December 2012 chemo group

Nicole503 - I think that this thread is so great because we can ask anything and say everything we want.  Where else can we do that?

So my hair (all of it, head and "down there") is still strong. I notice a few more hairs falling from my head when I brush it, but still not much more than usual. And I'm in the begining of day 16 (counting the infusion day as day 1). So the 14 day mark is not set in stone, I guess.

I'm "ok" with the hair loss, what really bothers me is having to wait so much without my left breast. I didn't even have the TE placed, it was delayed till after chemo. And then I'll have to wait 4 to 6 months to replace it with an implant. And then the nipple! It's too long. Sometimes I feel my life is "suspended" until I have my breast again, dating is completely out of question for me. For those of you who have husbands and boyfriends, it must be difficult, no mather how understanding and strong and supportive they are, but starting a NEW relashionship with one breast missing, I think it's impossible. I'm celibate for 2013. Yeah!  This is one good example of stuff I can only discuss with you guys, no one around me could ever understand this.

When I had my BMX back in 2000, I remember thinking thinking those exact words "this is so barbaric". I couldn't believe that in the age of modern medicine the only thing they could do was amputate your breast(s)! Here we are 12 years later and although there are more targeted therapies the protocal is still the same - amputate, poison and radiate! I surely do hope that there will truly be a push to find a cure, a prevention or a treatment that will help preserve not only our breasts, but our dignity and our long term quality of life without the debilitating side effects.

Hair post tx 3 - I still have some stubble on my head, though very sparse, my arm hair and pubes have thinned, I no longer have to shave under my arms, but there is still some persistant stubble on my legs (which I am too lazy to shave). My brows and lashes are hanging in there.

Sophia - I think many of us feel like our lives are "suspended" right now while we wait to see if the chemo is working, wait to see what the next scans show, wait to have surgery or rads. Hopefully by the end of 2013 we will all be healthier, stronger and cancer free!

I wish I felt comfortable go out more, but the flu is so bad here I really do not want to risk getting sick. I did have the flu shot but still I would rather not deal with that on top of everything else!

Bren~You are truly amazing! I see by your profile at the bottom, that you have been doing this since 2000, yet you have an incredible attitude. I also see by the scripture that is part of your signature, that you're a believer.

I can't imagine for one minute, trying to navigate this journey without my trust in The Lord. He's the reason I've been able to go through all of this without panic. I have an amazing peace.



Blessings

Paula

"... a butt man"  LOL!

Steiner~OMGoodness! 10,000 Reasons is one of my very favorite songs! It does soothe my soul. I played it at my beloved aunt's funeral in June.



I hate that I had to miss church today. I got some kind of bug during my nadir period. I even went to church a few days after mastectomy. This is a bummer.



I hope you're all having a good day.



Blessing

Paula

Kiwikid - the anticipation is the worst, isn't it? My day 17 is finishing and still no sign of hair falling, and I'm taking showers, not baths. They must have given me some placebo...

cute!  My kitten Jasmine loves bouncing around and she loves bottle caps from all

the water that I drink, friend Gwen.  She loses them under the couch at times.  I try to

walk but been in the 30s a bit toooo cold for me.  Took steriods earlier and stomach gurgling...

ugh.   Its all part of this chemo prep...gotta do it and thank goodness not many more to go.

Hi all, I have been missing in action....as I was traveling last week and then fighting a cold. I am better now buy slept a lot this weekend and wish I would have gotten more done before round 3 on Wednesday. I hope everyone is doing ok!



Question....I am starting round three this week and have about 30% of my hair...do most of you have some hair left?.



Hugs to all!

Hey, all.  My participation here has been so sparse that I almost didn't write, but I have some thoughts on a few things mentioned and figured that, if it might be helpful to anyone, then I should contribute.

I was dealing with prolonged nausea too and talked to my MO's awesome nurse about it last week.  She said that nausea shouldn't be an issue past a few days out from tx, so beyond that, it's likely heartburn/indigestion.  She suggested that I start doing Pepcid 2xday instead of the 1xday that I was doing, and it totally did the trick.  (The chemo drugs kinda scrape the inside of your stomach raw - it's lined with the fast-growing cells that chemo targets - so it gets aggravated easily until it can bounce back.)  Also, for tx day and the couple of days after, I found that it's imperative to never really get hungry, but to keep something on my stomach all the time.

duckiedee, I also dealt with constipation a lot after my first tx.  I finally started taking dulcosate sodium as my nurse suggested around day 4, but because I hadn't been on top of it, it took several days of taking the medicine, eating a lot of fiber and drinking a lot of water to get back to normal.  It was miserable.  The second time around, I did dulcosate sodium, 2 pills twice a day, starting the morning of tx, and everything was perfect.

Finally, Nicole503, my hair "down there" was the first to go. The hair on my head soon followed.  I was looking forward to losing the hair on my legs, but had to shave it to make it finally go away.  And I don't think it's TMI - we're all dealing with it, so we may as well talk about it!

Final AC tx on Wednesday!!  Now that everything tastes the way it should, my challenge is to NOT spend these last couple of feel-good days eating constantly and badly...

Runner girl, Yes, I still have about the same amount of hair as you. Wondering if it will let go or stay straggly. Did you have the breakouts on your scalp? Any tips on how to get rid of it?



Tracy - great tips on the digestive tract issue. Thanks.

Powermom - i did have some irritation and breakouts on my scalp! What I did was change to using Johnson and Johnson's Baby shampoo and then putting on hydrocortisone cream...it did the trick.  I also make sure to wash my scalp after exercising or wearing a hat for an extended period of time - even if it means washing 2x per day.  It seems to help.

Ok my question for all of you is....how do you deal with the fogginess from the drugs?  I feel so out of it Days 3-6....i am almost scared to have chemo again because of it.  I am super sensitive to drugs and hate feeling this way.  I only took claritin and the steroids last time (besides what they give you at chemo - benedryl, steroids, anti-nausea).  I didn't take any anti-nausea medicine last time (knock on wood).  Is there anything I can do to not feel this way?  What is causing it?  The steroids? Chemo? Claritin?

Thanks!

Runnergirl - I hear you about the fogginess.  I won't drive on days 2 - 3 after chemo because I worry that I won't be able to safely navigate complicated traffic situations that require quick thinking and judgement.

I have begun writing absolutely everything in my day planner and keeping a list on a pad of paper on my kitchen island.  My experience is that it is bad in the few days after chemo (as you describe) but also if I get harried or stressed it gets really bad.  I found myself walking around my kitchen with my car keys in my hand looking desperately for said car keys the day before round 2 because I was running late to drop off kids at school & get to work. 

Beyond using calendars and lists I don't have any other great strategies but I'm keen to hear what others are doing because this is definitely one of the more challenging aspects of this experience!

Re Fogginess - I think that's the chemo working.  I have to take percocet to deal with the bone pain so I am super out of it for 5 days solid.  Apparently I have eaten to much cheese on top to meds and had to "work in out" last night.  I was seriously praying to the lord from my toilet. 

Re Hair - My hair was out of control by day 18 part tx 1, buzzed now and still patchy.  Day 10 I no longer needed to shave my pits.  Day 7 past tx 2 and I still have some very thin pubes.

I went back to work today (working from home) what a LONG day!  I am really tired now but trying to adjust to not being able to take nap during the day.  Need to go to bed at a more regular time.  I will go on leave every 21 days for 5 days for the time I need off for recovery (tues - mon off).  So happy they are being flexable. 

I'm going to go back and try to write down how I felt after my first chemo so I know what to expect next week.

Didn't imagine this annoying pain as my hair falls out. Day 17, I just took the new profile pic, so it's still there but falling fast.

xx

Hey all,

I started the baking soda/salt in water rinses the day before chemo. A chemo nurse told me to start before the sores did. I do it at least 3 times a day, trying for 4 but not usually making it. I really try to do it after eating. First chemo was Thursday so we will see.

Sheryl