March 2012 chemo

Katy-that's great news that there's no infection and you're starting to feel better. It's strange how we get all these unexplained pains. Enjoy your weekend!

Hi everyone -- I made a new thread with directions for making your own hair halo.

Here:  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/784615?page=1#post_2927922 

I am SO not a Martha Stewart and can hardly sew... but hey... it worked!

Katy- I'm so happy to hear that you're feeling better and that you still have your hair for the party. I know that was important to you! Hugs!



Shera-thanks for the link! I've been thinking about trying to do something with my own hair, since I can't find a wig remotely similar to my hair!



I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!

Katy - glad that you are better and hope the party goes well. My oldest turns 12 next week and I have yet to plan anything! But it's always hard with these March birthdays to plan around Spring Break.



Thanks for the responses regarding SE. Maybe having the A/C dense dose makes it worse too IDK??? The nurse said we could "dial it back a bit" if I didn't tolerate it well but I don't want to do that! There is no earthly way I could be working so I am fortunate that is not an issue. I think it is making things worse also that I am still on these antibiotics that I have to take on an empty stomach. That will be over on Monday so maybe next week will be better.



Have a good weekend everyone.

khintul....glad u wrote about the hair thing....i wonder if i will feel that same way u do...one never knows till it happens

i keep telling myself i am not going to let it get to me...but...who knows...thanks for your writing

Hi everyone!  Well, my hives are now barely kept at bay with 50 mg benadryl every 4 hours.  My oncologist is baffled.  She's hoping the dermatologist can figure it out Monday.  I no longer think it was the lotion but rather something systemic, maybe delayed reaction to chemo drugs or neulasta.  She said it's possible, but she's never seen it before this far out from tx (started 8 days after first tx).  I don't care about the rash (other than wanting to know what's causing it!), but I worry when my throat starts to get tight, as I am 20 minutes from the nearest medical care... Anyway, will carry on this weekend with benadryl every 4 hours and hopefully keep from going to the hospital.  Other than the rash, I feel good now on day 12!

Hope everyone else has mild SE's and enjoy a nice weekend!

Amy 

You said it, Karri!

Thanks for sharing your experience with the hair buzzing vs not issue - think I'm going to wait until it starts to fall out, then put in a hair emergency call to my stylist sis so she can take care of the buzz at that point & then run right over to my wig guy for the custom fitting.  

 I keep reading that lots of you use Claritin - for what exactly could you please explain?

It's tough trying to keep up here with so many new posts daily - but in a very good way!

How many times do you get your CBC checked between tx to monitor the white cell count? I was reading the info on Neupogen & it suggested they be done twice a week...

At my first onc appt. I was given a large, comprehensive binder packed with info on each drug I'd be taking & what their individual side effects might be, along with "when to call" regarding their seriousness; all vital contact info, tips, one section just on cancer itself, exercising do's & don'ts; sleep hygiene, diet & resources.  Lots of room for notes too - all set up in a very personalized format.  Anyone else have similar?  Chemo class will be the day before tx starts, so I'll have lots of questions just from issues brought forth in this forum - thanks to all!

CAYH Cindy 

Cindy,

The Claritin is to keep the pain from the Neulasta shot away. Don't know the mechanics of it, but it sure seems to work. Take one Claritin the day before the shot, then one/day for about a week, and it keeps the bone pain away.



I've used thie now for both the Neulasta shots, and have had no pain. You'll see some posts from some who didn't take the Claritin at first, and had pretty heavy duty bone pain, then when they found out about the Claritin they took it and it made all the difference.



I just bought the generic Loratidine at Sam's, and it works fine.



As to white cell monitoring, so far mine is checked before each tx, then one week later. So basically, once a week. Guess that could be changed if I have more problems with extremely low counts.



Karon

Love what are you on now for reflux/heartburn? I forgot to ask at my appt Monday what I should be using or ask for a rX. Need to write it down to ask Monday when I go for labs.



My mom has an arsenal of those type of meds and had given me some Pepcid but I can't tell if it is really working. Since I am not eating much I really feel it when I do eat something. Not the reflux I have had before but more of a just general discomfort and sometimes burning.

Hello all my fellow Marchers! I have been reading, reading, reading, trying to catch up on everyone's stuff that is going on. Sorry to hear most are having SE at all, let alone the more serious ones  And life goes on. I hate to lerk but every time I start to post something gets in the way (ie: tired, naussea, etc).

Here is my week...

Sunday: 1st doses of steroid Dexamethason. Not really anything noticable that day.

Monday: Next dose of Dex. 1st tx T/C. I didn't have my port yet but it was ok. I had a good "vein finding" person and it wasn't that bad. Everything went ok with the 1st tx and I actually drove home! No issues except when they ran the 2nd drug (Citoxan) they ran it slow and then "ramped it up" a little. I started to feel like someone had put 2 fireworks sparklers in my nose, kind of smell/tingle not quite burning sensation. I immed rang the little bell and had 2 nurses attending to me. They set the drip back and then set back again. That seemed to take care of it. I still felt tiny remnants of it but it was ok. They said that is one of the most common SE with Cytoxin and they just slow down the drip. Its over when the infusion is pretty much. When I got home I was a little tired, so I slept off and on. It was a good day. They were very attentive to everyone, they had drinks and snacks, wigs that others had donated and scarves/hats that you can borrow. Oh yes, taste buds were a little off, still flavor but rather dull.

Tues: 3rd dose of steroid. On a buzz this time, lots of facial flushing. The energy felt good though, but I did have the jitters all day. Got the Neulasta injection but didn't take any other drugs. Wanted to find out if I'd need them first. Apparently I had the option of getting it in the fatty/muscle of my arm or my stomach... I chose stomach. No issues with bone pain/body aches or nausea from chemo.

Wed: I am super elated! No symptoms from anything today. I actually felt like I could go back to work!

Thurs: Day 4 after 1st tx. Today I'm having lots of nausea. I also get my port put in this morning. Took a Compazine at 7:30AM. It worked not too bad. Still some nausea. Went to clean up for surgery and saw my rt underarm was broke out in bumps with little "heads" on them. About half a dozen. Also there was 1 on the side of my left breast-mound, and 1 very large one on my belly. Also, my left fore-arm looked rather red and blotchy, like flat hives. No one knew what it could be as I had not taken anything the day before, nor had the compazine had time to work at that time. It went away the next day. Still have the underarm bumps though they are healing.

Not too worried about my port placement, I talked to the ps first to see if there was enough room with my TE's to place it where it needed to go. Walked into the OR got my IV, layed on the table. I was put into what they call a "twilight" sleep, still awake and could talk but not enough to really feel any pain. Except I did feel the 2 incisions made for the port. Felt only like someone taking a piece of duct tape off my skin. Other than that it was a quick recovery from the anesthesia and home I went. Neck was sore for 2 days and I have 2 incisions... one for the power-port below the collarbone and 1 near the neck on the upper side of the collarbone. He used dermabond to close so no external stitches. Looks bad but I'm sure once the glue wears off it'll be fine.

Fri: Not a good day, nausea and tired. Had to miss my youngest daughters graduation cerimony from Medical Assisting collage last night so I was bummed about that. She got her diploma in Jan, and at the cerimony she got awards for accademic excellence and perfect attendance! They got a rose that they were to present to their special someone and since i wasn't there she gave it to her dad. I am so proud of her. She is keeping track and going with to my chemos. Neighbor next door (22 year bc survivor!) brought me chocolate and pecans. Of course the chocolate bar is gone hahaha.

I was starting to have an issues with constipation but "my" remedy is sour cream! The kind I get has "active cultures" in it so I usually dip pretzels or baby dill pickles in it and just eat it that way. I hate to take meds so I'd rather do it food wise. It's working quite well today. Probably sounds weird to most I'm sure but I also drink buttermilk lol

Sat: Nausea right away this morning, took a ativan, went to sleep till 1PM omg! Waited till 3pm to take a compazine. Drinking small sips of ginger aile helps.  And not just water for hydration ladies (and men), anything liquid or that melts at room temp my dietitian said. If you drink 10 glasses of water you might run the risk of diluting your electrolytes and we don't need that on top of everything else. So here's to us, we will all do fine, WE CAN AND WILL DO THIS! Hang in there and be a junkyard dog like me and kick some cancer ass!!!!

Amy -picked up the magic mouthwash last night. Mine is made from benadryl, nystatin and hydrocortisone. I think its beginning to work - my tongue feels a bit less sore. It was so uncomfortable last night, I had mac & cheese for dinner and wished I had prepared something softer! I hope you'll soon get an answer to why you have hives. My son breaks out periodically and the docs have never figured out what causes them. Hope thats not the case for you.

Karri - your post got me to thinking that we all should try to post something positive when we can. Kind of like "a good thing that happened today was..." or "I enjoyed today because..."  What does everyone think? Lord knows, we're going through tough times and any escape, even through the joys of someone else, would be welcome!

i just watched a great documentary on food and the body - it is free to watch till end of the month I think.

today is day 3 after my first tx ....tonite i am starting to get bloated in my tummy...feeling pretty burpy...think i will go lay down for the nite....maybe i ate too much....feeling yucky

Hi all!

1st tx - day 3, just little weak and tired. Home all day laid in bed, recliner, and lounge. Drank lots of water, no SE , my son got me protein shake from tropical smoothing today. Had steak and baked beans.



I had my first neupogen injection yesterday. I thought I was to get neulasta but didn't I still take clartins, right? Even with neugopen ? So far no pains or maybe it's only 1st day? I'm supposed to get 2nd neugopen on Monday, then tues, wed, thurs. Then on Friday it is blood work for WBC check.



For Past 2 days I didn't feel like talking to anyone so pretty much kept to myself. Hopefully tomorrow is better? What days after chemo tx the SE shows up?



Thanks again love you all ! Xoxox

Lady fighter, I take Neupogen, too. I am doing 5 shots of it...just one left. I have been taking claritin, not sure if it helps. I have intermittent achiness, but nothing incapacitating. Mostly I feel like I have the flu. Hoping to feel better next week and go back to work at least a few hours a day. Right now I am on day 5.