January 2013 chemo group

Whew! Long day for me -- I woke up at 2 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep, so I started grading papers. I haven't stopped since, which makes for a... hmmm... 17 hour day! Yikes! What the heck is going to happen when I'm on steroids???

skimommi, congratulations on taking the big hair-cut leap. I'm still hoping for pictures of everyone's new 'do. I swear I'm posting a pic of my 15-minute mohawk when the time comes.

JudyinNC, ciao bella!

Good luck with first chemo tomorrow russell, nellas, and vas!

I still haven't heard about my first chemo date. Want to hear something weird? I'm sad tjat y'all are getting ahead of me. Seriously. And while y'all are maintaining an amazingly positive attitude, I swear I'm not in a rush because it sounds like such fun...

And on that admittedly brief (for me!) and weird (no more than usual) note, I'm heading for home and bed. Ci vediamo, bellas!

Bryona,

   I totally get that.  After all the hype and waiting, I feel like "let's just start already and get this thing over with!"  I hope I don't change my mind when I actually start.  I don't think I will.  This group has been very encouraging for me.  Thank you all!!  Shoshana

Hello. I will be starting chemo on the 28th of January. Starting with a/c followed by taxol. Four rounds of each. I am really afraid of the side effects especially because I suffer from panic disorder and general anxiety. I m thinking I should have my mom come out and stay with me for first couple of weeks because so far I just don't feel like I get the emotional support I need from my husband. Can anyone out there ease my fear about the chemo? Also does anyone else feel like there spouse is not supportive?

Hi Colleenkelly and welcome to the club no one wants to belong to...

My take is this: if it will make you feel better having your mom there and if she's willing and able to make the trip, then by all means, have her there by your side.  In my opinion, part of the recovery process is psychological/mental and if your mom can help you keep a positive attitude throughout  this trying time then it may be the very best thing you can do for your longterm health.  

As far as easing your fears about the chemo - my chemo cocktail is different than yours (mine is carboplatin, taxotere and herceptin) and I've only had one treatment thus far (January 2) but let me assure you that from what I've experienced to this point, it is doable.  

And hopefully this will help you feel better as well:  my thoracic surgeon (he placed the port) said that when he had cancer he never missed a day of work - keeping in mind, he operates on people for a living and that takes concentration and precision.

A big hug for you across the miles, Colleenkelly.  Just take it minute by minute and take a lot of deep breaths or perhaps more accurately, just breathe (yoga breathing, if you know how to do it).  Believe it or not - breathing is important.  A BC survivor told me that a day or two after my diagnosis and she was right.  

I would love to join your group.  I was diagnosed on 1 Nov 12.  Tests run and port put in the next week and started chemo the following week.  Just finished 4 rounds, every other week of "the red devil" and something else (name escapes me).

I did lose most of my body hair but still have eyelashes and eyebrows.  I wear a hat mostly because my scalp is uncomfortable with a wig.  This last round of chemo was the worst - I had it on Thursday and was very nauseous and tired until this morning.  The one thing I "knew" but didn't register was the possibility of low blood counts and getting sick.  I wound up in the hospital with neutropenia and got a transfusion and had pneumonia.  That was a bummer. 

I start on weekly Taxol for 12 rounds next week.  The plan after that is surgery and then radiation.  To add to this, my son is in Navy bootcamp.  I'm optimistic!

Hi Everyone,

I have never joined a discussion board before, but have read this thread from the beginning and love the positive attitudes, and have gotten a lot of great tips from all of you!  I start chemo tomorrow - A/C every other week for 4 rounds and then Taxol once a week for 12 weeks.  I am generally pretty calm, but today isn't feeling particularly calm!  

I just wanted to say Hi, and good luck to all of you starting this week!

Polly

Coleenkelly , kiwikid, , Georgetta, and NHmom, ciao bellas! kiwi, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I don’t mind a two-timer as long as your other partner doesn’t come after us and make a scene…

Zorina, you should NOT feel guilty about not working during Adriamycin! You need to do what’s right for you, not what was right for someone else. If your colleague was able to keep working during chemo, that’s great for her, but her body and yours are different. Her SEs and yours may be different. Her life and yours are different. You need to do what’s right for you. And if anyone gives you any grief about it, you just let me know. I'll take 'em out! (I'm becoming one with my inner thug right now... )

Coleen, if you’re looking for reassurance, you might try going back and reading the posts on this thread beginning around Jan. 2. Sandra started the week before that – she’s been our guinea pig, bless her! – but we had 10 people start between Jan. 2 and Jan. 4. Lots of these wonderful women have been sharing their experiences with getting chemo and the side effects. You’ll see lots of information about their early side effects, and lots of positive attitudes. Maybe that will help. You might also go look at the December chemo thread, where you’ll be able to see how people who started a month ago are doing now. Hang in there. We’ll get through this.

Lauren, I have no useful information for you, but I am sending big hugs for the panicky ickiness. Hang tough, bella!

Ci vediamo!

Having second treatment on the 17th of tc. I am still nervous even after going through one treatment. I guess I am afraid of having more se than last time. For most of you has treatments' se been the same throughout or different each time?

Byrona, thank you!  I know my company will treat me well,  but this just points out the fact that I beat myself up more than anyone else.  You'd think I would learn this stuff after awhile!

Lauren - One thing that I have seen is that different doctors have different approaches to pre-meds.  I didn't receive steroids or anti-nausea until I arrived at the office, and it turned out just fine. (I was nervous because everyone else seemed to be better prepared, though!)  I was given Emend, but plenty of others get something else, and I think all you should do for now is follow the direction your doctor takes, and if it doesn't work smoothly, ask them to tweak the plan for the next time. Actually, your best ally is going to be the Oncology RN,  she/he will give you more support and guidance than you can imagine.  I took Claritan 24 hours before Neulasta, but I generally take antihistamines most days,  so I cannot say what affect it had or did not have. I didn't have any SE...this first time, though.

Humor for the day:  I made my husband's lunch today.  I don't pack lunch, but in tribute to all that is abnormal in my world, I packed a lunch for him.  As he fled my insanity I gave him a peck on the cheek just as Elizabeth Montgomery did.  Gals,  if you have no idea who I am talking about please don't tell me.  On top of everything else, I don't need evidence that I am getting old.

Well, i had my first round of TC on Friday. All in all I didn't think it was too bad aside from the extreme indigestion and some nausea that started on Saturday night. I did have some horrible aching in my ankles and wrists mostly too, but I think that's finally subsiding a little. My problem is that now, 3-4 days later when I'm supposed to go back to work, I can barely move I'm so exhausted. The other hard part is that even as tired as I feel sometimes I just can't sleep either My employer has been nothing but fantastic and understanding throughout this whole process since my diagnosis in November, but I swore I'd be able to come back to work the Tuesdays following my only 4 treatments and now I'm not sure I'll even be up to going back on Wednesday for this one! On top of everything else, I got my period this morning too, and heavy! Supposedly I won't have one anymore during the rest of the chemo but mother nature must have thought it necessesary to sneak in one more problem to this awful weekend. I'm usually much more upbeat than this, so I apologize, but I am really struggling these last few days ~ Melanie

Welcome Kim!  We know you don't really want to be here but these ladies are so supportive and helpful it will really be beneficial to you mentally and physically to read all the helpful tips etc. 

For those of you having trouble sleeping - I would not hesitate to ask for something like Ativan or Xanax.  I take a .5 mg Xanax every night and i took one before my first chemo on 12/28  - and it helped keep me calm .  There are no side effects on these types of drugs either - at least for me and I wake up refreshed .

Mterkelson- if you are having any sort of heartburn - I would start taking a daily Prevacid or Priolosec.  You have to take it 1st thing in the AM before you eat anything - it did wonders for me !

Well I did my pixie cut and bleach job - new me on this posting.  I am sitting by my beloved baby grand - it was an I phone self-photo so not so good but at least you can see who I am now.  The stylist said my hair seemed so normal - strong . She thinks I may not loosing very much - but at day 12 - I think I am just a week away . 

Regarding MO's precribing different meds prior and after - there does seem to be a lot of variation.  I recently head about a med that can prevent the mouth sores from another poster and I am definetly going to ask my MO about that because that is one SE's that has bothered me the most .

I am on day 5 of the antibiotics ( I had a gum infection from eating popcorn and having a kernal stuck - don't ever eat popcorn on chemo  ) and my temp is finally down.  It was still up yesterday afternoon .  So I am going to try to go into the office this afternoon. We own our own company  - document managment - print - mail .  I can work remotely so do not feel that compelled but want to show  off my new look before I loose it

Hope you all have a good day with minimal side effects.  And for those starting chemo soon - it will be OK.  The nurses take very good care of you that day and just take the meds they prescribed

My nurse had me chew ice chips while she was pushing the adriamycin to prevent the mouth sores. When she was done, she said I could stop. So, I assume it was just for the time the drug was being introduced into my system.

No mouth sores to report or anything like that. I do feel like I have cotton mouth all the time though. So, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!! My scalp is tingling and feels funny... lol. I guess thats the start of the hair process... and I am exhausted! So, time for rest.

on a fun note...

I love french onion dip and I went to pita bread pieces instead of tortilla chips. Yummo!!! (cravings??) and I wanted a chicken spinach noodle cream dinner the other night. Who knows!! LOL

Trying to find some humor in all this...

Hello to all. I am also on the December thread but thought I would jump in here if you will have me! I had my first round 12/11 and my second one yesterday. They are supposed to be every three weeks but the flue swept thru and hit everybody I was with at Christmas so that set me back 5 days. I feel a little better prepared for side effects this time. The oncology nurse told me to take Prevacid twice a day for stomach pain. Apparently stomach gets very acid from the drugs. I have been pouring down the water, eating yogurt, and taking Tylenol for my head. I mixed up 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon salt in a quart of water and rinse my mouth and gargle whenever I go to the bathroom. Hopefully this will help me ride out the next few days. Last times felt mostly back to normal after about 10 days. Don't know how all you ladies manage togoto work. I am grateful that i am unemployed (and insured).

Sandra, I love the new hairstyle!  

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My chemo started January 2 so I'm referring to this as day 7.  Is that how you all are counting it?  i.e. with day one being the infusion day?  

My MO called in the swallowable Zofran versus the dissolvable-in-mouth Zofran last night so I'm not dreading anti-nausea meds times as much.  For some reason the taste of the dissolvable Zofran was really getting to me.

I'm having lower intestinal discomfort and don't feel comfortable being too far away from the bathroom.  Same thing yesterday and it kind of cleared by later in the day.  I hope the same thing happens today as I want to get the mile walk in at some point.  

The Fage yogurt mixed with fresh squeezed orange juice (I buy it at Trader Joe's) is really hitting the spot plus I know it's one way to get protein (23 g). From what I've read, our bodies need protein in order to start rebuilding what's being destroyed (?) by the chemo.  

Good luck and well wishes to everyone today - regardless of where you are along the path.  

Hope49, 

My cold caps just arrived.... like 5 minutes ago. We are going to do a "Warm" run through tonight after dinner. My husband is so on top of this, so we will see how it goes. Fingers crossed. Any questions you have, let me know. I've got my electric blanket ready to go and all of my stuff. Richard is in charge of the coolers, the caps, and the ice. (I HATE being cold. for the last 22 years, Richard has always sayd that I'm the only person he knows that can go to Jamaica in July and still get cold. So.... I'm sure Im going to be a fabulous person to be around for the first 5 minutes of the first cap, which I hear is the worst one. Ha ha ha! But.... if he could handle being around for the birth of two babies over 10 lbs and 24 inches long, when I'm only 5'3".... I'm sure he can handle this.  Fingers crossed for both of us, I think. LOL!!! I'll send any tips your way after the fact. Hugs!!