November 2009-Starting Chemo

Those of you that are doing Taxol or getting ready to start I have some ??? I just picked up my prescription for Dexamethasone and it says I have to take 5-4mg pills 12hrs and 6hrs before tx that means basically no sleep before Taxol tx. It is a steroid to prevent allergic reaction it is just so scary to have to take so many steroids before tx is everyone else doing this? And I officially am feeling sorry for myself I cant find anything to wear due to ugly port and no boobs I hardly ever wore makeup and now I have to take the time to put it on before I leave so I dont look pale...........AND some old guy at the Hallmark store told one of his associates to get a box for the lady on the goofy hat. UGHHHHHHH

Hello Ladies!

Those of you that have (or are getting) implants after radiation...you are lucky! My PS said that rads can really damage the skin (infection) and that I'm not a candidate for them. I'll have 33 M-F rad tx after surgery in the spring. If I have recon, it will have to be a TRAM.

I do have one question about recon. I work at a community college here and was asking one of the nurses in our Health Div., who is a BC survivor, that if I did have recon, what was stopping cancer from reoccuring in the new breast. She said it could happen. Do any of you think of this? I will ask my onc his opinion.

I am leaving for FL tomorrow afternoon! I won't be online until next week after I have my last AC tx on the 29th. I want all of my sisters to have a very Merry Christmas and know that you all are in my heart. I love you! (((HUGS)))

Linda

Pam, I work  in a shoe store and we sell TONS of birkenstock shoes to people with Plantar Faciatous...They are great shoes. Ugly but great.

Hi All

I just discovered you all today. I wish I had found you earlier when this all started. So lots of questions... I had a mastectomy in Oct. with an expander.I am now having chemo with taxotere and cytoxan. I have my third infusion out of four schd on 12/31. Met with radiation onc and trying to decide whether to have rad tx, worried about expander/implant. Also looking for tips re fatigue, weight gain, and head covering options. Happy Holidays

Meri

TOYAH ~ yippee you will be leaving chemo in the year 2009!!!  I hope you are feeling good.  Glad you are all done shopping and work is calm.  2010 is sure to be a much better year for you and your family. 

MERI ~ Welcome !  I am in the same dilemma as you.  Might need rads after chemo.  UGH.  Not sure what that does to me with expanders, implant exchange before or after.  I am still hoping I don't need rads but my oncologist wants me to have a consult.  Head covering.  COLD here so I am loving knit warm hats.  I have been putting a wig under it at the bus stop with my son and when I will be outdoors as this bald head thing is COLD.  I sleep with a hat on most of the night too.  FATIGUE ~ usually puts me off my feet for a few days after chemo.  YIPEE for you too chemo done in 2009 ! 

I will be into February with 4 more freaking chemos.  YUCK ~~~

RedheadPam ~ I am with you on the loving rubbery flip flops that are bad for our feet and back.  Being it is Winter now I am enjoying my UGGS boots.  UGLY but comfy as heck.   Glad to hear the roids aren't effecting your sleep so much. 

Brenda like Toyah said hope you are ok.  I am sure everyone is busy as the holidays approach us and put not feeling good on top of all that ! 

Hugs ~

Alicia

Hello Beautiful Warrior Ladies,

Not feeling so beautiful myself actually, but I'm here, Thank God. 

Welcome, MERI:  these ladies are wonderful, as I'm sure you have realized.  A great little (widespread!) community with support, laughter and sisterhood.  You're scheduled for your 3rd treatment on the 31st, right?  I just had my third on 12-17 and 4th and final is scheduled for Jan 7th.  Can NOT wait to get this over with!  This treatment really rough on me, I am just now able to make it to the living room and hang out with hubby and son.  I had rt mastectomy with tissue expander and hopefully won't have to have radiation...it was not supposed to be a possibility, anyway.  I had not researched radiation/expander issues, so not able to help with any info there.  I am having terrible fatigue though and know I should be trying to strengthen myself, but just taking a shower wears me out.  I do have some hand weights now and will be using them while watching TV, walking around the house.  Every little bit helps, right? 

I have this one little, soft hat that I wear all the time when I'm home.  It's warm and not tight on my head so I can even sleep in it.  I'm like Linus and his blankie, waiting on it to get clean and dry so I can put it back on again!!  I got two other hats, but they're too tight and hurt my head, so I don't even try to wear them anymore.  My wig is only for going out, or if  company other than family is coming by.  If I'm home alone, I just don't wear anything...just my preference, nobody minds seeing me hatless, I just feel better covered when the guys are home.  I hadn't tried any scarves or anything, just easier to pop a hat on....don't feel like I'm patient enough for a scarf to be tied. 

You and I are on the same chemo regimen, too.  Do you have bone/joint pain or anything?  So far, my weight stays about the same....I may gain with the steroids and fluids, but then the few days of not eating well and feeling yucky it goes back down.  I guess now is really not the time to try and lose weight, but making healthy choices is not easily done either.  Sometimes I have a milkshake for breakfast!  You know that soup commercial that says "I love the taste of taste!" That's how I feel right now....nothing tastes good and just eating a little and trying to drink plenty fluids is such an effort.  I miss being able to eat and enjoy food....this taste in my mouth makes my stomach sick.  Well, now that I've rambled on, please check back in & let us know more about you!!  Take Care

Good morning Warriors!

Sherri - Good luck with your tx today.  I hope you don't feel too bad over the holidays and can enjoy them.

SharaD - Thinking about you today...hope you don't have any issues when you go for your tx, good luck!

((((HUGS))))

~Toyah

Michele- When was your last tx?  I have severe bone/joint pain from the taxotere on days 3 & 4 but after my 2nd tx, I switched from tylenol to pain pills to better manage the pain.  I had 3rd tx on 12/20 and last week I started noticing that everything I do makes the muscles burn in my legs and arms.  Not sure if that is a chemo se or if my muscles are telling me to get off my butt and get some exercise.  I'm sorry you are in pain and I hope you find relief soon!

Oh girls, I am now dreading the taxol, it sounds like it is even worse then the AC.  GRRRRR.... we can't get a break can we?  So for New Years Eve I will have major pains it sounds like.  I will make sure I get a script for pain pills it's the least they can do for me.  Gentle Hugs Girls, wishing you pain free days real soon.

Alicia

Brenda - Great post, good to hear from you...I was getting worried about you!  I hope you enjoy the holidays and your vacation!

I had my blood work done during my lunch hour today.  When I got back to the office, my onc nurse had called my work phone to let me know that my counts were way too low and please come back to get a shot and stay away from people especially sick ones...I just sat in traffic for 30 minutes to get back to work, I wish she would have called my cell phone.   Stay away from people in general?  Well its the holidays, my daughter is sick and I have a big family....how the hell is that possible? 

Hey hey.  Haven't posted in a while.  Just read the last ones to catch up.  My 4th (and last) A/C on Dec. 15th went well, and the next day, I was out shopping with my daughter...then it was all down hill.  I had no energy for 6 days.   Am just starting to get it back.  I was a daily power walker, but has been a week since I felt like it.  Thankfully, I had all my shopping done for the holidays, but no wrapping.  That was going to be a minor thing until school was canceled all this week for snow, so my son being home made it a little more difficult to wrap things.  Have had a major pain in my upper thigh, as if I pulled a muscle. I'm figuring it's due to last week's Nuelesta injection.  Hadn't had this with the two rounds of Neupogen or the other Neulasta shot.  Am shuffling around because of it, though today is better than yesterday.  Haven't taken anything for it, as am just getting my "bathroom" habits back on track.

Re:  taste buds...shot to hell.  It's so frustrating to look at goodies that friends have brought over, taste one, and it tastes horrible, or tastes good for a matter of seconds and then the horrible taste comes.  Gum has helped me more than the hard candies I was eating.

Re:  seeing relatives over the holidays...My family is supposed to get together with my parents and sisters and their families and I think I going to bag it.  Is a 4 1/2 hr drive there, sleeping in a different bed, if I sleep at all, wigs, scarves, my mom seeing me with no hair, and all on day 4 post- my 1st Taxol TX...don't think I will be able to endure it. Don't think my kids will care, but the rest of the extended family will be disappointed. 

Re:  Taxol...I have my first of 8 weekly ones this Tuesday and my onc and her PA say what Melinda mentioned...it is not as bad.  And I was told I'll get a huge dose of Benedryl prior to the infusion.  I also will take the 5 Decadron pills the might before and 5 two hours prior to the infusion, though they said if I don't have a reaction to the Taxol, I change to 2 pills each time for the rest of the TX.  It was stressed to make sure I take the Decadron with food.  I also am supposed to take a Zofran two hrs. prior (anti-nausea).  Am a little nervous about that since the bottle says "can cause headaches" and I get migraines anyway. 

Have really been feeling sorry for myself lately and crying a lot.  Maybe just the holiday blues? (or greens, depending on how the stomach feels?!)  Thankfully, I read the always-encouraging posting from others and, as always, feel not so alone.  Can't wait for this to all be over and look back as a "survivor" of the treatments!!!  I think the 5-6 weeks of radiation following all this will be piece of cake.

Hoping for happy days, warm heads, and no side effects for everyone.  Merry Christmas!  Nette

Hello Nette,

 I also suffer from migraines and am taking Zofran.  I have had no problems so far.  I am on my 2nd TX and take them for about 4 days afterwards.  I have not even gotten a regular headache from them.

 Jennifer

OH MELINDA ~ that is priceless.... I posted once that - THAT is exactly what I feel like.  I used to play with that toy when I was a child.  My parents would buy it for me in the stationary store.  That and my slinky were my favorites !  I LOVE THAT, so funny.  You crack me UP.

Nette ~ Glad to hear from you.  I am right before you with the my first Taxol on Monday.  We are in this together ! 

Micheleboots ~ hope you get some relief with those pain pills. 

Everyone ((((HUGS))))))

Alicia

Thank you all for your warm welcome. You are all truly amazing. I am not alone!!! You get it (all too well.)

So I will try to not get you all confused and tell you just a little about myself. I am 50 yo single mother in rural Vermont. Alicia I am originally from Massapequa but left in my 20s.I am a family practice PA. Feeling a bit guilty for not working on the days I feel well.

 I too am bothered with body aches, which my onc insists is from the neulasta but I suspect is from the taxotere as well. I have been using ibuprofen and hot baths for the mostly low back pain. Other SE this cycle is nosebleeds (maybe from the ibuprofen?) and vertigo.

 I also have a history of migraine and was worried about the zofran  but it has not caused headaches and I get it IV with the infusion, as well as by mouth afterwards. Unfortunately it did not prevent the nausea and vomiting which luckily only lasted about 12 hours. Has anyone tried marijuana? 

On the positive side, I dont have to shave my legs anymore. Hooray!

And what is a DH anyway?

Peace and Joy my Fellow Travelers