August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

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  • summergirl1
    summergirl1 Member Posts: 182
    edited August 2011

    GOOD LUCK, Chrys23 , will be thinking of you and let us all know how you get on today , (hugs)  remember you will be 1 step closer to the end of this. xx

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  • Madismommy719
    Madismommy719 Member Posts: 781
    edited August 2011

    Good luck Chrys!!!! I hope it's uneventful, smooth sailing!!!! :)



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  • MaryjRN
    MaryjRN Member Posts: 130
    edited August 2011

    Eileen...blessing oneself sounds like a great idea.  My next treatment is Monday, 8/15.

    Sandy...rant away.  We are the group that promotes that, right?  The hair is upsetting me too.  

    Michaela...my kids feel the same way.  No hair for a blip in your life, but die as an elderly woman.

    Chrys...I have my bag packed with all the cards/emails that people have sent me, my book, an individual size package of Lorna Dunne shortbread cookies.  I drank several glasses of water during infusion.  In fact, before I left the building, I went to the bathroom and the adriamycin was already being excreted. (Pink).

    Capinva...I am not working while getting chemo.

    summergirl...a grandchild.  How exciting!  Have fun tonight.  I will look you up on facebook and 'friend' you.

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  • aimska
    aimska Member Posts: 68
    edited August 2011

    Hey Amelia & Musicalmom, looks like we are all on board for TCH for 6x followed by herceptin for 1 year.  Let's see, as for SE's:  I had the chemo infusion on Thursday, felt fine after.  Friday, felt okay, slightly out of it, nothing major.. Sat, fatigue, constipation, loss of appetite, spacey feeling, dry mouth, dry lips.  Sunday, same thing as Saturday.. Monday, still tired, dry mouth dry lips, went to work, left early because I was too tired.  Tuesday felt MUCH better, came back to life a lil.  Wed, and so forth felt pretty much back to normal.  The only difference is I sweat really easily now, especially at night!  and I get tired earlier and winded easier.  Now the hair .. for me, my hair started falling out slowly the 11th day after my 1st treatment, it really started to come out heavily days 13 and 14.  After that, I shaved it off, it's way too traumatizing to watch it come out the way it was.  Good luck to everyone having treatments this week, I'll be getting TCH #2 tomorrow!! 

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  • Ybrooker1
    Ybrooker1 Member Posts: 41
    edited August 2011

    Hello ladies! Blessings and prayers for minimal SEs for everyone.



    Chrys, are you receiving your tx at HUP? That's where I go.



    Hi & welcome cupcake....I'm receiving neoadjuvant treatment. I'm here if you need me. I will have my 2nd tx tomorrow

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited August 2011

    Thanks ladies! It's busy today - still waiting for a chair!

    YBooker: I'm at the Rena Rowan Breast Center/Abramson Cancer Center at HUP!

    When are your days? Wow - small world!

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  • Dogmom
    Dogmom Member Posts: 14
    edited August 2011

    LOL Ybrooker I did the same thing. Diagnosed at the end of  May  had some major denial, had surgery to remove the lump, back in denial and said OK give it to me AFTER a small vacation at the end of July.I am gonna fight it like a girl too! Heading for my first treatment in an hour. Oh boy...here it comes!  Think I'm gonna be just fine and so is everyone else on this thread! We're all gonna kick some cancer ass!!!!!!

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited August 2011

    H all,

    Sitting in the  chemo chair -- got all my pre-meds at 11:30am, then started Taxotere at 12:27pm. 

    Thank God that i did not have a reaction!! My nurse had been wonderful -- very thorough!! Already had some soup too.  The Taxotere is almost done; then the Cytoxan for 30mins -- that will be it,

    Hope everyone else who started today will be ok! Wink 

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited August 2011

    Yay -- I'm done! About to go home!!!

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  • MaryjRN
    MaryjRN Member Posts: 130
    edited August 2011

    Chrys..Glad it's done.  And you are ok?

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited August 2011

    I feel "ok". I had some mild nose burning from the Cytoxan but they said that is normal - feels like a chlorine burn when you are at the pool swimming. I feel normal!

    But as the days press on, that's when the tides all turn!! lol

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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited August 2011

    Wow, Chrys! up to the minute reporting! Love it! Glad everything went well.

    I went in for my blood draw today - day 7 from 1st chemo.. I am extremely nutropenic! Yikes! Have to stay out of crowds, etc. Anyone else going through this? I feel like a whimp w/ no white blood cells - the world seems like a dangerous place, even more so, I should say :(

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  • MaryjRN
    MaryjRN Member Posts: 130
    edited August 2011

    Chrys...I felt the same way after the Cytoxan.  It's a weird sensation.

    vtEllen...my day 7 blood count showed the same.  Did you receive a neulasta injection?  I did.  

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  • Ybrooker1
    Ybrooker1 Member Posts: 41
    edited August 2011

    Chrys....it is a small world! My tx days are on Thursdays. I go for my 2nd tx tomorrow @ 11:30. Maybe I will see you tomorrow if you have to come for a Neulasta shot!!!! Let me know. Praying for minimal to no SEs for you. Who's your MO? I have Dr. DeMichele.

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited August 2011

    Ybrooker:  I do go in for my 1st Neulasta tomorrow at 2pm!  My Onc is Dr. Kevin Fox. I don't know how long your infusions are, we (my sister and I) are leaving NJ at 12:45 tomorrow, so I may be there by 1:45.  You may be gone by then though. So cool! 

    Is this your 2nd or 3rd tx?? How have you been feeling?

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  • Robyn6463
    Robyn6463 Member Posts: 167
    edited August 2011

    Hi ladies! I'm jumping in! Lumpectomy on July 12, and I've healed pretty well. I'm up for 4 treatments over 12 weeks, beginning Friday, every 3rd Friday...taxotere and cytoxin, to be followed by rads. Was hoping to skip this part, and my docs have been on again/off again about the chemo for a while. But finally, we have a plan! Now I can get started in the process of putting all this behind me! 

    Kasi, it's great to see your posts. I've been following you through a lot of this. I hope you're doing well.

    Vt Ellen - Good luck to you! Stay home where you're not exposed to anything new! FYI - I'm from Bennington, but I think you're further north?  

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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited August 2011

    So Mary, did you get your shot on the 7th day- the day of your blood draw? I didn't get  one today. But, I will be getting them for the next 3 times. Are they bad? Do you get achy?

    Hi Robyn! Welcome! You'll be getting the same dosing that Eileen and I  are getting. I live in Salisbury, just south of Middlebury. Are you living in Bennington, now?

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited August 2011

    Turned out they only gave me Herceptin today, chemo tomorrow.

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  • Robyn6463
    Robyn6463 Member Posts: 167
    edited August 2011

    Yes, VT Ellen,  I still live in Bennington. I found you on my VT map. I work for the state, and travel  throughout the southern half of it pretty regularly. I read that you're avoiding germs these days. How are you feeling? Is anyone working through their treatments at all? I work from home some of the time, and I've been here pretty much all the time since the surgery, but I'm wanting to get back out into the public...can I do that while I'm having the treatments? Or will the germs get me? Having my long hair cut short tomorrow, so it won't be so messy when it starts to fall out.

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  • MaryjRN
    MaryjRN Member Posts: 130
    edited August 2011

    Ellen...I got mine the next day.  It is just a quick subcutaneous injection in my upper arm.  It took  seconds, max!  Some people experience severe bone pain, but to prevent that, it was recommended by my chemo nurses to take Claritin for the next several days after the shot. I did it for 5 days just to make sure and I think it helped dodge the bullet.  They also recommend XS Tylenol for any aches.  Make sure they give you information about it. 

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  • cupcakies
    cupcakies Member Posts: 71
    edited August 2011

    Just had my first treatment today, and am feeling okay!  Laughing


    I also had that nose burning feeling from the Cytoxan, but they slowed down the drip and then it wasn't so bad.  

    Just a tip for the neulasta shot - ice the area for the injection for about 5 min before taking it, that's what I did for my subcutaneous IVF shots and they weren't that bad at all.  

    Ybrooker1 - have you noticed any shrinkage since your first treatment?  i REALLY hope this works!!! *crossing fingers* 

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  • Leighsa
    Leighsa Member Posts: 63
    edited August 2011

    This group is growing so fast I need some sort of spread sheet to keep up with dates!



    Cupcake, chyrs, and everyone that started today-you did it!



    Welcome Robyn! I had my lump on July 13 and today was the first day I felt somewhat normal.



    Grimbol & Capinva-good luck tomorrow.



    Maddismommy-glad you had a good tome. The concert with your daughter!



    Summergirl







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  • Leighsa
    Leighsa Member Posts: 63
    edited August 2011

    Oops!



    Summergirl-Happy Anniversary, enjoy your night out!

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  • capinva
    capinva Member Posts: 138
    edited August 2011

    Going tomorrow at 10:30. Feeling better about it today than yesterday. Good luck to all who will be getting chemo tomorrow.

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  • Doodlebug12
    Doodlebug12 Member Posts: 35
    edited August 2011

    Hi girls



    Just a quick update on todays happenings.. Last night was a terrible night after that first infusion . I was very restless and nauseous. Had a headache and just couldn't sleep. Managed a few hourse between 5.3 and 8.00. Got up from bed then and had a couple of pieces of toast to take some of the lovely cocktail of drugs that are a necessary evil in all our lives for foreseeable future. Practice nurse called to my house today to find a very teary michaela..she managed to calm me down and show me what was actually involved in administering the neulasta shot I calmed down. I am proud to say that I gave the shot to myself and will do it for next seven very confidently



    Nauseousness is a problem, a few drama moments, pesky mouth sores (I'm still smoking) and a headaches is all that I can complain about On day 2 so I feel I'm doing well



    We will get thud this all together... Support and love here is amazing and I thank you girls - too many to mention individually



    Talk tomorro





    Zzz michaela









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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited August 2011

    Gargle, michaela! salt water  really helps me. I just throw a tsp in a cup and slush for awhile. Uhuh, the drugs are amazing, aren't they? When I told my onco what my SEs were, he upped my steroid and  my ativan to 2mg. Whoa, little doggies! so, let's see : Senokot, steroids, ativan, zofran, advil and tylenol+. Did I forget anything? Egads, is all I can say.....as long as it gets me through.

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  • michelleo13
    michelleo13 Member Posts: 342
    edited August 2011

    Welcome, Robyn!



    Chrys, glad to hear everything went well for you!



    Michaela, glad things are better today.. The first night was the worst for me so far. Day three today and other than feeling tired from lack of sleep last night following the Neulasta shot, I'm feeling pretty good today. I also managed to give myself the Neulasta shot with the nurse's supervision yesterday. I plan to self-administer the next 7 as well. Much easier than hanging around waiting for a nurse to arrive.



    Summergirl, Happy anniversary. Hope you had a great dinner!



    Here's to a better sleep tonight!



    By the way, for any of you who are looking for a way to help ease the anxiety of your cancer journey, I strongly recommend you check out the following website: http://www.healingjourney.ca/

    It's an excellent program developed by Dr Alastair Cunningham, a professor at the University of Toronto who has done extensive work with the Princess Margaret Hospital. The website contains workbooks you can download and links to MP3 files that you can use to practice relaxation techniques. It's really well done. It has helped me cope and has reduced my stress level significantly.

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  • edoyrest
    edoyrest Member Posts: 55
    edited August 2011

    Ellen,

    What does extremely neutropenic mean???  How did you feel?  Did you have a temp?

    Eileen

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  • sandy115
    sandy115 Member Posts: 172
    edited August 2011

    Hi Everyone hair still coming out scalp is very tender still cant come to cutting it.Michaela glad you had 1st infusion over you hope you have minimum S/E gargrle lots I used club soda have had no mouth sores,day 16 so I think it works also drink lots and lots of water,I hope everyone else has a good day tommorow I go to find out my blood count before 2nd treatment on Monday.Hugs to Everyone.

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  • Madismommy719
    Madismommy719 Member Posts: 781
    edited August 2011

    Welcome Robyn, glad you found our little family! Sorry you too are joining this crazy ride....



    Well ladies, it looks like the countdown to chemo begins.... Aug. 23rd should be my start date....so long as all goes as expected. I did the Muga today, had to go back to nuclear medicine after my chemo training for an additional image because my expander blocked the first view.... UGH.



    Chemo training went well, learned all my dos and don'ts....not too many don'ts. It's weird how every ones oncs. and treatment centers have different rules. So, I got all my different prescriptions.... My doctor favors emend before Zofran, I'm assuming because insurance demand that? And most likely I'll be having my DH give me the neulasta shot....omg. He says he can do it but he's so afraid of needles???? And I was told the neulasta shot is 5,000 bucks EACH!!!! WTH? Is it magical? Why can't they come up with a magical 5,000 dollar "keep your hair shot?"



    All and all it went ok. Lots of info, the s/e's scare the crap out of me.... But, they did before today's meeting.... And they will for the next 5 months.



    Oh, and I have to make my final decision on the B-46 clinical trial......by tomorrow. It's such a hard decision....what if I pick wrong??? I honestly don't know what to do.....Ativan scares me knowing the FDA won't approve it but maybe it's the drug this disease has needed....but it causes heart failure in some.....but the other drugs can cause really bad s/e's too.... Seriously, I don't know what to do.

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