Starting Chemo March 2015

Trvler- My center had a nice kitchen area where they had beverages available - both hot and cold including gatorade and juice and an ice / water machine. For both infusions I made sure I had a gatorade with crushed ice and sipped on it the whole time. When I got home I also drank ice water. It made my stomach feel better too.

I bring a litre bottle of water with me when I go and I drink that through the treatment. I'm going to add a thermos of tea for the ride home to relax me this next go-round. I agree with the popsicle idea. Now that my tastebuds are taking a hiatus I find popsicles to be a go-to food.

Any other ladies out there not lose any hair yet? My first chemo was on 03/12 and I have lost less hair than I did on a daily basis before all this. I'm sure this next chemo will have it falling out of my head like crazy, but I find it strange that it hasn't started shedding yet. I did notice that my leg and underarm hair is super slow growing now. I just assumed I would be bald by day 14.

ninjamary, I started the day before you and I still have all mine as well. I'm expecting it to start going any time.

My chemo center has a little cart they wheel around with snacks and beverages. It's great! Except I drink so much water during treatment I feel like I have to get up to pee every 45 minutes and it's such a pain dragging that IV to the bathroom!

I really liked the Lindy's Italian Ice for my first infusion day. I also beat the hell out of some ice that morning with the meat tenderizer (felt good to let go of some of the nerves and emotions that way) and brought ice chips. I used both during the Taxotere since that was recommended by many on this site. I have a funky feeling tongue but no mouth sores as of yet.

Jackbirdie - I'm drooling over those earrings and loved the story behind them. What a sweet brother you have!

I have my first post-chemo appointment with my oncologist today. I'm hoping he can sort out my back pain so I can get on with my life for the time being.

SC, you look GREAT!

My port was achy for a couple weeks, but I don't notice it now.

Ninja, I started on the 12th and my stubble's still hanging on too.

The cancer center gave me a popsicle and a cup of ice to suck on and I also rinsed my mouth in the baking soda/water mix every time I went to the bathroom -- no mouth sores for me! They also brought around a snack cart at the cancer center, but I'm going early in the morning this time so I think I'll take in my own snacks, just in case.

I combed my neon green wig this morning, planning to wear it to pick up my sons after school today. HEE HEE HEE

so-she-did: I told my little brother what you said and he's busting with pride.

Hi all!

I'm trying to catch up on posts since I took the weekend off from reading - you've all been busy!

ItalyChick - my hair is still in tact, but shedding a little more than normal day-to-day shedding the past two days, from what I can tell. No big clumps falling out yet, though. So keeping my fingers crossed that the caps are working - if not, then buzzed it goes and I'l go get the wig!

Yesterday was my chemo #2. Blood draw was Sunday, and the phlebotomist had to poke me twice since my blood wasn't flowing - guess I didn't drink enough fluids the few days prior. Need to be better about that. My arm is super bruised since she did the second draw from a weird spot. Meeting with my MO before the infusion. My blood counts look good, he was shocked that I'm still doing okay with working, and agreed that my rash thing is likely from the Docetaxol (Taxotere), so we'll see if it happens this go around and he said he'll prescribe steroids to help it, but that's a last resort since those are harsh on the heart, especially during chemo. The infusion went MUCH smoother this time around. Was there from around 10-1:30/2, then home to finish capping. SO much better than the horrifically long day from my first infusion where it took over 8 hours thanks to the pharmacy delay.

I decided to come out about my diagnosis on FB and Instagram while I sat in that chair yesterday. It's so bittersweet. I'm so overwhelmed with love for all of the support I'm getting, but in a way, I wish I could take it back. Having it out there in the open for the world to see makes it more real, where when only friends and family knew, it was something I could sort of hide from.

Okay, gonna sleep the day away since chemo days, especially with cold capping, are soooooo long.

i did the brca test and the cancerNext test as well at the time of my biopsy. i'm brca2+ and am positive for another gene that increases the possibility of colorectal cancer (by about 20%). it helped me to decide to do the double mastectomy i have scheduled for after chemo ends.

they told me the possibility of getting cancer in the breasts again within 5 years was up to 80% between family history (there's TONS of cancer in my family) and the brca result. i'm headed to the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans after i heal from chemo. i'm pretty scared about the surgery, but for now i'm just focussing on the chemo (that's difficult enough on it's own).

hair's coming out. cutting it shorter (almost buzz) tomorrow morning. then going for a mohawk and then it's the big buzz..

Hang in there, Shaz!

My son's friend now thinks I'm an undercover cop. I guess all undercover cops have green hair and drive a beat-up dodge. LOL

Shaz- keeping the candle lit for you here - I sure hope you don't have to wait two weeks for your scan results. Maybe you could call in for them? In a day or two? I'm sure they must understand how difficult it is emotionally to wait for something like that. Anyway, a big but gentle hug for you. And great job on the purchases. On the way to an appt? An old friend of mine would give you bonus points for a high bucks per hour quotient. HAHAHAHA !

And yes, IC, that is exactly where my head is tender. Hurts to lay/lie (my mother the summa CL in English would be rolling in her grave that I never did get the lay/lie thing down) and all I want to do is lay/lie all day long.

I'm fatigued and bored and can't concentrate. I really cannot spend any more money on hats, bags, clothes, shoes, furniture or earrings. My birthday has passed and the party and all of the attendant excuses for buying stuff are over. So over. And besides, it's not 2am when I usually shop. I think i might be depressed.

I have chemo 2 in two days and I'm not looking forward to starting up the steroids tomorrow night, or any part of Thursday. But my niece comes on Monday and that should be fun. I can't wait to give her one of my last wee hours binges, a sterling charm bracelet made in infinity loops. I have 3 cute little charms to start her with. She is 20, so maybe this will be too juvenile a gift for her. Hopefully that old adage about the thought counting still applies.

Thinking of Trvler and Beatit, in the chair I think, as I write. And my usual apologies for anybody I overlooked today. Sending out good vibes to all March bco sisters. A blanket blessing of sorts. xoxo to all.

I'm going back to the supine, lay/lie position and try to find a way to place my head so it doesn't hurt. PS. I know complaining about this minor SE is SO LAME. And I'm sorry.

Katy: Is there any way you could exercise? I find that they main thing that keeps me from getting depression is exercise. I am not going to want to go to a class after my hair falls out but i have an elliptical in the basement I like to do. I don't want you to get depressed. Do you have a psychiatrist monitoring you?

I LOVE the shirt!!!

Enjoy your walk!

I would wait. Most fevers they can't do anything about anyway. Unless he has a sore throat. If they have a sore throat, I always get a strep test because untreated strep can cause heart damage. Another thing our ped taught me to do, is to stagger meds to keep his fever down. YOu can only give ibuprofen every 6 hours and tylenol every 6 hours so my doc said I can overlap and give one of them say at 8 am , then the other one at 11. That way, you can always time something to give to them at bedtime and it keeps their fever down. Does that make sense?

SC Coqui, I would call your doctor. Mine said at 100.5 I need to go to them or emergency room. I'm assuming you are asking about your fever? What was your white blood cell count? That's the most important part. My oncologist said if I got sick she would prophylactically put me on antibiotics.