**NEW** Starting Chemo March 2009

Wow there are so many of you ladies going today for #1 or #2 I'm going to spend the day sending really good karma thru the airwaves. Lots of good thoughts for all.

I have been trying to read all the intervening comments and have scared myself a bit. I start chemo on Thursday and I really think I may have underestimated the ravages I am about to suffer. I have this plan in my head that I will be able to work full time except on the days I get chemo, but am now beginning to think that may be unrealistic. I also have an hour long commute to and from work and am worried that my driving ability may be affected.

How is everyone else handling work/chores/family needs during this difficult time?

Linda

5timewinner-

I see where ginagina advised you not to pull out the hair tufts, but it's morbidly fascinating when it starts to happen.  I can't explain it - I was compelled to pull it and "amaze" (disgust) my friends...until big bald patches appeared.  Oh - this is for real - my HAIR is coming out.  I have a few hairs left, and it's so silly the way I baby them.  I still use shampoo and conditioner, and every morning in the shower, I use that time to give my head love and to imagine my hair re-growing.  Quickly.    

Linda 

I know lots of us are working during treatment (I'm on Cytoxan/Abraxane every 3 weeks).  I am lucky to have a job where I can work at home on the couch, so I usually do that...chemo day is Friday, Saturday and Sunday are lie-around-watch-movies, and work at home for the following few days.  I think I COULD push it and come in if I had to, but it's nice to conserve my energy for important things - like napping.  Another plus - at home, I can wear a buff or go bald instead of putting my head in this itchy vise also known as a wig...Plus you never know when that laxative is gonna kick in... how did I get here?  42 years old and the highlight of the week is when the Senekot takes effect.  

Doctor now might want to do a liver biopsy but i'm gonna try to avoid that at all costs. no more biopsies for me hopefully. i already had my PET scan and abdominal ultrasound so i know there is nothing major going on. Just wish the levels would normalize already. Pray for me that yesterday's blood work shows improvement.

Does this mean i'll have to join the April Chemo board? is there one set up yet?

Reeny-

Didn't see your post til after I posted... thoughts and prayers are with you for your levels!!

You are welcome to stay here if you want, no need to move to another board! Many of us here will be going through treatment for quite awhile, so feel free to stick around!

Just returned from my second chemo cocktail of AC.  The first go around left me throwing up the day of chemo and then had me laid low with nausea and vomiting on the week-end.   My Onc has tweaked my meds.  She is having me use a patch for 5 days, Sancuso.  Anyone else tried this?  I will take Emend for an additional two days and phenegran on a sceduled basis.  I also have Ativan for sleep.  At the end of today's chemo I got 1 mg of Ativan.  I am home and so far I feel much, much, better than that last infusion day.  I will go in tomorrow for my Neulasta shot, which will hopefully keep my neutrophil count from dropping to zero.  I spent 5 days in the hospital with a fever and was placed on IV antibiotics.  My Onc was not happy that I had not called her about the nausea and vomiting, I thought it was a given. So all you other cocktail ladies make sure you call the Onc or nurse if you are feeling yucky.  There seems to be an arsenal of drugs available to make us feel better.  I will be back at work tomorrow morning. Hope all you cocktail recipients are doing well.  I enjoy reading all the tips and pointers for making it thru chemo.  Take care and I wish all of you the very best.............

 Cathy

Ladies I am home from round #1.  Everything went as good as I could have hoped.  No reaction to the taxol or herceptin.  The only SE so far is headaches from the steroids.  I knew I would probably have those since I have had them with prednisone before.  When I stop taking the steroids they will disapear and right now tylenol or vicodin takes care of them.  I was there from 8:15 to 4:00 because they give it as slow as possible and they give 3 other things first, Zofran, Tagamet and benedryl. Came home with scripts for 2 other nausea meds.  Zofran being one and the other is taken 3 times a day for next 3 days.  Zofran only as needed.

I work 20 or so hours a week and they are letting me be flexible. My husband is retired for the Illinois Dept of Natural resources and bakes as a hobby, so he is around to help with cleaning and meals.  He is wondeful.  Just doesn't talk about  my diagnosis  much.

Marshall 2000 I live just outside Champaign- Urbana the home of the University of Illinois. 

Had tx2 today.  I must say I have a killer headache!  I've taken everything I am supposed to take and it still won't go away.  I am trying to relax but it is hard with such a pain in the head.  The nausea is starting as well.  I am hoping to get some rest tonight and feel better tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  Oh yeah, the wait is over and the hair is coming out.  I am going to let my hubby shave my head in a few days at the most.  The kids are excited to see mom with a mohawk.  Pics will be forthcoming when it is done so stay tuned...

Back to resting now.  I will follow the posts as best I can.  Hope everyone else is doing well.

Hugs to all.

Cyndi 

Back from tx#2 and have now been told that I'm HER2+ so I'll be doing Herceptin (sp?) every three weeks for a year on top of everything else.  I'm hoping the Cancer Society (or someone) can provide babysitting services as well as a ride.  It's one thing to ask relative to help out for 6 treatments, but I can't expect them to do it for a whole year ... plus I've got radiation after my July surgery which of course is every day.  It's tough with one car and no sitter :-(

Dear nasharayne,

Thank you.  

Love in Christ,

Sessna1

To all the ladies that had Tx #2 today, hope you did well during it, and know that you made it through another one.  For those scheduled tomorrow, I wish all you girls well; you will get through it.  And when in doubt, ask for Xanax or Ativan to help ease the anxiety if you do feel it would help.

I had Tx #2 today as well.  For the most part it went well except that my veins were not cooperating so much this morning (it took 3 pricks in my veins before it gave in......stubborn bitches).  Then I had a mild reaction with the Taxotere; suddenly my face felt very hot.  Not sure if it was the start of a full-blown reaction but the nurse stopped it.  Then they loaded me with more Benadyl, saline, and then slowly introduced the Taxotere.  Once I felt okay with it, they resumed the normal dosage at full speed.  Btw, have any of you ever gotten Benadryl in your IV?  Holy shyte did that burn!  I said to the nurse, "WTF"?  She apologized and promised that it would subside in a minute or two, which it did.  But holy crap I was ready to dunk my arm in an ice bucket.  But after all that, I was still feeling loopy, sent my husband out to run errands and I slept through most of it.  It's very doable!

kellerka - I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal.  It sucks that now we have to suddenly be so cautious with people around us and catching germs.  But that gives us a good reason not to be around some folks that we tried so hard to make excuses for not wanting to be with them.  LOL!

ginagina - You definitely don't look like a 5-head or 10-head.  You really do look beautfiul.  Matter of fact, all the ladies with pics here truly look awesome.  It shows how tough we are! 

sakura73 - Well even though you're only freezing eggs as opposed to forming embryos, I'm going to tell you and all my funny story.  When I was in the prep room getting ready for my eggs to be extracted, the nurse told my husband that he had to go to this 'uh hum.....private room' which had 'uh hum......adult magazines (basically porn mags)'.  Well, as he was about to walk down the hallway to the room where nurses were all over the place, I yelled out, "Honey, do us proud!".  Needless to say he was embarrassed, put his head down, shook it back and forth just before heading to the 'uh hum......private room'.  Moral of the story?  You have to find humor in every situation, no matter how bad it can be.  And laughter is very good for your health and wonderful for the soul.

Okay, now to the last page and reading all the posts.  Guess my idea of going to bed early got thrown out the window.  Oh well!

Mary

I went back to work for half days and some days I drove myself.  The only reason I didn't drive all the time was it seems I've developed lymphedema and possibly axillary web syndrome.  I start my PT tomorrow morning and will head in to work afterwards.  I only work four hours but I'm exhausted by the time I get home.  There's a gal who takes her tx on the same days I do and she drives herself to and from tx and then heads in to work her full shift ... she is a corrections officer.  When you see her you would never guess she's going thru anything.  Everyone's different and everyone responds differently.  You will be just fine because you've got a lot of strong people on this site who will help get you thru this.

ginagina  - Ummmm ... my hair has started falling out to the point of when my husband ran his fingers thru my hair, he came out with a handful.  All you have to do is touch it and will come out and brushing or trying to comb it makes it come out more.  So I guess I'll be shaving soon, because walking around with a lint roller is really getting on my nerves.

mmdj -- I have a friend who is exactly like you.  She will not step a foot out the door without her face done !  I on the other hand will walk out the door singing 'Take me as I am"! 

Jennifer K - I had my first herceptin today.  After worrying about a reaction to the taxol and not having one (They set a timer  to check on you and raise the rate every 10 minutes) After the 2nd raise she told me I could stop worrying,  If I was going to have one it  already would have and I said what about the herceptin and she said she never seen a reaction to it when it was being given.  Still not haveing any SE's tonight.  The herceptin took 1 1/2 hours for first round, but will probably be under and hour once  we are doing it alone.  Hope this calms your fears some It still doesn't solve your transportation and childcare problems, but herceptin reduces the rate of recurrence  by 50%.  Thats big.  If it was 25% it goes down to 12% just by taking that for a year.  It think its worth it, or I would not be doing it since I am a stage 1 with no node involvement.  But doing chemo, herceptin, radiation and Femara, I go from 25 to 30 % down to less that 5%.  I want to see my grandkids grow up the oldest is 12 and the youngest is almost 4 and my son just got married last month.  So I am going to fight.  No matter what the challenge you need to do the same.  I will pray for you.  Annette