April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

Sade sorry you are having such a rough time. Keep drinking. Call your MO and see if they can give you some fluids.

Hello...I've been reading all of these posts here for a few day. I am just in awe of all of the strength in here. Everything is happening so quickly and I knew I had to finally post on here so I can benefit from this amazing support system.

I'm basically freaking out about this whole process. I haven't even started yet but whenever I think about everything it makes me sick to my stomach.

I'm getting my port May 1st, having my echocardiogram May 2nd, my first Chemo treatment of TCH on May 3rd and my hydration on May 4th.

I've read how most people on here cut there hair before it falls out and the ones who didn't wish they had. So I went out yesterday and cut most of it off. I will probably still have to shave it when the time comes but I think the getting used to shorter hair for a bit will make it easier when it all falls out. Just posted a pic of me with my new short hair on my profile.

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Thanks Indigo for catching the month typo... I went back in and changed it.

Great suggestion to check out the tips thread... I will try to find that one. I find myself up most of the night going through these threads... I think it makes me feel a bit better to see other people making it through this crazy time.

Hello FightingLikeAGirl...  sounds like we are on the same path!  I get my port on May 2, and first round of chemo on May 4.  I already had the echo, but have an MRI scheduled for May 1 and a biopsy prior to the port placement on May 2 (that is for a study I am in).  But what is the Hydration you have scheduled for May 4?  I am unsure what that is? 

I know this is a scary road to travel.  I am trying to keep positive, but it is SOOO hard.  Trying to work during all of this is really causing me a lot of stress. I don't know what to do about that, as it will be a long road for me, but I am going to try.   Still trying to figure it out. But bought a chaise lounge for the yard, in anticipation of spending a lot of time doing nothing!  So I am planning on both fronts (I am in Rhode Island and hopefully the weather will cooperate, as nothing relaxes me more than sitting outside in the Spring !)

 I went this past Saturday to shop for a wig... it wasn't as bad as I thought. I brought my sister and she actually made it kind of fun (as much as it can be! ). We tried on all kinds of stuff, even the ones I would NEVER consider, just to have a laugh!  I have not cut my hair yet, I am really attached to it as I have been trying to grow it long for about two years and it is finally the way I like it!  Oh well.  I just want to enjoy it for as long as possible. 

 HUGS to you for all going on this week!

Stacie-- Hope you are feeling better!!!!  Saw the juicing thread--- haven't started using my Vitamix yet but will break open the box soon!!!!

Hello everyone!!

I'll be catching the train to Chemoland around the time of May 10,

My cocktail will be adriamycin/cytoxan x 4 cycles and taxol x 4 cycles

Every two weeks, it's known as the dense dose.



I'll be having my hair cut this week, I need color should I color it? lol

This thread will be my new hangout, and I will be reading all of the tips here.

For those just joining us, welcome!! You may want to visit KEY CHEMOTHERAPY THREADS (Formerly Stickies) to find helpful getting ready for chemo lists, and other threads that the Moderators have made it easy to find info!!!!

Goal for today--- Minimal SE's and keep moving forward!!!

Morning all,

Stacie, sorry you ended up having those problems.  This whole thing seriously is day-to-day, isn't it - hard to know what to predict.  That tired feeling is sure something, too.  

Tweetyb, hope your first treatment went as smoothly as possible and that your SEs have been minimal.  I think, so far, that's been the case for me - of course, I do hear the oncology people when they say each one gets harder with this chemo cocktail - but what do you do?  You have to keep going - one day at a time.  I am finding the worst of feeling bad is over (I'm at day 11 now) and just dealing with that tiredness, and carrying my Purell everywhere with me if I go out.

Gabsbaba, welcome!  You are on the same treatment regiment as I am (except mine is every 3 weeks, and my second chemo drug is Taxotere but from the same family as Taxol) - it's strong medicine but like I said, we are worth it!  As for coloring your hair, I'd do *whatever* you want to do before you start treatment, because I've been told you shouldn't color your hair during (whether you are trying to save it or not). Mine hasn't started coming out in clumps yet; I can't tell if the shedding I am seeing is just because it's springtime or from the chemo (I tend to be someone who loses a lot of hair anyway - always pulling it out of the shower drain).  But anyway, I have wigs and head coverings ready to go, and my two boys are standing by to buzz it off for me when I give them the word.

I hope we can all laugh about it; I'd rather laugh than cry....

Hugs and purple energy to everyone!  Indigo

Sade, thinking about you today!  My two sons are getting ready for their finals too.  I can't imagine trying to concentrate on that while going through chemo - but I can tell you are one determined young lady.  Good luck and treat yourself to a long nap when you are done!

Because EVERYONE deserves to be able to have options, I am posting the following:

To BCO:

Disrepect is in the eye of the beholder. Your removing threads about alternatives because they are not pro chemo is really revealing about what you care about. It is not the women on the forum.

You, moderators, are censoring anything that does not align with your beliefs of a chemo only approach.  You are NOT doing those of us who are suffering from breast cancer any favors, and we WILL and have found alternatives despite your Gestapo tactics. Ban me, do whatever you want to. Your not allowing newbies to be able to read all options is what is scary. To limit these women is criminal. Hope you sleep good at night but then I guess you would with all your pharma connections.

You allow disrepect by allowing rudeness to prevail....you haven't banned Black Cat, orange or digger have you? How much do you pay them to monitor the boards?

YOUR tone is nasty, invasive, controlling and scary. Why don't we make BCO stand for Best Chemical Options????

Stacie - oh, so is that maybe what caused it???  I have just wanted food in general, but I did cave in to eating a tiramisu last week, and some doughnuts over the weekend.... I thought I was just being ridiculous, although I seriously have had my appetite go up after the first 3 days, rather than down!

Hi all. I just have a quick question for the group. I'm supposed to go in for my port tomorrow morning and the hospital called today for the pre-op intake. They asked about putting th IV in my arm vs foot. My doctor and I talked about no blood pressure in my arms b\c of LE but we didn't talk about IV's. I had 2 nodes taken on my cancer side and one on the non-cancer side. Has anyone else gotten an IV in their foot before?

ladybug1--I took the Zofran for 3 days after I had the infusion as per my onco's orders.  After that, I was given a prescription for Phenergan in the event I still felt nauseous. 

You may want to check with your doctor about your side effects.  I called mine Friday morning after my Tuesday treatment to answer some of my anti-nausea medication questions.  Don't hesitate to call and check. 

Petagae- I know that GreenMonkey from the March 2012 Masectomy thread has had blood taken through the foot.  You might private message her.  I had a left side UMX and when I had emergency surgery after the UMX, the ER tech put the IV in my left hand which of course she shouldn't have.  It was too late so I had the emergency surgery with the left arm IV.  Since then, I won't let anyone touch that left arm for anything!!!  My right arm is bruised from all of the pokes from testing/ lab work but that should stop now that my port is now being used for my chemo/lab  work.

Ladybug1 - I was prescribed enough Zofran (plus Emend) to get me through the first 3 days after treatment, plus they gave me Compazine "in case".  The other stuff I took on schedule, regardless of any symptoms or not.  I've noticed that some people are on the medication longer as a preventive, and some have had nausea that lasted longer than the first 3 days.  I'd ask your onc about how long you should take it as a preventive.  Nobody wants the nausea to even get started, I know.  The queasiness - I did have that a little bit on Monday (the day I was off the Zofran and Emend), but never did get nausea this time around, and eating helped with the queasiness. 

Petagae -I'd ask them what they can do about the IVs.  I think it's as much the tourniquets causing problems as it is the stick itself.  I hope they find an alternative for you, like your foot, so they don't have to use your arms or hands.  

I posted a week or so ago about how one of the oncology coordinators had told me to not let anyone else do BPs or blood draws on my affected arm - but that *they* in oncology could do it.  That left me with the impression they had some special knowledge of how to avoid LE while doing it, although she didn't exactly say that.  In retrospect I think she meant if all else failed they would have to use the affected side.  Well - that's why I'm getting *my* port - I don't have great veins and if the ones in my good arm aren't useable before my treatment is over, I did not want them poking at the other arm.  So far, so good, with LE symptoms and I'm trying to do everything I can do to keep it from happening.  

So, I do understand where you are coming from!