Starting Chemo February 2013

rivercottagegal - read, read, read and try to be as informed as can be.. don't hesitate to let dr or nurse know any concernes you have.. ask questions, call them..don't be afraid. they gave me a prescription for nausea prior to the first treatment  so that I would have them ready - if I had known that steroids are in the infusion I would have asked for sleeping pills right away - instead I tossed and turned for 4-5 nights before calling... on the day you go wear comfy clothes, bring a blanket, water or something to drink, snack.. whatever will make you feel comfy. drink lots of fluids the day before, the day of and a few days after..

hope this is helpful

My kids are teenagers, so self reliant for the most part. They were a bit anxious before the first chemo session, but once they saw it was ok and I could manage the side effects they felt much more relaxed. My son does watches me I think to see how I am and checks how Im feeling.

Tho225- welcome to our ranks! You will find so much help & inspiration here! I 'm not sure which meds you will be getting, i get Taxotere & Cytoxan every 3 weeks. I have 3 kids also who are 15, 12, & 9. I work full time also, Mykids are busy in activities & sports right now. I have had some side effects from both my tx's but it wasn't anything unbearable. I notice that I get tired faster now. My kids are a big help as is my husband when I don't have the energy. I have only missed 1 day of work because I didn't feel well. And my boss is really an angel with all of this.

Take in alot of information, ask alot of questions, surround yourself with people who can pitch in & help, and take it one day at a time. Everyone responds differently to each of the meds. Most important, ficus on you & what you need to do. Give yourself time to rest & heal& gather your strength!

IamNancy, regarding your hands--I had that as well, and it started when I was doing AC--the chemo nurse said it was from the Cytoxan. She suggested that I find some moisturizing gloves to wear at night, slather on the lotion and put the gloves on, which I did, and it helped. My skin actually improved during Taxol, and ditto on the fingernails, although there was some Taxol-related effects with the nails. 

I got something similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Ralyn-Night-Care-Gloves-Pair/dp/B003GDOSOC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363013357&sr=8-2&keywords=night+moisturizing+gloves

Also, wear gloves if you do dishes--or better yet, outsource that job if you can!

IamNancy- When I was drying up from my chemo, I bought some cotton gloves from Walgreens.  I lathered up my hands and feet with Cetaphil Cream, then put the gloves on my hands and socks on my feet.  The reason I used a cream rather than a lotion is that the cream will stay on the skin longer. 

Melrosemelrose - thanks - gloves, I 'll look for them at lunchtime..

Melody - I thought the second treatment was better.. some of the same sides but not all of them..it just seemed easier...I only took 3.5 days off from work for it instead of the 4.5 the first time  hope it is easier for you -too..

Has anyone doing ACT notice a change in skin colour. Everyone is telling me I look like  I have a tan.. now I do tan easily and get that winter sallow look this time of year but I was wondering if it was a SE. My eyes are all nice and white so Im not worried about my liver

Yay for less SE!



My second tx was pretty much exactly like the first except I have a little more tingling in my hands. My mouth was better though!



Weird, I am actually lookong forward to #3 next week-then I will be half way done!!!!

LisaMM- I'm finding the mouth SE's a lot less on TC round 2 too! I still got thrush, but no sores. Taste is gone, but my mouth doesn't feel as nasty and waxy. My tingling lasted weeks 2-3 on round one, but I don't have any now. We'll see if it makes a come back next week- hope not. But my MO said the fatigue would be worse this time and I have to say it was. I slept most of days 1-4. Feeling more rested and alert this evening, but the last few days were a struggle to do anything.

You are super woman with 3 kids and working through this. I don't know how you do it!

today I am having some pain in my feet - walking is a little slow and I feel sorta stiff..took tylenol and going to bed now and hope tomorrow is better..

LW122713-You can either take the Claritin the day before the Neulasta shot or the day of the Neulasta shot.  I always took mine in the morning and got my shot that afternoon.   As for the anemia, talk to your onco/infusion nurses about what you can eat to help with the anemia.  I was not allowed to take any iron supplements despite my red blood counts dropping while I was having chemo.  However, your onco may allow you take them though.  Sorry you are having a hard time with the hair loss.  Each of deals with the hair departure differently from others.  It is true it is a visible and outward sign to the rest of the world that you are being treated for something.  Once my hair started leaving, I stopped looking in mirrors for a while.  I knew I wasn't ready to see what the rest of the world could see but I knew how much was gone because I would feel my head.  At some point, I became comfortable with me again. It's okay to grieve the loss of your hair and acknowledge the transformation you are going through.  When you are ready, you will pick yourself back up and move forward.  HUGS to you.

LW122713  We are only a day apart on our treatments, my hair started coming out alot on day 14 and day 16 I had my sister buzz it down to an inch because I couldn't take it anymore and I was sick of the hair all over the place.  Losing my hair has been really hard on me too.  I agree with Melrose I try not to spend too much time in the mirror and every day it gets a little easier.  I put a sign up in front of my computer that says "this is temporary" it reminds me that although its going to take some time it will come back. Going in this morning for round 2, hoping I dont have that allergic reaction again!

TMM60-Thanks for the superwoman compliment!  I just keep trying to keep things as "normal" as I can for my family, which keeps me going.  I certainly don't feel like superwoman most of the time, but I get alot of help from my DH, my kids, my aunt (who's like a second mom), & my parents.  The girls I work with, including my boss, are very good to me also! Things are going to get busier in my house very soon with my son playing baseball for school & Junior Legion-concurrently at times, my youngest daughter is a jr. cheerleader that cheers at Jr. high basketball games, both my daughters will restart dance lessons April 1, & my son will have Prom in May.  Then there's always all of the busy stuff they do at school when it nears the end.  I try not to think of all of it lumped together like that, I just try to take it a week at a time.

TMM60 - Exactly! Your comments mirrorered exactly how I feel. I was tired of "pretending" it was all "ok" for others. It does suck...but you are right we will overcome and it did feel nice to vent!!



Melody 46 - I have finally started cutting mine. First to the shoulders last Friday, above the shoulders on Monday and just below the chin this morning. I had my Mom come over and even it up the few remaining strands for me. That is making it a little easier. I'm thinking with the next wash there won't be enough left to worry with.



IamNancy - I haven't got to the place where I want my hubby to see my baldness yet, let alone have him shave it for me. You are one brave woman!



Melrose - I would love to stay away from mirrors...but I think I am too vain. I am perfecting the makeup to try to make the change in hair not so noticeable. Plus my 10 & 15 year old would probably be horrified at the difference. They think I have suddenly become cool now that I wear ball caps. I have to keep on the happy face when they are around. Thanks for the advice on the Claritin. I will have to take the Neulsta shot again, my MO confirmed today. I'm on iron supplements but its still low.



So to you all, I will pose another question. Another layer to the hurt and anger, have any of you had experience with any of your friends not acting the same around you since the diagnosis and chemo? Most of my friends have been very supportive and I love them for it. However, my best friend for the last 12 years, has had almost no contact with me since the diagnosis. She remarried and moved to UT last August and we have been texting back and forth every week and calling occasionally but since the diagnosis and the chemo, nothing other than an occassional text that seems as if she's only doing it out of courtesy, no substance to it at all. Just curious if anyone else had noticed friends acting differently. Luckily I have my other friends, family and the best husband in the world but it still stings when I think about being hung out to dry by a long time friend.



Other than the hair and the friend thing, I am fine. Next chemo treatment is tomorrow, I'm ready for it and will then be 1/3 of the way through. That is progress.

Hi all, thought I would check-in to the thread.  I usually post over at the Sister Warriors thread but I think I may have more chemo treatment specific discussions.  I have round 2 today in about 5 hours.   I did not listen to the "don't take the corticosteroid after 4 pm or you wont sleep"  that was proven correct!

I had manageable side effects for round one and bounced back in week 2 and 3. Nausea was mininal with the Zofran, taste buds left me, had dry mouth so I used Biotene several times a day and brushed teeth often.  no sores thank goodness!  I drank an ocean of water to flush out the toxins.  Fatigue

I feel quite normal right now other than the taxotere induced runny nose that can bleed when I blow my nose since it felt dry.  I actually used vaseline lightly in my nose and that stopped the dryness and the bleeding.  MO says it will be the same or less the next rounds but the fatigue will be cumulative.  Not looking forward to that.  Had the pain the first days after the neulasta shot. He says as my marrow decreases the pain will as well.  

Preemptively buzzed my head.  So glad I did!  Its much less tramatic when you take control.  I am in full shed mode right now but it doesn't bother me very much.  I've got a few wigs in different lengths.  wore the short one to work.  I get to work from home for the next 10 days and then I may show up in the office sporting one of the longer wigs just for fun!

I'm looking forward to saying 2 down 4 to go tomorrow!