Starting chemo November 2012

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  • txjunebug
    txjunebug Member Posts: 212
    edited November 2012

    Soteria215  -  Congrats on the drain removals!!!  I know you're relieved to get rid of those!

    Thankful4mylife - what day are you on?  Wondering what is average day for hair to flee.

    Again thanks everyone for the special prayer for my friend.  She has been waiting over a month to get biopsy and find out.  I know she does appreciate your thoughts!

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Junebug, I'm in..praying for your friend - praying for all of us!!! There's power in numbers..also, my hair started falling out today - day 15!! it's just touch and go - glad I have a wig or two, don't want to make any "Hairpie" for dessertWink

    Soteria - good riddance to those darn drains - enjoy your new freedom..

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  • michellej1980
    michellej1980 Member Posts: 342
    edited November 2012

    Day 13 and I'm still in denial about the hair thing. No sign of it falling yet and feeling so normal makes it hard to accept. I know it is weird that one minute you have hair and then it all starts dropping off! Am very curious to see how successful the cold cap was...



    Did anyone who had Neulasta get any bone pains? I didn't, thankfully!

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Michelle, it will be interesting to see if your cold caps worked..Be sure to let us know.

    I think we all go bone pain from the Neulasta - but it works - blood levels are good.

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Oh No! I think I am getting a cold- been sneezing and have a runny nose. Too many germs this week...I made another pot of chicken soup, took a Tylenol PM, drinking a cup of tea - found a shower cap to cover my falling out hair - OK girls, I am going to bed (7:00pm here)..I'll probably be back in a few hours..

    Have a good night everyone.

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  • Wendymartha1
    Wendymartha1 Member Posts: 41
    edited November 2012

    Thanks ladies for your posts.  I'm new here; scheduled to start chemotherapy on 11/27.  The most frustrating part has been choosing a chemo plan.  I have had three MO consults and they all recommend something different!  I tentatively chose ACT but will talk it over again with the MO I have chosen.  I will be one of the working gals; at least part-time.  Wishing you all well.

    Wendy

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  • maryah930
    maryah930 Member Posts: 322
    edited November 2012

    Welcome Wendy.  I start chemo tomorrow.  Three different treatments?  That must be frustrating and confusing.  Hugs.

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  • txjunebug
    txjunebug Member Posts: 212
    edited November 2012

    Welcome Wendy!

    Maryah930 - good luck tomorrow!  let us know how it goes! 

    5LuvBugs --  no colds allowed!!  Hope you feel better tomorrow!

    Yes I got aches from the Neulasta shot but it hasn't been too bad today (Day 5).  This evening brought sinus issues and some bloody nose discharge (sorry for the grossness).  Guess I'll be calling the doctor tomorrow as I'm parranoid of an infection!

    Hope everyone has a good evening!

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  • nanatwo6
    nanatwo6 Member Posts: 18
    edited November 2012

    txjunebug,,,took benadryl for the itch,called the doctor and he said I was allergic to the wash they used on me before the port was put in,something new everyday!!

    Well today was my first chemo treatment, talk about scared, I could hardly breathe. Got thru it just fine though, I do feel a little yucky now,hoping it passes real soon. And I am sick of drinking WATER already !!!

    Take care ladies <3<3

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2012

    Ladies if you take Claritin, it will greatly reduce the bone pain from Neulasta. You can go to the dollar stores and get the generic for Claritin (Loratidine). Take it the day before the shot, the day of, and a few days after.



    Blessings

    Paula

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  • keetmom
    keetmom Member Posts: 432
    edited November 2012

    Ok if this shows up multiple times...not sure what i up today....I found out today my port is going in tomorrow and I will be starting chemo on Monday....still waiting on the her2 test to figure out which protocol to do....I have been through chemo with my daughter and now me...just feel lost

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  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,735
    edited November 2012

    Wine: In July my BS told me to basically quit alcohol while waiting for surgery. Evidence has it that us ER+ women need to restrict to about 2 drinks a wwek. It was tough for me because I really liked my wine but since chemo it has been no big deal because it tastes TERRIBLE! Now I don't even care though I am wondering if Taxol will be different than A/C?

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  • adagio
    adagio Member Posts: 982
    edited November 2012

    Ladies - I had my first chemo today and so far, so good. Just a little bit queasy every once in a while, but I just take a sip of water and it seems to pass. Praying for a good night's sleep in spite of the dexamethosone. What a journey into the unknown this is!!

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Hi Wendy and welcome to a great gathering place, we laugh and cry here so just join in. You will be getting your first chemo the day I get my 2nd so we can keep notes. 

    Good luck today Maryah

    Junebug I'm just as paranoid and I will be calling the doctor also, can't be having a cold..Knew I should have not let all my grandkids in the house, especially the baby who left here with a fever and snotty nose...I feel crappy!

    Soteria, glad you reminded us to take the claritan - I'm sure it will help

    Nanatwo - glad you made it through round one..Keep drinking that water, wash those meds away!!!!...

    Keetmom, your not lost, we are all here for you - of course we are lost tooYell Good luck with the port (many of us have them) and your 1st treatment - remember drink lots of water, before during and a day or two after chemo!!!

    Mariane - Iwill try a glass of wine on Thanksgiving..I really don't drink but the truth is my husband grows wine grapes and there are about 10 acres of them in my backyard, my brother in law, who lives next door,  has a winery and I should be a wino!Tongue Out 

    Nothing tastes as good lately but I have found myself eating junk food this week.  Anyone else?

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Hi Wendy and welcome to a great gathering place, we laugh and cry here so just join in. You will be getting your first chemo the day I get my 2nd so we can keep notes. 

    Good luck today Maryah - we have the same meds

    Junebug I'm just as paranoid and I will be calling the doctor also, can't be having a cold..Knew I should have not let all my grandkids in the house, especially the baby who left here with a fever and snotty nose...I feel crappy!

    Soteria, glad you reminded us to take the claritan - I'm sure it will help

    Nanatwo - glad you made it through round one..Keep drinking that water, wash those meds away!!!!...

    Keetmom, your not lost, we are all here for you - of course we are lost tooYell Good luck with the port (many of us have them) and your 1st treatment - remember drink lots of water, before during and a day or two after chemo!!!

    Mariane - Iwill try a glass of wine on Thanksgiving..I really don't drink but the truth is my husband grows wine grapes and there are about 10 acres of them in my backyard, my brother in law, who lives next door,  has a winery and I should be a wino!Tongue Out 

    Nothing tastes as good lately but I have found myself eating junk food this week.  Anyone else?

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  • Traii
    Traii Member Posts: 1,138
    edited November 2012

    Adigo..i had my 2nd chemo today...so far so good. Steriods kept me up all night no doubt ill frash by friday like last time...but by day 7ish back to mormal so thats a good thing!

    What chrmo u having?



    5luvbugs..dont go there re junk food...ive been having that too think tadte buds or lack of at timesmakes my wandering in the pantry just crazy...lol

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  • Tlym
    Tlym Member Posts: 115
    edited November 2012

    Michelle-My hair started shedding yesterday, day 17. I would run my hands through it and 5 or 6 strands would come out at a time. Between yesterday and today, I would say I have lost about 300-400 hairs, but it still looks nice and full and no one but me can tell there is hair loss. Keeping my fingers crossed that the cold caps will work!

    5LuvBugs-Hope it's not a cold. You have been so good about keeping germs away. Sending you good thoughts!

    Wendy-I really struggled with my tx decision as well. The MO at me second opinion consult was able to give me overall survival numbers between the two regimens, and AC-T only showed to give me a .75% benefit over TC. With a family history of heart disease, it was an easy decision for me.

    Maryah-Good luck tomorrow!

    Adagio and Nana-Wishing you a week of gentle SE's!

    Keetmom-I'm having chemo on Monday, too. It's my second round of TC. We'll be going through SE's together, so let's lean on each other!

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  • Tlym
    Tlym Member Posts: 115
    edited November 2012

    I wanted to give a shout-out to my wonderful daughter. She's 17 years old and donated her long hair for the second time yesterday. So proud of her!

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  • Thankful4mylife
    Thankful4mylife Member Posts: 56
    edited November 2012

    Txjunebug...I'm on day 12. The hair is shedding fast. Looks like you and I are the same "stuff".



    My blood work is good this week!!!! Yay!!!



    Hope everyone is having a great night!!

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  • Megan2
    Megan2 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2012

    Interesting to hear when people's hair starts to fall. It gives a better ballpark of when I have to drag the ugly too big uncut wig out (now like my short hair!) and use children's glue to keep it in place. Or bandaids. Or masking tape. I live in a muslim country, so there are options in that regard for me... though I may get some strange looks for my sudden conversion.

    Despite my germ paranoia, and request to coworkers to give wide berth if sick, someone came and sat next to me yesterday to review something and then told me an hour later they were ill. They are home today sick. And I have a fever, so had to go in this morning for a blood culture and blood cont and am now having to take my "standby" antibiotics til the blood culture comes back - hopefully showing nothing. I mentioned before I am a 4hr flight from the cancer centre where I am being treated, and in a place where a hospital will make a healthy person sick, so am nervous about the test results. I don't want to be told i need IV antibiotics. I feel ok, so am hoping it is just the cold the kids all seem to have (of course). Also no clue what to expect from the blood count. The Dr at the cancer centre wanted a blood count on day 8, and the results aren't good, but maybe they are exactly as expected?

    Does anyone else get regular bloodwork to see how the neupogen is working? Did anyone have extremely low neutrophil counts (mine is 0.07 and it needs to get back up to 1.5 to do round 2 - but it is currently only day 8, which is the absolute low point, so is this normal?) My panicky side is taking over... I was also only given 4 shots, of which the third was scheduled for today, so am also worried that others are doing more and I wasn't given a sufficient quantity... SO much to worry about!!!

    Junebug - my best friend had cancer last year. She is an amazing support to me. I am sure you will get your friend through this, and I will be thinking of her while she waits for her results. That's a rough time, the not knowing is sometimes the worst of all.

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  • Tlym
    Tlym Member Posts: 115
    edited November 2012

    Megan-So sorry to hear you are running a fever. I have not had bloodwork since my infusion almost three weeks ago. I had inquired why I couldn't get it done earlier when I was having all the aches from the neupogen and hoping they would let me stop the shots. The triage nurse said my counts at that point wouldn't give them enough information, so I would have to wait until just prior to my next infusion for bloodwork and for them to make a determination as to whether I would need to continue the shots. I also only did 4 neupogen. Hoping nothing shows up on your blood culture and you feel better soon!

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  • Megan2
    Megan2 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2012

    ThanksTlym - that is good to know - both that day 8 blood counts aren't a predictor of the future. My doctor has said some people don't really dip that low, so don't need more than 2 shots. I guess I am not one of them.  Also glad to hear I am not the only one doing 4 shots of neupogen. A little bit of information that I don't understand usually sends me into panic zone, so feel better based on your experience. Of course, now I am worrying that because the only SE I got from the neupogen was this crappy rash, it wasn't working:) 

    Good luck with your next round.

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  • Megan2
    Megan2 Member Posts: 70
    edited November 2012

    Hi Wendy - welcome. I have a similar profile to yours, and was also given a choice between 6xFEC, 6xACT, or 4xTC. As Tlym  said above, I was told there were marginal benefits to FEC/ACT over TC (under 1%), but they are also a bit harder on the heart so basically that evens everything out. I saw two MOs, and one kindly picked up the phone to call a friend MO in Toronot Canada to see what i would be offered at home in Canada (I was in Singapore) and the third also said any of the three were equally good. So I struggled a bit over it, and because I am travelling for treatment, went with the one that was shortest - TC. I am sure you have made the right decision for you.

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  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 1,153
    edited November 2012

    Hi ladies sitting at Dana Faber Boston waiting for treatment # 2...

    5luv-

    I hope u feel better !!!

    Mary-

    Good luck today keep us posted :)

    Nana-

    Congrats- keep it up!!

    Wendy -

    Welcome to our group!!

    Leer-

    Welcome we r here for u!!!

    Adagio-

    Great job. We can do this!!

    Traii-

    Congrats on getting ur 2nd treatment done!!

    TLYM

    Good luck, u should be so proud of ur daughter !!

    Thankful-

    I am with u, my hair is shedding too, day 14... Ughhh

    Megan-

    Feel better. I always get bloodwork the same day



    I hope everyone has a great day!! We got this ladies :)

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Megan, if you can afford it get a smaller petite wig - can't imagine that you will be able to use any of the things you mentioned to hold it on to a sore tender head...  I don't understand why you are getting so many shots - most of us are getting one Neulasta (neupogen) shots the day after chemo.  Is that the shots you are talking about - guess your count is low and you need it. 

    I am sick with a cold also and I have been so careful - guess I'll call the doc later.

    Everyone- whats going on with your hair?  Mine is falling out like crazy and my head itches.  Hair is all over my clothes and I wore a black cap to bed - Look like a" bank robber"- .

    Hairy Question, who's getting their hair buzzed off?  I hate to do it but I don't want "Hair Pie" for Thanksgiving..Tongue Out  How are you girls doing that did the cold caps? today is day 16 for me.

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  • Dakota212
    Dakota212 Member Posts: 1,153
    edited November 2012

    5luv

    I am shedding like crazy. Was trying to keep the hair for thanksgiving. I will probably buzz it this weekend. In such denial still about it. ... That is definitely the hardest part so far. I know once it happens I will deal but yuck!!

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  • 5LuvBugs
    5LuvBugs Member Posts: 506
    edited November 2012

    Ditto!  I am trying to save it but I don't want this hair falling out everywhere..I will try to wait until Black Friday since I won't be out shopping enjoying all the bargains!!!  Cybershopping this year.

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  • maryah930
    maryah930 Member Posts: 322
    edited November 2012

    Hi all:  Thanks for the encouragement.  It's going to be a long day (port placement and chemo same day), but I have a report due and my Kindle Fire.  Good luck, best wishes, stay healthy and here hoping for minimal SEs for all!

    If anyone is having mood changes and insomnia with the steroids, try taking xanax.  I have a prescription for xanax and asked the pharmacist if the were counter-indicated.  She said no, I coul take them together.  No mood swings and I slept through the night last night.

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  • txjunebug
    txjunebug Member Posts: 212
    edited November 2012

    Good morning everyone!! 

    Megan and 5Luvbugs - sorry you are running fevers or feeling crappy.  Hope you get some relief today.

    Thankful - yes we are on the same chemo schedule.  Really glad I didn't go the ACT route.  So far it's not too bad but my head is getting sensitive.  Wondering if I will be one of those ladies who's hair falls out quickly.  It grows really, really fast normally so who knows???

    TYLM - what a sweet daughter you have!  Reflection of her mom!

    Traii - wishing you minimal SE with round #2

    Adagio - glad to hear the first one went okay.  Remember to drink lots of water if possible.  It really did help me. I'm still pumping it down like crazy. 

    Keetmom- sending hugs your way for your port surgery today.  Some of us have broken out in a rash around the port.  Ask you doctor what to do if that happens.  Mine itched like crazy!!!! Hope you don't have that issue.  Let us know what chemo you get on Monday and we'll all be here to help you thru it!

    As tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US, I want to take a moment and say how extremely thankful I am to have met everyone of you. Your support, kindness and strength is amazing and a true gift that I am treasuring now and will forever.  Even when we get done with chemo we need to stay in touch after all we are sisters in this battle now.

    Take care everyone!

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  • Thankful4mylife
    Thankful4mylife Member Posts: 56
    edited November 2012

    I "second" what maryah said about Xanax. My dr put me on it after my BMX. It really does help with sleep.



    My hair is SHEDDING fast and my scalp has a weird sensation. I'm gonna have to make some decisions this weekend. It will be in a pony tail until the decision is made to avoid hair EVERYWHERE. Losing both breasts was "easy" compared to this...at least for me!



    Hope everyone has a great day! We really do have a lot to be thankful for!!

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