Starting Chemo May 2015

This is the wig my daughter suggested I get.

This is the wig I got....

Cat-- the stacked bob was my 2nd choice. Looks good. I was forever browsing wigs.com and they definitely had some similar to what your daughter chose. 

As soon as I get home off comes the wig and foobs. The head starts itching after about 6 -7 hrs even with a cotton liner. It is so nice to have a good hair day every day!

Hey guys, Chemo # 2 went well. I was pretty sleepy today after my shot. I also started my cycle and am bleeding extremely heavy with clots. Has anyone else had this problem with Chemo?

Thanks, I bookmarked that site tjh - they have a Canadian site! 😀. The sun hat I have provides uv protection too.

Hello again,

I haven't posted here in a while. I actually jumped the gun by posting on the May thread because my chemo didn't start until June 03. I got my port in on May 14 and am so glad now that I have it. I met a lady at my first infusion on Wednesday who had the Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) years ago when she was first diagnosed. She had infusions through her veins and had a bad burn from the Doxorubicin.

Everything went fine during my infusion and I felt good. I was a little fuzzy headed and tired on the drive home, but no other issues. I have slept great for the last 3 nights and was able to ride my bike on Thursday and work for a few hours on Thursday and Friday as I had planned. I'm on dose dense AC (with Taxol to follow) so I'm giving myself daily injections of Neupogen. I started those yesterday (Friday) and have had no side effects so far. I'm holding off on the Claritin until or if bone pain becomes an issue. I've been dealing with a little constipation, but have that under control now. I took my last prescription meds to deal with the nausea last night and have had a little bit of upset stomach and queasieness today. I'm listening to my body and eating what sounds good. Soda crackers and ginger ale have been good and I also had some yogurt and naan. I'm keeping really well hydrated by drinking 3 to 4 liters (100oz+) of non-caffeinated drinks every day.

I will follow all of your progress and maybe post on this thread occasionally as well. I wish all of you minimal SEs and a good outcome.

Helplesslyhoping and Tifree40, hope you are both feeling better soon. I had my Neulasta shot on Friday but, touch wood, so far so good.


Eaglemom, nice to hear from you...glad to hear you are one down. Hope you continue to feel well. I haven't taken Claritin yet but have it on hand just in case.


It seems today is going to be my low point, I don't feel that bad but 'off' and my spirits are lower, same happened last go round so expecting to start picking up again soon. May have something to do with watching a video a friend shared on her Facebook page about BC.... not the thing to watch just before bed....silly me.....

Take care all.

Five days after my 2nd infusion and my hair is almost all gone with just enough wisps in the front to give the appearance of some bangs under the do-rag. Am trying a cup of caffeinated tea today to give me some get-up-and-go. Nausea and Neulasta pain are under control, but my tastebuds are awful. I'll grant you that wacky tastebuds are better than having my head in the bowl. My going-out-in-public-hat is a straw fedora for which I just bought a bunch of small cancer buttons from Zazzle (Cafe Press has some, too but more $) to festoon it so that it's obvious to others why I look like I'm bald. They're cute and say things like, "My oncologist does my hair," and "One Tough Chick" with a cartoon chick wearing a pink do-rag. I also tie long scarfs around the headband to go with whatever colors I'm wearing. I still need to get my free wig from the Cancer Society styled, but $ is tight, and I think, going out to the local stores where I am known, I'd attract many more stares with a wig and make-up on!

My Medicare Advantage Plan charged me 20% of my 4 rounds of AC drugs including Neulasta which came to $2600. I was contacted by the pharmacy which provides it to my oncology practice and had to pay the pharmacy upfront. We didn't have the $. The pharmacy gave me names of organizations which help with co-pays. There was only one for which I was eligible, and I tried to apply online but couldn't do everything they needed (like uploading tax returns and SS forms) from my computer. At this point 2 mos. had already passed since my surgery and I was getting worried about having to wait even longer, so we borrowed the $ from a friend and sent it in. (Still had to wait another month to begin.) Upon returning to the co-pay organization to try and work out the application I found that they only send the money directly to the entity that has billed, so since that entity has already been paid, I'm afraid I'm out of luck. Since that time I spent an overnight in the hospital, and based on all the tests they gave me I'm assuming I've now met my deductible. Hospital will have to wait for its money, but now insurance should cover the remainder of the 12 weeks of Taxol. I chose this plan because it had the lowest out-of-pocket, and after all, I wasn't going to get sick, was I? Docs believe I have some cardiac disease, so I am going to have to get that taken care of before the year is out as the insurance will, I think, pay for everything now that deductible has been met.

Meanwhile DH continues to look for a job, and as soon as my hair grows back and I'm finished with my radiation, I shall be doing the same. Reminds me—does radiation have any effect on the hair?

surprisedat65, is there a social worker at your hospital or cancer center you could talk to about resources? I know lots of times there are local charitable organizations that can help with copays, etc. Believe me, I am the queen of resources! It can't hurt to see what your options are.

Had chemo on Thursday and my butt is still thoroughly kicked. Round #3 has by far been the worst. Ugh. Have barely left the couch the past few days...feel yucky & fatigued. I know it will start to get better in the coming days but I am so over this!!

Treatment #5. Benadryl kicking in but not knocking me out.

surprisedat65! that is a terrible thing to say, you might very well not feel terribly later at all - I just finished 4 rounds of AC and have feel better than my nurses expected - it happens!

Surprised, while I've had my share of SEs on TC, most have gotten better rather than worse through the treatment.

dunesleeper -- good luck and may your SE's be easily managed.

Tifree40 -- I'm due to start tonight or tomorrow morning. I've had some unusual spotting the last couple of days so we'll see how it goes. My MO told me that chemo usually stops menstrual cycles.

surprised -- I know that the Susan Komen website has all kinds of info for financial assistance and my friend got help from thepinkfund.org

I've been down with a cold that started Thursday and it's moved into my chest. My MO prescribed me some antibiotics so hopefully that knocks it out. I've also developed infected hang nails on both my middle fingers so my bird-flipping ability is seriously diminished and today (day 13 post TC #1) my hair started coming out. The good news is that I haven't had to pluck my chin hair in two days! Hooray for that, at least!

Howdy ladies! This is day 6 after AC2 and I'm starting to feel more energy and brain power today. Hair loss is well under way. Took a shower and pulled a handful of hair out of the drain. Going to shave it off Friday. Does the tender scalp lessen once you cut the hair super short?

Starting to get the appetite back, but still taking nausea meds.

So glad to have gotten the portable air conditioner for my bed room. The temps have been in the 80's and that is more than this chemo body can take.

The best news of all is that my son who is in the Navy in Virginia will be taking leave to see me. He arrives on the 13th. The American Red Cross was wonderful to help communicate with his ships command to get the leave arranged. If any of you have children in the military, contact the ARC to facilitate leave so they can be with you.

Here's to all of us keeping our (clean) chins up and fight this fight each day!

Stef are you on dose dense AC? On dose dense AC my urine is bright red- orange for about 2 days and then gradually gets less colourful over the next few days.

Going to see a pain specialist today about getting medical marijauna. Wish me luck. I have been having terrible pain from Neupogen and have ended up in the hospital on IV pain killers to control it. I'm now on a high dose of dilaudid, but that causes constipation and nausea so its not the best option.

Don't want to scare anyone, but check your temperature! About a week an a half ago my temp was 39 celsius (102 F) when I woke up in the morning. By the time I got to the hospital, my blood pressure had dropped to 82 over 46 and I was extremely dehydrated from sweating so much because of the fever. I spent a week in the hospital on IV fluid, antibiotics, anitvirals and everything else they could throw at me. I missed chemo last week and it is postponed until next week to give me a chance to get some strength back. I am still very week, but improving each day. I was told that it could have been much worse if I had not gotten to the hospital so quickly.

Hoping that I will be able to complete the chemo treatment - I still have 6 more cycles to go!

Just want to add, the above referenced book is available on Amazon. Also, I have been a teacher of special needs children for 25 years and have seen an increase in Autism and other developmental disabilities. I have long thought that nutrition played a part. Interesting, our society does not want to tackle the problem with nutrition as much as blame childhood immunizations, older dads, etc. THAT would really mess up the cattle industry snd the chicken farms in the US. Also, interesting to note, BGH is banned in Canada and Europe!

The same for pesticides. Europe has banned Roundup. We have all used it and it is everywhere in the US. There are groups trying to get it banned in the US, but so far, no luck. Big companies do not want to lose profits. I love our country, but have learned, and am continuing to find out more andmore, we have to do our own research and not just take for granted things are safe. Chemicals of all kinds find their way into our diet. Researchers at The Center for Disease Control, Washington, DC, have identified 148 toxic chemicals in the blood and urine of Americans of all ages.