April 2010 starting chemo

Hi,

I'd like to join this forum.  I just had my first chemo on 4/8/10 (DD AC x 4, DD T x 4).  I am getting my chemo through a PICC line.  The infusion itself went fine, but about 3-4 hours later, I felt the onset of nausea that gradually increased over the next 4 hours, then I experienced some hot flashes.  I am on Emend, dexamethasone, and Zofran.  The nausea is come and go; mostly it is just queasiness and lack of appetite.  Plus I am super-sensitive to smells.  It is a feeling that I am familiar with, since I had very bad morning sickness with both of my pregnancies, and am prone to motion-sickness.  All of the usual things that worked for me during pregnancy continue to work for me, like using my Sea-Bands, tangy foods, yogurt and saltines.  Good luck to all those starting this month!   

Marcy4-

I am enrolled in the BETH trial as well!  I start Chemo next Wednesday and will keep you posted as to wheather I receive the avastin or not.  My onc is moving their entire office this weekend.  I was supposed to find out today but no phone call as of now.  Kind of frustrating...will call and whine about it on Monday...It's too nice outside to be upset about it all weekend!

Lorrhaw and SGJo5-

Thank you so much for sharing your experience...I'm putting popcicles on my list to take to treatment! 

I just updated my journal on caring bridge, informing all my friends about my upcoming Chemo...it should be a weekend full of phone calls and e-mails.  That's a good thing, it keeps me possitive and you can't help but feel loved after a good chat with a far away friend.  If you don't have one, I'm a firm believer of this web site.  www.caringbridge.com  you can easily build your own web site for free!  and keep your friends and family updated on your journey.  The company is non-profit, it's services are underwritten by hospitals and donations.  It's made it easier for us to communicate and it's kind of like therapy because you have to communicate about your treatment to your family and friends.

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend filled with sunshine and NO SEs!

Well, I've got one down, five to go!!!  When I got to my onc's office, I met with the nurse practicioner as my onc is on vacation, and she answered any questions my husband and I had.  We then went back to the chemo room and they attached the needle to my port (less pain than getting an IV in my arm), then they took blood and sent it back to the lab. While we waited on the results, they gave me Ativan & Aloxi-Decadron in my port. When I got the OK on my bloodwork they started the Taxotere slowly, increasing the drip every 15 minutes. It took 2 hours to finish that, then on to the Carboplatin which they zipped right through the IV in 45 minutes. I got Tylenol and Benadryl before the Herceptin (apparently they give that during the first infusion).  Benadryl made me very sleepy and I slept for an hour of the 90 minute infusion.  And that was it!!! No reactions while at the doctor's office but have had leg muscle soreness and am a little tired since I got home, but no nausea at any time. DH rubbed my legs and back and now I feel100% better! Thanks, honey!  However, we ended up being at the doctor's office for 7 hours and 15 minutes!

They gave me prescriptions for Ambien, Vicodin, Zofran for daytime nausea and Phenergan for nighttime nausea, since that will make me sleepy. The pharmacist looked at me a little suspiciously because of all the meds, I think I'm stocked up until the end of chemo!!

But so far so good, I guess the next few days will tell if I get any other SE's. Best of luck to the rest of you, wishing you as few SE's as possible!!!

Jennifer

caltex_catlady--sent you a pm, hoping you could update my treatment, thanks so much

Hi All

Well, one treatment down!!!!I had A/C yeaterday and they started with a flush of my port (yes it did taste funny, they recommend smelling a mint tea bag in the future). Then nausea premeds. I am not sure what I was given as I agreed to a nausea drug study. I know I had the Dex. which made me antsy. The treatment went very well. They had me chew on ice chip during the first drug to decrease mouth sore. I also have been rinsing 3 times a day with biotene. No problems so far. I felt great until about 3:00 and then had alot of trouble with nausea and vomitted once the rest of the day and night. I would definitly not eat tomato soup after chemo. I think the acid was tough on my belly. I feel much better today. I feel a little foggy and mild nausea. We have to definitly take one day at a time and celebrate small victories. I was so grateful to wake up this morning with the sun shining and feeling like I had crossed another hurdle. Good luck Monday Karen if you start. You will do great. You are right the waiting and anticipation are the hardest. Have a great weekend everyone. Amy

tpcjkk-

sending you a big hug! 

 I start next week so can't speak from experience, but my nurses and onc have made it very clear that even a cracker is better than nothing and staying hydrated is very important. 

 I read somewhere that lemon in your water or a sport drink like powerade usually tastes better when you have that metallic taste.  Also rinseing your mouth with salt and baking soda rinse, or sucking on really tart candy like jolly ranchers.

Wish we could all just blink and be better!  Hang in there!

Congrats toughmom38 on completing your first treatment--may you have little to no side effects and a great weekend:)

Congrats amosonzan on completing your first treatment! I am sorry you got sick:( But hope the worst is behind you and your side effects remain mild. I have them flush my port slowly because I too can taste it--it helped a bit:) I am going to try sucking on a mint or chewing gum next time and seeing if that works.

Congrats tpcjkk on completing your first treatment:) I am sorry you have that general quesy feeling. I had that for the first few days, but it did go away for me by day 5:) I hope you are able to eat soon. I found that I did well eating potatoes, bagels, anything in the bread family.

To all of you experincing side effects I hope you all feel better soon (HUGS)!!

Thank you for the encouraging words...I am awed by the amount of strength I find in the women on this site.  My husband ordered a pizza for dinner, and the smell was not totally offensive, so I had 2 slices.  My first "real" meal, not counting the soup, yogurt and crackers I've been living off of the past 2 days.  I am glad to hear that it will get better.  I am on a cycle of Emend on days 1-3, dexamethasone on days 1-4, and Zofran and Ativan as needed.  I've been taking the Zofran round the clock.  Since it is up to me to use the Zofran and Ativan "as needed," I'm wondering how much SE's I should put up with or if the goal is to try to eliminate the SE's?  I worry about my poor liver and kidneys!

Count me in for April. DD A/C (was supposed to be on TC, but I'm severely allergic, so had to switch to AC). Started Friday, April the 9th. So far, so good. Keeping walking, got my nulasta shot yesterday, eating pretty well. I'm on emend and ativan and decedron and the whole cocktail. No nasuea. They tell me I will probably crash tomorrow when I'm off the steroids, so I'm trying to keep on top of things. THe one upside to changing to A/C is that it is only 8 weeks, That's like summer camp. A very lousy summer camp.

 I wish everyone luck. xo, nikki 

add me to the list too just started last thursday i was scared it was not to bad iv been tierd and have to watch what i eat i have my heair still my oldist came to me the next morning mom you still have heair as he puled it i had to laph.they have me in the cytoxan and adriamycin every other week x 4 then i go for 4 more with taxotere then surgery then some more chemo and rad. prayers to all and blessings.

Hi,

kad22 - Your experience sounds similar to mine.  I did eat during the first infusion (turkey sandwich, nuts, tea).  The first infusion took about 3 hours total, with pre-meds, about 20 minutes of push of "A", then 1 hour of "C", with other saline, etc. in between and dressing change of my PICC line after.  Then I went home and ate lunch, plus I worked on my taxes.  I thought it was all good, but then I crashed later that afternoon. Stayed that way for the next two days, even with the med cocktail I've been on.  Today is day 4, and I feel like I've turned the corner.  I only took my ordered dose of dexamethasone today; no Emend, Zofran or Ativan.  Eating and drinking is definitely key, since just sitting or laying around with stomach acids churning is not good!

Wishing all who start this week lots of luck and little SE's! 

Thanks to everyone who shared their med lists with me.  I'm so confused about why I don't have scripts for some of those - Ativan and Zofran specifically, and the dexomethasone too I guess - my doc told me no extra steroids necessary... weird.  I'll ask about all of thoe tomorrow - maybe they will send me home with them?  But then why did she already give me the scripts for Emend and Compazine?  Strange.  

Today I went to the pharmacy and loaded up on other stuff I've read about on this and other threads - lemon drops for during infusions, Sennecot, Prilosec and Pepcid, and every Biotene product I could find.  I just want to be prepared for any SE that pop up.  I really hope after all this that they don't decide to postpone me due to this annoying cough.  As much as I'm dreading it, I really just want to get it going - I had delayed the chemo due to my recent trip and am anxious about it getting too far out.

Good luck to shygal and caltex catlady - here's hoping we all have smooth days tomorrow and for the rest of the week too.

Sara 

Sara

Hey, I am toughmom38's (Jennifer's) husband. I can tell you that the only script we got before her first treatment was the steroid. When we met with the Dr on the day of chemo #1 to ask any questions we had, they wrote a script for anything we were concerned about!

We were worried about not sleeping at night....we got a script for ambien. We were worried about nausea....... we got a script for phenegran at night and zofran during the day (because the phenegran makes you sleepy, and the zofran is too expensive to take all the time!). We were worried about any pain that may occur......we got a script for hydrocodone. If we were concerned...... they wrote a script!

After the treatment we went to the pharmacy and the pharmacist looked at us like we were printing them in our garage because we had so many!! LOL!!

 They also provided the ativan the day of chemo as one of the pre-chemo drugs in an IV push. After just a few minutes Jennifer was very relaxed! They also gave her an anti-nausea med as part of the premeds that stays in your system for three days and would have rendered the nausea scripts useless until it gets out of her system (don't remember what it was called, but so far it seems to be working). I am assuming it will be that way before each treatment! Hope that helps!

All of you are incredibly brave and the way you all help eacother out is inspiring!! Hang tough! You will all get through this!!