Starting Chemo in July 2009

Tougher than - I wanted to make sure you had right info for asking doc - EMEND is a pill. They usually give you enough for 3 days. The patch which they added to my drugs for my 2nd chemo this upcoming week is called SANCUSO. Hope you feel some relief soon.

Pauldingmom~I did the exact same thing last night in my tub. I scrubbed for 30 minutes all the little nozzles with a toothbrush, then filled the tub with bleach/water and let it run for about 10 minutes with the jets on. I don't think we're paranoid...like you I love my baths.

I start chemo tomorrow so trying to get last minute cleaning and shopping done today. Will I really be there 5 hours???? Hope maybe I can get caught up on some thank you note writing.

Also having my wig styled on Tuesday, will I be up to it??

So great to have so much support on this thread, but sorry everyone has to be here. I've been out for a few days....so many posts and hard to keep everyone straight, but I know you all understand..don't say ya'll aren't having the same problem!!!

It's a beautiful day in the midwest...57 degrees this am on my walk!! Thank you Lord!

Joni(1)

HI to all,

I have not felt up to reading. Today I have a lot more energy. My first AC (July 7) round ended up with extreme gas pressure in my stomach. I ended  up in the ER that Sat for some relief. Then Monday morning same thing back to the ER. Needless to say I a have a gatro Dr. appt.  This Tues. I followed a BRAT diet to the letter and no relief.  Hopefully they can get to the bottom of the problem. If I did not have the gas problem I would of gotten along alright. Hugs to all...glad most of you are doing much better than I did the first round.

Oh yeah here is a  laugh at my expense ......I have a keen sense of smell. So for at least five days thats the worst smelling urine and bowel mvts so much so I was putting toilet paper up my nose so I could not smell it (all the gas pains I needed my hands free)  He walks by on his way to the bedroom and says with a laugh what are you doing? then it hits  him and he says "I don't blame you".  I am going to buy nose plugs before my next round LOL LOL. Thank goodness that went away after a week.

Linda,

Thank you, I will call on Monday.  I wish my dentist would have taken care of this when I went in last fall , he took an xray and said there really was nothing, but I knew it didn't feel right.  I hope it all works out. 

 Thanks again

Balsie~

oh to drink something that tastes normal, I can taste every grain of salt in plain water and it taste like tears, I did find that ruby red grapefruit juice taste kind of good, Today is day #4 and I am week alot of bloating discomfort, but no nausea. Did anyone else have strange feeling (like being disconected) with the steroids, I also am weak, I am overweight by 50 pounds and someone could knock me over with a little finger.

God Bless- Lori

Lori,

I agree water does taste like salt.  I suck on a lot of popsicles.  I understand the disconected feeling....that is a good way of putting it.  That feeling should pass , I am on day 10 and that has passed. Healing wishes to you!

Balsie~

So is anyone else here doing TCH also?  How is it going?  And is anyone else juggling small children during all this?  Any tips on helping them deal with mommy not being able to play?  I have three year old twin boys and I'm so worried this is going to scar them for life!  Thanks!

Hi, I'm about to start 6 cycles of chemo on 30th July and my breast nurse has told me to expect hair loss after 2nd cyle. I will be having FEC-T.  Now I've found you all, I promise I will be a regular visitor. Good luck ladies

Hi Triple J's - here is next weeks Chemo starters:

July 20:  Carole01 = Adriamycin/Cytoxan DD x4/2 + Taxol x4/2

             Jacee [Joni1] = Adriamycin/Cytoxan x4/3 + Taxol x12/1

July 21:  Eliz46 = Taxotere/Cytoxan

             Twimom77 = Taxotere/Cytoxan + Herceptin

July 23:  Shaesaliah [Shae] = Taxotere/Cytoxan x 6/3

             DeniseM808 [Denise] = Adriamycin/Cytoxan  x4/2 + Taxol x4/2

I'll be thinking of you ladies as you start your treatments and sending out positive vibes for minimal/no SE's.

Twinmom: check out page 7 for a list of our July Triple J's, including start dates and what cocktail they are on...there are quite a few on TCH (depending on what C you are on).

Hugs to all

Twinmom77, check out the thread "taxotere, carboplatin, and herceptin."  It started in July 07 and there are many, many women who have done and are doing TCH.

Becky

Hi to All-

All the great advice is wonderful!  As for my hair well, I went to my BFF house yesterday and somewhere during the middle of the pool party she asked if I would let het cut it.  Now remember she is not a professional hairdresser so I was at risk for what ever she did.    I have always known I wanted to cut it real short before the chemo so I let her her have at it.  And I have to say it is Short! But it is short on my Terms not the cancer or the chemo doring it.  It kinda looks like a high and tight Marine haircut (my daughter says).  Of course during the cutting process I did have a couple mixed drinks.  There were other real close friends thre and we had a great laugh at my hair coming off, but I do not regret letting her cut it.  Better to laugh than cry.

Next I need to trim back my fingernails, which are between quarter to half in long.  They are mine, all natural.  I plan on doing that Tuesdy or Wednesdy evening. 

I am praying for all

Stay safe

Shae

BlessedOne2,

I have also had terrible headaches every day, they stopped at day 9 after my 1st chemo.  Nothing really worked on them (Advil, Tylenol)....so I just dealt with them...but they were very annoying!!!!

Linda

Hi Ladies, Im on day 12 and my hair is hanging on.  I had it cut really short saturday and my stylist said she would have never known I was going thru therapy as it was not coming out whatsoever.  I figure by day 20 I should be bald and Im armed.  I got a new puppy!  He is so sweet.  I hope I can manage his care, his name is Charlie.  ..watch him rip my scarves off in front of the neighborhood.  ..should be interesting.

The emend is very expensive but works the best, I take th zophran as well and I find this is second best.  Someone at my follow up mentioned that anytime she got nauseated, she would eat and it would curb it.  I had only taken  the drugs and they seemed to help.  Nausea stopped day 10 and I haven't taken anti nausea since.  I think the claritin (not the d) got me through week one starting the day of the neulasta shot so I highly recommend it along w/ alleave or tylenol.  My supplements are calcium, vitamin b blend, D3 and magnesium - my nurse said these were ok to take and Ihave been feeling pretty good.  Colace C works really well for the constipation.  I take four every third night.  Food tasted awful on day ten, I thought someone doused my fish in cod liver oil.  I will never eat fish again. ..but this only lasted a day.  ..watch drinking beer.  I got a nasty thrush in my mouth because of five sips of a home brew and this took one week to cure.  I heard the chlorine issue and not swimming but my friend went through the same regemin and swam all the time so Im not sure - is this for the skin?  Ice chips during the kool aid (adria) portion helps keep mouth sores at bay for me and I intend to stick my hands and feet in ice water during the taxol ...just in case.  My crash days are days 5/6 from the last round.  Im really interested in hearing about everyones crash days.  i wonder if there is any connection or if its entirely personal.

Does anybody know anything about staying out of the sun/beach and why.  How about the ocean?

Good luck everyone, your stories are very encouraging.  I hope my info is helpful to the newbies.  I am encouraged to drink one gallon of beverage a day.  I can't do this but Im trying.  I go for round 2 of AC this wenesday and then only two more ACs.

 Cheers! 

 LindaSueH  Hi to another Ohio girl wish we all could have meet under different circumstances  but since we didn't I am glad all of us can be here for each other.      Good luck & God Bless All