March 2012 chemo

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  • KCB
    KCB Member Posts: 365
    edited March 2012

    Shera! Love the haiku. Thanks.

    My day 2 of #1 has been not too bad. Very tired, but no nausea, though not too interested in eating. Had my neulasta shot and now wondering when the pain comes...

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  • KCB
    KCB Member Posts: 365
    edited March 2012

    Today's favorite food: bowl of shreddies and milk.

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    Katy - hoping no pain for you!  Did you take clariton or anything before the shot?

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  • Amymomto5
    Amymomto5 Member Posts: 73
    edited March 2012

    Karri, I had pain with my drain tubes after BMX and sentinel node biopsy.  The drain on the cancer, SNB side hurt mostly all the time, worse when I bumped it.  Although probably not as bad as yours is hurting. A 4 out of 10, worse when I bumped it. I think it was chickadee that said hers weren't strapped down. Mine were best under a special cami I wore that had pockets for the drains to sit in and the tubes could be loose. The surgical bra I was in was extremely tight. My chest is a 34/36, and the bra was a medium - I don't know who sizes these things!  Try letting them swing loose under a tee and pin the drain to your waist on pants or inside your shirt.   Hope it's better tomorrow, or call your surgeon.  Also, I hope they leave the drains in til there is less than 20cc's coming out or you could have more problems.  My excision for severe mastitis burst open at the incision site after the drain tube was removed (1 week after surgery) and he had to open it up and stuff it with gauze (changed out around the clock) and let it heal from the inside out. Course, I had milk ducts still trying to their thing, but it took 7 weeks to heal. Infection like that is nothing to mess around with.  Unfortunately for you this has to heal so you can start chemo.  I sure hope it heals quick.  Eats lots of protein, someone told me it helps with healing. 

    Katy - I had neulasta today too and wondering about pain. I took a claritin this morning and will for the next few days I guess.  Hey, what's one more pill...?

    Shera, I liked your haiku!

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  • KCB
    KCB Member Posts: 365
    edited March 2012

    Here they have recommended Tylenol for pain, but nothing before. Hhmm. Now I remember the claritin vs claritin 24 discussion thread... Would claritin help if taken after the shot? When does pain normally show up?

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  • brax
    brax Member Posts: 98
    edited March 2012

    Hi everyone.  I was wondering if anyone knows how long the nadir period is?  Today is my thirteenth day of my first TCH treatment.  Feeling good but getting pimples in odd places.  Two days ago I thought I had a hive on my eyelid but it was a pimple and yesterday one in my ear, and today one practically on my lip but not quite.  Definitely not hives, they have a head on them and hurt to the touch.  I'm thinking this might have more to do with the herceptin than the chemo?

     Galena and Sissy...Hoping you both have uneventful 2nd treatments.  Galena hope your appointment went well today.

     Karri, I also had pain from the drains and it helped me to put something really soft under the tubing where it enters.  I had a new pair of those fuzzy, silky, slipper socks that I used for that.  It worked great and made it feel much better.  

    Shera...thanks for sharing the haiku.  I checked out your blog, love your painting!

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  • darnette
    darnette Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2012

    hello all, fedfan thank you so much.. I went today for my first chemo treatment i was excited and nervous.. it wasn't bad at all it was kinda relaxful, everyone was really nice..after we left i continued drinking water so i can release. tomorrow I have to go back and take a shot now teh burse said this may make my body hurt. i am not going to let this BC my life,, when i feel i need to rest I will do that. but for teh most part i am good. i even ate dinner

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    Katy - I am not sure because I don't have my first shot till next Friday.  I just remember reading that you take it before the shot and several days after.  I'm sure others will chime in.

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  • Gabbi42
    Gabbi42 Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2012

    I had my first fill today, I have slight headache and a little bit sweaty but the could be from being over dressed on lovely sunny day. I am thinking about buying a concert ticket for the WOMAD festival thats in my home town this weekend.I will wait till tomorrow though as I still may have some side efffects.

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  • Lumpynme
    Lumpynme Member Posts: 747
    edited March 2012

    claritin:

    i take it the night before the shot and for 7 days...ist round i only took it 5 days and had the most excruitiating pain on day 7...that's just me.

    also-just the claritin NOT the D--you don't need the D -and it can damage your heart....btw i take the walmart brand-cheaper and doe sthe same thing.

    again-just me!

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  • jap62
    jap62 Member Posts: 1,385
    edited March 2012

    I take the walgreens brand and I too took it for a few days after shot and had the worst pain on days 7&8, I know just take everyday till I am through with the shots, I never want to feel that kind of pain again, it was the worst

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  • shera
    shera Member Posts: 184
    edited March 2012
    Lumpynme, this is confusing. I took the regular claritin (not D) as directed on the forums, and it did nothing for me. Took it just as you describe. It may be that it doesn't work for everyone. Since then, I searched this topic and read in several places that I was supposed to have used the D. So I figured that's what I did wrong. Now I don't know.

    I had intense pain.. was side-lined for the better part of 12 days.. from the pain mainly.

    My Onc is either going to cut neulasta shot dose in half for me, or give me an alternative drug where I give myself shots for 5 days. The quick stab of a needle will be a welcome relief from the bone pain I had.

    Those of you who find yourself in pain... try and stay ahead of the pain. Take pain meds before it gets really bad. =Advice from my doctor which I will follow next round! If you wait... I was told you're playing "catch up"... requires more paid meds and takes more time to bring the pain down. Percocet was extremely helpful for me.

    I truly hope everyone has none ... or minimal pain and SEs.

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  • khintul
    khintul Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2012

    I took the first Claritin (used Sam's generic) right away when I got home from the first chemo session, then continued for a full week. Had no pain at all. This was NOT the "D" kind.



    Karon

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  • brax
    brax Member Posts: 98
    edited March 2012

    Very confusing... I got regular Claritin and had no problems.  But got freaked out two days after the shot when I saw somewhere that said it had to be Claritin D.  When I researched the board I found just as many people insisting Claritin as Claritin D.  I went to Walgreens and asked the pharmacist what the difference was besides the price.  She said the difference is the D has psuedofed (sorry if I spelled that wrong).  I just decided not to get the D.  I had no problems but I also took an Aleve every morning with the Claritin and again twelve hours later - you can only take Aleve every twelve hours.  I started day before and think I did five days after. 

    Shera...check your "at home injectable copays".  I was offered the neulasta shot to be given at home.  I am thankful I found out that it falls into a different copay because it was a bill I would not have enjoyed receiving.  If I would have gotten the shot at home it would then fall under pharmacy copays and for me that would have cost 10% which apparently amounts to approximately $360 per shot.  Normally, my pharmacy benefits have set copays of about $20 or $40 dollars.

    Good luck to all having treatment today.

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  • Alicea
    Alicea Member Posts: 36
    edited March 2012

    Hi everyone



    Sissy and Galena - Did my 2nd treatment yesterday, and was nervous too, if its any comfort I am feeling ok today just like the previous day 2 after treatment 1..hopefully I am not speaking too soo, just that annoying headache which did not go away until day 7 the last time, my nurse told me its the Cytoxan.



    Lisa spoke to my onc on the sweats she basically said its my hormone and chemo together causing it and there is nothing to do about...If only it was not interrupting my limited ability to sleep as it is.



    Best wishes to all the ladies getting treatment today. Hoping everyone is having an uneventful day today ((((( HUGS))))

    Brax I too wanted too wanted to do the injection at home and found out I would have to pay $600, I quickly changed my mind:)

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    OH wow - thanks for the info on the home injections, I was thinking this was the way to go so I wouldn't have to take off work and go back down.  All they said was they would check with my insurance.  Guess I will have to ask HOW much my portion is! 

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  • melly1462
    melly1462 Member Posts: 84
    edited March 2012

    Hi all....I'm in the Feb 2012 group but wanted to chime in.  Had treatment #2 TCH yesterday, Neulasta this afternoon.  Treatment #1 I took the CVS brand of Claritan and I may have not dosed correctly because it did NOTHING for me.  The crash started Friday evening with the full burn Sat.  I could barely move the bone/joint pain was so bad....followed by extreme nausea Mon/Tues/Wed.  I had to have fluids before my weekly Herceptin infusion due to dehydration. 

    This time doing it differently after reading some posts.  I'm doing Claritan brand D.  Took one yesterday after chemo, will take another before shot today, and continue through the weekend.  I think I'll add Tylenol to the regimen after reading some these posts this a.m.  

    Oh...after more research, those of you getting Taxotere, bone/joint pain is an SE.  So some of the pain could be coming from that as well.  

    I said this in the Feb. group and I'll say it here after visiting.  It makes me sad/mad this is also a large group.  I hate we have to be here but I'm glad this place is here.  It's safe, comforting, and so full of wisdom.  Best wishes to you all and hoping for minimal SE's.  

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  • zillamom2
    zillamom2 Member Posts: 28
    edited March 2012

    Hi. I am starting my 1st chemo this morning. I am happy to be getting on with it but nervous at the same time. Just wanted to wish good luck to the few others starting today. Also I hope that everyone who had chemo this week is having minimal side effects.

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  • FightingforA
    FightingforA Member Posts: 62
    edited March 2012

    zillamom2, good luck today. I hope all goes smoothly for you.

    I've been seeing a lot of things posted about the neulasta shot. Is there a specific treatment regimen it's used for? It's not a part of my plan so far. I'm on Andriamycin/Cytoxan right now. I just get nervous that I'm not getting everything I need. Can any of you give me a little more info on it? Thanks!

    I hope everyone is doing well! Today is day 3 for me. Still having some nausea and am feeling tired and a little "woozy", but otherwise, hanging in there. 

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  • khintul
    khintul Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2012

    Can anyone give me any enlightenment about the use of probiotics? I've seen a few random postings talking about how great they are, but nothing more than that. Constipation is really giving me a struggle, and if I could find a magic bullet that would be great.

     I'm taking stool softeners 3 x/day, and I've used the laxative tea, but it's still a struggle. Now with the doc telling me to eat nothing raw because of low white cells, I have even less ability to add fiber. Besides which, things don't have much appeal for me.

    I found several different brands of probiotics on Amazon, was looking in particular at  Accuflora- Probiotic Acidophilus Dietary Supplement. Can anyone tell me if this is the type thing that might help?

    Karon

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  • KCB
    KCB Member Posts: 365
    edited March 2012

    None of my docs here in Canada have mentioned claritin, so I will ask about it and keep it at e ready, or better yet take some ASAP if they say good idea. So far I feel no pain from my shot yesterday at 12 noon. Not excited about this wait for pain.

    Today I woke up feeling better, HUNGRY, bit less dizzy, but flushed in the face. Weird. So of course I take my temp, with brand new thermometer, and as it has been doing, it gave me a different reading from old thermometer and from hospital one yesterday. Sent hubby back tk the store to get guaranteed best one so I can stop freaking about temp. Still flushed and warm in the face but otherwise, better. Love feeling hungry.

    Today's fave food is porridge with brown sugar. And my first cup of coffee since chemo. Heaven. Took the edge off the headache.

    Hugs to all you lovely ladies today.

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  • Amymomto5
    Amymomto5 Member Posts: 73
    edited March 2012

    Zillamom2, you will do fine! They watched me close with Taxotere for the first 20 minutes, dripping it slowly that first time, and I was fine.  Toward the last few minutes of Cytoxan I felt my sinuses sting/burn a little. But otherwise no problems.  The premeds made me sleepy. Going home, I was buzzing from the steroids and talking to poor dh a mile a minute!

    nsmolen, on the neulasta shot, I asked to not have it as I heard so many SE's with it.  My onc said if I didn't have it I'd be more at risk for a neutropenic fever (fever when wbc is low) and end up in the hospital for a minimum of 4 days - in isolation! I don't know if she was being overdramatic, but I did read of a lady on another thread ending up in the hospital in isolation. And I have 5 kids, though not in public shool, still tend to pick up viruses...

    On the issue of bowels, anyone else have slight constipation switch abruptly the other way? (And of course, right after a dose of miralax!) It might just be the bean burritos I had for dinner...

    Also, when does bone pain kick in after neulasta, if it's going to. A day or two? Hopefully not at all!!

    Good luck to everyone, especially those on 2nd tx! I met a lady at chemo that said her 2nd was a little worse, but she was doing A/C I think.   

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  • melly1462
    melly1462 Member Posts: 84
    edited March 2012

    @khintul: My onc also recommended probiotics after a bout of constipation followed by 4 days of the other.  She said it helps balance your digestive system so you don't swing from one extreme to the next.  They're pretty expensive so I'm going to try to manage with diet right now.  If not, I'll add another box to my arsenal.

    @nsmolen: I thought Neulasta was standard protocol.  I know some refuse it, I seriously considered refusing after what I went through with the first one.  I would ask my onc why you're not getting it.  Here's some info I found....there's lots out there in cyberspace.  I couldn't copy/paste for some reason.

    www.caring.com/questions/bone-pain-from-neulasta-after-chemo

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    I have been taking probiotics for a couple years now, and plan on continue taking them when I start my chemo next week unless they tell me otherwise!

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  • Alicea
    Alicea Member Posts: 36
    edited March 2012

    nsmolen-in talking to my chemo nurse during my treatment she told if your tx is every 3wks you would not necessarily need Neulasta shot, because your body would have enough time to reproduce the WBC, but with the Neulasta shot they are now able to give chemo every 2wks since it speeds up the reproduction of WBC, you should speak with your onc about this



    Karon- I too take 3 stool softener per day along with 1 Senna at nights, my nurse said the stool softener gives it the mush and the Senna gives it the push, it has been working very good for me, and I usually have difficulties going



    Wishing minimalmSEs to all!!!

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    I was told I still have to get Neulasta shot and I am scheduled for every 3 weeks.  Maybe they will change that for me!  Maybe it depends on which cocktail you are taking?

     Anyone take magnesium to keep things "moving'?  I currently take natural calm at night and don't have any issues with getting things going, I am wondering if I can still take that will chemo.  Guess another question for my MO.

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  • kltb04
    kltb04 Member Posts: 1,051
    edited March 2012

    I guess I will find out Monday (if I get to start) but no one has mentioned the Neulesta shot to me either?  Is it standard protocal or is it, like Kim said, dependent on the cocktail you get?  I am becoming increasingly paranoid about any kind of infection since this SNB site got infected and is putting me off starting chemo so I guess I hope they do offer it.  Without the SE.

     Thanks for the advice on the drains/pain yesterday- it is much better today - more of a ache/stinging that is manageable. My mom went to change the bandage but we cannot get off the original dressing because it is stuck around the drainage tube.  My BS is out of the office on Thursdays and I guess her staff doesn't answer the phone that day because I keep getting a message and no call back.  So we put the original dressing back in place.

    Murphy's Law Story of the Day...MO said I needed to go ahead and get a gallbladder u/s to rule out any problems since there was activity on my PET.  They scheduled me an appt today which I thought was at 10:30.  I did not receive any instructions, no call to confirm.  Got up this morning and was sick from taking my pain pill on an empty stomach so I called MO office to see if it was ok to eat before u/s.  In retrospect I should have called the imaging center but didn't have a number and couldn't find on online for the life of me.  The girl at the MO office said "it's just an u/s, you can eat".  So I ate a bowl of cereal and took a few sips of diet coke to ease my nausea.

    Fast Forward.  My appts are all about 45 minutes away but with traffic, parking, accidents on the interstate, I allow about an hour and a half.  I knew this would be an easy in/out appt, so I told my dad we would just leave at 9:15.  Plenty of time.  We get in the car and I look at my calendar.  The appointment is at 10.  My dad drives like a NASCAR driver anyway but we made it with 3 mintues to spare.  I don't have time to sit for a minute before I am called back in.  The tech says "well, I bet you are hungry."

    Dramatic pause.

    Yeah, so there is someone at the MO office who is getting a scolding phone call from this tech and I am back home waiting to leave for the SECOND time today to make another trip for the u/s late this afternoon.

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  • Amymomto5
    Amymomto5 Member Posts: 73
    edited March 2012

    Oh Karri, bummer! Bet you will be hungry when you go later!!

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  • KCB
    KCB Member Posts: 365
    edited March 2012

    Karri. It is no fair the drama you are enduring in order to even get to the drama of chemo. Sucks!

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  • onvacation
    onvacation Member Posts: 1,344
    edited March 2012

    Karri - that is CRAZY!  I'm so sorry you are having to go through all of this. 

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