Starting Chemo in April 2014

cold. Love the pirate look!

Funny my onc nurse is a rocker and we started chatting about music yesterday. I told him that I was the "angus" in my ac/dc trib band. He asked if I have the schoolboy suit and if I did the angus moves so next infusion I'm going in the suit with my guitar to freak him out!!  I'll take pics!!  Lol

I meet with my MO the day prior to my infusion and have my blood work down as well

As for anti nausea meds here is my regimen:

At infusion

- 1 8mg tablet ondansetron 

- decadron given as IV while I'm in the chair

At night day of infusion

- 1 8mg tablet ondansetron 

Day 2 and 3

- 1 8mg tablet ondansetron at breakfast and dinner

- 1 4mg tablet dexamethasone at breakfast and dinner

I also have my "just incase pill" which is 10mg prochloperazine.  I take those every 4-6 hours as needed days 1-3. I took 3 yesterday

So far no vomiting and nausea yesterday was better than first go round. Today so far so good

Now I wait for my nurse to call for my neulasta shot 

I was told to use spf30 sunscreen. I he's ombrelle but will try to hang out in the shade this summer. :-(

Tonight is my ranger game so hope that I don't nod off like yesterday!  I'll Aldo try to get a walk in

Wishing all a great day!  

LongIsland - I seee my MO before every treatment, then my bloodwork and finally my infusion. I assume protocols are different for everyone though.

Day 4 after second infusion.  Tried going out shopping in my new wig.  Hard to walk.  Muscle aches and fatigue.  I'm in for the day.

forgot to ask - is anyone else having ringing in the ears? Subtle. It definitely there for me.

I will add it to the list of things to discuss with MO. (Sigh)

LongIsland, no offense taken at your comment about Cold. Agree.

I don't see my MO on infusion day. Instead I see her the week after and we go over the SEs. I do blood work the day before the infusion and at the follow up appointment with the MO the next week.

Feeling almost human today! Took a Zantac this morning, so maybe that helped with the stomach problem.

Love seeing all the photos of y'all! You all look great!

It's appearing that the pirate knot is very popular this year! It's my favorite scarf knot too! Here's a pic my hubby took of me in the chair for TC#2 on Wednesday with my pirate look (sans patch). I still have about 5% of my hair, which was buzzed with a #4 razor and just looks weird. I might ask hubby to shave it down shorter.

mikishelly: Sorry you feel bad today. Hang in there and get some rest...it'll help!  I think that pirate ship party would be a great idea for a get-together for us! It'd be great to meet each other and party once we are all done with chemo and can all drink again.

BTW, I see a lot of posts on nausea, so yesterday, I asked my nurse what anti-nausea meds they were giving me. I get an IV injection of Kytril followed by a 20 minute drip of Emend right before my T&C. It seems to work for me.  No nausea yet...fingers crossed.

LongIsland: On infusion days, I get blood drawn and then in a half hour, I see a nurse who goes over my blood work results and SEs to see if anything needs to be tweaked, and then go to the infusion room next door. I don't see the MO before each infusion or even in between infusions.

Wishing everyone minimal SEs and a good day! Don't over-do it ladies. If you're tired, take a nap. You're allowed to!

Thanks for all the feedback on seeing the MO.  My bloodwork has been great all along so maybe that's why I don't see him. I will ask at my next infusion though, when I WILL see him.

Cold, it's not the picture that makes you the coolest - but it surely enhances it, lol.  It's your awesome personality & you were probably just too cool for those bratty kids to wrap their heads around.

Miki - boo, sorry you're hurting.  I am doing okay but was totally wasted the night of infusion.  Slept in a drug induced sleep for sure.  I am sure the new anti nausea drugs have helped quite a bit for me this round.  But who knows what tomorrow or even a couple of hours from now might hold?

Love your pic, Mommy.  And I dig your sandals too!

Football, feel better and LGR!!!

Thanks, Sharon, LongIsland, and ColdInCanada! I definitely DID feel Hollywood chic with my scarf and sunglasses being chauffeured to the hospital by my hubby for infusion day! Since I lounge around in "slacker" clothes at home, I thought I might dress up a bit to go out, even if it was just to go sit in a chair for hours in the hospital, LOL. Sorry, Cold, I gots to keep my tote bag. It's the perfect size for schlacking all my stuff to my treatments.

Am I just being crabby?  Or would you be frustrated too?  Typically, on my infusion days, I have lab work, then 30 minutes later I have an appointment (made at least 2-4 weeks in advance) with my oncologist, then I go over to infusion at the hospital down the street.  And typically, I spend about three hours, yes THREE hours at the oncologist's office...just waiting most of that time.  I have never had any real issues, so no special care or attention, no weird symptoms or things to discuss.  He checks my labs, does an exam, and I'm sent over to infusion.  A typical day has me spending an hour in the waiting room, then another 90 minutes waiting in the exam room, and then, give or take, about 30 minutes with the oncologist.  Thoughts?  Am I crazy with SE's, or would you be thinking about changing doctors too?  My oncology appointment was set for 8:45 am on Tuesday, but it was after 12 when I finally arrived at the infusion department.  My MO gets defensive when I make reference to how long I wait, and I'm just not sure I am happy.  Thoughts?

Hi ladies. Thanks so much for posting your experiences/side effects with chemo. I go for number 3 tomorrow. Feeling a bit more nervous this go around. I am not quite sure why. 

All you ladies that have posted pictures are gorgeous. I love the scarfs. 

Linda, I think that you are near me. Are you near Nokomis? 

Swissmiss - Crabby would be my middle name! (well it is)  I go to hospital 1 hr before my appt. to get my blood work done and then I I go to my appt with my MO.  I see him for most of my visits,, on time.  Once every three appts I see the PA.  Your schedule makes an all day affair out of your infusion.  That would drive me crazy and exhaust me. 

Hi Ladies,

Cold - Loving the pirate pic!!  May have to duplicate that one for my grandkids.  They will love it! 

Can't remember or find the name of the person who literally got up off the table and ran out of the hospital, but you go girl!!!  This is the best story EVER.  Loved the follow up pic of the kid running.  Miracles do happen:-)!

To Linda and others who posted pics.  How the heck do you do that???  Took some pics in the chair today on my cell but can't figure out how to get them here.  Another breezy Taxol for me (my 4th), and have pics of how I ice my feet and hands to prevent or lessen neuropathy and nail loss - for all of you who have Taxol in your future.

Decadron rash - yep, that what my MO's office calls it.  Usually goes away in a few hours and gives you that rosy glow w/out blush.

Sleep issues - I had really bad sleep issues while on AC & far less with Taxol.  During AC I discovered that OTC Unisome works wonders for me.  I only take it now the night before Taxol and night of chemo day because I'm taking 2 Decadron (primary cause of my sleep issues) on those two days only.  Bendryl is in almost all OTC sleep aides EXCEPT Unisome.  Benedryl pumps me up instead of putting me to sleep.  I always check with my MO before taking anything and she's OK with the Unisome and generally not OK w/sleep aides in general, particularly prescription ones like Ambien because she's had lots of patients who've become dependent on them post chemo.

Thanks Linda.  Will try that later, obviously very computer challenged:).

OK my chemo brain has officially checked in.  My comment above about the woman who was going to have a risky procedure done in the hospital was told just as they were beginning that it wasn't necessary!  She literally got up off the table and ran like hell out outta there before they changed their minds.  I'm following so many threads; this was is on page 834 from FierceBlue - on the Calling on TNs thread.

Forgot to mention that we kept the ice packs from slipping with small adjustable bungee cords.  Where there's a will, there's a way.

Clarrn, glad you're feeling well.  We share the same happy place My gardens are my church.

Swissmiss, yes you are more than justified in your crankiness over time wasted on such a stressful day to begin with.  I typically wait 5-10 min in the waiting room, get my blood drawn.  Wait about 10 minutes for that to come back.  Then we get started on the infusion.  I am there around 2 - 2 1/2 hours total.  I got back the next day and am in and out for Neulasta shot.