Starting Chemo October 2012

Well Im sitting in my BGC getting my 2nd round of chemo.

Half can, I had sore gums as well. I think they may have even bled a tiny bit. It was after that I got my one and only mouth sore. Keep using the Biotene, like 3-5 times a day. It eases up I promise.



Interesting things going on today in my cancer center. First off, I Got the same nurse as I did last time and I'm happy about that. I really liked her. Lets add another issue to all of this...the tagaderm (big clear tape they put over my picc line) has burned my skin and Olga (nurse) has to remove it and figure something out. Ugh. I touched the red part and I thought I was on fire. It literally ate my skin off in one area.



Then one lady in here kept staring at me..maybe because its just a bunch of older people in here and I'm young. She said she felt like she was going to throw up but she went unconunconscious. Holy hell. They called a dr to chemo stat. Now she's up but her bp was 59/17. Yowza. My Dr (Dr Wall) came running down to the chemo room when she learned it was one of her patienta. Quinn (the nurse manager) came over and was talking to me and I was telling her next time I need dr wall they just need to get on the loud speaker and say dr wall stat. Lol. Olga (the nurse) pulled my currain back and said I better behave or she's giving me more Ativan to put me to sleep or better yet, she'll get a stick! Lol. If I have to go through this, in glad it's here. These women are amazing.

Wishing all the chemo starters well. I was on chemo from April-September. I'm feeling well now for the most part. Just dealing with minor side-effects. I have a nice short hair cut now even. 9 radiation treatments down and 24 to go. For the most part I feel like me, am back to work full-time and life is good. The fears have been devistatingly overwhelming. That hasn't stopped...but I roll on. I'm here if anyone needs support for A/C, Taxol, or Herceptin.

I started chemo on 9/11 and have my third round on 10/24.  Hope you guys don't mind if I join this October group.  I've been looking at these discussion boards and thinking about joining and finally took the plunge and decided to join.  I tried to read as much as I could prior to having my first chemo treatment because I was scared to death about it.  If I can help any new comer not be so scared then that's what I'm here for.  You're always afraid of the unknown.  I'm having six rounds of taxotere and cytoxan.  So this coming Wednesday I should be half way done with the chemo treatment.  I tried the Claritin with the Neulesta shot, but I still had some bone pain.  It wasn't too bad.  If my liver enzymes weren't so high I think a couple of Aleve would have taken care of the pain, but I'm not allowed to have any Aleve so I just deal with it.  It's more of an annoying kind of pain rather than painful.  Days 3 thru 5 are the roughest days with the fatigue and then I slowly start feeling like myself again.  I have found that eating ice while getting the chemo drugs seems to help with the mouth sores, but nothing seems to help with the burnt feeling that my tongue has.  Or the lack of taste I have.  But everyone reacts differently to the drugs so it may not be the same for everyone.  I just got my port put in because after two treatments my veins (which were small to begin with) have been destroyed.  I'm hoping that eventually they will rebound since it's only been two treatments.  My advice to anyone who has small veins even if you are only getting four treatments is to get a port to save the only one good arm and veins you have left.  They don't tell you that the chemo will kill those veins.  And maybe not all chemo drugs do that, but mine certainly did.  So think twice about getting a port.  It's not such a bad procedure.

Today is day 5 after AC round 1 for me. It's the first day I feel really draggy, maybe because I'm done the anti-nausea steroid at around the same time my white blood cells are starting to deplete? My mouth is fuzzy and all I can think about is napping. I'm being extra careful about touching anything in public places and washing my hands alot. No infections!

I do hope my veins hold out for the AC, since they didn't want to do port surgery during my pregnancy. I had no issues with the first round (didn't feel a thing) so maybe that's a good sign. I brought my ice last time but didn't remember to suck on it until about halfway through. I'll remember next time, with all the excellent reminders on here!

Unfortunately, I had to do a visit to the plastic surgeon today.  Turns out I have a "wonderful" infection going on that turned my left side pink and started it swelling today.  Thankfully my antibiotic should work on it, but it means a minimum delay of 2 weeks in the chemo.  I feel like we had just started to fight those stupid cells in my liver, and now we're having to back off again.  So ticked off!

Hi October chemo group!  I'm stopping by to tell you all, you can get through this! Just take each day as it is, ride the wave on the good days and endure the bad ones the best you can, and vent if you have to!  And don't hesitate to contact your doctor if something absolutely isn't right or if you are just miserable.  Also, the whole white cell thing is no joke, and you can't necessarily tell you are neutropenic by how you feel.  I never had to have Neulasta or Neupogen, but I did make the mistake twice of not wearing gloves to do some work while I was at nadir, and got an infection both times in my finger - from nothing more than a splinter!  Both times it was after the "steroid crash" was over and I felt fine; couldn't tell except when I went to the doctor for the splinters and they did blood work.  Hugs to you!

Nbnotes- I pray your feeling better soon. And that chemo can get started soon for you.

Indigo- thank you for your words of encouragement, and advice. I'm 8 days post chemo. Being mindful. I am on Nuealastra shots (wish I wasn't, but MO likes em. I think to many SE).

MrsCich- hope you feel better soon and get to go to corn maze! You should do the LGFB class! I've never been much on make up either, but I hear they do more than just that. Im hoping to go on Nov 6th. That will be 4 days after my 2nd chemo, so I hope I am feeling better. Have you thought about Ativan at night? It helps with nausea and sleep.

Cait- I started mine the next morning after chemo. Everyone is different. But the one bit of advice I got from a lot of people was stay on top of taking nausea meds and drinking a lot of water to flush your kidneys. I pray you continue to do well!

Caitgrace, I take mine the evening of infusion and 2 days after. I have yet to nauseated but this second infusion is a little different for me. I still have my headache a case of the overall blahs. I was really hoping it would match my first infusion but so far its a little different.

Day 3 for me and not too bad, yay!  Steroids got me through yesterday and I took the Lorazepam night 1 and again last night to help me sleep.  Worked great!  I did not like the awake-all-night from the steroids night before chemo.  The OM ordered me something for sleep on the nights when I don't need the anti-nausea properties of the Lorazepam.

I've been pretty unstable on my feet, a little dizziness yesterday and today.  Trying to keep up on the drinking but feeling a little loopier by the minute.  Sounds like tomorrow and Monday (Day 4-5) could be worse but today I'm going to try to get out for a walk.  I need to get to the grocery but don't feel safe behind the wheel of the car!  My husband and daughter have gone their various ways today so I'll call a neighbor to walk with me.

Hope you all are doing well!

poke, did u try adding lemon slices to water? that has helped me alot

Poke, I had my BMX w/TE placement on 8/31 and I find it horrible that you can't get comfy with the TE's. I can lay in any position thankfully but that was my worst time having to only lie on my back. Have you had many fills? I have 450cc in each. I hope you can find comfort love.

Hi I'm noranelly I am due to have my first chemo 31st oct, Halloween! I am due to have an echocardiogram this week. I feel terrified and sick thinking about having chemo and am not sure whether I will be able to go through with it. It feels so uncertain and alien. Why would I make a decision to make myself so ill. I feel fine and need to be well to look after my 3 girls. I know possibly cancer cells are in my system, but maybe they are not? I keep thinking what am I doing? I feel so well, happy and normal when I forget then I remember and everything seems so messed up. I am sooooooooo confused, and want to cry all the time. To feel happy makes remembering even harder, does any of this make sense??.? Noranelly

Nora - I echo MsTori's reply. This is a great place for support. You want to feel well and happy for a lifetime. That's the reason you've chosen to go the route you have. We are all in the midst of it and here for each other.

Alcb- hang in there. Your already down 2 chemo treatments. Yay! I'm waiting for the hair to go. I pray it doesn't. I texted my stylist/friend just now and gave her a window. She is a doll I guess I will just have her buzz it down to an inch or two. I have heard not to go down to the scalp because of irritation. Try a flannel pillow case. I've read that it helps the irritation at night. I just ordered a bunch of turbans and scarfs. Pray you feel better.