Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?

I'm starting chemo Sept. 9, getting A/C first (4 treatments) and Taxol next (4 treatments), then five years of tamoxifen.  I have no idea what to expect from chemo.  Will I feel well enough to work?  I guess I won't know until I actually have the first treatment.  Where are you being treated?  I'm at the University of Virginia Medical Center.  Good to connect with someone who's going through this right now, too. 

I'm supposed to start September 6th -- four rounds of TC, then radiation, then five years of tamoxifen.  I am apprehensive but at the same time find myself wanting to start so I can get it over with.

 I've been lurking here for a while and am just really in awe of all the amazing women here. 

Anyone else nervous about the current shortage of chemo drugs?  I am.

There is a shortage, I believe, nationwide of injectables.  I was in the waiting room at the breast surgeon's office last week, hoping to get my drains out, when I read the article on the front page of newspaper here in Milwaukee about the shortage.  I know I googled it later and saw that 2 of the drugs on my regimen, Taxol and Adriamycin, were in short supply.  I was talking to my sister about that and she said "I was hoping you didn't see that one."  Well, just got to roll with it I guess, like everything else.  I have to laugh how my head works (I don't want chemo, gosh I don't want chemo......Damn it, what if they don't have any chemo?).  My rational mind knows oncologist would not suggest a regimen that is not available. Right?

Hi everybody, I was hoping someone would start a September chemo thread...I've been following along and lurking on the August chemo thread just to kind of get an idea of what's to come, and it's great that they all have each other to talk to!  My first chemo is Sept. 16th, but my "chemo lesson" is tomorrow and every time I think about it, I have that dread feeling...ughhhhh, I'm even scared of the LESSON!  I will have taxotere and cytoxin 4x, then 6 weeks of radiation, then 5 years of tamoxifin.  But it's the chemo I am most anxious about.  Same as all of you, how will my body react? What kind of side effects will I have? Will I be able to work?  I am a teacher and this is all happening right at the beginning of school.  The hair thing is just driving me crazy. The way I figured it, my hair will be falling out right around Back to School Night....which is awesome 

I bought a wig, but I really don;'t think I like it.  But will I ever like anything? If I didn't have to worry about working, I would just wear scarves or hats.  I'm going out wig shopping tomoro again and if that fails, I found a company online that comes to your house..but they sound expensive!  Ohhhh is anyone else scared? Is anyone else having wiggie troubles?

Good luck to Jersey and RJ with their wig shopping.  I measured my head at 23 inches,  Cripes I got a big head.  Don't know how many wigs will fit me since average size is 22 inches, and I wanted to get the Farah Fawcett looking wig for fun.  (My hair is 90% white and short).  I have to get my drivers license photo and renewal before hair starts falling out.  It would be pretty freaky to have a bald ID for the next 6-8 years or whatever it is now. 

I know I think strange thoughts, but having had the BMX, wouldn't it be sweet if our breasts could grow back after treatment ends like the hair eventually will?  That's the way it should be!

Don't know how anxious you all are but last night I dreamt that I was on a shallow beach trying to get in the water, but there were all these alligators swimming by.  I think that kind of sums up how I feel right now.

On 9/7, I start 12 weeks of Taxol followed by 4 sessions of biweekly AC.  I'm having neoadjuvant chemo to shrink the tumor before surgery.  I'm also having anxiety dreams and my doctor prescribed lorazapam to help me sleep.  I'm the type who doesn't take medication so it was tough for me to admit that I needed it.  

 So, I got a port and a wig and I am just waiting to start chemo next week.  And, yes, I'm scared.

Hi all

I just read your posts and it brought back all the fears and anxiety I had waiting for chemo to start.  I had Adriamycin, Cytoxin every three weeks for 12  treatments, then Taxol and Herceptin, every week for 12 weeks, then Herceptin alone weekly for another 40 weeks.  I had a port, for which I am eternally grateful , since I could never have managed with my veins for all that chemo!  The port did not bother me at all.  I did very well with the chemo - had some issues that were expected, but absolutely nothing that I couldn't handle.  I worked part-time during treatment - I might have been able to do full time, but I was fortunate not to have to push it.

My hair began slowly falling out about day 18 after my first treatment.  I waited for another few days, and then went to my regular hair dresser who very empathetically shaved my head for me - it was truly a relief after "waiting" for that day.  I had a baseball cap with hair attached that was my every day head cover - very convenient and comfortable (I think TLC has them).  I had a wig that I wore when I went to work, and a few scarves, but I didn't really like how I looked in the scarves. A "Must Have" for me was sleep caps - very inexpensive, light weight, seamless and comfortable. You will be amazed how cold your scalp gets without hair!

I never had a problem with my nails (you do tend to hear the horror stories on here, so you need to weed out what's unusual side effects or you'll freak yourself out).  I kept a journal and wrote in it how I felt after every treatment, which really helped me figure out what were my "good days" as far as planning anything.

I decided on a prophylactic mastectomy on the non-cancer side (had to have a mx on the cancer side because of the location so near the nipple), and I am finished chemo, finished year one of five of Arimidex, and have been working full time for almost a year.  I have a full head of "normal" hair, get my manicure done every other week, and try to live my life as though I had a health detour and not something that will prevent me from enjoying every day.  I don't think of myself as a "survivor", because for me that just sends shivers up my spine - I'm just me, minus boobs but with a gratitude for every day I have.

You will all be writing like this soon - keep your spirits up!

Geri

Hi everyone,  Thanks for visiting Marial.  I couldn't do the gym 5 times a week healthy.  I do need to start a walking program. I feel very self-conscious outside of house with these drains and suspicous bulges all over under my clothing.  I wish it was cooler so I could wear sweatshirts over this.  I have poor exercise tolerance due to my weight and smoking history.  I have to stop smoking by September 1st or they will be upping my health insurance premium by $80 next year.  I can't remember if it's $80 a month or $80 a pay period but either way that's a substantial price.  Well you all know how welcome that would be, plus medical bills rolling in from appointments, tests, surgeries, treatments, and less income coming in from time off.  I can't tell you how many quit dates I have set and failed, but that insurance thing is a biggie what it is going to cost me, so here I go again.  The patches are greating for killing the urge, but I get some palpitation feelings with them.

Hoping to get surgical drains out soon, I am 2-1/2 weeks post BMX. Hoping to get port in soon. 

Wondering about side effects.  I never lost my appetite in my life.  I was eating a ham and cheese sub with onions an hour after I woke up from surgery (well, okay, only part of it because my throat was sore).  I always fall asleep easily.  Now fatigue is another matter.  I'm always tired.  I could easily turn into Rip Van Winkle with chemo.  I'm single and gotta keep that job and keep the money coming in if at all possible.  Otherwise I would probably sleep for 5 months and just set the alarm every 2 weeks for the actual chemo.  Ha, ha.  Yes,I am that bad.

I hope you all found decent wigs.  I will be contacting American Cancer Society today.  I don't know how much I will be wearing a wig because I work from home 98% of the time.  I hope that I too can find something for those occasions when I don't want to be bald out in public.  I did shave my head 6 years ago when my sister was going through her treatment, but I had eyebrows and eyelashes and wasn't puffy from steroids or feeling ill, so I think this will be a little different. 

Hi Robo, Welcome.  Looks like you and CJRT are the first at bat for the September chemo team.  We're rooting for you.

Hi CJRT.  Oh my dear, oh my gosh.  You are so young, it just seems extra wrong.  I don't know what else to say for fear of sticking my foot in my mouth. I hope you are able to get all the help that you need during your treatment and have lots of local support from friends and family and here.  Good luck with treatment tomorrow.

Morning ladies.  CJ, let us know how it went for you.  You are our first at bat. 

Robo - I am putting on the nicotine patch in 2 minutes.  Did you or do you use anything for smoking cessation.

BlueJay - I am getting my port in by my breast surgeon, 1 day after you, this Friday.  He's gonna pull the drains at same time.  I hope he can do that while I am under anesthesia from port placement.  I asked my cousin the nurse if it hurt to get drains removed.  He said "Not unless they accidentally stitched the port in while they were closing you up."  Great.  Knowledge is power but sometimes it is better not to ask, cause you might not want to hear the answers.  So now I am just hoping I am out when he does it.

Today's goal is to organize the billing paperwork regarding BC which is scattered over my kitchen table, incoming statements from insurance, and to start a running list in a notebook that I can scratch off as I complete for people I am supposed to call, things I need to get, places I need to go regarding BC.  I'm not too organized yet at this point so I better get moving.

Hi ladies,

Popping in here to direct you to the main Breastcancer.org site and the Chemotherapy: What to Expect section.

Best of luck to you all in your treatment!

--The Mods