Starting Chemo May 2015

My port is in my chest, it took about 3 days for mine not to be tender, it hurt a little when they put in the needle for chemo, but no worse then a shot. Heart burn stayed most of the night, but I was up a lot with water, and from the steroids. I guess I will chat with oncology nurse when I go in for my shot today. Overall I don't feel bad, but not good either.

Hi Ladies,

Thanks for sharing your experiences! It's very helpful to hear what works and what doesn't.

I had my port placed yesterday and like you Steflove I feel weird, like something is pulling at me inside. It still is hard to move my upper body but has gotten better today. Hopefully it will just get better everyday. I had terrible nausea from the sedation they gave me for the port placement. I threw up twice yesterday and the last time I had blood in my vomit. Contacted my MO yesterday and said that it's probably trauma from the wretching but if I continued to throw up with blood in it that I go to the ER.

Start my dose dense AC tomorrow. Did you ladies take Claritin before or after the Neulasta/Neupogen shot?

JenJenJen, I take claritin with my neupogen shot. I give myself the shot at home, so usually I do it at night before bed and then take the claritin right after. My chemo nurse recommended taking it at night so that if you do get bone pain, you can take a pain pill/sleep aid and sleep the worst of it off, but I've really had no pain to speak of from the shot, so perhaps the claritin is doing it's job?

Started AC today. One down 3 to go!! Already feel awful. Hope this passes.

Chrissom hope you feel better soon.

Stefove I'm having dose dense AC tomorrow and was told the infusion is 90 minutes. The nurse did mention that the first day is a little longer due to logistics and some teaching they give you. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow

Klanders, hope your hair stays rooted, but if its going to fall out the process usually begins on day 16. Mine came out by the handfuls. My scalp hurt too, like it thought hair was its enemy and wanted to push it out.it felt so much better after it was buzzed off.

My port was annoying the entire year. Not painful, but I never forgot it was there. It comes out in two weeks!

Posting a brief report of post-chemo (AC infusion #1) day three. Yesterday was a high energy day--a lot of work done, high spirits and felt very much comfortable in my own skin and abilities.I had energy to burn (artificial from the steroids I am sure) Went over to the oncology office at 2:00 for my Neulasta shot. The nurse told me that the MO has no problem w/ the "anecdotal" evidence of folks taking Claritan for bone pain, but that his preferred intervention is Tylenol. I bought a new box of extra strength Tylenol on my way out in the downstairs pharmacy. Anyway--I did not experiece any bone pain at all--at least not yet. Maybe it comes on later than 12-24 hours post injection.

However, today, I find my energy level much much lower. I think I'm hitting a chemo valley. I feel fatigued and slightly flu-like--no temperature, just blah and very tired. I told my office that I won't be doing much today, but have higher hopes for later this week and next week. My older sister is coming over to keep an eye on me all day, just to be safe (she is a worrying wart). I hope she does not expect entertainment.

I was able to get to my 7:00 AM PT session this morning. Yesterday afternoon, I noticed the first signs of what could be lymphedema in my right wrist. She put some type of special tape on it, after measuring, and will start manual drainage tomorrow. She is convinced (and I am hopeful) that we can keep this under control from the get go. I am very active in yoga, Kundalini yoga, pilates, hiking, gardening, and other sorts of hobbies, and I am determined to keep up and return to these in the fullness of time.

One of my biggest challenges is keeping my weight up and enough fluids. I may end up as one of these folks who needs to drop over for extra IV fluids from time to time.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Hi All,

I've created a google spreadsheet with a daily chemo log. Spreadsheet 1 is TC regimen but I'm hoping those of you with different regimens will pitch in and create sheets for your chemo protocols. I've tried to set it up so that anyone who follows this link can add to the spreadsheet:

I'd love to see us gather a ton of helpful info that we can look at easily and so that future ladies will be able to see what others have experienced. As we know, everyone is different, but it still helps to see what others have gone through. I know a bunch of you are just getting started this week. Prayers going up for all of you!

Kristin

Wow--great work, Klanders! Thank you! I will try to get back very soon to do some set up on a separate worksheet page for my regimen (ACx4 + Taxolx12).

Thank you!

Compos, I am having a similar experience to you...feeling okay for the first few days post chemo, then feeling flu-like and fatigued. Last night I was in bed by 7...slept great...and still had a hard time getting up and out of bed this morning to go to work! I am thinking I need to move more to combat the fatigue.

Is anybody else taking a probiotic to keep your "gut" health in check? Haven't exactly cleared this with my MO yet...bad patient!

I'm having a nice Mexican mocha now. After my dr appt I decided to feel sorry for myself at trader joes. Love that store! They were happy with my blood counts. I get that shot so that does affect it guess it's supposed to because he said I passed with flying colors. 3 people that work there including the dr asked how I was doing. Then they encourage you to go on. I couldn't have asked for a better team anywhere. I feel they are honestly watching over me. We joke around too. John said, "oh you survived my 1st chemo for you." I go, YEAH!!!! Now the 27th is my next spa day

Hello All,  add me to the May chemo crew. I am 3 weeks post op LMX,   laprascopic total Hysterectomy and port placement on 4/22. Drain came out 5/7. I am triple positive. Stage 2a 0/3 nodes this is a second primary, scans on Monday 5/18 and start TCH on 5/20  had RMX in 2010 which was ER/PR + HER - . No chemo no rad. then. No recon,  I am now even wearing sports bra no foobs until I return to work the first week in June. 

I had my MO discussion today all questions asked and answered.  I will try to get caught up on the thread. During all of this my Mom has fractured her sacrum spent a week in hospital now in nursing home,  bounced back to hospital with pneumonia and is rapidly declining with COPD and dementia. I am not coping with all these decisions and restarted antidepressant and seeing a counselor,  so add yet another weekly appt but i need it for my sanity. Trying to stay present and be kind to myself. I sum up the past 2 months as SUCKY! 

My most recent concern is returning to work and how chemo-brain will affect my critical thinking and will I be able to discern,  the stress and postop fatigue are already taking a toll.

My chemo went well yesterday. I had just a little nausea last night but the meds they sent me home with worked well. My Neulasta home delivery kit just finished and I am waiting to see if I have any bone pain from it.

I found out from my M-I-L yesterday the Great Clips will provide free head shaves for people with hair loss from chemo. http://www.greatclips.com/about-us/charities/clips-of-kindness

rosesrx - I understand. After my ultrasound in January, I was riding my bike and a person came flying around me, hit my wheel and I went over......broke my leg! Then, 5 days later, my mom, in Oregon (I am in Florida) had a major stroke - she was 96 with Dementia. I took care of her for several years and we moved her there two years ago. Anyway, I had to postpone my biopsy and travel to Oregon in a wheelchair. Was there for 10 days sitting by her bed until she passed away. We took her to Indiana to be buried next to my dad. Then, still in a walking cast and a wheelchair, came back to Florida to face the biopsy and definite diagnosis of breast cancer. BMX on April 10 and start chemo tomorrow. So, I truly understand how difficult life can be at times. I just try - try - to look ahead to the light at the end of the tunnel. We have no choice but to be strong! We are all in this together and together, we will support each other through it!

Lynn

hope all goes well for us both tomorrow mysunshine... I have had gallons of water today, hopefully I can some rest between trips to the loo tonight . Nearly time to 'git er done' and while I'm still not looking forward to it, I'm ready to get on with it.