Starting Chemo October 2014

Welcome Yurmani, lots of ladies here with great info and tips/tricks. I notice you will be doing Taxotere and Cytoxan like me. I would recommend also going to Taxotere/Cytoxan thread it's still very active and lots of helpful info for SE and how to minimize them. Good luck!

Hey Yurmani!  Sorry for welcoming you, but you've found yourself in a great place for support and info.  I heard so much of that too, "Oh its a fibro (oops wasn't a fibro), oh its DCIS (with a tiny bitch hiding in it).  ". This entire thing is completely surreal.  

Is anyone having trouble with their Neulasta?  Dear god my body hurts.  I've taken the loratadine and Advil, but I am still faced the majority of the day with all over bone pain.  I feel off and on feverish/hot but not enough to call.  I just broke down and took two of my pain pills left over from my lumpectomy.  I had them all left. 

Any advice?  Please.. Help....;p

some of us started late Sept....you may want to check out that thread also!!!, hugs

Thanks for the kind welcome. I am curious does anyone keep up with their blood work? Specifically white cell counts. The reason I ask is that I had blood work done in August, prior to the lumpectomy, and my wbc was 8.1. Last week, before any chemo or meds - it had dropped to 5.9. I've been nauseous and tired and can't explain why it would drop. Anyone else experience this?  My fear is that my counts will be too low for chemo this friday. Any suggestions,  explanations etc. welcome!  It's all been like a huge puzzle that you go through quests to get the next clue! Lol Thanks to everyone!

Thank you Mulligan.  I got some Claritin tonight at the pharmacy just in case Neulasta is in my future plus I figured it would help my allergies anyway. I'll just wait and see how it goes Friday!.

Hi Ladies - just wanted to provide some words of encouragement!  I am part of Sept Chemo 2012.  We all made it through and relied on each other for support and still do today.  I did dose dense AC-T, surgery, and 33 rads.  You can do it!  

Went to chemo class yesterday and thanks to reading here, I already knew most of what she told me.  She was really nice and I had some questions even she couldn't answer so I need to contact my doctor.

She did tell me that when having sex, that we needed to use protection but she didn't know for how long.  I asked for the entire six months, just after chemo?  Question number one for the doctor.

Question two was can I clean the chicken coop?  I know we have to be super conscious about germs.  So...another question for the doctor.

Question three was if I can get a flu shot.  I work in the Radiation Oncology department at a local hospital.  I don't work directly with patients, but walk through the department several times a day. 

Question four was if I should be taking supplements or vitamins.  She really didn't know as she said all physicians are different.

Question five was if I could get an order from the doctor to have blood drawn from my port.  She said that is definitely a question to ask him since my veins are so bad on the one arm.  She said there is a law that only RNs can draw from a port and the lab techs for weekly blood draws are just that, techs.  So...another question for the doctor.

I have started getting my chemo bag ready for the 17th.  Gosh - can't believe it will be here so soon.

My mom is taking me to get my port in on the 13th.  My husband has taken off work for everything so far and I want him to be able to take off at Christmas to spend time with the kids since I will only be able to take off Christmas Day and the day after..

Hi everyone.  I want to welcome (well, sadly welcome) all the new members!  I'm sorry you are here but look forward to getting to know you all.

Felt pretty good today.  You couldn't pay me to drink a cup of coffee or eat most anything except bread, cheese, or cereal, but otherwise I'm feeling fine.  

Ml- let us know what your doc says.  My MO said to get the flu shot but make sure it is the one with the dead virus.  I think the nasal spray vaccine has live virus and so isn't recommended.  It's great you had a class!

Sjacobs- I'm also in MA.  Where are you getting your tx?

Book lady - good luck tomorrow. Will be thinking of you.

Trek girl - any news?

I'm on day 6 post infusion. I'm dog ass tired like PMS from hell. Taste buds definitely numb but things don't smell as bad as they did on day 3 & 4, which were THE WORST. I was so out of sorts, could not think straight, skin crawling, hungry not hungry, cold and hot, I hated it. I felt mentally ill! And so tired but couldn't sleep. I ended up taking Xanax for sleep and left over tramadol from surgery because I found my expanders to feel more uncomfortable than normal. I haven't had pain in them for weeks! And now after the chemo it's seemed to make them hurt, has this happened to anyone? Also, does this fog lift at all and will I get any energy back before my 2nd infusion or will it be this tiring throughout? I guess that's for ladies that started end of Sept I've been eating warm cream of wheat with butter, jello, applesauce and cinnamon toast, definitely not the usual but I'm happy to have my appetite back a little. My tongue is definitely numbey and no taste. This weekend I could not smell food at all without wanting to barf, but each day seems to improve. I'm already dreading my 2nd infusion weekend.

Hollyd...hope you feel better - I'm planning on working throughout treatment and I work 3rd shift!  Could get interesting with fatigue.  

Hyphencollins bread, cheese and cereal sound like me on a normal basis except add a glass of wine with the cheese! Lol I had a lumpectomy so no experience with expanders and such. I start treatment on Friday and am planning to work Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights next week. Hope that works out. Hope everyone has a restful night! Thank you for the warm welcome! 

Welcome okkim!  I wish I had a chemo class!  I got a couple wigs last week. My insurance will cover 1 in a lifetime.  Seems conservative but I'll take it! Lol I plan on going the scarf and hat route myself but figured I may want to have the appearance of hair at some point over the next year! I work in a pediatric sleep lab and I am hoping to be able to work through this as well. An elementary school counselor seems demanding but hopefully you have coworkers to help you when you need it. Children seem to be constantly sick in the winter so that worries me. Keep us posted on how you're doing - I'm one day behind you! 

ml

My MO recommended flu shot. I got killed virus before I got my port. I also work in health care, but I am not allowed to work due to direct patient care.

Kerensa - My MO said to use protection for 72 hours after chemo so that the chemicals don't get to my husband.  He said I should be fied after 24 hours, but wanted 72 hours just to be safe.  He laughed and said he never had a patient ask this question because most say they aren't interested.  LOL

Hyphencollins - My MO said to get the injection not the nasal mist and to not let anyone in the house get the nasal mist because there is a really small chance that I could get the flu.

I have to say that my MO is absolutely the best!  I met him last Thursday for the first time.  Yesterday, I sent an e-mail with my questions to his team and he called me last night at 8:00 to answer my questions.  What a great physician!

newest side effect now is back pain, which is making me even more tired! Could that be neulasta causing this? Also my expanders are quite sore, more so than they have been in the last several weeks since post op healing. No redness or anything, just that I can feel them more so now and their uncomfortable rockiness 😣 I hate complaining, but I really want the energy to go outside!! Hopefully one more good night sleep and some Tylenol in the am will help!