Starting Chemo October 2012

Hi all hope u r all ok, I have been doing well, trying to decide whether to go back to work for one week whilst feel well. I found my chemo session freezing too was told they had no heat pads. My sisters hospital has some so she said she was going to borrow one for me! Got a wig this week and I,m sooo not sure it looks a bit like a dead animal in the box, my hair hasn't fallen out yet but my head has been itchy. Yes I have become quite stubborn and find all the attention quite odd, never been centre of attention before and hope won't be again like this anyway! Thanks for your thoughts about baby phoebe all is well and good now! Anyway take care all and loads of hugs and positive thoughts

Noranelly

what ever works sounds good to me...

i cant stand wearing anything on my head... i tried.. i still felt i got looks.

so now, if im not cold, i dont wear anything

Hi all,

A note of caution for those using tea tree oil - it has estrogenic properties. Not sure how much of an issue it is here but good to know.

Hoping for minimal SEs for all. I have third treatment next Wednesday.

Just finished up treatment 2. 1/2 way done! Had a meal after as I was so hungry - hoping it will sit ok. Left my water bottle there - my memory is so bad these days. Grrrr.



So my blood work was actually better than the one they did before chemo. Go figure. Medically I always seem to be the exception to the rule but really? Wow.



Did get my period / break through bleeding 2 weeks after just having it. SUCK. I thought chemo was suppose to stop it? But nurse says this can happen. First time in my life all emergency tampons gone from all bags had to pay an arm and a leg to get at hotel gift shop.



Feeling that weird energy but tired of the steroid chemo combo...



Feel eternally blessed that my tumor was caught early; that all tests were almost as good as they could be; that I have good insurance and a great employer; an amazing family and friends; a great cancer team. Overwhelmed that my body is tolerating things well and know this is a huge blessing as I know others are struggling -- I pray to Kali-Ma to protect you all from harm from sickness from saddness; I pray for strength and joy and love for you all. Namaste.

Poke-I'm on the November thread, but have been lurking here for all the wonderful tips, as I was the first November lady to get treatment. I'm also BRCA2 and needing to make more surgical decisions. My MO at Stanford has developed this decision making tool: http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/april/brca-tool-0409.html. Hope it might help you. Having an oopherectomy is a big decision. I'm 44 with two teenagers, so I'm done with childbearing and it's easy to say the ovaries are useless, just get rid of them. The reality is that most women who go through natural menopause experience it over the course of years, but having the oopherectomy puts you in IMMEDIATE menopause and the side effects are so much more intense. With that being said, I do know the diagnostics for detecting ovarian cancer are just not reliable, so it's really a matter of "when" for me. I just want to get through chemo first, though, and tackle surgery next year. You are a young lady, so take some time to make your decision. I know the risks are frightening, but remember that they increase with age, so the numbers being quoted are more likely to be in my age bracket, not yours. Good luck in your decision making.

Marianelizabeth, I am getting taxol weekly for 12 weeks. A couple weeks ago I wasn't due to see the onc on my infusion day but I had some questions for him, so I wrote them out and asked the nurse to get my note to him. He wrote out his answers, which I have in front of me.



The standard weekly dose is 80 mg/m2. The m2 is meters squared of body area, which is based on height and weight. My m2 is just over 2, so my weekly dose is 2.02 X 80, or 162 mg. I asked "Is the dosage one-third of what it would be if I were receiving taxol every three weeks instead of every week? if not, why not?". His answer is "No it is not...because it is too toxic to give 240 mg/m2 every three weeks. This is probably why it is more effective to give it weekly."



I would definitely ask about weekly instead of every 3 weeks. It's a pain to go every week (especially since I'm doing cold caps) but I think the side effects are much less on the weekly dose. Oh, I am 60 years old.

Marianelizabeth, I don't know why I jumped to the conclusion of every 3 weeks instead of 2... I'll be interested to hear what your dose will be - double the weekly standard dose or more. On weekly I haven't had any issues with blood counts, so no neupogen or anything else needed. It's interesting to see what treatments others are getting, and how it seems to vary by region or country.

My husband described the chemo-taste bud thing to a pregnant lady - what can I say he is crazy - oh but so supportive to the weird cravings, the eating things you use to hate and love them now and the can't eat/drink things you used to love but can't stand anymore!!!

Second treatment yesterday, waiting for nurse to come and deliver my Pegfilgrastim this morning ooh hate that needle in my tummy and the aches and pains in joints and bones next morning.......

Yesterday was a total waste of time after treatment - took 1/4 tablet of levomepromazine - counteracts the 'bouncing off the walls' effects of the steroids but just knocks you out slept for most of the rest of the day until 1am in morning got up had anti-nausea tablets, something to eat and drink and back to bed til 5:30 woke up hungry again.....so crazy when you are trying to cope with chemo and dealing with diabetes where you suppose to eat every 4 hrs to keep blood sugar levelled.......and why a craving for chocolate cake when you can't eat sugar grrrr......

....never mind found a wonderful recipe for chocolate cake - only 1 calorie per slice and no sugar woohoo made with bananas honey and coconut flour - just need to find the energy to spend some time baking! Every cloud - silver lining...........

Another thing I would like to share Bio-oil best thing ever invented, wonderful massage, fades scars fast great after the surgery, and seems to work better than all the anti-aging creams I have ever used in my life - friends being very kind and asking why I am looking 5-10 years younger, not fair when I am supposed to be sick with cancer! Can be picked up at any chemist/supermarket and cheaper than the anti-aging creams - back to clouds with silver linings............

Hope all are as well and happy as can be expected, big hugs, take care 

MsTori you are welcome, love to feel I am helping even just a little, think we are all going through this thing together so it helps each of us even if just to say how we are feeling, when we find something that eases some of the SEs or something why not share it, they say all our BCs are different but some things hit common ground somewhere along the line even if it only the SEs...........every cloud always has a silver lining we all just need to look for them.......and they are good at playing hide and seek!

I think dose dense means every two weeks instead of 3 and when explained to me, this is because I get the Neupogen which boosts those neutrophils allowing for chemo more often. For me, it seems they want me to have the chemo in ASAP due to the aggressiveness and extensive lymphovascular.

Silver linings for sure......I have been blessed with minor stomach things and funny tastes.  Hard to stay hydrated.  Sprite has worked but water and juices taste weird.  Going to try mixing cranberry juice and sprite to get some variety.  Milk products , which I would typically die for a mocha frappe from McD...just don't sound appetizing.  My mom keeps trying to get me to drink Ensure because I am not eating alot.  YUK.  Have managed to eat eggs, cheese, potatoes and some fish....had some jello this morning on day 5 tx.  Dropped 2 pounds only since Monday so not too concerned.  Trying to force down protein and fruits. 

Schoolmom-Day 7 for me. My tastebuds have also gone haywire. Previously, I couldn't make it through the day without my beloved double cappuccino. Now, ZERO desire for coffee. Teas, water, juice-no go. The past few days I have been squeezing a little grapefruit juice into my water and have been able to drink a few glasses a day. Maybe it's the strong flavor of the grapefruit that helps? On a happy note, today was the first day I woke up with no aches! I'm so excited to feel "normal" again, I'm going to jump in my car to grab lunch somewhere and detour to the mall...just because I can! Woohoo!

301724, good read and thanks. 

i am already planning christmas shopping days... based on what days i expect to feel up to it...i love shopping too!

Toots-for Thanksgiving we are going out to eat because I have a treatment right before Thanksgiving.  I won't feel up to cooking a big dinner and I know my husband could do the turkey, but all the other stuff probably not.  Plus I'd feel like I would need to help in some way if he ended up taking it on himself.  It would just be better going out.  Besides I may not want to eat anyway so why go to all the trouble.  I think it would be better for him and for me!