Starting Chemo June 2013!?!?!

Oh Rain sooooo happy to see you posting I was so worried about you... Stay strong my turn on Thursday

Ingrid How are you feeling?

Rain, glad you are feeling better.

Its day 2 after infusion for me and I'm really tired. Had a little nausea last night before bed so I took a Zofran and it went away. Had the neulasta shot this morning and I think I'm starting to feel it tonight in my legs. I took a claritan earlier so hoping it wont be too bad. I'm starting to get concerned about constipation too. Really dont want to take a laxative but dont want to wait too long.

Hope you all have a good night.

Mia

Where is ocean; Netter and val hope to see you post soon Good night Jugs (just us girls). Three days left

Mia- Zofran has a tendency to cause constipation.  Try to eat some of the those Sunsweet Ones Prunes, drink apple juice/ prune juice and keep hydrated.  If you take any OTC meds for constipation, you need to make sure you drink enough fluids. 

Hi girls

I'm due to start chemo next week, six sessions of fmc-t. I am trying to get together all the things I will need , can anyone help compile a list of things I should have help with the side effects?

fab1= Here is the link for a list that is on this Chemothread Discussion Forum: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/706846?page=41#idx_1204.  It is very helpful and good place to start.

The other place to start is called Topic: Important Chemotherapy Threads for Newbies:

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/785189?page=1#idx_1.  This will show you that first link listed here plus others that can also help.

Ocean & Rain- So glad that both of you are feeling better.  The eating, hydrating and resting will help you continue to feel better.  I never had any nausea when I had chemo which may be because I took my meds on schedule, stayed hydrated and ate small meals 5-6 times a day.  As for the drugs I took, I took Decadron (Dexamethasone) for 3 days twice a day beginning the day before my chemo round.  The day after my chemo round I took Zofran (Ondansetron) for three days.  I had Phenergan as a back up anti nausea drug on hand in the event nausea occurred even after the two other drugs.  I never had to use Phenergan.  The Decadron can cause one to stay awake at night which I took Benedryl at night to help counteract that insomnia effect.  The Zofran can cause constipation which can be warded off with eating prunes, drinking apple juice/prune juice, eating high fiber.  I ate for breakfast a bowl of oatmeal with bananas, blue berries, wheat bran sprinkled on top and milk which also helped.

TO EVERYONE:  Wishing everyone  sitting in the Big Girl Chair this week an easy time and minimal side effects for all.

Hi all!! Feel like I'm surfacing from the dead!! Wow!! That was tough!! Day 2 and 3 well I kind of slept right through those and when I was awake.. Very nauseated!! Nothing was helping! I'm going to call my oncology nurse and see if if there is something different I can take for next round! This morning, I kind of feel normal again! Had some cereal when I got up and stomach feels fine. So glad to hear everyone has recovered! And Rain.. I can't even imagine going I to work right now!! I think the worse seems to be over for now and I'm so grateful!!

Alibeth good luck today with the port They told me I didn't need one. Supposedly I have good veins

Dim425,

I was told I didn't need port, as I was "only" doing 4 x of Chemo.



First round went well.

Second round went for labs the day before and my "good chemo vein" in the crook of my arm was "shot". Chemo nurses confirmed it when they tried to use that vein for chemo. They were so mad, blaming it on the lab girl. I don't think it was "lab girls" fault.



So they had to use a vein in the back of my hand (I won't let them touch the arm on the side that had lymph nodes removed as it increases risk of lymphedema.)

The hand vein went smoothly, at the time...then it was black and blue,then a nice long pink line along it, which turned into a small "bug bite size" raised bump, still there but not raised anymore. I don't know what that will mean for my next two rounds. They said they don't do legs (I asked).



Anyhow, when going for labs tell them to STAY AWAY from that really good vein! There was a "less noticeable" vein in the crook of my arm the lab nurse used, easily, after she couldn't access that nice big showy vein. Chemo nurse told me to tell lab girl to use the back of my hand for blood draw, I think I will stick to "tiny vein" in crook of arm for her as the chemo nurse wasn't interested In Small veins.



Oh, chemo nurse also blamed "overuse" of the good vein...I don't know about that , surgery was in March, prior to that testing was done in Jan/ Feb over two days...used for one blood draw prior to first chemo, then for one chemo.....it's not like I am a junkie!



Wishing you all the best.

Pat

Greetings All!

I hopped over here from the May chemo group, thought I would share a list I had compiled for side effects. It is not "all inclusive". Check the other links,like Melrose has above too, research is your best friend.



Please keepin mind this is not a complete list, and be sure to check with your doctor prior to ""self prescribing". These tips were picked up from reading posts on the BCO website.



What to bring to the "chemo room"



I've heard some people say to bring a light blanket or sweater as the chemo rooms can be cold. (Me personally, I am always warm, so I had no complaints, and my location offered warmed blankets!)



Pack a snack, sandwich or other food as you might be there for a long time. Mine started at 10:00 and lasted to 2:30.



Bring lots of water to drink or other liquids-purpose is to flush out those toxins. Also hydrate earlier in the morning prior to chemo as it makes finding those veins eaiser..



Bring a book, laptop, DVD player, iPod or those types of things to keep busy. My stack of unread magazines at home could get me through 20 chemo sessions!



I brought my own cooler bag, filled it with frozen veggies and baggies of ice cubes to ice my fingers and toes to ward off neuropathy. But, keep in mind that some recommend against doing that!



See if your location has ice chips, or bring ice/icee. If you are getting taxotere you will want frozen stuff in your mouth to ward off mouth sores. My taxotere drip is about one hour, I sucked once and froze my toes and fingers for most of that time (when I wasn't running to the bathroom to relieve myself from all the liquid I drank in the am!)



I think that was it on what to bring, checkbook for the co-pay? Lol



As for home I had on hand:

Prescribed steroids

Claritan 24 hour -for day of Neulasta shot and 7 days following (ward off bone pain)

Prilosec for heartburn (and I needed it on the day after chemo!)

Nausea meds as was prescribed and filled prior to chemo (and I did need them)

Stool softener-took one am and pm

Miralax- took recommended dose in the am just for a few days til off nausea meds

Biotene mouth rinse, used after every meal to rinse out mouth for first 3 or 4 days

Biotene gum, used to remoisturize my mouth not used too often

Baking soda- used with salt and water as a mouth rinse when felt strange

Benadryl-did not need

Acidophilus -did not need

Eye moisture drops-did not need

Water or other liquids...drink , drink, drink, flush out those toxins! I had one of those giant Poland spring waters next to my armchair when I got home and just kept refilling my glass of water....later the day 2 or 3 added some iced tea mix to my water or tried other things with flavor

Baby wipes ultra sensitive (or personal wipes) to wipe with after toilet use...clean off those toxins, used for first 4-5 days

Bottle to cleanse self (did not have, but read about) similar to like after giving birth, to squirt on yourself as you urinate to help rinse off those toxins as you go.

Plastic utensils as things get a metalic taste.

Thermometer- to check your temp,they will tell you what temp they consider high and to call them (listen!)

Tissues (preferably lotion ones). For runny nose that is bound to happen

Hand sanitizer...keep in car or handbag, use when out and about



I put the meds I would use daily on the kitchen table in a bowl.

The other "back up meds" were in a shoebox type container on my living room table.

Was very convenient to have like that so I could put away for next time! (Or if had people in!)



Also used a check off list to make sure I didn't forget to take am/pm meds.

And my husband could see what I needed in the am by looking at the list (was too tired to get out of bed one morning, so mumbled for him to being me my meds and he knew exactly which ones.)



To keep track of side effects from chemo check out this link

www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cont...



For a free headscarf check out this site

www.goodwishesscarves.org/



I think that is most everything.

Wishing you all the best.

Pat

@Patty- What is 4X of Chemo, please?

I copied your Chemo list for my what if folder- iif I have not thanked you before , let me thank you now- Thanks for this list

4X means four rounds of chemo

A round of chemo depends upon what regimen of chemo you are on.  I had Cytoxan/Taxotere with Herceptin adminstered every 3 weeks.  The Taxotere was infused over an hour.  The Cytoxan was infused over 30-45 minutes and the Herceptin was infused over an hour.  With that being said, the first round of infusions may be run over longer time periods since the infusion staff want to run the chemo a little slower to watch for immediate reactions.  I usually spent most of the day at the infusion center on the days I received my chemo.  I would be weighed and then had my blood pressure, temperature and pulse taken.  Then I would have my port flushed and blood drawn to make sure my blood counts were good enough to have the chemo round that day.   Then I would see my oncologist.  After that I would return to the infusion center to wait for my chemo and IV drugs to arrive from the hospital pharmacy.  The IV drugs usually arrived before the chemo did so, those were started first.  Then once the chemo drugs arrived and IV drugs had been administered for a long enough period so that they would work, it was then chemo time.  I iced my fingernails and toe nails during the Taxotere infusion for 1 1/2 hours--- 15 minutes before the Taxotere, 1 hour during the Taxotere infusion and for 15 minutes after the Taxotere infusion.  I usually would go to the restroom inbetween the switch over from the Taxotere to the Cytoxan.  Any time you need to go to the restroom during your infusion, just ask the nurse to unplug your IV pole from the electric socket and you can move the IV pole wherever you want to go.