December 2012 chemo group

Erin Orchid ~ I will be one day behind you (12/27) starting the same dose dense AC & T chemo that you are taking.  Isn't this list amazing??  Such a wealth of information!  I feel my stress about my upcoming chemo going down as I read this "what to expect when you're expecting chemo" site!

I'm especially excited tonight about the Buff Headwear site.  I went wig shopping with my 10 year old daughter last weekend and bought a wig that I feel so-so about.  I'm definitely going to get a buff ~ I like having options!

Wishing everyone well.

With much gratitude for all the wisom here 

ErinOrchid - Welcome and glad you found us. I hope you will find encouragement here. If you haven't already done so you might want to check out the Triple Negative Thread. Make sure you talk to you MO prior to treatment about your nausea issues. Maybe they can add Emend to your to your routine. Being nauseous ws one of my biggest concerns prior to TX, but it never happened!

Steiner -  You might want to try to "clean off" down there with a quirt bottle. Nothing fancy, just a cheapie like Aquafina or something you can refill. It will help to clean off the toxins down there.

Powermom - the tastebud thing should get better. Hope you can get the sugar numbers down!

Momto7- Glad you made it through tx #1

I am now at day 14 post tx and still have my hair, the taste issues are better, the stomach & GI issues are much better. The only real issues are one large mouth sore and some serious hemrroids! I started to feel almost back to normal about day 10 and still feel good, I just tire really easliy. I was able able to be out all day yesterday to see my DD get sworn into the Delaware State Bar. I was exhausted when I finally got home but it was so good to be there for her for the final step in her long educational journey!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Good morning everyone! Erin Orchard - Welcome! I am one week post first chemo and have not had any nauseua. I typically get car sick and was very nauseus post surgery but so far so good. We may all have our moments at certain points during treatment but as some of the other ladies have pointed out there are plenty of meds ready to help. I took the anti-nauseau pill twice pretty much out of anticipation that maybe I would feel ill but never did. I really think chemo has come along way in the last decade. So far I have been really pleased with how doable first surgery, and now treatment has been. Hair loss will come next week so that's the other piece of the emotional puzzle to deal with but I know I will survive that as well. Check in here to the boards often as this group of gals really are supportive and a wealth of information.

Nicole503 -  I just added buffs to my Xmas list yesterday! They seem great and as a big fan of the show Survivor I will feel solidarity with those survivors! They have some great prints and are available all over the web. I even watched a youtube video yesterday on all the different ways to wear them. I like that they are used by healthy outdoors people and not associated with chemo.

Powermom - yeah, I'm starting to get a little water challenged myself. The colder the water is the more I can handle it. Also it cannot be in a metal container as then it really is gross. I do think this is key to keeping our side effects away so I just keep sucking it down.

I met with a personal trainer for my first session last night and it was really empowering. I have another session tomorrow.

FriendGwen, it looks like we are almost cancer twins. Except I had a lumpectomy and will have to follow my chemo with 6 weeks of radiation. I also have a son in college and two older daughters.

Powermom, I have found water to taste bad also. But, orange juice is pretty good to me right now. My first chemo was last Friday.

There is a thread that was written by a BC sister on the Triple Positive Thread that is a great resource for anyone going through treatment! I wish I could figure out how to link to it here, but I am not "techie" enough to figure out how to allow Firefox to let me cut and paste on these boards!

The name of it is "What I wish I knew at the beginning of treatment!" written by TonLee. If you do a search for it from the upper left menu you can read it. And if one of you more computer literate gals know how to insert the link to a post, that would make it much easier to access. Thanks.

Just got back from two nights in the hospital. I was extremely short of breath and dehydrated. Red and white cells low need to hide from people ugh. Go back to docs Monday for blood counts. They gave me masks to wear when people come over and no hugs :-( Hope your day is going better then mine.

soo much news to catch up here after a very long feeling day at work.. volleymom - so sorry to hear about your hospitalization..  sounds miserable.  I hope you get your strength back and start to feel better.

I am day 8 post chemo... have horrendous backache!  Don't know if it is chemo related - could be work related or sleep related??  anyone else ever have this?  I wonder if it is from the neulasta... I took claritin for 7 days - stopped today.

A couple of you were asking about new liquid alternatives.  I got so sick of water and gatorade.  What is working for me great these days is half apple juice half hot water - comes out lukewarm.  I am sure I will get sick of this too eventually - but you may want to try it.  I bought some "ginger drink powder" that someone at work recommended - I didn't like it but apparently some people find it nice AND it can help with nausea.

I think it is interesting that some of us have had the same surprise re nausea.  I have also always been way too easy to vomit.  Puked through both of my pregnancies - from before I knew I was pregnant until I was in labor.  With baby two puked for days after.  Car sick - always.  Sea sick - can't get on a boat. I can't tell you the number of times in my life I've had to go to ER for fluids for relatively trivial things (little food poisoning, little stomach bug)   I warned them about this for surgery - and for chemo.  BUT - I have been so shocked - they must have thought I was lying!  No nausea with surgery - had the little ear patch and I don't know what else.  NO nausea yet with chemo - I took those anti-nausea meds religiously on schedule - I don't know if that was what made me OK for the first treatment or not - but I am not gonna risk it - doing the same thing next week.  Only some indigestion/reflux so I took pepsid.  I really hope I am not jinxing myself saying this - but I am hearing the same thing from some of you here it sounds...  So - though this may not be much comfort to those of you who are feeling so sick (very sorry... my heart so goes out to you) - maybe it will take away some of the fear for those of you who have your first treatment coming up.  

I really have to check out these buff things!  I am way behind the times for my age - these things sound great!  

My new routine is to catch up on this thread every night when I get home from work - while the kids are having their hour (sometimes more - oops) of TV and hubby does the dishes..  You are all incredibly strong and inspirational women.  Well - I send good vibes and well wishes to all of you tonight.  

M

Wow, LisaB58, you are starting chemo less than a month after surgery?  I'm starting to wonder why my oncologist was so laissez faire about my desire to start after Christmas so I could enjoy the holidays??  Today is exactly one month from my BMX and I don't start chemo for another two weeks.  It looks like many of you started sooner.  Hope my desire to enjoy the holidays chemo free does not adversely affect chemo's effectiveness.

Mfml ~ I'm trying to keep up with the thread daily too.  The strength and inspiration and determination of all of you helps me feel brave, knowing I will join you at months end.

Cheers!

I was reading from a few days back about the lady who's daughter posted a picture of her on Facebook and said she was her hero....oh my gosh....I know exactly how you feel about just getting through this....and not knowing if you want people knowing about this thing we have.... I can text, email, but it is so, so hard to look my friends and family in the face and actually talk about it... I have one treatment done and three to go... I have an amazing husband who takes care of me so I am so lucky, but I also have fibromyalgia so my body hurts alot anyway, so...the body pains kind of suck... good luck to all of you wonderful women who are going through this...big hugs to you all!!!! And to that lady, I'm sorry I can't remember your name, I believe you are your daughter's hero!!!! And you should be so proud!!!!

I am heading in for my first chemo in the morning.  Starting dose dense AC...feeling nervous but ready to get treatment under way.  This time tomorrow I will have one of eight done.  Thanks for all of the tips to prevent SE!

Hi all,

Thank you so much for the support from everyone! Reading this after a day like today helps me to feel not so alone

Had a ultrasound needle biopsy in the middle of my chest this afternoon, right by my fresh MX (let's just say it was not pleasant AT ALL)... My PET scan indicated a 'hot spot' which turned out to be a lymph node. 

I am afraid this might be metastasized from my left breast... My onco said that if it is cancer the chemo should shrink it... hope it's not another surgery...grrr

Well, hope everyone has a restful night!

Erin - so sorry you had to undergo another procedure! I hope that the results of the biopsy are good news for you.

Beachlovingmom - Hope your chemo day is uneventful and your SE's mild.

Volleymom - Hope you are still feeling better.

Sandra - Nicole503 is also starting TX on the 27th

mfml - I hope your back is feeling better today

Last night I had my neighbor come over and buzz my head. It really was not as traumatic as I thought it would be. It helped that she was so kind in her comments afterwards and my DH even said he liked it! So now my bathroom has undergone a makeover too. Gone are the shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer, flat iron and half a dozen styling products and tools. In their place are baby wipes, Hemhorrhoid wipes, cream, and suppositories. Somehow this is just not appealing to me!

When I went to "Look Good Feel Better" last week, the cosmetologist told us to continue to shampoo & condition just as you always did, using your usual products.

She said lather, rinse, condition. Leave the conditioner on while you finish showering.

She said it will make a big difference when hair returns. So even though it seems unnecessary to shampoo & condition our bald heads, in the long run, it will make our new growing hair healthier.



Blessings

Paula

Dwihtd~Most of the chemo centers offer you snacks & drinks. There was a cafe where I got my treatment. ( I started a week ago today).

The nurses brought in a basket with granola bars, peanut butter crackers, pretzels, cheezits, etc. They also have bottled water, and canned soda.

My sister went down to the cafe to get us a sandwich during treatment. She could have gone to a fast food close by too.



They do suggest you eat before going for treatment. I had 2 pieces of toast and a yogurt, and coffee.



What kind of chemo are you getting?



I got Adria/cytoxan and my week since has gone pretty smooth.



Blessings

Paula