came every day, all day. Most times it was the only reason at all I got out of bed. I will always be grateful and feel special towards hummingbirds for that

eheinrich

I agree with Katy. You ladies aren't nearly done with me

Carrie37

Congrats Eileen on finishing up!! 🎉🎉 I not about to leave this group any time soon. I feel like you all have kept me sane during this hellish time. My eyebrows are going. Getting very thin. Just makes me sad. I am definitely dreaming of how I will feel and look when I start getting hair back. Any ideas about how long it takes to grow hair? And I have to say I am very afraid of surgery and these TE's I keep hearing about. KBee, thank you for acknowledging that there will be fears even when we are done with this BS. I feel like no one will understand that. I am also not looking forward to going back to work a few days next week. I am just praying that a lot of the stress will be gone since the students are gone. Sigh. I hate cancer.

Best wishes to everyone in the chair this week. I think of you all often! Katy, I love the hummingbirds story. I hope you are well soon; this has been hanging on for too long. I'm sorry you are feeling so crappy! Sounds like sleep is what you need.

Speaking of sleep...what is that?!? Ha!

rleepac

I still have 8 more weeks of chemo so I'm certainly not going anywhere!

KBeee

Carrie, Most people do not understand the fears. They think, "you're done, what are you worried about?". It's a new normal that everyone here understands.

Last time, I took pictures every week on the same day after chemo ended. I have weeks 4-52, and then montly after that for a few months. when I am on my computer tomorrow, I will post it so you have an idea of what to expect. Mine was on the slow side because it got very curly. I highly recommend taking a selfie every week post chemo. When you feel like your hair is not growing, you can look back 2 or 3 weeks and see a big change.

SueH58

Amy, congrats on your last round of chemo!!! My MO also implied I'd be on aromatise inhibitors for 10 years. I, too, am almost more fearful for those SEs than chemo. But obviously, I have to take them. Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones with few SEs, as I have been thus far with chemo.

ksusan

10 years for me, too, starting with tamoxifen and then probably switching to an AI after my estradiol is gone.

Meme117

Uneventful spa day yesterday, spent nice day with mom who has been a snowbirds till a couple of weeks ago. Met a nice woman who has been fighting this BS for 8 years - yikes that sucks the big one. Got her number since we have swim team in common and our school will vs hers next school season, her son who is in college is a nationally ranked diver, she was so sweet. And Katy there was an orange and black bird who lingered outside the window for the longest time but of course when I tried to take a pic he flew away.

Started feeling effects yesterday which is unusual mostly in upper chest and now stomach. Going in for the neulasta this am and then to work for a bit - at least try to.

Congrats E and your last one!!! We will have to share a bottle sometime better yet we can each have our own with a couple of straws😉

I also had the MO and BS bring up the 10 yr tamoxifen - wtf really?? I hate taking anything and now every day for ten years. I'll have to look at my report to see % levels! didn't notice it before. Getting an echo next week to check the heart then the next week have to get tooth abscess drained(yuck) and meet with BS about surgery. I hate all these medical appointments!!

My whine for the day - I picked up a little BC treatment guide booklet at the office yesterday. And what is the main article - "My breast cancer had a surprising silver lining" she says turn to the people in your corner, they will help you put this behind you and maybe you'll find BC has brought a bit of good into your world. She says she discovered the most precious gift of all - inner peace. I totally don't think I'll have inner peace because of breast cancer. I had peace before and never worried, I'm a very calm be happy person. Now I think it'll always be there maybe not upfront but still there.

Trvler

Eileen: Yeah for you being done!!! Sorry about the multiple sticks. Been there, done that.

Kbee: Weekly.

So far so good. Just hot flashes but I was having those on the AC more and more anyway. I throw off the blanket, go back to sleep and then wake up freezing. Rinse, repeat.

KBeee

For those of you that are done, I will attempt to post my hair growth chart so you have an idea of what to expect.  My hair growth was on the slow side.  Some of my Sept gals had hair that grew quite a bit faster.  For the first 20 weeks, I had poodle curls that were very close to my head.  I also had a horrible male pattern baldness thing going on which did not fell in for about a year.  On a brighter note, I wore ball caps 90% of the time and increased my ball cap collection which is serving me well now.

This youtube video, if it pastes correctly was the best hair regrowth one I found ages ago.  I watched it a lot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPljZN3tAds

 

slothabouttown

Kbee, thank you SO MUCH for posting that! It had me looking at my calendar to see when ill be at week 10 and week 20! Right now standing in front of the mirror at week 4 is pretty depressing but your timeline really helps as a reminder that someday we will have hair again!

Maryellen, I'm with you, I was a calm and confident person prior to this, and I feel like it's gonna be a long time before I find peace again. I understand the women who say they develop a deeper appreciation for life, the little things, etc. And I hope for that once the rigors of chemo and radiation are things of the past, but I can't imagine feeling at peace any time soon. Right now just sleeping one night for more than 3 hours at a stretch would seem pretty peaceful!

SueH58

Karen, so how long after your 1 year post chemo mark did you cancer come back? That just breaks my heart!

wpmoon

good luck in the chair today Theresa!! 💕💕

Jackbirdie

Yes! Theresa, have a good spa day today! Got your cookies handy

Anybody else in the chair today?

Italychick

Thanks for the good wishes. Really dreading round 5. My brother and his family have been here all week from Chicago, and I have been having fun, so today is back to a dose of reality I guess.

Still have my cookies. And the bracelet came! So it will go with me to chemo today.