Starting Chemo in March 2014

Good morning, all!

Uch, we really need to get a list going of who has treatment when, so that I know who to call out with special wishes (because of course I wish all of you well, EVERY day, but chemo days call for special shout-outs!).

Cancerjourney, you're fabulous. You ARE. It's really tough to watch your children absorb and navigate an illness like this, because as parents, we're supposed to be completely indestructible. Finding out that your mom or your dad are vulnerable is a bit like finding out clowns buy beer, or teachers have to go to the bathroom. It doesn't make sense when you're a child. But I think so much of how this goes depends on the attitude you show them, you know? If they see that you're confident you can handle it, then they take confidence from your confidence. If you show them that hair isn't important, then they understand that it's okay to lose it and maybe even have fun while you're doing so. If they see that you're not feeling well after a treatment, you can give them power by assigning tasks to do until you're feeling better, and tell them that it's a bit like having a stomach bug, or the flu, but that feeling sick means the medicine is working. My son (who turns 12 next month) monitors my daily water consumption, and he also helped cut off my braid to prepare for chemo. 

Of course, I might have gotten him a little too excited about the whole hair thing - this past Friday, I decided to wear my wig into town for the first time just to see what it was like. My son's school lets his class walk to town after school on Fridays, and he called me to let me know that he'd forgotten to take money to spend in town on an after-school snack. So I put on my wig, grabbed my car keys, and headed into town to meet up with him and give him a few dollars. He was walking down our main street with a few of his friends when I found him. I pulled the car over to the curb and rolled down my window so I could hand him the money and let him know I was around to give him a ride home when he was ready. He took the money, and as I pulled away, he screamed "MOM, YOUR WIG LOOKS TERRIFIC!!!"  Yeah. In the middle of Main Street. So, um, maybe figure out whether or not you want everyone in your town to know about the wig before you tell your kids how to handle a situation like this, lol.

As for nausea, just stay ahead of the game by taking your meds. Your oncologist will almost certainly prescribe Zofran (Ondansetron) for you, but if you're really nervous, make sure he/she also prescribes Compazine (prochlorperazine), as it's a stronger medication and should definitely take care of the worst of your symptoms. Take the meds BEFORE you feel sick. There's also the Scopolamine patch, which you wear behind your ear and which provides extended nausea relief (I think each patch works for two or three days). You have options. Don't be shy about expressing your concern and making sure you get the medication you need!

TxPlanner, it's awesome that you've got the "inside" track on getting through the diagnosis process so quickly! On the one hand, the pace is dizzying and you're probably reeling from how quickly it all went down, but on the other hand, you avoided the endless agony of having to wait for each part of the process to fall into place. Now you can get on with the business of treatment!

Genny, you go right ahead and have yourself a good cry if you need one. This is scary stuff. But you can be even scarier than cancer - I know you can, because you're a mom and moms can do "the face" and make cancer regret it ever decided to cross paths with you.

Hope everyone has a great day today. Blow off something you're supposed to do and do something you really WANT to do instead. If anyone gives you grief about it, get out those puppy-dog eyes and say you needed some "me" time. Honestly, take a little advantage. You've got it coming to you :-)

Hey Leah!

Yep, when the steroids go away, the side effects tend to become a little more pronounced. Take it as easy as you can, but if you feel up to it, even a gentle walk will usually help to make you feel better. Did your oncologist prescribe a potassium supplement for you? Potassium levels are really crucial for heart function, so I'm very glad to hear you're getting this checked out and sorted. Just do as much as you feel you can on any given day and ride out the treatment. You'll make it through - be kind to yourself in the meantime :-)

NinaW, thanks for your kind words, and your great story about your son calling your wig out on main street.  That brought a smile to my face.  Kids really do say the darnedest things!  It is so tough on the kids.  Thinking about what they are going through is 10 times harder than going through the cancer treatment myself.  There is a fine line between being strong for them and showing them that it is okay to be scared and sad at the same time.  I'm so proud of them so far.  The key for us has been really OPEN communication, a great support system, including their school and teachers.  I tell them we are a team, a tough force, fighting a battle together, and I need them.  I also let them know it a battle fought slowly, one day at a time.  Tomorrow starts the next step in the battle.  

As far as the nausea, I've already blown that horn.  They know my concerns and did prescribe the Compazine.  I fully intend to stay ahead of that!

Hey, wait...  Clowns buy beer?????

Hi Jennyw/4kids, I'm on the exact same regimen -- with my first treatment last Tuesday. KAT4856, thanks for posting -- it always helps to have something to look forward to <g>.

My experience so far has been that I have an energy budget for the day. I wake up feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (well, after I have my coffee, that it). I'm raring to go and do. As the day wears on, however, the budget is depleted until I crash and burn with flu-like symptoms: aches, chills, and a fever. That's what happened after all the crazy happy dancing I did Friday because I felt so good, and again on Saturday and Sunday. I'm learning that the trick is to pay really close attention and stop when I feel the least bit tired. It's hard to do, but I know I'll pay the price if I don't. 

Nina, surely you know someone in Colorado? 

I took Claritin just on the morning of my Neulasta shot. No aches and pains yet, but tomorrow is another day, Scarlett. Wishing you all a good week!

I will let you know how round #2 goes jmg58.  Just for the record, my name's Michele    I had my blood draw this afternoon and am trying to rest now so I am ready to go tomorrow.  I meet with my MO around 8:30 and am hoping she says I am good to go and sends me right upstairs for chemo.  Thanks for all of the encouragement.  You all are the best!

I second that emotion, Nina.  I wish I had half the good attitude you do. 

I'll jump on this bandwagon and add a third for Nina bringing a smile to my face. Thanks Nina!

Michele, hope that the second infusion goes well. As much as I hate to say 'I'm looking forward' to it, I am curious how the side effects will be for you this time around, vs the last.

Hi to all, and to Mitzro, good luck with round2 tomorrow. My son is home for spring break this week, and is such a bump-and-crash noisy boy in perpetual motion who can make it seem like 10 people are in the house! He drives us nuts but I have to admit he really picks up everybody's mood, mine especially. I bet you'll be focusing on your son coming home this Wednesday while you're getting round2 tomorrow. 

Genny5775- I get the feeling fear and uncertainty thing. I have these little bouts of feeling panicky/overwhelmed/I-can't-do-this!! followed by admonishing self-talk that involves some line about getting my big girl pants on and dealing with it. I've basically been pretty stoic by day- especially in front of other people, but gosh what a fine line between denial and hypochondria I experience at night! And then, where's this all going? What will be the outcome? Thanks for venting here, for your "sappy" feelings. This is the safe place to do that, with people who get it. I'm not helping much I'm sure, but I want to let you know what you describe is seeming familiar, and so feels shared.

And EVERYBODY- I want to tell you one aspect of my job that I have always enjoyed but especially now REALLY makes me smile: It's when past patients come in for follow up appointments, and sometimes I don't recognize them because their hair's coming back in, they are radiant and happy and come back to say hi, while I try to figure out who they are. I look the same, but they look so different- so happy and healthy. I love that they remember me and make a point of coming back to say hi. And as for the ones going through radiation treatments currently, fresh off their chemo and surgeries, FAR from being a depressing place to work, I mostly see a wonderful side of human nature- Neighbor helping neighbor, families coming together in ways they wouldn't have normally, people taking time for each other and unabashedly speaking their feelings.. Gosh it's not depressing in our waiting room it's uplifting. I will focus on that as I go through this myself as a patient now. 

I'm here all week, people - try the veal :-)  

Seriously, I'll be damned if I let this stupid disease steal my sense of the ridiculous out from under me. I'm sitting here trying to choke down a bowl of couscous and cursing because I have a whopper of a mouth sore at the moment, but I actually just took the bowl with me into the bathroom so I could laugh at the way I looked trying to eat around the mouth sore. And my husband is not-so-secretly delighted because the mouth sore means I'm not talking as much as I usually do, but he's trying really hard to look concerned and sympathetic. That's hilarious to me, too. I was probably dropped on my head as an infant. A lot, even.

Heroldman, at the risk of going all Shakespearean on you, beware the ides of steroids - your wife is currently pumped full of them, and they're keeping her hungry and hyper. Make sure she takes her nausea meds and don't let her argue with you. Once the steroids wear off, it might be a whole new world, so she needs to stay on top of the meds and also maybe take some Aleve for the neck discomfort. 

Michele, I hope your treatment goes smoothly tomorrow - look at you, two treatments down already! You're making the rest of us look lazy. In my defense, I'm not even capable of eating couscous at the moment, so I quite clearly lack your stamina and fortitude. I'm a chemo slacker.

Cancerjourney, definitely bring a snack along with you; the worst-case scenario is that you don't feel like eating it and have to bring it back home again :-) Also bring a big old thing of water to drink (you can certainly bring something else to drink as well, but you might get judgey eyes from the saintly types sitting next to you, and also water really does help). 

BRING HEADPHONES/EARBUDS. I can't stress this enough. People are so chatty, and you're a captive audience. If you want to tune out and take a nap, those earbuds are essential. And I second what Alli just said - bring a blanket or a cozy sweater. My place has blankets ready, but having one of your own is a sweet comfort. If you happen to own one of those neck pillows that people use in airplanes, that's a good thing to pack along too. You're going to be great. No need for nerves xoxo

Come on, Kris. We'll do the dishes. And by "we", I mean someone else in the crowd. Or I could just bring paper plates.

good luck cancerjourney my first chemo was yesterday. I brought iPhone,iPad ,magazines,and a neck pillow. They supply sandwiches,snacks,and drinks where I went. Good luck

Cancerjourney - One thing I am so glad I took is a large cup of crushed ice to eat throughout the TAC treatment.  It saved me from mouth sores but still got a very raw mouth and tongue most of the 6 cycles.  I also tried to drink at least 32 oz of water while I was there.   My biggest suggestion is drink lots of water, drink lots of water, drink lots of water. Did I mention to drink lots of water? 

TAC is pretty potent but I made it through with very minimal SE's except mouth and taste issues. I did find lemon drops to be a necessity.  Biotene tooth paste, biotene gum and biotene mouthwash I could not live without.  Very gentle and created specifically for dry mouth.  

My first infusion was so interesting in the whole process I did not read or use ipad much.  In future infusions I did bring myself some reading materials.   

Good luck relax and it will be over before you know it.

Hugs to all.

THANK YOU Kris and Nina for reminding me about paper plates!! OMG they come in so handy for when someone brings dinner over and if you have paper plates there is no clean up after wards(()) lifesavers, ladies!! 

Good luck to the ones (if any) start today!! 

Here is hoping no one had any side effects!! 

Who starts next week? I start on Monday!!

Good luck and hugs to everyone going today! 

Wow, someplace gives you sandwiches?  I get water, ice chips if I really beg, and saltine crackers...lol.