Starting chemo Thursday, May 31 - June Group?

Hi Pam, I actually take plaquenil for connective tissue disease, and hemorrhaged during both core biopsies.  A small percentage of people get that as a side effect.  While I don't believe it to be as serious as coumadin, it was heavy enough they wouldn't consider the mastectomy until I'd gone off for at least 10 days.  That seemed to do the trick for the surgical biopsy and mastectomy, but I'm interested to hear if it is any different with port placement.

Hi ladies - just popped in to answer Marcia's question about the tightening of TEs.  Yes, that is common and you may feel it less so as your tx goes on - if you are receiving fills during chemo - you may not feel it lessen because the TEs are boing filled - kind of a catch-22.  You can apply some coconut oil or cocoa butter and do some massage, imagine a clock face and push in opposite directions at noon, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.  This may help alleviate the tightness.  A warm (but not too hot) bath is also helpful. Hang in there!

Pam- I started the plaquenil right up the day after surgery and it was uneventful.  I have what they call "undifferentiated" connective tissue disease, with elements of lupus, sjogrens, and sceloderma.  My pre-op physical and blood work from the mastectomy is over 30 days old now and will need re-done, so I can't imagine getting a port in quicker than a week to 10 days anyway, so getting the question in on Tuesday should be good....it definitely is written on my notebook though!  Arixtra does not sound like any fun.

Special- Thanks for the pointers.  My last fill was on  Wednesday and my first chemo was on Thursday.  My PS won't do anymore fills until I'm done with chemo, so that is probably good, since they are really bothering me and keeping me up at night.  I'll try the nassage you suggested.  Thanks again.

Marcia

Hello everyone,

You all sound like your in good spirits.  Ellebee your story is so funny.  I'm not so clever, I tend to blurt it out when someone ask what I have plan for the summer. 

Tammie- My BS always asked if I had any questions and I never knew what to ask.   Just take each day as it is given and don't worry about tomorrow.  If you trust your doctors they will let you know what you are suppose to be doing.  The waiting is the hardest, but once you have a plan in place the anxiety goes away.  (well I hope it does). We are here for you!!

Marcia- Sorry about the pain that your having. I received my neulasta shot on Thursday and I haven't experienced any pain yet.  I'm kind of worried because the nurse sayed that I would and that would show that it is working.  I cant believe I'm wanting pain.

Huggs to all

Dear CMom  I know how you feel as with many people know how you feel.  I will start mine this Tues 6/12.  I am feeling scared, too but there are many many many people that have gone through the same thing that we will go through.  Just stay positive and invision the chemo eating away at any rogue cells that may be in you.  This should give you the strength to see the future.  I am glad that there is a way to be helped by chemo and  the many many people who did this before us can, then you will and I will.  Good luck to you and all.  I will let you know how mine went, and look on to yours and just know that this will give you a future.  Stay positive, meet it head on. Hugs, and Bless all!!

Thank you so much, Rita.  I will definitely be looking for your updates after your chemo.  I do try to focus on the positive, but some days it's easier to do that than others.  I guess today has been one of the down days.

Welcome to the new ladies. So sorry that you found yourself here.  I can't believe how big this thread is getting.  I apologize in advance if I forget what is sayed or if I don't keep things straight.  I agree with Pam, everyone here is so nice.

Today is my 6th day after my first treatment with the 3rd being the worst.  I still find that I have headaches on and off.  It may not have anything to do with the chemo maybe its just allergies.  We've had a lot of wind were I live the last couple of days.

Does anyone know if the chemo accumulates in our bodies or is each dose about the same?  If its the same this is very doable.

There are a few ladies that we havent heard from for a while. I pray that everything is going great.  That you have so much energy that you cant sit still.lol

Hi ladies - Some of the side effects are cumulative, but it is because of the "damage done" by each chemo.  The chemo drugs has left, but some effects remain.  My MO explained it like this, "you are shot with a bullet in the shoulder.  The bullet itself is the chemo, it has entered through the front of the shoulder, proceeded through, come out the back, and is now lodged in the wall.  So, the chemo has left your body.  Unfortunately it has left a small hole where it went in, some damage on the way through, and invariably a large hole where it exited."  Much of what happens in dealing with the aftermath of each chemo, and the cumulative effects, is like recovering from that damage caused by the bullet.  Even though you feel much better before the next round of chemo, particularly the first several, there is still some residual effect.  It is important to be aware of this, and listen to your body, so that you can mitigate the cumulative effects as you proceed.

Wow. Thank you for you post.  So specific.  Helps me figure out questions I need to ask when they finally get the lump out.

Thanks

Thanks SpecialK for your analogy.  So what is the best way to go about healing the wound before your shot again?

Since this is my 2nd time around this game..this is what happened to me the first time. I did TCH. Treatment one was the worst as far as intestinal....i couldnt keep anything in me and I spent my son's first christmas running to the bathroom all night..ugh...but really after that all pretty good. Body aches did tend to get worse. My platelets tanked towards the end...almost had to get transfusion but recovered on its own. It really was doable

However this time, AC has kicked my butt BUT I did not take my decadron as told. I hated the steroids my first time. Made me wired and puffy. Mistake....deca helps the emend and nausea meds be more effective....so I will try and do 1/2 the does. I was getting sick on Friday, I have had horrible body aches but I keep working and keep going. I have a 2 1/2 year old so dont really have a choice.

Got my blood work today...I have almost no white count..this did not happen to me the first time. I had nuelasta too. So hopefully they recover so I can have chemo this Monday.

Dont be afraid of making plans. Plans can be cancelled....really dont let this run your life...you run your life! Cancer can suck it! I have lots of plans, may go out of town a couple weekends and if I am sick then I can cancel...not a big deal.

allisontom911-

Wow, second time around in two years? Sheesh. You have certainly had a rough go of it, havn't you? I admire your determination and strength! A lot of women could easily get sucked into feeling defeated...but you are telling cancer to "suck it" instead! Awesome!!

For the new ladies to the site who have expressed fear of chemo: I am doing weekly doses of taxol and herceptin for 12 weeks. After that, I will do the popular AC combo with herceptin four times, over 8 weeks. Today was my second infusion of the taxol and herceptin. Last week my side effects were what I would call minimal (compared to what I was dreading). Day 1 totally drowsy from Benadryl, and slept GREAT. Day 2-3 I had constipation and reflux. OTC meds knocked both out easily. Oddly, Days 4-6 my nose would intermittently suddenly pour. So much so that I was a little embarassed. I would be talking with someone and the faucet would just TURN ON. Weird. Also, Days 4-6 I felt a weird, sharp, achiness in my pelvis. Sort of felt like my ovaries were aching. But this might have been some bone pain in the pelvic bone. Either way, it was  uncomfortable, and there were a few times I need to stop and sort of wait for it to pass. But I didn't miss any work, and when I go to work, I am on my feet for 6-9 hours with little/no breaks. So believe me when I say it was not bad. YOU CAN DO THIS LADIES!! Now other women on this board are doing AC first. And it seems like more of a heavy hitter in terms of side effects. But they are getting through it. We will look back at this time in out lives someday and recall the discomfort, but it will seem brief when compared to other things. 

So far, the best thing I can compare my discomfort to is the discomfort you feel during the last trimester of pregnancy. Actually, probably less than that so far.

I had my second infusion today. I will take senikot-S before bed to prevent constipation this time. And I am armed with my zantac as well.

This is for everyone: It dawned on me yesterday that I have let myself go this week and had not shaved my legs at all. I reached down to check them, and there was 2nd day stubble. It had been over a week! Ordinarily I could sand wood after a week (Heck I'm Irish - we're just a hairy bunch). So my leg hair seems to have stopped growing. PERK!! 

Off to bed! Hugs to all!

ElleBee 

I'm not starting chemo until July, but I met so many of you on the May 2012 Mastectomy group I was wondering if I could join this group, too, at least for a while?