March 2010 Chemo Start

Jojov,

If you don't mind me asking where do you live?  I would love to be out riding now.

Stacey

sandiek9, I'm doing the same thing! Except that I'm getting my head shaved the day before my first chemo instead of this weekend. I had it cut really short a few days before my Feb 1st surgery, but shortly came to realize that I just do not want to watch the "loss process" at all. I know the hair will be gone from the chemo and there's no way to avoid that but goshdarnit, if it's going to Go, it's going to Go on MY terms! (do you think I have some control issues there?? LOL )



I already have a bunch of hats and scarves and will pick out something to take to the salon with me. I do want to do this alone though, just like I want to be alone at home for that first look in the mirror. I just deal with stress a lot better in total privacy than with anyone else around. One of my quirks. ;-)



It's so odd that it truly doesn't bother me one little bit to have no breasts anymore, but the hair-loss thing has been much harder for me to contemplate. Maybe because my breasts were small but I have always had long hair??? The shortest it's ever been in my life, before this, was chin length. Also ironically, I never fuss(ed) over my hair either. No color (and I've been going grey for a good 8 years now), no styling products, nothing ... I've always just used shampoo and blown it dry. So it isn't as though I ever obsessed about it. Weird!

Julie thank you so much.  Jojov, I am going through a similar sort of depression, hopefully these too will pass.  I just had my pre chemo haircut, I have cut it really short which has got my son very excited, hopefully the good cheer continues.  Good luck to all!

Thanks for all the encouragement!

I got my first dose of chemo today and it was pretty uneventful.  I was super sleepy for the first two hours or so because of the benedryl in my pre-meds.  Now I just hope to keep the side effects at bay with all the meds I have here (ativan, dexamethasone and emend). I'll head back in tomorrow for a neulasta shot.

 lovemygarden, I'm right behind you in the head-shaving, it'll be weird, but I definitely don't want to watch my long hair come out in clumps. 

 Good luck to everyone else who's going in for the first time this week.

I'm another March newbie.  Appt with the onco to schedule my first chemo of DD AC followed by DD T followed by rad and HT. I'm amazed and inspired by how upbeat everyone is...I don't feel the same. I watched my Mom pass due to BC and how the SE wrecked her. During a chemo class I attended they tried to reassure me that the meds now available are so much better then what they offered my Mom 10 years ago. I know the SE are different for everyone, but I am interested in hearing about what to expect. Knowledge is power! I want to be so powerful that they kick me out of the clinic door

julesgg: It takes a while for the port to become less uncomfortble, at least that was the case for me. Mine was put in 5 weeks ago and honestly last week was the first time that I started feeling less "restricted" by it. Like you, made that whole area sore, tender and constantly 'pulling' on that muscle. Ironically I've had more discomfort from the port than from the BMX! I still "feel" the port 24/7 but I can now move that arm more normally than I could do for the previous four weeks. I had to stop doing the post-surgical exercises with that arm because of the port discomfort but luckily I have recovered about 90% of my range of motion now anyway, even without doing the exercises. Hm, well, to be honest it's probably more like 90% in my non-port arm and 85% in my port-side arm, but that's because I so dislike that pulling sensation. 

 Just wear a button-down shirt to the chemo. Actually I'm still wearing only button-down shirts all the time, even around the house, because I got into the habit so much during the first 3 weeks post surgery. 

 Ana1973: The chemo class person is right, the SE meds today are light years ahead of what was around 10 years ago. I don't even think the nausea preventive meds were around at that time, so the best people could do was try to manage it after the fact, which is always much less effective. Even the cryo-gloves/slippers to prevent or minimize hand and foot damage only date from a mere 4 years ago. 

I hope I am not out of place, but I have been reading this and the other threads and hoped that you might be able to give me some insight as to how to help my wife get through chemo. She is scheduled to start the TC X 4 (with a possible move to TCH X 6, a whole other discussion) on March 11. I plan on being there for her and right now I am going through some tuff times. She cut her hair short this weekend and is meeting with a lady about a wig tonight. Cutting her hair caused her to be rather depressed and that depression is effecting me also. I need to be there for her and need to get over my own emotions or at least cover them up.

I just do not believe that this is happening, I cannot get my mind around the idea that she is going to be pumped full of chemo therapy drugs. I went over for lunch today and noticed women's hair like never before. I don't want to see her hurt or in pain.  Bottom line; I'm scared. I look at her and remember my aunt's last breath as she died from breast cancer. I need some tips on how to pull this off. I'm an old burly Vietnam Vet and I find myself wanting to cry at a moments notice (so far I control it, but it is getting harder).

Please delete this if it is in the wrong place. 

I don't know how you women get through this! We just got a call from oncologist (2 days before the start of chemo) and now they are going back to the original plan of TCH X 6. It is bad enough to make folks have chemo, but to swing back and forth in treatment plans is pure nuts! First is was lumpectomy only, then we were going back for a total mastectomy, then no just chemo TCH X6, then no chemo TC X4, then we requested another lab outside of the practice look at it, they sent it off and before it comes back the groups pathologist now says to consider it Her2 positive and go back to the original (someplace) plan of TCH.

This sure makes you want to second guess the experts. Guess it is better to go whole hog and hit it hard. Oh well. Going home for a glass or two or three of wine.

Hello, I'm a newbie to this site. I have Stage II Triple Negative Breast Cancer that was diagnosed December 3, 2009. I started my first chemo March 1st. My regimen is Adriamycin/cytoxan- 4 cycles and then taxol- 4 cycles. So far the only issues I've experienced  is fatigue and some nausea. I'm 33 years old and single, so the hair loss is really bothering me. I'm finally coming to terms with my diagnosis and made the first step by posting to this discussion board. I look forward to chatting with everyone.

Good Morning All You Marvelous March Madams,

Racel - Welcome - SuzyE - Welcome - and all other "newbies" WELCOME.  1 week out from my first treatment and I feel good, every now and then I have a wave of nausea but my headache has finally left my head.  I did discover that if I eat something small every two hours I'm ok.  I'm not sure about you guys but I love to eat and the feeling of not wanting to eat and choking things down is just awful.  I am sticking to mostly yogurt, and Ensure or Boost drinks as nothing tastes like it should.  I am also staying away from my favorite foods (I don't want to be disappointed).  Had my picc line flushed and cleaned and broke down and got a prescription to help me sleep.  It is comforting to know that all the SE do go away (somewhat) and you can feel good again.  I was so afraid that I was going to be sick all the way through this with no breaks for 4 months. 

EZH - You doing ok my start date pal?

Rohm - Marigunn - Sarikasad - Groundhog - Julesgg - Sending Hugs & Good Vibes your way - You will get through it - We all will get through this.

Stacey

GROUNDHOG: Thanks so much for the 'play-by-play'! The 15-minute pre-med info actually is just what I was wondering about, because I have to put the cryo-gloves/slippers on 15 mins before the T drip begins and I've been a little paranoid about the nurse forgetting and not letting me know when that 15 minutes begins. But now I know to ask her how long the pre-med drip lasts and if she says "about 15 mins" then that'll be perfect.



What steroid/nausea preventive did you get? I'll be getting Decadron and Aloxi. The effects of the Aloxi lasts for 3 days which according to my oncologist should cover all or almost all of the queasy period if any (I'm on weekly Taxol which supposedly is less likely to cause nausea than the 2- or 3-week Taxotere). She already gave me a prescription for Compazine just in case, and I already got that filled so it's ready and waiting if needed.



I was told yesterday to expect my first treatment to take between 4 1/2 and 5 hours, no doubt because of the slow-drip watchfulness, but the next 11 treatments should take about 3 hours depending on whether I can tolerate a faster drip speed. I'm going to tell them that if given a choice between a slower and faster drip, I'd prefer a slower drip + less likelihood of reaction!



JULIA257: Some oncologists use bowls of ice water if patients want to try to minimize hand damage but the problem with that is, the water warms up too quickly. The results of the studies show that in order to keep the blood vessels in the hands and feet constricted (and thus receiving less of the chemo there) the level of cold has to be kept constant, and that doesn't happen with just a bowl of ice water. That's why the gloves/slippers have to be changed for a fresh pair every 30-45 minutes if the infusion lasts longer than that. They have to be changed quickly too, because if the hand (for example) is out of the cold too long, what happens is a "vaso-dilation reflex": The blood vessels respond to the change in temperature by quickly expanding, which results in a "rush" of the chemo into that area --- exactly what you are trying to prevent by using the cryo-stuff! That's why they have to be worn for an additional 15 minutes after the T drip actually stops.



I found two places online that sell both the gloves and the slippers; the prices at both are the same. I bought mine from M&W Supply because I'd first emailed both companies with questions and M&W responded quickly and helpfully, while the other place never even bothered to answer. Their site is here

http://www.buyelastogel.com/c=3MxxrVqiMfhpYmKIuITYSZ6wK/category/a.products_for_cancer_treatments/

and as you can see they call them "Hypothermia" mitts and slippers although I just shorten that to "cryo-" which means the same thing . :-)