Chemo June 2010

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  • marcy4
    marcy4 Member Posts: 162
    edited June 2010

    Designer Mom,

    I told my oncologist I wouldn't take Taxotere since I was afraid of the SEs of it and he changed me to weekly Taxol.  I am still having my AC treatments so don't know how I will do on Taxol, but I decided Taxotere was something I wanted to avoid.  My oncologist was very agreeable with my suggestion and said it was just as effective. 

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  • mtf2518
    mtf2518 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2010

    Hi All:  Starting chemo tomorrow, AC 4x every 2 weeks then taxol 4 x every two weeks, then radiation.  Am getting port installed (that sounds weird) and muggah scan before chemo.  Looks like I will be having a very busy morning.  I go from get the show on the road to wtf!  This website has helped me realize that I am not alone and I KNOW I CAN DO THIS.  Having my family pray for few side effects at this point. Still hard for me to realize I am actually going through this; but I will and I will be OK........positive thoughts to all of you and praying for few side effects for everyone....

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  • RS711
    RS711 Member Posts: 105
    edited June 2010

    Just want to wish everyone good luck with first rounds. I will be starting thursday, and will report everything (that I can remember...)   :-)

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  • janny99
    janny99 Member Posts: 119
    edited June 2010

    I start my chemo June 7th.  I try to be positive and strong, but had a bad 'emotional' day today after I finished my chemo teaching.  So, gotta get it together...

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  • dsa-deb
    dsa-deb Member Posts: 126
    edited June 2010

    Glad to see that someone else is on the red devil AC/T cocktail.  I don't know much about the taxotere (tx), but my oncologist wants the taxol due to the rareness of my BC (metaplastic carcinoma).  So, will be anxious to know how the ladies who sat in the 'chair' today for their 1st treatment.

    After posting on a couple other threads for the last 3 weeks, i have been more informed by them about this beast than i could have ever expected and they are already in their treatment phase--it's amazing how everyone learns from each other and is an encourager to the rest of us that are new to the SE's of treatments.

    i hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!!  

    deb 

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  • kittycat
    kittycat Member Posts: 2,144
    edited June 2010

    I find out this Thursday when I start chemo. I'm getting my port placed this Friday.  I'm also getting an echocardiogram this Thursday. 

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  • kittycat
    kittycat Member Posts: 2,144
    edited June 2010

    I find out this Thursday when I start chemo. I'm getting my port placed this Friday.  I'm also getting an echocardiogram this Thursday. 

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  • kittycat
    kittycat Member Posts: 2,144
    edited June 2010

    Jenweg - good luck on your first day of chemo!  Where did you get set up on that clinical trial?  I'm wondering because I noticed you are triple negative like me.  I'm probably going to get dose dense AC/T. 

    Holli - love the crazy wig!  I was looking at my Halloween costume photos and laughed that I have a wig on in each photo (and false eyelashes).  Who knew I was practicing for this chemo thing!  LOL!

    Designer - I heard about some SE's of Taxotere and leaned more towards AC/T (although I know it will be hard).

     Why is AC/T called the red devil?  That's the 2nd time I've heard that phrase. 

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  • jenweg
    jenweg Member Posts: 195
    edited June 2010

    Kittycat, my oncologist's office participates in clinical trials with Thomas Jefferson Hospital.  They offered it to me and I figured it couldn't hurt.  I will take all the drugs I can to fight this beast!!  I believe it is called the E5103 trial.  There is a thread on here regarding it also if you want to check it out.  Good luck with your port placement Friday.  I did not get a port, but might end up with one before it is all done.  Thanks for the well wishes.  I will let everyone know how it goes!

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  • algreach
    algreach Member Posts: 55
    edited June 2010

    SDK--Hope all is well after you're 1st treatment last week.

    MelMel and Holli--Hope you're doing well today. Did everything go smoothly?

    Jenweg and mtf2518--I'll be thinking of you as I sit in the chemo chair today. Best wishes.

    mtf & janny99--This trip is an emotional rollercoaster. But you're amongst friends here and hopefully we'll all be stronger for the sharing of our experience.  Hugs to you both.

    I'm trying not be nervous, but it's hard.  :-)  I'm just filling up the hours between now and 2:30 so I don't dwell on what's to come. Drinking lots of water, going for a nice long walk with the dog, and doing chores I may not feel like doing later.

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  • janny99
    janny99 Member Posts: 119
    edited June 2010

    algreach ~ Thinking of you as you start this journey today!  I think the nerves are all part of this....my  nurse navigator told me that it's normal to have kind of an emotional breakdown during the first chemo.  Hang tough today!  Prayers are with you.....

     I start my chemo June 7th.  I had my port placed last Tuesday, and had my echo last Monday...I had my emotional breakdown yesterday after I went to my chemo teaching when I went to try on wigs, the reality of losing my hair really got to me, and the fear of the unknown, I think.  I felt kind of shallow feeling this way, but I'm better today.

     I am HER2+ and my medical oncologist has me on a different regimen than I've heard of on these boards.  The usual course of Herceptin is every 3 weeks for 1 year.  A study from Helsinki, Finland has shown that a shorter more frequent course of treatment is as effective and lessens  chance of cardiotoxicity.  

    So I will be on Taxol/Herceptin every week for 9 weeks, then I will start on FAC x3, three week cycle.  I guess this is the European recommendations, so I feel a bit like a guinea pig.  Is anyone else following a similar chemo TX?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2010

    Mtf 2518, Jenweg, and Algreach, good luck today! thinking about you...

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2010

    Janny99, I had a breakdown yesterday when I called the wig shop I can't imagine how it will feel to try the wigs on, it is getting more and more real...I don't think that is shallow, it's having to face everyday in front of the mirror that we have cancer

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  • Beanius
    Beanius Member Posts: 1,697
    edited June 2010

    Hi All, I would like to join this group as I'm scheduled to start chemo on June 8. I'll be receiving 6 cycles of Taxotere & Cytoxan, then rads, then tamoxifen for 5 yrs. I thought I was going to start last month but the radiologist found a couple of calcifications in my "healthy" breast so I had to have two more lumpectomies on the left and AXLD on the right. I'm still healing from surgery done May 25 but the onc says to start chemo next week.

    I have a question, does anyone know if starting chemo 2 weeks after surgery is okay? I will have the drain removed the day before chemo start. I was thinking of maybe giving it another week and starting chemo on June 15 ( not that I want to put it of - ha, ha).

    This is really happening. Is this really happening? Well, let's jump in and get it over with. So many wonderful people have shared their experiences and I'm grateful to them. I hope I can be of help to anyone else going through this.

    I actually got a hat and a (cheap) wig ordered today. I hate spending money on this stuff, but, I think I'll feel better if I have the stuff I might need on hand. I already bought a lot of things from the list of chemo suggestions to have on hand. Now I can add to that a wig and gel headband, hat, and a sleeping hat. I'm going to get a couple of scarves at the $2 store today too. Whoopie, Splash!

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  • TMarina
    TMarina Member Posts: 692
    edited June 2010

    I will start chemo sometime this month (around the 14th?).  I will be having AC x4, then Taxol and Herceptin x 12, then just Herceptin for 9 more months.  My onc. said this is the best regimen for HER2+ (I go to a teaching hospital).  I believe Andriamycin is called red devil because of its red color (and side effects!).

    I have had a port for over a year now (was treated for colon cancer last year).  Ask to get a "power" or "smart" port.  Then it can be used for ct scans and such.  It really saves the veins!  I don't even notice mine anymore, didn't take me long to get used to it.  I was given some "happy" drugs before surgery, and stayed awake for the whole procedure--altho I've heard some sleep through it.  Didn't hurt at all, but was sore for a few days.  Get a prescription for Emla cream.  Put it on the port an hour before and cover it with Glad Press n Seal to keep it off your clothes.  It makes a big difference--if I remember to use it I don't feel a thing when they access it.  Otherwise its a about the same as an iv stick--hurts a bit, but only for a min.  Some people don't feel anything after using it a few times, but I still do, (if I forget the cream).  I know a lady who has had hers in for 9 years now!

    I'll be waiting to hear how everyone handles the hair loss!  I'm not looking forward to it!  the first thing I told my onc when I found out the cancer spread to my nodes was "after all I've bee through I still have to lose my hair!"  It only thinned during my previous chemo.

    The cancer center I go to does chemo classes before starting chemo.  Its a good time to ask the nurse a lot of q's about side effects, because sometimes they know more than the docs!  One of my nurses had breast cancer a few years ago, so she'll be a big help. Here is a good website about chemo side effects:  www.chemocare.com

    I will get nausea meds in my IV before starting chemo (last time it was Zofran and Decadron, and an Emend pill), then I had a scrip for Zofran, Decadron, Compazine and Ativan at home.  Some of those were added after a few rounds. Everyone responds differently, but just know that if you have nausea there are different meds you can try.  If you get a scrip for Decadron (or generic dexamethasone) take it EXACTLY as directed--it is a steroid and will keep you up at night.  I once  took it for several days and was only supposed to take it for 3 days post chemo--lots of sleepless nights!

    Tell your docs EVERYTHING!  You'll be surprised at what they can help with.

    Let the fun begin!

    T.

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  • jenweg
    jenweg Member Posts: 195
    edited June 2010

    Hi all, well mark one off the list!!!  I got there today for my treatment around noon and got out around 4, all went well, no reactions, etc.  After we left we stopped at the wig store to pick up my new wig and then grocery store to drop off a prescription.  So far I feel good, hopefully it continues!!!

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  • tbyrd
    tbyrd Member Posts: 30
    edited June 2010

    I just got back from having my port put in.  It was a breeze.  He put the thing in that they will use to put the chemo drugs in tomorrow morning so it has a bandage over it but they'll take the bandage and the other thing off after the chemo.  He used that "super glue" to close my incision so I won't have bandages to change or stitches to deal with.  That is what they used on my mastectomy incision and I just think it is a miracle!  It makes things so much easier.  So right now I'm feeling pretty chipper.  I hope I can sleep tonight without worrying about that first chemo in the morning.  Plus I have to start the Dex tonight and I hear that makes people hyper.  Oh, well, we do what we have to do.

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  • algreach
    algreach Member Posts: 55
    edited June 2010

    Jenweg--congrats on the uneventful first treatment!

    I, too, survived my first treatment with no reactions. It'll be interesting to see how things progress, but so far so good. My hospital staff was great--they even provided a freezie pop while they injected one drug that was more likely to cause mouth sores. I've got my meds from the pharmacy and I'm determined to stay ahead of the nausea.

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  • Gail48
    Gail48 Member Posts: 11
    edited June 2010

    Congratulation to all who have completed 1st round and wishing you mild or NO side effects.  Drink, Drink, and then drink some more.  Everything I have read stresses the importance of getting that stuff out of you system.

     I have taken my first steroid pill this morning and will take one more later this evening. I will be going tomorrow morning for my first treatment and I hope everything goes well without  problems.  I am drinking a lot today because it is easier to find a good vein if you are hydrated and my veins are not the easiest to locate.  I will check back tomorrow and have a wonderful evening.

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  • HolliColorado
    HolliColorado Member Posts: 15
    edited June 2010

    Yesterday's infusion was easy peasy lemon squeasy.  Was done after about four hours and home for the afternoon.  I felt fine, ate a diet recommended by my onco and even went to the gym for a mild half-hour walk on the treadmill.  Took an Ativan before going to bed to help ward off nausea and slept like a rock.

    Until about 4:30 a.m.  I woke up with a rumbling in my stomach.  I didn't feel like throwing up exactly, but thought I'd take a half Ativan to try to keep it at bay.  By 7:30ish, I was power puking.  This continued until past 9 a.m. when I went in to the Cancer Center for my follow-up Neulasta shot.  By then, I also was experiencing diarrhea.  The infusion nurse hooked me up with a bag of saline with some more anti-nausea meds thrown in.  I went home and slept like the dead thanks to the anti-nausea meds.  

    My nausea is now controlled, but my temp has spiked about 100.5, which is the trigger temp for starting a powerful anti-biotic called Levaquin.  I called my onco and he told me to go ahead and take it, in the event I have an infection, and to come in tomorrow for more IV hydration.

    It's been a pretty shitty day overall.  I really was trying to stay positive and was hoping to avoid harsh SEs.  I've followed all instructions to prepare for chemo strictly.  Today is the first day I felt like a cancer victim.  I know survival is worth it, but ... the cure seems worse right now.

    Because everyone reacts differently to chemo, do not let my experience frighten you.  Stay positive.  I'm already on the upswing and am hoping the worst is past me.

    Holli 

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  • TMarina
    TMarina Member Posts: 692
    edited June 2010

    Holli--So sorry to hear about your awful side effects!  It will at times seem that the treatment  is much worse than the cancer--but hang in there!  You will make it through this!  You seem to be doing what you need to--maybe they can give you some different anti-nausea drugs the next time?  I know they often have to fine-tune things as everyone reacts differently.

    Thanks for encouraging others even though you had such a rotten experience.  Keep us posted on how you are doing.

    Sending prayers your way!

    T

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  • MelMel10
    MelMel10 Member Posts: 19
    edited June 2010

    Holli, I am so sorry to hear about your side effects. I hope that you get through it as quickly as possible. I had my first treatment yesterday, and so far have had no SE's.

    For others asking about orientation - I didn't have one either but when I got there yesterday they spent a lot of time going over all that I  needed to know. They gave me more printouts for each drug and possible SE's and a chemo book that has lots of helpful general info for me. I was almost late for my appointment because I couldn't get off the "throne". I was scared to death, but the actual process was no big deal at all. Nothing hurt, nothing made me sick. Try not to worry too much, it was much less of a deal than I imagined. 

    My port, which was really bothering me, is now fine. I guess it just needed to be used!

    Process: Nurses first took vitals and blood (from port) and attached the little dangly thing to use for the IV meds, then flushed the port with saline and heparin (there was a slight bad taste, but nothing I couldn't stand). Then before the chemo started, I got flushed again. Next came Decadron (steroids) injected, then ALOXI (a long-acting nausea med). I was given 2 tylenol tablets and 2 benadryl allergy tablets (for total of 50mg) to keep allergic reactions to meds at bay. Then the taxotere was started. That was followed by the carboplatin and herceptin. It took about 4 hours, they go slow the first time to monitor allergic reactions to meds.

    So far, so good. I have eaten normal meals and have had no side effects (except for a little burping and a little gas). I have heard that the 3rd - 5th day are the bad days for my cocktail, so am quite anxious about the next few days. I'll let you all know what happens!

    Good luck to all of you who are starting your treatments soon!!

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  • TMarina
    TMarina Member Posts: 692
    edited June 2010

    MelMel--glad to hear so far so good!  Even tho I've been through chemo before (for colon cancer) I am still a little nervous.  This is completely different chemo drugs than I had before.  NOT looking forward to feeling like crap again!

    I wanted to mention to those using a port for the first time--I forgot about the taste.  Some people can taste the saline flush, and some people it really bothers.  I never threw up with my other chemo, but felt nauseous alot, and the saline would set off that yucky feeling.  If I hold my nose I can't taste it.  Don't have to hold my breath, just plug my nose.  Some people bring a tea bag and smell that while getting the flush--I found it easier to plug my nose.  After several rounds of chemo I started getting sick from the alchol wipe they use on the port before accessing it--I had started to associate that smell with chemo.  Luckily it has faded now--for awhile I couldn't stand anything that smelled like alcohol!  But I supposed it will all come back to me...

    Hope I'm not overwhelming anyone with info--I just want to help as much as I can!  I REALLY appreciate this website--It helped me alot with my mastecomy.

    Take care,

    T

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  • algreach
    algreach Member Posts: 55
    edited June 2010

    Holli--So sorry to hear you had a rough day today. I hope you're on the mend and that your other SEs will be minimal. Hugs.

    MelMel10--Sounds like it was a very busy day! I'm glad you're doing so well. 

    Best wishes to those of you having treaments tomorrow--RST11, Gail48, Tbyrd and Pennstarter. Did I miss anyone?

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  • akitalover
    akitalover Member Posts: 18
    edited June 2010

    Yes, I will have my first of four chemo sessions June 12th...

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  • DesignerMom
    DesignerMom Member Posts: 1,464
    edited June 2010

    Holli, Dang!  I'm so sorry you had a reaction.  I can sense you are a strong person.  Let's hope this will be your only miserable day and that things will get better from here. Nothing worse than puking!

    MeMe-Thank you so much for the excellent detail on your first day.  I am already anxious about starting on June 11.  For me, the more I know, the more in control (RIGHT!) I feel going through this.

    TMarina-Thanks for the tips about combatting the nasty taste.  Any tips are welcome.

    To all of you brave ladies, I am proud to be going through this with you.  We WILL one day look back on these days.  You are all in my prayers. 

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  • momand2kids
    momand2kids Member Posts: 1,508
    edited June 2010

    I just wanted to check in with all of you and let you know that YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!  It can be very overwhelming, but there are many of us here who went through it and came out the other side..... I promise you, in 3-6 months (which will pass in a flash) you will start to get your life back again, you will be on the other side and it will eventually fade in your memory.  I know that does not seem possible right now, and I so remember thinking that I would NEVER get through it.  But it happens and I just wanted you all to know that you will indeed get to the other side of this!!!!!

    I always thought of chemo as PacMan--- gobbling up any little cells that might have slipped out.  

    Good luck! 

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  • akitalover
    akitalover Member Posts: 18
    edited June 2010

    June 12 TC x4 3 week cycles followed by hormone therapy 5years, first expansion tomorrow

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  • akitalover
    akitalover Member Posts: 18
    edited June 2010

    Are you referring to the IV port that has a smell that made you naseated? I am a little confused...or do you have a port for longer chemotherapy?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2010

    Akitalover, excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by expansion?

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