Chemo May 2011

I am starting chemo on Friday, April 29, (T/Cx4) so I might as well join in if that's OK!?!?  I am a little nervous about the whole thing and it will be nice to have some cyber hands to hold.  I have my chemo class this Monday.

Nancy

Hi ladies, I will be starting mid may exact date tbd. Ac dd followed by 12 weekly taxol. I was thinking that surgery was going to be a walk in the park and that chemo had me shaking in my boots... Then sx was a boat load of complications and now I'm bracing myself.



But I've also convinced myself that the tx is not going to kill me it's just going to be a less than fun summer. Lots of praying, meditating and medication.



I've got more resolve even tho I've got more fear if that makes sense... I WILL watch all three of my kiddos graduate, buy first houses and make lives of there own. I wILL.

Just received my Oncotype DX score yesterday and with a score of 40, I will be starting chemo mid-May.  Have first appt with the MD oncologist May 6 as BS wants me to start chemo in two weeks from now, leaving two more weeks of healing from the lumpectomy.  I'll have 4 sessions over 12 weeks--I'm not sure of the chem's, but the protocol will be confirmed May 6.

I thought I would faint before I finally got the Oncotype score as it got delayed twice, putting me into some sick state of suspended animation.  I thought I would faint if I found out I had to have chemo.  Instead, I feel like I can finally see ahead of me.  I don't function well without goals, and now I can make my plan and at least try to take this step by step and get through each day.  The terror of the unknown was just doing me in. 

At least I can DO something now:  learn about SE's, how to cope with them, figure out what to do about the hair thing--BS assured me it would fall out but grow back. I'm happy about the recommended 4 sessions every 3rd week.  So I figure I have 2-3 weeks to get my house in order and my survival plan in place.

And I am so happy to have friends here to compare notes with.  This is truly a gift.

Good luck to all of us.

I finished my chemo on Sept. 8, 2010.  Six rounds of cytoxan/taxotere every 3 weeks.  I am 68 years old and had no problem with the chemo.

The first round I kept a daily diary to track my reaction, my fatigue, my appetite, my pain etc. so I would know how to plan my days for the other  5 chemo treatments.  For me - the 3 days after the chemo were the hardest.  I felt the most tired and also had the Neulasta shot the day after chemo.  So I made sure to have no plans for those 3 days. I made sure to rest on those days and not push myself.  All things that had to be done were done before I started the next chemo.

I also made sure to eat many small lean protein meals during the day as well as eating many fruits and vegetables.  No fast food, fatty food or fried food.  No food with preservatives - ate organic vegetables and fruits.  I also drank lots and lots of water to flush out the chemicals. I was not nauseous and tolerated the chemo regimen very well.

Hopefully this regimen will help some of you ladies plan for your chemo.  I hope you all tolerate the chemo and will not have any side effects that you cannot handle.

Much good luck to all of you.

Judy

Hi ladies, I too will be starting chemo in May. This has been a life changing event for me to be dx. Thank you for starting this group..it helps to get support from others going through the same thing. I have just joined this site. Much luck to us all.

I'm not sure if anyone else has been given 2 approaches to chemo like myself. AC-TH or TCH. I'm torn between the 2..not sure what to do. I've been told AC can cause luekemia? 

A great big warm welcome and lots of (((HUGS))) to all of you who have joined in over the past couple of days!  I am so glad to have some chemo buddies!  I start this Friday (T/C 4x).

Nancy

I'll be starting chemo (T/C 4x) in May, and I am so excited! There's nothing I'd rather do than have chemo! It'll be so...much...fun...whoo-hoo? Sorry, I couldn't maintain my sarcasm.

Seriously, though, we're all tougher than we give ourselves credit for, and we will get through our ordeals with grace, like so many on this board already have. Here's to us!!

Jamiebeth you crack me up!  Here's to us is right!

lifelover - I had 4 treatments of A/C (DONE!) and 12 Taxol (1 done, 2nd tomorrow - 10 more after that) and I lost my hair on days 15-16 after 1st treatment.  Thankfully I have a great wig, but when I take it off - ug - I still can't get used to it.  Lost almost all my eyebrows and eye lashes too - thank God for great makeup and fake eyelashes ha ha.

Thanks Mama V,

Yeah, I forgot about the eyebrows and lashes - think a shopping trip is in order to look for some fake lashes - I'll actually enjoy that as my lashes now are quite thin.  Maybe that will cheer me up a bit.

Chances are extremely high I will be starting chemo this month as well.  46 years old, premenopausal.  I hate this disease and what it puts all of us wonderful women through.  Even just to get to this stage!!!

Received my path yesterday, meet Onc tomorrow.  Anyways BS will not request oncotype dx as she feels chemo for me is an inevitability.  I was upped to a Stage II due to tumor size, no longer 1.7, now 2.6.  Grade no longer 2 now 3. kI-67=50% and lymphvascular and perineural invasion present - has me worried about those cells floating around my body and forming tumors elsewhere. 

The only good news from the report was that my margins were clear and my lymph nodes were clear.

Tomorrow I will have an idea as to what Onc #1 suggests, I plan on visiting at least 2 more. 

I'll be back, for that I am sure.

Debby

Debby and Marcya welcome to the club no one wants to join.  Together we will get through this journey.