April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

Krazycat

Yeah my treatments as of now are 4 AC Treatments every other week for 2 monthes, then 12 treatments of taxol once a week for 3 months. 

Krazy,

      My MO told me anything I can get down. I keep the crackers by the bed. I eat a couple before I get up, just like I did when I was preggo.

Infusion #2 today. House is stocked with fruit, soup, gingerale and mashed potatoes. haha Those potatoes seem to be my comfort food.

Wildflower, we are on the same dose. Im just 1 ahead of you.

Melrose, good thing you reminded wildflower about the clairitin. I almost forgot to take mine! Ohhhh I would have been crying!! haha My period did not appear. Just a little spot, then nothing. Ugh! It's been so messed up for years though, I would really like to see it be gone! haha

Glad to hear everyone seems to be faring well with their treatment. Hope mine goes well.  

OMG, Dance, thanks for correcting what I've said about Emend.  Chemobrain traded aloxi for emend.  Poo. 

My chemo starts 5/16 and I'm scared.  I really don't know what to do

That is SO cool sandik!!!!  

I would be sleeping right now, but hubby is watching TV and I swear he's going deaf! Grrr. Haha

Hi Stacie!  My name is from a dance exercise class I do called Dance Trance.  I LOVE it and can't wait to go back after chemo.  We learn different routines to today's pop music.  Dance styles are very eclectic - hip hop, jazz, freestyle, etc.  Every single song has a different routine, so it's a steep learning curve when you first go.  They teach a new routine every week, so it's very motivating to keep going - you want to be able to keep up with the group.  It's so much fun, great group of girls.  Lots of booty-shaking and laughing!

wildflower - you are just day 2 post chemo, right?  I hope you continue with minimal side effects, but please be prepared for possible SE once your steroids start to wear off tomorrow.  I don't want to jinx you though - you may be one of the lucky ones who has minimal SE's - here's to wishing that for you!   Oh and don't worry - the chemo will show you it's working via hair loss, white blood cell counts dropping, etc., even if you don't have any SE.  

IndigoMont11- So glad you got to go to work today!!! I bet it just felt wonderful to out and about and with friends.  Yes, we definitely do have those big boots on!!!!  I'm sure they want the labs first before the port placement because once they give you the light anesthesia when they put the port in,  may give affect the lab work.

Looks like I won't be having to shave my legs for a while.  I noticed what little hair I do have on my legs normally just isn't growing and comes out really easy.  I also noticed that my hair and I are slowly but surely parting and going our separate ways.  Not quite ready to buzz yet since I want to continue my personal science project to see how much more is going and when. 

wonderwoman123-  If you are looking at what to buy/ bring to the infusion, you can still find it!!!  Go to the top of this page and on the right hand side, click on "All Topics" and then go to the Chemotheraphy forum.  You'll find the first entry to that is from the Moderators (stickies).  You click on that and you will find 4 entries that tell you what to buy and an updated list.  I took a rolling backpack filled with the things I thought I would need:

• snacks (ritz crackers, peanut butter, apple sauce, cheese sticks, candy)
• thermal mug to hold ice that I ate during the infusions
• water bottle to drink during the infusions
• fleece pants to pull over my leggings to keep my legs warm, a hat to cover my head if I get cold
• toiletries ( tylenol, toothbrush/toothpaste, biotene mouth spray for dry mouth, chapstick, bathrrom wipes, etc)
• if you are icing the nails, I took a cooler to hold the ziploc bags of frozen peas.  The infusion center has ice that I could have used if I needed it. 
• blanket/jacket since the infusion room may be cold.  I didn't take a blanket because I knew I could get a warmed blanket at the infusion center.
• something to read, laptop if you want to chat with people.  I didn't take any of those things and watched tv during my infusions.

If you are icing during the Taxotere infusion, you need to ice 15 minutes before the infusion, during the infusion and 15 minutes after the infusion.  I also ate ice/drank water the entire time of the Taxotere infusion.  I walked around during the Cytoxan and continued to drink water/eat ice also.  You will have an IV pole so you can walk and still get to the bathroom.

Be prepared for the 1st infusion to last longer because you will be learning the infusion center's procedures and process for the infusion ( like getting weighed and having blood work done.)  Since it had been 6 weeks from the time of my port being inserted and my first chemo, the nurse had to put a medication to open up the line.  When the line is being flushed, you can taste whatever they are using (saline).  You can put a mint in your mouth if you don't want to taste it.  It didn't bother me so I teased the nurse about it being cherry flavor which it wasn't.  I also was given the option to have Activan with my infusion which I gladly took.  I had never had any Activan before but figured why not.  It just help take the edge off of my being nervous.  I don't know if you are having Herceptin.  if you are, the 1st infusion of Herceptin is run through for a 90 minute period so the nurses could watch for any reactions.  My DH was with me the whole time and left to get a sandwich somewhere in the hospital outpatient building.  I ate part of that when I had a chance to eat after the Taxotere and before the Cytoxan infusions.  You may want to bring a sandwich to eat at lunch.

Make sure you take your anti-nausea meds when you are supposed to and on time.  Don't skip just because you feel okay--- the ones given to you with your infusions will wear off and you don't want to be without those meds in your system for the first few days after your infusion.  Drink, drink, drink that water to flush that chemo through.  I drank 90 ounces of water/day for the first 5 days after my chemo I also  eat 5-6 small meals/ day to keep my tummy happy.  I ate bland food ( rice, baked chicken, cooked carrots, broth, mashed potatoes, crackers) and light meals until I started feeling better.  I did not experience any constipation because I eat dried prunes, grapes  or drink prune juice/apple juice and eat a bowl of oatmeal ( with banana, blue berries, wheat bran)  every morning.  If you start feeling bad/ can't get nausea under control, do not hesistate to call your onco-- doesn't matter when it is, what time of day/night it is.  There is always a doctor on call to help.  If you aren't sure how bad of your side effects are, call anyway.  It is always reassuring to know that you are okay.

I don't know if you have a port.  If you do, make sure you put EMLA cream on an hour before you go in for your infusion.  EMLA cream is lidocaine cream that is used to numb the port area.  If you did not get a prescription for EMLA cream, ask the nurses to spray the area with a numbing spray.  FYI- I got the generic EMLA cream b/c  of my insurance.  It did not come with any type of covering that you need to place over the EMLA cream to prevent from getting your clothing.  You can use Press & Seal plastic wrap to cover it ( a small 4x4 square will do the trick)

I don't know what else to tell you other than YOU WILL DO JUST FINE AND WILL BE OKAY!!!!  Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.  Good Luck!!! HUGS..... get some rest tonight!!!   

mb1024- Congrats on having the 1st chemo treatment!!!!  You probably cannot have raisins/dried prunes since they have not been through any cooking process.  You can always cook (stew) them and then eat them.