January 2012 chemo

Diane what are the odds? I am not the only one doing this on my bday.

Joyce Where are you getting your wig from? I am in Nyc also.

Cat - so sorry for what happened, and hope you feel better soon.

Had my port placed today.  Thank goodness - it took the longest time (and a shot of lidocaine) just to get my IV started, I can't imagine trying to go through this for treatment.  Had to have a pregnancy blood test prior, and they stabbed me twice trying to get blood.  This port will make things so much easier.

And, because local doesn't seem to work with me I had a general anesthesia.  Been sleeping all afternoon/evening.  Really sore and tender, but feeling good.  Know that'll go away in a couple of days.  Was hoping to get to the gym tomorrow but don't see that happening. 

Chemo school tomorrow, then first treatment set for the 19th.  I'm in a clinical trial (just made it in under the wire, as they closed the trial to new admits a day after I was enrolled) so I know I'll be doing dose-dense AC x 4, then either 12 x Taxol weekly, or 6 x Taxol every two weeks, depending on how I'm randomized.  

At least now, with port placement, I feel like I'm moving forward and making progress.  Thanks to everyone who has been sharing their experiences, too - it is so helpful in preparing for this journey.  Love and blessings to you all (and tea, yes, we all need to have tea together!!)  

BelaT: my MO told me before my first TC treatment that I would either have diarrhea or constipation, either one, but she couldn't predict either way, each woman is different. I had diarrhea. She said to take Immodium for it. And to stay hydrated. I drink a lot of water, can't stand Gatorade.

I had my first FEC yesterday. Today my whole system from mouth down felt raw so I took some advice I read on here somewhere and swirled a teaspoon of good olive oil around my mouth and swallowed it. I've felt much better and no crampy feeling since...



regards and good luck Jenn

What a terrible day/night!  Excruciating bone pain -- I couldn't sit down, couldn't lay flat, could only toss and turn uncomfortable from side to side from 3pm to 3am.  Tylenol did nothing to help -- anyone have suggestions?  I see onc at 10:30am for regularly scheduled blood work so I'm going to ask for a RX.

 Gayle 56 - My wig is on order from WIGWAM in Westbury (sent there by my insurance) which is near Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall.  I'm day 8 of cycle 1 so I hope it arrives soon.

Lumpynme - that ginger gum was nasty, although the taste got better the more I chewed it!

Catwhisperer - My BS warned me about the lung thing....I hope you're doing better today!!

I had my port put in on Thursday and as luck would have it, I got my period Wed night. And, can you believe it, the surgical center still made me take a pregnancy test...really? My DH was fixed 10 years and....really???

My surgeon was delayed so I had to wait another hour before he could put in port. I was not allowed food or drink since midnight prior and then I didn't even get into operating room until after 2pm. I was a mess...cramps, headache from lack of food & caffeine. Ugh.

First chemo treatment yesterday. That wasn't too bad. So far my only SE is dry mouth. I've been up for 2 hours and have already had a cup of coffee and 2 water bottles!

Getting my Neulasta shot this afternoon. Took my Claritan last night. I asked one of the nurses if I could take Advil instead of Tylenol since Tylenol does nothing for me, and she said yes. She said they tell people Tylenol because so many people can't take Ibuprofen that they just tell everyone Tylenol. I took Advil this morning, too, and my steriod (Dexamethasone).

It's 3.30am....



Nausea woke me at 1am. Not due an Emend or Kytril until 6.30am. Took a maxolon at 10pm. took a ginger tablet and drank some gingerale but no luck with those. Finally checked the max dosage/day for maxolon and worked out based on weight another one would be ok so took it about 10mins ago.



While in the bathroom have noticed my tongue has got a white coating so looks like a visit to the clinic in the morning for oral thrush is having to happen :-(



Reached behind myself without thinking yesterday afternoon and my new port felt wrenched (it hurt). Pain has gone but ithe tubing inside me doesn't feel as comfortable anymore. Guess I need to get that checked too :-(



So ends day 1 after my first FEC. I read everywhere that day 1 was supposed to be good :-(



Jennt28

JoyceNYC ~ I swear by the Claritin! The first few shots I took nothing and thought the bone pain was possibly the worst pain I had ever felt. Started taking Claritin several hours before the shot and for 3 days after and I never had the bone pain again. A pharmicist told me that it works because an allergic reaction is quite common with Neulasta type drugs and because Claritin is an antihistamine, the allergic reaction is far less. Also, it's important to take Claritin and NOT ClaritinD. For the routine aches and pains from Chemo, I used Aleve and it worked better than any other OTC med. Perhaps because it is an anti-iflammatory drug? Everyone reacts differently to all of these meds. What works for one of us may not work for someone else, but it's worth trying if it has a chance of relieving some of the chemo se's!

Nico

Nico, it's amazing what the Claritin did -- I could barely move before I took it.  What the pharmicist told you makes sense to me -- but why don't the onc know about it?  Thanks again for the info -- that's what this group is great for!

Gayle56: My first treatment lasted almost 4 hours between blood tests and the pre-meds and then the chemo.  I was glad for the company of a breast cancer survivor friend who has been there for me every step of the way.  Will you be able to bring someone with you to the chemo?

hi everyone, I would like to join the January 2012 chemo group. I had my first dose (T/C) on the 12th. So far so good, am feeling tired but otherwise okay. I had the neulasta shot yesterday and am hoping to not have all the pain I see appears to come with the territory.

I have a PICC line in (double lumen) as I just spent a week in hospital getting 3 strong antibiotics 2-3 times daily and I have pretty crappy veins to begin with. So far the lumens have blocked 3 times needing the "draino" to fix them and I was ready for them to take the thing out, but the thought of all those needle sticks again convinced me to keep going with it. When they changed the dressing yesterday they put some heparin in the tubes, we'll see if that helps keep them open longer.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi, must go to bed now as I have been saying that for the past 3 hrs and it is now 12.45am. So goodnight for now

NancyHB - It is great when we walk into those chemo sessions ready for (almost) everything. You're in a good place right now. It's okay to get overwhelmed, but I'm sure you'll fly right through your tx. Look at it as 3 or 4 hours of 'you' time - read, listen to music, watch TV, sleep, or bring a friend and chat. I hope your port starts feeling better. I still swear that the port placement was worse than my bmx, possibly because they simply don't prepare you for the pain and discomfort.

Gayle and Diane - I don't have an actual tx on my bday, but my bday is next week. Wondering where to have my parents take me out for dinner if I can't taste all that much...

CharB - I was a little more foggy/sluggish after my second tx as well, even before the Neulasta.

Welcome Jampus. Definitely try the Claritin if you haven't already. It seems to make a big difference with Neulasta. Wishing you minimal SEs this weekend. If you're on the 2-week plan, we'll probably have our next tx the same day (26th). I'm every three weeks.

JoyceNYC - Glad the Claritin did the trick. From what I've heard, the Neulasta hurts because it forces more production of white blood cells - which is made in bone marrow, so the bone ends swell. Claritin somehow must alleve some of that swelling. Hoping they come up with some definitive research soon so it becomes standard treatment, rather than through the BC grapevine.

JennT - Sorry about the nausea and the port discomfort. I've found the tubing occasionally annoying. And I have a stitch that seems to be sticking out, but they're leaving it for now.  

Slept late again.... I'm not sure if I'm taking advantage of chemo or not, but it's been nice to wake up at 8, look at the clock, and say 'I need my rest' and fall asleep again for another hour or two. My taste is still back and forth. I haven't tried the baking soda mix yet - I've been sticking with olive oil and biotine. I think what set my taste buds on a destruction course was last weekend when I got nervous about a slightly sore throat. My rather unusual remedy is to gargle vodka... I should have realized it would be a bad idea, but I was more concerned about strep at the time. So, I took a swig and started gargling - and the burning was horrible. I spit it out right away, but the damage might have been done. But... my throat felt better.

The only other SE I'm watching now was some tingling in my left palm Thursday night, Friday morning and once during the show last night (Pirates of Penazance). I called my onc nurse and she said just to monitor it for now and discuss it before my next tx in case they need to modify my dose. Neuropathy is the biggest thing I'm worried about (violin playing and fencing), which is why I was put on taxotere, not taxol.

Hoping everyone has a good weekend, with minimal SEs.

Kite ~I wish all our Side effects were the same, then we would all have the same handbook, and I could just read the answers to you. I fought the migraines only those first three days after my first Chemo session but your Chemo cocktail is different then mine.  Mine I attributed to the Steroids/Nausea medicine...on the fourth day I was done with that medicine, had no nausea and no more Migraine.I'm sorry your having such a hard time.

I tried that Olive oil yesterday...and my mouth actually feels better today..I'm not sure if this side effect was gonna get better or it was the Olive Oil...I used it again today just to be safe...still feels better...and I will continue to use it from here on out.  My tongue had gotten so bad Lettuce felt like razor blades!! 

Does anyone here have Psoriasis besides me? Chemo is supposed to stop the Psoriasis only while on Chemo, and then it is gonna come back when I'm done...after this first session I noticed this happening, actually started getting better and is 75% gone, after 12 years it is finally going away, was one of the few things I had to look forward too...but on day 8 after Chemo, it stopped getting better...wonder if I metabolized the Chemo already??  Just a weird observation.

PCBarbie

Funny you mentioned Psoriasis...my husbands grandmother suffered from it terribly! When she was in her late 70's a new doctor had her go to a tanning bed every week and that helped, ALSO, he prescribed some type of chemotherapy! I remember thinking at the time (I was in my mid twenties) what? She doesn't have cancer, how can that be? But, it helped her immensely. I have no idea what it was (the chemo).

Layla2525: once you get further along.... After the BMX and they check your nodes and do Oncotype testing, a medical oncologist will counsel you with options and recommendations. I actually met with my oncologist before surgery so she and the surgeon coordinated things (like pathology testing, Oncotype testing).