October 2011 Chemo group

Welcome to all the new members! I am so sorry you are members of our club. For those who just starting chemo I hope your next few days are very uneventful.

My scalp is extemely itchy. I know the end is near for my hair. I did go out and look for some hats today. Target had some really cute winter ones! I have not purchased a wig and am not sure I would be comfortable in it. I think once the hair all falls out, I will set up an appointment and see how one feels.  

Tappy I drank vitamin water and that actually tasted pretty good when water alone was terrible. Flavored selzer water worked well too. Don't forget popsicles count as fluid also.

Timbuktu I agree. The anticipation of each event is always worse than the actual event! 

Dia123 The Claritin for is bone pain if you get a shot to help with blood cell counts. I am not sure you have to worry about this on AC. I think it is for those of us on TC. 

If you want to have a good laugh, google text messages gone wrong. Ellen reads these on her show and they are hilarious! I was laughing so hard I was crying.

Take care all! Wishing everyone few side effects! 

TAPPY: i drink alot of grape juice and it helps, also sounds kinda strange but cream soda Crush, or grape soda crush I can tolerate and taste, dont kow why its just those 2 but LOL....  Ive never heard of Claratin for th joint pain Im gonna call my primary care nurse and ask,  Im telling you I was down for 8 days with massive joint pain so bad I could hardly walk..... I just dont understand how Claratin would work????  Also TAPPY I take malox fruit chewables for heartburn they work good.... 

Lori- Happy to hear all your tests and scans came back clear, Mine did also including my recent liver ultrasound.....

A warm welcome to the new people, this is a great site and a warm, friendly place to be.....  

Lori - glad to hear about DD tests - one less thing for you to worry about:What is the steriod dex you are talking about ?  (I think they gave my that in my port yesterday)

 I woke up with a wicked headache and nausea at 1 am so I started on the Z, I have to take it every six hours or I have break thru, but it kicks in 20 minutes later...but I do feel tired on it.

How long will have I have take this after treatment, nurse said about 3 days.

My face and chest are bright red (I get this after surgery as well and it is miserbale as it makes my eyes swell shut/burn ...they tell me to take Benedryl - which I can eat like candy with no effect due to all the allergies.

 I just cant drink water...it gives me heartburn, so will try some of your suggestions...i really like a cola icee, but I am sure that is not what they have in mind LOL...but what ever works right ????  Right now stale ginger ale and yourgut/saltines and banannas seem to work just fine as far as food.  Nothing makes me hungry, poor hubby likes to cook

so I told him to make home made mash potatoes for me tonight...and I am looking forward to it...tis the little things.

Off to get the shot and hoping for no bone pain.

I've been lucky in that water has not tasted bad to me. What's also worked well, though, is to get an assortment of single-serving beverages, and always have one of each in the fridge. That way I can have a choice without clogging our fridge with a dozen big bottles. I have prune juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, V8 fusion (mix of fruit/veg), vanilla soy milk, vanilla almond milk, chocolate almond milk, chocolate milk, and ginger ale. The juices I usually mix with water so I'm not getting a huge amount of sugar at once. I also made a huge pot of vegetable broth (beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, celery) and have been trying to drink about a quart of that every day. We kept some fresh, froze some and my husband canned some (which I'll reboil when I open them just to be safe). I also have an assortment of herbal, green and decaf teas. With all those choices it's been easy to stay hydrated and always have something that is helpful no matter what my symptoms du jour.

Went back to the surgeon who put my port in yesterday as my port site was very red and burning.  He is concerned the port leaked...put me on an antibiotic and will recheck Tues next week (I am scheduled for second infusion on Wed).  He said if it was not better they would have to remove the port "and that would not be good."  When I spoke with the nurse today they scheduled me to have a picc line put in next tues just in case the port has to come out.  Has anyone had one of these lines?  What are they....and why would they not have just put one of those in me the first time round?  Also concerned about what damage was or could be caused by the port leaking.....

cfdr-thanks for sharing about the sunscreen. I was on steroids 5 days before my rash got better. You have good ideas about drinks. I'm not up to making my own broth, though! Sorry, Maya. Leaking port? Does that mean you had a treatment in it and the meds leaked around the area? That stinks. I'm glad they have another way. But major bummer, getting the port in correctly hurts enough, I think.  Good luck! Dia123 glad you made it to class!

Maya - so very sorry to here about your port issues. Praying that the anitbiotics clear up the infection. There is an article on Wikipedia and other sites about picc lines. My port has been trouble free so far, I'm thankful to say.

Dia123 - poor night of sleeping for me too. I'm glad you made it to class. I didn't drive until Saturday after my Tx on Thursday - just felt too disconnected and unfocused. Thankfully, my DH was available to drive me that time and my sisters are here this time.

Gearing up for Tx #2 at 1:30 today. Curious to see how it goes. I had lunch with a work friend on Monday. She went through this 10 years ago and said she thought the first Tx was the hardest as far as side effects go. She felt her body handled the subsequent treatments better, because it knew what was coming and how to adjust. I can see how this might be the case and am hoping it applies to me and to all of you as well! 

Lori - my latest blog post shows one chemo cap option you may want to consider for days like these - it's called 'Paper Bag Over the Head'. Just for laughs, of course, but I think we all feel like that sometimes during our normal lives and I'm feeling it ever more now during my chemo phase when there is just so much going on with my face and hair.

Sorry to say I don't have a more serious tip for you.

I used Zegerid (now OTC) for heartburn and had good results (for those who may not like Zantac). The Pepto Bismol I usually use didn't touch the chemo hearburn. Anyway the Zegerid came packaged in 14 day doses but I stopped after 4 or 5 days. I would have started again if I needed to but I trying to keep the between chemo drugs to a minimum.

Hello everyone! I am joining a group I really don't want to join...chemo but then, who wants this? I had bilateral mastectomies on 9/19. I am doing the expanders with reconstruction. I got the results from my Oncotype testing and I need chemo. I don't have a start date yet. My oncologist wanted to start me on 10/24 but I have my first fill of the expanders that week and can handle only one thing at a time!

How do each of you feel about your decision to have chemo? Did you have a choice to make? I don't want a recurrence because this is my second time. My first was bilateral DCIS with surgery and radiation in 9/08. I am so scared of the whole chemo thing!

Welcome Beth...and I am sorry you had to join the group.  But you are in good hands here.... good advice and love and moral support.

What type of chemo will you be having ?

 I just had my first round this week(AC and then T) ...and it was not horrible like I had it built up in my mind.

Yes a few side effects, but very manageable.

I am thinking of going back to work next week....have any of you Oct. ladies headed back yet ???

Any tips ?

I had my first chemo on Tuesday, Neulasta on Wed. morning and port in Wed. afternoon.  So far (knock on my wooden head) everything has been fine.  Pretty foggy headed but that's about it.  I found a drink that really tastes good - boil a quart of water and juice a lemon in it and drop in the lemon peels, grate some fresh ginger (about a tablespoon) and let it steep a few minutes.  Great hot or with ice. 

 I can't believe what a wimp I've become.  When my husband leaves for something I actually feel rather frightened.  Never had that happen before in my life.  Guess I'm turning into a complete chicken!  I'm wondering if I really will lose my hair.  If I will get sick. All kinds of stuff.  I guess we all have our own reaction but I sure like reading how everyone is handling this.  Best wishes to everyone!  Chin up, chest out (even if it's a little less than it was).