Starting Chemo January 6, 2014

Hi everyone. I had my first treatment on Wednesday the 8th. So far so good. No nausea or any other symptom except constipation. It is better now. I have a question, did anyone had their period start during treatment? Looks like I am starting mine even though is not really time. Not sure if I should be concerned about it or not.

Thanks

January 16th is my start date for Chemo. I will be having 4 cycles/3weeks apart. After which I will have 16 - 25 radiation treatments; depending on the 'Planning CT Scan'. For Chemo I will be having the TC cocktail; Taxotere/Docetaxel and Cytoxan/Cyclophosphamide. In preparation - I had my hair cut into a pixie style on Jan 3rd and it was long enough to send off to Locks of Love. I also dyed my hair Blonde and added Fuchia Pink highlights - which I forget about all the time - and wonder why people are always looking at me and smiling. I suppose they do not expect it for a 60 yo women.  I had a lumpectomy -Nov 26 and am currently cancer free including the lymph nodes. The chemo and radiation is adjunctive treatment. I have had quite a few people 'judge' my decision to go through with chemo/rads when I am cancer free. I wonder, but haven't asked anyone yet, if they think this was an easy decision. However, given that I am Triple Negative, 30% chance of recurrance and only 48% chance of survival in 10 years if NO therapy - I figure this was a 'no brainer'. Radiation will bring the recurrance down by 70% to under 10% and the chemo will bring the survival rate up to 66%. Anyways, everyone stay positive! This is what will get us all through this. And for those nay sayers I run into this is what I say ... Adjunctive treatment is like car insurance ... "it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." God bless us all and keep us in His Peace, humour and fellowship.

hi all January girls. I hope every one is feeling as well as I do! Day 6 post A/C and  I have had no SE's to speak of, just a very mild headache in the morning. I think it may be related to a drop in caffeine consumption rather than the chemo! Is any one else always hungry, I find that I need to really watch what I eat...... I am at the fridge constantly, and not working doesn't help! I am planning to buzz cut my hair later this week so I can get used to wearing the wig before I return to work. Stay strong. lIL

Hi ladies, first treatment was this past Friday and follow-up Neulasta shot on Saturday. My joints are aching terribly. Wonder if any of you have experienced this and if you have any tips? Thanks

Harmony, yes, Nancy is right about Claritin. I get the generic, Loratidine at Walmart for a fraction of the cost. I've used both and can tell no difference in brand or generic. Start taking on the day of chemo and continue for a few days after the shot.

I love your avatar!

Paula

hi, starting A/C 4 cycles today! Nervous but ready to get this started so that its closer to being done. Port was placed on Friday 1/10 so it's still sore but the doc said no problem accessing it today. They said they use lidocaine spray to numb it but may ask for a prescription for the cream to use as well. The port site is very sensitive to touch even lightly over the skin.yukk! They say it will get better and I'm trusting it will. We can do this, we are strong! Lets triumph ladies!

My quotes to get me through this day:

"Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think" Christopher Robin

"Courage is not the absence of fear but instead the triumph over it" Nelson Mandela

rabbitvelvet - please let know how you like your "hat with hair" - I'm planning to do the same thing. Also, good luck with the TCH and with your daughter. 

I got my port this morning and my neck feels a little stiff, it's difficult to turn my head from side to side, but hopefully it gets easier. I was a ball of anxiety this morning until my sweet nurse gave me a Valium to take the edge off. I don't remember a thing about the procedure, so I guess that's for the best. Not looking forward to what's under the bandages, though!  I start AC a little later this week and I'm really anxious about that - my oncologist says it's more difficult than the Taxol, which comes later. 

Hugs, love and strength to all of you lovely ladies this week :-)

Ativan is wonderful for the anxiety. MO can prescribe it. It can also help with sleep. An extra bonus is that it can help combat nausea!

Hello ladies! I've been reading through your posts these past few weeks to try and gauge some potential side effects I may experience. I had my first chemo (TC) last week, the 7th. I will be receiving 4 total. I am 9 weeks post surgery today. This chemo crap is not new to me. I had chemo 14 years ago for Hodgkin's (ABVD). The A in that cocktail stands for Adriamycin. Back then I had treatment every 2 weeks for 6 months! (12 total) I really thought this time around it wouldn't be so bad. I was sadly mistaken. I am very surprised just how quickly my body is being ravaged by this poison. I DID NOT want to do the chemo! I had every intention of fighting this the rest of the way holistically. I only changed my mind after my surgical pathology was elevated from a grade 2 to a grade 3. It seems I'm dealing with a more aggressive type than I was originally told. That being said, I went ahead with the chemo.

The first few days weren't so bad, taste buds were the first to go, had myself a funky psychedelic trip Thursday evening (steroid high ??), chemo brain Friday (just felt like my head wasn't screwed on straight), some minor aches and pains (just felt like body aches when you have the flu), went from constipation to diarrhea, my face is breaking out (steroids - ??), already had my right leg and foot go numb on me (that came on sudden after a hot shower and went away after several hours, thank God! I felt great on Sunday. I thought "Wow, that's it, I'm on the road to recovery till next time?!"  Ha! Not so fast...Sunday night it started. The dreaded bone pain. Now, I had a drug called Neupogen last time. It basically did what the Neulasta does, only I gave it to myself for 5 days after each treatment. The Neulasta seems to be a concentrated dose given only once. I didn't have much pain from that med. Wish I could say the same this time 'round. What I experienced yesterday felt like labor. Low, back labor. Came on sudden, lasted 5-20 seconds. I was screaming in pain. Mind you, I have a very high tolerance for pain. Tylenol helped a bit. I am reading on here that some of you are taking Claritin in the hopes of dodging this pain. My nurse told me to take it just once, about 1/2 hour before the Neulasta shot. I did. I questioned her...really just the once. She said yes.  Are some of you being given different instructions? If so, how much and when. Next time I'll take more to see if it helps. With all of the other toxic things I'm putting into my body, a little Claritin is the least of my worries. 

Also, are any of you taking any supplements to help you get through the chemo? I take l-Glutamine, magnesium, and B6. I drink Essiac Tea as well. Thanks for your feedback. This site has been a God-send.

I am learning all of that kind of thing on here so far. Although I do plan to run everything by my MO Thursday.

hi momgie, sounds like you have been hit hard with SE's! I have had only 1 dose A/C and am not scheduled to have neulasta until after my second dose, and then only if my neutrophils drop significantly. Speaking of bloods, I had my first lot taken yesterday post A/C and they are all great! Fingers crossed this continues. I still have no SE's to speak of, quietly confident I can return to work next week. I have an appointment with my onc on Friday and I'm seriously considering asking her to reduce my dose of pre and post dexamethasone..... In retrospect I can see I was pretty buzzy for 3 days, I don't know if I would be able to work if I was that high! Will let you know her recommendations. 

It's a beautiful sunny day here in Australia, sending some your way

LIL

Hey there chemo sisters!  Had my first ac on friday and thank God for anti nausea meds!!  Friday night is a blur, started compozine that night, flu like symptoms, soaked two nights in a row.  Could only eat small meals sat. And sun., even those were tough to tolerate.  Neulasta shit made my bones restless but allergy pills ie claritin, helped.  I am constipated a lot and miralax once a day hss helped combat that no problem.  The zofran and dex every morning and evening with compoazine heloed ward off the vomiting however it was tough to keep it down sometimes.  I am slowly coming out of ut, vision is blurred hoping that wont be my new temporary eyesight.  Anyways, cheers to one down and 3 ac's to go...feel better lovely ladies....I have a new respect for each and every one if you, xo

I start A/C on 1/23/14. I'm having an echocardiogram tomorrow ,port placed on Monday and then chemo Thursday. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster. Surgery was the first drop and now I feel like I'm going up to the first backward loop by starting chemo. LoL.  Why does Claritin help with bone pain and body aches? My Mo didn't mention anything about it today. I'm going to be on a "dose dense "schedule which means I will be receiving A/C every two weeks instead of every three weeks. We will continue this way as long as i tolerate it.  This is so bizarre but I still don't feel like this is real. I am NOT a cancer girl, in my head anyway.   I'm concerned about getting a decent wig and hat. I have no idea how to tie a scarf on my head and actually i dont want to look like a grandma. Has anyone bought a wig yet? Any tips? One thing that really pisses me off is I finally found the hairdo for me, last week, and now it's gonna fall out. WTH!   I want to work throughout this process if at all possible. I am much better when I'm out of the house and productive. When I'm stuck in the house I get depressed.  Lol.  I am not looking forward to this journey but I hope I make some new friends along the way. I'm all about finding the silver linings. 

otceb and lisacm, welcome.  I work full-time and am hoping to continue as normally as the treatments will allow.  Started back on the 6th after recovering from the BMX.  What type of work do you do? 

My first treatment is Thursday, so the next week or so will be very telling.  

I have my wig, but I don't love it.  It will be for work only, and even then it will not fool anyone   Just started looking at some headwear online last night, after being stubbornly in denial about it for several weeks.  There are some things I like, but for work I'm terrified of being instantly "outed" as a cancer patient as soon as a co-worker sees me down a hallway.  There were some styles that I can see being comfortable in at home, at the gym, out for errands, and during treatments.  

otceb, I don't believe FEC-D is commonly used in the US. 

When I was first diagnosed I outed myself at work. I'm a health care case manager for a child protection agency. I'm a nurse so I'm really very open about medical issues in general. Iam very forthright. I look very very healthy. I imagine when I go back to work( I've been out since my lumpectomy)  I will be bald. Because I am an open book, I don't think anyone will be too surprised and really? Too bad if they are. I am concerned about my 8 year old daughter. We talked about my hair loss and she really really wants me to wear a wig. I totally understand and respect her feelings and I promised her that I will always wear a wig when her friends are around or we are out together. I never want her to feel bad about how I look or feel bad about herself because of how I look or feel bad about feeling embarrassed about my bald head. To avoid all those issues, I'm just going to get a wig ASAP. Lol I imagine that as she gets used to it, she will adjust and it maybe won't be such a big deal to her, but if it is,  that's ok too. Someone on these discussion boards talks about her new "normal" after her diagnosis. Its a perfect way to describe this journey.  I'm interested in seeing what my new normal is.