Has anyone started a forum for Chemo in Dec 2008?

Hello Divas,  I haven't been on in a couple of days and my, my, there are a lot of posts to catch up on!  Sounds like everyone has been busy.  I went to a Christmas party last night and wore my short sassy wig with a Christmassy bandana tied around it.  Everyone loved the new look.  I ended up taking off the wig and wearing just the bandana later tho.  This morning I wore my longer wig to church and some people couldn't tell it from my hair, of course they were old with bad eyesight! Lol  Some of the people who where at the party and then at church said they didn't know which they liked better.  I told them you never know what I'll end up wearing. 

Bonnie, my eyebrows have been itching.  I thought it was a strange SE, too.  I guess maybe a few are coming out.  I really don't want to lose them. The hair is gone all but a little fuzz, but not the eyebrows too!  Please.

Mimi, good luck with #2 this week.  I'll be getting #2 also.

Firni, I hope your docs can get your insurance to pay.  They usually know how to word stuff so that they get the best payment they can.

Cebula and Robyn, welcome to the bald/buzzed ladies club!  It really isn't that bad for me either.  It kind of feels good.  My only objecter is my 13 yr old.  I have to remember to cover the gourd up when he is around 'cause it freaks him out.  I think it is just a reminder to him that I am being treated for cancer and that is what bothers him.

Linda, I am so glad you had a nice Christmas with your kids.  I am scheduled for #2 the same day as you.  Good luck.

Brenny, I think you have the right idea about the hair.  Mine seemed to come out in the shower more than any other time.  So...you may have the right idea.

Lisa and Cebula, you both look great with your buzzes!

http://www.tznius.com/cgi-bin/tying.pl

I just placed a big order here today for my daughter and I.  The woman was VERY nice and is shipping everything out tomorrow!

http://www.cjhats.com/

Cebula you look fabulous and Lainey I'm sure you do as well!!!!!!  Hang in there ladies, this will all be over before we know it!

For those of you who have had your second or more TX....did you find the SE worse the second or third time around? 

Thank you everyone for all your advice! I thank all of you for opening up and sharing your experiences with me. It really helps me and encourages me. All of your advise about the ports have really helped.

Tomorrow is chemo at 9:00 am so pray for me!!!

ENFENETEE

Simvog:

My onc believes that everyone needs it why wait until you are in danger of getting infections. I know that it is an expensive shot. I have not heard of any insurance company refusing it. Ask her why you are waiting till you are in great need. Has she or he had so many patients that have not needed it. I dought it. If you take claritin before hand it can thwart the SE. I have a medical background and I guess it bug me that some professionals wait till there is a dangerous situation before going into action.

Funny thing I wore my wig tonight to the boat show in New Port beach CA. and at one point my DH told me with his eyes that it was toooo far back on my head. YIKEES. I was just taking it for a practice spin as I do not take my first Chemo till Dec. 29. I thought OH BOY this is going to be a challenge. Just keeping them on in high wind or bending over or cooking. How much more will we have to endure? We will sure be very strong when this is done. I just pray that it is indeed done. want to dance with Ned. I love that commercial .... When I grow up I want to be an old lady. Has anyone seen that?

Tonight I will try to go to sleep and dream that I do not have Cancer. And remember to breath.

Good luck to today's ladies in treatment.

Thank you for the www.cjhats.com site -- the prices appear to be great and for those of us with big heads, she says she can even make the hats larger upon request.  That's great - I have a couple from tlc that have to go back -just not big enough.

Bold- I have double sided wig tape (can you say "ouch" ) that I am hoping is going to help the slipping. But like you, not sure exactly where this thing goes - altho mine has bangs, so I suppose when the bangs hit the eyes, that's about right?!?!  It's kind of like drawing eyebrows -- how do you know where they go exactly when/if the real ones are gone??   My answer to the heat/cooking problem while wearing the wig - I'm just not going to cook (ha ha).

also - my onc doesn't routinely give the Neulasta shot either -- I got thru tx 1 without it.  We'll see how tx 2 goes on Wednesday.

Hair is hanging (literally) on today - day 20, but continues to fall out -- it's everywhere!  But just need to get thru today at work and then I am home until new year's - can (hopefully) figure out how to wear the wig and the hats and the bangs that I have bought.....but will definitely be bald for Christmas --thank you, Santa!  Cebula and Lisa - you look great -- I agree with Firni - younger does look better!  Sorry, but I am SO not posting my pix!!!!

Bren

Good morning ladies.  I'm glad some of you like CJhats.  I ordered a couple of sleeping caps and I really like them.  They are simple but really comfortable.  It's nice to spread the word about a good online company and she is really nice and I received mine quick.

Today is my day back to work with the "wig".  *drum roll please*  haha.   I am wearing the nice one I have and not the other one I test drove yesterday.  I wore it for a bit last night and it seemed ok so I'm not too worried.  I'm just more anxious about what my coworkers are going to say. I'm sure they'll all be very nice but I'm still a bit nervous. 

The only SE's I noticed different on TX #2 is that I was a bit more tired too.  Other than that, the nausea was better (thanks to the Emend).  I haven't notice the Nuelasta shot yet but I think that takes a few days to kick in.

Enfenette, good luck today! 

Have a good day everyone.

Updated list:

Texas357                1-Dec        FEC+Taxotere

mimiwhite                1-Dec         4xTC

gts                          1- Dec 

meb                        1-Dec         4xAC+4XTaxol 

Colleen1960             2-Dec        CMF

mmliv                      2-Dec        4xTC

msbusdriver             2-Dec        4xTC

LindaBusEd             2-Dec        TAC 

vtmama                   2- Dec       4xTaxol+C 

shan1171                2-Dec        6xTAC 

cindyrellacleans      2-Dec        4xTC 

Brenny                    3-Dec        4xTC

zuffa                        3-Dec        6xTAC

Lindy58                   #2- 3-Dec      4xTC  

Catrenae                  4-Dec        4xAC+12xTaxol

Lainey64                  4-Dec        4xAC+4xTaxol

CindaD                     4-Dec        4xTC

BreastCancerDiva      4-Dec        4xFEC+4xTaxotere

lisasayers                 5-Dec        4xTC

simvog                      5-Dec        4xFAC+4xTaxol

cebula                      8 Dec        6xTC

sdavis                      9-Dec        6xTC

berrypatch               9-Dec        6xTC 

ptjen                       9- Dec           4xTC     

ShondaE           #2  9-Dec              AC 

Meg511                   10-Dec            6xTCH

Firni                         10-Dec           6xTC 

Lindy58                     10-Dec       1xTC+3xAC 

Colleen1960             #2 12-Dec        CMF  

ddlatt                       15-Dec            4xTC                              

horsercn                   16-Dec          4xAC+12 Taxol+Herceptin 

apfuentes                 16 Dec             4xTC 

busqueen                 16- Dec           4xAC+4xTaxol 

iktracey                    16-Dec                 4xTC 

chiquita                   16-Dec                  FEC 

Texas357                #2 16/17-Dec        FEC+Taxotere 

Kranie                      17- Dec                6xTC 

Bkokie                     17- Dec                  4xTC  

LisainVA                 #2-17 Dec              4xTCH 

Lainey64                  #2 18-Dec          4xAC+4xTaxol 

momof4stars             18-Dec?           FEC+Taxotere

BreastCancerDiva      #2 18-Dec        4xFEC+4xTaxotere

rayhope                     18 Dec             6xTCH    

ENFENETEE            22-Dec             4xTC 

Grancy11                  22-Dec             6xTC  

mimiwhite              #2- 22 Dec            4xTC

colleen1960            #3 22-Dec             CMF 

LindaBusEd           #2 23-Dec              TAC  

mmliv                     #2 23-Dec              4xTC 

msbusdriver           #2 23-Dec               4xTC 

cindyrellacleans      #2- 23Dec               4xTC  

zuffa                      #2-23-Dec                 6xTAC 

Brenny                 #2 - 24-Dec               4xTC 

lisasayers             #2 26-Dec                 4xTC

simvog                  #2 -29 Dec          4xFAC+4xTaxol  

cebula                   #2 - 29 Dec               6xTC 

CindaD                  #2 - 29 Dec               4xTC

Bold                        29- Dec                  6xTCH

DrDecker                 29 Dec                   4xTC

jajebr3                     30 Dec                   4xAC+4xTaxol

Firni                       #2 -30-Dec              6xTC 

berrypatch              #2 30-Dec               6xTC  

sdavis                    #2-30-Dec               6xTC

ptjen                      #2-31-Dec               4xTC

Lindy58                  #3 -31-Dec               4xTC

Texas357                #3 6/1-Jan09        FEC+Taxotere 

Regarding Vitamin C/Neulasta - they work on the immune system in different ways -- see below:

NEULASTA: 

Neulasta belongs to a group of drugs called colony stimulating factors. Neulasta stimulates the growth of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, which are important immune cells that fight infection caused by bacteria, viruses or fungus. Neutrophils can be damaged by chemotherapy and leave patients susceptible to severe infection. Neulasta works by binding to areas on immature blood cells, which stimulates the blood cells to grow, reproduce and mature into neutrophils. Neulastais a long-acting form of another commonly used colony stimulating factor, Neupogen (filgrastim), meaning it stays active in the body for a longer time than Neupogen.  

VITAMIN C

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York studied the effects of vitamin C on cancer cells. As it turns out, the vitamin seems to protect not just healthy cells, but cancer cells, too. The findings were published today in the journal Cancer Research.

"The use of vitamin C supplements could have the potential to reduce the ability of patients to respond to therapy," said Dr. Mark Heaney, an associate attending physician at the cancer center, in a press release.

Dr. Heaney and his colleagues tested five different chemotherapy drugs on cancer cells in the laboratory. Some of the cells were first treated with vitamin C. In every case, including a test of the powerful new cancer drug Gleevec, chemotherapy did not work as well if cells had been exposed to vitamin C. The chemotherapy agents killed 30 to 70 percent fewer cancer cells when the cells were treated with the vitamin.

A second set of experiments implanted cancer cells in mice. They found that the tumors grew more rapidly in mice that were given cancer cells pretreated with vitamin C.

The researchers found that just like healthy cells, cancer cells also benefit from vitamin C. The vitamin appeared to repair a cancer cell's damaged mitochondria, the energy center of cells. When the mitochondria is injured, it sends signals that force the cell to die, but vitamin C interrupts that process.

"Vitamin C appears to protect the mitochondria from extensive damage, thus saving the cell," Dr. Heaney said. "And whether directly or not, all anticancer drugs work to disrupt the mitochondria to push cell death."

On the subject of wigs...I have a lace cap wig - it's really comfortable and does not slip.  I also wear a mesh cap underneath. Once the hair is gone or really short, the wig fits and looks much better.  The double sided tap sounds nasty -- hope I don't have to try it.

Bold -- you mentioned cooking - if your wig is synthetic, stay away from the oven, the grill and the fireplace -- the fiber will not burn -- but it will singe/frizz when exposed to high heat -- similar to the way eyelashes sometimes singe when you stick your head too far into a high oven.  I generally wear turbans around the house -- and when biking, shopping, etc.  My oncologist provides them to his patients - lots of colors, very comfortable -- a seemingly endless supply. They look pretty good with some of those big earrings Cebula mentioned.

TX #2 tomorrow - hope it goes as well as #1.  I have been working through so far -- taking chemo on a Weds, staying home Weds - Sunday.  I find that the intellectual stimulation of work takes my mind off cancer/chemo.  My doctor gives Neulasta and Emend to all his patients.  Most insurance companies will cover the Neulasta, or at least, Neupogen -- however the Emend is another story.  My insurance covers it for $30.00 -- but if insurance doesn't cover it, he finds other ways to provide it to his patients (samples, arm-twisting with the drug company, assistance with various resources regarding co-pays, etc.)  Everyone he treats gets it. Emend is truly a miracle drug -- as is the Neulasta. 

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa -- may our hearts be lifted and our bodies stay strong!

Good luck to this week divas:  

ENFENETEE, Grancy11, mimiwhite,  colleen1960, LindaBusEd, mmliv, lisasayers, msbusdriver,  cindyrellacleans, Brenny.

Zuffa:

Good luck and I hope you will have a smooth time for Holidays!

Lainey64: 

Sorry you don't feel well. Go home and relax. Your health is more important then anything right now. Also, try to burp . That worked for me when I was nauseous. Hang in there. It will go away.

Lainey, sorry you're having such a bad day. Hope you feel better by now. Get some rest!