2012 sisters
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MrsCich, my MO gave me a prescription for what she called "BAD gel." It's benadryl, ativan, and dexamethasone in a gel form, pre-loaded in a big syringe (no needle) when I got it. There were two times during chemo when I felt VERY nauseous. So much so that I couldn't even think about swallowing one of the compazine pills I was also given for nausea. I couldn't even get up off the sofa to get the gel, but my husband brought it to me, applied a pearl-size glob onto my wrist, and covered it with plastic wrap. It only took a few minutes to absorb in and the nausea abated. After that, my husband would put the gel and some plastic wrap out close to my side of the bed before I went for chemo; luckily I didn't need it every time.
I had mild nausea usually the whole first week after my chemo infusion, but except for those two times I was able to control it with compazine.
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Mrscich- I got a drug called emend bf chemo and two to take home. I never really got that side effect and cut back on steriod they gave to take home. I made sure to try and eat something to help but each person is different but I think they have come a long way to help with this with Pre Meds and take home drugs. Most women I saw during chemo did not have it bad at all. There are other freaking annoying side effects but not everyone gets them. I really think you being young will help you handle treatments well. I was so scared my first day and wanted to run out of the waiting room. Funny I was more scared about IV because I had never had one before:( I hate needles and still do! You will learn what works for you to manage side effects. Some people fast bf some people have to eat etc I drank gallons of water bf and after to try and flush those drugs out as much as I could. I am a big weeny and if I can do it so can you:) I had an infusion yesterday and I sat next to a women who was getting chemo for the first time and the nurses did not really do a good job of trying to help her through this first experience, they usually are really good at this but it was Fri at 3 pm? There was three of us old school chemo girls in there to talk to her. We tried to answer her questions based off of each of our experiences and we all had different tactics to handle SE that worked for us. I know this might not help you not to be scared as hell but we all got your hand and are holding it tight!
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MrsCich, I also have motion sickness and get nauseated from anxiety. I had been fighting nausea even before starting chemo. But I was able to control it with the various meds they give you. I had AC chemo which is a relatively bad one for nausea. I took Emend before the infusions. After the first one I was also told to take Ativan prior, to help anxiety (it also helps nausea directly). They give you anti-nausea meds in your IV with the infusions. Then for the first several days, I used Compazine during the day and Ativan at night for nausea. I never felt more than mild queasiness, and never vomited once. The queasiness wears off in a few days, so I never used the meds more than a week. Now I am switching to Taxol and am told I won't even need the anti-nausea pills for that.
Really, I'd say I was less nauseated during chemo than before it, since I was staying home and able to take pills in the daytime as needed. Prior to chemo I was going to work and could not take full doses of anything since I needed to drive and stay alert.
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Speaking of pre meds? Wondering if anyone had to deal with insurance not paying for Pre Meds during chemo? I missed that one! I tried to do a claim through my prescription insurance after the fact but have not heard back? Emend was 300 a pill so x 4 that added up and if I would have pu at pharmacy I would have not be fighting this battle so heads up to check:)
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Thank you all for your input. Before I was put under anesthesia for my DMX, I warned the anesthesiologist that I will be sick when I wake up. He said he has a special cocktail that will stop it and it contained Benadryl, an anti-psychotic and some other stuff. It did not work and I threw up every time I would wake up for the next 5 hours. I remember hearing the anesthesiologist telling my husband that he gave me everything he had and i still got sick. That night while in my hospital room throwing up, I knew I needed to eat some crackers. I had nothing on my stomach for over 24 hours. The nurse told me I couldn't have solid foods and wouldn't give me any. My husband got me some and it immediately stopped.
So...I'm hoping by eating before I go and the meds they can give will help me. Nausea, to me, is the worst feeling. I don't drink alcohol because I hate the buzzed feeling and then the hangover. Ugh.
As for paying full price on meds, on some of the med websites you can get a prescription discount card that makes you pay only a fraction of the cost. I look up all meds to see if there is a card. I know Lunesta and Vyvance (my daughter takes that) has them. -
Mrscich, my secret to battleing the nausea during chemo was to eat a big breakfast the day of chemo, like pancakes aand eggs and bacon and milk, with a little fruit. having a full stomach helped with the nausea for me, and keeping something in my stomach evenif I only ate one or two crackers or pretzels an hiur, forcing them down. Good luck to you and know that it isnt permanent and does work... i had a positive result with neoadjuvant chemo and my tumor is almost invisible via MRI.
cottontail, we seem to have the same diagnosis, I am scheduled for lumpectomy on Oct 6 and am really scared. any advice?
HUGS to everyone... and enjoy your weekend! -
Chrissera, what part of the Lx are you worried about? I thought the surgery itself was a breeze, and I had very little pain right afterwards. My main advice is to be ready so you don't have to do a whole lot when you get home, just rest and recover for a few days.
I've had a few difficulties and setbacks with my recovery, but that doesn't mean you will.
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@Chrissera - I did Lx about 3 weeks ago and it was piece of cake
I was really terrified before, was all shaking on the operating table, but after I woke up, it was all good, almost no pain. I got home and spent the rest of the day watching movies with a girlfriend! Too bad for me - the margins were not clear, and now I'm scheduled for Mx on October 3.Hugs and good luck!
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Chrissera.....Tina is right.....I had a lumpectomy and really it was a piece of cake and relatively painless. Like Tina, after I came home, I watched movies for the rest of the day. You will be fine and they will send you home with painkillers should you need them.
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Thanks for the advice. I am just scared that I made the wrong decision with lx and I am.scared if the SNB and ancillary dissection. I need to stop reading things and just let it happen. I trust my medical team and their opinions... I am a control freak and am feeling a little out of control now..
I had a positive node at diagnosis with FNA so I will need radiation too. And tamoxifen and herceptin going forward...I just want it to be over... Just started going out to school functions with my scraps on, and so many people who didn't know about my bc know now.. it's weird.. I just want to be normal again.. does that ever happen??? -
Chrissera.....I'm not sure what you mean about being "normal" I believe our lives are
Changed forever now thanks to BC. According g to the wonderful ladies here, life does get better eventually......it just all takes time....I'm still waiting for that time also....it will come for us, I'm sure ...hang in there. -
Chrissera - what do you mean if you made a right decision? Lx vs Mx? This was exactly my concern when I was opting for that surgery, I even started a topic here and got lots of response, you can look it up here http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/5/topic/792566?page=2
When I did Lx I was STILL considering Mx, but for Mx I would have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks before my surgeon and my PS can coordinate their schedules. The reason I went with Lx is that i wanted cancer OUT as soon as possible. Now when I got my pathology report back, the margins are not clear unfortunately, and I have to have another surgery - whether Lx or Mx... I remember one woman here told me that she had 3 (!) Lx's and after just went for Mx and she regrets she hadn't done it at the first place.. That's why I decided on Mx, but still thinking whether I should remove 1 breast or both :-/
Also - I completely understand what you mean by feeling "normal" - I haven't told anybody about my diagnosis, except for the family, work and 6-8 close friends... I just feel like if people don't know what's going on and don't talk about it behind my back, I can try and live my life like BC never happened, after I'm done with all the surgeries and treatment. Or at least nobody asks me questions every time they see me...
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Tina, I'm really sorry they won't let your brother into the country to help you out. Does not seem fair. I have a friend who moved here from Russia many years ago and is trying to get her mother here for breast cancer treatment. So far, no luck. They just don't make it easy.
I agree with Ann about being cautious about Gerson. You did not have clear margins and your cells are grade 3. You are young, and it sounds like otherwise healthy. So fight with the big guns, if that's what your doctors advise. You have a full life ahead of you.
MrsCich, it sounds like you figured out when you were sick after surgery that you needed food in your stomach to help with the nausea. The same is true with chemo. Little bits of food at a time, frequently throughout the day. Even in the chemo chair. Absolutely start hydrating the day before each treatment. And of course you'll take the anti-nausea meds they prescribe like clockwork. My clinic uses Emend and Zofran in the pre-meds, Zofran and Ativan at home for the first few days, and Compazine at home as a last resort (I have only used it twice so far). You will also probably need a strong antacid like Prilosec, stool softeners to keep things moving and possibly some gas medicine. You will get through it!
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Hello all. I've been lurking for a while, thought it was time to introduce myself. I was diagnosed in June 2012 with IDC. The lump had been in my breast for several years (I have dense breasts, they were BOTH lumpy, and the lump that turned out to be cancerous felt just like the others ... which were subsequently biopsied and found benign). My primary physicians (two in the last 12 years) BOTH said "you have really lumpy breasts" when doing my examinations, so it wasn't until a mammogram finally felt the lump was biopsy worthy that we found it. The MRI said it was 4.5 cm, but surgery produced a 2.5 cm lump, when I had MX (LHS) w/Recon & RHS reduction August 1. I started chemo 9/10/12... A/C (4) and then Taxol for 12 more. And then Rads. Going for my 2nd chemo on Monday, little scared but hopefully the second one will go as well as the first. I am still not convinced about the "both barrels" approach (but don't want to have to ever say "did I do everything I could?" to myself). They prescribed Compazine & Zofran for the nausea, dexamethasone for first three days (steroid), I drank and drank and drank the water (absolutely necessary), for sure needed the antacid & stool softeners. Wish I had bothered to read the "chemo for newbies" page before my first treatment (so for all of you who haven't started yet, read it!). I am so thankful to have all of you here for support, I will probably want to chat after Monday's chemo! Hugs to all of you, my new sisters!
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Shockd2bhere: Welcome and sorry you have to be here but the support you will receive is fantastic. Hoping your 2nd treatment goes well.
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Shockd2bhere: Welcome and sorry you have to be here but the support you will receive is fantastic. Hoping your 2nd treatment goes well.
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Hello ladies.
I get home from a night spending it with my bf and a friend. I know people get so tired about hearing me talk about BC so I try to act "normal" but the thoughts never leave my mind:( I get home and all I want to do is log in to talk chat with all of you because you get it! I think that this might be part of the healing process, after chemo, surgery etc people think all is good and expect you to be back to yourself. They move on faster than you and although I understand this and that they don't realize that I still need support and encouragement. I want to remain positive but my head spins from one moment to the next. I go back to work Monday for the first time after my surgery four weeks ago. Everything has changed but then again nothing has. I guess maybe for us BC has been and is our life for every day since we were DIA and it is I have thought about every minute of every day since Feb 28. I hate all that this has taking from me but also I hate that I can't stop letting it consume me daily. Fucking cancer!
I am sorry for being this way tonight I am trying hard to remember the positives but when I try to have some normal in my life it haunts me. I think about if I will have to do this shif all over again and will I worry every day about this. I worry about the aches I have from chemo and will it get better, I worry about my TE and will my fboobs every look nice again, will tamoxifen take my libo away and make me gain weight and cause me to be depressed. I hate this dam disease tonight! Tomorrow hopefully I will wake up and be better. Just having one of these moments. Not horrible but needing to vent! I know it will get better with time and I can't control the unknown:( -
Mcook301......I totally get everything you are saying, of course. Wen I see friends, I try to be "normal" not talk about BC because they think I have been treated and am now cancer free. They think I'm "lucky" because I was stage 1 with no lymph node involvement, so I never talk to them now about my feelings, which is sad because I'm
talking about best friends for more than 25 years. So, like you, I can't wait to get home
and log in where I feel comfortable and can express my feelings.
BTW .....you should never apologize here for ranting, venting or just having a moment where you are feeling sorry for yourself.....I forget and apologize also sometimes, but
we have to remember we are all in this club together....the club we didn't volunteer to join. We are all here to support one another. I thank God for this place and all the beautiful women who have helped me and just been there to listen. Hope today is a better one. Take care. -
Shockd2behere - welcome, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, sounds like you are handling it well; I'm right behind you on Tuesday with chemo #3.
Mccook - you worded your feelings very well and you are not alone ((()))
Scottiee1- I have often thought of how people speak of and treat stage 0 and 1 and how hard it must be to hear 'it's only' or 'you're lucky', it still rocks a person's whole world and there are no guarantees for any of us.
I think what I want to hear from people is more 'I'm here for you' and then listening without judgment if you need to talk about it and helping to supply 'normal' if that is what you need at other times. Pity is not welcome but compassion and a desire to understand what you have gone through and continue to experience is.
Ramols - is this a chemo week coming up for you also? -
Websister ....right on....that's why I come here. I have a few "close" friends 25 years and more, and I'm still waiting to hear those words.
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I agree. You hit the nail on the head web sister.
Sorry you had a bad evening mcook -
Yep websister. I'll be right behind you on wednesday for AC round 3. Figuring I will finally kick this darn head cold just in time for the BGC...
Hugs to you mcook and all others who need one! Go find some happy out there today ladies! -
My Sisterssssssss.... havent heard from me cause i been stuck with my sisters september 2012 which i started there......just wanted to stop by and let everyone know that we are strong and we will fight together!!!!
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Thinking of Juneau today.
Having a bad day. Just needed to write that down, all.
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Sorry you are having a bad day, Scorchy.
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Sending hugs, Scorchy - be kind to yourself today, you deserve it
Ramols and all - thought my happy this morning might be getting some things accomplished in the house while my husband and youngest son were out but the dog we are watching this weekend was not happy with that so here I sit with him sleeping across my lap and watching an old movie. Maybe he knew this was really what I needed for this morning.
Patricia - thanks for checking in and the encouragement
Juneau - continue to think of you -
I am a stage 1 with no node involvement. I understand the guilty feelings because I get them sometimes and don't post because I don't feel I have the right. Then I think of the fact that still, I lost a breast, I had a massive hematoma that damned near killed me, my entire scar opened and is still healing.... I think about scorch who jumped in stage in the freaking blink of an eye... I think about recurrence and the fact that it is always going to be something to worry about.... I know some people are having horrible treatments that others are not but really, we all had our world's rocked. Thankfully there is no one judging here. Cancer is cancer is cancer and no matter what number we get assigned, it all pretty much fucking sucks....
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bevg49 I encourage you to post away. We all were blind-sided by this, we all have big losses to mourn, and we all have that worry of recurrence to contend with. Those are the biggies that we all share. Statistically a Stage I may have lower odds of dying of BC, but after losing the "1 in 8" lottery it's pretty hard to trust the odds anymore.
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Ann- agreed! Wish we had a "like" button:) bev- please always share if you want!
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Ok atleast I am trying have a little sense of humor today. My bf and I were teasing each other and goofing around and he was trying to fight back (playing) and he grabbed at my nipples (shirt on) to get back at me for ticking him and had totally forgot and got a little embarrassed he did. Ha! I won that play fight
..... Then once again my head goes back to BC and fuck u for taking those away too:( tears! I know I can't change this so I need to move on and find a way to heal but these moments set me back a little. Dam it!
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