Starting chemo January 2009?

Saving Grace!!!! LOVE IT!!

Alo, did my first meeting at work last week without a wig/hat.  Went surprisingly well. Hope yours does too.  The first one was the hardest.

 Hi everyone. Hope everyones doing well. I feel like I got beaten up. My body started aching yesterday afteroon not long after the shot. My neck all the way down my back is very achy. I'm trying to do laundry but having a hard time bending. Oh well it only lasts for a day or two.

Jillyg-love the name for your team. Good luck with that. I read that you really need to train for at least 3 months before doing these 60 mile walks. I know I couldn't do it right now. No energy. I am planning on walking for the Race for the Cure thats coming to Cleveland in September. I should be good and ready by then.

The wig thing is driving me nuts too. I feel like people know I'm wearing one when I go into a store or restaurant. I'm really thinking about cutting it  some more or taking it to the salon where I bought it and have the stylist redo it. I can't stand wearing it. Luckily, its so cold here, I just wear a hat  when I go out. I bought a scarf with a brim on it from tlc. Its really cute but I don't know how to tie it. Well, got to get my body moving and get the laundry done. hope all of you have a great week.

Evita (you go girl!   I didn't get a port, so the nurses have to start an IV each time and then give me the three pre-meds IV, then the 1 hour taxol infusion.  It's the whole process, including getting weighed & BP & temp checked, that takes about 3 hrs.

I've been having that achy flu-like feeling with Taxol.  Took a salt water bath last night (2 cups, no iodine) & baking soda (1 cup) with lavender essential oil - - slept well!  (k, also took two ibuprofen and one ativan, but this was still better...)

Hey gang,

Day 4 of 4th A/C (can I just say hooray?)  A little sleepier this time but still maintaining pretty well.  Walked on the treadmill yesterday and Saturday and that seems to be helping.  Neulasta this morning and so far so good.  Maybe I did the Claritan right this time???

Hair is going fast now but it's hard to complain as I'm over 6 weeks out from my first treatment!  Actually the wig is about one million times more comfy without the stubble.

Got a call from my 9 year old at school today who wanted to make sure I'm ok, bless her heart.  She's such a sweetie. 

I hope everyone is feeling ok today.  Hang in there!

Diane

Hi all, hope everyone is well,  

i don't wear my wig either, i have lots of hats and scarves,

i have my #  3 tx of taxotere on thursday, hope it goes well, i just feel so tired and achy after. i have blood drawn and see the onc thursday too b4 chemo, hopefully counts will be ok.

hang in there everyone, hugs

becky

Will a head cold delay treatment? I don't have a fever just have a scratchy throat and feel tired. I'm not sure that is what it is--but I'm on day 20 after my 2nd TAC tx. I go to the Onc. tomorrow and have bloodwork done too.....just wondering, couldn't stand the thought of dragging this out. Tx 3 is supposed to be Thursday.

Hi everyone

I just found this site and thought would give a try.  I was first dx with breast cancer at 32, I am now 52 (a young 52)  I just started chemo for the first time on 2/18/09.  I will have #2 this Wednesday.  Not sure what to expect.  Mixed feeling.  I'm starting on Abraxane and them adding another if I do well. 

Can anyone tell me what to expect.  I cut my hour at work to 1/2 days for this week and taking the month of March off.  I work with small childern and my doctor told me that I didn't need to get sick.  And boy do these kids get it all.  I have heard different thing about the drug.  I understand it fairly new.

Any info woud be great.

I agree with the wig, too.  I feel soooo self conscious wearing the wig (although everybody says they can't tell and it looks good) that I'm starting to go out with a scarf and put up my hood over it.

It is day 11 after tx 3 on TC and I'm finally starting to feel good.  I hate to say this, but SE may be cumulative.  I think I had a harder time this time.  and my taste buds are not coming back yet.  Not looking forward to #4...  One more problem.  My nails are starting to feel funny.  sensitive when touched.  I hope my nails stay on!  Do nails come off from taxotere? 

Hi all--Good luck to us who are getting txs this week. I get my first of 12 Taxols, and just got the SE list. I'm worried about the neuropathy. Hope my dr. is right that this is easier than AC. I'm so far just getting steroids in the IV. I guess my reaction to Taxol will determine if I take pills.

WBC still down, so got a 4th Neupogen at higher dosage today. Get a followup Echocardiogram tomorrow. Glad it's not a Muga.

JillyG--Saving Grace is great--when is your walk? The one in SF is in July, and I can't imagine I'd be up for it since I need to do radiation.

Hugs to all! Kim

whoops, make that day 5 of cycle 3/4.  I just wish it was cycle 4

Hi Ladies!

 I just received my first of 4 Taxols yesterday and still waiting the SE. Since I know many of you will start Taxol in the next coming days/weeks, I will let you know what my SE will be as soon as they will occur.

We will all destroy cancer..

Have a great day!

Christian

Welcome Christian.  I'll be interested to see what your SEs are.  I hope it goes well. 

I am sorry to hear that some will have or have had transfusions.      

I am four days from the last AC and am starting to feel OK again.  At this point I have a crampy stomach but that's the worst of it for now.  I didn't take Claritin and maybe should have but I just feel I give all my money to Walgreens.  I didn't want to buy anything else or put another drug in my body.  So, I had awful muscle tenderness for a while but it is gone now...I mean in every muscle in my face, throat, back....all over my upper body.  I had some chest pains too.  It was like the first AC and I didn't call the Dr this time.  I just drank a lot of Gatorade and water and made sure it didn't get worse.  All done. Whew.  On to Taxol.

I was told to brush 4xs a day and to brush my whole mouth.  I was warned to floss gently and I do.  I would think bacteria build-up from NOT flossing would be the greater risk.      

Shocked - I can't stand the smell of the saline flushes.  The Herceptin they use to flush the Port also nauseates me.  I can smell them both now, like they are stuck in my throat.  I am so glad I am done seeing the red bag.  I couldn't even look at it the last time.  My night sweats are the yuckiest though....I hate to say, like wet dog.  I have to whip my jammies off and shower right away.  I was told I smelled nice yesterday by my Brent, which surprised me.     

I have been living in this house just 5 months and the oven is unlevel or something.  I tried to make a nice cake, ran around getting the best ingredients and put my heart into it, and it fell.  I've never made anything here that hasn't fallen or been too dense.  I'll see if I can level the stove somehow.  All the talk of fresh bread has me wanting to bake.  It's cold here too so that would be nice.  

I had to sign for FedEx the other day and did not have time to throw anything on my head.  I wonder if he realized the reason for my baldness.  He was in a hurry and barely seemed to notice.  I am getting used to the ease of a wig.  By the time it's warm I hope to have at least a crew cut if not a pixie.  That's probably wishing for a lot.        

On the topic of hanky panky....we were managing to get our thing on and in my irrepressable perversity I told him to pull my hair.  He told me that I was terrible, we had a good laugh and despite my best effort I did not ruin the moment.  

Oh my.  I think I have an OK handle on day to day matters.  I am trying.  

Another interesting thing......I woman who worked in my unhappy office went back to nursing school a few years ago and is now one of the nurses at the cancer clinic.  It has been so nice catching up. She is doing so well which inspires me.  She's been mixing my chemos.  Anyway, she told me that a lot a people have an empty nest effect when treatments are done.  She said it can leave quite a void after all the intense attention on the illness and treatments.  I wonder if I will feel that.  I think I will really be ready to move on, but we'll see.  I've been keeping it in the back of my mind that in some way, being done with chemo could be a hard adjustment.      

I like my plastic surgeon a lot, he is so nice and easy going, and I think he did a good job, but not great. They look fine but I have symmetry issues.....it is slight but I would like them to be, well, perfect.  I am not trusting him to do any revisions or nipple/areola, simply because he does not have pictures.  I met two other surgeons here and was not sold.  I have to find someone.  That's another project.  Anything I have done will have to be in the local area or close by.

Hope everyone is having a good day and is feeling alright.  We are all one day closer to being done.  Woo Hoo!