April 2012 Chemo Starters?

liefie, thank you for sharing your 'hair raising' story! Hahahaha... Seriously though, it had to be traumatic. My hair is becoming a little brittle, but still there. This is day 10 and I just had my labs done. I know I'll be losing my hair. Knowing that so many who have gone through this and been fine gives me the strength to go through this with style!



Diane

First chemo treatment went very well. very little side effects-  Just really blah feeling on days 3 and 4- couldn't do anything but sleep. I started chemo on April 18 and decided to journal my day.  I remembered that I had my mother's old journal that had some empty pages in it, so I picked it up on the way out.  Once I started chemo, I opened the journal and read the entry dated April 18, 1995.  My mother had written on the day that my dad died of liver cancer being diagnosed only 6 weeks earlier.  He never had the chance at chemo and here I was, starting chemo on the exact date 17 years later. This was indeed a special day for me and I know my dad is looking down on me from heaven and wrapping his arms around me each day.  another thing that made that day special was the fact that my nurse for the day was a former piano student of mine!! I am truly blessed to have hundreds of people praying for me! Don;t worry 'bout nothing' Pray about everything!!

I got my 2nd round of chemo today. After I got home I took a nice long 3 hour nap

I had to go to the ER Monday, they found a blood clot in my lung.... Did any of you expirence this? I have to give myself a shot everyday now for 6 month!!! I already look like a junkie...

Had my first TAC chemo today. Took five hours and I slept through the second half of it. The infusion nurse was really unhappy when I showed up without a port, but my MO had suggested I try without so I did. The nurse talked to someone to try to get me one before round 2. (She kept going on about the drugs causing massive damage if there was any leakage outside the vein, and I had to bite my tongue to not tell her to just get the IV right and that wouldn't be a problem....)



Right after, was groggy for awhile but otherwise ok. Went to the library, came home, ate a bit of food. Then I started feeling nauseous and lay down for a nap. Woke up queasy again (I can take Compazine and/or Ativan again soon) and with a massive sinus headache. I feel like someone has hit me in the face with a brick! I'm wondering if it's from the Benadryl wearing off- my sinuses are. Dry sensitive to changes in pressure and such. When the Benadryl drip started I felt instantly able to breathe, now I feel my stuffy self again.



I should shower and do a sinus rinse, maybe that will help.

twostep:  After the Chemo nurse decided I HAVE to have a port, then she spent a long time tut-tutting over when I'll be able to get it in, due to my immunity being down and whatnot.  Sigh.  If my MO had just said to get one in the beginning, I would have had it already.

I haven't used fake eyelashes recently, but I wonder if the glue might be too harsh on the skin?  I do have a pair of nice (not over-the-top) eyelashes I ordered from Urban Decay awhile back, so I might try them if/when my eyelashes go.  They came in a nice set with a mini eyeliner and mini mascara for fake lashes.   

I have had 2 treatments of AC (red devil) and cytoxin. The first treatment I bounced back well, but the second treatment I am still trying to find my way back. Really fatigued, slight head ache, and lower back ache. Hair has fallen out and the rest I pulled out. I have to have surgery on Monday to remove my spacer from the BMX because of exposure. Supposed to get my 3 treatment on Wed but I doubt if my oncology Dr will have me do it as I will have a new wound. Minimal SE from neulasta. I have experienced all the SE everyone has talked about from my chemo cocktail. So glad to read about everyone experiences, it helps me with the isolation of going thru this and just knowing I am not alone will carry me thru. Everyone keep going we will make it thru this in time.

I start to take claritin the day I get chemo for about 4 days. I had no Se with Neulasta.

My hair is starting to fall out....I knew it would happened but I was very upset, it did. 

 I hate chemotherapy!!!

Lockekopp:    I hate chemo but I love life so I know we have to put up with all of this to get back to where we want to be.   Don't get discouraged...you have a lot us going thru it with you and sharing our experiences.      I have a 4cm tumor and a 2cm lymph node I am battling.  I will have to undergo a mastecomy and follow that with radiation.....and hopefully I will make it thru.  We just have a give it our best fight......good luck to you.... 

To LockeKoppe and Sissidi: Keep taking your clariton! My oncologist told me today the bone pain can hit anytime even if you haven't had it from previous shots. Better to keep being Proactive and prepared. LockeKoppe I am so sorry about your hair. We know it is going to happen but that doesn't make it any easier. I am thinking of getting mine buzzed off next week before it falls out on its own to spare myself the trauma of actually seeing and feeling it fall out. My best friend who fought this beast two years ago (she is doing great now BTW) did it that way...she buzzed hers off right before her second AC treatment...said it made her feel in control of the hair situation. She did a close crew cut first..wore it for a few days to get used to it then went ahead and shaved it bald. Think that is what I will do too.

TwoStep62: so sorry you have also suffered from Neulasta. Hope the next shot is not as bad for you. I am glad you mentioned you are having chemo before your mastectomy...sometimes we forget that we all have different journeys with this thing...with some having surgery before chemo and some having chemo before surgery...some having radiation alone or radiation with chemo. The good news is because we are on different paths It offers another way to help each other. For instance when I had My BMX surgery with DIEP/TRAM recon before chemo I remember thinking, "Well after what I have gone through with surgery, chemo can't be that bad, right?" I laugh at myself now bc of course chemo is proving to be just as big of a challenge! And I remember when I was on the Surgery and Recon boards there were ladies there who had had their chemo first and they were echoing similar thoughts like "Well, after what I went thru during chemo, how bad can surgery be?" And of course they soon found out that surgery and all the accompanying joy with drains,etc. was no picnic either! So the truth is that NO PART of this journey is easy. It is long, arduous, and fraught with unexpected difficulties. Thank heavens for the comaraderie on these boards! We continue to educate and support each other and I believe that is key to our success.

BTW: I continue with clariton and 2 ibuprofen every 6 hrs and have kept bone pain at bay since last night. Not sure how long effects of last Fridays Neulasta shot will last...doctor says I will know when I can stop the meds when I don't feel pain begin to return close to that six hr mark. He guessed probably sometime next week. Right now I can begin to feel pain start to creep back a little (2-3 on pain scale) about 5 hrs after meds.

if all goes well with the chemo,  I should have my operation in August.   I really dread the radiation that follows that  because I've heard it can be extremely painful.    I also have many days when I still have trouble accepting I have cancer.  There is no cancer in my family...I will be the first. 

My best friend is a stylist and will be buzzing my head Monday or Tuesday.  It is just falling out too bad now.   I don't know if I will go with a full wig.....I've seen some cute caps that have bangs and a little hair in back ....I think I will go more casual.

I'm just trying to face whatever challenge I get each day and mark another day off my chemo calendar.

Okay, this is my update. Days 1 and 2...Great! Just tired and nervous. Day 2 Neulasta shot. Day 3, a truck hit me and it lasted for Days 4 and 5. Day 4 my daughter called and got some meds to help with the pain from the Neulasta shot. Day 6 was a day for fatigue and sleeping. Days 7, 8, & 9 I was able to work half days. I felt good in the morning, but exhausted in the afternoon. Day 10 was great in comparison. I started getting tired at about 3 p.m. Yesterday, Day 11 was great. I was my old self. No meds, no pain, no fatigue! Day 12, tooday, has been great! Next chemo is scheduled for May 8. I think I can do this!

 I hope everyone's SE are minimal... good joo joo and vibes coming your way.

 Diane

Thanks, Ladies, for all the insightful information.  I am doing really well on Day 10 of Round 1.  Have the hair shearing appt. scheduled for Friday the 4th. I am very nervous about it, and want to back out if no hair loss by then (it will have been day 16).  Pelicangirl:  please know you and your DH are in my continued prayers.  I have a Clariton question:  I am scheduled to have my first Neulsta shot the day after Rnd 2 (5/11). For those of you taking clariton--- Do you take the 24-hour clariton?  My MO has suggested tylenol for bone or joint pain, but nothing about clariton.  

DianeC I am one day behind you on the treatment. I finally felt great on day 10 and today the 11th I was able to get through the whole day.

PelicanGirl I hope you are feeling better I too had horrible reaction to the neulasta-mine was abdominal though. And intense sweating.

Yesterday I saw the nurse practitioner who prescribed me some kind of steroid to take the morning of my next neulasta one in the afternoon then two the next day.  For the neuropathy and slurred speech,I was told to take 3 b-complex vitamins per day that contain 50 mgs. of b-6. Couldn't find any with that high of concentration so I bought just b-6 to supplement it. I haven't had any nausia in several days. Hope I can sleep tonight without aching hands and feet.

I'm on day three after my first treatment.

First day, I had some nausea.  I didn't vomit, so I wouldn't call it heavy-duty.

Second day, I had my neulasta shot.  Was very very tired,  slept most of the day.

Today, I was finally hungry again, had vegetarian tacos from Chipotle.  Yum!  This evening, I'm getting the pain.  Mostly in my pelvis, a bit in my femurs, but mostly pelvic pain.  I've been taking the Claritin, so I'm hoping this means the pain is less than it could be.  But feeling very.... restless right now.

Took some Ativan, hoping it kicks in soon.

I had my regular hair cut appointment today, I went ahead and went to it. My hairdresser cried as much as I did!  I already keep my hair short, but instead of buzzing it I had her do a short pixie cut.   

Edit:  I haven't been in the mood to take my normal supplements, but hope to be back to them soon.  I normally take:  A sublingual B12, 2 vit D2, general multi, and a Lysine; sometimes a melatonin to help sleep.  My doc ok'd me to continue taking everything. 

Day 4.... I feel so restless.  I've been getting tired early, and sleeping pretty well, but when I wake up, I'm up, and it's much earlier than I'm used to.  And restless.  Very unusual for me.  Nothing is holding my attention, and it's very annoying.  Of course, since I'm not sleepy, going back to bed is out.

I'm shaky again this morning, hopefully I can eat well again and clear that up. 

On the plus side, my oily broken out face has cleared itself up, lol.  I'll need to make sure I'm moisturizing better now.