Starting Chemo October 2012

halfcan great that they managed LGFB and chemo schedules. I had my LGFB book out on how to put on makeup before the concert Monday night. I am not used to wearing anything but mascara and blush a couple of times a year!

Feeling good today, day 2 post chemo though who knows about tomorrow!

Thanks all for the feedback.  I am/feel too young to be taking steriods and I just don't want to!  I'm delighted that all of you have had minimal/manageable side effects.  Having said that, has anyone heard of any alternatives?  I want to do/take everything they say to fight the cancer but I guess I'm leery of taking a raft of ancillary drugs.  Thanks all.  Best wishes to you. 

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I haven't checked in for a while - had my third FEC chemo today, so half way! Glad to hear that most people are getting through this without too many problems.

It's funny - I checked in because I am getting so frustrated by weight gain - and am (sorry to say) glad to hear that I'm not the only one. I find it really frustrating, as I'm not overeating (compared to previously anyway), and am making a conscious effort to go for lower calorie options (skim milk etc) and to try and go for a walk most days. It's like a slap in the face, on top of the whole cancer, surgery, chemo, hairloss onslaught, I feel, and it's making me feel uncomfortable all the time.

Any suggestions welcome, and hugs to all,

Ali xx

its not for everyone... but it is a useful herb in many forms

i feared my past use would mean it wouldnt work as well...

but nope

nausea hits... i take one tiny toke.. and pooof, it takes the edge off.

hard to smoke with mouth sores tho ... i may try cooking with it soon

KR-I think the steroids are to help with any possible allergic reactions to the chemo.  I know they also give Benadryl, but it also depends on the type of chem that you are given.  Not everyone gets the benadryl too.  So I'm not sure what kind of alternative they could give for allergic reactions.  I was really nervous about the steroids too.  I thought I would want to eat everything in site like some of the women are saying on here.  Everyone is different, they truly are.  Maybe you should wait to see how you react and if you are one of the ones that want to just eat the entire refrigerator then next round ask your onc for an alternative.  Don't just assume that you are going to eat everything in site.  You are already very conscious of your food intake so that will help you as well.  Plus your taste buds will most likely change.  Very few people have been lucky enough to not have them change.  Those things that you used to call your comfort food will no longer hold any appeal.  They will taste like cardboard or bleach and you'll just look at them and say to yourself why even bother putting it in your mouth when you know it won't taste good.  Then when you really get hungry you will finally seek something out.  So after the nausea wears off you have that to look forward to.

Celine-I have thought of using pot...does it help with the cardboard taste?  I know it will help with the nausea, but after about 10 days I'm no longer nauseated, but I just can't taste anything so I don't really eat much knowing that it's not really going to taste good.  If I knew that it was going to taste good that would change my mind.  So just wondering.  I'm not against the idea, I'm just wondering how much it will help before I go buying something illegal!!

Toots-Man, I wished I craved chocolate!  I used to love that stuff.  Used to call myself a chocoholic even, and right now I can't really stand it.  It has a really weird taste and I'm always so disappointed when I do have some because I know it won't taste good.  So I've given it up for now.  I hate to be disappointed.  It's like that with many foods right now.  I've stopped buying many things that I used to love just so I won't be disappointed in the taste.  I hate that.

On a good note, my doctor has decided to stop my chemo at treatment number four which I had yesterday!  Yippee!  I can't say how excited I am about this.  So in about three weeks or so I will be headed to the radiation part of my therapy.  Which I'm also nervous about.  I've been reading the rad boards and some of the horror stories over there.  I know everyone is different and I won't know how my body will react until I get into it, but it still sounds scary.  For now I just have to get through the next 10 days with minimal side effects.  I hope you guys will do the same.  My muscles have been aching a lot more lately than they did with number two.  I'm sure this nuelesta shot that I will have today will not help any either, but I keep telling myself this is the last round.  This is my last time and that should start getting better.  Keep the faith and keep looking for those silver linings.  Hugs to all. -- Sonya

celine are you getting it through the legal channels? Some members of my family think I should get some prescribed even if I don't want it they feel it would help them support me! LOL!

I don't think anyone ever goes through this without being scared.  Each phase brings about new fears because each phase brings about the unknown.  Because everyone is different and you don't know what your side effects will be.  You can  read about everyone elses, but that doesn't mean that they will happen to you.  I can tell you that on taxotere that my eyes water a lot, that for the mouth sores I chew on ice chips to help counteract that problem, that I have muscle aches all the time now...happened after number three treatment and I've had some neuropathy in my toes...nothing very severe as of yet.  And it did go away, but is slowly coming back after treatment number four...will have to see if it goes away again towards the end again.  Other than that those have been my only SE's for taxotere.  Although the cytoxan I've heard is the one that messes with your sinuses so maybe that's the one that is messing with my eyes more than the taxotere.  Who knows???  Good luck Toots and Halfcan on the taxotere...it's a beast!

What I have found, and maybe this is true of all chemo in general, is that my once oily skin is now dry.  That's been a big change for me.  So I wish I had known about some of those feel good classes I've heard you guys talk about especially if they give you some really good creams!  Bummer!

halfcan.........that sounds great! Thank you x

Feeling better overall 7th day after 2nd treatment.



Suffering from head rash red bumps and super sore, have a call into my onco. Nurse...



This time I drank a kefir / probiotic drink day before chemo and it seemed to help with diarrhea (but I wasn't taking additional anti nausea pills ).



I'm on taxotere and cytoxin and only experience nausea in the middle of intestinal problems. They give me dex just before and for two days after.



Body aches better with Naproxin (prescription strength ) this time. Day 7 seems to be when my skin gets funky and my feet are super cold. Alaffia makes a lotion with neem in it my friend sent to me that isn't greasy but seems to keep skin happy.



I haven't gained weight during chemo but did prior to so happy there's not additional changes (emotional donut eating was my downfall).



Taste definitely effected week two after treatment ... No sweet taste and dulled everything but it did come back in week three last time so hoping it does it again.



I have "baby cancer" and "baby chemo" though. I'm amazed at what you all are going through and how strong women are (and their families). Walking helps and I walk even on the bad days when I move slow and sway... But definitely helps with spirit and fatigue.



Remember to find gratitude -- laugh-- and realize now is the time to learn to accept help, to receive rather than give, to be pampered and feel all the love you can find.

Sonson - congratulations on your last round, how fantastic for you.  Hope you will stick around on this discussion board as I presume we will all be going through radiation as well post-chemo? 

Halfcan - congratulations to you too, halfway there!!! 

I received my buffs today - thanks Marianelizabeth, love them....alternating between wearing them as a hat or a scarf.  

Re. the weight gain, fitness information.  Pre-diagnosis I was at the gym at least 3 times a week but I don't want to go during treatment as my stamina comes and goes with chemo and I want to return healthy.  BUT, we did get a Wii as well, my intention was to fully use the Wii fit, but instead I am hooked on the "just dance" it is loads of fun, warms you up, burns come calories and gives you a laugh....highly recommended

Hi gals Cher here...happy to have found this forum thanks to halfcan! So nice to meet you & had s so much dim the other day!

Chemo started October 1st.am 1/2 way there! Next one next Thursday.SE's right on track...sick for about 2 weeks but is doable! Had a pretty nightmarish time with surgery then infections got healed just in the nick of tinge for chemo...so as sick as I've gotten it's nothing compared to what u went threw

Happily this year will end & start fresh although Femara will start.

Wishing you all pain free-low SE's day

Hi everyone! I've been checking in and reading posts. My mom is visiting, and I'm finally coming out of round #3 funk. I'm day 9. I am grateful that my "good" week is Thanksgiving week. My daughter is coming on Tues. and I am SO excited! I am still a bit nauseated here and there, but better. On the peeling hands someone mentioned: I use Neutragena Swiss Formula hand cream (it's really thick), and at night I put it on with some light cotton gloves. I wear the gloves as long as I can (hopefully overnight)...but even if I wear them for an hour or so, it really seems to help.

I hope everyone is doing well today!   ~Andrea

celine, he did Marianne near the end of the 45 minute encores. That song took me right back to when I was 19 when that album came out. He was 33 then! 

Chemo day 4 and .5 mg of Ativan got me 7 hours of sleep. I managed to go out last night to a great vegetarian restaurant with DH and all 3 kids for our daughter's 27th and then to a film (part of Mountain Film Festival) called Gates to Phu, a remote village in Nepal. It was in part a fundraiser for a school we sponsor a child at in Kathmandu so old friends and trekkers we knew too. I faded at the end so missed the Nepali food and wine at a art show for the fund raiser but was so happy to have had the evening out with my whole family.

Sonson, just buy fresh ginger and slice it thin and simmer it on the stove. My daughter does it for all things esp. coldsu but my husband swears by it for seasickness. You can drink it plain or add honey. 

Gravol now puts out a seasickness product that is just ginger, no drugs! Friends tested it summer before last while sailing with us and we could find no bad stuff in it online or on the packaging and no nausea for our non sailing friends at all. Ginger is good!