Chemo May 2011

Goodmorning Everyone,

Jut checking in to say hi to all.  This is my chemo-off week.  Generally, i am doing well.  Scalp is itchy every now and then, but nothing terrible.

I hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there.

Laureen

38years old- dont be depressed it is just hair it will grow back.  I lost mine 14 days after my first chemo.  God knows we wont feel well enough to deal with hair issues is why we lose it.  This time nxt year it will be back!  Stay strong and positive!!!  ((hugs))

great to here Necee, I hit the chair nxt week.  I have 2 more to go.  I actually started chemo in March.  You can do it!

patriotic, you can do it too!!

bkj66 - thanks!  Good luck with everything Wednesday.

blondlawyer,

I think that is a great idea. Enjoy as much as you can!!

Candice

Here goes, with my first post - so glad I found this site. Hoping to stay positive throughout this journey - can't help but think of my mother and her dx in the late 1950's - chemo was unheard of at that time (far as I know) and she received her dx when she came out of radical-mastectomy surgery. No wonder she didn't want to talk to us when we came to visit that night - she was an R.N. and knew what her future held, (not much hope back then). Am waiting for my BRCA results any day. Have TCH every 3 weeks and just Herceptin the 2 weeks in between - Wednesday will only be my 2nd 'big' chemo dose. So grateful for my wonderful oncologist - love her! - and the outrageously thoughtful nurses at the infusion center.  Hair almost gone - keep scrubbing it in the shower then slathering with conditioner to get it over with - cut it short on week 2 in anticipation, then the 'wig place' buzzed it 5 days ago. Relieved the scalp pain stopped. Hate that scratchy wig so made several scarves/hats to wear most of the time and/or around my grandchildren,(2 of them freaked out when they just saw the first haircut). Main worry was/is the nausea, but oncologist said she would prescribe meds to resolve that - so far it's tolerable. Thank you all for your posts - have spent a few hours reading lots of them. Best wishes for us all!

Beaglesgirl - you can do it!  I crawled over the A/C finish line and physically the Taxol has been so much easier (the weekly dose is much milder - I hope that's your plan).  I will warn you though that Taxol depression is tough (at least for me, and I've heard from others too).  Hang in there!  Be strong!

Oma11 - welcome; sorry you have to join us!  You will find great support and information here!

Thanks for the reply MamaV! I can't believe that I feel this horrible a few hours after treatment. I am so glad for those that don't get this ill you are truly blessed! I am a little worried about the taxol depression... What have you done to battle it or wish you had done? I seem to hit 9 out of a possible 10 SE so I want to look ahead.



I wish I didn't have to back for the nuelasta shot tomorrow... 5 days of in bed with pain meds, writhing in pain



BUT..only one more AC left AND my counts continue to be good.... I happily do this for more years with my family...I got home and I could taste the chemicals in my mouth, I can smell them on my skin, I can choose to believe that it's the sweet taste of future. So although my complaint list is long it's really only because it helps me to talk about it and I hope it helps someone reading it too.



Love to all!

Cyborg, with that cap does it feel like your wig is going to pop off? I tried it and thought my wig would slide off, maybe I'm paranoid. I always feel like I am hiding something when I am wearing my wig, yeah, my bald head! I pretty much only wear my wig to work, can't go to a hair salon without hair! Everyone is really nice about it,  they say it looks real, but I feel kinda wiggy and I think it makes me move cautiously-kinda stiff. Not looking forward to ct scan and chemo today, but hoping numbers are good enough for chemo, so I guess I do want chemo today!:) Mixed emotions......

bkj66 - Just had my first treatment last thursday, my hair is still here but everyday I worry more and more about how I'm going to handle it coming out then having to shave.  I have a wig for work also, I wanted to know if yours bothers your head, is it scratchy?  Does it move around alot?  Thankfully I have a desk job so I won't be moving around alot but I'm soooo paranoid it's going to slip.  Good luck on your chemo tomorrow, Are you almost done your A/C?

Beaglesgirl, I just had Taxol #7. I am doing Taxol first. I have had very minor SE's. I am not diminishing SE's anyone else has experienced, by any means. I am just saying that you might be fine. Everyone has a different experience. I have another friend who did the regimen in this order and she also stated she had minor SE's with Taxol and things didn't really get difficult until AC. I hope this helps you with any anxiety about it. Congrats on only having one more AC. Yeah!



Yesterday, my Onc mentioned having a 2-week break between DD Taxol and AC. I told her I preferred only 1week and wanted to start sooner, if possible. Does anyone have any opinion on this?

MammaV and cyborg: hang in there! I have also been crying a lot due to the steroids. They make me feel so low, like giving up. I hate the feeling. I'm going for my first neulasta shot today as I was in the danger zone far too long after my first infusion. I'm so anxious and worried about having it.



Well I guess I am just a basket case right now due to steroids. One more day on them, ugh!



MammaV: try not to stress about genetic testing. I'm sure all will go well.



Neecee: sounds like you're doing fine since your Monday treatment. Great for you managing SEs.



Beagles girl: I'm sorry to hear about the pain you've suffered with neulasta. Have you tried the claritan and aleve to help. I'm trying that today for my first shot.





Everyone: hope all is best as can be. I find this so much more emotionally draining than physically. I want to be me again, feel happy and alive. Right now I feel I'm stuck in a nightmare, just getting thru one day at a time. It doesn't help that I dream that I'm drowning, at least I do make it to the surface, so that means I'm fighting. Better stop here, I sound too depressing. Going for neulasta in 20 min.