Starting Chemo April 2009

Welcome, Eliza.  Of course you can join this group! 

My second daughter's name is Eliza and I have never known another.  It is such a beautiful name.  We named her after Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady - and she ended up being a musical theatre major, heading for NYC in the Fall. Who'd a thunk!!

Tammy

Welcome Eliza!

Ladies - I wanted to let you know that I met with the clinical psychologist at our cancer center today. If you remember, my oncodoc had said that I should take Prozac for 2 weeks and then my husband would decide if I still needed to take it - and I said no, and got very upset about it. Anyway, I had promised my husband that I would go see her and have a relationship in place to deal with any mental health issues that might arise, since I DO NOT want my onco doc to handle those. We had a wonderful meeting and I expressed my concerns and goals and she was very supportive. She said that it is a big problem that doctors are so uncomfortable with the normal human emotions that go along with facing a diagnosis like we have gotten, and they tend to throw drugs at you if you are upset and/or cry instead of realizing it is a normal, healthy reaction. It was a very interesting discussion and I will go see her once/month for the next 2 months just to check in. It is a good resource to have, if your hospital offers it and your insurance covers, might be worth considering. I didn't want to wait until I started to struggle to go see her - wanted her to know the 'real' me (as real as I am these days), so she had something to compare it to later, if needed. Does that make any sense?

Have to ask - my hair is buzzed down to nothing but the hair that hasn't fallen out is GROWING and itchy. What is the deal with this? I thought I'd be smoothly bald like my husband (who shaves his head). I thought we'd be a matched set!  Will the rest of it fall out as the tx continue or is this the way it's going to be? In a weird way, this is WORSE than BALD. The stubbles stick through my headscarf and ITCH.  Anybody else have this happen? Should I buzz it with the clippers again or will it just itch all over again? Very confusing!  (redness and bumps are almost gone, though, so that is good)

Wishing everyone a smooth, SE-free week!

Amy

I received a gorgeous head wrap from FraceLuxe.com also! 

Unfortunately, my head is small and it poofs out in the back and slips off my head really easily.  It doesn't lay on my head smoothly.

Anyone have a remedy for this?  They sent a band with it, but I'm not sure how to use it.  Do you wear it on top or underneath if the wrap is slipping off your head (which mine does).

Alaina, I tried putting the band on underneath to keep the silk wrap from sliding but I'm not sure if that is the way to do it. The pimples on my head felt more irritated from the tight band. Maybe someone else has an answer.

Hmmm....I tried tying it really tight but the elastic poofing out will only let me go so far.

As much as I hate to cut the fabric, I may have my seamstress friend "take it in" (like you do a dress) so that it fits my head more snugly.  I really want to wear it and even want to order more because they are so beautiful!  But I'm a bit too vain to have it sitting on top of my head looking like the Swedish Chef Muppet!  LOL!!!

Had my 3rd of 4 TC last Friday. The nausea and tiredness hit a bit harder than the previous two times, but it hasn't been too bad for me overall so I'll consider myself lucky. I was able to sleep in yesterday and don't need to be in my office until tomorrow, so that is helpful.  For those of you who are wearing wigs, what do you plan to do about swimming? I'm in frozen NH, so we don't have a lot of warm weather to swim in, but I'm trying to figure out whether to just wear a bathing cap, or a cap with a bang fringe, or ??? I haven't been comfortable going "topless", but clearly that would make the most sense. 
Wishing all SE-free days,

Alice

Just wanted to chime in on the scalp problem some are having.  I started Chemo April 9, 4xAC & 4Taxol.  After my 1st tx I had a horrible breakout all over my scalp, chest and some on my face.  I'm normally never prone to skin problems.  My onc gave me an antibiotic and suggest that I use an acne wash on my head.  It was a little hard in the beginning with still having hair.  Now it's a lot easier.  I did not have as bad of breakouts after that 1st tx, just a little with tx #2 and #3.  I'll have #4 on Thursday.  I'm continuing to use the wash even when it is somewhat cleared.  My onc told me also that it's not very common.  Thanks to everyone for all their input I've learned alot of helpful things.  I've only posted a couple times, so I'm pretty new here.  Good Luck and thinking of everyone in this with me.  

I am so Happy! Today was my last A/C - It is small but it is a milestone for me. Now in two weeks on to Taxol.

Linda

 I have not been to the site as my laptop was out of commission.  Believe it or not I live with an oncology nurse.....he works at Tahoe Forest so I am being treated up there as I am personal friends with the oncologist there.  I get the Neulasta delivered to my home and Mark gives me the injection.  I telecommute thank God and I am trying to continue working through all of this.

 Hope everything is going well for you.  I have my 3rd round of AC on Thurs

 All my best

Lesley

Had my 2nd treatment today. Chemo day is always a good day. Tomorrow I go for the shot from Hell. I did ask my onc about the horrible bone pain I had from the shot last time. I told her the Claritan & even Vicadin did nothing. She said Vic doesn't help bone pain. Just to take regular Tylenol. & Then Tylenol PM to sleep.

 I also received my scarf from franzlux. It is large for me too. I will try the headband on it. Thanks

Helen, if you have any whitehead looking things, don't put an ointment on!  It will only compound the issue.  If could be folliculitis, and your hair follicles are infected - like mine got.  They prescribed for me an oral antibiotic, cephalexin 500 mg, 3x a day, and clindamycin foam (brand name, evoclin) for the scalp.  My chemo onc's office had not heard of it, by when I was talking to my rad onc yesterday, he said any kind of ointment unless it is an antibiotic ointment, if you have open sores or pustles (white heads), it will not make it better, it will make it worse.  If you just have a bumpy rash, a cortisone cream or whatever they give you will be okay.  Just a heads up, because that is what I've been dealing with for the past three weeks - I can't go bareheaded because I look like a teenager in the middle of the worst acne breakouts you've ever seen, though it isn't acne.  Good luck - I hope it clears up for you but if not, insist on seeing a dermatologist or at least see if they will prescirbe antibiotics and a different treatment for your head.

Take care,

Michele

Helen, I hear you!  After trying to treat it myself, I called the onc's office, because it is a side effect from the chemo and I thought they should know . . . but they actually had to call me back and admitted they weren't sure how to treat it, and if the cortisone cream didn't work, they'd try something stronger.  That's why I went to the dermatologist, who looked at it and right away knew what it was, and said it isn't unusual for them to see it with chemo patients, but the onc's don't always see it.  Just us "special" people get it!!  Good luck, and keep me posted how you are doing.

Thanks for the ecouragement Amy - I can't tell you what it means to share these little things with you all. For those that are just in mid cycle, if I can make it so can you!

You're welcome, Jeezy.  Good luck and hope they give you something to clear it up.  I can sympathize with that, the back of my head is so sore from me scratching before I knew what it was, and the small amount they took at the dermatologist that it will take the longest to heal.

I agree with you - I would have been absolutely lost without all of my breast cancer sisters!  There was no way I was going to sit in a circle and go to support meetings, that isn't me, but "talking" about everything with you all has been such a help, comfort and encouragement.