Starting Chemo April 2009

Hi tulipbebe,

I'm a member over on the march thread but as I don't start until 31 March and have a 24 week protocol I'll be going much longer than all those lovely girls, so may I be an honorary member of your group too?

I'm doing AC-T, but my start date was delayed until 31 March so that I too could do fertility treatment. I have had part of one ovary removed and frozen for reimplanting later, and am right now doing the injections hoping I get a good crop of eggs to freeze. I do have a boyfriend but things are a bit new for us to freeze embryos so eggs it is.

 I totally sweated on the arrival of my period, and of course given all the stress it arrived late even though the fertility doctor had given me medication to bring it on! So don't be surprised if you are later than normal.

 I'm also going to be on Zoladex which is meant to reduce the risk of permanent infertility somewhat. Am happy to discuss precise IVF drugs etc if that would be of any assistance to you.

Hi to all,

I will be starting Chemo in the next few weeks and have been given a few options by one onco.  I am planning to get a second opinion from another on the 27th of March and was wondering everyones thoughts on the second opinions or if it just gets more confusing on what treatment to go with.  TAC was the highly aggressive, highly recommended treatment but the side affects of the Adriamycin were very scarry..... Heck it is all scarry because diagnosis to treatment has only been 2 months... What are thoughts on Radiation as well... No fertility here either since had to have partial hysterectomy at 37...  

I am starting 6 cycles of TAC on 1st April.

I'm 44 and my sister was diagnosed 10 years ago at 33 (she's healthy now with 2 great kids since treatment). I live in Northern Virginia but originally from England.

I'm hoping to be able to work through treatment, at least some of the time, too.

Hi tulipbebe and other April ladies (you're going to need a cute name!)

 I'm doing 4 lots of AC, three weeks apart, and then 12 weeks of Taxol. My oncologist offered me that or FECx3 and Taxotere x 3, which would have been 6 weeks shorter but with more severe side effects. I want to keep working, so picked the longer but less side-effect heavy regime. Fingers crossed that is how it works out!

I had one third of one ovary removed and it is now neatly sliced into 90 pieces and in the freezer! My doctor tells me they have had great success with the re-grafting, though not many actual babies yet.

 So what is everyone doing about head coverings, etc? I have bought a whole lot of headwraps from www.headwraps.com.au and am going to get a wig from the range of  www.reneofparis.com.

Hi Lou,

 Like you I started with waist length hair and my recommendation is to do it in stages. Don't go really short all at once. I had mine cut to the length in my pic a few weeks ago, and next Monday will have it cut to pixie length. Then the shaver will come out  on day 14 or so after my first treatment. 

I think it helps - I have always defined myself as some one with long hair and it takes some time to alter that view of myself. I really like my present cut but am in some ways looking forward to the shorter one. After all, if it were not for the fact it is going to fall out anyway I would never have had the guts to try short hair! 

Good plan!

I am also starting in April.  Going with AC+T and may get into a clinical study that adds Bevacizumab depending on my Oncotype score.  I had my hair cut short yesterday, looks really cute, should have had it done a long time ago.  I am not worried about fertility, my daughter is graduating high school this year and going off to college in the fall.  Good luck to all of you.

Apparently this a study they are conducting, clinical trial at this point.  The drug was originally intended for colorectal cancer but has shown some promise in lowering recurrence in other types of cancer including breast cancer.  I thought, what the heck it's not like it is replacing any of the other treatments, just adding on.   Bevacizumab also known as Avastin blocks the growth of blood vessels in the tumor.  It is approved for treatment of metastic breast cancer.  The study I am thinking about going in is to see the benefit of non-metastic cancer.  I was a little leary about getting into a clinical study but I figure if people don't do these types of things, cancer may never get cured.  I would be concerned if they were replacing the standard chemo with this but they adding this on to the regular regiment.

I'm going to start FAC on April 14th.  Is anyone else getting FAC?  I'm getting a central line put in on April 13th (not a port...temp IV line for chemo) which I'm not looking forward to, and then on the 14th they start the first of four treatments.  It's a several day process.  Day one is 1/2 the F, all the C and then home with a portable pump to infuse the A over 48 hours.  Stay home on day 2 then back to the center on day three to have the pump removed and get the other half of the F.  Anyone have anything remotely similar to this schedule?  I don't think I've run across anyone who doesn't get this all in one go.  Would be interested to know other people's schedules.  Thanks!

Cooking tonight... I am getting my port on Wednesday, and husband is out of town, so I am making chicken casseroles and lasagne so I won't have to cook the rest of the week.  There will be some left for when I start chemo - who knows if I will want to eat it?!

I am not looking forward to getting the port - I've seen many reports of it being more painful than breast surgery.  I had my lumpectomy/SNB on 3/4 and I have been sore ever since in the area between the two incisions (fluid/swelling). I still can't wear a bra all day, so I'm hoping the port heals faster than that.

I was asked to consider a clinical trial of TCx6 vs. TACx6.  They want to find out if the TC works as well as TAC with less side effects - if it does that would be a great treatment advance. I still might go in the trial - there's a 50/50 chance I would be on the same treatment anyway, just not sure yet as I don't know if my insurance company would still cover all the treatments if I get TC as apparently its not officially approved.  But I've seen lots of people on other threads say they are getting TC... so maybe the insurance would not be a problem (it will cost them a lot less than TAC + a Neulasta shot each time!)   Has anyone else had issues with insurance for a clinical trial?

Hello all  - I got my pixie cut  and I love it! You should definitely consider getting a cute short cut, even if only for a few weeks (mine will fall out in three). Might as well take what pleasure we can from all this crap.

Lets see how much of the world us special April ladies can cover.  Such as...I am in Idaho.