Starting Chemo in July 2009

PS73-I hope you feel better quickly.  I don't have the thrush symptoms, nausea, or too much bone ache, but I have got heartburn and I'm not eating poorly!!!!  Never had to deal with it in my whole life & I am glad!  Hope it leaves soon.  Also, as PauldingMom points out-very, very tired!  Hope I'm able to work tomorrow.

Joni2 

eliz46 taxotere/cytoxan  july 21 2009

Hi i start the same combo on july 21 i could use some info too, everything is happening so fast. eliz

PS73....I made up a mixture of 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt in a cup of water and brushed tongue with that as well as used it as a mouth rinse.  Helped my hairy tongue. Patti

Hello to All -

I start my chemo on July 23rd.  6 rounds of Taxotere and Cytoxan 3 weeks apart, with a shot the day after each round (forget what the shot is called but will but asking again).  I have not read all the posts here yet, but will get that done in the next or 2. 

It has taken forever from my dx in April to get to the chemo,  not sure I am ready for it but it is here!

Prayers for all

Shae

PauldingMom,

Thanks, made me laugh,"I'm not a doctor, I just play one on BC.org", my first laugh of the day thanks for that! I'm also going to the Look Good Feel Good class today, I'm very excited, how sad is that, that this is what my life has come to. Free wigs and make-up, whippie!!!!

I felt a little bone pain yesterday, but very bearable. I actually stopped taking advil to see what it felt like. It was mostly in my back and only hurt when I stopped moving, needless to say I didn't stop moving. Still not losing hair but I have a feeling today/tomorrow for sure, oh well might as well get it over with. I'm running low on shampoo anyways.

Have a good day everyone!

Julie 

HI gang.  Thanks for the hairy tongue info.  I was given a  rx of nystatin but its not gone yet, I have done three swishes so far and still have a very white tongue.  pretty nasty  Also noticing that I didn't take the claritin yesterday and yesterday was by far the worse day so far.  Just a tip as it may actually be helping w/ the hit by car at 65mph pain I felt yesterday.  I told the nurse about claritin with the neulasta shot and my nurse said she would pass the info along to other patients if we all feel like its helping with pain management, so kudos to the bco teams.   Day six is not a walk in the park but nothing was as bad as yesterday. 

Thanks for the encouragement!

Stay strong gals! 

I am also doing the Look Good Feel Good class today, we need to compair, first chemo in 2 days,

Thank every one for the advice on FMLA, I am on FMLA but I have had 3 different surgeries and am eating it up fast. I had a lumpectomy with SN biopsy- found 1/2 Lymph nodes+. ONC suggested bilat mastectomy but PS insisted that I have radical node dissection on right and SN biopsy on left, then I had a bilat. mastectomy with TE placed.

I had the best sleep last night since i had the radical node dissection, I've had so much swelling I could not sleep on my side until last night and I am very much a side sleeper.

Greetings from the Sahara Desert (that's what it feels like here)....

ONC nurse called last night (Sunday) with resuts from PET/CT scans. Everything looked good...except a few incidentals......enlarged lymph nodes in chest, which they feel is due to the surgeries (HOPE), and 2 cysts on liver (HOPE).  Said I must be a very fast healer cause the CT showed almost no trauma  in the chest area....then why do I feel like a steamroller ran over my chest??? Let's see, also tumor markers for bc came back normal. So, all in all, a good report. Will see onc on Wed.

All you ladies take pics of your Look Good Feel Better selves....can't wait to go!! Mine is Aug 3.

Welcome to all the new ladies.

Joni1 (yes there are 2 Jonis)

Good job Joni 1.  Glad to hear the scans look good.  Hang in there.

I go for my pixie hair cut on sat and am donating my hair to wigs for kids.  The very sweet salon doing my hair cut is donating make up to me since I have to dump my old stuff - they did my wedding parties hair and even the manager showed up to the church to see the nups.  Its hard to  find a true blue good salon like that anymore isn't it?  ..i do need to find that look good class though.  any suggestions?  all I found was look good, feel better.

Welcome to tall the new people. Had chemo #2. the reason some doc do the DD  A/C is that I have a positve node with clean margins on the tumors and not close to the chest wall. Had a mastcomy so no radition.  So I am playng doc#2. The second chemo was much better than the first and faster. i am being very pro active on nausea this time and taking the meds at the first sign of stomach problems. Anybody that acid reflux asl the doctor about pepcid or prilisc before chemo so heartburn, I went on the prilosc and No heartburn tonight. Also claritin and alve before the shot and everday after for awhile. Still losing hair Strength and hugs Dianne

July Chemo Babes (soon to be known by new name!)

Michelle (O2B)  Thank you so much for listing me as an honorary member--I truly am honored!  I love reading all of your posts and it is wonderful to see how you are supporting each other.  You have taken charge of your situations--shows how strong you are now; believe me, you will come out of this even stronger.  My onc told me that women who participate on sites like BCO, do some research, ask questions, and just generally are more "involved" in their care, have "better outcomes."  I didn't really understand until a couple of weeks ago, I sat in the chair next to a woman who just kept repeating, "My doctor said I'll get really sick and lose my hair"  to anyone who would listen.  Geeze.  Yeah, we may get sick (but thank God for Emend and Aloxi) and we may lose our hair...but we're going to have great futures!  So, go for it.

 Off soap box now (but slightly strung out from steroids today...sorry) will soon go wash some windows or something to work this off.

Quarter405  I believe this is referred to as Chemo Farts!  I have a friend doing chemo for colon cancer and she gets it really bad sometimes.  It hit her in a meeting a while back, and when I realized why she was heading for the door, I tried to "cover" for her and distract the others until she could get away.  Problem was I started laughing so hard--guess what...yep.

Jacee  Thanks for sharing the info on the node dissection and lymphedema.  I found some stuff on the lymphedema threads, but your info made it come together.  I didn't realize about the pad rather than a string, either.

PauldingMom  Good points about Ports.  The stabilizing stuture on my first one broke, so the port flipped over...long story, but I ended up needing to have  it removed and a new one put in three weeks ago.  It's working fine, but if I had problems, I would definitely go for number 3.  A port helps you make the best of a bad situation. 

PS73  I hear ya on the constipation.  My sister (no BC) has that problem naturally, so I asked her for advice.  She said she eats dried apricots every night.  I bought a 12 oz. box, sat at my desk and snacked on them all day--so healthy.  That night I had the most God-awful cramps and diah. I ever remember having.  Called sis; she asked how much I ate.  She ended up laughing at me so hard I hung up (well, I had to go to the bathroom anyway).  She told me later that she eats exactly 4--I have eaten 0 since.

Too long post--apologies.  Off to find the Windex.  Take care. Helen (Gramof3)

BUT WAIT...there's more.  Some time when you're a bit down, check out www.chemoangels.net.  It's a group of wonderful, dedicated women who support chemo patients by sending cards and small gifts. It's a free service, and I have been blessed by Angel Diane from PA and Angel Michelle from MD. It has been fun and uplifting, and I'm planning on becoming a Chemo Angel when I've finished my TX. 

O.k. this is it.  hb