Starting Chemo January 6, 2014

I have my first chemo, TCH, on January 31st.  Then every 3 weeks for a total of 6 rounds.  Hoping not to feel too bad.  I am planning to work as much as possible. This thread has been helpful.

So far, my only symptom since chemo is exhaustion. I am soooo tired. I had a neulasta shot the day after chemo. I started Claritin the night before and will take for the next 7days.  Today, I'm going to get fitted for a wig. The nurse told me to expect nausea by Sunday since the emend and aloxi will have worn off by then. I am expecting NO nausea. I just simply will not allow it. Lol. I do have my meds ready though. Just in case my desire isn't enough to prevent it.

my MO team has a lot of Ativan in the protocol to fill in any gaps left by the Zofran and Dex (I don't get Emend).  I had no nausea after the first day.  

Well the hair is now coming out ( day 16 from first tx), and the chemo pause that they said would be immediate was not, started my period yesterday. I had a blood transfusion on Monday because I was anemic, at least I have a little extra now. Since I have been feeling good I hope to be as productive this weekend as I can in anticipation of round two next week.

I am sorry everyone is so sick.

Warrior  woman,  I'm  in southern NJ. I have well water but I have a filtration system. Is well water a problem for chemo pt in general or only when the counts are low? My doc never asked about it.  

ASB,  I wont know till I go on Thursday.  They run labs right before Chemo and I have a Dr.'s appointment before too, so I will see him and he will let me know. I am feel a liitle better but I am going to cancel my look good feel better and not going back out  of the house till Thursday. Allready got the cabin fever and been out of cymbalta a week so want to shoot something, lol. I even yelled at my dog today.

Tekwriter - I'm returning the favor of the prayers as yours really helped me.  I woke this AM feeling better than I have in days.  Although I am not planning to leave the house, I did 30 minutes of running up and down the stairs.  That really helped my muscle pain.  So here is all that good energy now coming your way.  

CarpeVinum & Sam2U - Thank you for the well wishes.  They really make a difference.  Water & exercise and good people!  And Wendy, not that you have to post them but you know you need a full photo shoot of your new look.  

LisaCM - I'm in Central Jersey and it's all farm land and well water.  I assume that is why I was asked about well water.  Normally it isn't a problem.  However, given that my WBC dropped so low and I ran a 102.5 fever, I have to be extremely careful to avoid infection.  Infection can even be caused by organisms in my own body.  I don't have to be around other people to catch something.  And so, under the current circumstances, it was advised to use bottled water.  

carpevinum - any way to post a pic of that Mohawk? I'm approaching the hair-loss stage too, and also have an 8-year-old who thinks we should get matching Mohawks! Feeling nervous, but there may never be another opportunity for that kind of fun :-)

Just back from a fabulous Pampered Chef party with lots of great friends. Of course I always say *I don't need any more PC stuff!* but seem to find something I can't live without!

The kids and I took a couple of pics while we were driving (stoplight pics) so I'll try to attach them here. Geeezzz why don't my kids tell me when I've drawn my eyebrows on crooked!? They never did grow back after my last chemo in July 2013 lol.

Oh it worked! Not sure why one pics is up there and another down below. Oh well.......

Have a restful night everyone.

Wendy

we made my hair cutting a family event also. My younger son's fiancée cut my shoulder length hair to chin length. She keep trying to get it perfect and I kept telling her it would only last a day or two and not to worry about it. The next day my scalp hurt so much I had my son get the clippers out and cut it with a number 3 blade (3/8 inch) all over. The fiancée was afraid to do the final deed. Shedding little short hairs was more tolerable the the long ones.  I am not into "bald is beautiful" so I keep my head covered most of the time. 

Funny I still like to use a dab of shampoo to clean my scalp in the shower and wrap my head in a towel when I get out. When I look in the morrow with the towel on my head I still feel like I have hair, at least for a few minutes.  Also wet bald head gets cold really fast after a shower. 

Good luck to all those getting chemo this week. I am enjoying my few good days this week before my last AC infusion on Thursday. YEAH.   My sister is flying in from Oregon on Tue to stay for 10 days. Will be nice to have her to help out. I was much more fatigued after round 3 afraid it will be even worse with #4.  The second day after the last round the only time I got out of bed was when the dog insisted on getting let out.  

Barbara

Hi ladies.. I am starting my 1st round of chemo tomorrow. I am on FEC regiment. 

Feeling scared & sad. This week has been hell. I had an increase in my anti depressants, had a CT which showed 2 nodules on my lung which my oncologist seems confident are benign but will re check after chemo. So of course I'm worried. 

And I finally got my first cold of the year... Seriously!? right before chemo!! lol sore throat, head pounding, cough. Not major but enough to slow me down a bit.

But I guess they say... It could always be worse!!

Any advice as I head into this new adventure tomorrow would be appreciated 

mommy 13, I was so scared before my tx that I just had an overwhelming urge to run from the building. It is sad. It's sad that our lives have been hijacked by cancer. My fear of the tx was so much bigger than the tx itself. The fear of the unknown was so horrible. But it wasn't bad, at all. Other than the lady next to me who talked my ear off for three hours, it wasn't bad. Actually listening to her talk wasn't that bad either. Obviously she needed to talk to someone and in retrospect, I guess I'm glad I could help. My mo Prescribed Ativan before chemo. I took a 0.5  mg and that did take the edge off.  We will get through this. This is the work we have to do to get better. It sucks definitely, but I thank God everyday that there are treatments that can help us. It's pointless to tell you not to worry, because you will worry anyway. Take heart though, you WILL get through this. 

Thanks ladies that is good advice... as much as it seems so horrible it is potentially saving our lives!! So yes it is good! 
I can relate about running away. I feel the same!! I just want to hop on a plane and not look back lol I will definatly take something to sleep tonight. My 8 month old was up all night last night phew! 

I will try not to worry too much.. At least it's about to begin. So the sooner I can get it finished!! 

My husband is also sick with a bad cold. Will they let him sit with me?

I would think we stay?

Hi. Chemo is scary but it is good and worthwhile.

Ok, you may not feel good when having chemo........then again you may be fine.........we're all different.

I'm here to say that it's worthwhile.....I'm still here nearly 6 years on.........after all the neulasta shots, tests etc etc..........it's so worth it. Ok you may not feel so good some days, work is hard to cope with..........but you'll soon be out the other side.

You'll soon be back to your new normal.