Is there a July 2011 group?

Trying to drink water but burping and bloated from first chemo today. Nurses encouraged me to drink juice, gatorade, other stuff with some normal nutirents in it like cramberry juide. She commentd that only water can sometimes throw off electrolytes so drink a bunch of different things even if only  a few sips. Found I had to eat a super small meal...weird..becasue my stomach feels liek I am overstuffed. Well will post tomorrow. Going for neulasta shot...many people comment they hate the side effects of that..any ideas...other than naproxen or motrin before?

Penny thanks for popping in and encouraging us! Soon, we'll be popping in other threads telling them the same thing! 

Frnaces C   It is a shot to boost white blood count- a growth factor medication. It increases white blood count production as chemo decreases it and makes you prone to infection. But it stimulates the bone marrow to produce it I think and a lot of people get bone pain. I read on the triple negtive site some peole take claritan the night before. Althought here is no research on that, some people think it helps. I asked about it today and was told it wouldn't help but there was no reason not to take it if I had allergies which I don't so the nurses and oncologist don't want to give any credence to it. they do suggest some over the counter pain reliever 1 hour prior...ie. Naproxen, ibuprophen etc...to prevent any pain and suggest you may have to take it a few times.

 Rabbit thank you re: my work.

Good luck everyone. We can do this!

This was my first chemo so I am just 9 hours out from getting it.

Was told the aloxi infusion would prevent nausea for 3 days.

For some reason my onco doesn't want me to have that Neulasta shot, he said not everyone needs and if I can get away without taking, the better, no clue what to believe LOL. 

Frances C...glad to see you're here to..We will beat the hell out of it.

Hello! I hope everyone is doing good. I start chemo on July 12th! It's also my son's 7th Birthday! I had been dreading this, but now I'm anxious to get it going and done :-) I plan to shave my head Monday night!

I was just going to post about the hair thing too, I am on day 11 of my first treatment and had my hair cut to a pixie cut, I don't want to wait til it's falling out in clumps so I'm thinking I'll get it shaved in a few days. If anyone knows more about the FEC and when to expect the first clump to start coming out...please post!!!

Good luck to us all xoxoxo 

what does that mean ginger? I'm not sure I know what you mean by your oncotype failing....

Cathy_C ... Pleased to meet you here. We have the same diag. My port site is a bugger - still annoying and it's been there over a month.  Be sure to request a numbing cream rx.  I got poked there for a procedure and it was not very pleasant for me.  Good luck on your first chemo.  Hope to hear from you soon, when you are up to it.  Rest....

Hi Paintingmyw.....jump in!  I checked out your website and enjoyed it very much.  Lovely watercolors---very colorful, positive and fun!  I really appreciate your comment on water.  I've been figuring on gallons of water to wash that poison out of me....but a healthy variety of liquids would be best.  I'm on the fence myself with green tea.  My onc. nurse says its OK, so I will see how I feel on Monday - tho I've already laid off on it pre chemo.

Hope you are feeling well and no nasty SE's in sight.  Paint on......

ohhhh massages sound great, can't afford them right now, any ideas on where to check on that? I am in Kentucky.  

I remember the first day of my FEC was my worst, I felt like I had rock in my gut and was gassy, bloated, heart burn, really unpleasant funky pains in my esophogus. I've always had acid reflux and that sort of thing and the FEC really triggers it I'm finding.

 Hope we all feel good today!  

Ginger- I've heard about them not being able to get a good read on the oncotype sorry about that it must be very frustrating. Looking at your DS I know you don't want to hear this but you really should just jump in and do the Chemo, you are young and you want to throw everything you've got at this so it doesn't come back as the big scary monster that it is.  The one thing I think Docs don't tell woman when they are deciding whether or not to chemo is what the cancer can come back as.  Its not breast cancer usually, it bone, lung, liver, brain or lymph node, and its not stage 1 usually its stage or higher.  I don't mean to scare you but with positive nodes, and grade 3 you want to throw the kitchen sink at it!

Dexxy, I think me and you are the same; I had my first chemo on thursday and to be honest I am doing okay, apart from heart burna nd my mouth feeling abit blunt (dont really feel like eating anything but when food is presented i eat:-). I also sleep alot (better to be honest, i think because of all the meds). Other than that I am doing good, Thank God. I am afraid things may turn for the worse, i dont know.. I had my neulasta shot yday and so far so good, no joint pain or anything. I am using the cold caps so planning to keep my hair.

I too am just waiting for some serious SE after Thurs. T/C. Gas, everything tastes sweet, and feel week but not overly so. No queasy feeling. Hope I didn't just curse myself.

Jbug, I just sent an email on the website to them to see if they have anything near me. thanks!!

dexxy, I'm guessing that's why they are doing chemo with me before surgery, because I am grade 3 and the MRI showed slight inflammation in 2 nodes. Also, to shrink the tumor, they thought it was 1.2 cm per the US and mammo, but the MRI showed it was 4-5 and I can barely feel the darn thing,it's so bizarre.