Starting Chemo January 2015

Beachbum

That is glorious news!! Eyelashes and Eyebrows!! Hair growth !! How do you feel physically?? Do you find you sleep more ? I have a long way to go but you gave me hope!

Thank you for your post!

Patty

My "go to" food this week (first week post first treatment) has been chicken matzo ball soup (something I never usually eat, but it worked for me this week). I normally have acid reflux and take Prevacid, but the daily Prevacid hasn't been enough. OTC Zantac has worked for me. My nausea was manageable the first 4 days post treatment as long as I took the Zofran I was prescribed every 6 hours. Six days later, I'm only taking the Zofran once every 12 hours. Have a Herceptin only treatment tomorrow which is not supposed to be bad. I hope I feel this good for the next 2 weeks until my next chemo. I'm resigned to loosing my hair (I guess), but loosing the fingernails was something new I learned here tonight. Geez.

Beachbum

How are you doing after MX on Dec 15? Pain or trouble lifting arm? I didn't see if you had Reconstruction or not. I don't think I will. So happy for your hair growth. Hair at the end of the tunnel. Lol

Patty

About the the meds, I thought that once "the worst was over" you could stop with the nausea meds, Imodium, etc…I hadn't had any episodes with cramping in a few days so I had stopped taking the Imodium…then had diarrhea yesterday. Do you guys take the preventative meds continually thru chemo?

Beachbum…thanks for telling us about the Look Good Feel Better program! I just signed up for one next week. I couldn't find one in my area using the program finder online, so I called the 1-800 number…and learned that you could call that number 24 hours a day for any questions you may have. So if its 3:00 in the morning and you're worried about something, for example—you can call them. It's 800-395-5665.

--Lorie

I'm not sure what the big C is but if it's constipation, I get why it's capitalized. Just had my 2nd round of chemo and it's been great except the constipation is so severe I was literally screaming while going to the bathroom. I am now taking that mag citrate stuff but honestly I've never been so terrified of a future time with my toilet. Sorry if that is TMI. I can't really take another repeat of today. Let's just say "glass shards" and "sandpaper" are good adjectives.

loriekg-I finished my chemo in November, but I stopping in to give support to others, paying it forward after personally getting such great advice from others on these boards.  I did take Clariton daily, anti-nausea meds for the first 1 1/2-2 weeks following chemo, and immodium regularly during chemo after my first cycle.  I stopped the nausea pills with my first cycle after a few days and wasn't diligent with taking the immodium right away which were big mistakes.  Be proactive with managing your symptoms.  I am still dealing with a rectal fissure that I developed after the first cycle because I wasn't so diligent initially.  I have never been a pill person, but I did start to carry immodium (big issues with diarrhea) and anti-nausea meds in my purse after the first cycle.  I would take a gigantic cup filled with water and drink it via a straw in between meals.  I tried to eat every 2 to 2 1/2 hours during the day so my blood sugar stayed level and my stomach never got empty.  Hope everyone does well with their chemo regimens. 

Frye and Cheryl, I also suffered the big C with round 1. Frye, that was not TMI...you described it well. Round 2 starts this Wednesday. I appreciate the info on Ducosate. I'll start Tuesday night. I wasn't sure if it was the chemo or the general anesthesia the day before with port surgery. You all answered that for me which really helps.

Keep all the discussing details coming!

If you are positive that you will have chemo, I would definitely have surgery first. The port can be placed during that procedure giving you one less general anesthesia to go through.

Also, since I'm now preparing to lose my hair, I'm looking into various cosmetic options. Has anyone tried or know someone who has tried the Headcovers NaturalBrows? http://www.headcovers.com/eyebrows/eyebrow-loss/

And, you are sounding great. Just keep a step ahead of the big C.

My comfort food is ice cold Jazz apple slices with a big tablespoon of peanut butter. Also I keep grapes in the freezer for snacking and during chemo infusion.

Kjybaby all that sounds like par for the course. I felt like I had a fist in my stomach for about a week. Chemo definitely slows down the digestive process. Definitely just assume you will be constipated and nip it in the bud because feeling like you are giving birth to a baby elephant made of glass shards is not on my bucket list. I guess I can mark it off anyway. The series of naps thing is a side effect of the steroids. Also, I didn't get bone pain until a week later. The nurses told me 7-10 days after the shot is normal for the pain.

Tonight is my first night working during a chemo week with no steroid in board so I feel tired yet super anxious. Oh what fun! /sarcasm

Hi loriekg, You are very welcome. I hope you have a great time at Look Good Feel Better. I had two hours of cancer free fun!! The volunteers were really nice, and they had a lot of great tips for us. My new eyelashes are just starting to grow back, and she showed me how to get the mascara on right the first time. Pretty tricky since mine are so short! The make up kit had a lot of very nice products, and it was so nice to have all new make up, new colors, and nice brushes. I certainly could not afford to purchase all of the quality products right now. But with the kit, I won't need anything for quite awhile. Let me know how you like it!

If anyone else would like to attend, just call the American Cancer Society or search Look Good Feel Better. If the program is not available near you, they do send kits if you cannot make it.

Hi cherylfg, sounds like you are getting ahead of the side effects. That will help get you through the chemo. The fatigue increased for me also as chemo is cumulative. I felt pretty ragged out by the time I finished the Taxol. Take advantage of the snuggle time with the little ones, and rest a little. I also have hot flashes and face flushing, but then just as quick I would have freezing feet. I tried to dress light but kept warm jackets and soft throws to cover up when freezing. An electric blanket is helpful also. I have a twin size for my couch.

Hello Kick-Ass Ladies,

Good to hear how everyone is doing after second treatment! I am drinking prune juice and senna tea (Smooth move) cleans me out (comfortably) the next morning if I have a cup the night before. I did not expect it to be so effective. Very grateful that it is. I have also had the glass shards kind of experience written about so eloquently by Fyre, I am also taking a probiotic made by Schiff twice a day to help my poor GI tract. This kind is supposed to get through the stomach acid and into the small intestine. When I get acid reflux in my throat and upper GI, which got a little burned during my Sulpha drug uber ick-fest, I am mixing pure, grade b maple syrup in with plain cold Greek yogurt and the combo quiets that down. I think I am rehydrated now, able to eat a bit more, stopped dropping weight. Nausea finally under control with maintenance dose of Ativan (.5mg) every 6 hrs now, everyday. I take that from now until the end of AC. I got a freezer full of cold foods, tea and soup and plain everything seems to work. My onco nurse told me about the BRAT diet for super sensitive stomachs: bananas, rice, apple sauce and herbal tea. I did that for a couple of days and the cramps stopped, now I am having protein again, no problem. Suffering succotash!

My nurse also told me that people tend to get an extra little pop of nausea the day or so after they stop taking the steroid. So keep taking the other to stay ahead of the game.

Lakesidewlabs, I am with SweetHope, I would have surgery first, it lets your docs see how effective the treatment you had has been in reducing your large tumor. And, like Beachbum, sometimes the tumor does weird things even with chemo. Get it out if they think they can get all of it with clean margins. It was a mental relief for me to have a mastectomy though it is hard to lose your breast. Take a break from the chemo. It's seems strange to say, but surgery is kind of easier than AC, at least for me.

PMR53, I am right there with you being scared about the second treatment but this time will be easier, you are already more skilled at managing your SE, and know that you have your lovely daughters to help you though. Maybe you could talk to the clinic social worker about stress reduction management through guided meditation or deep breathing exercises or progressive relaxation, where you tense and then release each muscle in your body in sequence, these can provide some relief and refocus your mind and thoughts away from the fear. You can find instruction online. Also, this will end soon. I was told that the AC is the toughest part. C'mon, Patty, stay with us!

Suffering succotash! Frye, you crack me up! That is so interesting about 7-10 days before bone pain. Days 3-5 were bad rib pain days and day 5 my skin over the ribs hurt. I guess I'm Abbynormal. I didn't need any pain meds 'cause I was so exhausted I would just roll over, yell "Ouch my ribs" and fall right back to sleep.

Beachbum, Holy s**t is right. All I wanted was my bed but I was stuck just sitting on the toilet begging my body to give up something, anything. I am fully armed with prunes, senekot, ducosat, stool softeners, etc. to get me through Round 2 on Wednesday.

And Chrissie29, thanks for checking up on us and sharing. The best thing about BCO is learning from those who have walked the walk. I've learned so much here. I certainly want to pay it forward once I figure all this out.