Starting Chemo October 2009

That's miserable, Mary.  Can you take any stool softeners or isn't it allowed with your chemo?  Grapes help me a lot but it sounds like you can't eat much of anything.  Wish I had something more helpful to say.

Good luck tomorrow, lainie!

E

azdiva - the steroids seem to have the opposite effect on me. Tons of energy, not much appetite.  Isn't it weird how we all react differently to the same drugs?  I wonder why your doctor says no to Zometa?  My doctor has said yes once I finish treatment, but then I'm stage IV and that might be the difference.

Can't wait to hear what comes out of the San Antonio conference!

E

Mom had her 3rd TCH Treatment today.  She is halfway through!  She was in such a good mood today and I think she is excited she is close to being done with the TCH part at least.  She will continue with Herceptin for a year but that dosen't have the side effects the chemo has. 

Onty - I am so glad for you!  As you know, everything sounds so good about this trial and I think the Zometa arm is really the way to go.  Boniva would be a good one as well, but isn't that arm closed because they can't keep up with the demand?  Did you read about the new Zeloda studies?  Using it as adjuvant therapy in early stage BC?  That sounds amazing - at least for the mice that it has worked on already!

As you all can see, 1230 am and I am still awake!  Thank you, Decadron! I am going to take a Valium and try to doze a little.  Took some prophylactic Miralax as well.  Hopefully, it will work!

Ate Chocolate Toffee Crunch ice cream out of the tub (from Schwan's) for dinner.  Why does it taste better from the tub and not a bowl?  I was having a hot flash and suddenly that ice cream just called my name.  I NEVER eat ice cream.  Just have it for the kids.  Oh well, less for them.  And calcium is good for me.

Off to try to sleep!

Laura 

Mary make sure you do not have an anal fissure.  You also might want to sitz bath a couple of times per day in warm water.  Also make sure you take your stool softners like Dulcolax and drink plenty of liquids.  I normally take 1-2 Milk of Magnesium tabs and 1-2 stool softners the night before.  But you have to make sure you are getting plenty of liquids.  I am the queen of these types of problems because I suffered from hemmies and anal fissure prior to chemo.  I have been able to have no bottom issues throughout this ordeal.

Onty - please tell me more about these studies.  As we are both triple neg I am very interested on the thoughts behind this.  Do you take this while undergoing Taxol? 

mary,I had really bad constipation from my first tx.  I was determined that this time, I would take care of it before it started.  I started taking two stool softeners a day several days before my tx.  I also ate white grapes everyday and a high fiber cereal.  I also started taking Benefiber, just mix it with a drink, I like it in my tea, once or twice a day.  I am 7 days out from tx 2 and I have had no constipation problems this time.  It is painful, but that is because the drugs we are taking affect our mucus membranes and they are inflamed, sluggish and just cranky.  Anyway, it never got hard and I have always been able to pass the mass.

jean and laino, congrats on one more tx down.  It is always good to get one out of the way.

jean, what a sweet thoughtful thing for your friends to give you.  They must be so special.  You are one lucky lady.

laura, a bowl of ice cream never killed anyone.  Besides nothing will taste good for about a week, so you should enjoy while the taste buds are still working.

Shoshanna, you are so clever.  I sew, but it has been years and I never even thought about making scarves.

onty, keep us informed on how the study is going.  I hope you do well.

I am sending good wishes to all who are dong tx this week.  Hope SEs are mild.

Juannelle

Mary,  the stool softener is Soflax, and teh laxative is Senokot.  They are a prescription from the Dr.  She told me not to let constipation get out of hand as it is easier to prevent than fix...you could always call her and get a supposatory.  I know for the first couple of days after treatment I eat everything with bran in it or some sort of fiber.  Then on day 3 and 4 I go to the bathroom a lot...must be all the fiber.  But at least I know how my first 5 days will be. No, No, Go, Go.

Jean,  yah for you being done #2....

Lainieo,  Good luck with #2..

Juennelle, You made me laugh so hard this morning.  I love the comment "pass the  mass' too funny.

So I am trapped at home today.  My husband took the car.  I guess I should get some stuff done around the house..I have no excuses.  I could clean, do bathrooms, laundry, walk.  I hope I don't spend the day surfing the net, and wasting time.

Peanut butter cup icecream....in a sugar cone...yummmm

Mary if you have an anal fissure then you must do softners and sitz baths. If the pain is excruciating and you see blood then it sounds like it is an anal fissure.  Anal fissure can heal on their own.  The warm water from the sitz bath will help it heal.  Sometimes if you have spasms then it will not heal on its own.  If not, there is an ointment your doc can prescribe that will stop the spasms to allow the fissure to heal.  The main thing is you can not be constipated.  The cereal you should be eating is fiber one.  One good bowl, plus plenty of water is all you need.  The fiber actually softens your stool.  However, if you dont drink enough water you will make cement.  (get the picture).  Along with stool softeners your bowel movements should become normal.  Also if it is a fissure do NOT use hemmie meds.  They will make fissure worse not better.  So make sure you find out which you have...hemmies or fissure.  Go see your normal doc and they should be able to look and tell you which one you have.  Also if you have a colonoscopy they will be able to see on the screen and let you know.

Hope this helps.  I no longer have any of those issues, but had them long enough to become an expert of sorts.

Dear SunShine,



Love you screen name! Welcome to our support group.



Zofran (ondansetron) works great for nausea. I haven't heard of the other one. I got Emend, Kytril and Compazine. But different women respond to different nausea drugs. You would need to try it the way your doctor prescribed. If it does not work as prescribed, try to experiment with the schedule a little bit so you would know what would really work and for how long for you.



How did your first 2 chemos go?

Hi All!

Welcome new sisters and welcome back those that haven't been heard for a bit!

Sunshine I'm on FEC too but I'm taking Maxeran, Decadron and Kytrel.  I have Semmtril too but haven't needed to take it yet.  I find by day 3 or 4 I have no need of anymore meds.

Soshanna - great idea to make your own head toppers!  How great it is to be in touch with your creative side when all this other crap is going on!

Mary - I feel for you....hope this too shall "pass" !

1L - Pass the Mass - LOL!!!!  That was just too funny.  I'm not Passing the Mass quite yet - just Passing the Gas!  Boy the chemo gas is sure smelly!  I thought it was the dogs at first and I even smelled their butts - nope it wasn't them!  I will continue to blame the dogs though...

Laura - nothing wrong with eating out of the ice cream tub - just a spoon to wash so you're actually being very efficient and preserving water!  Give yourself a pat on the back for being so clever!

Onty - congrats on getting into the study!  Keep us updated on any "inside" info.

Michele - get off the computer!

Congratulations to those that can check off another TX and good luck to those that have one coming up today or tomorrow.

Thinking of you girls often and sending my best wishes and e-hugs!

Marie

Thanks for the warm welcome!  I am SO thankful for this group of wonderful women who provide such great support.

My treatment is FEC x4 and then Tamixifone x4 as well (I think).  My DCIS listed in my signature turned into IDC, hence the chemo.

This second treatment has been AWFUL.  My treatment yesterday was 4 - 6 pm, and even though I'd taken Emend beforehand and later Ondanstetron, I started throwing up late last night and continued into today.  It was nothing like this with my first treatment (they gave me the Emend through an IV).  The most nausea I experienced was just a little queeziness but not like this.  I'm going back in an hour for fluids and she told me they'll be giving me 3 different anti-nausea medications through IV, so next time I'll make the 2nd appointment for first thing in the morning!  Of course, I will let her know what's been happening.

I've tried lots of different things to help with the nausea:  peppermint tea, ginger snaps, Ginger Ale.  Someone told me that there are Ginger Lollipops that work really well.  Has anyone tried those? I'm just wondering how they would taste, because I can only handle the ginger snaps in very small bites because of the flavor.

Again, thanks for your support and warm welcome!

Sunshine

Marie - the only reason they tell you to alternate is because of soreness.  I think it is fine if you do it in the same spot twice.  I have a reprieve from neupogen on taxol until I get my bloodwork done to see my numbers.

Mary - you must drink at least ten 8oz glasses of water.  Trust me.  Lots of fiber in fiber one and now you are adding bread.  Be careful not to overdo fiber because you will then have diarrhea.  Also take at least 2 stool softners tonight.  They sell these plastic sitz baths in drugstores that work really well.  Your whole bottom does not have to be in the bath.  I am a overweight woman so if I can fit in the little plastic sitzbath so can you.  They are pretty inexpensive.  A lot of pregnant woman buy them because of hemmies or to soothe their stitches.  PM if you need more info on anal fissures.  They are crazy painful.  But I think with attention, they can heal on their own.

Welcome Sunshine.  Sorry to hear you were so sick from 2nd tx.  I sure hope your meds will help with that nausea.  I only used decadron, emend and compazine.  After several days I would not need any of the meds.  Ginger tea and ginger snaps really helped me.

Well I am feeling much better from my first taxol treatment.  I actually went out to lunch with hubbby and then took daughter to Michaels.  We are going to make Christmas ornaments tonight.  She is 15 but still loves craft projects. 

I sure hope each of you ladies have a wonderful SE free evening.  To those having txs tomorrow, I wish you the best and I am thinking of you. 

2nd cheno done!  Feeling ok for now.