April 2012 Chemo Starters?

I start April 12 C/T X 4 then Radiation 6 weeks. I was just reading on the boards my finger nails and toe nails will turn black? I am looking forward to that along with the hair loss. I will check with nurses and see what they say when the time comes. I am getting ready my wig.

So happy to have found this site! I begin T&C April 9th, Easter Monday. Yes, I'm scared of the SE's.

I really dread losing my hair even tho it's short and not that great. Every day I remind myself to be grateful for the advances in medicine that will let me, at least, live!

Mimi8

I am so glad I found you! I start my chemo some time this month. I go to the MO tomorrow afternoon. My husband is having major surgery on Monday 4/9, so I asked if I could postpone my start until he is home and doing okay. He said he didn't think that would be a problem.

 I am taking Taxatere and Cytoxan as well as Neulasta. I don't really know if I actually lose my hair or have thinning. I take care of my five granddaughters as they live with me, so I told them I was going to be taking a very powerful medicine to make me better and it was going to knock my hair out. I just got my hair cut pretty short, and in two weeks I will get it cut shorter in preparation.

Buttons2, I know you will do well. We are similar. Prayers coming your way.

mt4ever, I will also keep you in my prayers. I, too, am anxious about the SE, but we will make it.

 Mimi8, amen sister. Prayers...

Florida55, I heard the same think about fingernails, but a friend of mine said she used something that kept her nails from having problems. I'll find out and post it. Prayers to you.

Diane

Started chemo 4/3 Adriamycin & Cytoxyn x4 then Taxol x4. Gave myself 1st Neulasta shot last night. Not feeling too great. Took a Claritin to try and ward off some SE, so I'll let you know how that goes. I'm TN so on dose dense regime. I'm upbeat but sleepless nights get me real rundown. Work full time too. Cut my hair short as a start to being bald. Looks like I started earlier than those on here, so I'll post when it starts falling out. Prayers & good thoughts to all of you!

Yes good luck to you. I see the MO next Friday. I think I am doing A/C X 4. Was so nervous when I saw him I don't remember. Will get it straight, plus the Neulast shot. I have been hearing horror stories about this shot. My port is scheduled for next Wednesday. I will ask the nurses about the fingernail thing. I want to get fake eye lashes or something. Have to find out. Chemo is my friend, hope you are feeling better. I have to work. I hope I will be able to make it. Hugs to everyone.

I will be starting chemo sometime this month once I get my bone scan, CT scan, echocardiogram, labs and one more pregnancy test.  Yes, I'm 56 1/2 yrs old and still having regular periods.  The echocardiogram is for a Herceptin clinical trial that I have volunteered for to determine if low HER2 (+1 and considered negative in the HER2 Herceptin world) benefit from Herceptin.  It is a randomized trial but will know if I'm getting the Herceptin at the first infusion.  As soon as I know the start date, I'll be post that date.  I will have 6 rounds, every 3 weeks of Taxotene and Cytoxan which means 4 months in chemoland.  I had my port placement at the time of my mid March UMX w/o recon. so I am good to go.  Thank goodness for this site/boards with all of the great info to help prepare for chemo.  I look forward to sharing with  & supporting everyone on this thread. 

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!!! Sending positive calming & healing prayers, thoughts and energy to all.

Had one surgery on Feb 24th, a lumpectomy and all lymph nodes removed, margins on the tumor were not good so had second surgery on the 19th of March removed right breast. The incision is till kind of sore and sooooooooooo tight, I am doing my exercises but it is still very tight and painful when I raise my hand over my head. Any suggestions as to how to loosen up the tightness?



Start chemo Monday, 1st of 12 Taxol treatments. I took Femara (letrozole) 16 weeks before my surgery to shrink the tumor, and will be taking it again once I finish chemo, in about 6 months..



Thanks for all the good information and encouragement. Happy Easter everyone.

Hi Buttons, thinking about you!  I'll be meeting the Red Warrior too, soon.

My wig shopping expedition is over and successful!  Thanks to all on the March chemo board for all the advice.  I found two wigs that I liked, and my son's girlfriend (she's such a sweetie) and I had fun with that whole process and with poking around the  shop. Sooo funny - they were getting ready for the local annual drag pageant tonight!  One of the entertainers was getting ready behind us while I was being waited on (behind a wall, I mean).  The people in that place are so fun and big hearted.  The lady who waited on me (she was born one) said she'd give me a lesson in how to apply false lashes - something I've never mastered and gave up on. 

Only thing is - geez, wearing wigs full time must be like learning to wear contacts or thongs.  It felt soo tight (of course I still have all my hair).  I can see why people say they are hot and sometimes itchy, even though the ones I picked were among the most comfortable (I got monofilament).  

My coworkers pitched in and gave me a huge care package - including a cute baseball cap.  I guess I'm just about ready for the "battle juice."  

I don't know if my insurance covers any of the cost or not - but the shop wrote up the invoice as a "cranial prosthesis for medical hair loss" and said it works best to show the total cost not itemized.  Something you can try as well, if you haven't looked into that already. 

I just wanted to update the happenings in the DianeC casa! I came down with the 24 hour flu that all 5 of my granddaughters had last week and my husband had Friday. I got it on Sunday morning and was miserable. I didn't get sick to my stomach, but felt terrible!



My husband had his surgery this morning and all went very well! Thank God!



I start chemo on Tuesday morning, April 17, and my daughter will go with me as she cleared her schedule so that I wouldn't have to worry about being alone.



My car gave up a week and a half ago, so while it's being repaired, we rented a vehicle. The girl at the rental car company was so moved by all the obstacles, she set us up with a high end car for subcompact prices. We also bought a car.



IndigoMont11, it is a lot to deal with, but we will make it! We have to have a sense of humor! Love the breastfeeding question!



Good vibes, prayers, and many hugs to my new sisters.



DiansC

My wife started AC today. She says she feels like she has a first class hangover right now.

Beth: thank you so much for the information on stretching to help elivate the tightness where my breast was removed.



Got home about an hour ago from my first Taxol treatment. Feel fine just tired, long day. Will let you all know how tomorrow turns out.

!DianeC, so glad your husband's surgery went well. Hope he is resting comfortably and gets well soon. I'm sorry you ended up with a bug, though, and car probs alwsys bite. Our two vehicles are paid in full, but we did end up spending a few thousand dollars between them on repairs in February. I'm trying hard to pay off debt and just don't want to get into another note at this point.



I was thinking what I was doing this time last year: my youngest son was getting ready for his senior prom. Being the mom of two boys but a girly girl myself, I enjoyed all their prom experiences. I helped his date the previous year choose her dress, and since I know a very talented florist, my gift has always been the flowers - including the bout so everything matched.



Well, prom was on a Friday and we were on our way Wednesday night to pick up his tux, and got into an accident! No one was hurt, but I banged up my car pretty good, and the plan had been for him to use it to drive his date to prom. The story did have a happy ending though; we were able to get his tux the next day, and a dear friend let him drive her nice Chevy Suburban. And my car did get fixed too.



It feels so long ago now! Just wishing for any of you out there have kids going off to prom that they are all safe and have a great time.

Buttons- i found the Red devil gives me red hot face and dry mouth too. I also started sneezing like crazy when they were giving it too me that was weird. Once they slowed down speed of injection  i was fine.