Starting Chemo February 2009?

Thanks again to everyone for your updates!  It DOES help...  AND... yes PLEASE list your chemo kit must-haves!

Nancyb7912... Yep, count me in the working (or trying to) full-time group.  This is the time of the year when I usually work 60 to 70+ hours a week.  Cutting back will mean working only 40 hours a week IF I can get away with that.  BLAH!  I get paid by the hour and I haven't really asked yet, but I'm assuming I don't have unlimited sick time. 

Wow - I haven't been reading for a coule of days and there is so much more info!

I had my first round of AC on Monday - the actual time I was there was no big deal but by 4 pm I felt like I had the flu - I was nauseous, muscles were cramping and I had a bad headache - Day 2 I was tired but felt better - and now I'm up at 4:30am on day 3 feeling like I'm going to barf again.  I'm keeping up with the anit-nausea pills - not sure what else to do...

CanITBeTrueNH - I'll try pedialyte...thanks for the suggestion!

Any other suggestions?????????  I don't want to do this again -  

Suzmarks - I have a Power Port too - it's wonderful!  I just got it last Friday and used it on Monday - it was so nice not to be "stuck"

Good luck to all of you starting today - it will be over before you know it, and you will be "one down"!! By this time next week you will even be feeling like your old self again.

 Mom of Boys - hope you manage to cope with working OK. I am home with my kids, so I have it a little easier. The first week I would have found it hard, but the next two weeks I have been fine, so hope it is the same for you.

Carol -  hope you get to sleep at last. Must suck having to do this all again. You are still here fighting though. Keep it up, I bet this time you are done with it for good!

Terri - hope you start to feel better soon. I felt very up and down the first week too, walking helped a lot to clear my head. Not sure how snowy it is where you are,  but even a trip around the block seemed to help me a lot. Hang in there, by next week you should start feeling a bit more normal!!

I've been thinking of tips that helped after treatment - I found my mouth to be quite tender afterwards, so stock up on soft food that is easy to eat for the first week. I've frozen a couple of casseroles to pull out next week, just to save having to cook. Also I drank loads of Gingerale. I am not a soda drinker usually, but water tasted "off' for some reason!

Also, I have signed up with an organisation called ChemoAngels. You get adopted by a couple of "angels" who send inspirational letters and small gifts every week when you are on chemo - thought it might give me a lift! Here's their web site - http://www.chemoangels.net/

Anyhow, hope everyone has a great day. It is freezing here, minus 20 or something silly.

Hey Ladies,

Good luck to the group starting treatment today. Hang in there, rest as much as you can, and drink lots of fluids and take your laxative starting tonight!

Well I'm happy to report I feel much better today, almost 100%.  Got home from work last nite and I seemed to have perked up instantly. Hmmmm... maybe it's work that is not doing me good:-)  Finally FINALLY slept last nite! wohooooo!!  So I did make it into work on-time this morning, well ok almost ontime (1 hr late).  One thing though is my appetite is at an all time high... I was so craving sweets last nite, so me and my daughter had a bowl of ice cream around 7pm. oh boy that better stop!

I agree on the "too much reading " and "internet".  I was getting to the point where I was diagnosing myself and driving myself and hubby crazy with all the stuff I was reading.  There are just too many conflicting things out there on breast cancer including the research and it's probably best for us to not read too much.  My onc. even told me to "stop reading". I know sometimes it's hard but I have cut back significantly, and I feel better!

KerryMac - I too signed up for ChemoAngels back when I started in September. They are the most wonderful group of women in this world!

Terry42-what anti-nausea meds are you taking?  No one really should be barfing during chemo, the meds should take care of that.  Tell your onc, you might need something stronger then what you are taking.

Hang in there girls!

Sue 

KerryMac - here's to hoping the extra Kytril works wonders this time.  <insert me holding up a wine glass>

I've been to CafePress.com several times... I agree they have some hilarious shirts!  I need to get mine picked out as well!

Going this week or maybe first of next week to get a short cut... and then wig.  OR, should I do it the other way around... find a cute short wig and then cut my hair?  Suggestions?

Just wanted to say to all you February 2009 gals, I was a February 2007 chemo cruiser and today was the day I had my first treatment two years ago. Happy to report that life DOES return to a new "normal" (whatever that is!) and wishing the very best for all of you. It ain't easy, but it is "doable."  And if there is anything I can do to help - just send me a message. We are all walking slightly different paths but hopefully we end up in the same place - dancing with NED! (No evidence of disease.)

Bless you all.

Well I have just returned from my first Chemo, AC...I am feeling a little bit bad, but it's doable so far... my DH sat with me and is now going to fill the anti-nausea meds. I have cried solid for the last two days and am very relieved to have this one done.....Neulesta shot tomorrow, so I has DH to pick up some Clariten, I will try anything to keep from hurting anymore. I have a port so thank God that was not an issue.  I do not believe I have ever been so nervous about anything then I was this, not even the double mast with reconstruction scared me like today did?

I was going to try to go back to work tomorrow, but we will see how I am doing by then.  I am not hungry but my DH keeps asking me what I want to eat?? any ideas?

I hope everyone else going through this today is feeling okay. You are all in my prayers.

Jaimieh, I saw that no one had answered your heartburn question yet. 

I'm from the May 2008 chemo thread, and I finished 4 rounds of Taxotere & Cytoxan in June.  I had horrible heartburn (acid indigestion & gastric reflux) during my first round of chemo. It really was awful--I didn't feel like eating anything; it made me nauseous; and I think it even contributed to the diarrhea I developed around day 3 or 4 (after the constipation went away--LOL).

I tried all sorts of things, like Rolaids and Mylanta and over-the-counter Pepcid.  Nothing worked, and I was miserable.  I finally called my onco about it, and she said to get the strongest OTC antacid I could find.  In the U.S., that would be Prilosec OTC, available as omeprazole.  She said to take it at double the label dose (i.e., take 2 x 20 mg each morning), and keep taking it as long as necessary.  The label says to stop after a certain number of days and then wait like 40 days or something; but my onco said not to worry about all that.  She also said if generic OTC Prilosec at 2x the OTC dose didn't work, she would call in a prescription for Protonix.

OTC Prilosec at that double dosage worked great for me.  I had to start taking it the morning of my chemo infusion, or the day after the infusion at the latest (it takes awhile to kick in).  I took it for about 10 days of each cycle but didn't need it after that until the next round.

Getting the indigestion under control was a huge thing for me.  That was one of the worst SE's I had on TC.  Watch out, though:  even with Prilosec, I couldn't eat certain foods--especially fatty foods, like fried things.

otter 

Also, I want to add:

For everyone having SE (like heartburn, constipation, nausea) don't hesitate to call your MD's... even if you are just going to get reassured that those SE are OK.  We are paying a TON of $$$ to these onc's and should expect supportive care in addition to the chemo drugs. Really... I have several close friends who are MDs and they HATE it when people "suffer through" whatever illness without calling.  You never know, they may not be treating you for heartburn (or whatever else) because they don't realize that you are experiencing it.  So CALL!!!

my diet was very plain the first time, oatmeal, nuts, fruit, juice, rice and maybe toast...rice cakes were great too.. altho a bit crunchy after a while. i had no problems with the digestive process.  i missed my hot peppers, spices, lemon and vinegar big time   -

(my mouth is already a bit sore after one treatment and i go in again tomorrow)

1st tx down, 7 to go.

everything went fine. they had some trouble placing the needle in my port - which wasn't fun, considering how sore it still was (and they let me pop an ativan, because it got me all wound up) - but once we got past that, it was smooth sailing. the doctor was walking around cracking jokes, asking if i had questions. true to my guess, i wound up peeing every 10 minutes. my chemo nurse is adorable. i took my emend just before we began. i was a little willy-ied out watching the red stuff go in - but i tried not to think of it killing my hair follicles, but killing any residue cancer cells. i finally figured out how to use my new ipod (to drown out regis & kelly & rachel ray & the hens on the view, ick). tried to read, couldn't concentrate, next time, it's vapid girly magazines. was there nearly 4.5 hours, but she said it'll be less next time. (they push the bags slow the first time.)

came home beat. ate some oyster crackers and drank a huge thing of gatorade while the mr went and got my pills. now i'm feeling ... i don't know. a bit off. still tired. woogly. stoned? not really queasy, but maybe ready for ginger ale. i took one dexamethasone @ 4 pm, then figured what the hell, and took one ondansetron @ 4:30. i think i want to go proactive, even tho they said take them if i feel nauseous. they didn't say take them if you think you might feel nauseous.

no one on my team has ever heard of the neulasta-claritin connection. they looked at me like i had two heads. so i don't know what i'm going to do after my shot tomorrow. part of me wants to see if i do have an allergic reaction first - i'm taking enough meds as it is, why take something else synthetic that i may not need? but then part of me would like to ward off possible excruciating pain. (my doc said i may have a little back pain.) definately taking the senokot-s tonite. that's not an option, i didn't even ask them about that one. being blocked up is nearly as distressing as puking, for me.

i do not have high hopes for the biotene mouthwash. it may very well MAKE me puke. what's the other mouthwash - baking soda and salt? is that to prevent sores or is that when they've already reared their ugly little heads? 

(((grace))) i'm glad your mr stayed with you. mine did too, except for a jaunt to find a newspaper. next time it'll be easier, hon. i promise. just take pleasure in thinking that now it's ONE LESS TX! i know everyone's different, but my nurse said that her patients usually feel very tired on day three. which for me, will be saturday, which will be perfect. tomorrow i'm playing by ear - might go in for 3 or 4 hrs after the shot. might not, and just go in on friday.

ok. definately time for ginger ale. le sigh. 

hope the other gals are hanging in ok.

(((everyone))) 

ETA: oh, and apple? that uber-adorable jamie lee curtis boy cut you posted the other day? i am soooooo there when my hair comes back. LOVE it!

Thanks otter for answering my ?  I did call my doctor and I just finished poppiing some prilosec OTC  

Ladies... I can't tell you how much strength I'm gaining from your posts.  It is helping me a GREAT deal in knowing I CAN do this.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sharing. 

Nancyb7912 and Susan13 -- thanks for the input.  I'm with you, Nancyb7912... figure I'll just jump and get my hair cut really short.  IF I like it, I'll get a short wig as well.  It's funny how people KEEP asking me about my impending hair loss.  Most say, "Are you SURE you'll lose your hair?"  Yep... unfortunately... pretty darn sure!

Jumping in briefly to report that I too survived my first AC today - and other than being a loooong day - I am happy to report that for me, it was painless and uneventful.  I got Emend an hour before the Adriamycin, also Aloxi (?) IV and have three other anti-nausea rxs "just in case".   Also got the steroid (Dechadron?) IV so expect to maybe feel more effects when that wears off tomorrow.  Normal appetite so far - and feeling a little tired right now - but I always feel tired this time of night!  I had been a little worried that the port had been in six weeks and not accessed or flushed in that time, but the onc hadn't seemed concerned and there was no problem with the port.  Have chugged lots of fluids over last few days - I am a good drinker - had pink urine the first time I peed post chemo but now seems back to normal. 

Dh went with me today - did a little running around filling scrips and did the driving - came home and cooked dinner. God bless supportive hubbies.  DD (age 17) had had a tough afternoon (high school equestrian team drama!) and needed to talk almost as soon as we got in the door - and I was happy that the chemo had been such a non-event that I was able to really listen and focus on her instead of me. 

I go for Neulasta tomorrow - not planning to return to work until next week but if I feel like I can manage a few hours Friday, I may try it - I have a project that needs to hit a significant milestone in three weeks - fortunately, it's an interesting project. 

Glad to see Lisa810 and Grace4me reporting in - where are our other 2/4 girls?  Good luck to Michelle, Double Mammy Whammy and marlo mom who are jumping in with us tomorrow and Friday.  Prayers and positive thoughts to all...

I really am glad that treatment is underway so I can stop having anticipatory side effects and deal with reality!  As well as being a little closer to being done! 

Good night!