Starting Chemo in September 2017

Anonymous

Starting Chemo in September 2017

OCDAmy

I am a new member although I have been reading a lot of posts for some time now. I am starting chemo tomorrow (August 25, 2017) and I wanted to connect with others who are also starting chemo at the end of August or in September. I am scared to death of chemo, haven't really slept well for a few days and would just love to have others to talk to who are on the same path as me. The plan is for four rounds of TC although I am going to have one more conversation with my oncologist before we start the chemo because he has gone back and forth with what might be the best combination of drugs for me. I had a bilateral mastectomy on July 10 and have healed very well. I had a port put in last week and am ready to go. Anyone else out there getting ready for chemo?

70charger

Hi Amy! I did 4 round of TC in Sept 2013, yup 4 yrs out. You will do just fine. Breathe, We are ALL scared of chemo, u are not alone in that. I found it so much easier than my imagination made it out to be. I had 3 off days with each round, days 3, 4 & 5. No nausea as they give u meds for it. Try to keep a little something in ur tummy, it helps a lot, even if it is just a couple of spoonfuls of jello. Once u have had ur first infusion u will feel better cause then u know what to expect. It is the fear of the unknown that drives us round the bend. You have found the right place here & will get any support u need. There is no such thing as a stupid question so ask away. Good Luck Girl, you got this! HUGS

PauletteK

OCD - good luck with you first infusion, I had 3 rounds of infusions and round 4 (last) will be next week. It is doable my bad days are 4-6. Just follow what your doc suggested and rest as much as you can. I'm in the July and August threads and we are here to support each other.

Leilals

Hi Amy, I just had a bilateral mastectomy in July and an axillary node dissection last week. Found out 2 days ago I was still 2b and not stage 3. Most emotional day I've had so far, filled with gratitude and relief. I start chemo beginning of September. I have found myself very angry about that today. For me having autoimmune diseases most my life, one of them type 1 diabetes, I feel out of control. I can't control this. I know it's for the best, but I've spent my life fighting for my health, perfect diet, perfect exercise, I'm so afraid I can't do all the naturopathic things I'm used to doing to feel good. It is a scary feeling for me, more than the surgeries. Not very helpful I'm sorry, but I am having a rough day.

OCDAmy

I'm a control freak so the loss of control with this has been horrible. I'm just hoping the side effects will be manageable. I'm planning on working through this as much as possible.

Reesey

Amy - Thanks for starting the group. Had my surgery a couple of days after yours. Met my MO today and will start AC+T on 8/31. Port placement on 8/30. I too am scared and worried about what lies ahead. Hope all goes well with your infusion tomorrow!

Leilals

Hi Amy, sending good thoughts your way today. Hope all goes well. Best wishes, Leila.

OCDAmy

Well my first chemo was not as bad as I imagined. The nurses were fabulous, explaining every step of the process. They gave me several pre-meds including steroids, anti-nausea meds and Benedryl and Pepcid to prevent allergic reactions. I was worried about a reaction but had no problems. The chemo room is surrounded by a beautiful garden so it was a nice setting (except for the old man who was snoring his lungs out!) The port worked great. I put the lidocaine on it an hour before they accessed it to take blood and I barely felt it. That was it, no more sticks for the chemo drugs. I received TC (Taxotere and Cytoxan). They were infused separately and each one took about one hour. I decided to try icing my fingers and toes during taxotere as other women on this community suggested it to prevent nails falling off and neuropathy. Not sure if it is going to help or not but I figured I would give it a try. It was uncomfortable by the end but no too bad. I also chewed on ice during that infusion. I drank tons of water yesterday and today and had to get up to go to the bathroom several times but you can unplug and take it with you to the bathroom. When it was over the nurse went over a bunch of side effects I could experience and when I should call them for problems. It is now about 5 hours past treatment and I fell pretty good. I ate a light lunch when I got home and was tired so I napped for about an hour. Just took my dog for a long walk and feel fine. I was told the side effects kick in on about days 2-5 so I feel like I am walking on pins and needles waiting to see what is going to happen to me. Thinking of all of you getting ready for chemo in the coming months. Hopefully we can support each other and get through this. If you have any questions just let me know.

toughcookie_21

Hi all, I'll be starting chemo next week, so I'll continue to lurk on the August group and on this one since my first chemo is so close to September. I had a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expanders on July 18. I got an infection in the left breast and chose to get a second opinion on the chemo, so things got slightly delayed.

I am so reluctant to have chemotherapy. I feel like it goes against everything I believe in. I don't even take otc medicine, hadn't taken antibiotics in over 11 years before the mastectomy, I eat organic whenever possible, use natural products for cleaning and I got freaking cancer! So to allow them to put this crap in my body feels like such a voilation of my belief system. But I will do it. Today I got the port put in and Monday I will sign the consent form for TCH x 6 and herceptin for a year.

Travel_Girl

Hi, I started on the August Group, my first chemo round was Thursday, Aug 24th, since I go through end of October, I thought I would pop in here as well. I am having 4 rounds of TC, followed by surgery. #1 Down, 3 to go.

Today, I am starting Day 3 today post first chemo -- and waiting to see how the SE's manifest in me.

Everything I read, says it is either day 3, 4 and 5 OR 4, 5 and 6 -- that are the 'low' days. My alarm is set w/ times for Zophran and Competize -- alternating 4 hours - until bed time. Going for bland, bland, bland diet until about day 6 - then I am hoping to switch to fiber rich food (introducing it slowly)

Today I am going to take advantage of my adult daughter visiting and have her help me. Just take it easy with my laptop in my bed, short walks and maybe some yoga. I deserve this (hard not to be the host/mom -- that is my challenge today!).

The decided to take Ativan last night to get a good nights sleep (prior night was only okish - I do love my sleep!). It makes the world of difference - I think it helped.

Have a great day ladies - in the midst of this crazy - don't forget to live, for you have today.

Travel_Girl

Hi, I started on the August Group, my first chemo round was Thursday, Aug 24th, since I go through end of October, I thought I would pop in here as well. I am having 4 rounds of TC, followed by surgery. #1 Down, 3 to go.

Today, I am starting Day 3 today post first chemo -- and waiting to see how the SE's manifest in me.

Everything I read, says it is either day 3, 4 and 5 OR 4, 5 and 6 -- that are the 'low' days. My alarm is set w/ times for Zophran and Competize -- alternating 4 hours - until bed time. Going for bland, bland, bland diet until about day 6 - then I am hoping to switch to fiber rich food (introducing it slowly)

Today I am going to take advantage of my adult daughter visiting and have her help me. Just take it easy with my laptop in my bed, short walks and maybe some yoga. I deserve this (hard not to be the host/mom -- that is my challenge today!).

The decided to take Ativan last night to get a good nights sleep (prior night was only okish - I do love my sleep!). It makes the world of difference - I think it helped.

Have a great day ladies - in the midst of this crazy - don't forget to live, for you have today.

tina_marie

Hi everyone.. I also started a Starting Chemo in September 2017 thread, but there's much more action going on over here so i thought I'd join you. I have my oncologist follow up on 9/14 and will get my chemo schedule/regimin then. But most exciting I had my successful lumpectomy yesterday, so I guess now I can say I am cancer free!!

Lumpectomy, check ✔️

An interesting thing happened tho yesterday, as they were prepping me for my surgery at 10am, my husband was sitting in the waiting room watching the TV and:

My breast surgeon, Dr. Kristine Keeney is being interviewed at The New York State Fair, at 12 noon she was taking the cancer out of my body!

http://www.localsyr.com/bridge-street/upstate-comm...

OCDamy, so glad you posted this.. because as you said, i was scared to death as well... I've been becoming more comfortable with it as I talk to more and more people that are going through it / gone through it and they are giving me so many great tips and tell me you just do what you got to do. I actually have a chiropractic consult on Wednesday (yes in the middle of all this) and his front office was telling me that when he beat cancer years ago, he'd do his cancer treatment one day and was cracking backs the next. I am hoping an praying for the same attitude and ease through this.

tina_marie

Also OCDAmy, i just read your post about the whole 1st visit. Thank you so much for that... Just like 70Charger said, maybe we make more up in our minds then it needs to be.

I'll keep you all updated as I move forward!

OCDAmy

Travel Girl, we are getting the same chemo and just a day apart. Will be good to share our experiences! I have not taken the nausea meds yet because I feel fine. When did you start taking them? I'm getting ready to take the steroids now. Didn't sleep well last night, hope that improves. Did you ice during taxotere?

Leilals

Thanks for the updates Amy. I've been so nervous. Glad to know you were able to walk your dog. I have a large bloodhound that loves her walks. How are you feeling today? Hope this finds you well. Leila

Leilals

Thanks for the updates Amy. I've been so nervous. Glad to know you were able to walk your dog. I have a large bloodhound that loves her walks. How are you feeling today? Hope this finds you well. Leila

OCDAmy

Leilals, I feel really good so far. The only thing I have experienced is some joint pain in my knees and hips. I have knee problems but this was worse. I had a bit of indigestion but no nausea. Trying to just eat bland foods and tons of water. I have not taken any of the anti-nausea drugs yet. Went to the grocery store and walked my dog again. I assume I am going to have some side effects soon?

70charger

OCDAmy Please take your meds. If you wait til you feel bad it will be too late. You want them in your system BEFORE it hits. Why be miserable & have to learn the hard way. You need to stay on top of it not behind the eight ball. Not trying to preach, just nudging.

OCDAmy

I promise to take the meds the second I notice nausea but have have not had any so far! My issue has been joint pain which keeps me awake at night. I am a bit constipated too so taking meds for that. I'm starting day three and feel fine otherwise.

Travel_Girl

Amy - I started taking the nausea meds Day 2 (Compezine), with Zofran Day 3 - the chemo had some long last Zophran in it per the chemo nurse, which is the reason not needing it until Day 3 - suspect the same with you. I did take the Ativan the second night just to sleep - oh' how I love my sleep.

My issue right now is the 'fog' -- which I think is the Clariton (I guess it could be the ativan too, hmmm) . I am wondering if I don't take that next time, what will happen.

Also, i had my port put in the day before my first chemo and although not super painful, did require some Tylenol. Lots' o drugs! I can't wait to reduce the number of drugs pumping through this body of mine.

For those that haven't started, it is 'bad' it just fuzzy and a bit 'off' - nothing to be nervous about. This we will conquer.

OCDAmy

Travel Girl did they prescribe the Ativan for chemo? I was prescribed Lorazapam (generic Ativan) when I was first diagnosed because I was having horrible panic attacks. I have a few left but stopped taking them because my doc said they were addicting

Tinian

I accidently posted in the September 2012 section. I'll post again in 2017 to stay uip to date. My treatment was pushed back to September becauas on thursday I'm getting my tonsils removed. My port is going in on Sept 11th.

I HAVE a choice between two types of chemo treatments. One is 3 drugs one which can harm the heart. The second choice is two drugs. Depending on my echo cardiigram on Tuesdasy my oncnoligst she wants the one with three drugs. I would love to hear from people that were offered the choice. I think less damage is better but I'm not a doctor.

First choice. 4 treatments every other week of Doxorubicin and cyclophamide cocktial thenpaclitaxel weekly for 12 weeks

Second choice docetaxel and cyclophosphamide.

I'm still trying to figure which is the best option. It's all so overwhelming.

PauletteK

Amy Lorazapam is same as Ativan. I used to fight not to take Ativan, now I take my .5 mg every night because having a good night sleep is so important to fight with these SE.

Travel - I thing fog is from the chemo SE, Ativan will help your sleep and nausea.

Tinian - I am no doc, I listened to my Onc since I don't know. My niece is a pharm but she is not specialized in breast cancer so I didn't even ask her. I hate all these drugs in my body but I look at it this is temporary only. The day I found out I have cancer my life has turned upside down, changed to the point is not under my control. Now I have to pray and put my life in Gods hands.

Selena1226

Hi Ladies, I'm starting chemo on 9/8. I will be getting 4 rounds of TC. I am 38, work full time, and have two young kids (my son is 4.5 and my daughter is 16 months old). I'm ready to start this next step in my treatment but am also very nervous. I'm thankful for this space and to not being going through this alone.

OCDAmy

Glad to have several of you on the same path as me!

Selena, I am getting 4 rounds of TC as well. It must be tough having two little ones. I hope you have some help. My two girls are grown and have been such a great help to me along with my husband. I too work full time too and hope to continue. I am getting chemo on Fridays and also taking Mondays off. I can do some work from home so if I need a few more days off I should be able to make it work.

Tinian, my doctor talked about two different chemo treatments as well. Four rounds of TC or FEC+T for 6 rounds. I asked which he was suggesting and he said the 6 rounds but it was up to me because he didn't have good research to say one was going to be better than the other and the 6 rounds would be harder. I finally decided to go with the TC and am happy with the decision but sometimes I wonder if I chickened out and should have gone with the longer one.

I had my first TC on Friday and still feel pretty good. I have not taken the nausea meds yet because I have had no nausea. My only problem is joint pain which has kept me awake at night and makes me feel achy. I took the last of the steroids today which I understand can make you feel good so we will see what day 4 with no steroids is like. The chemo nurse asked if I had mornign sickness when I was pregnant and I told her I did not and she said then I likely wouldn't have much nausea with chemo.

For the TC, I iced my fingers and toes for 15 minutes before and after and during the taxotere and chewed on ice chips. I am also painting my nails with a nail strengthener. I got these tips from this site, not sure if they work but it is worth a try to take some control. I am also rinsing my mouth after every meal with baking soda and salt in warm water. This was recommended by the oncology nurse to prevent mouth sores. Now I guess the wait is on for my hair to fall out. I considered cold capping but it was expensive and seemed like a huge hassle and not washing or styling my hair is just not an option. I bought a cute wig and plan to wear that for work.

Best of luck to all starting chemo, hope we can all be a good support for each other.

toughcookie_21

Hi ladies. I am going to sign the release form tomorrow to start chemo on 9/1 or 9/5. It will be TCH x 6 every three weeks and then herceptin for the rest of the year. I ordered cold caps on Friday and will ask at my appointment tomorrow about what they're going to prescribe for me to prevent nausea etc... I did have morning sickness with both of my children and I get horrible motion sickness. My children are 8 and 11 and they go back to school tomorrow. I hate that we have to go through this and wish you all an easy journey.

MzPriss

My port goes in 8/29 and my first infusion is 9/1.

I'm a mixture of terrified and impatient.

I spent the weekend camping, something I love. Knowing it will probably be my last for a little while.

I'll have 18 weeks of treatment. "Big" treatment every three weeks, just Herceptin on the weeks in between.

I'm doing neoadjuvant treatment so I won't be having any surgery until sometime in January.

My best friend and I are going to go wig shopping 9/2....and my very long hair will be cut short the following week in preparation for it to inevitably depart. I died all the underneath part purple last week....I figured I would have some fun before it goes for a bit.

I'll be 50 in a few weeks and we are spending that week at Disneyland....I will not miss this trip, it's been planned for almost a year. Docs all know and are okay with it as long as I get home in time for treatment.

Snazzyiron

Hi everyone,  I am so glad I found you.  I have surgery scheduled on 9/8/17.  They have told me that my stage will be confirmed after the surgery and pathology report.  Because of the size, I believe it to be Stage 1, but my mammaprint came back "B"instead of the hoped for "A" So, I believe I am Stage 1B. IDC. Has anyone else had a mammaprint "B" report.  That, and the waiting is what is bothering me most. My oncologist has not told me yes or no on the chemo.  Did anyone else have to wait on the chemo decision?

Leilals

Hi everyone, thanks for all the imput. I was supposed to start treatment on the 30th, but I came down with an infection in my drain site, so probably next week. I am most nervous about my type one diabetes. I'm sure everything will work it's self out. Looking forward to my artificial pancreas. Does anyone know how long the chemo is active for? I'm curious when it's safe to detox. Tea's, hot seasalt baths ECT. Want to get the full effect of chemo, but would love to get rid of side effects ASAP. I already have diabetic neuropathy, can't stand anything but heat on it. Cold causes severe pain. I'm nervous about that. It's easy to turn chemo to big fears in my head. Grateful for all your encouraging words, I'm not so afraid now. Best wishes to everyone!

OCDAmy

MZPriss: Enjoy your trip to Disneyland! Best wishes for your first chemo. I also have a port and it hurt for the first two days and now I don't even know it is there.

Snazzy: I only had the Oncotype test, not the Mammaprint. I did have to wait on the chemo decision. When I was diagnosed, the tumor was larger so the breast surgeon wanted to try and shrink it before surgery. Instead of chemo, my oncologsit wanted to try hormone therapy since my cancer is highly ER and PR +. So for four months I took Arimidex and unfortunatley it did not shrink the tumor. So I had surgery and am now getting chemo. That was a long four months and I feel like it wasted so much time. The only good thing was that the tumor did not get any bigger during that time and the one lymph node that showed up on the ultrasound was smaller.

Leila: I am not sure how long the chemo stays in your system, must be a long time since it takes up to three weeks for your hair to fall out. The best thing to do is drink tons of water to flush it out of your system. I have had so much water I am surprised I am not floating away.