Starting Chemo June 2013!?!?!

Hi starting chemo June 6th - FEC-D for 6 treatments . I'm 46 and very afraid also! Got my picc line on Tuesday.. Finished all my scans today... So fed up of being poked ... Touched.. Scanned etc... Good luck everyone and be sure to post how treatment went

Hi Val, I had my first FEC chemo 10 days ago May 22. I feel fine now. Main side effect was nausea for 1 week. For 3 days after chemo I was on decadron, emend and Zofran. I also took a gravol at night . I slept well. I never threw up and I ate often. Drinking fluids was more of a challenge with the nausea. I also had a bit of heartburn the first week and a few sore spots in my mouth.

Are you getting Neulasta day after? Take Claritin daily starting 1 hour before Neulasta- it can help prevent bone pain. I only took it for 5 days and got bad pain in my legs hips and back on day 7. Next time I will take it longer.

Not many of us doing FEC. Let me know if you have questions

Val~~You can discuss Claritin with your onc, but they aren't all up on the benefits of using it. The nurse/practioner at my onc's office told me, she had seen it work too often not to tell her patients about it. It is an allergy medication, but maybe the bone pain is an allergy we have to the Neulasta. You can get the generic (Loratidine) which is much cheaper but works the same.



Mouth sores can be prevented by using the baking soda/salt rinse.



Mix: 1TBS salt to 1TBS baking soda in a quart of water and rinse several times daily.

Swish for about 30 seconds and spit

I did it everytime I went to the bathroom. In 6 months of chemo I never had mouth issues.



Blessings

Paula

Hi Ladies,

I was just wondering if any of you were told that they would wait and evaluate whether you need Neulesta until after they looked at your blood counts after first chemo?



I mentioned to my Oncologist that I heard the Neulesta shots were the worst part and that is when he told me we would wait. Now I'm scared if I don't get the shot I will end up getting sick or an infection. What do you think should I tell him I want the shot?

Fab 1 and Alibeths - thank you.

Jojogal123 - Seems like there are some medical professionals that down play things. I hear that there some that get minimal side effects. Meanwhile, getting informed is valuable. List of items to have on hand just in case, etc. Good luck to you.

Lgfoster123-Hope the next few days go o.k. for you.

Sunnyskys-I too had a tough time anticipating chemo. I feel you girl. We will get through this.

Paula-Congratulations completing chemo.

Had mybfirst chemo Thurs May 30th. Day of chemo and next day went fine. Pepicid was really all I needed and it worked. Swiched my mouth with baking soda salt, water combo for prevention of mouth sores, also did the same with coconut oil. Got my shot on Friday, Saturday, even with clariton, my body hurt, also brain fog. Felt weird but no nausea or mouth sores. Food tastes good, just wasn't into it. It's past 1 a.m. Going to try and go to sleep.Maybe I will count sheep.

For all that are starting your chemo soon, best wishes for you. Actually, best wishes to all.

Carla

To all of you starting chemo in June--

You can do this!!! It is scary, but it is doable.... make sure to ask for help--- get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids.  Your body will tell you what you need (mine said only eat white food!).  

Your onc will give you instructions on the anti-nauseau meds--- follow them!!!! they do help.  You can live your life while doing chemo, albeit a little slower..... 

I am almost 5 years out--I remember the fear of the first visit and how I just wanted to turn around and go home.  I didn't, and now it is a distant memory, as is breast cancer.  I had kids, a job, etc..... just like you.  this really will fade into the background at some point, but for now, it is front and center..... take all the support offered.  You are doing something that will hopefully eliminate the need for you to ever have to think about bc forever!!!!!

The first step is the hardest... good luck!

Hi everyone,

I am starting today also, sitting in the big girls chair as we speak..

Scared too... And I don't think from looking at all the advice here from previous chemo goers that I have drunk enough water.. Does coffee count???

Anyway...good luck to anyone else starting today, I am in Australia so will have a head start on you...!

I decided to do the chemo based on my oncotype score of 18. Not quite in intermediate zone but almost... And because I am 43 with four kids, aged between 12-7..

Thanks for all being here!! And as Fab said thanks momand2kids for kind words.. Good to hear!!!

Hi

Thanks Paula for your advice... I do quite like Gatorade so think will get some. I had an uneventful first session of chemo, no adverse reactions.... So far...

Wish I'd tried the cold caps though, am regretting not giving it a go.. Saw Allibeth that you were on the cc thread.. I just thought it looked like a massive amount of work on top of a stressful situation but now that I've had the treatment can see that it could have been worth a shot..,

Eyes feel a bit odd, head a bit weird but other than that ok so far..

Fingers crossed...!!

Good on you Dlm,

I will be starting a week after you. We can best it thank god we have treatment no matter how unpleasant that can give us a fighting chance of beating this invader. I've decided to see chemo as a weapon to blast the cancer out of us, and god willing we will never have to use it again. Good luck any let us know how your treatment progresses. X

I am one of the May girls just thought I would share about the claritin.  My chemo nurse said to use claritin and aleve.  I am also in my early 30's there seems to be quite a few of us.  Lets kick some cancer @$$

What about fingernails do they fall off?

Hello to all my fellow June Bugs.  Take a deep breath girls – we will get through this. 

I am relating so much to what many of you are saying.  Scared, confused, WTF.  It’s a confusing time and SO much info coming at us – and none of it is anything we want to hear.  It makes it really hard to absorb it all.  I’m making a few mentions here for posts that I’ve read.  I’m sure I’m missing saying “hey” to some of you, sorry about that.  Just trying to get the ball rolling with a cheerleading squad.  (selfish reasons – needing a bit of pumping up here)  Start my first of 8 cycles of AC in just 3 sleeps – Thursday June 6^th is my day. 

Really happy we have a group here to follow and support each other.  Catching up on the posts and hope to be an active participant as we navigate through this.  Sending encouraging and supportive energy to all of you.

Paula-  and everyone else that is farther down this path – thank you, your info is awesome.

Kaydeesmiles – hope today went well for you, let us know how you are doing

Lstewart51 – go time for you tomorrow – best of luck – we are here for you

Jojogal123 – we are starting together on Thursday the 6^th same # of cycles.

VAL1966 – starting on the same day as well, this Thursday – gulp.  No kidding, sick of being poked and prodded.  They put us through an awful lot.

Stay strong everyone – we can do this.