Starting chemo November 2012

Good luck with the port today Paula!!  Will be thinking about you Friday.

Well, I think I am finally starting to rebound after AC 2.  I went from one servere extreme to the other.  I tried working this morning, lasted four hours and took the afternoon off.  I did get in a small nap at the end of the baby's nap.   I was able to eat some noodle soup and toast this afternoon.  Who would have thought number 2 problems can zap you.  I had been using stool softners, then I switched to MOM yesterday.   I have never used senna..... 

Wore the wig to get my big girl from school and got lots of compliments.  

Paula, how you doing?

adagio - I got itchy red bumps on the back of my neck about 10 days after chemo #2.  No idea if that's to blame, or what.  But it was sure annoying.  Lasted about a week.  So far it has not come back or anything.  (chemo #3 was one week ago.)

michelle - I have the same mouth thing.  Feels like a furry coating no matter how much you rinse and brush, and nothing tastes good.  Blech!  Everyone says it will eventually go back to normal once chemo is over.  I sure hope so!!!

my first chemo..(nov26) took away my tastebuds in 3 days...i did have a thick coating on my tongue..(thrush??) that seemed to mostly go away with the use of peroxyl...right now my only problem seems to be heartburn..and the fact that i need a nap around dr phil time...lol...and scalp is getting itchy ..hubby keeps telling me to keep hands off head but i dont even know im doing it...best wishes for everyone to have less se this next few weeks of treament...

Hey everybody.  Hope those who are having D/C problems are feeling better.  Starting countdown to my first chemo on Friday at 9:15., along with you Paula.  I think I am most nervous about the constipation and/or diahrrea.  I already have been taking Miralax for the past several days; trying to eat more fiber - steel-cut oatmeal, prunes.  I hope to have things moving before Friday!  Like you, Paula, I have bought all those supplies to try to be ready.  I also went to a LGFB class yesterday!  Cool makeup and a nice group of ladies.  The cosmetologist volunteer was very sweet and enthusiastic.  Then I was able to pick up a wig at the American Cancer Society office.  Went just a little wild and chose a very red one, not my natural color!

Thanks to everyone here for being here!  Who could we talk to about all of this TMI stuff otherwise?

Martha

Ended dehydrated and at the hospital. Dreading a second chemo. I have an appointment with the oncologist tomorrow. I still have nausea but now it is manageable. Today I was able to have breakfast and lunch. I have lost 2 precious pounds in 6 days. Also I feel exhausted and my mind is not clear.



Anyone else on FEC? Does it get any better? I do not think I can continue with chem and these side effects.

Hi all! I'm a Nov 2012 surgery/Dec 2012 chemo gal and I thought some of you might be able to answer a question for me. My BS highly recommended that I get an IV port (picc?) for chemo in my arm rather than in my chest. I had a BMX with immediate implants and he really didn't want a chest port potentially messing with my implants. Do any of you have thoughts or suggestions about the arm port? I would love to get back to running once I'm long enough post-op and if I feel strong enough while I'm on chemo. Did anyone find the arm port bothersome while exercising?

I started chemo on Nov. 20. On day 14, my hair started to fall. Although I knew this was coming any day now, I still panicked a little bit when I was in the shower and saw so many strands of hair in my hands and in the bath tub. Worst was when I patted my hair dry with the towel, there were just hair everywhere on the bathroom floor. My second chemo is on Dec. 6, planning on shaving my head the day after.



Any suggestions on what toothpaste and mouthwash to use. I'm using my son's toddler toothpaste because it hurts using a regular one.

Do you all eat breakfast before your treatment? Is that better? Or is it better to go on an empty stomach?



Blessings

Paula

Wow - so much has happened since I last had time to read. The best part is that as you go through the posts, so many problems are reported and then resolved, which made me feel so happy and optimistic.

I had the longest chemo session today - not hard, just ridiculously long because of starting and stopping due to reactions from to the Taxotere. I had no issues last time, so wonder if only doing 4mg of the dex on day before and day of isn't enough... But getting through the wall of singaporean ladies in blue blazers to talk to me doctor is quite a feat:)

I am so happy to be here - the food is amazing (even if i am not hungy) and being away from the three kids and work is like permission to lie in bed, watch tv, be waited on by my sister and mom who has just arrived, and be a cancer princess:) It's fantastic. I am going to stick around a little longer this time - no day 2 or 3 flight for this gal. I am going to max out on the excuse to lie about, and head back a bit later after some xmas shopping in the 100s of malls. And after eating as many dumplings as I can stuff in:)

I hope all the stones and pellets (Michele, you made me think of a goat and I laughed out loud) and constipation and rings of fire and belly cramps and all the other issues like thrush and so on are behind people for a bit.

On the wig topic, I have mentioned before I have a weirdly tiny head, so my petit wig is too big. There I was on the red eye flight, in my wig, asleep with it all askew:) I wish I could have seen the faces of people walking by!! i have no choice but to yank it back into place every couple of minutes, so the wig tape I found should make me slightly more "discrete". I will go look for a spandex headband... sounds like a great idea. But I definitely prefer the hats and soft scarf. I went out in Singapore today in the scarf and it definitely takes some getting used to the stares of pity.

So, I've been reading all the wig issues/comments here and on other threads and I had also made the decision to go flat. I have a wig and prosthetic as options in case on this lovely emotional rollercoaster I can be on lately dictates otherwise. 

I decided I don't have the time or tolerance to deal with any issues or being uncomfortable, especially during travel.  I've been going au nautural around the house and neighborhood, but this was my first foray in "public" so to speak.  I flew to a site yesterday, shaved and flat! I got the most genuine complements on how great I look with a shaved from the staff at the research site.  I do need to remember hats though, cold Seattle rain and bald heads just don't cut it...

My 3 year old grandson saw me shaved for the first time on Tuesday and told me I looked silly, but he wanted to look like me and Poppy and get his head shaved.

Question: Does anyone have zits?  I have always had good skin, but my face now looks like a pubescent teenager?

I too had a mild sore throat that last round, but I never got sick.  I did have thrush, but unsure if that caused the sore throat.

Milkyway - Talk to your MO.  Immodium didn't really work for me, she said there were other meds we could try for the next round (Dec 14).  The stomach cramps were unbearable and the diarrhea only went from watery to "regular" diarrhea. It started Day 4 after chemo.  Constipation on Day 2-4.  Also, i was told that the Senna I took (Colace didn't work) for the constipation could have contributed.  Do not use toilet paper, get baby wipes instead.  I had to take pain meds for the stomach cramping since they were so bad.  I think that did help wih the diarrhea, but barely.  Finally stopped on Day 9. DO NOT get dehydrated, call your MO.

Anyone whose hair is falling out having problems with your scalp itching???  Wig is driving me crazy so I wore hat all day but head is still itchy.  No redness no bumps just itching. 

banksy I have an arm port. My surgery was at a different location than my current MO, and MO stated they prefer the chest port. Not sure why. My surgeon stated the same as yours . . . don't want more scars on the chest than needed. I have extenders, not immediate recon, so maybe that has some to do with it. Once in a while it is bothersome when I'm carrying my purse . . . kinda knocks it.  But otherwise, probably wouldn't even know it was there now. Doesn't bother me at all when walking, so I would suspect the same with running.  Would just suggest you wear sleeves as to avoid having the skin get irritated.

One week and counting to C-day. And of course, today I get a fever and feel like crap. Timing sucks! My last good week/end and I'm going into it sick. Also have odd little water blisters showing up on my chest, arm, shoulder, and face the past couple of days. I don't know if that is related or has anything to do with the lymph removal. Anyone experience anything like that? Called MO and they just said to see my PCP tomorrow. 

Ladies with tummy yucks here is a tip that was shared with me. My co-workers brother is fighting a very rare, unidentifiable cancer. Long story short, he had a lot of vomiting. The triage nurse told them to place his feet in warm water - think maybe like 30 minutes, but maybe not that long - and then cover the feet.  That took care of his vomiting. Although I haven't read anyone having much of the serious issue and more just tummy ick's, it still might be worth a try.

Anyone doing acupuncture for SE's?