Any May 2009 Chemo Starters?

Jodi -- I think the neulasta shot depends on what sort of chemo you are having and what is the state of your blood count (whatever they are counting) and, apparently the preferences of your medical team. I am on the FEC-T program, just finished round two of the first part and have had none of the shots. Apparently they are more of a possibility in the second half with the "T" portion of the potions. The woman beside me who is just finishing the same program had some of the shots, but the nurse told me it depends. That's the way it is here, anyway. 

 It was most encouraging to meet the woman beside me. One thing I didn't know is that the drug that causes hair loss is only in the first half of the treatments so my hair will start back much sooner than I anticipated. Maybe I will have as much hair as my new grandchild when she is born in September!  Do you know any knitters? My daughter has knit me several excellent hats, my current favourite is made of a very soft microfibre - it's fuzzy and grey, much like my hair when I have some. I wear a wig when I go out so as to continue to look like me. I figure that people's reactions when I look like me will make me continue to feel like me. My 5 year old grandson asked to see under the wig and announced I look like me that way too. He is sooooo wonderful!

Cat - glad to hear spring has made it to Winnipeg - sounds as if there has been a lot of spring snow north of there. I am pleased that spring is bringing my perennials to life here in southern Onario - not going to do bedding plants this year as I forget to water them at the best of times. Some excellent hanging pots on the porch will keep the place cheerful.

Thanks for thinking of me - Texas Rose, hope all is settling down with you.  You have had a rough time of it, I am so sorry.

Cat - congrats on getting the first one out of the way, hope it continues to go well  and to all the other wonderful ladies - I wish you quick relief from any se's .  I am doing good on my 2nd A/C; however, the true test will be labs on Friday.  Hope the antibiotic they have me on will work and no febrile neutropenia Friday!  Sending you all hugs -

Linda

Hi everyone,

I'm having a pretty good day here, the sun is shining .   I've been on here for a couple of hours already, boy the time flies!  Just want to let you know that I'm thinking of you all and really love to read your posts.

Titch, my start date was May 21st.  Hope you're well.

Nancy, thinking of you too.  I wish I hadn't mentioned the smoking thing.  I hope I didn't make you feel bad - definately not my intention.  Who knows why we do what we do... and I agree, it definately helps to be a little crazy.  If I was in my right mind I know I wouldn't be this happy .

Wishing everyone a great day - and hoping the SEs are few.  Anji

Hello May Marvels,

My update - Although I had worse SE's than round 1, today is day 8 and I feel the same as I did day 8 last time.  I was nauseous and fatigued until yesterday afternoon.  One major reason has got to be anemia.  My breathing is labored just walking.  Now that I can tolerate food, I will work some iron into my diet.  

I read every post with interest and really love and appreciate those that summarize others' posts in their own.  It helps get to know everyone. 

My new avatar is me with a wig.  My 8 year old son asked me to take off my wig and show my bald head to the kids in carpool and before I could say I'd rather not, my 10 year old son was screaming "NO".  He said afterward that it would be embarrassing.  They've gotten so used to my bald head at home in just 1 1/2 weeks.  I don't recognize myself in the mirror...especially before I've applied makeup in the morning.

Nancy - we've all got our vices and this little breast cancer episode in our lives surely doesn't make quiting anything easier.

Titch - thank you for the list.  You've got my info correct.  I wonder if anyone knows how to make a post stick at the top and change the name of the thread to our new name.

You are each in my thoughts and prayers and I do marvel at all of your progress.

I had my second treatment today. Feeling wiped out, when I got home, I took a 3 hour nap and I am already thinking about going to bed 3 hours earlier than usual.  The steroids are not giving me any energy at all.  I go back tomorrow for the nulasta shot.

Julie - my legs are aching this time also, I thought it was just me.

TexasRose (Mary) - hope you get to feeling better. I had a little break through nausea the second week also, I think certain smells did it to me.

Mom2twins (Mary) - feels really weird not having hair, doesn't it?

Kelly2 - glad you are having a good week, you must be on the 3 week plan.  Maybe you will be one of the rare ones that don't loose your hair.

Jodi_Smart - my hair was coming out in clumps yesterday and we buzzed it last night.  Feels really weird but at least hair isn't getting into everything. I get the nulasta shot 24 hours after each A/C treatment and zuzee is right, it is very very expensive.  $6500 per shot for me.

zuzee - glad you are doing so well. I too, admire women who can go through this and take care of young ones.  My "young one" turned 16 today.

Titch - you amaze me, you have the flu and still feel like keeping up with the "May Marvels" list. YOU are my hero.

luvtheocean - I am so jealous, I want to go to Florida soooo bad.  When I found out my chemo schedule, we cancelled our plans for this summer.  No matter what happens next year, we are taking our usual vacation to Panama City Beach.

Can-D so glad you are not loosing your hair, it is so tramatic for me.  For your next nulasta shot, try claritin (not claritin D) along with the aleve for the day of and next 2 days.  I did not have any pain at all with mine and I will be getting shot #2 tomorrow.

CatKC- welcome to the group and I loved your story about the head painting.

Indomitable- sorry about the skin peeling.  I haven't experienced that yet.

blondie45 - hope your treatment goes well tomorrow, check in and let us know how you do.

Janet2246 - hope you are doing good this week and feeling great.

Linda - I am so glad your second treatment went better than the first.  I used to work in Kennesaw.

foobs - welcome to the group, I don't think I have said hello to you yet.

Benisse - I think your wig looks very natural. I plan on wearing mine to church and if hubby and I go somewhere nice to eat.  Otherwise, I am sticking with my scarves and hats.

Sorry if I missed anyone, it wasn't on purpose

 If you don't hear from me for a couple of days, just know that I am sleeping the next few days away. 

To the May Marvels!

    Hope everyone is feeling fine today. Sending everyone warm thoughts.  Today is day 6 for me after 1st tx.  Iam still hanging in there, feeling good.  I get my blood work done tomorrow.  I hope I don't need THE SHOT.  I dread it if I do but I have my Aleve and Claritan ready just in case!

     luvtheocean and Texas Rose--How do you get in contact with a Chemo Angel?  I never heard of them.  It sounds like a nice pick me up when you might need one. 

 Wishing everyone a peaceful night,

Geri

Hi Girls

Well I went to Feel Good Look Better today and I was impressed by all the volunteers and goodies supplied by the cosmetic companies. Small world in NZ, 3 ladies recognised me as a fellow golfer. Okay, the wig is now ordered, a kind of Farrah Fawcett wig, from the USA called a cat wig!!! I will post a photo when I have it on. The wig lady told me to take on a different persona. I can do that. I am going to think of the next few months as my - " I wanna  be a movie staar", and my online journal is the new interpretation of Bridget Jones diary. If any of you know fabulous film producers please send them in my direction so that Titch and moi can come to see all of you.

Freezing cold frost here this morning so I wish all of you a warm sunshiny day. Susie

Jodie, My head was so sore in the back that I could not even put my head on a pillow.So the next day after I got home from work I asked my husband to shave it off,I could not believe how much better it felt.The best thing to do is go completely bald because the little stubbles can still be a little irritating.I felt really sad and fought the tears because I didn't want my husband to feel bad about shaving it.I recieved my wig yesterday and everyone says it looks really natural and could not tell that it was a wig.I feel like myself again.Wearing scarves made me feel like everyone was looking at me and thinking that poor woman has cancer.I do have cancer but do not want to look like I do.Hope this helps you,it sure helped me. Take care,Julie

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to say hi.  To everyone receiving treatment this week, hang in there.  As the saying goes, "This too shall pass".  My onc nurse suggested to minimize the nausea, "graze" on saltines.  (you know, like they suggest to offset morning sickness)  That the chemo will stir up acidic fluid in your stomach and if there is something to attack in the stomach (the crackers) will will go to that instead of the stomach lining.  Just a suggestion.

I am going wig crazy.  My wig came in on Saturday, and it is too blond!  (I feel like I should be going on a street corner!)  The lady let me exchange it for a different color.  I had to either go more blond than my natural or more brown...since the blond looked like it washed me out, I went more brown.  (Obviously, I am brown with blond highlights)  I can't even believe that I am so obsessing about this, I really am not into looks this much!  It's more for people who will be seeing me.  I will be having a consult with another place this afternoon. 

I did go to the Look Good/Feel Better program.  It is basically a makeup class.  What was helpful was our lady showed us how to pencil in eyebrows!  You do get a bag with cosmetics to take home and some tips on tying scarves.  There was even a cool trick on how to use a t-shirt as a head wrap. 

That's it for now.  There are so many of us it's hard to address everyone individually, (Deb, you did a great job!)  Especially, like Texas Rose said, my computer doesn't allow me to page back and keep my message.  So, here's well wishes and prayers for all of you.

Janet

Janet and others with nausea - another idea besides saltines to keep little bits of nausea away: carry a little bag of dry cereal. That way you are avoiding salt. I put shreddies, cheerios, corn bran and sometimes graham crackers. This is my brother's idea that he developed for other reasons, and it works very well.  Today at duplicate bridge (Day 3 after round 2 of chemo) I munched away and drank water and our score was quite decent!

Jodi--Smart-check with the American Cancer Society for they usually  have wigs and head coverings for free. I live in a small town and the ACS had tons of wigs and I found 3 which turned out all to be brand new. I am getting them styled tomorrow by a lady involved with the Look Good, Feel better program that the american cancer society have so the styling will be free too.

About the neulasta shot, my onc also just gives when needed. My WBC's arre down quite a bit after my first treatment so I wll be getting one the day after my 2nd treatment which is next Tuesday--June 9 (if my counts aren't too low).

Good luck to all who are having treatments this week. Hearing all the hair stories is helping me. I'm on day 15 and I'm just barely shedding hair. Guess it's coming soon. I keep waiting for it....

Hi all the wonderful May marvels......

I have just returned from the hospital.  A real positive day.  I saw oncologist and know alot more about my cancer.Clinical Stage 3  It is in 2 nodes also, but no other spread.  The also found in my ct scan that I have arthritis in my elbow and hips.  Hehe but I am not worried about that yet.....

The oncologist was stunned at my minimal SE, she said that all the natural things must be working. She didn't inspect my lump but is confident it is not growing any bigger, so next time she wan'ts to see it shrink. She gave some more tips. 

She mentioned "Aloe vera juice" (a drink) for the dry mouth and when mouth starts ulcerating.  

Session 2 for chemo went really good, port was way easily. I am home, and feeling a little tired so I will practice what I preach and go to sleep.  I did grab the sedatives again. 

Catch up soon

Luv4my5girls

I have dexamethasone and ondansetron (steroids apparently) that give you stomach a lining to prevent nausea, I have my first pills just prior to my chemo treatment.  Then I take for 3 days after treatment.  We also get other nausea tablets if I feel nausea during the first 3 days or any ongoing nausea to the next treatment ( I only took for the 3 days after treatment of  these tablets).  My oncolcogist said the 3 days of steroids prevents the nausea.

I have had no nausea at all during my whole first treatment and been able to maintain work, family and every aspect of my "normal" Life.  I can't comment about hyper - as I tend to be full of energy at the best of times.

There are SE of the steroids though.... you get frequent hot flushes in the face for the first 5 days.  You tend to wake in the early morning and not go back to sleep (but I was going to bed way earlier anyway).  But as I have said before, I can work with lack of sleep, can't work being nausaus

But of course what works for me, may not work for others, as we are all on different chemo drugs, sessions, etc. I know Zuzee is on a similar regime (as we share the same oncologist (such a small world) we met here in this website.......  and she appears to be having no probs at all either on the dexamethasone.  

Good night gal.... take care and thoughts will be with you tomorrow.  big hugs....