Starting Chemo October 2012

Thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction for ginger.  I'll have to go seek some out, but can't do it until after the luncheon unfortunately.  I'm hosting this thing and have to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.  It seems like the more chemo you have the more nausea you have...just something to look forward to I guess.  It wasn't so bad with number one and two.  Number three was a little worse and now number four has been really bad.  I even had them give me extra meds with chemo the other day because I've been nauseated just slightly the entire time since number three so I was really scared about this one.  But knock on wood so far no throwing up...hopefully that will not change.  Zofran is my friend!!

Hmmm maybe that's why I've escaped nausea -- I've been eating ALOT of ginger chews (candy) and lozenges, etc. also there's ginger tea. My heartburn is also bad (for me) but tums alone seems to kick it but that may also be because of the ginger.



Gotta go get my cream for my head (folliculitis) - its looking pretty awful -- pimple head is not a nickname I need to add to my already long list given (with affection and fun) by my teenaged kids...(baldy, sicky, sleepy, poopyhead, zombie etc.)

watch your fever... for me it sore skin is an indication i may have fever...

hope everyone is well... today, day #10  after treatment #3... and i was able to spend most of the day out of my bed...

ive been so weak

hope all is well 

Caitgrace, I too have pimple head! It's mainly at the nape of my neck and its awful the first week and a half or so after treatment. It itches so bad and just looks awful. My dr far me Clindamycin for it...not sure if its working.



Day 6 past chemo #3 and still no side effects other than fatigue (which hasn't been bad at all) and my tastebuds are gone. They usually come back by Monday or Tuesday of my 2nd week so I should be good for Thanksgiving! Yay!



Love to all!!

...hair or lack of it

......it is definitely fascinating - I was told same things about fallout, but had it shaved a week before I started my treatment because I got it sponsored and managed to raise £1500 for cancer research by doing it, however at the time they had suggested, had no hair to fall out but had an awful 'crawling' under my scalp, only thing that made it feel better was a hot bath and lay back with my head in it.............and at the same time now after second treatment and suffering from a 'crawling' sensation again..............don't know quite how to describe it not an itch or irritation just something moving under the scalp!

The hair thing is so weird.....  do you all find yourselves noticing the hair of every person you see all day long?  I never was one to notice much about strangers, but now I see all this long, thick, beautiful hair everywhere I go.....  it makes me a bit sad.  I had mine cut real short the day before chemo started.  The head started itching after only a week or so, and on day 15 it started falling out like crazy.  I knew it would happen but nothing can quite prepare you for that.  It was everywhere!  After 3 days of that, couldn't take any more, so out came the clippers.  Scalp was getting very tender by that time, and it still is, a couple weeks later.  Didn't shave it right to the skin, just buzzed it really short.  So it's still falling out (takes awhile, doesn't it??) but just tiny little pieces.  The lint roller is my friend these days!  Eyebrows & eyelashes still holding on fine.  And the hair on my legs, where I'd be happy to see it gone?  Must be tough, because there's still quite a bit.  I would have to shave my legs if I wanted to wear a dress.  Go figure!

Oh my, 25 inches

Today our local newspaper was a parenting article about guiding kids through mom's cancer.  The book is written by a breast cancer survivor and is called: The Kids' Guide to Mommy's Breast Cancer, by Karyn Stowe  the article states the book has chapters dedicated to the operation / chemo / radiation / finishing treatment.  For those of you with children, thought this may be of interest/help. 

Hi everyone, how r u all getting on? I am due my 2nd chemo on 21st nov , my birthday week! Not looking forward to it. Have really started to lose my hair it is Falling out everywhere not yet noticeable but a pain as finding it every where. What did others do at this time? Trying to decide whether to just have it shaved? Struggling to accept it, no hair, a wig! Suddenly everything seems more real and scary again. Love noranelly

2 weeks post chemo #2 and I'm having such a bad time with my hands.  Anyone else have this issue?  Nurse warned me about possible "sore mouth and sore hands" and it didn't sound that bad but the reality is so much worse!  It feels like it was burned, like when you drink something too hot and burn your tongue, only all over.  The mouth part was bearable, just very tender for several days, no actual open sores or thrush, and it went away reasonably fast both times.  The hands, kinda the same first time, hurt like if I picked up something hot and burned the skin, only it wasn't really red (weird).  Tender for a week or so then the pain faded, but a few days later the skin started peeling in the places where the pain was worst.  Very odd but the peeling was painless.  But after #2 the hand thing was much worse, started hurting much sooner & much worse, and then fingertips got numb a few days ago, skin is sort of yellowish where the numbness is worst, and now today starting to crack really bad, it sure is painful!!!  Wonder if all that numb skin is going to peel right off?  That's gonna hurt...  Is there anything that can be done to help prevent this?  I have 4 more to go and am getting panicky at the thought that it might keep getting worse each time!

Jennie, 

My hands didn't feel like they had been burned, but I developed an uncomfortable rash which concentrated around my knuckles and fingernails and then about 1-2 weeks later all of the skin on my fingers peeled. It was so annoying and I was so glad when it was finally over. I don't know if this helps make you feel better, but just wanted you to know you weren't alone. I also have numbness and tingling in my left hand. The peeling happened just once throughout my first cycle, and now has gone away, however my taxotere was switched for round #2 with abraxane due to other factors so that may or may not be the reason it stopped.

xoxo

Melissa

Hi toots thanks for your reply . Big day today had the rest of hair shaved of and my 2nd chemo,please to report all went ok and with no hair I look strange but not too bad! My wig fits better and looks ok with a hat onto. My baby phoebe has tried to pull it off and looks at me with a look that says something has changed. I completely understand how u feel about your hair it is a big part of your self image as a woman, goodness what we have to deal with hey some days i wonder what I did wrong love noranelly

Noranelly - my ministers wife when she found out about my diagnosis said 'God only does these things to people who are really strong because they are the ones that cope' must admit that has stuck with me - after nursing my mother through 3 lots of cancer then when she got the all clear I got my diagnosis, believe me I went through the 'what have I done to deserve all this?' 'Why me?' think we all do at some point....all part of the emotional rollercoaster..........

The wig - I bought a reel of double sided surgical tape when I got my two from the same place I bought the wigs - when I put them on they are not going anywhere.......and the wind here is awful at the moment - definitely into winter but it will stop phoebe pulling it off............

Hugs to all x

Poke -- They are having me do AC only, but for 6 dose-dense cycles.  I already had surgery.  For me, it is because of the liver tumors, and Taxol should not be taken with liver problems.  I was HER2-, but ER/PR+.   The MO could be basing it on some other medical history issues and whether or not it is worth the increased problems that the T causes, etc.   Of course, that won't really be the end of things for me as we will be doing hysterectomy & AI's as well.  

P.S. nbnotes: What's an AI? And why do you need the hysterectomy? (I do because I'm BRCA2+, but I was just curious.)