Starting Chemo in April 2014

Hey Ya'll, quick question. My tongue feels like I just at tons of salty popcorn from the movies. I know it's chemo tongue, but does anything help it? Thanx

One more day down.....yahoo.....

Makelemonade- I hope they get your counts up soon so you can go home and rest. 

Footballnut- I sure hope you feel better soon.  Nausea is the absolute worst in my book. 

Lovebeingnana- I am glad that everyone treated you well with your new temporary look

As for me I am deciding what color I am going to dye my hair today.  It currently looks like crap so I might as well see what I would look like with dark hair.  I have always had blonde hair so I figured that a change before it goes wouldn't hurt too much.  My 8 (soon to be 9) year old is excited because I told him that he can help shave my head this time. 

I am feeling okay today.  I woke up feeling a little sick because it had been a while since I ate last but once I ate I felt much better.  I am just excited because I still have managed to get some work done even while not feeling my best.  I am just hoping that I will feel much better next week before the next infusion.  I have some events next week and I don't like feeling fragile which is how I currently feel. 

Good morning friends.  Yesterday was a dark day of SEs.  Nausea was a lot worse than after the first round.  I felt like shit ALL through the 2nd night and 3rd day.  Just awful.  Today a lot better - a lot of cramping and some diarrhea, but I'm not complaining - I'll take it over the way I felt yesterday ANY day.  Took the whole day off work today and hoping to feel better by tomorrow.  Kind of bummed when I think about having to do this 4 more times - especially if the SEs get worse with each infusion .  But trying to focus instead on gratitude for feeling better today. 

Hope everyone is managing well today and wishing the best for anyone being infused today. xo

I hope everyone has a big turn around for the weekend and start to feel better! I just hate all these side effects! 

I'm 10 post chemo (1st one) and I've had nothing but trouble. My WBC count was so low they put me on Neupogen (sp?) shots and now I have the most massive headache. Nothing stops it and it's constent. I called doc to see if I need to have another one or not. Good grief I need a break. 

Lemonade- hallelujah to getting OUT of the hospital! I'm not a fan. 8) 

Wait! The SE's get worse? I hope not. I'm kind of tired of hearing people I know say I'm so strong, & I'm doing so well.. I'm trying to not let them see it. I want a hug, & relief from the aches. Sorry I'm bitching. Go home & rest easy, Lemonade.Thanx Sharon,  my tongue thanx ya too.Hope ya'll have an easy day. BTW, Any ATL ladies out there?

Hello Gorgeous April Ladies!

I am still here! I've been trying to lurk and catch up on everyone, but the SEs this round were a little harder to deal with. The NAUSEA was awful. For five full days I was on the verge of vomiting every time I opened my mouth. A slight cough led to a gag, which led to me lying down and being as still as I could be. I HATE vomiting. I am a HUGE Nausea Baby (it comes from spending two ENTIRE pregnancies suffering from severe nausea and vomiting), so we'll be once again tweaking my meds, and hopefully we'll find the right combination next round. Also the fatigue was more severe this time too. I slept and slept and slept and never really felt rested. The GOOD news is that I am exactly one week out from Round 2 and there is no sign of fever or infection! Hooray! That Neulasta shot I gave myself in the stomach is CLEARLY doing it's job.

Sharon: I, too, have to cancel our annual family summer vacation to visit family.  My children are SUPER disappointed. We've rescheduled for late August/early September (we're homeschoolers, so we can get away with this), but "It's just not the SAME, Mom. Grandma's garden will be all finished by then. Our cousins will all be in SCHOOL." *sigh* Cancer really STINKS, you know? On the upside, I am planning a trip to DisneyWorld for the end of September, just to GET AWAY and enjoy some family time outside of the HOUSE. Plus, DW is my Happy Place, so when chemo is finished, it's where I want to go to play.

MakeLemonade: HOORAY for going home! My children were SO worried about me going into the hospital again this Round (my DD was in a panic), and I kept having to reassure them that the hospital wasn't a Bad Place. It was mostly just BORING. I am SO happy for you!

LongIsand: I am so sorry you hit the DARK PLACE this round. I was there too. Maybe you saw me weakly waving at you? In the midst of it, I, too, kept thinking "FOUR more times? Seriously? I CAN'T do FOUR more times." But then I came out the other side into the LIGHT, and I realized that it's just FOUR more 10-day periods of feeling CRAPPY. And only five of those days involve nausea and feeling REALLY crappy. I can DO this. I don't WANT to, but I can. WE can do this. We ARE doing this. Even if we hate Every. Single. Minute of it. 

merg: Welcome! I would't say the SEs get WORSE; they're just different. For ME, anyway. Everyone is different and everyone reacts to chemo in their own way. And your MO should have a wonderful, magical bag full of DRUGS to treat every SE out there. I love that bag. Regarding the chemo tongue - YUP. It's nasty. I feel like I'm wearing a sock on my tongue. Ew. I've been rinsing with Biotene mouthwash, but honestly? Nothing really seemed to help.

Kazzy: Feel better. I hope the nausea/dizziness clear up ASAP and the rest of the SEs are minimal. 

Timbuktu: I'm not sure what chemo regime you're on, but I had the horrible bone/muscle/body pains last round too. My MO said it was a reaction to the Taxotere and I've been taking a Claritin every morning this round and it is helping a lot. Paired with Tylenol, it's been much more bearable. Also it helped a lot with the Neulasta SEs. Definitely mention it to your MO. You shouldn't have to suffer. 

brigadoonbenson: YES! An hour off! Wouldn't that be amazing if we were all allotted some "SE Free Time" for each round? HEAVEN, I'm telling you!

And LADIES, I have to say that you are all ROCKING the short hair/shaved head look! Bald really is beautiful, am I right? I am LOVING my hats and scarves. What I have discovered is that there are many, MANY more people out there that have been where I am than I thought. Not only do I get a lot of compliments on my super cute headcoverings, but I also get a lot of "I've been there" comments and looks, and loads of encouraging words from complete strangers who have either battled cancer themselves, or who have a loved one who has. 

You know, there are SO MANY of us out there, and this makes me SAD and ANGRY and SHOCKED and so very, very SCARED for future generations. For my daughter and my son and my nieces and nephews. In my family, the "family history" starts with ME. What can I do about that? How can I stop it? *sigh* Things to ponder while I'm cooped up in my house waiting for my WBC to rebuild...

Next weekend is my Birthday. Also, it marks the beginning of my week of NORMAL. So I'm throwing myself a party. Woo hoo! Always, ALWAYS make sure you have something to look forward to! 

Hugs and Blessings to you all!

Welcome back Coldincan    glad you've made it through to the other side again!  I too worry for my daughter,  and even though we weren't done our family yet, now I struggle with the "should I take the chance of passing this on"  But that's a bridge to cross for later.   For now we just get through the next cycle!

Welcome back Coldincan    glad you've made it through to the other side again!  I too worry for my daughter,  and even though we weren't done our family yet, now I struggle with the "should I take the chance of passing this on"  But that's a bridge to cross for later.   For now we just get through the next cycle!

Two xanax definitely helped me get some sleep last night.  

Longislandby - I brush with coconut oil too.  Do you do oil pulling?  I don't have mouth sores yet (and I hope never) but I have thought that oil pulling would be beneficial to mouth sores and the rest of the soft tissues of the digestive track. 

Hello fellow cancer slayers! 

After my 2nd chemo Thursday, I decided to be proactive this time and started taking my anti-nausea and Tylenol on Friday BEFORE SEs hit. Big improvement today over last Saturday! Except I woke up with a cold, can't win completely I guess :P  Anyway, in spite of my cold, I'm keeping my appointment for my buzz cut in awhile, I want to get that done before my hair starts falling out! I can take it easy the rest of the weekend.  

This Friday is my first progress check in with my MO. I dared to feel my tumor in the shower awhile ago and maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part but I think it MIGHT feel a tad bit smaller. DIE TUMOR DIE!!!! Anyway, I hope you are all feeling ok and enjoy your weekend!

Clarn & Sunshine  I hope to give you a different perspective.  I am BRCA+ which constitutes about 10-15% of the 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime.  I was diagnosed at 51 and I have a wonderful life.  I have a boy & a girl.  They each have a 50% chance of being BRCA positive.  I have spent time talking to them about what that could mean to them.  My daughter and I have talked about her having her kids early and taking steps to reduce risk (proph. mast. & oophorectomy) if she is positive.  She's 17 and they only test adults.  My kids give me such joy I could never imagine life without them. 

I like to read your posts to see if I can help any of you with what I experienced.  I probably come across as a germaphobe, however, that couldn't be further from the truth.  I live on a farm with critters (chickens, horses etc...) I realized while I was walking back to the barn near the end of treatment that I felt like I was 100 years old because I had to stop at least 3 times to catch my breath but told myself I was just 'visiting' OLD.  I had to quit scooping poop and tried not to invite trouble.   

Ladies, there will be some really good things when you are done with all this.  Like how soft your hair is when it comes back in, how good your complexion is, how good everything taste and how you will never take for granted having energy again!      

lady I am dizzy after AC.  . It has slowly gone away but eugghhhh.  

So I have never had the nerve to dye my hair until today. I am normally a blonde so I took the opportunity to see what I look like with darker hair. I let me 8 and 11 year old dye it for me. I figured it will be gone soon enough and it's not too bad. Next weekend will be the cut and than shave. 

I hope everyone is having an okay weekend and the side effects aren't too bad. I figured out that Wednesday and Thursday are my really bad days. I am not looking forward to his week. Onc appt and lots of running around.