November 2014 Starting Chemo Crew

Hey camera girl, Thanks for sharing the pix. Now i see what they mean by Red devil drip! haha And check out the smile on the onc nurse too! Way to go yesterday and neulasta today. You are doing it!

KnittingPT: I hope you are knitting cool caps for all of the crew here! I forgot to mention..you are in Tucson. My youngest son goes to U of AZ in his third year. ( I love visiting him there too. ) He loves school in Arizona..studying business/premed. wants to be an anesthesiologist. (I could have used him today in OR! haha) I was thinking about signing up for one of those classes too. Next one near me is Dec 13 in the morning. I prefer morning to evening sessions of anything anymore! I don't wear much makeup these days either, but when the hair goes it might be nice to accentuate some nice eyes and dig up the cool earrings in the jewelry vault upstairs. And bummer on the beer, but probably a good thing. I will miss my nightly wine (red or white, love em both) and beer with the right meal…like beer, brats and sauerkraut which i love too. sigh

Mrshq1: Police officer on the chemo beat?! Wow. I hope you are hanging well with work. I plan to work thru chemo too. Supportive folks here at work so am lucky. I was thinking about taking the same suppies you mentioned above. Still looking for some of them like the L-Glutamine…wondering about the doses. Will clear it all with Dr and onc nurses first. Think i will make a list and run it by them. I'm sure they all get requests like that.

BreatheInExhaleSlow: Wow! You are doing port placement and chemo in the same day! I hope all goes smoothly and well for you today. We are waiting for updates when you feel up to it.

Erica, Looking forward to the vidblog! Hope all is well and ur feeling pretty good today. Everyone was talking about their pre-chemo meds…let me go see what my prescription meds are: emla cream for port, EMEND, Compazine, and Dexamethasone. Geez, I never take meds… so this will be interesting. I love going the herb route or have been for a few years. I take the normal supplements like multi, omegas, d3 (mine was low), C buffered powder, Cal Mag.. Want to add Milk thistle maybe curcumin (i love using turmeric in cooking and have heard of recipes that use the fresh root like for tea. ) I have a holistic health care certification (CHHP) so love gravitating in that direction and combining east/west methods. (Hey, i am so chatty today…) I agree with cc3373 that you are adorable in the pix!

Liwi, the wig with open on top sounds great. I haven't decided if i want to do wig(s) or not but the extensions with hats or scarves would give many options i think. Got a bunch of fun scarves and some hats (winter and cold here in VA so it works to have hats at the moment.) Oh, and BTW….bald is beautiful! xoxo

cc3373: Great collage! It took a while to figure out how to do pix easily here…got it with the iPhone, just have to log in with iPhone then use the pix icon and not forget to save and it works. I wish i could do the collage.

zuri43: Glad you joined our group. Bummer on the constipation and glad it is going ok. The prunes work well i think. I drank the 6 oz cans of prune juice after my breast surgery back in late september (two a day) and made a nice container of chia seed pudding with fresh almond milk and some added things like chopped walnuts, dates and stuff like that. After day two, bombs away and what a wonderful day it was! Cool on hubby wanting to shave your head. Mine will shave mine too. Heck, he said he might even shave his to so we can be twins! Thats a ways off though so we can plan the party.

nitengirl1: great pix and looks like you have great support for your journey too. I think the port is the way to go. I have heard or read about so many veins being blown…that the port is where its at with the chemo. My dr told me this morning that since my lumpectomy was on the left and a node was taken on the left that i should never ever have IV's go in on the left side forever. The pre op asked me about it this morning and i didn't know, so asked my surgeon before going in. Good thing because my champion veins are in my right arm! (whew!)

RedHead01: Interesting about the Claritin. I have rarely taken claritin and have few allergies. Hoping to use my herbs and tea infusions to manage the nose drips. I agree completely that doing the preemptive strike on the mouthwash makes sense even before symptoms. Think about it…the chemo will move around the body and come out in the obvious places, but also the less obvious ones like the mouth, nose..etc and our bodies are pulling out the immune reactive responses to manage the stuff that is going on right now.

Sending hugs to the team…<3

Bonnie

bonnied I am so with you on several things: have been off makeup for months, considering adding in when hair goes, not sure what I have anymore besides bronzer/blush and bb moisturizer/tinted but I know I could do the consult for the makeup or dip into my daughter's stash and I too have been a no meds girl, not even much need ever for ibuprofen. mostly just mag/cal omega 3-6-9, vit d3, vit c and b-6 and b12 (magnesium has helped me avoid constipation, still keeping on that, and calcium, d-3 and b-6 and omega 3-6-9 helped a lot with seasonal light stuff and pms which was bad and b-12 for the tiredness i've had all year, c because its worth it)

RE: the collage, think I used Pic Collage on the app store, believe that one or anyone that is free, then pull in photos and cannot remember if you export it to photos and then I uploaded from there. But did all that on my iPad and not sure if that makes a difference to moving the photo vs. on a computer, if you get stuck maybe i can help (my brain is starting to go dumb tonight )

yes your left arm is now a "princess" my lumpectomy was on the right, and nodes too, so my right arm is a princess forever. don't even let them do blood pressure cuffs on the left, off limits

LOVE the herb knowledge you have, I also love the idea of east meeting west, so long as I clear it with my oncologist. I asked them about marshmallow root (believe if memory serves that is good for your linings of your digestive tract) and she and my nurse said they'd never heard of it but it was ok... so have a combo herb tea I found with echinacea that I am using.

Sorry don't remember (forgive please) do you start your chemo tomorrow? If so big hugs for you

Hi girls! Just posting a day two update. I had a little nausea this morning which reminded me of morning sickness so nothing I couldn't handle. Took some anti-nausea meds and that did the trick. Went to my Physical Therapy appt to work on the cording in my arm (it's working wonders btw). Then I headed to get my Neulasta shot. Had to take my kids but everyone was very sweet about it. The shot didn't hurt a bit, got it in my tummy on the advice of one of the nurses who said it hurts less in a fatty part of your body. I took Claritin (they say it helps with bone pain) and so far haven't had any. My mom sweetly offered to take my kids to the dr for me since I suspected strep, but they just have a virus and no meds for them. The Doc said I should avoid them but you know how it is with kids that's kinda hard to do! Hope tomorrow is as easy as today. Love reading all the updates!

Hi all, love reading through the updates and seeing the great pics. You have given me strength. I had chemo training tonight and when we walked through the infusion room, I had no reaction to it. It was just like any other room. I wasn't sure how I would react but I really think that all of the shared stories and pics on this site have made this process more "normal" and less scary. So, thank you for that!

Continued prayers and hugs for all!! It sounds like those that started this week are doing well and I'm so thrilled to hear this! Keep the updates coming, they are inspiring and encouraging!!! I am inching closer to my start date on Monday so always searching for tips and advice!

BTW, I got matched up with a maid service from Cleaning for a Reason! They will clean your house once a month for 4 months for free. I highly recommend applying for it, I was surprised they called me right after they received my doctor's note! Yay, I needed some good news

Hi All! I'm enjoying your pictures and posts, as always! Here are a couple of pics of me in my favorite head coverings (so far!) Not sure why they are so ginormous. I still have my hair but have been playing around with scarves, hats, etc. I'm not big on wigs. Also, I wanted those without ports who might be wondering to be able to see what the port looks like. The port isn't really THAT noticeable I don't think. I see the incision above it more than the port itself. The incision is healing nicely and I've been doing scar massage to try to help it flatten out. And, for you Florida people that is a GEORGIA BULLDAWG shirt. Gators schmators :-)

Bonnie, my hubby is a professor at the U of A. When you come to Tucson again, we should get together. I'm so thankful that I'm not doing my treatment in the heat of the summer. The unbearable heat. The winter here is gorgeous!

I have trouble keeping up with all the posts as there are so many people on this board. I am definitely reading them all and will learn names/IDs as we keep talking! For now, y'all have a good night.

Thanks enlm20Erica! Starting this afternoon! Glad you are feeling well.

Good luck to all the other ladies starting today!

WE CAN DO THIS!

Love all the pictures! The hats and scarfs look great! I just ordered a bunch of stuff and go wig shopping tomorrow. I don't have any hat pics to share but here's me last night gearing up for chemo in my cozy pjs my friend gave me eating a pink cupcake!

I finally figured out how to post these from my phone. A local ethnic grocery store had a nice assortment of ginger candies. They are all individually wrapped and have a gummy-like texture. Pretty tasty candies for our chemo bags.

Jovigal, you look awesome! I love your outfit and the pink cupcake. Your wonderful smile will get you through chemo!

I am still set for Dec 1 for round 1. So i may be the last of our group to get going on this adventure so I will be the cheerleader for now since i still have my energy to root for all! toot toot!

Now is the time to let others do for us and to pamper ourselves. Get a comfy blanket, slippers, cozy clothes and food that tastes good. When others ask what they can bring to you, look at your list and tell it to others. A good friend wants to bring food so I told her to make me some soups in 1-2 portion containers. Maybe without cream or dairy would be another thing to tell others or use dairy alternatives (coconut milk, various nut milks..etc. )

xoxo

Hubby is teaching tonight so i am solo for dinner. Might have more miso soup leftovers or put some dal together. keep your strength up by eating plenty of protein and healthy fats (avocados, nut butters, olives, tahini, etc…) and watch the carbs..make each calorie count.

Hi everybody: I'm back from my second opinion, and the doctors agree with the course of treatment. I had my first chemo 10 days ago and it has been really rough for me (mainly nausea). Every med and every one is different, so don't be too concerned that this will happen to you. I finally called my nurse today and she said I shouldn't have waited so long to call, they have strategies to deal with what ails you. Don't suffer as I did! I am finally feeling better today and plan to go to my yoga class tomorrow. I cut my hair really short today and will go wig shopping with my sister and a friend this weekend. I ate a little bit of a lot of things this week: homemade beef vegetable soup, granola and yogurt, macaroni and cheese, milkshakes, and grilled cheese were my "go to" meals. I made the mistake of ordering "mild" Thai noodles once and my mouth burned--no spices for me for awhile! I found that having a lot of choices is helpful, and I'm trying to eat as healthy as I can. I've been drinking lots of water and when I got tired of the taste, put just a taste of powdered Gatorade in there which really helps. BUT: I remain a Seminole fan (you Florida gals will get that one).

What an amazing group of women we are who happen to be starting chemo together! A little about me: I grew up in the mid-Atlantic states but went to school in Arizona (UA and NAU) and lived there much of my life. I was a professional archeologist for about 15 years, working for Navajo Nation, Park Service, and finally landed a career job with the US Forest Service. Moved up the ranks, spent 8 years in DC doing Congressional relations at headquarters, then landed with the National Forests in Florida in 2009. When we were going through all the budget turmoil a couple of years ago, I accepted an early retirement after nearly 29 years and am so glad I did! I've been traveling the world and enjoying life with my husband of nearly 30 years. I've learned that life is short no matter how long it is, so go for the gusto while you can. I am 58 years old and have been healthy all my life. I never had children (by choice) but helped raise my stepson who is now 40, and many nieces and nephews I love. I feel blessed to have this C at a time in my life when I can focus on my health, although I do wonder if a job would be a good distraction. . . Nah!

The most striking thing in all of the photos is the SMILES. Especially for those of you about to start, know that you will continue to smile and laugh and enjoy life even during this tough patch. I second what TallyLassie said about talking to your doctor right away if you have any symptoms. I, luckily, have not had many side effects other than fatigue. But my oncologist and his PA both have told me repeatedly that it is not acceptable for me to be nauseated or otherwise sick feeling. They have ways to treat it but they can't do it if they don't know.

I just finished my second A/C treatment today. Hubby was with me this time and it kind of freaked him out but it was good for him to see the process. Another recommendation . . . tell your friends the hours you will be in chemo and request texts/facebook posts/messages during that time period. I don't usually have 2 hours of dedicated time to catch up with people and have found people very willing to send me their updated family pictures, jokes to keep me occupied and not feel so "down" while I'm sitting in that treatment area.

Tigger2: I love Austin. Did you see the bats? Amazing!! I also wanted to ask you about the hair. I don't really understand/know how it goes. Does it all just fall out at once? Or a bit here and there? If you are just sitting still or walking around, does it fall out and leave a trail or is it mostly when you rub your head (like washing it or moving it on your pillow?) I ask because I'm trying to figure out how to handle it at work. Maybe I should just start wearing my hat/scarf now so that I'm not shedding everywhere? UGH. I wish I could just "sneeze" and it would all be completely gone so I didn't have to think about it.

I'm headed in for the first chemo tomorrow. Had the port put in today. The tape that they put over the cut they made near the neck is tugging at me. Anyone else remove this before the magic 24hours were up?

Hi minivan,

that tape on the port is driving me nuts too! It's pulling my skin to the point I feel like it's slowly strangling me.

I wondered if there mmight be swelling in there making it feel so tight an crowded around my neck.

drinking Pineapple and ginger tea to reduce inflammation.

Leave the tape on. An infection could be worse!

D

Hi ladies, couldn't sleep anymore so I thought I'd check in. And I have a bit of time on my hands before the kids wake up so I'm going to go through one by one:

Bonnie, I bought those same ginger candies yesterday and some lemon/ginger tea from Whole Foods. Hope they will be soothing and do the trick. Great ideas on pampering ourselves! We deserve it!

Thatcameragirl, hope you are still doing great and that your kids are feeling better. Yeah, how are we supposed to stay away from our little ones?!

Tigger, an early thanksgiving sounds like a great idea! Glad you are feeling good and able to work out. Beautiful pic of you and your daughter! Sorry about the hair, good thing u have a backup! I searched for wigs yesterday and had no luck! I guess I'm being very picky but I have long blond hair and am trying to match it so my 6 year old daughter doesn't freak out (and me too!)

Charlottesmommy, HUGS and prayers for your start date on the 25th! I am on the 24th so I'm right there with you! We can do this!!

Knitting, cute pics, I like your choices!! So glad to hear your are feeling well. I agree with your SMILES comment...everyone has beautiful smiles before chemo!! I pray I can be that strong on that first day. I will try.

Jovigal, great pics...love the smiles! Hope you are feeling ok and the nausea meds helped. Running around after a 2 year old will surely wear you out. Hope u get a chance to rest.

Minivan and Seagirl, HUGS and prayers for your first day. You can do this! Let us know how it goes!

CC3373, thanks for the well wishes! Great pics you posted. I hope you are still feeling well!! Sending HUGS to you!

Erica, adorable pic of u at chemo! Wow, a chili cheese dog? That is so awesome! I am so happy that you are feeling that well. Prayers that your SEs continue to be minimal!

BreatheIn, glad to hear your port surgery and 1st chemo went well! Hope you continue to feel good and the natural remedies due the trick for you! I'd be curious to know what works well, reading all of the side effects of these meds really freaks me out!

Silverbelle, hope your 2nd infusion goes really well! I've started to shop for headgear but have had little luck. I have an appt today and hope to get everything I need. I think we will feel better once we have at least a few options at home ready to go. That's nuts this was discovered from your first mammo. HUGS to you, we will get through this!

Tallie, hope you are feeling better!! Good that you got your 2nd opinion and they agree. Great tips on food, those sound like good choices. I will probably avoid spicy too, although I love all spicy foods! Early retirement and world traveling sounds wonderful!! This is just a short detour in life, you will get back to your fabulous normal life in no time!

Astarte, hope you are starting to feel better!! HUGS and prayers for you dear.

Nitengirl, I liked your smiling pic at chemo! Hope u are feeling well!! HUGS

Ok, now I'm running out of time...the kiddos are getting up! Did not mean to exclude anyone....sending HUGS and prayers to all of you lovely ladies!!! We will get through this!!

Hello Everyone!

Just had my port placement in on Tuesday (not fun but fine now) and my first chemo on Wednesday. It's weird just waiting to see what is going to happen to me with all of this junk in my body! It is Friday and it seems I wake up a lot of energy, then need a nap and in the evening experience flu-like sypmptoms which are tolerable. The nausea meds are wonderful! A Bendadryl before bed helped with waking up a lot at night although I still woke up super early. Still praying about whether to go back to work next week. I teach art to little kids (lot's of germs) and have read all of the pros and cons. Waiting on God to show me what the next step is to be!! Thanks for starting this thread!