Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

Day 4 for me. Did first infusions of taxotere and carboplatin last week. That doesn't seem so bad but neulasta aches have been pretty irritating - not painful per se, but maybe this is how restless leg syndrome is sort of like? can't seem to sit still or get comfortable. and of course everything tastes sort of off.  Just took a claritin, as was suggested in this thread - hope it works... or kicks in since i didn't take it before the shot. hmm.

stacyt- my onc nurse said do not do the straight razor, just the clippers at zero... still left stubble, but you can inflame your follicles with razor burn and you really dont want that misery on top (get it?) of everything else.

Hi, everyone - well, off to chemo round two on Wednesday, and, guess what???  It's supposed to snow.  I swear, this is not funny any more.  Juggling with the school closing and getting into the city with snow on the highways makes me really want spring - in a big way!  My GI Jane look is really attracing attention - I completely forgot when I went to meet my dear friend for lunch that I was commando (not no underwear - no hair) and the look on her face just cracked me up.  We had a good laugh about it, but it lets me know that I really should be wearing a hat/wig/scarf even if I do still have stubble.  Swiftbird - I was sort of agitated after my first treatment of TCH, as well, and I think it's from the steroids.  Hopefully it will wear off for you soon - it took me about five days to get rid of that feeling - not awful, but just different.  Take care - Mo

mebrown said: " My oldest daughter was here and said I reminded her of a conehead (anyone remember that show?)."

Of course I do!! We even have a special photo album titled, "Our Relatives From France" full of freaky looking people we see when we go on vacations! One of my favorites is a young mom, who was pushing a stroller, wearing a leopard skin, one-piece shorts/shirt thingie with a 6-inch high mohawk and black combat boots. (The Coneheads always gave the excuse for their odd behavior/speech patterns/etc as because they were from "France.")

Hi All

Just joining you all - had my first chemo 4th Feb 2010 second one due last week but canceled as I had a slight infection/temperature.  Am on taxotere and heceptin pre surgery. Hair nearly gone will go and get it sorted in next couple of days as it looks patchy.  Def not my best look.  Had lots of SE from first chemo esp body aches and pains and reaction that causes serious spots/boils.  Hope next one doen't do same.  Herceptin made my nose drip constantly again testing my beauty is from within theory. Anyway have loved reading all the comments its good to know we have other to share this s...t with

Thanks for listening and sending hugs

Mo- and Staceyt----- Good luck on your treatment tomorrow!.... I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prays..... We are getting there.. Just think we are into March........

 No wonder I have been snapping at my DH and kids.. The steroids........ I should of known that... I am starting to feel like my self.......  just plain old Bitchy....( Ha) I do feel that my insides are racing... Is that normal...?

Well girls who ever had treatment today I hope things went well... Sisters who have treatments and appt tomorrow I am praying for you and all of us.

Courage and strength.

Donna

This may have been discussed at some point...but, was anyone told that they could take a multi-vitamin? I was told I could, but nothing else was recommended.

Hi all, and welcome to kpg. Hang in there.

Faithful, I'm 51 and have no issues with sharing that!

Had round 2 of TCH + Avastin yesterday. Time in chair was only 5 1/2 hours, compared to 7 1/2 hours for the first round, so that was good. Was very tired due to sleeping only 2 hours the night before-- thanks, steroids! And I have bronchitis, so I sounded like the guy who was in for chemo for lung cancer. But it went smoothly, and I was able to nap when I got home and rally for a great evening visit from my best friend from high school, who flew in from the east coast to see me (and her family) this week. Slept a whole 5 hours last night.... still both tired from lack of sleep yet wired from steroids. I'll sleep tomorrow night, when they're out of my system. You all know what it's like.

My nutritionist-aided plan to avoid the terrible intestinal issues I had on days 4-9 after the first round has been complicated by this damn bronchitis-- only way I could sleep was to get codeine cough syrup, and guess what, codeine is constipating! So no movement in a few days, and the steroids make that worse. Loading up on Benefiber and Colace, and took Miralax last night, and hydrating like a mofo. I normally exercise daily, and walking helps, but I'm under orders not to walk or go to the gym until this crud is out of my lungs.

Neulasta this afternoon. On claritin anyway in hopes that it might help with my congestion, and I'll Advil up this afternoon. Last time I was achy for two days but nothing too bad. 

Anyway, never a dull moment in chemo land. And I was feeling like a million bucks before this out-of-the-blue diagnosis! 51 was, until that point, turning out to be a great year-- I'd lost weight, was in the best shape I'd been in years, happy and busy and healthy (ha!).

On the plus side, as DH pointed out yesterday, I only have four to go! 33 1/3 done with chemo! Well, I keep going on Herceptin and Avastin until next February, but those SEs should be a lot easier to live with.

Good luck to you all!  

Hello, everyone!  I'm forty eight for another four days and I'm holding on as tight as possible!  At least I'll have something really huge to celebrate next year at this time - not just turning 50 but also the end of the herceptin.  Something really cool to think about.  I was talking to Dr. Marissa Weiss this morning - she founded breastcancer.org and wrote the books Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Living Well Beyond Breast Cancer.  She's my radiation oncologist at Lankenau here outside of Philadelphia.  She's amazing - one of those people who you meet in life that is truly inspiring.  Anyway, I told her how much I've been enjoying this discussion board and she said to let everyone know that on October 30th at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Breast Cancer.org will be hosting a fundraising event and Harry Connick, Jr. will be the star - I've met him before and he's so much fun to look at!!!!!   Not to mention his voice.  Anyway, I thought maybe it would be fun if anyone who could make it would want to come to that and we could have a meet and greet and a good time in Philly - it's a great city with lots of fabulous restaurants and nice hotels.  I could help arrange it - I love doing stuff like that.  So, if anyone's interested, let me know.  I'll try to find out more details - she is sucking me in to be on the committee and I'm trying my hardest to not get too involved, but any possible chance to say hello to Harry Connick, Jr. almost makes me want to volunteer.  So, what do you all think?  Any possibility?  This has me so excited that I'm not even thinking about chemo round two tomorrow!  Mo

This May is the big 50 for me.  My husband has a conf in NYC first week of may and my Onc approved travel so we can celebrate 50th birthday and 25th anniversary there!  Little Kansas girl going to the big city...should be done with the AC tx- and on to Taxol, so I hope I feel great and can enjoy the experience to its fullest. If you'd told me a year ago I would be bald and in New York I would have laughed at you- but now it seems time to take life for all it can give.

I'm 39, turning 40 in April.  Going for my third treatment tomorrow.. I'm a weekly girl, seems like one of the few here. If all goes well and things progress I should have a total of 20 tx, so I'm 1/10th of the way done already!!  The second week was actually easier than the first.. other than the itchy acne on my scalp!!  Hoping for even less SE's tomorrow.  Question for anyone who is doing the tx before surgery like me:  after your first treatment, has anyone seen improvement?  I don't yet and am starting to freak out!!

Marina

Marina: I have had 5 treatments of TH. Last week I saw my onc after 3 treatments and she noted that there was a difference already, one of the good things about chemo first. I could feel a softening from the first week, and now its almost gone. If your not feeling a softening yet do you thionk it could be because of the nursing? Maybe they could do another sono? I'm sure your onc will be on top of it. Mine was also still very swollen from that core biopsy when I started the chemo. Keep thinking positively & I will be praying for you!

ariesrotttle - 2nd treatment went well, just real tired due to not sleeping well last night (steroids) and the benadryl given during treatment. All in all I can't complain.

faithfulc - Thanks for info on second Neulasta shot. I'll just know not to exercise the day after like I did last time and caused all kinds of aches. As far as the age, I am 44 (45 in May) and I don't mind it being posted.

beth3172 - I was told today that I could take a multivitamin as well but no certain brand was recommended. I picked up One-a-day Women's (supports bone and breast health). I need the Calcium and Vitamin D.

Hope all do well with their next treatments with little SEs