Starting Chemo in March 2014

My wife had infusion #2 yesterday. She worked 5+ hrs before the treatment. She was pretty tired for the rest of the evening, slept pretty good and woke up all full of energy & ready to get to work. The steroids really hype up her already hyper active mind. She is almost as wild as a 9 month old Jack Russell puppy. The dr gave her something to help curb this. I do not know if those meds are working.  I just talked to her on the phone and she was very, very chatty.  No nausea or other SE yet. She gets her neulasta shot today.

She is really starting to shed her hair and having a very hard time handling this. Her scalp hurt pretty bad for about a day or so but that is much better now. I really do not want her in the kitchen and I am preparing all the food. Even with a  cap there is hair everywhere. She had pretty thick hair and it is starting to look thinner plus it is just does not appear as healthy. I am taking her to her hair stylist after hrs to have two wigs trimmed and shaped to better match her natural hair. She has cried every time she has tried on these wigs so I hope she will do a little better after they are trimmed. I just hate this for everyone. I know the hair loss can be such a hard thing to deal with.  

Thinking of everyone.    

I hate feeling like shit. Can barely move today. My poor kids are worried about me. Today my 5 year old son asked my hubby "Dad, is Mom going to be on the couch all day today too? We should do something nice for her." So he came home with a card and flowers after running around with my mom in law. It breaks my heart how this affects the kids. Fuck cancer!

I have to say one thing I am not handling badly is the hair loss.I understand Alli, JoTro, everyone else, how you are though.  You know, I opted not to get reconstruction and my mastectomy sutures hurt during chemo, so I'm walking around flat chested a lot of the time because I can't wear my little padded cami...I think I'm more self conscious about that.  Once they see my head and chest together, they figure it out and I just say, oh, welt, that's life, that's what I'm dealing with, be happy it's not you and I hope they go on their way and enjoy your day like never before.  My hair's almost totally gone now; I have little bristles all over the inside
of my caps. I haven't worn the wig yet; I'm not sure if I will, it
seems strange to me, but that's just me. I had chemo yesterday...and
shot today. Extra fluids today. Every 4-5 days I have to go in for
fluids...anyone else having problems with difficulty breathing/fast
heart rate/low blood pressure/dehydration and thus needing fluids? I
also have a bit of pain now in the tooth NEXT to the tooth they pulled
when it hits air...OMG...if I lose that tooth I'm going to really cry.  I do not want implants in my mouth!

Sinsin,
I'm sorry you're feeling so badly, take it easy and let your m-i-l help
all that's possible. So sweet of your kids to care so much about you
like that!  

Heroldman,
I'm glad that your wife is feeling so good -- even though the hair part
is difficult for her. That is transient, at least she is able to get
up and about and feel good and I'm happy for her about that!

Hugs to everyone.  My boyfriend's here to take care of my until Monday (unfortunately, that's when I start going downhill) but that's the way it's got to be.  He's a prince and I treasure my time together.  I hope the weekend is nice for you all!

\

As to the hair loss, I don't know how to deal with it. It totally grosses me out all this shedding  yet I can't bring myself to let my hubby shave it. And he is so dying to do it the butthead. But I may  just let him tonight. It's just so gross. He is even offering to let me shave his head in return. Haha!

Well, I am about to receive AC #4, the last one!  This Thursday.  As we know, getting it is not the big deal, it's after.  I think my body has had enough of this stuff.  Went to the opthamologist this week for the everloving dry eye/wet eye.  He told me we have two layers that make tears and chemo is wrecking one of them.  He sent me to get OTC Theratears  Gel   No Preservatives to use until after chemo.  About every two hours.  Not perfect, but better.  Hemmorhoids not happy, MO said I could use Anusol HC Suppositories, RX.  I have had the esophagitis yeast thing (hard to swallow and hoarse).  MO nurse said to swish and SWALLOW the Nystatin.   So here are my helps for today.  ONE MORE AC AND THEN 4 TAXOLS   THANK YOU JESUS

hey ladies!  Greeting from December chemo group again!  I had second AC Wednesday and so far seen to be a little but better than last go around.  I have been taking two Senekot-S pills for the big C.  It has helped but I need to drink more water.  I have been sleepy this time which is a nice change from Taxol.  

Xrayalli- my night sweats and hot flashes have almost completely gone now that I have finished taxol!!  And I had leg aches towards dose 9-12 sore muscles feeling and that is gone too.  Just wanted to let you know if that happens;). Fingernails still ok as well.

Biggest issue with AC was mouth sores.  I had two major ones that made my lips swell like I was in a fight.  Dr ordered magic mouthwash which is Maloxx, benedryl and lovicaine sp?? lol!  

If you want to see some others been there and still going there, click on our board and read!  Use our mistakes and findings now on help:). 

Wigs- I stand by one name brand hands down......Jon Renau!  Best wigs ever!  I have doctors who still ask "your hair hasn't fallen out yet?"  And I of course say yes.  It is a wig!  Tips- get it cut and make sure they cut some short strands around the face like side burns but not ya know.  Natural.  I wear mine in a ponytail, half up and always make sure it is slightly messy. No one has that perfect hair.  And that us what is throwing y'all off!!  Hope that helps:). I have a FB page Cheer for Jodi if you want to see some messy wig pics lol! For now this was me Wednesday!  Two more to go!

xrayalli- I don't wear anything under but it is not hot yet.  Not sure if I will.  I also have a hat with hair that I wear in a side braid.  It is a baseball hat.  Hope you feel better!  I'm trying to keep up with you since I felt like a loner on my board lol!  Taxol first that is!  They are great I didn't mean that any other way then the reverse of our chemos:). 

Kazzy. I need to amend the puppy thing to a nine month puppy who just drank 10 cups of coffee. : )  

JoTro. I used to do a lot of motorcycle riding. Your story did give me images of being behind a car with hair flying out the window and getting in my eyes, nose and so on. How would I have explained to my wife when I arrived home covered in someone else's hair?

jmg58. That was so nice of you to say that about my wife. I know she has been so very fortunate to have had so few SEs so far. I hope you get your tooth situation cleared up.

Now for a update about my wife. Before I took her to get her wigs trimmed I told her it was time to think about just getting her real hair cut short. It was a mess and just getting all over everything. It looked bad. It was painful to tell her this but it was the truth. When her stylist saw her and learned of the situation she recommended a buzz cut. My wife agreed to do it. I stayed there with her and watched. It was hard to see but I knew this had to be done and I thought she needed my support.  She took it all very well and just had one wig trimmed. The wig ended up looking very much like her real hair, style wise, and pretty close in color. I was pleased. ( well, as pleased as I could be in this situation) She was tired, bummed out and still very wired from the infusion the day before.

We were not home very long when she got very angry and quite bitter about how she now looked without hair. I was not able to reason with her and quickly decided that the day after her infusion was probably not the correct time to do the buzz cut. I suspect I was square in the crosshairs of a bad case of Roid rage. Damn it was pretty bad. She felt bad the next day and told me more than once she was sorry. I took her on a small shopping trip to try and ease her into being out in public with her new hair. She is very self conscious and was worried about all of this. Something happened that is pretty cool. A checkout clerk told her that she sure had pretty hair!

For all you who are sitting on the fence about getting your hair cut short or maybe shaved, my wife says that she is glad she went ahead and had it done. She is still not happy with the results, but she is glad she is done with the mess and aggravation of having hair everywhere.  

Hugs.

Anyone having issues with nasal/sinus congestion? First round was pretty severe, and I thought it was a bad cold. Second round same thing occurs, only worse. Can't breathe at all through my nose. Finally called MO on call, and she prescribed over the counter steroid nasal spray, Rhinocort. Won't give immediate relief, but will lessen congestion for rounds three and four. It got so bad, I was in tears. Now I have some hope. Sounds silly, but with the pressure and headaches, and runny eyes, I just want to rip my face off.

I am having sinus issues too - especially during the cytoxan drip.  Then afterwards as well - had a sinus head ache for most of my bad SE days first infusion.   MO suggested just staying on claritin every day.  So far so good (I'm on day 4 from of infusion 2 and haven't had to take any meds for headache pain.

A friend of ours is here to help for the next 2 weeks so we took her sight seeing. This is the best spot for a Seattle shot/pic. This is me and my youngest, Elizabeth. She's my two year old terror and mini me. Haha!

jmg58, and jenwith4kids,

 Thanks! I'll keep the idea of Claritin in mind. Improved quite a bit today, at least so I could function. 

Sinus problems are one of my main side effects along with the fatigue.  Constant runny nose, sinus headaches, bloody mucous.  I'm using the neti pot, saline nasal spray, and my allergy nasal spray.  It's just clearing up now after 2 and a half weeks since my last treatment.  I stopped the Claritin after my last neupogen shot but maybe this time I'll keep doing it.  I also sometime take Zyrtec.  Antihistamines also dry my mouth out which I don't need with the bad tastebud thing!

Sinsin. Your smile made me smile. Your girl is so cute. I see she does have a lot of her mother in her.

My wife has had some back pain. It does seem to get worse if she pushes herself to do too much. Rest and heat helps her sometimes.

She has also been having a weird appetite deal. When it gets close to meal time, I will ask her if she wants something to eat. She will not want anything, just not hungry. Then a little later (10 minutes or so) she will say that she wants something to eat and she wants to eat NOW! We can not get the meal ready to eat fast enough. : )  She has had some steroid meds before and I am trying to remember if she had this happen then. I know that this is not a big deal as far as side effects go. I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this.