April 2013 Chemo Group

Hello ladies, hope everyone is doing well, see lots of posts. 2nd chemo yesterday, was warned by the nurse it may be worse, but it seems to be much better. I hit it hard with the nausea meds before, and consistently now with no vomiting in 24 hours. Took Claritin last night and just gave myself Neulasta, so we will see if it helps! My daughter found I had gone out yesterday with a bald spot, so we cried and shaved last night. Wore just a hat out today, saw the post above, hat etiquette, wow not ready for that! Not as hard as I thought, just ready to DO THIS and get this surgery. Welcome to all the newbies!

                                                        Heather

Irene - I am doing 6 cycles each 3 weeks long just like you.  I get Taxotere and Carboplatin on the first day of each cycle and Herceptin every week.  They can also just do all 3 on the first day of each cycle for convenience if you don't want to come in every week.  They have standard doses for all the medicines that are based on your body size (height and weight) and the Carboplatin dose also depends on your kidney function.  Are those the same drugs you will be getting?  The side effects are supposed to have more to do with which drugs you get and their doses rather than how often you get them.  Whenever they give drugs weekly the doses are smaller than when you get them less frequently (i.e. I am getting 110mg each week of Herceptin but will get 330 mg every 3 weeks after I am done with my Taxotere and Carbo). 

My first treatment was very doable.  I felt like I was sick for several days but now feel near normal.  I do have neuropathy in my left foot already which I will discuss with my MO on Wednesday.  I have also been seeking advice about it on the TCH discussion board.  The support available on these boards is amazing!  All of these wonderful ladies who have been through this before and know exactly what I am going through!

Just finished my firs chemo infusion. Although the day was long (8 hours total, that included meeting with MO first, a short teaching by the oncology case worker, and then the rest of the day was in the chemo chair). The day went very smoothly and surprisingly the time passed quickly. I'm home now and feel just fine. We'll see how long it takes before the SE kick in.

I wanted to ask if anyone is icing their hands and feet.  I have neuropathy in one of my feet after my first treatment.  The TCH board suggests icing for prevention.  Is anyone doing that?  If so, what are you putting the ice in?  Is it working?  How uncomfortable is it for you?  Thanks for any input!

I had my appointment with the clippers yesterday morning.  Met a friend for breakfast and treated myself to two Mimosa's, then we went for the appt and I cried like a baby.  Snot bubbles and everything.  Honestly it was more traumatic for me than the surgery and the first chemo.  It took me until just about an hour ago before I could even look at my bald head in the mirror.  Anyway, after the shave we went to the ACS wig bank and picked me out a sassy brunette wig (been blonde forever), then we went and got my prescription filled for a "cranial prosthesis" and I chose a red wig and a blonde wig!  At least that part of the day was fun. 

I'm not quite ready to walk around the house even with no one home with my bald head exposed, I'm wearing a little sleep hat with a scarf over it right now.  I thought I looked like I gypsy so I put on a pair of big gold earrings to finish the look.

I'm on a three week cycle right now, so I get chemo #2 on Wednesday.  I hope it is as uneventful as chemo #1. 

Enjoy your weekends, ladies.  xoxo

Hello Ladies,

Chemo day 6 is turning out to be another (new) typical day. Think I'll give up the "chemo watch" and expect normal as it appears that is what I will experience. What a relief and hope it lasts. However, this did not come without planning on my part. Most of it on tips from you fabulous women. I think it's great that we each find what works for us then share in the event it can help another. For me, a gallon of water daily with lemon, no mouth sores, nutritious meals balanced with fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates and lean protein and healthy snacking has me feeling well and has headed off any digestive issues and nausea. I found a great application for tracking my water, food and activity and find it helps keep me on track. My Fitness Pal is so easy to use, just a few minutes a day will allow you to track water intake, food, nutrients and activity, and I like that instant visual feedback lets me make real time adjustments. Plus, it's keeping me focused on what I control instead of what I can't. It's free in the online App Store.



What bone pain I have experienced from the Neulasta seems to have been remedied by a daily Claritin and a nightly acetaminophen PM (benadryl). In addition to curbing the bone pain, I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in a month and waking rested and refreshed. So, like most of you I've been freaking over the hair loss but am realizing that if I'm feeling as good as possible, it too will be do-able and it's starting to be less upsetting. Actually beginning to think I might like a summer in Florida without hot hair.

We all know this sucks but for me I find focusing on that alone zaps any positive energy I can use for the fight. Best of all, my smile has returned. You know the one, it's the one that's not manufactured for others' comfort, it's spontaneous, it's happy and it's free of anxiety. I hope yours' has too.

Hope all of you April ladies are doing well. I am on day 4 after my first treatment, so far it has not been too bad. Today I have been experiencing terrible hip pain, I did not have the Neulasta shot. Has anyone else experienced this?

Newbie here!  Had my first treatment on April 11 - Taxotere, Herceptin and Perjeta. I'm just now getting my appetite back a little and getting past the diarrhea that plagued my first several days.  I'll be going 5 more times three weeks apart; not sure what happens after that.  Probably surgery. (I have Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer.)

Looking forward to learning and contributing here.

Speedy4 how long has it been since your first chemo? I know I will be faced with buzzing sometime in the near future. I went yesterday and had my hair cut chin length bob, I kind of like it. Bought a couple cute hats I found dirt cheap $2.40 at Kohls department store.

It's still cold here in Cleveland OH, it still will be chilly in May, when I will need my "gi Jane" cut.

runnermom -- There is a great thread for chemo prep here: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/706846?page=3#idx_61 That is more about items/OTC meds to stock up on, things like that. As far as chemo day itself, you can bring whatever would help you feel calm & relaxed & entertained. It looks like you're getting the same cocktail as I did, and that took about 3 hours total for me. It could be longer for you if you need to see your MO first that day or if they need to slow the drip down. So basically you are sitting in a recliner for minimum 3 hours. You can get up to use the bathroom, you can eat, you can chat with the other patients, move your hands to do things, etc. So you can bring a laptop, music, knitting, a good book, a journal or sketch pad, things like that. I brought a few things with me but mostly ended up talking with the nurse & my roommates the whole time. You might get sleepy when they give you the Benadryl, so you may want to nap for a bit. If you have a cozy blanket or shawl, it might make you feel more at home (and sometimes IVs make you cold!) Snacks are a good idea too, they may have some on hand but bring your favorites. I also brought lunch even though my infusion was after lunch time... I knew I'd be a little too nervous to eat lunch at home beforehand! Some women bring ice to chew on & to ice their fingers and toes during the Taxotere portion, and/or cold caps to ice their heads (I did not ice anything). I think that's it. Like the others have said, the anticipation is the worst part!

Oops, I meant to say "so much better" on the previous post.

Virginger --  I hope your voice returns soon! I am not getting any "good" sleep either. Definitely not helping the chemo brain! 

AllieM, the nurse navigator told me to take glutamine, she even put a paper about it in my chemo packet. MO said he didn't think it would make much difference but that the nurses swear by it & he was OK with it. Curious what you've heard about liver issues with glutamine? I was also told I could take vitamins in moderate amounts (not exceeding 100% of the recommended daily value) and I do take a calcium & magnesium supplement sometimes to help with a sleep/jaw issue. I was advised by my MO not to take anything else, especially the day before/of/after infusion. 

Happy Sunday all!

Quick question- I live alone but have plenty of support. I'm wondering if I need someone to stay with me the first few days after my T/c round?

It's my understanding that more than likely I will be fine for a day or so afterwards but I'm not sure if I need to line up friends to stay over ?

Hi erinm216 happy Sunday to you too...I live alone also.....had a friend stay with me...but that's only because she traveled flew in to be with me...I've been fine physcially, and she only stayed a few days...Thursday - Sunday...I've got folks that check on me via text, phone and face book....you should be fine....but I enjoyed the company...plus she's very OCD....and got a back splash tile job for my condo outta her visit....but it's a personal choice...I like the company for the 4 hours my treatments so and it's a good excuse for folks to fly in....