Starting Chemo in December 2013

that's what I heard too, after the 2nd round with AC.  I was also told my brows & lashes should stay. 

Good luck all of you who are doing round 2!  Merry Christmas to you all!

Carol

what an inconsiderate remark. You should tell you MO so someone can educate the lab person not to say such stupid things.  Of course the AC is working. some one I know went through the AC-T 2 years ago ans she said she lost about 80% of her hair but always kept a bit of fringe around the edges.  Everyone will be different.  

I am glad to know the 4 finger rule also, never wore a wig before either.  I have lots of soft fleece hats to wear and a few cotton ones for sleeping. 

Barbara

Amy, hope all is well and you are just busy with the holiday.... Sounds like a yummy, snuggly ritual!

yes I kept all mine till about 5 days ago, bobbed it off, then after the 2nd round it started coming out pretty bad....as bad as it SUCKS its a small price to pay for health right ladies !!!  now its gone number 3.......

Goldie I think it is from the steroids. Haven't figured out how to combat it. Have to eat to keep healthy and for blood levels (proteins and iron rich foods). It could be water retention to some degree also, even with the hydration. Frustrating.

Hi! I am doing TAC - 4 cycles AC then 4 cycles T... Started to lose my hair on day 17, and it is still on it's way out. It varies from person to person, I have heard the average is usually day 10 to day 14. My hair down there has been departing too. No luck on my armpits and legs yet! Still hopeful on those. Still have my brows and lashes, I have heard those are generally the last to go. My worst SE is the bone pain from the neulasta. It is mostly manageable with Percocet, starts about 12 hours after shot and lasts for about 24 hours. I am tired during the day, and a nap helps with that. I need my Ativan to sleep at night, that is when my mind won't shut off. I have had slight nausea and the anti-nausea meds have been effective. I drink at least 64 oz a day, mostly water, some juices and some Gatorade. I have been told that the SE's can increase with each treatment. So far, I have been lucky..

Neulasta is an injection I get the day after chemo. I believe it stimulates white blood cells to be created in the marrow. (Don't quote me on it though) 

To everyone having chemo today ( sounds like quite a few of us), I am sending prayers and good vibes your way for an easy round with little to no SEs. 

I am right behind you and will be getting #2  on Friday. Been so focused on Christmas that I am just now starting to think about it. What a beautiful distraction!  I might have to come up with some distraction for 3-5 as well.  Thinking by #6 I won't need one,,,, just be ready to get the last one behind me. 

DJJ, wonderful you felt better after round 2... So encouraging to hear.  I can't complain after round one, I did have the fogginess and a backache one day and fatigue, but nothing debilitating, so I'm hoping for as little as possible after today (#2) as well.  The foggy head is very bothersome, it's like I'm just zoned out, and I can see it in my eyes for a few days....

The hair in my legs and armpits are not leaving, but they are not growing either, last shaved those 12 days ago, so maybe they are like lashes and brows and just stop growing and hang in there.  Yesterday I did have some major hair loss in the southern region starting...crazy, crazy stuff, also some tingling and a bit of burning, so I now know what to expect on the head very soon!  

I found a neat website bangs, halo hair and a neat velcroe head band to hold them under hats, don't want to wear wigs daily so I'm anxious to see how these look, should arrive in a few days.

I have 4 AC, then 12 weekly taxol...I see many of you have 4 to 8 taxol, prompts me to ask my MO why so many?  I know we are all different as our doctors are, but 3 months on a weekly basis seems allot, maybe dose dense?  As well as time consuming, I too want to work daily if possible.  

Hoping everyone is doing well with SE and may we all have limited ones!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I am leaving for my Taxol #3 in a bit. Good luck to everyone having chemo this week.

hi everyone.  Started steroids today. Round 2 tomorrow. Anxiety increasing. Been bone weary so hoping blood count ok tomorrow. I find the emotions of this process daunting sometimes.  I marvel at how articulate you all are. Sometimes, I can't find words. To be honest, it is easier to journal and write poetry than to talk about it directly.  RobinLK, I love your photos.  I don 't look so adorable bald!  Lol. Wishing everyone an easy ride. Amy

You've got this Warrior! We are right here with you! Happy your daughter is with you. Mine will be home on New Year's Eve day. 

Thanks everyone, I don't particularly like the look, but it is what it is! Loving my hats and scarves! 

I find writing letters/notes helpful. Just end up posting some of it here. Not on my foggy days though.

Ahh the hair.  There is something called Cold Caps if anyone that still has their hair would like to try it.  It is a cap you wear that makes your scalp cold.  I have heard several of the BC sisters here swear that it works and they kept their hair.  Maybe because the cold constricts the blood vessels and the chemo doesn't affect the hair follices? I am not sure how it works, or how expensive or inexpensive it is.   I did the whole step down process too,  Bob, Setting #3, then gave up because even setting #3 drove me crazy when it would fall in my mouth - blech!    After they hair dresser took it down as far as she could get it with the clippers, my husband took me home and very lovingly and carefully shaved the rest off over the bathroom sink.   He shaves his head everyday and has for the last 20 years so he was an expert!   As for the eyebrows and eye lashes and the nether regions,   My onc told me I would keep the eyebrow and eyelashes until Taxol,  then once Taxol was full force - or even towards the end  they would fall out and sure enough they did.   My "nether" regions fell out - I should say I just sat there and pulled them all out around the same time that the hair on my head fell out.  

Sammolisa, 

I am doing cold caps.  It is not cheap and requires lots of help.  You have to really WANT badly to save your hair to as it requires cap changes every 30 minutes, but all the tracking of cap temps and of change times made the time of my first chemo fly.  I am hopeful to be sucessful enough with the caps to avoid shaving my hair down to nothing; I am actually OK with the wigs (I think some of them are quite beautiful); I am just not really looking forward to growing it out from nothing.  I am kind of known for my hair and big boobs and one of those is already history.    At the end of the day, it will be what it will be I suppose.

I must have had an area where the cap wasn't tight enough for chemo #1 because that area is shedding like crazy.  I would like to avoid the word "clumps" but it is pretty damn bad!  Most of my hair is still there but I am holding my breath to see how big that bald spot ends up.  Today is exactly 3 weeks since chemo #1 so I am not sure what to expect at this point.  I thought I'd know by now how well I did with the cold caps but it sounds like several of you who were expecting complete hair loss are making it that long or longer without seeing the full effect so who knows....   Again, it  will be what it will be!

That being said, for those are interested in this topic, there is a another board just for cold cap users that you can check out.

ok.....sounds like a plan, we can compare notes. I probably won't be sleeping tonight. Thanks everyone for your words of support. I thought I was the only crazy person that was this scared. I too was reading all the side effects and was obsessing over them.