May 2010 Chemo

CTherese: SE are side effects.  I was premenopausal prior to my diagnoses and my doc told me I would go into full blown menopause after the chemo.  I can't wait.  The hot flashes are so irritaiting.  Sweat shirt on sweatshirt off.  Hope you have a good day tomorrow.

I picked up Claritin to take tomorrow because I am getting my Neulasta shot, does anyone know if you take it before or after you get your shot or doesn't it matter?  I asked my nurse today and she said she had never heard that before, so of course she didn't know.  I will check in the morning.  My appointment is at 10:00.

HAve a good night everyone!

Barb

I had my first chemo - premed: benadryl, decadron, zofran and pepcid.  Then got Taxol followed by Herceptin.  All went well - it took about 4 hours to get them all in without any problems - YAY!!!  I'm drinking lots of water and feel good so far.  Started a journal too.  I'm trying to work 3 days a week as a nurse through all of this, so we'll see how it goes!  ((((HUGS)))) to everyone!!!!

CT Therese - welcome.  Keep up the water - I've done about 2 gallons in the last day (1st chemo was today - TH), and I feel good!   So glad you like your wig!!  One of my friends told me my short haircut looked 100% better.  What does that mean??   LOL

Day - Welcome to MAY!!!  We're glad you are here, and I'm sorry you had complications!   Have you started?

GolferGirl - Do you play?  What's your handicap (besides cancer, LOL)?  I played before - and will again when this is done!  Glad you made it through work. 

LauraM - YAY for a great wig!  I don't have one yet - just scarves.  And, laughs are always great! 

JennyB - a topless wig - never heard of it - definitely need to look into that too!  Who's your favorite BB team?

Frosty - thanks for the encouragement!!  Lord knows I think we're all scared and need to hear that we can do this!  I know I do.  ((HUGS))  and you March on!

Countryfrau - WELCOME!!  Keep us posted on how you are doing!   Drink lots of water and laugh!

Redbarb - I wish I could have had your xanax last night!  On top of chemo, I was at work, and had to tell a lot more people about the cancer, which was so emotional!  When you work with about 100 people (and not the same people everyday), it's hard to get the word around!!   SOOO glad it went good!  

Leah - YAY!

Kittycat - I agree with JennyB about an allergist - they can figure this out!!  Let us know!

Irishtess - Welcome.  When is your first chemo?

Snipinfool - Welcome!!!  I'm on your regimen, just reversed, and adding herceptin!  Keep my posted on how your AC goes, so I'l know!!  Today was my day 1, so far so good! 

Sachotomom - Ginger gum - great idea - need to get some!  Did you find a wig??

Beth - Welcome!!  I will be thinking of you today (now today).  I'm still up because I slept through chemo today, and then from about 4-8 when I got home!!

Sunflower87 - thanks for reminding me to rinse!!  Sorry about your sores.   What is PMA?

Lee27 - What's the Claritin for?  I think the Taxol can cause a lot of bone/joint pain - will it help with that and do you take it everyday?? 

Thanks for the welcome, Leanna9. This thread is wonderful! So many helpful hints from the strongest women I've ever met. Thank you so much!

My port goes in today...just a little nervous about that. I'm not sure why, as everyone says it's no big deal. Just not the way I wanted to spend my 33rd wedding anniversary. I'm drinking, drinking, drinking, and following all the advice I'm reading. Getting ready for my first tx of TC on Monday. I'm glad I'll be premedicated with Benedryl and Decadron. The thought of a reaction is a little scary.

Funny story.....at least my husband, Bill and I think it's funny. He has always been 'UB' (Uncle Bill) and I have always been 'AJ' (Aunt Jan) to our  nieces and nephews. Well, since my mastectomy, we now dubb ourselves UB1 and UB2....(Uncle Bill and UnaBoobie) So far we've only shared our little joke with our closest friends. We're not sure how the family would handle it, but we know that we have to keep everything in perspective...without humor we'd go nuts!

Good wishes and hugs to all my new friends.

Leanna:  Thanks for the welcome ~ I start (ACT) a week today, May 21 (8 sessions over 16 wks, followed by rad, followed by hormonal therapy).  I'm an atty & will be returning to work next wk (BMX was on 04/14), but I don't have to tell anyone (friends, colleagues & clients all know what's going on & why I've been out this past month).

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences ~ it's a real help as I get closer to Day 1!  Have a great weekend!

Hi All,  One week out from my first TC and doing great.   I did have one day (Day 4) of overwhelming fatigue, but otherwise its not been bad.   I do find some foods taste slighlty different, though.  But if that's the worst of it, then great!  I'm doing the cold caps, too, and one of the things they say to do is drinks lots and lots of water, so I have been drinking non-stop.   Sadly, just not the good stuff!

Leanna9: I do golf but have a terrible handicap.   I was on the road for work most of last summer, so this was going to be my year to work on my game.    Well, that hasn't exactly worked out.   Hopefully, next year.   I was feeling sorry for myself when I joined this dicussion board.   I had just resigned from my league because of chemo conflicts but was still somewhat in denial, hence the name.  But, I fully plan to play my little heart out next year!

Best to all, GG

Felt very achy last night. Came home early from work today.

Sunflower, I'm with you, going for a wig this weekend. 

Barb, one treatment down, happy to hear no complications!

CTherese, glad your treatment went so well.  I am fighting getting in this water....

All of you wonderful ladies, hang in there, have a great weekend!

Jenny B: I am with you.  I am having a tough time keeping everyone straight.  I'm going to have to start writing things down so that I can respond to everyone. Thanks for the hair update.  I thought we would lose our hair quicker, not so gradually.  This is good news for me.  I might be able to get through the end of the school year without wearing my wig.  I have to work with it alittle to get it to look the way I want it to look.  I have very thick hair so It puffs up on the top.  they said that it will not do that wants I lose my hair.  How short and thick is your hair.

I am on day 2 and feeling great.  I had my neulasta shot today and so far so good.  I took a clairiton when I got home.  I wasn't sure when to take it so I took it when I got home.  I figure I will take it for a week and see what happens.  My nurse didn't know anything about the clairiton and didn't talk to my doc yet about it.  I have been drinking more water in one day than I use to in a week.  I was never a water drinker, boy how you can pick up good habits when you have to.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with no SE.

Barb

Hello Ladies,

As you can tell by my screen name, my name is actually Marilyn, not very creative but it works...lol.

I just finished up with my chemo on April 12th. So I know this thread really isn't for me but I just wanted to share this with you.

It IS a hard road... but it CAN be done.  And I know you've all heard it before but it is true.  And please know that you're NOT alone on your journey, the ladies on this site are so friendly, helpful and we have tons of knowledge and personal experience we can share with you... so come to us that have been there before you.  Sometimes we can help.

I've also created a group on Facebook called "Chemo isn't for Whimps!" 

You can PM me anytime or find me on FB - msmarilyn@ymail.com  (I don't use that email for anything but FB so if you write me there... chances are I won't get it)

Takke Care and God Bless,

Marilyn

Claudette : 5/17  T/C X 4wks then Tamox

Hello Ladies,

I have had a side effect that I wasn't expecting and wonder if anyone else has experienced this.  At day 6 after my first TC my hand (where they did the infusion) had a reaction.  The skin on the back of the hand got swollen, itchy and rather painful.  I went in and had the nurse check it out and she said it was my tiny veins reacting to the chemo.  She said next infusion they will need to do at the bend in the elbow instead of the back of the hand.  She basically said to do whatever I had to do to keep the skin from getting infected or blistering.  I have used some lidocaine cream she gave me and also some Manuka honey (an antibacterial) and covered the area with this thin bandaging tape she gave me called Tegaderm.

 Unrelated, this morning I woke up with a fever.  I think I have a sinus infection and am shocked how quickly my full sinuses turned into an infection.  It just took a few days.  I got some antibiotics and I have cancelled most of my plans to be out in public in large groups.  I will miss most of the end of year school activities, but I'd rather be safe.

So, has anyone else had a reaction at the site of their infusion?

Jen - day 9 and counting

Redbarb, I have very fine, very thin blonde hair naturally. My haircut looks a little bit like Kate Gosselin's (without that puffy thing in the back!), but it's thinner and flatter now than when I first got it cut a week ago.

I have a function to attend tomorrow and I almost backed out because my hair decline has taken a sharp upward turn today. I don't know whether to go natural (will bald spot suddenly appear in the middle of the day? Will a gust of wind blow my hair into people's faces? eek!) or wear a hat or try one of my wigs...

My guess: My hair will be gone by the end of the weekend. I could probably tug about 60-80% of it out right this second if I wanted to, but I just want it to last one more day for this thing I have to go to tomorrow... argh.

Marilyn, thanks so much for checking in with us! It's great to hear from those of you who've gone through this before us.

Jen, good point about menopause. I'm so sorry about your reaction & infection!

Also, I had the red face/chest thing. I actually had a red rash break out over my chest that didn't disappear until 1.5 weeks after the infusion.

Well, the port-a-cath went in yesterday, and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The only negatives were that the anesthesiologist had to stop the IV sedation during the procedure because I started coughing...so there was a little pain involved. Otherwise, as someone else said, I could just feel the pressure of what I assume were the surgeon's hands placing the port. Once the local wore off, the pain I had up to now was controllable with Tylenol. All in all, it was well worth it so that I won't have to be stuck in the arm for every blood draw and chemo TX....I have lousy veins on the left side!

packjen-Your SE on your hand at the IV site sounded painful. Did they consider a porta-cath for you?

Redbarb804 & Jenny B. Thanks for your posts re your hair loss. I'm still debating whether to have my head shaved or stretch out the no-wig time by letting it fall out naturally. I'm leaning towards the latter. I go for my wig on Friday (21st).

Leanna9-Thanks for the tip about Pain meds after the port insertion. So far, I've only needed Tylenol, but I just got up a little while ago and the site is quite painful. I'll wait a bit to see if it lessens, and then I may take a vicodin if it doesn't.  He put the port on the left side, upper chest. I was surprised when the nurse said he might put it on the rt side..mastec side...so I was glad he chose the left!

Chemo starts Monday. My onc didn't say anything about a neulasta injection. Is that shot routine for a low WBC count or do some oncs give it right away when chemo starts? I worked in oncology 20 years ago, but either I've forgotten everything I knew, or there have been just so many advances...I suspect the latter. Shoot! Twenty years ago they never heard of Triple Negative bc or metaplastic bc(not to be confused with metastatic bc). Bc was bc, and they didn't have the meds to control SEs like they do now.

Well, you ladies have a good week-end...I'm going to stay busy so I don't worry about Monday. Your posts have really helped me keep things in perspective. Throwing support out to you all!

Jan 

Day 8. No noticeable SE's. Just very slight pains now and then in my hips/thigh bones from time to time, perfectly controllable with tylenol - it's been a bad weather here too, rainy, so that might "help" as well. No mouth sores. No sinus problems. Still taking antibiotic. If I take a B6 in the morning I'm not even tired, I can function normally. Like sacphotomom, my hair seems to fall even less than normal. Maybe it's too early? Did you guys shave your legs since starting chemo? I was afraid to cut myself - normally I use an electric epilator, the one that pulls the hairs out, and didn't use it because I was afraid of infection, and sometimes the follicle bleeds if the hair was too strong. I thought it will fall soon anyway, so I'm ashamed to say soon I will be looking like a cavewoman if it doesn't start falling.

Now, if you don't have SE's, and your hair doesn't fall, does it mean the chemo isn't working? I know, I know, it might sound stupid, but the question got stuck in my mind last evening and can't get rid of it.

Hi Claudette - I read that too about cooling the hands/feet during taxotere to help with the neuropathy and nail issues so I decided to try it. The advice I read was to use frozen peas so that's what I did. I just put the bag of peas on my feet w/socks on and stuck my hands (w/thin gloves - thicker when it got too cold - then thinner again) in a bag of peas. No one said when to start/stop so I just decided to start about 10-15 min before and 10-15 mn after the Taxotere. It's too early to tell if it worked at all but I am doing the cold caps so I figure the theory is similar. I've also read where others have said it was cold in the infusion room and they were wearing sandals and as a result their toe nails were fine. So I would not stress it - just do what you can and I'm sure whatever you do will help. You may also want to suck on ice cubes or ice pops during the T as well. GOOD LUCK!

sacphotomom: I am having the same problem with my wig. I have very thick hair and when I put the wig on it really puffs up in the back,  I have not lost any hair so they say that once my hair falls out that they wig will fit much better.  I'm hoping.  I hope you have a much easier time with your second treatment.  That was a very good idea to document all your food, reactions. SE so that they can figure out how to help you the next time around.  Good luck on Tuesday.

Barb