Chemo June 2010

Day 4, Tx 1 and I'm doing pretty good today. Coffee tastes good for the first time in several days. Yay! I'm still tired and most foods still don't appeal to me, but I'm eating anyway. Other than that, the SEs are minimal.

Holli--Chemo cocktail party. :-) Love that! So sorry you're having such a rough time of it.Hopefully the change in your anti-nausea meds will improve the next round for you. Did the hike with your dog help you feel any better?

chob--Glad you're off to the ER. My onc nurse said there's no reason to suffer, ever.Even if the fuids aren't necessary, they may be able to adjust your meds.

Danielas--Good luck tomorrow! Fingers crossed that the FEC will go as smoothly for you as it did for me. Is someone going with you? Or are you just bringing a book/music?

Mari-12 and Janny66--Wishing you the best for your first treatments tomorrow, too.

Mimi9186--Good luck with the port placement tomorrow.

Best wishes for all you brave ladies this week.

Glad to hear you're feeling better, chob!  I start the same regimen as you (except no Tamoxifen) soon --I'll find out Monday for sure when I'll start.  Keep us posted on how it goes for you.  I've done chemo in the past for colon cancer, but these drugs are all new to me.  Unfortunately I'm starting to feel that old nausea feeling just from reading some of these posts--sort of brings it all back to me! 

I'll be really curious to read about everyone's hair loss.  I'm so thankful a friend (bugs!) told me about this site.  Its such a good group of ladies!  Bless you all!

T

Hello everyone:  so good to see you guys are just pushing thru the 1st few days of treatment & afterwards.  it's really encouraging!

PET scan came back clear (what a RELIEF!) & start chemo on the 11th.  i have a very weak stomach under normal circumstances, so have been closely watching each word you say about the nausea thing.  especially the IV for fluids like chob had to do----

did anyone go to 1st treatment alone & were ok to drive home afterwards w/no trouble?   

daniela---thanks!!  hope all goes well & will look forward to how you did!

My first treatment was pretty looooonnnnng and boring.  We were told there was a little tv at each station and we could watch dvds on it, too, but we were put in a temporary overflow room so we didn't have that.  We just read and talked and my husband went and brought us some lunch and snacks.  I've heard of lots of people bringing laptops.

I think I could have driven myself home.  I was tired after the all day ordeal but not sleepy even though I had Benadryl to start off with.  They gave me some kind of antianxiety medicine also and I was told I had to have a driver if I had that.  I don't think I really need it.  I wanted to go by myself next time but hubby and stepdaughter want her to take me this time so I guess I'll go along with them.

Chob, glad you're better.

dsa, I'm glad your scan came out clean.  Its awful waiting to hear those results, isn't it?

Nothing tastes good but I keep trying.  In fact I'm probably eating more than usual trying to find something good.  But if this is the worst thing that happens I'm going to be very lucky, I know that.

Terry

Last Wed. I Started AC x 4 every 14 days Then Taxol 4 wks every 14 days.  Not doing well.  Hope you all are doing ok.

Hi Kittycat-looks like we are both starting chemo on June 9-same day, same stuff. Can I ask how they found your IDC (which by the way totally sucks-can't imagine how you felt finding that out so close to your other cancer). Did you have an MRI? I noticed bx with te in your signature and am wondering with which test they found it, especially because it was so small. thank goodness.

Laurie

5 days into first treatment and fatigue hit hard... may be from coming off the steroids... its unbelievable.

I don't know when I'll start chemo.  I'm hoping sooner than later to get this show on the road.  I will be having my second meeting with the oncologist this friday to hear results of Oncotype test and I'm assuming it won't matter.  I feel like I'm spiraling down because I'm growing impatient with the waiting and need to begin doing something about this and not just sitting here pinging about it all.  I'm so glad that I found this site to vent on.  I think that once I get going on treatment, things will be easier mentally because there will be a plan to follow and I can begin the "healing" or "surviving" part.  Right now, I"m just thinking about it too much and it's consuming me, owning me, eating me up.  I can't stand it.  I know that physically, the chemo will be hard but at least I will be working toward beating it.

suebean123 you are right.  That waiting for the treatment to get started is really hard mentally.  I had my surgery on April 28 just had my first TCH on June 3 and it really was a relief to get the show on the road.  It kind of felt like here I am with this aggressive cancer and we hurried up and did the mastectomy so why are we not jumping on the chemo right away.  I know there are healing reasons but it was hard.  And so far just a few little stomach problems and ugly taste in my mouth as far as side effects.

Gotta eat light today.  I ate everything in sight over the weekend to try to find something that tasted good.  No luck!  Just a full bloated tummy.

kittycat-  You have Gallstones too?  I was in the ER last Sunday (3 days before my first chemo treatment) and they said I had to have surgery for Gallstones.  They thought the Chemo was more important right now though.  I think my body had a 35 yr warrenty.  The wk after I turned 36 It started to fall apart. lol

Suebean, you nailed it on the head with the waiting for chemo to start comment.  Everything moved so quickly from my original diagnosis (Thank goodness!) but I had a double mxt on 4/19.  It took me 4 1/2 weeks to get the drains out and the ocn wouldn't see me until a week later.  I had my second visit last Friday and will start chemo no 6/19.  I am so anxious to get started so I can get finished!  But at the same time I am nervous as well. 

 I know the journey is long and the road is bumpy but my engine is running!   

thanks everyone. I'll be checkin in later, I'm sure.  My family is great but it will be nice to communicate with people who are going thru it at the same time.  I just need to stop letting it own me right now which is easier said than done.

it's amazing how many posts can be made w/in a 24 hr. period.....you guys have been very busy!!

finally got my 'marching orders' today for 1st & 2nd treatments and neulasta shots.  thought i'd be having the 1st AC round of treatment this friday; but, it's been changed to 6/23 & 2nd infusion on 7/7.  the delay is due to my port site remaining 'irritated' from last surgery---it doesn't seem to want to heal & in a way i'm glad the infusion is delayed; however, i'm so stinking tired of waiting to start that i'm working myself up in a dither with anxiety! 

so, guess i'll be an onlooker for a while longer to everything you all are experiencing.  guess it's more time to learn what works/or not for you. 

tammyg--i see that you're on AC/T, too.  and, beanius, you also have a delay to starting chemo, right?  we may be neck & neck in that 'start' date!

everyone else:::::::  sounds like you're hanging in there!   congrats! 

deb

Hello Ladies,

I'll be starting my Chemo on the June 14th.

AC 4-every 21days & Taxol every week for 12 weeks