February 2014 Starting Chemo Club

No cravings for me, just aversions. I can't stand coffee anymore, I was a 3 cup/ day girl too! So much for no period, got it today and it is awful! Oh and the blisters on my hands and feet, coxsackie courtesy of my daughter! Hopefully I won't get a fever and my counts stay good otherwise I have to cancel my next treatment.  

tangandchris- I wonder about the steroid thing too. I almost wish I didn't take them, I completely crash coming off of them. I get them in my IV at my treatment which is Thursday afternoon then I have to take them for the next 2 days, then Sunday and Monday I am crushed. How are your days post chemo? Hope you were able to get outside with your little one. I have young children too, 4 & 6. 

Jb- sorry to hear a about the transfusion, I'm hoping you'll be thankful when it's over!

tangandchris steroids didn't bother me much either. Actually I loved them. Kept me from bloating up with fluid and I wasn't tired. I never had  problems sleeping on the steroids. Granted I don't think we are the norm.

The steroids are supposed to help with nausea. Maybe you can ask if you can just lower the dosage a lithe. I lowered mine, with MO ok. Instead of 8 mg, I do just 4mg the days following chemo. 

Hair question - anybody losing body hair? I've lost some, but not all. Hair on legs seem to be all there. Or is body hair loss kind of like head? I have lost most hair on the top of head, and have a good amount on the sides. Just wondering....

my under arms and legs haven't grown back since my last shave around 2 weeks ago, one minuscule silver lining to all of this!!. Pubes are thinning, eyelashes and brows still present. I shaved my head but before I did that, it thinned on the sides more than the top. 

I lost 98.5% of my hair on my head.  My MO told me to just buz it, but I really just wanted to experience the process.  I cut off 6 inches before chemo, and then cut a little each week, then stopped.  Even though its nearing bald and very short, I'm looking quite "bride of frankenstein-ish."  I also get what I call mini hot flashes: mild heat that covers my head and chest during the day and at night.  Nothing severe yet, but sure its due to the chemo affecting hormones.  I spend a lot of time with what feels like a fullness in my neck and head.  And then the mini hot flares.  

With the neulasta shots, My lower back would have mild spasms, but on the taxol - one week only - I have what equates to arthritis aches.  If it wasnt chemo, I might think I had arthritis in many areas of my body.  Sleeping at night pretty well, but if I wake up in the early morning, harder to get back to sleep.  The steroids didnt bother my energy with the AC as much as the compizine.  So I took day one after chemo the compizine, but not the other days.  Steroids with infusion and days 2-4 in pill format.  

Regarding skin, yes, everythings dry and more wrinkly than I remember before chemo. But maybe my hair distracted me? Lol? When I wear my hats in public and see people I know,  I have to remind them who I am because I do not look like myself.  That hurts, but sometimes I dont recognize myself either. We are all on a strong transformational journey, inside and out. 

Thank you, KAT.  That is the most reasuring information I have received regarding the pain on lumpectomy side!

jb-have been thinking about you!!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed for those numbers!!

Tang-I cut my hair short first, a boy hair cut as my son called it, then when it started to fall out I buzzed it. But I buzzed it too short (sinead oconnor short) and it poked me in the head and was EXTREMELY itchy as it continued to fall out. So I razored it. On the top like a Mohawk I see all the little dark dots that are still hanging on, and there are a few hairs here and there that I probably missed but nothing is growing. 

TCH #4 down. I used zophran after rounds 1 & 2.  Very dizzy and bad headaches. Round 3 we tried compazine and that made me really dizzy, worse than the zophran plus I was very anxious. So this time we are trying Ativan.  So far so good.  Oh and lucky me I am beginning to retain water so a little water pill was added to the mix.

Igoldie I have been getting my nails done the entire time without a problem.  Good luck

Have a good week

My fingernails are growing stronger than ever too, although I do have darkening. Starting taxol next week so it should be interesting to see what happens. Thinking about trying the finger nail painting, but not sure how I will react to the smell of nail polish remover. Smells that resemble alcohol makes me nauseated.

I still have plenty of body hair! Do you lose hair on taxol as well? I'm a little worried. Hope they are giving me enough chemo. My weight has dropped significantly and I know the dosages are weight based. I've lost nearly 20 lbs since diagnosis. 

Razor - be careful not to cut yourself with razor. I used clippers.

Does anyone get ringing in their ears? 

Yes, I have thrush, get it for a few days after each treatment. I find that eating Greek yogurt and taking acidophilus gets rid of it quickly. And, the skin, and eyes and the hoarse voice comes and goes, especially in the morning. I also get the occasional nosebleed, despite my humidifier cranking away each night.

My hair started falling out about 8 days after my first treatment. I have some wispy remainders, but I may shave them. They just make me look like an old man. My brows and lashes have thinned, but are hanging in there. The rest of my body hair, though, is gone and hasn't returned. My mom had cancer back in the 1970s, and she said her leg and underarm hair never really grew back like it was before treatments, even though she never lost the hair on her head. 

My stomach woes follow the same routine each time. I am constipated for the first 48 to 72 hours followed by diarrhea for several days. That usually doesn't let up until about day 8.

Who knew that we could all deal with this? But we do. And I like to think we do it with class and grace.

h0pe some people do get tinnitus (ringing in ears) with chemo. I did not.

I think I have a total of 9 underarm hairs (total for both arms). Never did grow back after chemo. leg hair less to but I still need to shave. This could all be due to chemo-pause and anastrozole.

Hand and Foot Syndrome-  Basically, the chemo settles into those tissues through the capillaries  I was suffering from it before I started icing through Taxol.  The skin on my feet was drying and peeling like a blister would (without any watery pockets).  I got some good self-care information from the doc like foot soaks with Epsom salts, Udder cream and socks!   I also find that the Sally Hansen Triple Strength Nail protector helps too. 

I had the transfusion of 1 unit of packed cells.  I did not feel like a newborn ninja afterward, but my color improved.   I feel better today but found out my counts are slightly improved, but still low. Apparently, more Procrit and IV iron will be on the menu with treatment number 4 on Thursday.

My smooth-shaved head now has a 5o'clock shadow.   I don't know weather to expect my hair to continue to grow in during Taxol or if this is a tease.  I had white/platinum hair so its what I feel is still a bit 'invisable'.

We are getting married on June 29th, just 3 weeks after finishing my last Taxol......will I need to bedazzle my head more or  sport a short cut??  

A before and after....whew!

tangandchris When did you do the nuelasta? That always bothered my back... the first was the worst. I couldn't even stand up straight for 2 days after the first one. But it shouldn't be getting worse. Call your MD. Remember you are paying big bucks for cancer care (with the help of insurance). Your onc really does want to know these things.

tang... Do you get neulasta shot?  Might be your cause for backache. 

JB... Happy wedding!

I haven't tried the claritin...but I didn't start feeling these aches until this week. I have some Norco left that my BS gave me for the seroma pain, but to be honest it just takes the edge off.

I went for a short walk with the dog and my 4 year old. Wow..wore me out!