Chemo June 2010

Hi all!

I will be starting chemo on Monday the 14, just like Roosje!  And pretty much the same drugs. AC every 2 weeks x 4, then Taxol weekly x 12.  I'll have herceptin as well, starting with the taxol.

Last time through chemo I made 2 lists, so I didn't have to think about things when I was really out of it.  First list was "Foods I Like".  This reminded me of my options when I was too sick to think about it.  Second list was "Things To Get Me Through".  This helped both me and my family know what I or they could do when things got really rough--either physically or emotionally.  On my list was: Music--pick out cds ahead of time (I really liked one called "Rain Garden"); DVD's --again pick out ahead of time.  We bought a tv for the bedroom, and I had funnys dvds, and favorite tv show seasons, etc.; Books on CD; IPOD --I had the New Testament on there, in addition to music.  I also had things on the list like: husband read to me, girls visit and talk to me.  My daughters hanging around on my bed laughing and talking would often make me forget how bad I felt!

I'm thinking about all of you and hope you keep us posted on how you're doing!

Blessings!

T

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to check in! I had my first round of chemo Friday May 28th. I was very tired for 5 days and had very little nausea and no vomitting, no diarrhea or constipation. Every time I felt somewhat sick to my stomach I took "decodron" or gravol and felt fine (along with the other drug cocktail of zofran and mexeran). The gravol helped me sleep at night too. I have a very sensitive stomach (IBS) and I hardley had any nausea luckily! I had some heart burn so took Zantac. By Thursday night (6 days post chemo) I was feeling back to normal again but just today I started to get a sore throat (hope it goes away. I am using biotene mouth wash...). I am on day 10 now...my hair hasn't started falling out yet but feels really dry. I have gone out walking and biking lots and it seems to help me sleep. And I still drink TONS of fluids. For some reason I can't drink water so I drink TONS of juice ( I especially drank lots during the first couple days.. at least 8 cups!). It flushed all the bad stuff out and I was going to the bathroom constantly and I think that really helped me! 

Good luck everyone starting this week and I hope you all have minimal side effects. Round 2 of 6 for me is June 18th. 

@ chob:  I learned from my onco nurses that you shouldn't hesitate to ask for IV fluids whenever you think you need them.  It's easy for them to do.

And BTW, everyone, make your onco nurses your best friends for the next few months.  Although I bounced back from the vomiting, diarrhea, body and bone aches, fever and fatigue over the first four days after my first treatment on June 1, a whole new set of side effects is taking over.  I can't sleep more than 3-4 hours at a time, even with Ativan.  I've lost my appetite (which I don't necessarily consider a bad side effect).  I didn't poop for almost three days, and now my stools are rock hard and there's blood in them.  It's 5 a.m.  I've been up since 3:30, and I'm just waiting for the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center's nurse triage line to open in about three hours so I can talk to my new BFFs and figure out what to do about the blood in the stool situation.

Despite all this, I'm maintaining my sunny disposition and am channeling the energies I do have into whipping my house and gardens into shape.  I've taken time off from being a litigation attorney, but I can't seem to shake the "I need to be doing something productive every waking minute" mindset.  You should see how organized my closets are!  After seven years, I can finally see the surface of my home-office desk because I actually filed and shredded things and got ride of the stacks.  My rose bushes are rewarding my attention to them with a starburst of color.

There's always a silver lining.  

HolliColorado, my onc told me to start on MiraLax the day before my treatment and stay on it until things start moving well.  I actually started a day earlier because I was already plugged up, maybe in anticipation?!?!  But it has worked well and doesn't taste any worse than water. 

Well I'm on day 5 after my first treatment and yesterday wasn't great, but not horrible.  It was the first time I haven't felt like doing anything but I made myself go to the Look Good Feel Better seminar and I'm glad I did.  It was worth it.

Today I'm a little better although I still have a stomach ache.  Does anyone get an ear ache?  It isn't bad, just nagging little ear ache on both sides.  And kind of a little sore throat.  Water tastes horrible.  The chicken salad sandwich at the seminar yesterday tasted better than anything I've had in days.

If I can get myself going I'm going to a store in Plano called Survivor Gals.  Its run by breast cancer survivors for people going through this mess.  They have wigs, scarves, mastectomy stuff and private rooms where you can get help learning how to use everything.

Everyone feel good today.

Terry

June 24 - TC x 4 - 21 days apart

I'm starting chemo on June 18th, 2010.  I believe I'll be part of the Clinical Trail B46-I/USOR 07132:Phase III Clinical Trail Comparing the Combination of TC Plus Bevacizumab to TC Alone and to TAC for Women with Node-Positive or High-Risk Node-Negative, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer. 

If for some reason I do not qualify for the Clinical Trail, I will be starting conventional chemo that day.  I'm getting myself prepared for chemo - mostly by relying on my faith.  It's scary!  I hope that I tolerate it ok.  I had long hair and just got it cut short last week in preparation of losing my hair.  I went to Great Clips and donated my hair to Lock of Love and got a free haircut in the process.  The gal who cut my hair was very sensitive and kind.  I'm still healing from the Mastectomy surgery.  I hope I'm healed up enough to start chemo next week.  A delay would be hard to take since I've gotten myself ready emotionally to start it.  Any suggestions re: anything else I can do to prepare?

Roosje I will be a day behind you along the journey. 

Dsa - we can all compare notes and keep each other going!

Hi all!

Start chemo tomorrow 6/9:  TC: 4 doses 1 every 3 weeks (IV), wait 3 weeks for Radition (6-7 weeks, daily), then Femara or Arimidex.

Hoping to feel not too bad afterwards, but have seen a lot of encouragement and possible solutions on this board.  I guess I'm going to have to start thinking about wigs/scarves, etc.  That's probably my most depressing thing - my hair.  It's long (mid-back) and straight as a board and the thought of trying to grow it back is so depressing.  But on the good side, maybe it will be curly instead of board straight when it grows back!  (turn the frown into a smile!)

So happy to have found this board as I live alone and really have no one to share this experience with.  Family members, while saying that they are here for me, tend to disappear unless I contact them. 

I'll post again tomorrow after treatment and let you know how it went.

Thanks for reading!

Woohoo!!  I found a few things that don't taste bad.  Chicken salad, Italian pasta salad, rice pudding, root beer and strawberry banana juice.   Strange combo, I know, but it sure does feel good to like something I put in my mouth.

Had to put off the trip to the Survivor Gals shop until tomorrow so I could wait for a phone call.  Think I'll just chill out the rest of the day and jump up early and go tomorrow. 

The Look Good Feel Better program was great yesterday.  They gave us each a big tote bag full of very nice cosmetics ... not drug store stuff ... name brand department store stuff... and gave tips on using them.  I don't know if I'm going to throw away all my current makeup like they said to because of contamination!!!?!?  They gave us each a hat or scarf of our choice and gave tips on tying the scarves and how to wear hat and wigs comfortably.  And also how to take care of your wig.  Plus they served sandwiches, chips and a dessert.  It was very nice and great to be around a group of women going through the same thing.  I took a friend with me which was good.  She didn't get the goody bag or hat but she really enjoyed it, too.

Day 5 after my first treatment and I'm doing pretty good.  I'm scheduled to go back to work on Monday and for the first time I'm feeling like I'll be able to do it.  Hope everybody who started yesterday, today and tomorrow have a good first experience like I did.  I know you'll all be relieved to get things going like I was.

Be well, everyone.

Terry

Hi djoellp!  Welcome to the club!  Good for you making something negative into a positive by donating your hair to Locks of Love! 

For everyone worrying about HAIR!  There is a wonderful high fashion accessories company who gives a gorgeous pre-folded scarf FREE to anyone suffering hair loss for medical reasons.  The company is franceluxe.com.  Just click on "Good wishes" on the sit.  I called them and they were so lovely.  They said it would take about 3 weeks.  Mine is on its way (a lovely one made of antique Japanese kimono fabric)!

Only three days before I begin my chemo on 6/11.  The way I feel is I know what I am getting into joining this circus.  Now let's get the show on the road!

Daniela-  thanks for keeping track of all of us.  Nothing like being "our Miss Brooks".  I think I am dating myself again (show from the 50's).

Hi Djoellp! Welcome to the discussion.  There is a great thread about what to get to prepare for chemo. You can find it under the active topics in Chemo- before, during and after. There is a big shopping list and tons of advice. I hope you find it helpful.

Sherry, I'm on Gabapentin (generic of Neurontin) for my arm pain, too, and it has worked like a charm.  No problems at all any more unless I forget to take it.  As a side benefit it also helps with hot flashes.  They haven't gone away completely but they've been reduced in number and severity dramatically.

I wonder if my stomach will ever feel normal again!

OMG!!!!!  THEY SENT ME HOME!  NO CHEMO TODAY! 

I went to the cardiologist's office yesterday.  They couldn't do an echocradiogram on me last week because the tech couldn't see my heart.  Well, I'm not the only breast cancer patient coming in with implants!!  So they did a MUCA nuclear test yesterday.  The tech was driving me nuts.  She told me she couldn't see my heart...  again because of the implants.  Then tells me that my heart speeds up and then slows down.  I asked her if it could be that I was very anxious since I was starting chemo the next day.  She did 2 scans.  I called the onco's office afterward and they were closed. 

So, this morning I go in.  I'm all ready for chemo.  I packed a bag and brought all this stuff.  My husband took the day off....  Well, they draw my blood.  Then the onco's nurse comes out and tells me that she got the test results from the cardiologist.  She said my heart pumps blood slower than what they consider normal to administer Adriomyacin.  The onco isn't there today - SHE'S ON VACATION!! They could give me some drug to protect my heart.  However, the other onco there didn't want to make that call.  UGHHHHH!!!!  So, they said they have to wait to hear from my onco.  They might put me on another chemo.  Hopefully they can get a hold of her this week. 

I AM SO FREAKING FRUSTRATED!!!!!  I called my inlaws.  Apparently, my FIL goes to that cardio's office and he is highly rated.  So, I left a message for the cardio because I don't feel confident with the tech, esp since I heard her say she would have to hand calculate something. 

Hi All!

Jenweg- Sorry to hear about your ses. I am 37 also, so we can compare notes about what happens. It cracks me up that when I had my twins at 31 they called me a mother of advanced age and now that I have breast cancer I am considered a young woman, it's strange.

Kittycat- So sorry to hear about the delay of your treatment and the lack of answers from the professionals. Hopefully they can get everything resolved soon.

I had my first treatment this morning. So far so good. No problem with the Taxotere at all. I am also getting Gemzar twice a cycle for my first 4 cycles in the clinical study. It was painful going in so the onco. nurse diluted it with saline right away and wrapped my arm in a warm towel. So my total discomfort was probably less than 2 minutes. Thank goodness for thoughtful and attentive nurses.

I am starting to get some hot sensations in my mouth and throat though they are not in any way impacting my eating or drinnking. It just feels odd. Last night was a challenge because thanks to the decadron I had trouble sleeping so when they put benedryl through in my pre-meds this morning I started to doze. It was nice and relaxing.

Hopefully things will remain smooth. Luck to all.