Starting chemo January 2009?

carlajane

Good luck to you!  We can do this!!!!

Carlajane,

 I was the similar.  I just moved to Jacksonville FL when I was diagnosed.  I didn't know anybody; the new subdivision has no houses yet, no neighbors, my husband and my family far away.  I have 3 boys; 15, 9, and 6, but they didn't yet have friends; and so I didn't have support close by, and that was one of my biggest worries.  I didn't have the courage to ask for help from somebody that I hardly knew or just met!  Although now I'm thinking I should have...  Anyways, I hired help.  I have someone come in everyday to help me and that way she can check on me, too; and take me to the doctor if necessary.  I have also contacted and asked some people that live close by to be an emergency contact.  Hope this helps!  Mimi

Hi Everyone!!!

    thank you soooo much for your replys................its seems as a overall group we all seem to be doing quite well??!!    

Auriga: I would question the neulsta shot.............make sure you get a second a opion I was on the 3 week off and i had to have it, my oc seems to think there was no other way.

     Sorry if i did not write down names to reply to everyone, I am 7 days out of surgey and can lift my arm over my head do you think that is because I did not do recon??

          I was never told not to lift anything and I have already be given th permission to drive.

Lisa my head did inch a lot when my hair fell out!! but not any pain, and a note to everyne...........you can read way to much and make your self crazy........you need to hope that your doctor has kept up with the lastest on this thing and just go with that.

             My husband was bringing home 100's of pages from the internet and half of what was told to me never can true...................

  Thank you to all who spet time writing me back I should be on latter. I see my chemo doctor on Friday will let you know what she says!!!!  Thanks again Pamela 

Carlajane

We are so glad you found us here! This is a great site -- take the time to read the thread for those stating chemo in Dec (or Nov or Sept) -- there is a ton of info there.  We all have the same questions and concerns and fears -- you can bet someone else has asked your question (more than once)!!

I am also divorced and live alone -- you shouldn't need anyone in the house. 

There is a wide range of se's -- some poor folks really get hit with all of them--fatigue, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, sores in the mouth, loss of taste, bone pain -- some of us are blessed and have virtually no se's. The one se that almost ALL of us is certain of is that we are destined to lose our hair.  And there is a specific thread on that issue as well.  Many of us are working right through the treatment (except chemo day); some simply cannot.  There are positives to living along -- when you are tired, you can simply go to bed.  You don't have to cook or clean, etc....

They will include antinausea meds in your chemo; just be sure to get and fill a prescription from your onc to have at home and take it if you feel the least bit nauseated.  You won't need to take it in advance.  If you are very stressed, ask him for something to help you relax (and take it!) like Ativan.  At the top of this topic is a great post on preparing a chemo bag to take for your first tx.

Good sources for headwear online:  TLC, Chemosavvy, CJHats.  If you shop at local stores, just remember that the hat has to come down further in the back and the sides in order to cover where you don't have hair. TLC has bangs that you can get to wear under your scarf or hat when you don't want to wear a wig.

For a good fit, you may want to find someone locally for your wig rather than order online (call the American Cancer Society) who will do a custom fit for your wig.  Also ask them when you can attend a LookGood Feel Better session in your area -- free class, free makeup kit, wig/scarf tip. 

Altho you are some distance from your treatment facility, you might inquire from them (or ACS) about Breast Cancer Support Group meetings -- generally once a month.  Great way to meet others and share experiences and recommendations -- usually have a speaker on a petinent topic of interest.

 Good luck, post often, read more often!  Ask questions!!

Bren

mar666- your story sounds like mine.   My onc is giving me a mid-range dose of TC.  I am on Day 5 after first treatment.  Day 1 - I was hyped on steroids - only SE was heartburn which pepcid took care of.  Day 2 - a little tired, no nausea - ate reasonably well - exercised.  Day 3 - fatigue and nausea --- like bad flu.  no appetite, funny taste in my mouth.  Day 4 - repeat of day 3, but better toward evening.  Day 5 - feel good- worked full day - mouth still feels weird and nausea is mild, but tolerable.  drinking and eating but no real appetite.  

I took Zofran 8mg every 8 hours starting Day 1.  I also took Colace for constipation next time I'll start that a couple days beforehand (assuming I return to "normal") I also took Ativan0.5 mg Day 1 through 4 at night - I slept well.  It works as an anti-nausea/anti-anxiety med.  I think next time I will use that during the daytime of Day 3&4....maybe next time will be different, but as I felt lousy, I imagined what would happen next "how bad will this get?" and imagining all kinds of things that haven't happened...I think the ativan would have eased that.  

Remember to drink lots and lots of fluids on Day 1 and 2.  -- it was harder to do that on Day 3 and 4.  Day 5 is OK again.

re: neulasta.  My onc believes at my dose, I will be fine without it.  I plan to push the protein to help my body re-build blood cells. 

Hi all:

Carlajane--I hope you will find as much support from these boards as I have. I have had one round of AC, and I felt fine the day after, but had pain from the Neulasta shot on day 3. Definitely ask your onc about his recommendation. I'm worried about how the 2nd tx will affect me, but my nurse said that how I felt after the first is a good indication of my future SEs (although I've read otherwise on these boards!!). I am following the AC with T, but my dx is different from yours.

Got my hair cut short today in anticipation of it beginning to fall out next week. Not my style but it doesn't really matter since it will all be gone soon. Enjoyed a long walk by myself (1st time!), and it was so nice. Still mulling over returning to work...

HUGS to all, and best wishes to all starting tx this week. We're going to make it!

Kim

Hello Ladies: I signed on thinking a January Chemo thread was needed and it was already here.  Thanks Lisa.  Had my surgery on Dec. 4th.   Was waiting on Onocotype test results and hoping right to the end that it would relieve me of the chemo treatments, but no such luck.  My oncotype test score came back at a 47!  Dr. said he is going to throw the full load at me.  I will start Thursday (January 8th) and will get Adriamcin/Cytoxanl every two weeks for 4 treatments and then Taxotere every 3 weeks for 4 treatments.  Will have chemo then radiation and hormone therapy for five years.

I will not be having a port put in.  My dr. thinks my veins are going to work.  Hope he is right. Guess the worse that can happen is I'll need a port later on down the road if necessary. 

 Went and got my hair cur real short tonight!  My doctor said I WILL lose hair so I decided to go short first and tham maybe it would not be such a shock to me and other  that know me.  Not to mention I've done a lot of reading which has said just easier to deal with hair falling out if it is short.   Will be interesting when I show up at school tomorrow with new hairdo.

 I am a preschool teacher and I hope to continue to work through treatment but don't want to scare the kids with my bald head so I will probably get a  wig but have heard they are not real comfortable.  Well--my motto--One day at a time!  Got the hair cut today and will worry about being bald when the time comes.

Sorry for all of us that have to be here, but glad to have others to share the journey.  Hope you are all feeling well TODAY.  Will get back on to report on my first treatment soon. 

Patti

Hi all, and hugs to all!

I'm scheduled to have my port put in this friday morning. I also just found out (yesterday) that I'll need radiation after chemo. Sigh. I'm now trying to decide between TAC, a study that''ll give me either TAC or just TC, and something called dose dense, that would give me AC every two weeks for four weeks, and then taxol every two weeks for four weeks. I don't know how to decide ... any suggestions? Thanks!

Patti and GyrffinSong: Glad you found the January Jewels, but sorry at the same time, ya know? LadyJane, I'm thinking of making a surprise visit to my 3 classes of students on Thurs or Frid, so they can see my new do (and how to tell 1st, 2nd, 3rd graders you're going to lose the hair?). We have the same treatment plan, but I'm doing the Avastin trial. Good luck Thurs.

Gryffin--good luck deciding. Deciding on participating in a study is so hard. I'm really nervous about mine, but feel that there might be great benefit, and my onc. recommended it. However, there are SEs I'm worried about, but on the plus side they will be monitoring me very closely. Whenever I asked about the serious SEs, the onc and trial coordinator said they're extremely rare, and I'd be fine. I told them if they thought I could handle it I'd do it..hope that's not blind faith. 

Lisa: Wow--4 miles. Go girl!   I need to get some scarfs--but have to figure out how to tie them.  I'll have to ask my teenage daughters about the current down south look...

Good night all, and Hugs.

kim

Hi Alo123,

Welcome to the club.  I'm on Oahu too.  Will start my chemo on Thursday.  I will have 4 treatments of AC - doxorubicin (adriamycin) and cyclophoshamide every 2 weeks.  Then 12 weekly Paclitaxel.  I'm nervous about starting but also very anxious to get started.  I'm having chemo therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor.  My onc and BS firmly believe this is the way to go. 

i can't remember... can i take my fish oils (EPA-DHA) pills during chemo?  I think they said no to milk thistle, but fish oil was recommended right?  starting chemo tomorrow....

a

Carlajane,

I am with Renrel on this, too.  I didn't know anybody in this area and felt very alone and scared, too.  But when my husband told our son's gymnastics coach that our son won't be able to attend this weekends' meet due to his traveling out of state and my situation, one of the gymnastics mom called me up today and told me that she had breast cancer two years ago, too!  She said she will support me 100%, she offered to take my son to the meet, she is giving him a ride to and from gymnastics every week, she is giving me advice on how to get through chemo, teaching me how to make protein drinks, etc. etc., and she lives close by!  You never know where help lies!  Also, my husband called up our real estate agent that we knew lived close by to ask him if he would be our emergency contact during his absence.  Turns out that he went through cancer, too, and he and his wife is offering to help!  I am getting support from two wonderful families that I hardly know!  I feel so much safer now.  I am kicking myself for not asking sooner.  So reach out for help!  Mimi

Hi all:  Got my hair cut real short last night and when I went to school today as Renrel wrote the kids werer like new hair....on with their own business.  I do think the majority of them will not even question the loss of hair.  One thing I read on here was to not say the medicine I am taking for my sickness caused it!!  I thought that was good advice can you imagine the problems that could create in getting them to take their medicine.

Tomorrow is the big day for me.  I am working in the a.m. and due to start chemo at 2 p.m.  I am so grateful to have my job and my students to distract me until the time comes. 

Got to go make some dinner for the kiddos.  I think it may  be a late night for me so I'll probably be back.  If not I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

Patti

Hi all:

Miss Andrea--I just saw my accupuncturist, who is also trained as an oncologist, and she said fish oil is fine. But now I can't remember how much...

Jess--good luck with work. I've been calling around to get the accommodations form, and think with plenty (like no yard duty, cafeteria duty, more breaks, maybe limited day length), I can do it.Pretty much all the medical people say take time off, but I want to try (and I just put in for my student teaching--which I might delay til next year before my cred. expires--I'm feeling pretty crazed by it all).

Renrel--I had a PET/CT, and I took an Lorazepam before. I had to sit in a chair for 1 hour quietly waiting for the radioactive sugar to go through my body. Didn't do the other scans (I guess the PET covers all bases). PET/CT is more of a donut--unlike the MRI tube, so you're not completely enclosed. Didnt' hurt al all.

Patti and ddlatt--good luck with starting chemo! I'm having my second AC the day after your first, ddlatt. Hope it goes ok again.

My short hair looks better today than after the stylist spiked it out, and I went out and bought some material remnants thinking I might be able to figure out how to sew a scarf..We'll see! I might just need to go with the "turn a t-shirt into a turban" that I learned from the Looking Good Feeling Better people.

Kathy,

<:AtomicElement>Are you from Michigan?  Yeah, Lake Superior in July is wonderful