Starting Chemo October 2012

noranelly, yesterday my yoga teacher told us of an old friend who had called because her anxiety was overwhelming her. My teacher told her to exhale. So yes, breathe but make the exhale long and this will help you take deeper strengthening breaths. We are with you. I am only on day 6 of my first cycle of chemo but am coping even though I would not say this is what I wanted. I do see you have 5 positive nodes (I had 6) and so I am thinking your medical team is basing chemo on those findings plus others.

Again, know we are here!

Marian 

alcb- thanks so much for the info. I am waiting. I took 4 inches off it at the start if the month. It's at my neck now. My hairdresser is on standby. Sorry your doc told you that. Everyone is so different. Our treatment is the same. But your one treatment ahead of me. We will have to celebrate when our treatments end. It will be within a few weeks of each other. We can lite up this board with 'Happy'. :-)

Halfcan- glad you are better today.



That is a good reminder for all of us to be very careful not to forget that we are more vulnerable to normally conquerable bacteria. When I am out in public places these days, I keep reciting to myself "don't touch anything, don't touch your face" and I wash my hands at every opportunity. I'm going to pick up some extra hand sanitizer today too. Day 7 for me today and so far so good but the nadir is top of mind!

halfcan glad you are feeling better but am wondering what happened with your mouth on Friday?

Marlene, glad you are hanging in there. I still have some diarrhea but called the nurse helpline last night and she encouraged me to ride it out without imodium and to stay hydrated. We spent a few wonderful hours on Bowen Island yesterday with friends and even though I was up and down feeling it was good to get away. Today I am totally taking it easy and not going anywhere. 

2 days past my 2nd TC infusion and this is the worst I've felt. I just feel blah. I've taken a total of 7 Colase in 2 days to get things flowing down under and even though its working, Im crampy from it all. The hot flashes are awful, fatigue is taking over but of course not tired enough to sleep. I just don't want to move.



I hope you all are doing well.



Halfcan, I too get sore gums around my molars. They bled a tiny bit about the beginning of my 5-6 day following chemo. I use Biotene toothpaste, mouthwash and gum and it eventually goes away.

Poke- You and I are on the same treatment regimen. Day 4 was actually my worst day.

The way it worked for me was- from day 1 until day 4, I was not feeling well at all, but was managing to eat dinner. Day 4 everything just fell apart and I was sick sick sick! For the next four days, I ate barely nothing, felt like crap, and had to get IV fluids twice (at my Herceptin day and the day after) just because I was so dehydrated. About 2-3 days after my first Herceptin only dose (so a little over a week from the TCH day), I started to feel more normal. I was staying hydrated and started eating real food in small doses again.

By my next Herceptin only dose, I was feeling great (except for having no WBC, which was a concern but obviously didn't actually feel one way or another). I have stayed feeling good, getting better and better each day...this whole upswing started around day 9 or 10.

I hope you start feeling better even sooner than that! My big goals for myself when my second TCH session rolls around this Thursday- stay hydrated and start taking all my anti-nausea and anti-big D meds immediately. I am hopeful that this will make my second round more tolerable than the first. So, for you right now, I would tell you to drink, drink, drink! Also, take all the meds you need, and call your MO if you feel you need a med more often than it is currently prescribed, or to see if you need to go in for IV fluids.

Hope you're feeling better soon...hugs

I should clarify- mag oxide for constipation. And was told it only works if you start it day before, day of and day after. Won't work if taking after already set in. Credit TonLee on another board.

OMG.  Still waiting for my oncotypedx score on Thursday.  When I think I can deal with chemo I see how badly everyone is feeling and I dont know.  I am grade 3 with 1/3 micromet sentinel nodes so thinking chemo is in the plan.  I live alone and wonder how I am going to get through this.  My adult son lives 45 min. away and works.  My adult daughter is married and lives 10 min aways and works.  Can I deal with this at home by myself with my daughter checking in with me after work? 

Just dropped in to say hi to everyone...  I'm 11 days out from my first chemo.  Not as bad as I had expected it to be.... no nausea at all thank god but had some of the big D, but Immodium took care of it.  Had horrible metallic taste in my mouth and by day 4-5 it was very cottony.  I got one mouth sore but my fault for using a vinegarette on day 6 on my salad...vinegar burned the inside of my mouth... biotine rinse, toothpaste and gum has helped.  I also love the Ricola lozenges.  Day 4, 5 & 6 were my bad days as I was SO tired and napped all the time... I was just wiped out and no appetite... nothing tasted normal or good at all.  My Onc put me on a steroid pill for the first 3 days after chemo  and that really gave me an appetite and so much energy, but day 4 I took a nosedive.  I actually started feeling better and more myself 7 days after chemo... yay!  My appetite has returned the last several days which has caused me to eat everything in sight... never thought  you could gain weight on chemo! Wondering when I'm going to start losing my hair... I had long, thick hair and had 21 inches cut off the day before my 1st chemo... 

Hope you all are doing well, my October sisters!  My next chemo is October 31st.... Halloween + chemo = scary!  LOL 

Hi all, haven't been around the past few days, trying to recover, not working .  6 days post 1st chemo, felt great days 1 and 2, extreme bone pain on day 3 and 4, burning feet day 5 and pounding headache day 6.  No nausea .  I have tried every pain reliever possible and resorted to my leftover Pecoset, still no help.  I was told Friday to take ibuprofen by my MO nurse, was told by everyone else to take Tylenol don't take any NSAIDS.  Thanks for letting me know 2 days into my pain.  My burning feet probably is neuropathy and put 2 pair of socks on and finally subsided.  Chugging gatorade today, finally my headache is minimal.  Going to the MO tomorrow for blood draws, boy is she going to get an earful of SE from me, lol.  I am suppose to go back to work on Tuesday, but pending some great news from my MO about future SE, I won't be returning to work until after chemo is complete.  Shaved my head Friday along with hubby, brother and a friend.  Not too bad, told I look like a little kid.  And my little 7 year old told me I look more beautiful now than when I had hair  Well, I hope everyone feels better and hand in there!!

Day four and everything hurts. Feel scorched inside and out. Thought I was getting C so ate for that now have D. Arg. My mouth hurts and I'm sure I have thrush along with mild ulcers on my tongue...is this when the magic mouth wash comes in? Or does thrush get treated differently? Been doing baking soda/salt rinses along with biotene but still fuzzy /sore mouthed.



Just keep thinking I can get through the rough days and I'll be ok. How many days do you all take your anti nausea meds for?

Well, my oncology nurse was dead on.  Day 14 & the hair started coming out this morning.  Every time I run my hands run through my hair, I come away with strands but so far no big clumps of hair.  I thought I was a "shedder" before, but this is definitely different.  Since I'm not going to be getting chemo for a couple weeks due to the infection, I don't think I'll shave it until there are actual bald spots.  I have extremely thick hair that could probably lose half of it and still look fairly normal, lol. I just don't want to be too hasty with the clippers.  At least it lasted through my birthday yesterday, and I did have a wonderful weekend even with all of the craziness going on. 

For those with mouth stuff going on, there is a prescription mouth rinse that is given for thrush.  I used to get that when on lots of steroids for asthma, and it works.  Unfortunately, the magic mouthwash won't make it go okay.    

Hi ladies. Day 5, four of which I only left bed to go to the bathroom or ER which was last night's adventure. Compazine, threw up. Zofran, threw up, IV saline and zofran and reglan and Pepcid: threw up. They finally gave me some IV Ativan and sent me on my way. I slept like a baby all night. We didn't get home until 3 am. My poor honey.



What a helpless feeling. No other se's! No mouth problems, no pain. Just this awful cramping and nausea. UGH!! Go away!!!

They'll rub the port with alcohol before they access it.  It will be tender at first but then the rubbing will make it feel a little numb.  I've had my port accessed three times and didn't have the numbing cream for any of them.  It does hurt, no joke, but it's a quick pain.  The nurse has me inhale deeply and then slowly exhale, on the exhale she puts the needle in.  Once the needle is in the pain subsides and it probably won't hurt again until the needle comes out.  You'll do fine!  My port is still tender sometimes (over 6 weeks after they put it in) and I worry every time it needs to be accessed.  I'm not going to forget the numbing cream next time!