April 2010 starting chemo

Hi All!!

I'm feeling soooo much better!  The rash is almost gone and my tongue is back to normal.  I'm at my nadir, told all my friends if they even have a sniffle they are not allowed near me and everyone has to wash their hands when they walk in the door.  So far so good!  I'm such a baby when it comes to pain I'm trying to avoid the neulasta shots.  Been eating tons of salmon and proteins with dairy and my vitamin D.  We'll see if it works when I go back for treatment May 5th.

Karen-

Search " Tieing head scarves" on U-tube.  They had a few videos, best was from a Cancer Center.  They had some crasy ones too...so have fun. 

  I've still got all of my hair and I'm 14 days out from my first Chemo.  My sister is coming over Friday with a bottle of bubbly and a clippers so I don't have to worry about it when I'm in my Chemo Zombie stage after my next Tx on the 5th.  I'm starting to get nervous about it.  I've been fine about it until now, when the reality is getting nearer and I'm noticing how often I run my hands through it or my hubby strokes my head when I don't feel well.  It's another stage we have to go through and I hope it's like all the rest.  Once we're through it, it becomes "no big deal" 

Welcome to all the new posters to this thread and to all of you going through treatment this week, I wish you no SE's you can't handle and sending healing thoughts to all.

Hello ladies,

Had my first dose of A/C on 4/23. Days 1 - 3 following infusion were actually pretty normal, much to my surprise, with the exception of some difficulty sleeping the first couple of nights. I took Emend, Zofran and Dexamethasone the day of and two days following the infusion. The drugs seem to have done their job as I did not get sick once while taking them. Haven't taken any of my other drugs for naseau yet. Felt a little queasy here and there, but haven't actually thrown up.

Yesterday (day 4) was a ROUGH day. Pretty scary. I was extremely achey all over and had no energy whatsoever. Literally felt like I had been hit by a truck like so many others have said. Thankfully, though, still no throwing up. . .

Got up this morning - day 5, and feel like a totally different person. It is amazing what a difference a day makes.  One of my nurses told me day 9 is usually the roughest. I sure hope she's wrong. My question is have some of you gone up and down as the days have gone on? In other words, have you felt fine, then crappy, then fine, crappy etc? Or once you had a crappy day or two, was it uphill from there?

Good luck to all of you going through treatment. We're going to get through this!

My son will be coming home from college to visit on Friday for a few days. I haven't told him about my illness yet as I do not want to upset him during his exams. He has so much on his plate the way it is. I think the biggest fear for me so far has been breaking this news to my kids, husband and other family members. If I am fortunate enough to feel and look well during his visits, I will be so thankful, as I know it will be so much easier on him.  He is only a couple of hours away and will be coming home regularly throughout the summer months too, as he'll only be taking classes a couple of days a week over the summer. So far, my daughter seems to be doing fine, but I too worry about her, once I begin to lose my hair and get further into treatment.

Hi,

I feel like I've come out of hibernation! It's been a week since TX #2 of AC.  I was excited right after TX because the nausea seemed less this time, but on days 4-6, I was just slammed with fatigue.  To the point where I can only get up to use the bathroom and get a bite to eat.  I was told the fatigue would be cumulative, but if it gets worse than this, I will be comatose by the time I finish!

The hair is just about gone (on my head, still have it everywhere else!)  To top that off, I seem to have gotten my period again...had been having some intermittent spotting.  My onc said it should stop after TX #2.  Hopefully so, since I feel and look like a mess!

Take care, everyone. ~ Julie 

Glad to hear that most everyone who is participating is feeling better today. However, I am also concerned about fatigue, tcpjkk and consequently I am getting every errand, appointment and social commitment completed this week prior to starting TX#2.

fg2000 I too was worried about my daughter away at university writing her exams during the beginning of my treatment and found that if I called her everyday, she felt more calm about my situation and could study without too many problems.  She also came home to study for a couple of the exams and that helped her as well.

Saralmom your hair buzzing sounds like it went well considering.  My girlfriend saw me bald today for the first time and said that I could pull off bald and I looked like Sinead O'Connor!  This was a major mood booster for me.  I wonder if I could really ditch the wig. Maybe as I get used to the bald look (and get tired of that wig...it's itchy and hot) I will be able to go topless. 

Wishing everyone a good, quiet night.

Hey all,

well, here I am day 5 after round 1 TC.  (fg2000 I think we started the same day!  ...)  Days 1 and 2 were fine, day 3 and 4 ugh... my major issue has been bone pain in my legs.  My chemo nurse told me that any issues that I had before chemo would probably be amplified with chemo and that is proving to be true.  I had on and off problems with restless leg in the last 4 or 5 years, moreso in the last month since my diagnosis and in the last two nights it has been VERY hard to cope with. On dr's advice I took both the restless leg medicine and ativan and still woke up both nights often. No nausea (Or just VERy minimal...yay!) but a crummy rash!  On my neck and other areas I'd rather not mention...LOL... today I felt better, I agree  "what a difference a day makes" though I am shocked at how quickly I can revert to the couch.  I went out today and picked up my wig.  I actually WORE it home (even though I haven't lost a lock of hair.) After the angel at the shop put it on me, she asked if I wanted to wear it home?  And I thought, I had better get used to it, so I did.  Yay me! ( the word "bald" brings me immediately to tears.) I even sent my kids a picture message from the car of me in the wig so it wasn't such a shock when they saw me.  I think that helped. Have to get used to the wind here in san Diego... it did a number on the wig straight off.  When I got home, my husband seemed genuinely relieved when he saw me...LOL.  He was very sweet.  It's gonna be ok.

A big hug and welcome to all the newcomers... this place is great!  You can speak your heart out and all these amazing women are right there...

Kim W. congrats on Round 1.  I am sure you are feeling rough today, but know that "this too shall pass!"  I am glad to have a "southern Cal" sister!    Take care of yourself and let your family just love you.

HUGS to all!

I have just been reading all the recent posts and would like to welcome all the new ladies.  I think if there is anything positive about having breast cancer, it has been the opportunity to meet such a great group of ladies.  I feel that I have met a wonderful group of friends from all over the world that I would never of had the opportunity to meet before.

shygal-I have only had to shave my legs once in the last week and there wasn't really a whole lot to shave then, just a tiny bit of stubble.  Same with my underarms, not a whole lot there.  I still have all of the hair on my arms and still actually have quite a bit of 1/2" hair on my head, but a few bald spots.

Tomorrow morning I have TX #2 (TCH), so I expect that will take care of all of the rest of my hair (head, arms, legs, underarms, you name it-I'm expecting it to all go bye-bye). I had my period exactly one week after TX #1, it was pretty normal, we'll see if it stops altogether after TX #2. 

Wishing everyone good luck with treatments and SE's. Happy Thursday  and HUGS all around.

Jennifer

Yell had by first AC yesterday and it was not so bad.  Tired last night but overall good.  Today is a different story.  I feel like I have a weight sitting on my head, extemely tired, sore and neaseus.  I was planning on going to work today but that is not going to happen.,  Any words of wisdom as to how long this may take to go away?  REally not liking these side effects.  Thanks for any advide.

Jenc

Finally back from the brink of I am not sure what,LOL? I ended up being admitted to the hospital on Saturday for the blood in my urine. The funny thing is they never were able to figure out what it was. My cultures did not show enough growth to definitively say UTI, my CT's showed no stones, my blood counts were off only slightly and my X-rays were normal--the Doctor told me I was an enigma,lol. I am going to have a cycstocopy next week in hopes of finding an answer--the good news is th bleeding stopped. So who knows??

And just for some more excitement I was back in the ER yesterday:) I went in to my cancer center for fluids due to excessive vomiting and my heart rate was abnormally high.--the onc. nurse was nervous and made me go down to the ER. In the ER they ran a battery of tests, but thankfully found nothing--they believe it was caused from severe dehydration.

I tell ya this cycle has been so fun!! I hope the next few are less eventful!!

Oh SGJ - I really hope that you have more than uneventful days now.  So sorry to hear about your hospital visits.  Take care of yourself!!!

Sara 

SGJ-

Fellow TCH sister,  I am hoping you are feeling much better today!!! Did they give you Emend as an anti-nausea drug?  I had Emend and never felt nausiated.  I drink sports drinks like gatorade or powerade also.  I've had a lot of diarhea, the sports drinks help to replace electrolites you've lost through either vomiting or diarhea.  You recover from dehydration much faster that way.

 I'm a little afraid of my second tx next wednesday.  All of my weird side effects last time were caused by taxotere and my onc nurse said that puts me at high risk for a reaction at my next tx.  I'm glad she was honest with me but I almost wish I didn't know!  Think I'll be taking an Ativan Tuesday night!

Saralmom and Jenc-

Hope you both get through the next few days without anything more than that sleepy feeling!  Remember to give in to that couch time, keep hydrated and eat something!!  Two crackers go a long way  in keeping nausea away! 

 Hang tough ladies!!!  We're all pulling for you!

Shygal-- Thanks:) They did not change my drug regime-. I believe not being able to keep down the Zofran is what did me in--I used it last time and had no issues and am hoping this will not happen again.

Saralmom- Thanks:) I hope your side effects continue to stay at bay:)

Pickles- Thank you:) I do take Emend the first 3 days, and last cycle I only had brief episodes of nausea, but no follow through. I believe everything was excarbated (sp.?) by the bleeding episode and hope that next cycle is 100 X's better!!!!

 Caltex_Catl- Thank you:) I am with you on things getting easier, I think I have had my fill,lol.

Well, I am trying to catch up on everyone now that I am functioning again. I am sorry to see so many new faces, but look forward to getting to know everyone!!!!! I hope you all are having a wonderful day and those of you with side effects, may they be manageable and short lived.

I just got home from my 2nd cycle of TC.  So far.....the pre-jitters, the actual process, and even now have felt better.......I think the first round I wore myself out partly from being anxious and scared.  My bp was up, but I was able to finish the Avastin (placebo), but I'm wondering if I'll make through the entire trial.  I forgot to use the numbing cream on my port.....it was kind of a quick hurt.....so next time I'll try the cream.  Everyone at the chemo center was great....making sure that I was okay with all of my SEs.  I'll get my Neulasta tomorrow.....it really worked well, although I really didn't get many bone aches until about a week later after taking it.  Yesterday (day 14, cycle 1) was the first day I could tell my hair was starting to fall out.  Today, it's a little more, so I'm on my way.  My nurse said that with the 2nd cycle my worst days might (might) lengthen by about a half a day......we'll see.

JenC.......I know everyone is different, but for me....day 3 and day 4 were the worst.....day 4 was slightly better than day 3 and I slept pretty much the entire day.....day 5 when I woke up I knew I felt better and was on the upswing......I fell asleep watching tv in the early evening for the next few days.......now that I'm through one complete cycle I would recommend just going day by day don't worry about the next day (I know easier said than done),  so except for day 3 and 4 all of the other days were pretty good, I did go up and down, having great days and then a couple with more body aches, etc. but even these were not that bad......good luck.......

fg2000.......I bought a calendar and am marking meds and SEs for each day.  That way I know what time I took a med., in case I forgot.  I'll be able to compare this 2nd cycle with the 1st.....I have no idea if they will correspond at all.  For my nausea, I asked my nurse and she suggested to keep taking until about day 5......so I took Emend (3 days) and continued with Zofran.  On day 6 I took Zofran when I went to sleep. (the other ladies here had cautioned about getting nausea at night.  That was it for me except for one night when I woke up feeling off, and realized it was probably nausea and took something)  The nurses said suggested that even if you feel fine never go out or be without meds, because if feel bad, you can take them......

sorry to ramble on and on.......thanks so much for all the help you've given me.....good luck to all