Starting Chemo March 2015

I watched it, very interesting and such a long way we have come!

SC, glad you're headed home. I hope you get a redo on the trip.

Jackiebird, I would get that rash checked. It looks very painful; I hope it heals soon.

Crazy the dumb things people say. When people question putting these"poisons" in my body, I tell them how grateful I am that there are drug powerful enough to kill the cancer. My mom and aunt had breast cancer about the same time. My mom had chemo and is alive 22 yeRs later. My aunt did alternative treatments with diet, etc. She became stage IV and died a few years later.

Day 2 has been great... walks in the sunshine, a few hours of work, and some rest and relaxation. Did my own Neulasta. We'll see what day 3 brings. Changed my profile picture to me in one of my wigs.

If your MO is not a good fit for you, you can change. My former MO blew off my concerns constantly and also did not give me Neulasta because I was ypung and healthy. Also would not check my blood midway through when I asked. It landed me in the hospital for 4 days midway through. The last straw was after treatment was done and I got lumps after fat grafting and requested an ultrasound. He said no because "I was not at risk of recurrence." he told me if my lumps went from a grape to a golf ball to call him. Otherwise I should ignore them. I never saw him again. My new MO is amazing! He tells it like it is, wants to know about side effects right away so he can help manage them. We are on the same page with everything, and he is a great personality match.

BB, sugar-free popsicles helped my raw esophagus, as did Chloraseptic Max lozynges (or you can try Chloraseptic spray,which just made me gag). Pepcid didn't put a dent in mine, but Prilosec worked. During my first treatment, the acid got so bad it triggered nausea/vomiting so I switched to a liquid diet during the flare-up. It took a good 3 days to get completely back to normal. For the second treatment, which wasn't nearly as bad, my MO said to double my prescription strength Prilosec at my first indication of trouble and I stuck to soft foods (rather than liquids) that went down easier. Went so much better, was only bothered for a single day. Hope this helps and you aren't too miserable!

Thank you Mary, Shaz, Beachbum, Theresa, Katy, Trvler, KBeee for all your comments. I spent the last 3 days reading this thread from the first post to now, gathering from you and other ladies,  all the tips and medications for nausea and migraines  that you recommended and are on and put together a list .

 A  Dr. on my MO's team who appeared to be a lot more approachable and empathetic , told me to email him a week before my next round of  chemo and he will have a plan for my next  session . I am going to send him this list( Sancusco patch, Benedryl, Phenergan, Compazine, Prochlorperazine) and hopefully he will consider these with the ones I am already on and work them or some of them into the plan. I will get the acupressure bracelets, Excedrin Migraine and bring an ice pack with me also. I feel like I am getting ready for battle and that I will  also be able to open my own pharmacy with all the medication I have  bought to date !!

Shaz I meet with a migraine specialist next week, if she has any words of wisdom, I will pass them on. I feel such a wimp after reading this whole thread, really, when I look back on it I was only really sick for 24hrs which is a drop in the ocean compared to what some of you have gone through. But when I was going through it, I had no idea how long it was going to last, lack of sleep and fear made it seem unbearable. Like some of you I thought, I can't do this, I 'll skip chemo and go straight to radiation. But in the cold light of day when I know I had a fast growing tumor, 4,2 cm  getting 3 out of 3 and 9 out of 9 in some pathology tests, ( and this is not school where they are good results!!) mets in sentinel and a margin of less than 1mm I know I have to do chemo.

Leighrh, I am on the 21 day program and my appetite went too, I had lots of small meals/snacks in the first week , but its back again now

Kazza, I hope the PICC insert went well and that chemo went ok?

Thank you to all, I have had a lot of personal stuff going on outside of my dx of bc.  I am touched by everyones honesty in this thread. Hugs  xx

Although I know from personal experience It will certainly NOT put a dent in migraines, peppermint oil mixed with a carrier oil (grape seed oil is on most grocery store shelves, 75% grape seed + 25% essential oil is the max ratio for acceptable short-term use) applied to your temples, forehead, and nape can help alleviate headaches. I use an aromatherapy inhaler now and have my own headache blend in a roller bottle that includes quite a few other essential oils, but when I first started in aromatherapy, peppermint oil alone helped until whatever pill I was taking kicked in. Peppermint oil is a fairly common essential oil you may be able to find at local stores, inexpensive. Is also nice for nausea, just rub a little of the 75/25 peppermint oil on your tummy (peppermint tea on most supermarket shelves is also good for this! as is ginger tea if you can find it) and if hot flashes are slaying you, 75/25 peppermint on your nape works great. The scent of peppermint oil is an energy booster for those fatigue truck days too. I mix peppermint with sweet orange essential oil in my diffuser, very perky without being obnoxious. I've found that blends mostly dominated by lemon are quite zippy as well.

That all said...Before using ANY essential oil on your body, you should always, always, always do a skin patch test to check for allergies. Mix the oil with a carrier (like grape seed oil) and dab just a little on your forearm. Leave it for a few hours, but ideally a full day is best. If you notice any pinking/skin irritation/itching, DO NOT use the oil. If all is well, use the essential oil sparingly -- a little truly does go a long way.

So...if anyone's interested in supportive care from the aromatherapy/woo-woo end of the pool, there you go.

Dawnz and others who have posted in the past day as new to the thread, welcome and thank you for introducing youselves and sharing a part of your story. Dawn, your Oregon friend should be ashamed of her comments, as a Portlander I can tell you that despite all our clean air, liberal, organic, fee range living, every chair is full at the chemo spa when I am there!!

shaz-I don't have migraines but I have been close to people who do and ive seen how life altering they can be, you have my utmost sympathy. Your MOs comment reminded me of something I learned that I thought I'd share, because you never know what might end up giving some relief.

I see a manual lymphatic drainage certified practitioner weekly because ive had some issues post surgery and I'm trying to do everything I can to avoid developing chronic lymphedema. She's taught me a lot about the lymph system and what it does and ive seen many illustrations of the lymph paths in our body that move the fluid . Most of my sluggish movement is from surgery and lymph node removal but she also told me some interesting stuff about lymph movement and chemotherapy. If you've seen a diagram of the lymphatic system you can see the masses of lymph nodes around the head and neck, over and behind the ears and basically surrounding the brain (but the lymph sits really close to the skin in that outer tissue)

The therapist said that the lymph nodes around and in the head don't drain readily and chemo drugs that travel up that way can get "stuck" basically and cause problems. She says the manual lymphatic drainage helps clear those nodes of toxin and can noticeably reduce the "chemo brain" and migraine side effects. When I see her each week she spends about 20 minutes doing the MLD around my face and head. She's also taught me how to do this myself.

I don't know if those statements above are proven. I do know that MLD is proven effective at treating and preventing lymphedema and I have felt immediate relief after treatment. My practitioner is certified and has years of experience with a clientele that is close to 100% breast cancer patients. It may be something to look into as you explore ways to treat and avoid those debilitating migraines. She practices the Vodder method of MLD.

Also, wanted to show everyone a brand of coconut oil Ive fallen in love with, I use the stuff for everything too (plus now ill need some for the nightstand, thanks for the tip!) I recently picked up this brand that has lavender essential oil in it. I grease up my skin, feet hands and bare head before bed and it sends me off to sleep with aromatherapy magic. I bet anyone could make a batch of lavender infused coconut oil at home (princess-approved?) But if you want to treat yourself to something special I found this at whole foods. Have a great day all, we officially made it through March, woohoo!

Right backatcha Jem. What a mountain of reading to start from the beginning and read the whole thing. But good for you as I know there are many "gems" of info in there and certainly the fast track to getting to know us. I admire your bravery

Yes I forgot to welcom our new arrivals. Get comfy and enjoy the ride. So sorry, really sorry, you had the need to find us here.

Slothabout- what very excellent information and suggestions on the lymphatic system. I was saddened by the notion that in a relatively moderate sized city like lovely Portland there is enough bc to fill a specialty practice such as your practitioner's. Kind of hit me in the gut. The problem is huge.....and still the mfkn pink tutus. Grrrr. Mary? Are u with me? Still waiting for you to really let'r rip haha.

Shaz I am so hopeful that you get some kind of help with your migraines. I know your goddesses gave you 3 massages. Maybe those gifted therapists could read up on this Vodder method and gently massage your head and neck? I am desperate for you and probably grasping at straws. I know it takes years to become expert in a field such as this, it may be that some very basic principles could be applied and help a little. I and much of my family suffer, especially my brother. I always took Maxalt with great success. I know it is very expensive and my ins will not pay. I cannot imagine why I have been spared so far during chemo

Princess Karen, thank you so much for your serenade from the woo woo end. Very helpful. I have peppermint and lavender on hand. Love citrus and will look for that. Now I'm definitely going to get the grape seed and coconut oils. I had been dabbing droplets on straight! Yikes!! Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.

I LOVE lavender! I mix it with a little rosemary and a teeny tiny drop of frankincense. Omigersh, is wunnerful. LOL

The big reason to dilute essential oils with a carrier is allergies can develop over time. Grape seed oil is a good carrier, but I mentioned it only because I know it's available pretty much everywhere. I prefer sweet almond oil, love the feel of it on my skin, but I alternate that with other carriers. The carrier oils themselves can be very, very good for you too! If you get a citrus oil and put that on your skin, watch direct sunlight (or wear sunscreen) because most citrus oils can cause photosensitivity (you're gonna sunburn more easily so you need to be careful of that) and please store citrus oils in your fridge. Extends the shelf-life.

UGH, marathon workday. My butt is dragging. I make bath melts with shea butter & lavender, positively decadent. If this workday ever ends, I should treat myself.

Finally feeling more normal this week. I went on a 2+ mile walk with the husband and the dog last night which was much needed Someone above mentioned neosporin for the nose. Thank you! I found some Aveeno hydrocortisone cream at my office desk and I just slabbed some up there and I feel 100x better.

Went to the MO today. It was the nurse's time with me. She wouldn't give me a script for a wig. Told me to buy one and then they would write a prescription. Whoever heard of that? It sounds insane. I already have some internet wigs so it's no big deal and I just didn't feel like arguing with her. I also mentioned lattisse when I'm done with this chemo and she said it wasn't needed as my eyelashes would grow back. This is why I want someone who has been through this to be working with/for me. The lattisse would help them grow back faster and fuller. I have cancer dammit, give a girl a break. Don't worry I'll get the prescription somehow. I'm just glad I didn't go in there requesting medicinal marijuana. I think she would of read me the riot act. I did get the zofran and can dump the anti psychotic anti-nausea meds they prescribed.

And the sun is shining here today and I hear it's 60+ degrees outside! Yea!

Ninja: I say you SHOULD ask her for the marijuana and then find a new place to get chemo.

Bekah: Hope you get some peace soon.

I decided to speak up and asked the guy (a visitor) to turn off his speakerphone. He kinda gave me the stink-eye but he did it. Ahhhhhh....peace

thinking of you today Bekah. Hoping indeed for smooth round and cessation of all rude noises

Katy, have you ever seen Parks and Recreation? The one character's tag line is 'treat yourself'. It's funny.