May 2010 Chemo

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  • Shrek4
    Shrek4 Member Posts: 1,822
    edited May 2010

    Ok guys, I'm home. I tried to get in the forum from there ( took the laptop with me) but their wi-fi was so amazingly slow that pages were loading half in 10 minutes... and then stopped.

    It was quite eventful. The anti-emetic went in first. Then, a few seconds after they started the Taxotere, I felt my chest catching on fire, my throat tightening up and I couldn't breathe. They stopped it right away and gave me an iv with steroids and benadryl. When they took my vitals, my bp was 148/76 (that high one I never had, usually my bp is 100-110/62-72. My heartrate was 118 and oxigen uptake 96-97.Honestly I thought I was having a heart attack. Anyway, after a 30 minutes wait, they tried again, with the iv at a very slow drip. It worked like a charm. the Cytoxan after that the same. The only thing was that it took a total of about 3 and a half hours instead of 2 hours. I am quite dizzy right now, and tired (didn't sleep much last night), I am just very mildly nauseated and my mouth is dry. I had a small serving of beef roast (crockpot) and it seems to be settling well in my stomach. I think I will eat a popsicle and then lay down to rest a little. The adverse reaction scared the heck out of me. Sorry if I miss any typos I make (they used the veins of the left hand and it's still bandaged). I am not going to get Neulasta unless my white blood cell count drops (something pertaining to "my amazing power of recovery", ha!

    Oh yes, and for the list, I guess I forgot to put in everything. After the TC x 4 I get lymph nodes dissection, and Tamoxifen.

    How is everyone doing? Golfergirl, how did yours go today?

    Hugs all, and thank you for your kind thoughts, it helped tremendously.

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  • JennyB100104
    JennyB100104 Member Posts: 237
    edited May 2010

    Day--Wow! How frightening that reaction must have been!

    Marmalade--I hope you've gotten that awful nausea under control.

    Laurie--congrats on finishing!

    Beanius--we'll miss you! Please keep us posted on how you're doing.

    I had my post chemo #1 appointment today. I'm doing great. My white blood cell count is off the charts, thanks to Neulasta, but my red blood cells are dwindling (I'm told this is normal). We talked about my incessant bleeding, which is normal--apparently my ovaries making a last stand against chemo. :) And we talked about ways we'll manage the severe bone pain in the next round. So I will be taking ClaritinD + prophelactic pain meds (switching between ibuprophen and vicodin) in anticipation of it this time, and if that doesn't work, I am supposed to go into the ER for narcotics. Joy!

     I got my hair cut short and feel a little like a boy. I've never had short hair.

     Also have a lovely rash spreading across my chest.

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  • jan-m
    jan-m Member Posts: 88
    edited May 2010

    Hey there everyone.. hope you are all feeling as good as can be after your 1st chemo sessions!

    Day:  I hope your power of recovery is still working well for you!

    JennyB: I had my chemo lesson yesterday and was told to stay away from Ibuprophen as it can make you bleed and told to take Tylenol for pain.  Maybe you want to check into that?

    I am Canadian so I seem to have a few different things going on compared to you all..

    I will be getting my PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) inserted into my arm on monday.. did you all get ports in your chest?  Then on tuesday I will be starting chemo, my "cocktail" seems totally different to what you are all getting..

    F - Fluorouracil

    E - Epirubicin

    C - Cyclophosphamide

    for the 1st 3 sessions and then..

    D - Docetaxel (Taxotere) for the last 3 sessions

    Gawd.. I hope they know what they are doing up here!!

    When are you all expecting to lose your hair.. before or after your 2nd session?

    Happy popsicle munching to all (I hear that's the best part of all of this :)

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  • JennyB100104
    JennyB100104 Member Posts: 237
    edited May 2010

    Jan--yes, that makes sense (although I wasn't told that specifically about ibuprophen).  I was told I need to take ibuprophen (switching between it and vicodin, which is  tylenol+codeine every few hours), because of the severe reaction I was having to Neulasta. As my oncologist said, nothing in this comes free, you know? Everything has a side effect, and many of them aren't nice.

    I was just sharing what my doctors told me to do after I had a nasty reaction to Neulasta. Many swear by the Claritin/Aleve combo for Neulasta pain, too.

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  • packjen
    packjen Member Posts: 281
    edited May 2010

    Day - what a scary experience.  I am so glad you had your boyfriend there to support you.  BTW, I was given the benadryl drip BEFORE they started the Taxotere.  Maybe they can do that for you next time -- just in case.  Also, about the not being sleepy part, are you on steroids?  They had me take oral steroids one day before, gave them to me in a drip on day of and had me take oral 2 days afterwards.  I was told by several people that I would have trouble sleeping.  The onc. pharmacist gave me Ativan to help me relax and get to sleep.  Last night was my last dose of steroids so maybe I won't be staying up past midnight.

    I hope all you women who are about to start this week are staying strong.  I didn't believe the doctors when they said some people do just fine on chemo.  I am only 3 days out of first treatment, but I have had very few effects.

    Jen

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  • marilyn7
    marilyn7 Member Posts: 86
    edited May 2010

    Hello May Warriors!  I'm a March gal myself.  I'm half-way through chemo (3 down/3 to go) and want to encourage everyone to keep the faith. I'm keeping a blog on the Healthy Women.org website, that others have found helpful:

    http://www.healthywomen.org/womentalk/blog/real-women-real-stories

    Happy Mothers Day!!

    Marilyn 

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  • lindamsn
    lindamsn Member Posts: 37
    edited May 2010

    I am starting Xeloda tomorrow.  I was on Taxol and Avastin for 6 months ending in December '09 and the cancer hasn't totally gone into remission so doing the chemo pills and have started the Faslodex injections.

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  • GolferGirl
    GolferGirl Member Posts: 121
    edited May 2010

    Hi All,

    Thanks for all the well wishes yesterday!  Had my first TCx4 treatment yesterday.  So far,so good.  Dry eyes and my lips feel burnt(?) but otherwise good so far.  By the time I remembered to eat the popsicles I had brought, they were mush, so didn't get to freeze my mouth during treatment. Will have to fix that next time. I am also doing the cold caps like Drim, so my treatment day was also about 7 hours (the chemo only took about 2 hours). The caps are more of a pain than actually getting the chemo, but I am willing to put up with it if it works!  Drim, I posted more about this in the cold caps thread.  I ended up getting a port last week and am glad I did.  Much better (IMO) than having an IV for several hours.  1 down and 3 to go!  Good luck to those starting after me! I will be thinking of you and sending lots of positive thoughts your way!   

    packjenn- your post on chemo de mayo and the tshirt made me laugh out loud!  Thanks for helping us all keep our humor.  I'm also curious about the neuropathy drug you posted and will do some googling mysef on that.  I already have that from time to time anyway, so anything I can do to keep it at bay, I am interested in. Thanks for posting that.

    I will be getting a Nuelasta shot on Monday.  I asked my onc about taking Clariten.  He said he had not heard of that, but has no problem with me taking Clariten during treatment, so I will be taking it to be on the safe side. I use it as needed for allergies anyway, so two birds with one stone as the saying goes. Beth

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  • sacphotomom
    sacphotomom Member Posts: 366
    edited May 2010

    Day 5 after TC  feeling sightly better then yesterday...the head ache seems to be getting better with the Norco. Nurse has said to have a Benadryl next time .might help  I have had to take Valium too to keep the neck from tightening up...because of the head ache...if it wasn't for the head ache I would think I got away pretty easy...so far...at least.  I have learned that on day 3, I will need to have someone with me..or more of a distraction. So I don't go into my head so much..or at least have some plans  for something do...reading didn't do it for me ....Not knowing what I could plan because of wondering what will happen. the unknown is the worst part of this..

    OK some thing I was surprised to eat ...cold canned (actually in a jar)peaches from the fridge were wonderful..cool to the mouth and not so sweet...anyone else have problem with sweets tasting weird...

    Packjenn love your tees

    GolferGirl   cant find anyone that knows about the clariten too...but willing to try, more because of the sinus problems the Cytoxan brings on....

    to all you Moms out there   Have a Wonderful Mothers Day!

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  • Fiver05
    Fiver05 Member Posts: 28
    edited May 2010

    Hello Ladies!  Started T/C yesterday - not too many side effects so far - slight headache all day today which I am thinking may be mostly stress?  Been just taking it easy and drinking lots of water. If it doesn't get worse than this, I can handle it!  Nuelasta shot on Monday - really not looking forward to that. 

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  • krcll
    krcll Member Posts: 343
    edited May 2010

    jan-m- I started chemo in September 2009 and I thought I would just pop in to tell you what I know about FEC. It is used in Europe, Canada and Australia and is about the same thing as AC, which they use in the USA. The reason I was given by my onc that I got FEC, is that the "E" in FEC is less damaging to the heart than the "A" in AC. But FEC is more expensive than AC, so maybe the insurance companies don't think it is worth paying for in the USA? Like many of these international differences, there are usually two different arguments as to which is best and there is no "right" answer.

    It was quite disconcerting to me at the beginning to see that treatment the Americans were getting differed sometimes from what the Europeans (and usually Canadians) got. But everytime I asked my onc about it, his explanations made alot of sense to me and I think we are getting just as good care as anyone else.

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  • Shrek4
    Shrek4 Member Posts: 1,822
    edited May 2010

    Ok I don't know how it's counted... day 1 is the day of the treatment? considering that, I'm day 3, not nauseated, but an overall blah feeling, quite tired, and I have some pain coming and going in my surgery scars (but the weather is changing so that is probably the reason). The bad part is that I think I am on the way of getting a UTI. Every time I cough (and I do cough because I have allergies and my throat tickles from the post-nasal drip) I.... leak. I had to put on a pad. I woke up also with a dull toothache, more like upper jaw ache, so I guess my teeth that need work are starting to bother. Fortunately I have antibiotic in the house (they prescribed me some before started the chemo, to have home jst in case) so I started taking them. I'll call the onco office tomorrow.

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  • JennyB100104
    JennyB100104 Member Posts: 237
    edited May 2010

    Hang in there, Day. I hope you're not coming down with an infection.

    I'm on day 11 after T/C #1 today and feeling pretty good, just tired (because I'm so anemic? I don't know...). 

    Now I'm wondering when the hair will start coming out. It's being pretty tenacious so far....

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  • LauraM
    LauraM Member Posts: 251
    edited May 2010

    TriciaB - Thank you for giving your updates.. I am a few days behind you I started my first dose of AC on Thursday 5/6.  Day one and two were uneventful for me, a little woozie at times but other than that went about my normal life.  Saturday started the same, but little by little some nausia and woozieness along with being tired settled in.  Actually eating has been okay, kind of makes my stomach feel better for a while.  Last night I didn't sleep well as my stomach seemed to be turning alot.  Today, I feel the same as yesterday, just a little off and my stomach can't decide how it wants to feel.  I had not been good at taking my stool softeners so I think that is part of my stomach issue.  I am not making sure that I take them until this issue resolves.  Hopefully tomorrow I wake up feeling back to normal.

    All you other ladies out there I hope you are feeling good today and Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there!

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  • TriciaB
    TriciaB Member Posts: 16
    edited May 2010

    Hi ladies.  Happy Mother's Day.  Tomorrow will be one week anniversiary of first AC infusion.  I have to count myself as one of the lucky few that got through the first week pretty side-effect free.  Neulasta also was no problem.  I am assuming that subsequent weeks are not going to be this good, but at least one week is in the can.  Still taking one pepcid a day; stopped with stool softeners; taking Atavan (sp?) to sleep and have had great sleep (always been a good sleeper); drinking lots of water.  Also, accupuncture yesterday.  I think I am going to go twice a week if I can to see if it will help stave off the side effects that I know are coming my way.  Didn't feel any different, except relaxed with a good energy; good energy today too.  Hair still intact.  (That's definitely gonna change soon!)  Love and good vibes to you all on this beautiful Sunday in Minneapolis.  We'll get through this!

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  • njbhwgirl
    njbhwgirl Member Posts: 295
    edited May 2010

    HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! to all

    This weekend got new flooring in LR, DR and Kitchen ...so spent the whole day cleaning up .but rooms look great..

    Getting a CT and Bone scan tmrw...hate this because once again you wait for that darn phone call with results..and for me always seems bad news.

    Ticking off for first treatment day which is Wednesday...Love all the tips you have shared and so encouraged by all the people who have had little or no side effects.. For me..chemo is not the issue.. it is all about the hair... finally hooked up with someone in my state who has a service whereby they come to your house and fit you for a wig. I sent her pics today and hoping to have one by the weekend.  (sigh)...somehow I hope miracle upon miracle that one of us will beat the odds and keep our hair.

    I have thought about cutting my hair today but when I go in with a short haircut tomorrow and then 2 weeks from now have long hair again due to wig (duh) ....so what have most of you decided to do.

    I feel so very connected to each and every one of you. This is something you cannot explain or describe to anyone unless you are going thru it.  I feel sad beanius is leaving us.  I wish you well.

    Golfergirl & Drim:  I am so excited and waiting to hear about your first cold cap treatment... Good for you that you only have 4 treatments.. If that was my case I would of went with it..But the Taxol is 4x with a 3 hour drip

    Dana14:  I am at Sloane too!  are you in NJ or NY...I had my surgery in nyc but doing my treatments in NJ because closer for me...can I PM and chat with you

    TriciaB: so good to hear you are well...like good news

    Fiver5:  I am with you..think that shot is not a good thing...feel like we may not need it. sometimes I think they overkill us.. do you not wonder why we need as many treatments as we do...Why can it not be just one treatment?   oh well I will ponder this tonight.

    Have great night ladies and well wishes to all

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  • JennyB100104
    JennyB100104 Member Posts: 237
    edited May 2010

    njbhwgirl: You make a point about having your hair cut short and then having long hair again in two weeks! I thought about that, too, and I ended up deciding to get a short wig, even though my hair has been long all my life. I'm afraid of the heat/sweat factor with the wig, and summers out here in the desert are brutally hot. So short hair to short wig to short hair again...then in a couple of years grow it out until it's normal. That's the goal, anyway.

    I think all of us approach the hair thing a little differently. I think I'm less attached to my hair than most. I did think about cold caps for a day or two but my husband talked me out of it. 

    For me, the hair thing is something of an adventure.While many people want to look the same, I want to take this opportunity to look different and think out of the box. Short & dark instead of long & blonde, for once in my life. My hairdresser said it's almost impossible to dye blonde hair black, so I figure this might be my only opportunity!

    I'm more afraid, I think, of losing my eyebrows/eyelashes than my hair. Harder to hide those. :(

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  • Drim
    Drim Member Posts: 302
    edited May 2010

    njbhwgirl: I too seem to be more caught up in the hair thing than the side effects of the chemo and I'm feeling a little guilty about that. At first I thought this would be a good opportunity to do something different with my hair and have some fun, but when reality set in I was so drawn to the cold caps. I think I was most frightened of the time it would take for my hair to grow back since I will be on herceptin and tamoxifen and some people say those make your hair grow back slowly / thin your hair, respectively. Good luck on Wednesday. I'm one day ahead of you so lets hope for little/no side effects for both of us!

    JennyB: I'm a little worried about the eyelash/eyebrow thing too. Some people have talked about using Lattisse (you need a prescription from your dermotologist). I still have that in the back of my head. I guess the eyebrows won't take that long to grow back and I can hardly see my eyelashes as it is.

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  • njbhwgirl
    njbhwgirl Member Posts: 295
    edited May 2010

    JennyB:  Boy If I had your attitude I would be home free....I wish I could be as brave as you and see the hair thing as an adventure...WOW...from very long hair to short and drastic color hair and living it up...I admire you.. You will have to send me long hair and short hair pictures.. I am sure  you will be as beautiful both ways.

    Drim:  are you all set to go?  Have you practiced with the caps?  I am pulling for you.....let me know on wed how it went.. I think the good thing with the caps is that chemo is secondary ....the main focus is changing the caps in time and making them tight..chemo is just an annoyance...This might just be a good thing all around.

    Did read in previous post that ice chips might help the cold sores...Do they have them onsight in most places or do you have to bring your own?

    Does anyone know what percentages of having mets are for people who have stage II cancer. Freaking out about my tests tomorrow and possible results on Wednesday.. If additional cancer is found, will they change my chemo date and course of action? 

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  • GolferGirl
    GolferGirl Member Posts: 121
    edited May 2010

    njbhwgirl- I'm lucky the hosptial I am going to has the caps available. I actually went for a second opinion at a different hospital (one of the nationaly certified comprehensive cancer centers).  They do not have the caps.  I told myself if they recommend the same treatment, I am sticking with the original hospital and the caps, but if they recommend different treatment, I will skip the caps.  Lucky for me, they recomended the same treatment as I was already stressing over possibly losing my hair. I didn't realize how much it would bother me til I went for the second opinion and they didn't have the caps.  I think worrying about my hair distracts me from the rest of it.

    2 days post chemo and doing good.  No real side effects today, though my scalp feels tight in some places.  Neulasta shot tomorrow.  I hope I keep feeling this good!

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  • nanaof2
    nanaof2 Member Posts: 112
    edited May 2010

    Marilyn,  thanks for fletting us know how your are doing, I think that you are ahead of us and give us  input on what we will go through. So happry for you that you are ahalf way through the treatmens.  I too am going to read the stories.  I think it is so lovely that you all right and it helps us. SO, thankyou.

    Today was a very hard day for me, I gus getting the port in yesterday and the retmentent tomorrow and made it all too real, even though I knew it waws going.  U have take severl adivan through the day, it they finlly are working.  Hated begin weeping thorough all of Mother's Day.

    Planning on going to work tomorrow moring and heading for the threatmen at 1:00.  I hope you all stay well!   Judy

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  • Drim
    Drim Member Posts: 302
    edited May 2010
    Poohbear and anyone else starting tomorrow- good luck!!
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  • Redbarb804
    Redbarb804 Member Posts: 299
    edited May 2010

    Poohbear: Good luck tomorrow.  I will be thinking of you.  Hope all goes well.

    Drim:  Good luck to you on Tuesday. In case I don't get a chance to get on tomorrow night. 

    Hope everyone had a great Mother;s Day.  Have a great Monday,

    Barb

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  • newchapter2011
    newchapter2011 Member Posts: 8
    edited May 2010

    Congratulations! Laurie....

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  • LauraM
    LauraM Member Posts: 251
    edited May 2010

    Hi ladies - Good luck to those of you starting today or this week, I am sending good thoughts out to all of you!  I hope everyone who has already started is feeling good.

    I am on day 5 today and still feeling a little bit crummy which I have to say I was not expecting.  I guess I Iive in my own little world and thought I would get though all this with no SE's.. funny me!.  Day 1 and 2 were no big deal, day 3 I started to get a little yucky in the belly.  Yesterday, day 4, was my worst day, but still overall not that bad, just a yucky belly for most of the day.  I did feel better when I had food in my stomach as it absorbed the acid.   Yesterday afternoon I took my Prilosec for my stomach which I had forgotten to do earlier in the day and that helped my stomach last night feel much better.   About 5am this morning my stomach started turning again..ugh.  I got up and went for my morning walk and thought that would make me feel much better, in someways it did, but my stomach is still giving me trouble now.  I am also getting lightning in the middle of my stomach from the Neulasta shot around my sternum where they say the white blood cells start to reproduce.   I guess that is good news since I know my white blood cells are responding properly.  My kids have been really worried with my SE's but I keep telling my them that getting SE's means the medicine is working so that is helping them understand some.

    My wig is on order and should be in this week, I have a wedding to go to the day after my 2 tx and I am not sure if I should make my head wig ready before that or if my own hair will hold out until after the wedding.  I also saw on a different discussion group about Buff Wraps, they are very soft wraps that feel nice on your head.  I ordered two of them from online and they came in very quickly.

    Today is my 13th Wedding Anniversary... YEAH!  My dh has been so supportive and super helpful through all of this, I am planning on cooking a nice dinner! 

    Have a wonderful day!

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  • newchapter2011
    newchapter2011 Member Posts: 8
    edited May 2010

    Hey girls!  Sorry didn't get out here any this weekend.  From reading lots of your posts looks like we are are pretty much experiencing the same side effects.  Thank goodness I haven't had any nausau, however I've also been proactive with that.  I've been taking my nausau medicine every morning and then I will also take one at night before bedtime.  Seems to be working,  my main side effect right now is feeling so tired and run down.  I keep trying to keep soups and fluids in me and sleeping a lot.  I came to work this morning to see how much I can tolerate.  Everyone understands, so its not like I have to be here.  I'm mainly doing if for myself to keep movtiviated and pushing through this time.  Well one treatment down and 7 more to go......then they will discuss my surgery.  I too am considering going ahead and cutting my hair shorter, right now the way I feel it doesn't even matter that I loose any hair.  As long as I  can feel better, I can throw on a cap or scarf.  Just give me enery!  Anys suggestions as far as enery foods?

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  • GolferGirl
    GolferGirl Member Posts: 121
    edited May 2010

    Drim and Poohbear and others starting this week, Good Luck to you! 

    I am day 3 today, going in for my Nuelasta shot soon.  So far, so good.  Tummy is a bit more sensitive today, but not too bad.  Just sticking to bland foods. 

    DonnaDoodle, I've been feeling a little run down, too.  So far doing a little walking has been the most helpful to me.   If you come up with any energy foods, please let us know!

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  • newchapter2011
    newchapter2011 Member Posts: 8
    edited May 2010

    So far chicken noolde soup has worked the best for me.  I guess its the salt and broth....but it feels good going down and the taste helps also.  I've tried walking a little, but here in the southe the temps are a little to much to get out in.  We had temps two days this weekend in the 90's.....whew those kind of days can really take it out of anyone.

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  • adb1971
    adb1971 Member Posts: 4
    edited May 2010

    Ok Ladies, sounds like you have been wonderful support for one another.  I am so happy to have some insight here.  I had to delay chemo from the 4th to the 18th because I was unable to get my surgical drains out- 5 weeks post dmx! Anyone else go this long? I never thought I would be depressed about NOT starting chemo.  So I am praying I won't have another delay and will start on the 18th.  Anyone else starting then? However, thanks to you wonderful ladies that I will know what to expect.  Sending positive thoughts to all of you!

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  • Shrek4
    Shrek4 Member Posts: 1,822
    edited May 2010

    Ok, day 4 here. I had some pains in my hips and thighs, called the onc. nurse to talk to her about it (wasn't sure if I'm supposed to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen, I knew one of them wasn't good, but guess chemo brain kicked in) as well a about the possible UTI. I told her I started taking antibiotics Saturday, she said they will fax the pharmacy for more, so I can be well supplied. I am kind of blah, a little bit more than normal, and my surgeries sites hurt (we are under tornado watch here in Oklahoma and seems we will have severe weather from now til tonight. I did not have any nausea at all. Just finished taking the 8 hours pills (Zofran). Never had the need for the "in case" ones (Compazine).

    Otherwise, everything is good.  The pain is bearable - not sure actually ow much of it might also be due to the weather.

    Hope everybody is doing at least as good as I am.

    Hugs all

    Day

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