Any Her2/Neu Starting Chemo in October?

Kimmysue - I was so happy to hear that your chemo was uneventful.  I can only imagine the relief you felt.

Great job on keeping track of everyone's dates and meds.  The next time you update could you please add herceptin every three weeks for one year to my meds?  Thanks.

I start on Wednesday ladies....wish me luck? 

I will remember all of you in my prayers.

my2boys, best wishes for a smooth treatment on Wednesday.

I just finished my first treatment. Once they got the needle into the power port it went very smoothly and I haven't noticed any side effects yet. They had a hard time getting into the opening of the port - the area was still swollen from the port procedure last Thursday and at least one of the bumps they feel for was under the dermabond around the incision which meant that they couldn't feel it. After 4 stabs, they got someone from radiology up and between them got it in with another couple of sticks.

They said that should go easier in the future when the swelling is gone. 

One tip - the port is on my chest above the breast. It helped to take my bra off because with the bra's uplift that area was sloped. It made the area flatter so the port was less tipped. 

I didn't use any before but they put some spray on it. It didn't seem to help with the needle pinch much but most of the problem was below the skin due to the bruising. It hurt when they were doing all that palpating trying to figure out the port position. The nurse said that even if I had used some numbing cream that it wouldn't have helped much because the pain mostly too deep.

Next time when it isn't bruised it should just take one stab and I don't think it will need numbing for that. 

Have you tried putting True Lemon or True Lime in your water to make it more palatable? Those tart flavors sometimes help. True Lemon and True Lime are crystalized flavors that come in little packets. Someone mentioned them on one of the chemo threads and I tried them for when I travel and can't use a real lemon or lime slice - the effect is about the same.

The site is www.truelemon.com and they have a store locator that let me find the product locally. It was in the baking aisle at the store they said. 

klfh ~~~

Sorry it took me so long to reply about the pepper.  My onc nurse tells me that if any of us learned what was in there along with the pepper that no one would eat it again.  I finally got her to tell me ... specks of insect parts and rodent hair among other gross things.  Ewww!  Ground pepper is worse than peppercorns you grind yourself, she said.  Sorry if this is too much for anyone ....

Hi bluedasher - Glad to hear your first tx went okay.  Hopefully they'll do better with the port next time.  The nurse rubs numbing solution all over mine before they stick it, and it's so cold, I believe it's more uncomfortable than the actual stick.  From what I hear, scar tissue builds up on top eventually and it becomes ouchless.

I'm on day 5 following tx 2, so far so good.  I eliminated the expensive Emend anti-nausea pills with no adverse effects and have now saved myself $150 for this treatment and the next two.  This pleases me!  I'm still taking the Compazine and the Kytril -but there are low cost generics for them.

I still have hair.  It's thin, but it's definitely there.  I'm bored with all my hats and scarves now.  I have a pattern for an easy beret, and a snood.  If anyone would like these, let me know.

Hope everyone is doing okay, love,

Teena

Hi, Chelli -

I also found the lidocaine cream to be a God send - and they accessed my port only three days after inserting it !   Cream even worked right through the darn steri strips.  I'm with you on this one.  I am nervous enough about the chemo, and would rather not get stressed about the stick too.   So, the lidocaine cream worked great for me.   Did not even feel it when they accessed my port.  I did not have as much trouble with the saran wrap, though.  Probably due to where my port is located.

Jill

Hi TNT,  Your scarf looks great!  My first round of chemo went off just great.  They accessed the port, no problems at all and I was relieved to find that it didn't hurt.  I spent the next 4 hours playing chess/board games and card games with hubby.  We had lunch and before we knew it....it was time to go.  A little weak and pale when I arrived home, but no complaints other than nausea overnight....no vomiting thank God.  Ginger ale seems to help too.  Keep drinking water ladies, I'm told that this makes for an easier time.  I drank all through the day yesterday and kept running to the bathroom, but it seemed that I was having an easier time of it than most.

Feeling nauseated a bit today, but I took the meds and hopefully this will help.  My friend is taking me in for my neulasta shot in a few hours, so hopefully it will be under control by then.  I'm going to try the Claritin that you ladies here recommended, I'll let you know how that goes.

Jill 323 - I used the saran wrap over the port yesterday because I didn't want adhesive to tear out the steri strips that the doctor had put in place.  What worked for me was affixing a bit of non- irritating paper tape around the edges of the saran wrap to hold it in place.  It was easy to peel off and worked out well.

God Bless all of you very strong and brave women.

well Im home from treatment 2 today. They gave me Emend this time for nausea. The Zofran and decodron last time did not help too much so we will see. Boy it is expensive, thank goodness my insurance covers most of it. Trying to get that water down now. I think if I just keep munching on small things, crackers and such that will make it easier to get the H2o in. I have added lemon to it too. I hope all are felling well today. Im sleepy, I think  I might try to nap before my little munchkins get home.

oh my GOSH....TNT?  bludasher?   i didnt know THIS was here!!!   i've been on the October board...shouldve been over here with HER2 reading everyone's SE's...(i should really venture out more often ) that's ok...better late than never...ha.  Glad to see you guys here.

Gaylynn

my2boys - you can get the neulasta shot same day... I've never had to go back next day.  Only SE is bone pain. little bit.  I told the nurses that we have one car and my sis (my ride to all appts) can't make the trip nore than once a week, they give my shot after tx and never had a prob from it.  They told me it's only a way to check up, if they tell you come back the next day.

Hey, Gaylynn, good to see you here too! 

my2boys - take the Claritin/Aleve for 2 or 3 days after, also.  Sounds like you're doing okay.  I always feel okay for days 2 and 3; days 4 and 5 can be rough, at least for me.  By day 10 or 11, things are looking good again.

strongmom37 - Glad you're doing okay so far.  Emend works well, I get that in my IV too.  For my first tx, I filled the prescription for the two pills on days 2 and 3.  For my 2nd tx, I didn't fill the prescription, just relied on the IV Emend, and that worked fine too.  So this saved me lots of $. 

About hair - I'm on day 10 following tx 2, and my hair is raining!  I cut it short and don't plan to shave it.  I wash and brush it often to remove the loose hairs and lovingly cherish my sparse locks while they last!  I guess I'll be commando soon enough...lol.

I've been doing OK with my wig. I can't bring myself to do the hat and scarf thing. I'm not ready to look like the cancer patient. Although, I wish I could. Everyone looks so cute in theirs and I'm sure it's much more comfortable than the wig is.

Teena- if you go into a wig store, you can try on as many as you want. However, they are much more expensive. I found what I liked and then ordered it 1/2 price online.

Linda

Lynn,  There are mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are linked to a much higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. In the general population, these mutations occur in about 0.2% of people. In those of Askhenazic (Eastern European) Jewish descent, about 2.5% carry one of the mutations.

The mutation increases the lifetime probability of getting breast cancer from about 12% (one in eight women) to about 50%.

I know because I know that all my grandparents were from Eastern Europe and Jewish. But that doesn't tell me if I actually carry the gene. I haven't been able to find any family history of related cancer occurances besides my own so maybe I don't but I'm not sure if I have accurate information.

There is more information here:

http://www.genetichealth.com/BROV_GEN_of_BROV_In_ASHJ.shtml 

well my head has been shaved! It was so hard to do and my wonderful sister was visiting and did it for me. It was tramatic for both of us. It did feel so much better after though, at least pain wise. It is hard to look at myself in the mirror, it is not me looking back. I don't pick up my wig until tomorrow, but I had to take my kids this morning for thier flu shots. I put on my cutest baseball cap and big hoop earings and a scarve around my neck and went for it.