Starting Chemo July 2012

I talked to my MO about working with children because I teach fine art to kids and am constantly surrounded by them. He said not to worry about being overly-cautious. Wash your hands, use sanitizer but he said anything else is based on old-fashioned thinking and is outdated. However, do whatever makes you feel safe.

truffles : goodluck for tomrrow. Looks like you are prepared! 

lifeonitsside : when do you start?? 

Cyano - I would say do whatever makes you comfortable but don't be afraid to ask your doctor. I teach quite a bit so I wanted to make sure about precautions before I began chemo. I like my MO because we discussed several things I read about - flushing the toilet twice, things like that. He dismissed many of those as old-fashioned and based on older chemo drugs. I even asked him about protection with my boyfriend during chemo (I'm in menopause and we don't use protection) and he was very forthcoming with what to do. But he, too, said do what makes you comfortable and makes you feel you are protecting yourself and those around you. But to not be too caught up in all those things.



Lilypad - I've been teaching fine art to kids for more than five years with a company called Mission Renaissance. Great company, great job. They've been very understanding about my treatment and have assured me that they will give me all the help I need while I go through this.

Hey guys-

Is anyone choosing to not get a chemo port? I know it's supposed to be easier & more convenient, but I'll be honest, another scar is not at the top of my priority list.

I was perusing google images of port scars, and it's bigger than I thought it would be. I'm not a particularly vain person, but if I can get through it without too much vein damage, then I may consider holding off.

Thoughts? Non-port successes?

Thanks melrosemelrose. I have an appt with my onc tomorrow at 1:30 to review my CT & bone scans, so I'll definitely see what she has to say. I've always been told I have good veins, so maybe. Hmmmm. I will have 6 rounds of C/T every 3 weeks.



For those of you getting your port in your arm, where in the arm is it located?



Thanks!

Saw my MO today. She convinced me to go ahead with a port. Also got scans back. Bone scan looked normal, but there were a few areas on my CT scans that got attention: likely fibroids in my uterus, possible ovarian cyst, and something on my liver (apparently consistent with known variant). All are warranting ultrasounds, but MO suspects they are all nothing to be concerned about. I hope she's right. /:



Even after the blood transfusion last week, my hemoglobin level is still 9-something, so I'll get one or two iron infusions next week before starting chemo the following week, along with a PS appt, at PT appoint, and my port placement. Sheesh.



I'm hoping for a brand new me by Christmas!!



And for those of you who have already started, stay strong, and keep us posted!

Hi all ,

I had my port install yesterday ... It is an arm port just above my elbow but on the innerside of the arm. We tried to the under local anas but was too painful so they sedated me in the end. The site is little sore and swollen but I hope that it susides soon .



I also had mt first AC infusion today. Took about 2.5 hours and I am feeling slightly queasy and slightly drowsy . But nothing too bad. I ate my lunch ... And hoping the anti nausea mrs will make it stay down . Good luck you guys!!!

Hi All - I'll be joining this group!

I am getting a port placed next week, and then my first treatment is Friday, the 13th...yikes!  

 Jane64 - I read over on the Herceptin thread that there can be some mild acne at the beginning, but many say it goes away.  Hope yours does, too.

Leaping right in here. I started chemo the end of June.. close enough to be a July gal, I think.

Tballmom.. so glad to hear your thyroid biopsy came back B9. I'm stressing.. I have one scheduled for the 13th. 

I began my chemo start day by singing this song.  It's posted on my blog and friends and others sang it during their day on my chemo start day. I'm sure all that positive energy helped.
http://musingalong.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/kemo-kimo-the-magic-song/

I had a masectomy  - mucinous cancer and dcis, no nodes involved. This would normally mean no chemo. But tests came back HER2 positive, making it now a .2% rare cancer. Top docs in Canada involved and chemo recommended (DCT) 

Today, 10 days in,  I feel like I'm as high as a kite.. but it's because I am so excited that I feel this well!  First week 'uncomfortable' but do-able.  Extra doses of steroids because I reacted to herceptin, kept me wide awake and hyper, and I had to consciously practice relaxation, have warm baths to get any sleep.  Some tummy discomfort, cold/flu like symtoms.  This week I feel awesome, and I thought I'd be tired because this is when white counts go down.

I'm especially excited about this seeming so do-able so far, because my daughter had chemo two years ago (rare germ cell cancer with ovary involvement)    Her chemo experience was one of those 'worst case scenario' stories, and I'm not mentioning all about it because it's a "these sweet sistas going into chemo really don't need to hear that" kind of thing. Suffice to say that I had to have a number of tests to ensure I didn't have some of quirks that caused her so many problems.

My daughter is doing awesome now.. married last summer. All is well. 

Have been dedicated to an extremely healthy eating plan since diagnosis in April. But was pretty happy last week to suck on sport icepops.. which cooled my mouth and really did ease my tummy.

Also taking supplements recommended by an integrative care doc - melatonin to help ease finger nerve ending and nail loss damage.  Lglutamine to help reduce mouth sores. Coq10 for heart.  (these supplements don't interfere with the chemo's ability to work) But please don't rush out and get them.. ask your onc... because they might interfere with your chemo protocol.

My protocol guarantees hair loss, but I know many who did not lose their hair on different breast cancer protocols. Got my hair cut short last week.. and the darndest thing, I love my cute hair cut and will be sad to see it go. 

And I got out of having a picc!!!  That's because my protocol was changed and one of the more toxic concoctions was taken out of the mix when Top Doc got involved. 

Okee dokee.. that's what I know so far.  It's great we can support each other. 

Wishing us all ease, joy and darn it, fun.. during our most curous 'adventure.'

My first treatment was last Thursday. I was slightly nauseous on Saturday, but it was manageable. Sunday, the muscle aches & bone pain started; the nausea was a little worse. I was OK enough to do the 45 minute commute & a full day at work  on Tuesday. Wednesday, my tongue and throat joined the party and that's still going strong today.

Thanks to all for your support and encouragement.  I got the results of my Oncotype DX test, and I don't need chemo after all.   I wish all of you negligible side effects, and excellent results.

soltantio- One thing that my onco/her staff/ infusion nurses have all stressed to me throughout my rounds of chemo---- When in doubt, call before the side effects get out of hand.  Don't wait and think you can handle it.  I know some of the side effects are ones that seem to be the same as ones gets when you get the flu.  However, these are due to something else--- the chemo, the anti-nausea drugs, etc.  The oncos expect you to call and want to help you.  I hope that you have a few gal pals or relatives that you can call to help you out.  I'm hoping your side effects are minimal.  BTW- please feel free to roam the April/May 2012 chemo hangout thread.  I'm usually there and you may find some helpful tips about how to handle some of the side effects.  If you have questions, you can always private message me.  We are on the same chemo regimen--- I have 2 rounds left. 

soltantio:  It's a combination of radiation and hormone therapy to fight cancer for me.  The fact that I'm ER/PR+, have a slow growing tumor and post menopausal makes me eligible for this approach.  Finally, a perk for being in menopause!  I feel very very lucky.  I didn't expect to escape chemo, but I figured it was worth the copay to find out.  It was the best $400 I've ever spent!  I wish all of you could escape chemo too....  Be strong and I'll see you in the radiation groups.

soltantio- Hopefully, your onco/infusion center provided you with a list of possible side effects of the chemo.  It helps so you have an idea of what the possible side effects can be.  Just because you are given that list, don't assume or presume that you will have every side effect and you will have the worst case of that side effect.  There are things you can do to help in preparation of treatment and after treatment such as make sure you eat 5-6 small meals, drink lots of fluids to help flush out the chemo; take your medications on time and with food and rest, etc. 

I can't tell you if you will need to have anyone stay with you over the weekend.  It may be a good idea to have someone available if you need a little help or at least call to check on you.  I have two gal pals that call/text me a few days after my treatments to check on me to make sure I'm okay.  It's not like i need someone there 24/7 with me but it is great to have someone check on me periodically to see if I need anything. 

As for having the flu like symptoms after receiving your treatment, you should know that right before you have  chemo, you will most likely have blood lab work done to make sure your blood counts are high enough to receive the treatment.  I hope that you are given a list of specific side effects to watch for that require you to call your onco immediately (ie high fever-- 100.4 or higher).  If you have any of those type of side effects/symptoms, you call your onco asap 24/7.  Doesn't matter if it's the weekend or in the evening or early morning.  I had a high spikey fever 11 days after my 2nd round and called my onco as soon as I realized that the fever wasn't coming down on its own.  She called in some antibotics for me and fortunately, I did not have to go to the ER.