Starting Chemo July 2012

Hi - So I'm having my 2nd TX tomorrow - can hardly wait - LOL. I have treatments every 3 weeks so I thought this week was suppoed to be my good week... sure, if you can call it that. I miss normal so much. I am also doing the Neupogn shots - 5 startng the 2nd day after chemo.  I got Thrush about a week after the first TX then got antifungal meds for that which caused nausea. Like - really? Anyone else have that? Anyway - life goes on - hair is getting thin but my family tells me it's still OK. It's like sleeping on a hairy chest - whahhhh. So good to vent to people who get it. 

M 

Teeballmom-

I'm right there with you. Sorry you're having a rough day. I find myself looking at all the "cancer-free" peeps around me and feeling angry. I too would think about growing old with my husband and being around forever, but that's hard to do now. I just want this chapter to be over. I want to feel good again and sleep well again and do whatever I want with my kiddos too (almost 6 & 3). It's so unfair. I feel your frustration and I'm sorry for both of us. But, we will get through this. Remember when you had a newborn at home? How miserable you felt for months & months? But you can hardly remember those days now. One day we will be able to look back on this the same way (although this makes us feel a bit worse & will last a bit longer). We will get through it. And luckily our kids are young enough that in a few years, they won't remember it much, either. It was just the summer that sucked!!



I may not be helping much, but I didn't want you to think you're the only one feeling this way. This would be so much more tolerable if we didn't feel so physically shitty. I'm having a rough day too, physically, and I'm not sure why. I had been doing fairly well. It's day 7 for me and my energy just dropped to nil. I'm terribly constipated, so I hope that's the root of my problem & not blood counts. .



It's ok to feel angry & sad. You can get through it though, and dammit if we won't be so much stronger for having done so!! Chin up! Smile & take it easy today.



Hugs,

Tricia

PAeaglesFan- Yep-- Big Girl Chair aka BGC is what I have called sitting in the chemo lounger from day one because I'm a petite person and cannot do anything in that lounger without having someone else help me.  My feet don't touch the ground and I can't pull out the foot rest or put the chair in the reclining position without someone else doing those things for me!!!!!  It's pretty funny!!!!  The chemo chairs/loungers are gold where I have my infusions so I feel like I sit on a gold throne.  The BGC term has kind of caught on here on the boards and yes, it brought back memories of Edith Ann to the April/May 2012 chemo hangout when I first started saying Big Girl Chair.   Yes, every chemo means putting on one's big girl panties and big girl boots and marching on in to the infusion center and getting in that big girl chair for chemo and just moving forward.  It always makes me smile to know I am one day closer to getting healthy and staying healthy!!!!  It's all good no matter what.

Sending love to all of you who are struggling these days. I am feeling blessed that the past few days I've been feeling pretty normal. The first five days after tx were tough but the last few have been good. The only lingering effect I have is that I get tired easily. Went to a beautiful arts and crafts fair with my amazing BF yesterday and we went to an amazing rooftop bar after to have a drink in the lovely summer air. It felt so good to just forgot for a while that I am a cancer patient. But by the time we got back to his place, I was so exhausted, I was falling asleep on the couch. Even this morning after a really good night's sleep, I'm having a hard time getting moving. But l certainly can't complain.



I go for round two next week and crossing my fingers that this will be "normal" for me.

SusanHG123 - I had five days of exhaustion but have been feeling steadily better every day. I, too, struggled with asking for help and not wanting to impose. But remember this - you are sick. You're dealing with treatment. If you had pneumonia, would you feel bad about asking for help? Let those who love you help you. It also gives them some way to handle your illness instead of just standing around. You'll be surprised how people will come through for you, if you let them. It doesn't mean you're weak, it just means you're sick. So reach out. Getting some help will let you rest and recover so you can work, etc. My friends have been helping in tag teams - one will drive me to treatment, one will pick me up, one takes me out for food. That way, no one gets burned out.



Take care of yourself.

@kona14, my tumor was just under 2 cm. My onc didn't say why one node may have gotten involved and I didn't think of asking him. What really decided me on doing chemo was the Oncotype score, combined with the micrometastasis in one sentinel node. My Oncotype of 28 is so close to the "high" range that I didn't feel safe relying on hormone therapy alone to control any cancer that may have gotten past the sentinel node. Neither my MO nor surgeon suggested I should have the rest of the nodes removed, so I haven't. I also had enough of a clear margoin between the tumor and fascia that no RT was advised.

The chemo regimen originally suggested by Dr F (my MO) was TCx4 at 3 week intervals, but one of the potential side effects of Taxotere really freaked me out, so I asked what my other chemo options were. One of these was CMF, which is what I decided to do. CMF takes longer than TC but the side effects are said to be not so intense. TC has a 2% absolute benefit compared to CMF (that is, 10 years after treatment 2 more people in 100 are alive after TC than after CMF), but I felt like the superiority of TC over CMF would have to be much greater than two percentage points for me to be willing to take the 3% risk of that side effect happening to me. I'm having weekly infusions of methotrexate and 5-FU, plus cytoxan in pills daily. Infusion #3 is coming up this Wednesday. So far the side effects have been minimal--I feel a bit off kilter for about 24 hours after the infusion. As yet, no nausea or other digestive upsets. I get an anti-nausea pill at the infusion center before my IV and so far haven't needed to take any more than that, although I was prescribed the same med to take at home as required.

I can't say whether taxotere or cytoxan are good or bad. I know I didn't like the sound of that one side effect, but under other circumstances I might have chosen TC. I can only say, ask your MO what treatment s/he suggests, what are the risks and benefits, and what the other options and their risks and benefits are, and then pick the one that, to you, has the best balance of risk and benefit.

Hi Kona14 and Curveball - not quite sure what discussion board etiquette is, so I apologize if I am intruding on your conversation. Saw your dialogue and realized that I too have a similar diagnosis (hormone positive, HER2 neg, small breast tumor, but lymph node involvement). I spent a LOT of time discussing the anomoly of the small breast tumor that is classified as slow growing but had already traveled. My surgeon, my radiaologist and my oncologist all agreed that the cancer isn't "behaving" as one would expect. That isn't necessarily something to be overly concerned about, but all agreed that it may require a more aggressive treatment - hence the chemo. (I am doing TCx6). They said that it could just be that the tumor cells have a propensity to break off and move, but the chemo would provide the protection needed to ensure that if anything had traveled, it would be knocked out by the chemo. I also had a bone scan and CT scan prior to chemo - they wanted to see if anything had metastized in the bones, chest or liver (luckily nothing had yet). The 3 docs felts that as long as there were no visible tumors developing already, the chemo should do the trick.

BTW - congrats on kicking Hodgekins - you're a fighter! You"ll kick this one with no trouble! Go get 'em!

Hi everyone, I'm gearing up for AC #2 this Thursday.  I'm angry this week that I'm finally feeling just about 100% well and going to have five days of sick again.  My tumors have shrunk a bit but not as much as I'd like.  

Teeballmom, sounds like you're feeling better already, but just wanted to add that I've had that same feeling of resentment that other people get to walk around with hair and two breasts and (apparently) not a care in the world, worrying about trivial junk (like I used to do) when I'm dealing with this scary, unwanted burden.  I even feel that way at the hospital.  I resent the staff and doctors because they're there to do their job and I'm there because I have cancer.  Some days it's a victory not to smack anybody. 

I am two weeks out from my first T/C treatment.  So far, doing really good.  I have been able to work everyday.  The worst was day 4, but it was not unbearable.  I was just very tired, had a slight headache, a "fuzzy" feeling, and some some constipation which left me feeling very crampy.  However, by day 6, I felt great - normal for the most part. 

I was terrified of chemo, and I know I might have more of a reaction on subsequent treatments (I have 3 more to go at 3 week intervals). However, I just wanted to encourage those of you who are about to begin chemo.  You may have a better time of it than you fear. 

I am sorry to read about the trials some of you are going through.  Sending good thoughts and prayers your way. Keep fighting and kick cancer's tail!!!

Hi everyone.  I started typing a message and it cut out so please excuse if it appears and I am repeating myself lol

I had my first treatment July 19th and have had a bit of a rough go with nausea and feeling quite crummy since day one but improving everyday.  First day back on the boards today. (quite a bit of reading to catch up and see how everyone is doing)

I got my period the day of treatment (lasted 9 days) and have been trying to quit smoking so I'm sure that contributed to the SE.

I found out my margins were not clear and will have a BMX after chemo then start Herceptin.  I was also told they found spots on my liver and ovary so I've had an MRI and ultrasound and am still waiting for results. 

Been staying with my mom and dad.  My daughter is staying with her father this week as I anticipated this would be the worst week of trt.  (will know better next round)

On a positive note I bought a puppy for my daughter and I.  I felt she would keep our mind off things and bring some joy to our lives plus give me someone to cuddle during the times my daughter is away.

She is so funny and cute I think she is just what the doctor ordered

I am glad to read some are having little SE and pray those who are having a harder time have an easier second round.

Hugs to everyone

Hi bexh-

I had a neulasta shot the day after chemo (July 25), and I was fine until yesterday when I woke with severe lower back pain & pain in my hips. Plus I had incredible fatigue to go along with it. Day 7 was by far my worst day & very unexpected. Thankfully, I feel much better today. I took an alleve this morning along with my daily Zantac for chemo-induced heartburn/reflux, and my fatigue is much less today. Also, sleeping on the couch was much more comfortable than my bed. Maybe a firmer sleep? I did get the shot in my arm, but luckily no pain at the injection site. Have you had continuous pain since the injection?



Trish

Hello All - I am set to meet with the oncologist on 8/17 and start shortly thereafter. But based on the advice of some friends - I started digging for information about my 2 year old son's scheduled chicken pox vaccine and if/how that will play into my schedule. Sounds like I have to stay away from him for 30 days after the vaccine if I am on chemo. Which means if he gets it tomorrow - I don't get to start chemo until September. Wondering if anyone knows anything about chemo folks being around kids with recent live vaccines. Thanks so much and good luck to you all. I plan to come back here and read this thread as I prep for the start of my chemo - so thanks in advance for the info you have all posted here.

curveball - I had a very similar diagnosis to yours, except I had no lymph involvement.   I also chose to do chemotherapy (though I took 4 months to make that decision) - I had 3 months of AC and 3 months of CMF and I'm here 8 years later, thriving and happy.  Just thought you might like to know that it's not very nice to go through but definitely worth doing.  The only thing I can say regarding long term SEs of these two regimens is that sometimes it feels like my nerves are shot.  Too much excitement and I'm all a-tremble!  Crazy.  I definitely need a quieter life these days.  Small price to pay though, especially since my mother and grandmother both died from BC.  Every successive year brings more and better research about targeted therapies.  I just wrote an article yesterday talking about how they've discovered that breast cancer is actually 10 different diseases.  !!!

Ann - I know it's not nice, but I had to laugh when you said it's a victory to make it through a day and not smack anybody.  I remember that feeling.  Anger is kind of normal and I think it's a by-product of the drugs and the stress.  Kind of makes you feral!

mssunshine7 - gosh I'm so sorry you're having to go through a BMX.  I really hope that the results of the MRI and ultrasound show no more problems.  Sending you hugs today.

ramols - I'm sorry, I wish I knew the answer to your question but I don't.  Your oncologist will definitely know though - best to ask them.  I wish you weren't going through this - must be hard to have little ones and be going down this path.  I was fortunate that it was just me and my husband, my son was grown and living in Germany when I had BC.  So double blessings to you.  Hope you have lots of helping hands, my dear.

melrosemelrose - tried the Tgel shampoo - helped out alot! Thanks so much for the tip..

dventi- Glad the Tgel shampoo helped and you have some relief.  Before you know it, you will be finished with chemo and the fuzz will appear on that beautiful head of yours!!!!