February 2011 chemo pals

Safari94..I bought the baseball cap hair, i actually like it better than my own since mine is very thin to start with. Thanks you for the other site, im ordering some of those scarves as well.

Hello Feb ladies,

Just a quick post to let those of you on TCH to check out the Taxotere Carboplatin Hecerptin thread.

Also - anyone on Taxotere - please remember to ice fingernails and toenails.It may seem odd, but it helps prevent later nail issues.

Mauimama, I also found the the SE list daunting.  The realitiy for me, tho, has been to be prepared for any of it, but only to contend with some of it.  No mouth sores but do brush with Biotene, had it on hand since my son's worn braces anyway. Am one to use Tylenol for aches and pain, so nothing new there.  No diareaha issues and got the flushable wipes in case but only as a precaution.  Found that eating yogurt, fruit and a couple Senekot S tablets were enough prevention for constipation.

The list, tho, is wonderful in making me feel prepared for the unknown.  Just had the 1st chemo, so maybe another round at another time I may have different issues to deal with.

I love that you are being so proactive with the exercising, meditation and all.  I plan to join a yoga group at the Y my DH and I joined last month and plan to attend a BC support group that meets at the beginning of each month. 

Cindy you are luckeir then me.  Mine started falling out Friday Am.  By the end of the day it was worse.   I just just went ahead and shaved it.

Iim sorry MrsM but it took me about 7 days to get out of the chemo fog.  Also for food to taste good once again was on the off week.  Hang in there.

Last Sunday I woke up with such a pain in my lower back I couldnt stand it.  I finally got thru it.  The doc says its more then likely pain from the shot.  I was surprised to hear it last that long.  But that was the only pain I every had.

Get better soon all! 

Chemo started 2/4/11 4x AC cycle 2/4
Diagnosis: 10/24/2010, IDC, 2cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-

I've enjoyed reading the foods and drinks that work well.  Thurs chemo and Friday were fine, and then Saturday, as I wrote before, I had night terrors, and then, all over AGAIN last night, Sunday, I kept waking up over and over.  I'm glad I'm not the only one.  I was quite feverish, but when I finally got up this morning to go to hospital for another scan, the fever broke.  I also feel like I've been beaten with a baseball bat.  I ate chicken noodle soup with extra noodles last night, husband fixed it for me, soup was SO good and comforting.  Most everything tastes wierd, tho.  Real dry mouth, which I drink tons of water as a habit anyway, so that's working out.  Today I'm going to skip all my antinausea meds, gotta get back into a normal sleep pattern.  I didn't know it would be this hard. GG

Hi All,

Friday/Saturday rough, Sunday OK, today feeling low.  I have walked 2 miles all days and generally feel better after doing that.  Did not go today because I have a really bad headache.  This happened middle of Fri. night as well and I ended up taking a Vicodin.  Thinking of doing the same in a few minutes.  I have not had any appetite - just eating because I know I have to.  Food tastes fine I just don't want any!

Pain from Neulasta not too bad - I did take Claritan.  Last night stiff in the hips but no big deal.  I have not taken any anti-nausea drugs for a couple of days because I haven't needed it and Zofran carries a headache warning.  I also have pretty strong ringing in my ears, an SE of the Carboplatin.

I am thinking I am going to have to do something about sleep but I am not sure what because I am not getting a whole lot.  I doze off and then wake up, doze off and wake up...  I can't blame it on steroids because I haven't taken any other than what was in the drip. I am hopeful that I will start to come out of this tomorrow as the onc directive is day 3-5 feeling yuck - that is up tomorrow!

For hats with hair check out www.hatswithhair.com they have some options.

Taking it one day at a time...

Kathie

LisaGH I hope it gets better for you.  I know the treatment before last was similar to yours.  It does get better.  I know when I talked with the doctor last he told me to take all my anti-nausea pills at the same time and that helped me this go around.  Hang in there.

I am just plane wiped out today.  I did way to much yesterday and I think that was a bad idea.  I even had to leave work early.  I hate doing that.  Im sorry but Im gonna get on a big pity pot right now.  This sucks!!!  I have always been able to take care of what needed to be done until now.  I feel like a big worthless blob.  My house looks like crap, I feel like crap and again my husband has to do without again because of me,UGH!!!!  I hate this crap.  I couldnt even work without going home.  Heck I remember the day when I could weld circles around any guy and out worked them.  Now I cant even work 8 hrs at a paper pushing job, GRRRRRR.  Ok enough time to pull the big girl patties up and deal with it.  Thanks for listening girls!

thanks for the support- i feel the same as you all.

i just wish i could shake this headache and get some sleep! 

it takes time to heal- for sure.

Thanks girls for the prayers and words.  I have always been able to get thru whetever season he has had in store for me.  This one has just been the toughest so far. I just gotta be able to say I do need help and thats a rough one to do for me. I think its also due to my Aunt Flo coming soon and sometimes she makes me weepy.  Dang her, lol.  Well girls Im gonna go fix a light snack and see if I can just put this all to bed for the night.

BTW Michelle, I'm glad your doing good.

hey ladies,



HANG IN THERE WE CAN DO THIS!



Paula, my house is a wreck as well but that is low on the priority list. I did not make it through a full day at work even paper pushing for a few days and didn't feel the chemo fog was completely gone until day 8, but we are fighting and it still is not as bad as I expected. I was glad to have today off was tired but was able to go out each day for a lithe while. hang in there and take care of yourself. The best advice I was given was that I was going to have to accept I cannot do what I am used to and resting and getting better is the first priority.



I think the compazine really knocked me out the first day. The headache is not as bad this round. Hair is shedding a lot. I wore a scarf out today as I was self conscious about the thinning parts. Wig not in until WEDNESDAY UGGG. Guess I am wearing a hat scarf to work tomorrow. Think I need to get cut shorter washing it - i get tangled in hair as it falls out.



I agree that being exhausted is exhausting...I am used to high energy levels and going to the store can send me to the couch. The good news is on round one I felt great for days 8-14, hoping that repeats this round.



DivineM you nave some great advice for all of us thank you.



Thank you all for all the sharing and welcome to our new posters.



{{{HUGS}}}}



Jean

It's a good idea to let your children see that you a capable of RECEIVING help from others.  They need to see the concern others have for you, and to see that love in action.  We teach our children by example.  If they were going thru a tough time, you would want them to receive assistance from others. Show them how to do that graciously and appreciatively.

It's my DH, our teenage son and I in our house.  We've always taken care of ourselves and helped others.  Since my Dx, and especially now with treatments upon me, I have asked for and allowed others (family & friends) to help.  Hey, it makes them feel good.  It makes my DH and DS feel  they do not have to carry all the burden. For my 1st treatment, my sister asked several times could she drop dinner off.  Now, we certainly could have ordered take-out, but I knew she wanted to show her support.  And I said, yes, please send over dinner, and she arrainged a beautiful cooler full of pasta, salad, desert and beverages; it was sitting on the back porch when we came home from the hospital.  And it really made us feel more loved than getting Dominoes Pizza from across town.

I also asked another sister to drive me an hour back to the hospital the next day for that Neulasta shot, took just minutes, and they said I could have even driven myself, but I am allowing others to help me.  It's just important for DH and DS to know we have a support system and that it works and that there are truly caring, loving, kind individuals who want to help from the goodness of their heart.  

I'm feeling okay now, about a week out from treatment.  But thru the next cycle, I'm gonna allow myself to ask for help again.  Being superwoman never really impressed me.

Yes, Fuzzy, call someone, even a friend to come by will help, or call the nurses who have been giving you your drugs. 

Emily, thanks for the advice about getting a driver to bone scan, wish I had listened. I veered over there, parked illegally half on the curb, and they gave me a shot and told me to come back in four hours for the scan. I about died, it took everything I had to get there, but I felt better by the time I went back. I only have to do chemo now, my first one last Thursday (it's Tuesday now, I take it every two weeks).

Charlottesmama, in answer to your question, I am doing chemo before surgery too. I wanted surgery first, but doc says wouldn't have enough margins left, and I don't even want to save my boob (I'm 60 years old). I am going to try to convince my doc after the AC portion of the AC and T chemo, that he do the surgery, becuz I just don't see how I'm going to make the additional five months of T chemo.

Paula, I am also glad you said it took seven days to come out of chemo fog, plus I also had back pain just like you...altho I didn't have a shot there, rather it's where I hurt my back in a car wreck years ago. My house is worrying me too, like so many of you, such a mess, so my husband told me the last thing I need to worry about is this silly house.

THE DEFINITION OF MISERY This is where I want to depart from my responses to you girls and tell you how I REALLY feel. Ladies, I don't know if it's my age of 60 or if it's because I haven't been as fit as I used to be on account of I'm disabled by a crushed back from a car wreck (I can walk, it just hurts all the time). But as I've said before, I've been getting night terrors, fever burning me up when I wake a 3 a.m., my old back injury is absolutely killing me, and I wimper from the misery of it all. The first couple days out from my first AC chemo, I was okay, but then it reared its ugly head and bit me, night after night. Four days out, I have taken NONE of my antinausea stuff, so I can just get on a regular schedule with my regular pills (I take stuff for my back, panic disorder, etc.). As a result, at least once I wake up good in the morning, and fortunately my bowels are fair, I am only dealing with how SORE I am in my body. The fever is always very bad and feels just like a dreadful flu in the middle of the night. AWFUL.

When I go back in for next chemo, I'll talk to the nurses about this awful ache I have, the medicine I'm taking is not getting rid of it, and I already take some pretty good stuff for all that. Plus I MUST get a thermometer, but I can tell you this, they would have had me in the ER the first bad fever I got... but I'd rather be home. Sigh. Plus my boob has hurt all thru this, still does. I'll have to read what the "older crowd" is saying at some point, see if they're on life's last leg, too. But of course I want to stay here, too, as we're in the same time frame and having similar reactions to chemo. GG