Starting Chemo May 2015

Gina4h

Hi, I'm taking Neupogen, not Neulasta because I'm on dose dense chemo. So I get 8 injections during each 14 day period. I was also told to take Claritin and it worked for the first few days. I've had previous issues with nerve damage after an accident so chemo doc warned me that I might have slightly stronger reaction. Obviously she has never had the reaction herself! There is a difference between slightly stronger than a tylenol would cure and totally debilitating needing strong opioids to survive the pain. Oh well, as long as the tumour stops growing and starts shrinking, I can handle anything (I hope).

On the plus side, the nausea is about the same as morning sickness, so I've had practice Lol

MarlanaB

rosesrx--I bought several new bras in March days before the mammogram that kicked this party off!

Just from reading these posts, I already have a long list of questions to ask my MO on my pre-treatment appointment. She'll probably be shocked because I couldn't come up with a single one on my first consult. Someone needs to come up with a "deer in the headlights" emoji because that pretty much sums up my first visit. I didn't even know that chemo was an option for stage 1A so it came as quite a shock when my MO recommended it

dunesleeper

Roses, I had to share that with my mother. That was pretty funny.

mysunshine48

End of day 3 post 1st TC treatment.Thought this was going fairly easy, but tonight it is kicking my butt! Hurt everywhere. I hope it is kicking every bad cell out of my body!

lman

First TC treatment was one week ago. Neulasta two days later. Didn't take claritin/reactine because wanted to see if I needed it. Last night had bad bone pain in hips and legs. Took some Tylenol because reactine is nondrowsy. Will try it today if I need it.

Is it normal for the bone pain to be four days after the shot?

dunesleeper

Debiann, I think I will care about it when it the time comes. Of course I have my scsrves, so I'm ready in that way. I have some dye too. Ready, ready, trady,

dunesleeper

Debiann, I think I will care about it when it the time comes. Of course I have my scsrves, so I'm ready in that way. I have some dye too. Ready, ready, trady,

tjh

matlanab....The deer in the headlight anology is perfect. All my Drs asked if I had any questions, we asked them at the second appointments after we processed.

mysunshine...My bone pain set in 3 days, I tried Advil and Tylenol....finally called and got a prescription for vicodin. Once it was under control and I could move I ended up only needing to take 3 doses. It was better by day 6 so I could enjoy my DD softball tournament.

DD softball team came in 2nd in her tournament. Championship game played in the rain. But super weekend😆

klanders

Iman, I had bone pain severely on day 3 and day 5 (which would be 2 and 4 days after neulasta), even with claritin (which I already take for allergies). Doctor told me to take Aleve and that helped immensely. Round 2 of TC is Thursday. I never shaved my head but I bet I'm down to about 1/3 of my hair. It's kind of freaky when I comb it to have so much fall out. But shaving it scares me a bit. It seems so final. Maybe I'm still in a little denial over this whole thing! My husband is taking Wednesday off so we can do something fun before next round but the weather here is shifting tomorrow and we'll only be in the upper 50's. So a hike and beach day might be out of the picture.

StefLove

Well I'm back at work today for the first time after Thursday's first AC treatment. Wow, I just feel hungover, minus the crazy fun party beforehand like someone else on this forum mentioned! I've also had a dull headache for the past few days that finally seems to have gone away this morning. I'm going to see how this goes and my manager already knows that I might head home early today. Cross your fingers! I'm definitely in a crappy depressed mood today but hoping coffee and getting out of the house will help. Also, ALL I want to eat is crappy greasy hangover food. Nothing else sounds appealing. So for now I'm going with it bc at least it's something, right? I've definitely already lost weight since Thursday so I don't want to keep losing!

Scarlett, I did cold caps on Thursday too! You're lucky you had other cappers with you! I'm apparently the first person in the entire treatment center to try them so I was definitely a circus act throughout the day. Nurses kept coming by to say hi and see what I was doing. This thing better freakin work bc by the end of the day I was DONE. But my dad (my helper) now has it down to a science so hopefully it goes even smoother next time.

As for the nuelasta pain, I was achy on Saturday (day after the shot) and Sunday. Today I feel good though. My MO told me to take the allegra for a week after the shot. I brought up the nuelasta patch to the nurse that gave me the shot on Friday and she had never heard of it! So I'll have to ask my MO about it when I see her.

Hope everyone is feeling good and/or better today! We got this ladies!

surprisedat65

Hello, all. I am getting my first treatment tomorrow. I've been waiting for this day since just after my Lx in February! There was a potential problem with my heart which has now been deemed healthy enough for the treatments, and there were many insurance holdups. I'm getting the first 4 treatments every other week and then 12 treatments once a week, after which there'll be 7 weeks of radiation. They tell me I'll be able to drive myself home after the first treatment, so that was good news. I guess the more debilitating effects come later? I am prepared to have my hair go and have an appt. for a shave this coming Sunday.

I've stopped reading about potential side effects because I don't want to imagine I have more than I actually have, so I'll take them as they come. Tonight's the last Monday night pizza for awhile!

CatsRus

sorry to hear about SEs and food poisoning... Yak! Good luck at work Steflove. I get the description of a bad hangover, my head feels really mussy every morning but usually clears with some fresh air. A mild headache too. I had a good evening sitting out on a friend's deck last night, BBQ and fireworks (Victoria Day celebration here in Canada) - luckily the weather cooperated. By 10 pm I was getting very uncomfortable with heartburn/indigestion (stomach). I think it's the Decadron I am still taking until tomorrow - it's been very gradually getting worse since I started it. By the time I got home My stomach hurt. It's a bit better this morning but have had to take another Decadron so not looking forward to this afternoon. I'll try to move around more today, I was being pampered somewhat at our friends so maybe didn't move as much as I should and I drank a lot of carbonated water so I will stick to still today.

Good luck all.

mysunshine48

CatsRus - sounds like you are getting around the bone pain. Yea! Better today, and am going to take a shower and get out for some fresh air

CatsRus

Glad you are feeling better, Mysunshine. I'm burping like crazy again since taking the Decradon.... Better out than in, I hope hahaha. Not sure I feel up to a walk outside, it's hot and muggy. I'm trying to keep walking all round the house, four cats following me - I think they are confused as I don't stop anywhere and end up back where I started and start again...

Still no bone pain...yeah! One less pill to put in my sore stomach

StefLove

catsrus, whats the decadron for after treatment? I only had it in IV form before the chemo. sorry if thats a dumb question, I'm still learning all of this stuff! Sounds like you had a great night with friends though, always needed in times like this!

CatsRus

Not a dumb question StefLove. To be honest not totally sure, it's on my Patient Information Sheet for Nausea & Vomiting and one of the side effects listed is stomach pain. Also increased energy and increased eating and comes with a tip to take 2nd dose no later than 2 pm. I might have more energy if my stomach would stop hurting - mind you right now it's manageable just uncomfortable.

I was given an Rx for it with instructions to start taking it 1 day after chemo, 1 pill twice a day for 2 days, then 1/2 tablet for 2 days then 1/2 tablet one more day. Then when I was at chemo the nurse took the pills and later gave it back with a further bottle of Decradon pills and new instructions. I was to only start 2 days after chemo but with 2 pills twice a day for one day and then start the above instructions on the 3rd day. Yes, my head hurt too. She also told me that next time I would get an Rx for it and I would start taking it the day before chemo! Joy! I just do as I'm told.....

But I will talk to my MO before my next chemo and tell her about the stomach issues and see what she says.

justmaximom15

Thought I would join in here even though my chemo is probably going to start in early June and I don't even know yet what the regimen will be, think we'll figure that out next week after we get the results of the oncotype testing.

SpecialK

Several thoughts - those of you on a taxane (Taxol or Taxotere) may experience bone pain from the chemo drug itself.  Neulasta or Neupogen can cause additional pain - but you may not experience pain from either, or it may happen at different time intervals.  Aleve, and other NSAIDS, have been identified as one of the best for relief from bone pain, but be aware that they can hurt your stomach so try to eat something when you take them.  If you take Tylenol, which is filtered by your liver,  be aware that it is already working overtime to process chemo drugs.

Someone asked about taking decadron (before, during, or after) - it is for anti-nausea and for allergic reaction to the chemo drugs.  Different oncologists use it different ways - some give it for a longer period, some only the day of as an IV pre-med.

Some also mentioned heartburn - this can be caused by chemotherapeutic agents also - all of these drugs have an effect on rapidly dividing cells - which are all through your GI system, from your tongue all the way to the other end.  Many on chemo have to go on anti-heartburn drugs simultaneously - and this is something that can get cumulatively worse the farther into the experience you go.  Be sure to let your MO know if you are having this issue.

StefLove

welcome to the gang justmaximom, we'll all still be right there with you in june!

I know a 'weird' mouth feeling is normal, but all day today I feel like my lips, tounge, gums, etc are slightly tingly and numb? I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary. Has anyone had this happen?

JenJenJen

Good work ladies! Glad that everyone seems to be getting through their first week!

CatsRus, if you have indigestion, make sure to take the Decadron (dexamethasone) with food because it can upset the stomach if you don't.

StefLove, good luck with work!

Feeling like I have a hungover feeling. Waking up with a headache and dry mouth, thirsty. Just feeling pretty wiped out. So far, no bone pain with Neupogen. Maybe the Zyrtec is working.

Keep it up ladies!

Magnolia83

Jenjenjen, I'm on Neupogen too...seems like everyone else is taking Neulasta haha. I had no bone pain on Neupogen (although I did take Claritin), but one day (the day after my last Neupogen shot of the cycle) I did have some crazy lower back spasms which weren't too fun...but I sat on a heating pad and they went away within a few hours. Not sure if this was caused by Neupogen or something else, but it seemed to come and go pretty quickly.

I am 12 days out from first AC now and dare I say I am feeling pretty normal? Even my funky mouth taste/feeling is improving. It's a shame I have to go back to the chair this Thursday and start it all over again!

PS - have not had one hair leave my body yet...wondering if this is going to happen all of a sudden or what? I kind of thought maybe it would start gradually, like a few loose hairs here and there, but I tug on my head every morning and nothing seems to want to budge. I know they say about 2 weeks is standard for it starting to fall out...I guess I'll find out soon enough!

StefLove

my friend had sent me this link but nbc nightly news just interviewed the creator of the cards. Some of them made me definitely laugh out loud

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/empathy-cards

MarlanaB

SpecialK - thanks for the info! I have an RX for Decadron to take the day of and day after my chemo treatment.

StefLove - I'm glad to see that you're already back to work. I was wondering if I was a little too ambitious with my first treatment 5/28 and scheduling myself to come back to work 6/2!

I have to say that Kaiser has been pretty on the ball with every referral and appointment. It will be 8 1/2 weeks from mammogram to first chemo! Now I just need to get myself together and file my Aflac cancer insurance claim.

tjh

I have been out of work since surgery. My oncologist won't let me go back to school while doing chemo. Luckily I haven't used many sick days in the last 10 years, I gave 10 back for the last 4 years because I was maxed out.

I am 7 days from 1st session...feeling ok, nor great but ok. My hair is still attached, but head itches. Stomach hasn't evened out, but not uncomfortable, I eat 6-8 small meals and then I am good. New development is food has limited taste.

For those joining us, welcome to the group.

rosesrx

It seems all visits end with 'do you have any questions?' Even though I have asked about all that I can think of-that is what is great about these forums. I usually just ask is there something that I am missing? So ask away here or write them down and ask with the next appointment.

The scans themselves ; echo, CT and bone scan only took an hour. The injection for the bone scan was 3 hrs prior so I stopped and visited work and sipped on my barium for my liquid lunch. The seroma made the echo challanging for the tech and laying on my side was only uncomfortable.

Glad you all mentioned the decadron mine starts the day before and after chemo, get it IV on day of chemo. It is for nausea and reactions.

Wig shop called to say the color honey toast wig is on backorder til July so will select another color tomorrow.

re: The funky mouth Are any of you doing ice chips or popcicles during infusion? Works under same theory as cold cap also what about ice water bath for nails?

StefLove

marlanab, that was my exact schedule. chemo on thursday and back at work Monday. Yesterday wasn't so bad, I really just felt hungover. Today I def feel even better. I know everyone reacts differently but hoping your SE aren't too bad!

rosesrx, I didn't do the ice chips bc I actually totally forgot. I'm also doing cold caps though and the thought of being colder makes me shudder. I also forgot about the nails too.

Sally1985

It's been a week for me post first AC chemo and so far so good... No major side effects and feel grand bar the mild tiredness. I'm wondering will it be accumulative? Sennakot or movicol? Which is best???

tjh

I took sennecot....of course this week I have the opposite....

CatsRus

Rosesrx, the nurse provided me with ice mitts to chill my finger nails. I had ice chips by my chair and ate them often but still have a funky mouth but not too bad, taste buds are off a bit but no sores so far.

The Decadron is still doing a number on my stomach but I'm coping.

Props to those working, not sure I could concentrate to do much, then again maybe distraction would be good.

mysunshine48

Anyone else dealing with constipation? My MO said to take Colase. I thought that was a laxative and have been taking one a day. Nothing, and I am miserable. I just looked at the bottle and see that it is a stool softener. Duh! Obviously not enough. But with all the other stuff going on, I don't want bad stomach cramps. I feel like I just keep taking pills, and, I am not a pill taker!