Starting chemo Thursday, May 31 - June Group?

Hi..on the hair thing..decided not to buzz cut..mainly cause of fallout all over..thought it would be easier to clean up longer hairs than the stubles...I keep a short haircut anyway..I would go outside and have a grooming party..LOL..had a head full of hair..I was shocked at how much flew away in the wind..LOL..hoping some nesting birds can use it ..some good might as well come from it right? after a couple of days..fall out slowed down..big time..right now I have "some" left..enuf that if anyone didn't know me..it just looks old lady thin..LOL..and all the darker hair fell out..I'm left with snow white...had salt and pepper grey before..next tx is in the morn..so we shall see if this wee bit will survive...guess this proves the white hair is slower growing??

ellebee.."with every strand of hair, a cell has died. BUT, with every strand of hair AT LEAST one cancer cell has died too! "....I like that...thanks...

pam..good luck on keeping port..I think they gave me the huge industrial size one..LOL...is in the way every time I move..I'm not big breasted but have to wear sports bra 24/7 to support and keep from pulling that port down..

steve..welcome..kudo's to you...

I had lots more to say..but well..ya know..I blame e'thing on chemo brain now..LOL..

thing of all of you..best wishes..Doris

I wanted to report back - I was feeling horrible, lost 12 lbs could not eat anything drink a little water and that was about it.  I asked the dr for something else they decided to try ativan and it works wonders - not only am I calm (a little high strung normally) but my stomach feels great and I can EAT. and boy have I been eating good stuff at least now I have an appettite. 

Today my hair started coming out in handfuls but only if I touch it so I tried to stop doing that until I can get to my hairdresser for my buzz cut. 

I want to thank you all for you support and suggestions.  I know it feels great helping others when you have been through the same thing.  Take care.  Michelle

First chemo treatment yesterday. My onc let me know she did not believe in numbing the skin before sticking my port. Mistake number 1 on her part. She sent me into a all out panic attack!!



I had a wonderful nurse who numbed my skin with ice before she stuck me. She also had a lunch waiting on me and ordered my meds from the pharmacy across the street and had them delivered to me in my chemo chair - Awesome!! I was fine when I walked out just kinda sleepy.

This morning I'm good except for acid reflux. I took Prilosec to combat it. I'm drinking lots of water and will get my Neulesta shot at 430pm. I have decided to take a Claritan about 2hrs prior as a preventive for bone pain

Good Morning - having another crying day, sure wish these darn tears would stop.  Hubby left this morning back to work (he works away from home) so I am alone again and just have to pull myself together.  I am still feeling achy all over and my knees are hurting, any suggestions for the knee pain?

I'm feeling like a big baby, as there are so many others that are worse off than me.

Hugs to you all that you have a good day. 

Stephanie - That drive sounds terrible! Sheesh. I have been taking for granted that I live so close to good docs and hospitals. But at least it's some quality time with your chemo partner. I've rather begun to look forward to my Monday dates with the hubs. Our lives are ordinarily so hectic that the few hours a week to discuss the kids, make plans, get on the same page, has been great.

Ellendou - sorry you are having a hard day, love. Are you doing neulasta shots? If so, are you taking claritin to combat the bone pain? It's supposed to lessen it considerably. Call your onco's office and talk to a nurse about it. You shouldn't have to suffer in pain on top of everything else. Something that always hlps me when in the dumps is just to do the opposite of whatever the sorrow is making me do. So if I feel like lying in bed crying all day, I do the opposite. I get up, get showered, treat myself to something (like going to see a matinee ALL BY MYSELF with smuggled sushi in my purse) Then I will actually schedule a cry for later. Like, I will allow myself to cry at 5, and then I have to enjoy the day. Point is, take care of yourself and don't feed the beast by succumbing to the sorrow. Fight the beast. Cancer doesn't get to rob you of your life and the way you want to live it. Let us know how you are feeling. I'll be sending you positive energy and warm thoughts!

Kimmie: glad to hear your side effects are manageable so far. Yeah, I forgot my numbing cream yesterday...um, not real pleasant. So I empathise completely.

Maa764: glad to hear that you are able to eat again. Ativan, really? That's a surprise, but whatever works!

So today has been pretty horrible for me, but not from my cancer. Back in April, my cat ingested some plastic easter grass, and it caused him to be pretty sick for a few days. Vet said he seemes fine though since he continued to eat and drink and pass stools, etc. They gave him some prescription wet food to encourage his eating, and he passed the grass. So he got better. But over the month of May (when all the cancer stuff was blowing up) we noticed he was being really finicky with his food. And he seemed skinnier. I thought maybe he prefered that fatty wet food. He ate the heck out of the new wet food for a couple weeks. We were on vacation for 9 days and the neighbor who was watching him said he barely ate or used his box. And he seemed alarmingly skinny. I tried to get him to eat, and he didn't. I was hoping he was just depressed and he would get better now that we're home. Took him to vet today. He has lost 4 lbs since April, 1/3 of his body weight. He also had a tumor in his abdomen. Guess what she  and her colleagues suspected? Cancer. Or possibly an adrenal tumor causing kidney failure. My husband and I are not willing to allow him to suffer, and she said that even with surgery his prognosis would not be good. Merely buying him time. 

So all by myself, a day after treatment, I am sobbing at the vet while I watch my first baby slip out of my life. We brought him home so the kids could see him, and buried him in the backyard. We marked his grave with a couple rocks that the kids will decorate later. 

Rough day. But I will play with the kids later in the pool, and take my daughter to her guitar lesson, and do my best to enjoy this beautiful day. But I miss my little fella terribly already.

Pam-Just had my blood drawn today for the BRCA, so I don't know yet.  I have a large number of relatives with BC, but no first degree (though I have no sisters and my daughter is still a teen)...we will see I guess.  I'll let you know how it turns out. They think I'm most likely "familiar" rather than "BRCA", but I don't seem to hit the odds so good so I'm getting it to know for sure.

Kimmie-I got my first port use w/o the cream too...ouch!  It's a big needle!  Your nurse sounds great though!  I haven't used the cream yet, but I have it and I hope it works! 

Made an appointment at the wig shop finally for Friday...rougher to make that appointment than I expected.  I'm fortunate to have partial insurance coverage.  The biggest glitch on the day is that I got a message that my daughter, who is in Jamaica on a mission trip (planned before I was diagnosed) is undergoing treatment for subcutansous larva migras. From what I found, it means a bug/worm got in her foot and didn't die so it's getting infected.  She comes home Saturday.  Anyone know if this presents any issue for me?

Thank you everyone for your kind words and all the cyber hugs!! I feel much better today. You all are right, every hair that falls out means that a cancer cell has died! I too have periods where I just want to cry, but try really hard not to in front of my family. I usually go out on my front porch when no one is around and that's when I let the tears come. I think it's good to let those things happen.



Praying everyone is doing well today, how are my Friday chemo buddies doing? Right now I have chemo brain and can't remember names(Marcia?)? Stay positive, we are going to kick some cancer butt!!!

Blessings

Hello,

  It's absolutely an honor and a privilage to be welcomed here. As a life long smoker who only recently quit...I may have to dance with the devil myself in the future. But we will cross that bridge together if God puts that in our path. I feel the most sympathy for those who have to take this path alone! I'm not sure how other health care systems work, but at Parkland your pretty much left in the dark unless you nearly die. I had the most insight into this battle after she was admitted last week from the Dr.s on the cancer floor while they battled to save her life, and thats also where we found this site!!! Thank God ya'll are here!!!! As I cruse from thread to thread I'm learning details about the ports and hair loss that I felt completely in the dark about. I'm as concerned about the ports as I am about the pic-lines with the exception of I don't believe a port can get tugged on by an excited pet or infected by getting wet. I read somewhere on here that ports have to be in for a week before getting used and Billiemae is scheduled for her next treatment on the July 2nd....seems like they're cutting it to close for comfort to me! Sadly I doubt that it can be administered in her impossible veins?!? It took the 18 sticks to setup an IV for cryin out loud!!! I'd love some input if you may have experience with this!!

  Sorry I'm so long winded, thank you for accepting me,

     Steve 

Pamelahope:

 Thank you so much!!! I keep finding more answers and love here that I can't find anywhere else! This place is heaven sent and it's because of the people here as amazing as you!!! I will post more Q's as they come up, and A's like I did earlier on aother thread! I hope things are going well for you,

    Steve 

Have you elevated the head of your bed?  Keep it up till you aare through chemo.  My daughter has it all the time, ometimes sleeps in a recliner.  Never lie down after eating for several hours.  When you lay dowwn, go to bed always lie on your left side for awhile, the spenkter )spelling) is on the right side and lying that side forces stom. contents up esophogus.  Not sure about drinking a half glass water with a couple pinches of baking soda, might helpright now. I honestly know what you are going through.... it's unbelievable [pain,  several years ago at a campout, I sat by the fire eting peanuts and drank a mojito (sure I butched that word too)  oh my gosh thought I would die all night.  Early next morning before I got up I heard my husband and daughers discussing where closest hospital would be.... but I was finee.  Don't think they ever saw Super Mom like that.  Other than the above advise, do you have a 24 hr. number to your oncologist.  also have you ever gone to earthclinic.com ,  one of my fav. natural healing advice sites, on top go to ailemnts, type in acid relex and you will see many, many poast.

I have AR occasionally and cannot drink anything like lemonade, daquari, etc. even when healthy.  I started getting it and took Maalox after first chemo.  called onc. nurse.... she said don't wait.... start immediately after chemo, as some of the anti nausea drugs cause it so get ahead of it.  I did take Zantac, one in AM and one at night and it has cleared mine up..... that said I just got chemo 2 today, so will start itt tonight.

Long and good visit with oncologist today, you may have seen my post about suden bout of lactose intolerance, after talking to me and reviewing othe things I had eater o.k. she thought it was not LI but from Acid reflex.   Oh, my gosh I Laughed reading the post from Billiemae about eating at Taco Bell or whatever......That little cutie must have a cast iron stomach!  God love her, I do enjoy some good Mex. food now and then.

Pam....  I know what you mean about only three days good and then chemo aggain, that is what happened to be   However, I do feel I hae gotten a lot of the SE under control that have added to the misery.  AR, and mouth sores are so much better today.  I bought a baby toothbrush, my gums were sooooo sore, brush with bkaing soda, I was using a whitening toothpaste and it is too strong for our gums right now.  Also cutting food in tiny bite so less chewing on the gums  and no crunchy crackers, chips etc.  Low acid stuff.  Swish mouth with mild salt water many times per day.

Elliemae, so very sorry about your cat.  I know he was so loved and had a wonderful life with you. Very hard to deal with at this time..... feel my arms aroun d  you, just holding you tight.  You are loved.  We've been there so many times, it is now easy.

sorry for thee  many many typos, sitting on the sofa, in the dark, with my laptop which is quite cranky at times.... gee whiz you'd think i t  was the one getting chemo/

Good night my frinds, sweet dreams God bless you all.   Stephanie 

So glad you are still up, it's 10;30 Oregon time.

I went to Earthclinic myself to look for something.  I would not try the apple cider vinegar at this time, this is like a temporary thing and I think way to acid for you with tender stomach.

I think once i took some peppermint water, if you happen to have pep or mint extract in your cupboard, try a drop or so in glass of water, if not avail.  try a peppermint candy, maybe.  I remember years ago.... and I mean years!  when one of our babies had colic, my mother in law said.... but a drop of mint, peppermint ext. in bottle of warm water..... honestly, old wives tale but it did calm them down.

you might also check this,  I have this and use it for acid ref. after Mex. food, etc.  I just copied the post

""Two last things, if you don't like licorice, they do have German Chocolate flavored DGL which helps to disguise the flavor. Secondly, if you have high blood pressure, make sure you buy the kind that has the glycyrrhizin compound (associated with high blood pressure) removed""

Do get the choc. flav. the other is awful, it's deglycerized licorice.  

 And do keep in mind there is some real weird stuff posted on Earthclinic... use your brain and check with your onc.

good night dear, you are in my prayers.  

Steve - I had my port placed on a Tuesday and first infusion 2 days later.  No problem at all.  I apply the EMLA cream myself and cover it with Press and Seal.  I never felt like my fingers became numb.  I guess I washed it off right away.  When the nurse accesses it, I feel no pain at all, just a push.

Pamela- I hope you enjoy today!  We actually have sun for the first time since Debby.  I forgot to ask about your weather yesterday.

Simplyblessed - Gaviscon worked for my heartburn.

Please excuse me if this is in bad tastet -   Has anyone noticed that they have more body odor?  I feel like my deoderant is not working.

Marcia..I had to give up my secret deoderant..went to shower one morn and had a "coating"? under my arms..scrubbed it off..and asked family to tell me if I get "offensive" I shower every morn and use dial soap..so far..no one has complained..

my sense of smell is hightened..so maybe I will spot it first..LOL