April 2012 Chemo Starters?

cottontail: I sure hope things calm down for you- all these extra stresses really are not helpful. Hang in there!

I am surprisingly feeling pretty good, Wed. was my chemo and I realize that having taken decadron until Fri. must have helped me feel perky. I took the kids out garage saling yesterday- for 6 hours. We had a blast. As tired as I was I only was able to sleep one hour later in the day. Slept good last night and now I'm just contending with a sore tough and throat.

I didn't require an extra neupogen shot on Fri. so I was relieved. Am still getting hot rashes now and again on my neck from it though.

Wishing you all a great day- take care of yourselves!

Wishing all the Moms a great Mother's Day.

 Cottontail;  Hope your scheduling works out. Glad to hear the tumor is shinking. Hope the scans and CT are okay.

 JRyan:  Hope you feel better with the treatment and that shot.  The restlessness is so hard sometimes

twostep62  Glad you are sleeping better after your treatment.

Monday brings #3 of4 for me. Just hope less SE's!

 Have a great day ladies.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone.  I was supposed to get round #2 on Thursday, but unfortunately, my platelet counts were too low.  Postponed until this Thursday. My kids are supposed to be coming to visit this weekend as I thought I would be one week out from #2.  On a positive note, I was able to walk the Race for the Cure (just one mile though) with my sister and her family.  It was weird, however, wearing the survivor t-shirt.  Very, very moving and emotional. 

Jryan, sleep is sooo elusive for me right now. I'm having so many hot flashes keeping me awake....I take two Benadryl to go to sleep. It helps a little.

JRyan:  My bone pain is bad too.  My MD said Advil works better than tylenol or hydrocordone. For sleep I rely on geneiric benedry.  I asked for a sleeping pill Restoril that someone takes on this thread.  Hope you sleep better.

twosteo61  I asked for the same sleeping pill an hour ago.  Small world!

Just finished round 3 of 4 of TC.  Glad to get it over with. neulasta is tomorrow so I have to deal with the bone pain I guess.

Hope everyone sleeps better and less SE's/

Thank you all for the pointers. I will be trying benedryl and aleve tonight!

It's amazing how much better your outlook is with a little bit of sleep!  I am feeling a bit better today, although the nausea is sometimes unbearable. Sitting at work this morning, kinda wishing I had stayed home in bed...  But I do feel ok enough to be here, so here I am.

I hope you all are feeling ok. The board has been a little quiet the past few days. Maybe that means everyone is feeling well and enjoying some spring sunshie

Just finished Round 3 of TC.  I am not used to the constipation.  I was on the "D" train for the first two rounds which was bad but this "C" train wore me out.  Had my neuclasta shot on Tuesday and took advil to ward off the pain. Take Claritin nightly too.  Just not used to these cramps.  Otherwise I have a little more energy with this round which is suprising but I will take it.

Rose_d- Hope you are handling those symptons better than me.

JRyan- It is awesome you can be at work.  If you feel good go.  I never think I could last a day.  Hang in there

Wishing everyone a better day!

For those suffering from chemo constipation, you might want to try this.  When my husband was going thru his chemo, someone gave us a tip to try a product from Konsyl called Senna Prompt.  You can order it from the Konsyl website. It's basically just a high grade psyllium.  You start with two capsules a day and can take more if needed.  I have been taking 3 per day plus a Senokot if needed and have been doing pretty well...also eating an apple a day, lots of water and prunes.  Hope this helps!

I am also fighting terrible hot flashes at night...I had them before I started chemo (was "perimenapausal") but these are worse than any I had before.  I flush bright red and feel like I might burst into flames from spontaneous combustion!  I find it helps if I put a cold pack behind my neck. My throat is sore too...not sure what is going on with that...seems like quite a few of us are having that symptom.  I don't have mouth sores...just the sore throat. Also get a strange red rash on my neck...but it comes and goes. When I get the rash, old fashioned Caladryl lotion seems to work best. My skin is also drying out...soon I'll look like a Louisiana alligator.  I have switched to Aquafor cream in the jar...it's thick like Crisco, but it's the only thing that seems to work on the really dry areas (my hands, arms and legs are the worst).

 This is a bizarre ride we are on, isn't it? Let's keep sharing ideas for what works to keep these nasty SEs at bay.

Pelicangirl:  Thanks for the tips.

Twosteps:  I am working remotely from home most of the days.  I take the day of chemo and the day after off (TX2 tomorrow).  I also have to take antibiotics for 10 days starting the day after and start the Neulasta shot the day after for the first time on Friday.

I have been taking zolpidem (generic ambien) every night.  I decided my sleep was more important than not sleeping and not taking the drugs.  The ativan makes me feel drugged the next day.   I can lie awak ALL day long, feeling exhausted and just can't sleep, not even a cat nap.  If I don't take anything at night, I fall asleep quickly, but am up 2-3 hours in the middle of the night.

For those of you taking claritan, are you taking the 24 hour one--once or twice a day? Do you take it with a sleeping pill or the ativan?  Any reactions?

Definitely not looking forward to tomorrow, but want to get it over and done with.   

Had my first follow-up visit with my MO today.  She had the results from my CT and bone scans, and said they were both totally normal, so that was a relief.  Otherwise, she just wanted me to tell her a brief rundown of the SEs I'd had.  My MO does not do bloodwork inbetween treatments.  The nurse did scold me for losing "too much" weight already.  They said they didn't want me to lose (or gain) more than five pounds through the entire course of chemo, but I'm already down six pounds.  Well, how am I supposed to eat when nothing tastes good?  I was trying to lose weight before all of this anyway, I'm sure I'm fine. 

Tomorrow morning I get my port- very early in the morning- and then go directly for TAC #2.  My husband is going with me this time.  I'm really dreading this one, as I've been feeling so good (as in, completely normal) these past few days.  

Got all the yard work done (including shovelling a big pile of gravel out of my yard) and the garage cleaned out this week.  It felt good to be doing physical work, and now it feels good to have all of it done. 

I'm working full-time through this.  I was able to get my treatments scheduled for Thursdays, then I go in for the Neulasta shot on Friday.  I take off those two days, and then I have the weekend.  I'm getting the chemo every three weeks, so plenty of time inbetween.

I can't afford to take any more time off than that, and honestly I don't think I would like taking more time off.  I would not like being home all day for too many days in a row, I would run out of things to do! 

Twostep-probiotics help to regulate the enzymes in yur stomach & intestines. I think the chemo really messes up everthing up & some people can bounce back, but I have not very well. Jamielee Curtis does those commericals for the probiotic yogart. I started taking the liquid yesterday & my stomch feels better & I can eat. It also helps w mouth sores which I got all 3 treatment. U can also google it & u would get a better definition. Hope that helps.

Rose  Thanks for the update.  I may follow suit.  I wake up after about 3 hours with the ambien.  I will have my ativan on hand. I have a .5 mg rx.  I can take 1 or 2.  what do you take?

Hi gang, I shaved my head Monday and am 2 treatments in. It sounds like we are all going through lots of similar stuff. Besides treatment, my main focus right now is a plan to get back to work to protect my job so I can have health insurance and eat and have a car and gas to get to treatment. To keep my job I have to go back in June and work 28-32 hours a week, but my boss really wants 32. Prior to my diagnosis I was doing 40. I'd love to hear from anyone who has to work or needs to get back to work and how you are doing. I haven't paid my mortgage late in 5 years. I got the first bill collector call today. I haven't worked in 8 weeks. I'm sincerely wishing everyone as easy of a road as possible. - Maria

Maria,

I am fortunate that I have a manager who is very understanding and says I can work when I can.  I work from home, but I have a sales position, with quotas and if the quotas aren't made--you are gone.  However, I do have FMLA that I can evoke, but am trying not to use it.  I actually came home yesterday froma very ROUGH day of TX2 and worked for about 2 hours.  Sitting on my couch working from my laptop.  

Maria: Funny that you say all those things about the bills.  I sell a ton of cash cancer policies (part of my job) and I tell people, just because you have health insurance doesn't mean your bills are going to get paid.  I give them examples such as yours and it makes sense to them.  I have sold 4 this past week.  Unfortunately, the only question we ask is "have you ever been dianosed with cancer".  If not, you are eligible.  I got a cash payout right away because I am a firm believer in the.  I sell a lot of them to families who have been affected by this disease because they are the ones who understand the financial toll.  I will keep you in my prayers and hopefully, your employer will be able to show some compassion so you can keep your job/insurance.