April 2011 chemo

Oops. Submitted before finishing.



Hardy you are a few days before me. My port is tuesday 4/12 and chemo 4/19. Not having a class either.



It's great reading everyones experiences to get an idea what to expect. I've also been reading the March chemo thread to get an idea further on.



Take care everyone.

i have a crazy question... what to wear for chemo, easy acess for the port like a tank top and button up?? how do they get to itif you wear something different? just ready to get started. i have one more day at work and then my daughter's prom!!!

postive thoughts for everyone!!

profbee - WOW! when it rains it pours. Hope your son is alright. Sounds like you have some very wonderful people in your life. Hope you're feeling well.

I am so glad to hear some of you are feeling well enough to go back to work. I teach school and have Spring Break the week after #1. I am hoping work will be do-able. Good for those of you who are doing well enough to continue with the other parts of your life! I am so anxious to get started and see how my body is going to react.

Jane - how was your port, so close to your first chemo? I will have a week in between and am afraid it won't be healed enough and will hurt.

Kiwimum - will be glad to have someone to share experiences with!

Take care all!

Sherrie 

Teckler2 -- good luck today.  I will be thinking of you.  My first chemo (A/C) is at 11:00 this morning.  Slept terribly last night -- all week in fact -- anxious, worried, nervous, etc.  Things will probably be better after I get the first treatment behind me -- fear of the unknown playing a role at the moment.  I don't have to do decadron so can't help you there.

Pawprint -- I wondered the same thing.  I saw mention of somebody "making" a shirt with a flap for the port.  My plan is to wear a tank top under a big, loose, comfy button-up shirt.  I'll take the button-up off for them to get to the port and then can put it back on.  I'll find out if the plan works this morning.

Profbee -- OMG!  What a day you had!  So sorry.  Hope your son is okay and that you're able to relax some now.

Hugs to everybody!

Thanks friends.  Jack is just fine--which is what has me worried b/c this means it wasn't an illness/fever related seizure and now we may be in for lots of tests and second opinions and possibly epilepsy.  ugh.  But, he was playing up a storm last night.

I'm on different drugs than you all--Taxol and Lapatinib every week for 16 weeks.  I feel fine today with just a pretty strong metal taste in my mouth that comes and goes.  Slept HARD last night--like at 7 pm.    But, I'm up early with my son and have some laundry going.    So, it's all good.  I hear tomorrow is the day I'll be sore and achy.  

Lots of love to all of you starting today.  I was so glad to just see the room, get to know the process, etc.  Yay, friends!  We are on the road to getting well.  We're in good hands, we live in a time when we have access to some great treatment.  We're all going to be cancer-free and happy.  It's going to be a tough road, but it won't all be hellish--there will be fun times with family and friends in there, and I really believe that we'll all be okay.  Sorry to sound so outrageously positive--sometimes it's the LAST thing I want to hear, but after yesterday, I'm really relieved.  I hope that you all have that same feeling after your first day.  

Thinking of you all!

C 

Too funny, Studz.  I did summer theater years ago in Saxton's River, VT.  It was such a lovely place.  Let's hope that it keeps getting warmer!  I'm in need of some sun and warmth!  This past winter I tried all sorts of winterizing stuff in our house.  I took off the window film, and that brightened things a bit.  But, I can't WAIT for it to be time to pull off the rope caulk and open all the windows!  

Laundry first, but definitely getting out some today--the sun is shining!  Call the doc though if you keep having pain!  They can give you stuff.  My docs really stressed that I should let them know what I"m feeling b/c getting out ahead of these things at the start can really help manage them.

Good luck, women! 

Jane - Thanks for the update. Glad you were able to get up for work. I will be watching your progress and hoping it is all good!

Someone told me there is a numbing cream you can ask for. I guess you put the cream on an hour or so before chemo and it numbs you up pretty well. Might be worth asking for? Thanks again!

Hey Ladies...I am popping in from the the "March Chemo Lounge" - our March group is so much fun!  I just wanted to let you know you CAN do this and you WILL get through it!  I am on 4 cycles of Taxotere and Cytoxan and have round three next week.  I started on 3/2.  The first round left me with the body aches on days 3-5 post chemo and the bone pain from neulasta hit on day 6 post chemo.  I was not nauseated at all and have still not taken ANY antinausea meds other than what was provided on the day of chemo in my IV. Round two was easier.....no real aches and no bone pain...I took Aleve and Claritin from the day after chemo for about 5 or 6 days and did great.  I have gotten tired a few times here and there, but I have not missed a workout except for infusion days (the only reason I miss them those days is I am doing Cold Caps to preserve my hair and that makes chemo days last almost 8 hours).  I still am able to get up at 6:30am every morning and get my 4 1/2 year old out the door for school and cook dinner for my family every night.  I know that each person is different and their body will respond different - I have been very lucky so far.  I also believe that attitude is part of it...I have told myself over and over that I won't be one of those people laying around all day feeling bad and feeling sorry for myself so I push myself to make each day as "normal" as possible.  I wanted you to know that I was so anxious over chemo (even more than my BLMX and reconstruction!) and was scared it would really be hard.  So far it has been way easier than I ever imagined.  My best advice, don't put up with side effects...call your doctor and ask for a solution.  Drink TONS of water...I mean 10+ large glasses a day on chemo day and in the days following chemo.  I believe in keeping moving...if you were an exerciser before starting chemo, keep moving and exercising.  I did even on the day with bone pain..that was the best I felt that whole day (when I was exercising).  I hope I have eased your mind a little.....that's the reason I popped over here.  So many others have encouraged me through this I wanted to pay it forward just a little to you fine ladies.  Best of luck.  If you have questions....PM me.  I have chemo #3 next week...will be 75% done after that.  YOu will be there soon too!!!!  Hugs to all of you wonderful ladies!!!  I promise you that your anxiety is worse than the chemo.....really!!!

I forgot to mention that a got an Rx for EMLA cream. It's a little pricey -- $40 at Publix, a little more at Walmart, and around $54 at Target. I wanted it for peace of mind, though, because my port site was still really sore. I applied it liberally and then put a big watertight band-aid over it so the cream wouldn't get on my clothes. I didn't feel a thing when the nurse put the needle in (of course, she was really good, too). I felt a little "pressure" when she pushed down on the port a little with the needle, but it wasn't bad at all. It was worth having the cream for me. I think I'll use it every time -- since I have it.

SSc- I'm glad you got the Emla cream, it really helped me. Last week, when I was supposed to start, I didn't put it on early enough, and it was uncomfortable. It was pricey for me too, espeically after I can't find my last tube that the insurance paid for! I left my house so quickly to move in with my mother-in-law, I have no idea where some things are..lol

I had a few side effects, but they are nothing huge. Overall it went pretty well. I am a little nauseous, and the big D has kicked in. When I started my Herceptin today, I had a really strange sense of smell for a half hour, then it disappeared. (Things smelled like poop! lol) I also noticed a few taste changes- I tried to eat some applesauce and it just wasn't going to happen, tasted too funny. 

Other than that, I am just tired, and happy to be in my pj's! 

 I'm glad you made it through today SSC- 1 less round to go

Has anyone else on TCH noticed any immediate SE's?

Geo- I love the idea of the easter egg, I might have to borrow that too, after I do the mohawk. I cut my hair short on Saturday, and promised a friend in the process that when I buzz it all off, that they can form it into a mohawk before it all comes out. Maybe I can dye the tips easter egg colors..lol  I may have a strange sense of humor, but I want to do the fun things that I can. Besides, there would never be any other time in my life, I would willingly wear a mohawk..haha

I feel the same. I will be on the Herceptin for a year also. I am also taking Decadron which is a steroid, that i take the night before, the day of, and 2 days after. I have ambien for a sleeping pill, since the decadron can create insomnia- explains why I am awake at 1:30 in the morning

The one thing the nuses told me today was when you get the herceptin and the taxotere, make sure to tell them of any reactions, even if you think it's insignificant. My nurse they have an arsenal to get you through. 

I'll be thinking of you on the 20th!

Where do you get the cold caps and how is that working for you?

Annie

Teckler2- I also heard 10 - 14 days and you will also feel your scalp tingling. I talked to a lady at CTCA where I am being treated and she got the same dose and same chemo as me and didn't lose her hair but she had short hair to begin with! Boy I wish I could have that luck!
I also have seen that lace front wigs are so pretty, they look like your own scalp!

Hello Ladies,

I've just started my chemo on thursday the 7th of april so I guess I'm in the April club. I also had herceptin yesterday. Last week was a nightmare tuesday bone scan, wednesday ct scan, thursday chemo, and friday herceptin (I had to stay in for 6 hours so they could monitor me). Bone and heart scans came back fine PHEW, still waiting for the dreaded ct scan hoping and praying that comes back clear also. So far the waiting for results game has been the worse part for me. My first night on chemo was bad because I could'nt sleep (thanks to the steroid tablets and me taking them too late in the evening) also I did'nt take the anti-sickness tablets in enough time also needed some antiacid for acid indigestion. 2nd day I had too get up and go to the hospital for the heart scan then the herceptin really did'nt feel like it but managed to get their and even though it was a 6 hour stint felt much better when I left infact felt like normal. So far I've learned that you should take your sickness tablets as soon as you feel slightly sicky, that you should have a good supply of rennies or antiacid type tablets, also that the steroids for anti-sickness can make you very hot and flushed in the face so take 2 parcetamol with those tablets and that should bring down your temperature as recommended by my chemo nurse also dont take them beyond 5 pm in the evening otherwise you might not sleep. Its all a big learning curve and non of us would want to have to go through and we are all different so we react differently to the treatments, just stay positive and try really hard NOT to get too anxious or worried about the chemo remember its KILLING YOUR CANCER, I mediatated when the nurse was administering me the chemo drugs in my minds eye forcing the drugs to go straight to my cancer and eating it up, bit like the computer game PAC MAN. I totally agree with mdg post drink loads and loads of water it really helps flush the chemo through. My programme of treatment is 6 rounds of chemo followed by surgery mastectomy and then rads with a year of herceptin. Sending love and light to you all, from sarah sweety xxxx