Starting Chemo in December 2013

I am literally pulling my hair out!  It is so gross, even though my next infusion got pushed back 1 week it seems like I'm going to lose my hair this week.  Also my scalp hurts!  I think that's a sign, I'm wearing hats,mom getting hair everywhere.

Barbara, I felt great after about day 10 on.  

Crazywabbit, my nurse told me to take Claritin the day before the shot, day of, day after.  I had bad pain too.

oops I meant the Claritin comments to rhgsr, 

I'm sorry.  I hated going through that.  It is so gross.  I would recommend clipping it to about 1/2 inch.  You will feel so much better. I did that first, then 2 days later clipped it without using a guard.  Now I'm no longer itchy, sensitive etc.  I hope you feel better soon.

Hello my friends

Happy New Year to all!  2014 will be off to a rocky start but smooth sailing to come.  Hold on to that! 

I completed round 1 of ACTH, followed by neulasta  and ended back in hospital for IVs but today is day 6 and I am feeling pretty good.  Bone pain present and am doing the Claritin/Advil which seems to help. 

Next session is Jan 7th....question for my warrior friends.  How do you get your head ready to do this again, knowing what comes?   Are there strategies that you use?   Just wondering if you had any tips?  Meditation, visualization etc.  I don't want my head to mess me up....when all else fails...Adavan

Are most red devil users doing 4 or 6 treatments....praying for 4 only.

I do have a great team here in Little Rhody.  Fabulous nurse who is a bad ass which I love

Son also works in medicine so he is on top of things.

I am living on fruit cups, Popsicles, ginger ale flat , toast and Lipton noodle soup.  Had a few sips of wine tonight.  Trying to be normal!  Didn't feel good in the gut.  Anyone out there sipping wine through the treatments?   

Getting  ready for hair loss and worried about job issues but mainly believing in the power of faith.

I love reaching out and knowing you are all out there

Stay optimistic and I am sending out my strong prayers to everyone tonight.

Be well.        Beths

Hi Beths, I am taking the "red devil" also and will be doing 8 rounds (1 every 3 weeks) followed by a few rounds of I believe Taxol. I see a lot of our other sisters doing less rounds but I don't really question it. I guess we are all different and our tx plans are unique to each of us. I am going for round 2 on Thursday. I was fortunate with my SE's during round 1 ... i had imagined them worse than they really were. It did take a while for my WBC to come up but once they did I felt good. I just prepare myself with positive thoughts and I visualize my tumor getting bombarded and getting blasted away!!! I am better prepared for the same SE's that I had in round 1 but won't be surprised if I have others. I think the worse for me was the constipation and losing my taste buds. I hope the taste buds come back!!! What also helps me is my faith, the love of my family, and my dog. What is so hard to wrap my mind around is seeing the St. Jude commercials on TV knowing that little children are going going through this and they are coping...it breaks my heart.

RHGSR, I hope your SE's calm down for you. Def call your MO to get something so you can stay ahead of them. Take 24 hr Claritin before your shot and a few days after. It may help eliminate some pain. I had some pain both rounds after my shot, but not sure if it is the chemo or the shot...but it was tolerable and took care of it with OTC meds. The second round pain didn't seem to last as long.  I think the pain is worth not getting an infection! Good luck, keep us posted. Where are you going for treatment?

Kimie08- i had round 3 on Dec 26. It was my easiest as far as side effects.  Although I could not sleep well the first night after chemo, I slept for 2 days. I am glad that I slept so sound.  I have a foggy brain but it was much, much better than round 1 A/C.   I need help with my foggy brain. I feel like this side effect is now more depressing than the hair loss.  IF anyone has suggestions, please please please share.  I have been playing luminosity to try to help.  Has anyone tried ADD medicine?  I don't know if it will make me have side effects.   

keep the faith - MO is in Kyle

Welcome to all the new ladies! This is a very supportive place to be.

RHGSR, to be blunt "screw that nurse".  You have every right to get the meds you need to be prepared and to be scared.  Next time ask her if she ever went through chemo.  And if she did, ask her if she remembers the fear. 

Beths, I’m doing 4 rounds of AC and 12 rounds of low dose Taxol, ugh! Getting your head around this is difficult.  I do a few things.

1. My sister got me a breast cancer water bottle.  It says F@#k cancer in a very fancy creative way down the side.  Really have to study it to get what it says.  So I use it at work.  You can write yourself  messages in the lid, so you see it every time you take a drink. First one I wrote “How am I going to do this”, then “I got this”, now “half way through AC Hell!” http://www.cafepress.com/+trek_pink_ribbon_kor_water_bottle,1044783572

2. I’m planning things to look forward too.  After radiation in July/August my friends and I are going to Northern California for a week.  I bought a travel book and am planning the itinerary.  Then throwing a party! Does anyone know where to get boobie balloons? After this is all over in January 2015, Herceptin for a year and then my port is removed, we are going to Peru. My dream vacation. Also working on planning that!

3. I workout…The week after chemo I’m weak and nauseous so I walk. The second week I feel good so I workout hard. Today in spin class as I was doing the standing hill and I was using the bars to push the petals swaying back and forth, as I swayed left in my mind I screamed “F#@k” then swayed right “Cancer”, over and over, “F#@K CANCER” at the top of my lungs, in my mind of course.  Then I changed it to "I'M STRONG".  I sweated out my fear. If I keep my body strong, I keep my mind strong over this new hell. You don’t have to use those words, but whatever helps!

4. I’m doing fine with the hair loss but the thought of my eyebrows and eyelashes freaks me out a bit. So I went to the eyebrow bar in Nordstrom’s. They were awesome! They have eyebrow kits made by Anastasia. They showed me how to use the stencils and mix the colors. They also then took the time to show me make-up tips. I am experimenting with eye shadow colors to go with my bald head. I also bought fake eyelashes.  It made me feel good and prepared.

5. This is the most important one and one that recently clicked in my mind. As crazy as it sounds, I am looking forward to Friday and my 3^rd round of chemo.  Because that means I’m 3/4 the way through AC hell and then I have one more.  Then I’m on to Taxol.  I remind myself, as horrible as chemo is, IT IS SAVING MY LIFE… The poison that they are pumping through our veins making us sick and scaring the hell out of us is a good thing and we are lucky that modern science is there.  So when we are sick from chemo and scared, we have to keep our eye on the prize, LIFE.

And, yes I sip wine

Happy New Year’s Ladies, we can do this!

rhgsr, I'm sorry you are feeling bad. Make sure you tell your MO about your SE's. There is no need to suffer through them. I agree, the nurse needs to get over herself... We all deserve attention, respect and the best of care. Stay as hydrated as you can. The first round is fearful bc we have no idea of what to expect. Now that I am on my 2nd round, I feel more at ease and feel like I have my arsenal in place for whatever comes my way. I hope you get some relief soon.

kimie06:  thanks for reaching out. Please stay in touch.    I too feel so much better prepared fro the next round. 

BTW. You have/ had gorgeous hair.  It will one day soon be that beautiful again.

Happy New year!

TRUTH. !!

Beth's

Anyone newly receiving treatments having port problems?   

I had mine put in a week ago and it is still painful, somewhat swollen.

Normal???

Thanks.

Beths

wow lots of good advise and positive ideas and imagery! I have been icing feet and hands with soft ice packs in big wool socks. I am also doing the cold caps. We have friends in Europe and in many of the chemo centers there the patients get the cold caps and feet hands automatically it is just part of the protocol. 

It is amazing that there are so many different approaches out there. We all have to find what feels right for us. 

Keep fighting chin up...

Speaking of port issues, did anyone experience trouble with the insertion itself?  My BS said 95% of the time it pops right in on the first side they choose, but 5% of the time they have to re-try on the other side.  Has this happened to anyone here?  How about other complications - infection?  

My port placement is tomorrow and for some reason I'm kinda freaked out about it.  (Maybe since it's just 4 days before going back to work, whereby with the BMX everyone knew I'd be out for 3 weeks.)  Thanks in advance!