Starting Chemo June 2013!?!?!

Slow day here for me.  Finding myself tired but thats about it.

Netter - thanks for sharing your hair cutting party pics.  I have to say, you did it in style and were in control of the situation.  You look lovely with the buzz cut in my opinion.  I'm leaning towards that myself.  My head starts to tingle just thinking about it.

Hello Everyone,

I had my first treatment today, TCH.  You guys are right, the anxiety before hand is worse than the actual treatment.

I had decadron and benadryl first, and the benadryl made me so sleepy I slept through most everything else.

I came home feeling fine, at some supper, and that was a mistake, because 4 hours later the food is sitting undigested and making me feel icky and queasy.  A little headache.  Fear headache will get worse so nervous about taking the Zofran, since it says on the bottle that headache is a side effect... eh....  I drank all day, but since supper I haven't wanted to drink anything.  Soon will go to bed and take an ativan.....  I've never one for pharmaceuticals.... I also took some tylenol....  and tomorrow I wil take Claritin since I will be going back for neulasta.

In terms of ports - I had mine placed May 10th when I had my lumpectomy.  It was a little uncomfortable at first, but not really painful.  It is much better.... still sleeping in a chair...... bed just isn't comfortable..... I was nervous today when she went to put the needle in the port and asked about numbing cream that I had read about here - she said that they don't generally do anything, but that it shouldn't hurt much - and it didn't.  It hurt much less than an IV or giving blood.  Much less.  One quick pinch and that was it.

Thank you for being here - I've been reading all month....

Hello hello! Haven't been on much not for lack of feeling well. The opposite actually. Surprised how well I feel considering 7 days after chemo.



For the gals approaching chemo, it's doable. It's not easy there are certainly side effects: mine were: major queasy, some puking, bone aches from the infusion, sore throat, slightly itchy eyes, heart burn, tired, plams peeling, tonight getting some mouth sores breaking thru.



All managable, doable and endurable.



I was back to work full time 9-10 hour day running a very busy Insurance Agency, after taking Friday the day after chemo off, hung low for the weekend as the queasy tummy with throwing up was the worst. Come Monday I was ready to buckle down and push past the side effects.



Major advice - as many others are saying. Drink drink drink and keep moving!!



You all can do this, it's certainly not a walk in the park.



Our minds get the best of us and the fear and stress of the unknown can play tricks on our reserve and confidence.



I hope that I continue to do this well through my remaining treatments, the nurse called me today and told me that I must be careful as my white blood count is nonexistent, I feel ok not myself but not critical by any stretch.



Rest assured other Junebugs!!

Cut my hair short to donate it.....really like it short to bad it's only for two weeks before I will buzz it all off!!! Feel like Im getting ready for the race of my life (Im a runner) but got a fever and a slight cough so hope Im all better by Tuesday for day one of A/C!!!! great to hear everyone's experiences though I wish non of us had to. Taking notes

and praying for all of you!!

Hi Everyone-  I'm new to the group and this is my first post.  I am also starting chemo this month.  Tomorrow, in fact.  I am very scared-  mostly about feeling sick all of the time but also the loss of hair/eyebrow/eyelashes.  I will be taking carboplatin-taxotere-herceptin for 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart and then Herceptin only for the remainder of the year.  I feel like you never really have time to deal with what's going on today before you get hit with what's coming tomorrow.  That's been the hardest thing to me.  I was diagnosed in April (total surprise/found it myself) and after meeting with an onc, my first order of business was to get this tumor out!  After interviewing 2 surgeons and 3 PS, I ended up going with my second choice simply because my first choice surgeon wanted me to wait for 4 weeks to do surgery.  I am really not a good "waiter".  My second choice surgeon could do it the following week, so I opted for that.  I think my bilateral NSM went pretty well...  the non-cancerous breast looks pretty good now at 4 weeks out, but the cancerous one looks  TERRIBLE.  Purple bruising, scarring, scabbing, bleeding nipple...  Ugh.  It has been a lot to deal with.  THEN when that's still scaring me-  THE POWER PORT PLACEMENT.  Supposed to be easy-peasy.  After my cool pain meds wore off I discoverd that the whole area was very sore, more bruising, and the worst part-  the three little nodules in the top of the port that are designed to show the nurses where to go-  are so tightly pushing against my skin that you can see WHAT COLOR THEY ARE!  It looks like if I just scraped one with my fingernail, it would pop out.  Plus every time I bend down it feels like my throat is being constricted.  Swelling, I guess.  So-  not over the port, here comes chemo.  I have hardly taken medicine in my life and have been thankfully pretty healthy with no real surgeries.  This is a biggie.  Anyone out there on this same regimen?  Would love, love, love to hear everything you'd care to tell, good, bad, or ugly.  Anyone else starting in June, maybe we can compare notes?  Would love to have some sisters to go through chemo with.  

Let the drip beging!  First of six Taxotere/Carboplatin ----and Herceptin (17).  I couldn't fit everything in my chemo bag so I have a little red wagon to drag into the treatment room.  See you on the other side.  Good luck everyone.

Thanks Gingergirl for letting me know that icing is not standard in Canada.  Just glad that the infusion facility you are being treated at is letting you do it.  The interesting thing is that the infusion center where I got my chemo, some of the nurses knew about icing but not all of them did.  I discovered that the patients who did ice usually just put their hands and feet in containers of ice.  Brrrrr.....   Hope you are able to continue to ice and find a way to make the icing work for you.  Hope you are feeling okay after the first round.

MaineRottweilers-  good luck today!  Sounds like we have the same mix on the same day.   

Good luck to all infusers today and through the week!!!!  Prayers for you!!!!

Thanks for the info from you both! I believe I am going to do and stay on the safe side.

Last night around 5am ..had gotten up because of horrible port pain..went to take my dog out..when I got back in my shirt on  MX side was soaked..I thought Id somehow dipped it in something while getting a glass of water..I went to change clothes and was coming from my incision..doing a drip drip drip..like just a second apart..Major freak out!!..Woke husband..he wrapped me in towels..which were getting soaked..went through about 8 ..finally it quit..well pretty much..Ive had horrible time getting in touch with nurse (no callbacks) so my husband went storming up to their office this morning (he works at hospital that is attached to their bldg) and they told me to be there in 10 min..it seems that where glue met skin..tiny hole opened like a dam ..he said was good that it came out..also had a bit of red around it..so gave me antibiotic and said very important to change gauze// He said port looked good..except had tiny blisters where tape was..nurse fixed that..he also..GLORY !! ..changed me from lortabs to percocets.

One other nice thing my husband did for me...MelroseMelrose...I had let him read your tips above on what needed for chemo..I didnt know but he later wrote them down..went to Walmart and purchased almost everything on your list!

As many of you will find, this time in chemoland is full of twists and turns.  There are going to be good days and not so good days.  If you find yourself a little teary and emotional on some days, it is part of chemoland experience.  Always try to be easy on yourselves; eat well, drink lots of fluids, rest and take a walk everyday if you can.  The other thing to remember is that is all new to you as well as your families and friends.  Many of them have not travelled this road.  They may not always get everything right but it's okay.  You will soon learn that it doesn't matter how those dishes are stacked in the dishwasher; the fact that they are and in the next step to getting cleaned.  Try to keep the communication lines open with your loved ones and friends so that they can learn with you how to deal with things.  It is team effort here--- you, your medical team, the infusion staff, your family, your friends and people that meet along the way here.  Just knowing that you aren't alone and can come here to chat, vent, ask questions and to get support will help carry you to the other side.  I know at this point in time, the last chemo may seem so far away but the time will pass by before you know it.  Wishing each of you wonderful weekends and minimal side effects!!!! 

If you are new here, "Welcome!"  The road you are on has been travelled by many before you and there are many here with you.  You are among friends.

Ok I completed my first treatment today. They had a horrible time accessing my port. It was horrible pain until they realized they needed a longer needle. The nurse said probably port was lower in the chest right because of swelling. I hope that's the case and goes better next time. The infusion part went very smooth and so far I'm feeling very pretty good.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

CK & Tash, So sorry for your problems.  Makes mine get smaller all of the time.  12 days until #2.  Can't hardly wait, lol!!!!!

I'm having the hard time with my first AC. Vomiting 2ce already. On and off nausea. Just pray for get better tomorrow.

Jjl you should not be sick at all I had Ac yesterday I took Emend before I went. I took zofran after and ativan for nausea and anxiety. Was not sick at all a little quizzy. Today had my neulasta shot and I feel fatigued but still no vomiting i hope I don't start now when do you know your at of the woods? I don't feel right I feel like a war is about to start inside my body