Starting Chemo May 2016

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OAJ2013
OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
edited March 2017 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I couldn't find this thread anywhere, so I thought I'd start one.

I am 33yo with a 4 month old baby boy and an almost 3yo little girl. I have just recently been diagnosed and feel like a fool that I didn't feel this huge mass earlier. But I was pregnant and gave birth, so I think all of those changes may have hidden it. I went from going to back to work after 4 months off to now being out again. Crazy how life works. One minute your in a happy, life couldn't get any better, to being struck down to darkness. But I know God is great and life will be too.

I still feel like this isn't real, even though I've had a bunch of testing and a port put in. Maybe Monday when I start treatment it will all register.

I know I can beat this. My biggest concern is my daughter. She's already had to get use to a new baby and now a sick mommy. :-(

I will be starting with AC dose dense and moving onto taxol after that. Crazy thing is my Her2 came back equivocal two times! So now they have to do a third test. Hopefully, we will get the results back soon

I'll be praying for all of us!

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  • salve777
    salve777 Member Posts: 27
    edited May 2016

    Hello! I started my targeted chemo (Herceptin + Perjeta) last January 2016. Though the tumor shrunk, it is not small enough so I can have surgery. Thus, I am starting with TCHP this third week of May. There will be six cycles so I believe the last one will be in October. My greatest fear going into standard chemo is overcoming the side effects. I have been on this site reading posts of those who have received TCHP and every post has been educational. I just had surgery on my tongue a week ago and thankfully, the pathology report showed no cancer.

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  • laura_ingalls
    laura_ingalls Member Posts: 78
    edited May 2016

    Dear oaj. I start chemo this week pending results of testing. I had the fish test to rule out her2 involvement. We have the same diagnosis. And the same treatment plan. Please Update on how your chemo goes.

    Laura

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    @Laura, I will definitely let you know how tomorrow goes. It still doesn't feel real to me!

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  • laura_ingalls
    laura_ingalls Member Posts: 78
    edited May 2016

    hi oaj,

    i agree, it doesn't feel real. i miss my old life before the diagnosis so very much! but then i tell myself to soldier on...

    thanks for praying for all of us. i have my chemo-port surgery tomorrow! initially i was going to come back to work after the surgery but now i am not sure if i can. how did you do with the surgery?

    laura*

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    Laura, the port surgery was not that bad for me, but I have a high tolerance for pain. After my csection I was up and doing normal chores pretty much right when we got home from the hospital! Hahahah. I could have gone to work the next day, but I had more testing and appts all week. I am a teacher, so it's basically take the whole day off. Too hard to do part of the day.

    Had my first treatment and it still doesn't feel real. I suppose that will come when I start feeling the SEband losing my hair.

    Good luck and prayers for your surgery.

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  • viktoryak
    viktoryak Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2016

    Hi Ladies,

    I am starting Taxol 12 weeks weekly + Herceptin tomorrow. Huge anxiety!

    Anyone here who is from NY/ NJ area? Anyone who going for Chemo at MSC Hospital? It would be nice to meet and have support of each other.!

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  • cris8325
    cris8325 Member Posts: 42
    edited May 2016

    I am having my first treatment Wednesday May 4th. I am terrified.

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  • njnancy
    njnancy Member Posts: 45
    edited May 2016

    I'm in the April group but though i would straddle the two since i started last monday. It was an interesting week. The anxiety on the day of the treatment was overwhelming and i broke down. They put something in my IV and suddenly all was right in the world. Everyone said hydrate hydrate hydrate which i did but they had to keep unplugging me because i had to pee every 15 minutes!

    Monday was fine, just tired and Tuesday i was ok too. Had to nap twice and was queasy when my meds wore off but manageable. Wednesday exhaustion kicked in and I slept about 20 hours. Thursday I woke up fine, no queasiness, felt like myself. Thursday night the pain set in. It was not as bad as expected but definitely worse than i hoped. Same with Friday. By Friday night i felt fine. No fatigue, no nausea, no pain. Saturday was great. Was out and about all day and felt like myself.

    Sunday I woke up with a cold and was in bed all day. Fever, chills, sneeze and coughing. Felt crapy.

    Woke up today and feel completely like myself. Cold is gone and i was out and about all day.

    Everyone handles the treatment and side effects differently, but hope it gives you some insight in a week in my life. Note: If you do the math, more good days than bad.

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  • viktoryak
    viktoryak Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2016

    njnancy, Thank you for update.

    What kind of chemo regiment do you get?

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  • njnancy
    njnancy Member Posts: 45
    edited May 2016

    I have four rounds of AC followed by 12 of T.


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  • viktoryak
    viktoryak Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2016

    njnancy, I heared AC is worst then Taxol...But glad you past one already! I have my appointment tomorrow at 2Pm. I wish I can calm down a bit..

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    I haven't had any anxiety. Like I originally said, it still doesn't feel real! Tonight I'm tired and slightly nauseous after my first round of AC. My husband just put our 4 month down to bed, but I know he will be up often! :-( Now just waiting to put the 2.5 yo down, so I can crash! My husband said he will handle all wake ups, but I know my little dude is going to want me, and if my daughter wakes up she usually only wants me. This will be the hardest part for sure, but also my push to keep going and fighting!

    Good luck ladies! I'm in the Northern California.

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    Nancy, do you think you pushed it too hard and that's why you came down with a cold? Did you go to urgent care bc of the fever

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  • NoUGo-CA
    NoUGo-CA Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2016

    I had my first infusion of Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin today.  It went better than expected!  I was anxious because this was the first time and the not-knowing-what-to-expect was giving me room to fill in the blanks with my own dramas.  It took a little over four hours.  Prior to starting my cocktail of chemo meds they infused anti-nausea meds and Benadryl.  The Benadryl made me sleepy and I slept through a lot of my treatment. 

    I iced my hands and feet during the taxotere infusion to prevent or lessen peripheral neuropathy and was pleasantly surprised that all that involved was just putting a bag of ice on my toes and grabbing/holding a bag of ice in my hands.  I thought I was going to be putting my feet and hands in ice-baths the entire chemo infusion! Also happy it was only during the hour of taxotere.

    njnancy: I also had to go to the restroom often too!  It is an infusion of liquids and it builds up -- first, twice an hour (not bad right?) and towards the end I was also needing to go every fifteen minutes.  The infusion center where I go let's us unplug our IV poles and take them with us (battery back-up).  I'm sorry that they have to unplug you to allow you to use the restroom. Every minute counts when your bladder is full!

    My port was inserted at the time of my lumpectomy and sentinel node dissection on March 25th.  The port incision healing wasn't bad.  I was prescribed Oxycodone post surg but ended up with headaches and constipation so stopped taking it.  Using ice and alternating with over-the-counter pain meds was enough to help with the pain. I focused on icing the lumpectomy incision and should have given the same attention to the port incision the first couple of days. I bruised badly on the port side and it was more tender than the lumpectomy!  It's taken a little while to get used to the port itself only because it's placed partially where my bra strap is. If it was either directly under the strap or away from the strap that would have been better - just a little bit one way or the other! Now however, five weeks post surg I'm hardly aware of the port. I did develope cording (axillary webbing syndrome -AWS) from the sentinel node dissection but one visit with a physio therapist to learn how to self-massage and learning stretching exercises greatly help!

    I was prescribed lidocaine (topical numbing/anesthetic) cream to put on the port site an hour before my chemo appointments.  When the RN accessed my port - no pain! Just slight pressure.  I had heard that you should suck on a hard candy when they flush your port.  I didn't 'taste or smell' anything during the first flush at the start while sucking on an organic lemon sucker from Trader Joes (They have a variety pack - It was yummy!)  At the end of my entire chemo infusion they flushed my port again. I had put the suckers away and just wanted to go home - that was a mistake because during that flush I did get an unpleasant taste in my mouth. Maybe because the last flush was after the chemo drugs and the first flush was only saline?  Regardless, I will remember to have the suckers on hand for both flushes next time.

    The ride home was fine. I started to feel a little nauseous once at home and put on 'Sea-Bands' (stretchy bracelets that use acupressure points - no side affects from these!  You can get them at Walgrens/CVS in the travel remedies section). I think they worked because the nausea feeling went away. I was happy not to need the nausea meds (Zofran & Compazine) they prescribed for me to take at home.  Compazine makes you drowsy - not so bad if you're taking at night before bed but not so good if you take during the day when you're trying to be functional.   So far no other side affects.  The RN said the SEs will probably hit days 3-6.  I'm feeling so good right now that I'm thinking I really will hit the wall hard in the next couple of days. Trying hard not to convince myself into that, though.

    OAJ & Cris8325 & viktoryak: I hope your chemo experience will go well for you as it did for me.  I'm anxious to hear your experiences.

    Laura good luck with your port surgery. I hope you have an easy recovery and quick healing.

    Salve77 - I'm with you regarding the SEs, acutely aware of every little feeling wondering if it's the beginning of . . .something. . .they're like little trolls or gremlins lurking. . .

    All: Anything that I've mentioned that helped me, please check with your MOs if it would be helpful for you too.


     

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  • laura_ingalls
    laura_ingalls Member Posts: 78
    edited May 2016

    dear ladies.

    Thanks for the well wishes and prayers for the surgery. my wound is pretty painful and I am very tired. I fell asleep a few times in the car before coming home. My husband had to go back to work after he picked me up from the hospital so I sat in the car in the parking garage for a long time. It was awful. I was tired and thirsty and wanted to lay down. On top of everything else some construction workers were having a party outside and they were very loud. My husband had a bad day at work and wasn't nice to me at all.

    Did any of you have a chemo class? I am going to mine tomorrow.



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  • Momof4crazyboys
    Momof4crazyboys Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2016

    hey! I'm from ny also going to msk but Harrison location did surgery in the city and I'll be starting treatment in June if love to chat :

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  • viktoryak
    viktoryak Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2016

    HI Guys, I just finished my first weekly Taxol and1.5hrs of first Herceptin. Had no SE so far. So far feel fine like nothing happened! Hope it will stay this way all time...hope....

    I took xanax before i started since i was so crazy worried and then benadrly as premed it all made me so sleepy and like on drags:) Since i did cold caps i couldn't sleep, since every 15-20 min my husband changed them....I did Arctic cold caps . Started at 2pm during premed and continued till 9pm. Such a pain in a butt. Just hope it will work.

    Nurses at MSK are s nice and very understanding to my cold caps...

    1down, 11 more to go.....

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  • njnancy
    njnancy Member Posts: 45
    edited May 2016

    Sounds like a few of us are local. I had my surgery at msk too. I'm doing my chemo in NJ though -- much more convenient but my oncologist works with/consults with the oncologist at Sloan. Where are you all located. Im in Manalapan NJ (Monmouth County)

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    Hey ladies!

    Day 2 - not so bad. I was out and about most of the day getting my Neulasta injection and the was feeling well enough to have lunch with my SIL! But I completely crashed when I got home for 2.5 hours. My body is a little achy and I'm tired but not tired enough for bed. Tomorrow and Thursday are suppose to be the hardest, so we shall see! The amount of medication to take to control SE is overwhelming!

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  • viktoryak
    viktoryak Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2016

    njnancy, I am in North nj. about 50 min from you. For us drive to mskcc in the city ( if no traffic) about 40 min. about same as to their other location. We decided to go to the city .Bcs my dr is in the city and he said if we want to see him during treatment, and need to every 3 weeks I believe ,we need to do it there. Plus my husband works in the city

    I had nightmare drive yesterday. FDR drive had construction. Took me about 1.20.. I drove and my husband came from work later at 2on for infusion and capping....I was so worried of beeing late to my appointment that I forgot about my chemo amxiety;)... It worked out all well at the end. ;)

    It's 3am and I can't sleep...woke up so sweaty .one of sideeefects?;) still feel ok....waiting...if any real sideefects kick in. .

    Is any other girls in North NJ or city ? It would be fun Mbe get together;)

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  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2016

    Hello ladies good luck to may Chemo thread.....I'm starting my chemotherapy may 16 on a Monday my treatment plan are..... Epirubicin + Cyclophosphamide Every 2 weeks × 4 Doses.. then Abraxane once a week for 12 weeks The oncologist told me because I'm 37 I'm getting stronger treatment and after treatment I'm going back the tuesday for the Neulasta shot anyone getting the same treatment as me can you share your experience with me I'm so nervous.....

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    Brandford,

    It seems like we're on a similar regimen, but the names of my drugs are a little different. I'm having AC dose dense 4 cycles every two weeks, then taxol for 12 weeks in a row. I, too, am getting the Neulasta injection. I started Monday! And so far I've been doing pretty good. Sometimes tired and queasy here and there but nothing major. Today and tomorrow are suppose to be the worst, so we shall see. Today, I've been able to get up and walk and do laundry. I am a pretty no nonsense type of person and have completely put this in God's hands! You got this! Prayers to you

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  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2016

    Hello OAJ2013 I wish you all the best through out your treatment please come back and keep us updated

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  • Owens69
    Owens69 Member Posts: 66
    edited May 2016

    I am due to start chemo this month. I'm a bit nervous about it. I don't know yet what meds will be used. I am having various CT scans done this Friday and will see my oncologist on the 13th to make a decision on which medication I will need.

    I am already preparing for the hair loss by buying a few wigs. I'm meeting with my hair dresser next week to "cut" them to tailor them to my face. I was wondering, though, for those starting chemo this month, have you already cut your hair short? I am uncertain if I should wait until after first treatment or do it prior. What is the consensus here?

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  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2016

    Hello Owens69 haven't cut my hair yet I'm waiting till after my first treatment then I'm going to cut my hair short. Wish you all the best through out your treatment I'm having my Pet scans the 17 day after my first treatment..

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  • laura_ingalls
    laura_ingalls Member Posts: 78
    edited May 2016

    Dear oaj. Stay strong. I also have a no nonsense attitude and did a ton of shopping tonight which is my last night before chemo. Thanks for the update. Days 3 and 4 are supposed to be the worst if you count chemo as day 1, according to my onco. Everyone: I had my chemo class today and found out that you cannot have any dental work or treatments during chemo. Not even cleanings. I asked if its ok to get a cleaning the day before chemo. They said yes. So I made an emergency call to my dentist. They were able to fit me in thankfully. They cleaned my teeth and gave me a fluoride treatment and even checked my tongue for cancer. If you have a few days before chemo please consider going to see your dentist. It will give you a head start on good oral health. Peace and blessings to all of you. I am sorry for the pain you are going through! Xox. Laura*

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  • cris8325
    cris8325 Member Posts: 42
    edited May 2016

    Hey all! I got my results from my scans today. Echo, ct and bone. The oncologist said they were all clear except for a small spot on my liver. Said she doesnt think its cancer bc its not anywhere else but shes going to have it checked and be overly precautious. So i am glad for that. Had my first AC treatment today. Did fine thru the A. Got a migraine with the C. Tonight i feel tired, slightly nauseous, headache and runny nose. Still drinking water. Hoping to feel somewhat better tomorrow. We shall see. Goodnight everyone. Good luck with your SEs. I hope they arent too terrible.

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  • OAJ2013
    OAJ2013 Member Posts: 85
    edited May 2016

    I will be cutting my hair this Saturday to a short pixie cut. Not ready to buzz it of just yet. I will have my 2.5 yo with me so she is not completely shocked when I come home with my hair super short. We have been reading a book titled my mom has cancer. It's pretty over the top of her head but we discuss the main points that I could be in bed a lot and that I'll lose my hair. I think she's understanding it a little. I feel so bad for her, but I'm pretty sure she won't even remember it when she gets older! Prayerfully

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  • SandyBeachLover
    SandyBeachLover Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2016

    Starting Chemo May11, terrified. Not sure if I should do AC or TC, worried about the heart damage. Any research out there on the effectiveness and heart damage of AC vs TC? OAJ2013, how is your daughter doing? My oldest daughter has Down Syndrome and I am trying to figure out how to tell her before I lose my hair. I know she will be very upset.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited May 2016

    Hi SandyBeachLover, welcome to Breastcancer.org! We're sure some of our community will be around soon to offer some insight on what you're asking. In the mean time, you might find these related articles helpful:


    Hope this helps!

    The Mods

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