April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

Wellington is right on the river.  If you know I-70, we are directly North of Odessa.  Between Columbia and KC.

Oh, got it! My dad's family is all from north of Kansas City, and I remember the Odessa exit from I-70 very well. Louisiana is north of St. Louis right on the Mississippi, about an hour from Hannibal.

Sandik - Twin.... is it time for me to get that close short cut since you buzzed yours ????  I look in the mirror and one can't tell that I'm losing hair.  Poor little hair follicles.... they tried to do their job but alas the chemo got them..... oh well.  Leg hair is going too as well as down south!!! No more shaving for me anywhere.....  Going to make a hair halo.  Went to the beauty supply shop today and got this hair wrap that one wears over a ponytail that I'm going to take apart and use for the hair halo.I know I could order a hair halo but I'd rather have something crafty to do.  There is a thread that I saw about how to make a hair halo.   Just for fun today, I had my picture taken with the Oscar Meyer wiener mobile.  I saw it in a shopping mall parking lot and decided to check it out.  I even got a wiener whistle..... This is what happens right before a chemo treatment.... you get out of the house and do something crazy and fun since you know you won't be able to to right after chemo.  

I am so there with you girls about the hair! 

Ladybug after about two weeks of it coming out in my hand or really bad in the shower I decided to crew cut it!  It seemed to be more emotional for me to be loosing the longer hair than when I have seen practically teh same amount come out after it was cut.  I am still emotional!  I had the exact same thoughts about maybe it would not come all out but I really think we are probably delusional!  LOL  I still do not think I am to the point where I could buzz it but who knows if I might change my mind.  The shorter hair does make it easier to wear the wig! 

Fierro6 I also had and am having a hard time about my hair. Whenever I go out with my wig I feel like people are starring and pointing "She has a wig" even though husband says you cannot tell.  I think because that is the part that people see us and judge us on first, not necessarily our boobs, etc.  I am glad I found this place for support! 

Sandik you go girl! I am not that brave yet....maybe soon!! 

Hello all,

Well it is PostChemo day 3, still not too bad thus far, am seeming to get a little more queasy, and more tired, but nothing to severe. Haven't really lost my appeitite, but I did make dinner yesterday, and wanted to puke while I was making it from the smell and the look of it, so needless to say, I didn't eat the same dinner as the rest of the family. I stuck with a sandwhich.  I went for my shot of Neulasta yesterday, evening time I think I started feeling the effects of it, my body just kind of hurt to the touch, I felt like I had the flu, was sickly feeling, tired and achy, so I just went to bed early, and laid there and watched TV. I am curious as to when to expect my hair to start falling out?, I already chopped it short, and donated it to locks of love, and I hate the way it looks.  What is some good foods to eat for constipation, that is one of the SE that I am also experiencing.  Thanks again for all help you wonderful bloggers are helping me with.

Fierro6 - I start chemo on 5/21 so we will be together.  

 I had my hair cut really short yesterday.  I don't like it, but whatever.  I think I look like Dennis the Menace.  Maybe I will dye it. I am all gray and have been for years.  I will lose it in a month anyway.

wildflower2828- I've managed to keep the constipation away by eating/drinking certain foods.  I eat those Sunsweet Ones dried prunes ( really sweet/moist) or drink prune juice/apple juice.  I also eat every morning a bowl of rolled oats oatmeal with wheat bran cereal (look like twigs) sprinkled on top and banana and blue berries mixed in.  I eat plenty of fresh fruit, salad and veggies and drink lots of water.  As for the Neulasta shot pain, there are others on this thread who have had the shots and take 24 hour Claritin to help with the pain.

Isharvey822- After my 1st infusion, I burped like a drunken sailor and burped a lot.  I didn't have heartburn just a lot of burping.  You can call your onco to ask if you can take an OTC med like Pepcid, Zantac, Prolisec to help with the indigestion.

Ladies- If you have any questions about your side effects right after your chemo, call your onco asap no matter what time of day/night it is, especially if your side effects seem to be worsening.  No harm in asking what to do and if you are okay since no one really knows what your own side effects will be until after you have the chemo.  You can't get help unless you tell your docs what's happening.  You don't have to tough it out since help is only a phone call away.

lsharvey - my onc had me take 2 magnesium oxides for severe stomach cramps I had with gas pains (took my breathe way, had to stretch out and stop whatever I was doing!).  It took the cramps away within about 30 minutes.  Another TCH'r told me that her onc prescribed Bentyl and that it works fantastically for this issue.  So ask your onc about either option.  I feel your pain, literally!  It was the most painful symptom I have had yet, even though it didn't last very long.  

Good morning,

I had my first chemo treatment last thursday for Her 2 Positive Receptors Breast Cancer. I am going for my follow up at the Oncologist today to have my blood checked. I am having Adrianmycin and Cytoxan 4 times for 12 weeks. One down 3 to go. I am hoping that I don't have any problems with this. It is very scarey for me, as you all can identify. 

Melrosemelrose - Thanks for such a well thought out post to help me through my first treatment.  It went well. no issues.  

I took in my list of naturopathic things that i wanted to take to ward off any problems and my onc did not okay any of them.  So that worries me a bit that i cannot try to prevent anything prophylactically.  He said there are some studies that are starting to show there could be some decrease in efficacy of the chemo drugs, and studies are not conclusive but he is not wanting to take that chance.  He went  in to a bit more depth but i can't remember now unfortunately.  so no Glutamine, Flex oil, melatonin or Probiotic.  Now i understand the Probiotic logic since it is a live bacteria, just as my white counts will be diving, so i get that.  But a little disappointed. i think i will ask again about the Glutamine cause that is one i think most people have had some great success with.

I slept well till 5am... woke up with a bit of a tingly tongue so i am phoning now for something for that.  I am drinking a ton of water.  Feeling a very slight hint of gut uneasiness, so i think i will pop a ondansetron to get on top of that.

Also a weird sort of uneasiness feeling in my legs.  During menopause i get "restless' legs alot and it feels like that.  

My first shot of neutropen (sp?) is today, and i forgot to ask about the Clariten, i will ask about that also when i call this morning.  I think that shot is given subcutaneous and i've heard it is better if not cold and if given slowly.  It sounds like i only get it today and then they check counts on next Friday ,  how was getting that shot?  

mb1024 - Looks like we are on day 1 together, although we are on different protocals.  Sorry you had that drug scare, i am glad it was handled quickly and successfully.  Best of luck over the next couple of days, i will be thinking of you! 

Thanks everyone for all your stories, they are wonderful during this initial phase, and i imagine will be a lifeline.  

Hope 

Linda 

wonderwoman123- Glad you did fine during your 1st chemo! 

Everyone---- Have great weekend and minimal SE's!!!! 

Isharvey822- sorry those oncos weren't very helpful.  Drinking very cold gingerl ale might help--- it helped me burp a little more.  Burping and a lot of burping was one of my side effects after my first infusion.  Hope you feel better....  

Pauletta - we all get down about this sometimes.  And frustrated!  Cry when you need to.  We'll all be here to help you along the way.  Sounds like I'm just a couple days behind you but I'm on TC x 6.  Did you know to take the Claritin before, during and after the shot?

Thank you so much for the advise. It is called Neuprogen shot. I couldn't remember til I saw the name you wrote.

 I will be mixing the baking soda, salt and water.  I didn't know about Claritin. All I have is Claritin D, will that work if need to take? 

I was told that I may feel aches in my bones and to take tylenol or ibruprofen. Is there other side effects that I may have from the shot?

I look forward to talking to ya'll everyday.

Tx#2 is all done!  I am soo glad that I got the port.  They did use the anesthetic spray but compared to the last two IVs I had, the stick wasn't really anything.  DS#1 said it looked like they plugged me into an electronic device.  I feel a little like a Borg, but whatever, it is all so much better than all the blown veins I had last time.  The whole process was so much quicker too (not just because I didn't have the teaching).  

Infusions went pretty much like the last treatment - nibbled, drank water the whole time, and all I noticed was the weird feeling in my sinuses, the bitter taste (to me it tastes more like bitter medicine than like metal), and getting really cold after the Cytoxan infusion.  That was kind of ironic, since I ended up with a hot flash right when I arrived.  Gosh, if only the periods were really over!  Normally I'd be due to start right now but after what happened after tx#1 with the 2-week period, I really have no idea what to expect.  

MO appointment was good, too.  He said my counts had rebounded well enough that no Neulasta/Neupogen was necessary this time, and confirmed that overall I'm doing well.  He seemed to think, and I can only hope he's right, that the SEs shouldn't really get much worse from treatment to treatment, except for the fatigue. 

Pauletta, one other thing - I wasn't keen at first after tx#1 about using the baking soda/salt rinses because I didn't really think they would work - but I can tell you, they do help - and they are cheap and easy to make.  I did get a couple of sores on the tip of my tongue after week 2, but I had gotten lazy about doing the rinses.  I did them again and the sores only lasted a couple of days, and never got so bad it was hard to eat.  No thrush, either.  I'd suggest doing the rinse two or three times a day.  If you get a little sore throat like I have after chemo, gargling with the rinse helped soothe that, too.   And, if you do get bad sores or thrush, the doc can call in some Rocky Mountain Mouthwash (aka Magic Mouthwash) that is supposed to fix that right up.