Starting chemo March 2013

Thank you! Today is yucky. Ended up in bed, mostly sleeping until 11:30 this morning! Can't remember the last time I did that. I finally took a compazine on top of the zofran and was able to get up and eat a little something. My mission for today: gratitude. Today sucks, but even at this time I have so much to be grateful for. I am blessed with family, friends and a job that is flexible and supportive. I have always worked in social services, but this is causing me to grow and learn and become even more compassionate. It's going to be a long and bumpy road, but I truly believe that I will not only be healthy, but a better person.

Some thoughts on emend and nausea - emend really kept any nausea I had under control when I did chemo.  I only wanted bland food like white rice and mashed potatoes for a week or two after each tx, but I never had even a hint of nausea. 

A few months after my last tx, I happened on a documentary on TV about someone with cancer, and they showed the person in an infusion room getting chemo through a port.  When that scene came on, I instantly had an incredibly violent wave of nausea - it was so bad I had to turn off the TV and put my head down between my knees for a few minutes.  I thought that was really weird because I'd never had nausea when I was going through chemo, so why did I react so strongly when seeing it on TV??  I did some research, and if I remember right, it seems that when you're on Emend you really are nauseated, but the Emend locks into that part of your brain that relays that info to the rest of the body. Basically, you're nauseated, but you don't know it.  But apparently way down deep inside my brain, it remembered that chemo made me nauseated, and when I saw it on TV, that part of my brain reacted.  Even now, 5 years later, I cannot look into the infusion room at my onc's without getting nauseated, and I didn't even do my chemo there!  Isn't that strange how the mind works and what these drugs do?

If that's how things work, then be careful about what you eat right right after chemo.  Don't eat your favorite foods that day, or you may get an aversion to them.  I'd read about getting an aversion to food eaten right after chemo, so I always treated myself to a big McDonald's burger and fries on the way home from chemo - I never eat at McD's, so I figured if I developed an aversion to their food, no biggie.  That seems to have happened because even writing about McD's in this post has made me feel vaguely queasy. 

ok Ladies.....woke up with stabbing pain in my spine and pain drawing down my legs. Couldn't sit, stand, or lie down. I had the neulasta shot a week ago Tuesday. I have RA as well and thought it was partially that. I am just realizing that this may be all the effects of the Neulasta and that the side effects may be worse than chemo. ANyone else here this?

I had to miss chemo last week because of ANC low white counts. What drug are you on ladies, I have taxol based abraxane (new one I think) I had ovca and had carbo and taxol in 2003-2005....now again! I do okay in other areas just the counts are not good.

Hello everyone else that has joined.....trying to keep up with all the posts.....

Jody I did add you to fb and what are pccc's?

Thanks... I have read articles with good success rates with the AC followed by T...that is what I am on. Sounds like you are already seeing the results....which is great! As for the mouth sores did you get Nutrosol? Also have someone prescribe you Magic Mouthwash 1 part maalox 1 part viscous lidocaine 1 part diphenhydramine(sp?) its benedryl and I added 1 part nystatin to the mix. It helped so far!!!

Finished second tx yesterday and received my Neulasta this morning. Feel pretty good compared to my first tx.  I am doing the cold caps and the first treatment was brutal.  I used left over pain meds from my port placement for this cold cap treatment and it was entirely tolerable. So, I was thrilled.  Started my Claritin D this morning because of Neulasta and will continue that for the next 2 days.  That seemed to prevent me from having bone and joint pain.  Ate ice chips during Taxotere portion and soaked finger and toes in frozen peas so my nails are doing great and my taste buds haven't left me as quickly as the last time.

I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Halfway through with chemo and then I will follow with rads.  And I still have my hair with simply normal shedding!  I know that I can expect to feel under the weather come Sunday because I will be off my steriods by then, but know what to expect this time, I can plan accordingly.

Good luck to all and stay strong through this process because there is an end in sight!

I don't know if this will help anyone decide or not because everyone is different...but my hair grew during Taxol. I didn't lose any. I also didn't have ANY nail problems. All I had was slightly sore big toe nails - which went away in a couple of months.

So Sorry, Keke. You are well on your way with 5 under your belt already. It does feel like a bad dream. I still can't believe it is real sometimes and it has been over a year since my diagnosis. The nausea really stinks. I believe you are on your 3rd A/C out of 4. Then you go on a different treatment. A/C is THE worst. You will most likely not be anywhere near as sick on your last 4 treatments. So only one A/C to go?

Ok team, I did lose my hair this week it started coming out in handfulls Sunday which was only day 12.  I had an appointment on Tuesday for my wig cut and style so I pulled my hair back in a ponytail for Monday and
Tuesday until my appointment and then she buzzed the rest.  It really has not been too tramatic.  It will grow back in time.  I am on TAC so I am getting all three drugs in six treatments in 21 day cycles. 

The Neulasta shot did give me quite a bit of bone pain after round one even with the Claritin.  I will be asking for additional pain relievers for this go around next Tuesday. 

I also have already noticed a lot of shrinkage to my tumor after only 1 treatment.  My onc said I could possibly see it shrink up to 50% per treatment.  That definitely gives me encouragement that this chemo is worth the trouble. 

Then the surgeon can go in and take out the dead cells as a lumpectomy.  The only reason I had to do the chemo was that the tumor was up against the chest wall and they wanted to shrink it and pull it away from the chest so they could possibly get the tumor out with clear margins.  Hope it all works as planned.  

I did also get the mouth sores and down the throat.  I got the magic mouthwash from the pharmacy and within a couple days my mouth was almost back to normal.  Do try it.  I looked one up on the web before I could get my prescription and it seemed to help some.  1 part Maalox (or Milk of Magnesia), 1 part liquid advil, 1 part liquid benydryll. 

Keep up your spirits this too will pass.  God Bless everyone.

Raehyg,

About hair... Not sure which meds Tx since it doesn't separate them out on here. I was told (A/C) day fifteen starts thinning, day 18 starts clumping. I pulled at mine just like you. Felt a little thinning. True to form, day 18, started falling out in small handfuls. Had the stylist come to house to shave by my choice. Harder than I thought. Did not realize why until it hit me...I looked like a cancer patient. .

True, though.



I would recommend a short cut the closer you get to day 18 to 20, as it will start to itch and be painful for most people. The smallest tough to my colic area caused sting pain. Not everyone has it. Depends on so many things. Six weeks after going bald, I have gotten used to it at home. In winter,need to wear fleece hat... Cotton not enough.

Haven't been out of house enough to have to be aware that I am a bald woman in a hat.



Hang in there... It grows back. That's good news.

It's the only thing we want to grow back.

C.

I have seen a lot of talk about Claritin on here.... No nurse or doc jas ever mention this. Wondering the purpose with regard to side effects.

Thanks for any info.

C

Hi everyone.

I was told to take lariton 1 day before shot and for 4 days after. Total of 5 days. It is supposed to keep the inflammation down. I have my 2nd chemo Monday. I will also be asking for some pain killers eventhough I do not like to take them. Good luck to everyone.

Rae

Natsfan...

isnt the food thing so strange. I have a terrible aversion to chicken, noodles, wheat bread, and scented lotions or soaps. Craving loaded baked potatoes, salad (iceberg only) too weird as I dont usually like it, italian food not too spicy, bacon and eggs, and red meat AS IN STEAK ! Im gonna weigh 300 lbs for sure.