January 2012 chemo

Just returned home from my first of 4 TC treatments. Everything went well, got a stuffy nose and they diluted the "C"....other than that it went very smoothly. Have meds in case of SE....

They started me off with benadryl, a steroid and a "generous dose" (as per nurse) of Ativan. So, I was comfortable.,

Hope everyone has a good day!

Thank you, Nancy! It worked! I have to go back in tomorrow for a neulasta shot, and they'll schedule my next treatment. Should be three weeks from today if all goes well. They said to stay away from kids birthday parties (they know I have small boys), crowds, stores, church, definitely stay in on new years eve, etc.... That's fine, I'm happy to be home.

Ely - Thanks for sharing that link!  I just put my request in.

Momof3boys - I'm glad things went well! Hopefully things will continue to be good. 

Things are moving along!  On Wednesday I had the muga test. Today I bought a wig and got my hair cut in a similar style as the wig.  Tomorrow I have an appointment with my PS to check on a slow healing section of my 'tummy tuck' from the reconstruction, followed by a bone scan.

Next week I go back to work on Tuesday, have my port placed on Wednesday (new date) and start chemo on Friday.  Fortunately the hospital rescheduled the port procedure for two days before chemo.  I was beginning to worry about doing both on the same day. I guess there is no turning back at this point!

Thank you ely for the link - I just read about the good wishes scarves - wonderful idea! I especially LOVE the fact that they donat 20% of the sale of certain of their other products (not the scarves because they are FREE) to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. This is especially appreciated by a TNer like me!

Laura5 - thanks!! I'd love to try it without a port. For me, I think part of the reason I don't want a port is mental. I'm still adjusting to the fact that I have cancer. I had a lumpectomy and SNB on 12/9 and aside from some bruising, I feel fine. I don't feel "sick" at all and I think having a port will make it all so much more real. <tears>

Hi there, Guess I'll be joining you as well.  Except you ladies seem to have a grasp on what is going on.  All I know is that 2 weeks ago they took my left breast, the lump was large and 3 nodes were removed.  I am meeting with the Dr. on Jan 4th to discuss pathology report and treatment.  It really makes me wonder that after reading all the posts I know so very little of what's going on with me.  I HAVE asked the questions but haven't been given any answers yet.  At least friends and family have been incredible through all this and I am so humbled by the kindness around me.  Also, thankful for a wonderful Husband and my little guy.

Hi Ladies,

 I've read your posts and share your concerns....I had a DBX on Nov 7th and am scheduled for my 1st chemo (4x AC) on Dec 30th and then Taxol...my first oncologist said 4 Taxols every 2 weeks and my local oncologist said 12 doses (1 per week).  When I asked about the 4 every 2 weeks she said most people do better on the weekly.  I read the National Cancer Institutes Report and it compared every 3 weeks vs every week.  I may push for the every 2 weeks.....I am very concerned about my ability to work throughout all of this.  I need the work to keep me sane.  I took 3 weeks off after my surgery/reconstruction and it was very difficult to not work for that long.

Like some of you I had a small 2cm tumor and 2.7mm in my right sentinel node.  I don't have to have radiation and I had a low Oncotype score.  I am told if it had been 2.0mm the treatment plan would be sooooo different...I work with computers so I understand the models that these doctors are using and I understand that the models are geared for worst case scenarios (ie. 3 lymph nodes vs 1 lymph node).

 I too was freaked out when I went to look for wigs.  I will pick mine up next week.  I have an appointment with my hairdresser.  Initially I wanted her to cut my hair short but I may ask her to do the whole thing.  Like some of you I have rather long hair and this would be a real mess to cut.  

My Mom had a very aggressive form of bc in the early 1970s and I remember her going thru a radical mastectomy, lymphedema, etc and eventually passing away.  I know that medicine has made significant progress since then but its a picture that you just can't get out of your head..

Just a note about the port - I'll admit mine was a pain for the first week, and every once in a while I do bump it and it gets a little angry. However, I've heard from a number of women whose veins were all but destroyed during chemo, and if you have lymphedema concerns on one arm, you might want to conserve the other one. It depends on what you're getting - Adriamycin is particularly harsh on veins and skin if it leaks out. Definitely talk over the pros and cons with your onc. Overall, I thought it was great to have it - my first treatment, they just plug a line in, and I'm set for the day.

Thanks for the links. My hair has started to come out strand by strand, so I'll be donning the headgear by the end of the weekend. 

Momof3boys  I am so happy for you that your first session went well! I hadn't thought about anything to help with the Anxiety I'll keep the Ativan in mind...I may need that with this Xtra week I have to wait now.  My 1st session has been rescheduled to Jan 5.

Rachelvk   Thank you for the Dec. Forum advice, it really helped me, I read my earlier posts and I guess it is pretty obvious I'm scouring for knowledge to avoid the terror I really feel.

Ely  Thanx for the scarf and hat advise...I now have one coming, too!  Also Ebay has a huge selection to choose from ..I typed in Chemo hats and found 76 different ones to start, some are only 10-12 dollars with free shipping and they look so cute.  Gonna concentrate on my new hat fetish, to keep me busy.

I am wearing thin and need to find that inner strength I had for the surgery...maybe it's in the laundry.

Momof3boys: glad to hear your infusion went OK and hope you are still travelling well today.



Today is already New Years Eve here in Australia and so many people on Facebook are starting to put up the "looking forward to a wonderful 2012" messages. I think I'm going to have to not sign into FB for a couple of days because I just can't imagine that 2012 is going to be wonderful :-(



regards Jenn

CharB22, I know exactly what you mean about the mental thing, and trying to adjust to all of this out of my control stuff. Same reason I used the cold caps.

Looks like we are all having the same thoughts about the new year. So glad to know its not just me...



Luckily we are not going to a big party or anything. Just out to dinner with a couple who I would call our best friends then I'm planning to go to bed. No way I'm ringing this year in!



I'm hoping that this group are all here to happily ring in 2013 :-) Same time next year ladies?



regards Jenn

Hi everyone,

 Just home from my first chemo infusion, well actually it was done yesterday but stayed in hospital just in case.

Alll  went well, turned up on time 10am, brother and sister in law came with me. They stay for an hour and enjoyed the proceedings.

Greeted by my onco nurse Christne who stayed with me all the time, then my Onc Michelle came in and talked about everything again and asked if we had any questions, I was pretty stressed by this time and was given 1 Ativan (Lorazepam) to suck under my tounge for nausea/ restlessness /sleep. It certainly took the edge of everything for me I was so glad to drift along and left the others to ask any questions. Then i was given an Emend tab(aprepitant) for anti nausea, and take one for next 2 days. Had to have that one one hour before chemo. So Christine just got everthing ready i needed, Then she set up the iv stuff that had to run through 3 bags of saline to make sure I had  lot of fluid in my body. By this stage I was feeling nice and whoosy. rellies went and got a sand and had a walk. 1 lot of chemo FEC was fed in through the chemo line so no drama there. Now 11am    Got to give the power port the  thumbs up. No problems, no pain. no digging around, straight in straight out ...fantastic

Stayed in the chemo room having lunch and doozing till 2.30pm than taken  to my room where I had been before with a nurse have had before.

again climed into bed doozed till mum came, had tea, hubby came, talkjed to hi . sleep 10.00 

Slept all night, no problems in the am, was given an injection into my stomach which I was told was to help rebuild red blood cells and would probably give me bone pain.Joy!

sent home whith lots of tabs for nausea. all I feel now is pretty tired and letargic, which i think is more to do with the lead up than any thing else.

Well that the first  step on this part of the jouney

will write agin with any changes Love Lynne  

Hello ladies,

I will be joining this group. My chemo starts January 9th as long a BS "releases" me at my appt Monday. Had BMX with TE's on December 21st. I am told that I am healing beautifially. Don't know about that but I am super anxious to get this chemo show on the road.

I used the link that was posted in a previous post about the headscarf site that is going out of business. I bought my first 2 scarves and a matching headband for my 4 year old. I also have an appt for a wig fitting this Wednesday. No idea what to expect but I will probably be checking this thread daily.

Glad to hear that the ladies who have already started that things are going well.

HUGS!!