Starting Chemo October 2009

Thank all of you for the encouragement and the information you are giving me.  I get my port on Wednesday and my first treatment on Friday.  I just couldn't face having the chemo the same day as the port.

Reneejean -- thanks for letting me know how you got through your treatment.  I hope I do as well as you.  I am still of the opinion that I will not do a wig but that could change at any moment.

Donna -- I already use Sensodyne tooth paste, so maybe I am already ahead.

Budomi -  thanks for the information on supplements.  I have been trying to find out what I needed to drop and your information really helps.

Meredith -  it looks like we are on the same day.  It is also my dh's birthday.  He said thanks for the memories.

Onty -- I hope I do OK, I think  I will.  I am at peace with my decision and I am very healthy, I just have breast cancer.  How strange is that?  I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't have any other health issues and I know lots of people do.

MaryNY -- thanks for starting this thread, it is so full  of information and your are doing us all a great service.

Michelle -- thanks for your comment.  I knew it was just club soda and someone else had said salt and water, then someone through in the soda. As my grandson would say, "I was just messin' with you".

Hope everyone has a great evening.

Juannelle

Hi Juannelle,

Woo, the same chemo "birthday!"   Is your DH doing anything to celebrate?  Putting frosting on some saltines?  He can drink champagne while you have a club soda gargle!

 Meredith

Meredith -- to add insult to injury, he is turning 60.  We have not planned anything special, too many things going on.  He will just get to spend the day with me and have some together time. Maybe after chemo, we can go out to eat.

Ok, that brings up a question.  How do you feel immediately after chemo?  Should  you eat lightly or just have a regular meal?

Juannelle

Txstardust I had the bad headache too right after my first infusion - I think that's what made me more nauseated and vomit.  I woke up at 2am and my head was pounding and my heart was thumping and I knew I was going to throw up.

Once the headache was gone - I just took some extra strength Tylenol -  I felt much better and could actually eat.

Next time I'll know to take the Tylenol first and then I'll be able to keep the anti-nausea stuff down better.

I'm seeing my onc next Monday morning before my next chemo infusion and I'm going to ask him about the vomitting/headache and the welt that I still have from the Epirubicin reaction.

I'm glad I'm seeing the injection nurse again next Wed for my first shot of round 2 neupogen injections.  On my last injection I must have hit some blood vessels because it bled so much.  Good thing it was the last shot!

Anyone else have trouble with their neupogen injections - doing it themselves I mean?

Juannelle I would go lightly with the food and just gauge how you feel.  My husband brought home sushi for him and the kids that night and the just smell was enough to make me feel sick.

Juanelle - 

You may be fine until the steroid wears off.  My only suggestion is don't eat chicken corn chowder with habanero sauce (see my post above)!  Unless you are having constipation issues - which it will immediately solve!

The slimy taste doesn't really start until day 2 or 3.  Then it doesn't matter.  Nothing tastes right.  But taste buds should come back by day 7 or 8.  I think it gets worse (as in longer time period) the more tx's we are on.  

I think I had it easy first go round.  Knocking on wood (or my head, as the case may be), that it will continue to be manageable.

Love to All -

Laura 

The chemo class was a pretty big waste of time.  It was just DH and me so I thought she might skip the parts we already knew, but nooooo.  Did you know that your white blood cells are your body's soldiers?  And when you get an infection, your body sends a whole army of them?  Lots of cell metaphors. 

And it was the same nurse who pointed out at the last visit that most people my age are having kids, not going through chemo.  Thank goodness she pointed that out.

 AND there was a terrible video.  They stuck the warning about not breastfeeding during chemo into the "sex and intimacy" portion.  (I thought the "money" smiley would work here, since it looks like someone barfing).

 But for the chemo itself, I'm trying to see the silver lining.  It's an excuse to buy fancy noise-cancellation headphones, I now have some cute scarf/caps, I might lose the 15 pounds I'd like to (no longer "hourglass" since the bilateral Mx), and I get out of work those days!

Any other silver linings?   I fully acknowledge that it will be an awful experience overall, but I want to appreciate any not-completely-horrible parts, too. :-)

Meredith, sorry the class was a waste.  I hate being talked down to!   Other benefits?  Onty and I like our lack of armpit hair.  She seems to have the hairlessness in other places that I don't yet...just thinning.  Sorry, it's been a stretch for me trying to find the "goods" here!  I won't even go into relationships with friends........I find they go both ways.

Laura, I definitely think the hot flashes could be chemo-pause.  If you were already starting to have some, it probably didn't take much to get them going.  Your doctor might be able to tell you if its a permanent thing.  I'm taking Abraxane, and the information I was given says the chemopause is probably permanent if I'm over 40.  Ok........50th birthday in a couple of months, so I think this should do it for me.

Meredith - On my FB page we started a discussion called "Positive Aspects to my Cancer Diagnosis"  (yes, morbid, but also fun).  Here's a few to try out - (1) Free food and drinks in bars ("Hey! I have cancer" is usually good for a few of anything!); (2) Always winning an argument (any statement followed by "and I have cancer!" is a hands-down winner); (3) No housework (I can't do laundry/cook/clean etc., because I have cancer!); and (4) I need to go shopping (Nothing fits me anymore because I have cancer!)

On a more somber note - they started the November 2009 thread today.  I popped in to say hi.  So sad and angry to know that more of us are starting this journey.  Maybe the chemopause is making me emotional too, because I cried a little when I saw it.

Laura 

I just want to say thanks!  I come here everyday and sure enough I get a laugh and that helps me get through the day.

Meredith - I got a one on one too for my chemo class and the nurse gave me the white cell soldier line and the sex talk too - is it scripted?  I wonder...

azdiva - I play the cancer card too for fun - just with my family so far - but I never thought I would do this!  I pulled out the little handbook I got after my mastectomy and showed my husband and kids where it said that I am not to vacuum or iron post surgery.  I even wrote in the word EVER there so I can at least benefit from all this!

enjoyful - I loved your daughter's reply!  I have to say that I am enjoying the no bad hair days too and shopping for new lipsticks & tops to match my many wigs!

I just ordered another one online.  What do you think?

Pretty soon I'll have one for every day of the week!

Anyone else finding their head itchy?  It's not the wigs because I find them quite comfortable.  When I'm not wearing the wig (at home) I can't help but pet and scratch my head!

My hair was shaved to about 1/4" (sorry I don't know what # that is on the buzzer) last Friday and I swear that parts of it are growing and that's making it itch or maybe it's the falling out that's making it itch? 

I tried shampooing with Head & Shoulders these last 2 days but it didn't seem to help.  I'm going to spray with the apple cider vinegar today and see if that helps.  If you have any other remedies for itchy head please let me know.

Good luck to ReneeJean and Snuziq with your chemo tomorrow!

Have a great day everyone!

Enjoyful,

Your daughter sounds like mine..My husband doesn't let me play my cancer card either....dang.  Perhaps when my hair starts to fall out it will work better.

Marie,  Love the wig...you will be one sexy, hot, lady...Must get me one of those...not feeling so sexy hot lately...LOL

Michele

If you find out a wig makes you sexyhot let us know..........not feeling it myself, but maybe I bought the wrong one!!

Yeah, those kids are pretty smart.  Everytime I try to pull the cancer card with my eldest, he says "so, you get to dress like a pirate every day"

A positive of losing your hair...no need to dye it to hide the gray!    Not to mention, we can choose to be a different bombshell every day - provided we have enough wigs and wraps.   I'm Grace Kelly today. 

P.S. Marie - what a fun flirty wig!

Marie thats funny -I was wondering how pale my scalp would be.

I heard taxanes are from the poisonous yew tree and cytoxan is a derivative of mustard gas BUT It may save our lives!!!!! So whats a little poison? Do not know what is in the "red devil" Adriamyacin but I skipped that bad boy cuz the #s did not convince me. 

I also play the CA card and it does work well. I think we deserve it. Love to you all-Valerie 

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/70/topic/742416?page=1#idx_1

Dear TXStarDust,

I got mouth-sores yesterday 21 days after first chemo. A terrible case. My tongue and inside of the mouth is all coated with little bumps and the tongue is partially discolored. It hurts and burns like hell when I eat and maginc mouthwash helps. Keep using salt and/or baking soda in warm water to rinse before and after every meal to try and prevent mouth sores.