Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!

They were going to give me a port but I really didn't want one so they said we would see how the first round went. It went fine. No port for me

Had my first TC infusion on Thursday the 3rd after port placement on the 1st and all went well. I was still on the steroids on Fri and felt okay but sat, sun and mon I was in the bed with nausea and diarrhea/tiredness and overall achy feeling. I take a zofran in the am and during the day, immodium in the morning, ativan when I go to sleep and if if gets really intense I take phenegran. I have alot of heartburn and I also had a huge reaction to the dressing on my port and have a burn type injury all over that area. I started to feel better energy wise on Tuesday (day 6) and am able to eat very bland things without too much trouble. I went back to work on Tuesday after the holiday and have been working full days since. Its not a piece of cake but I am recovering quicker than I anticipated. Good luck to everyone starting this week. A note - I was way worried about constipation as I have had a real problem with that for years due to anti depression meds but I got the opposite so don't take anything until you know which way you'll blow.

admonkey-glad to hear about your quicker recovery! My onco prescribed Prilosec for the heartburn and I had immediate relief.

Southerncharm- glad to hear you are feeling braver!

I finally got a date! I start four rounds of dose dense A/C on September 22, followed by eight rounds of dose dense Taxol. All of it is every two weeks. I should have the port installed next week, and an EKG. Five months of dose dense chemo. I really know how to throw a party

Hello beautiful ladies, feeling drowsy from decadron, no other problems yet, tomorrow is first infusion so GL to all ladies. They also told me to wash myself with antibacterian soap only so i got a big thing of Dial liquid and used that for my hair too and it feels pretty good. They also told me to wash my sheets in hot water twice for the duration of chemo (6 sessions).

Scotland I am two hours from you in beautiful SC. We should have that party when we are done. Hugs and more hugs to you

Good luck tomorrow ladies. Can I ask, what is decadron? My MO didn't mention that to me. I'm so dreading this fight, but at the same time I can't wait to get started. My surgeon called. I'll get my port on Tuesday. I hope that thing doesn't freak me out. Does it look really weird under the skin? Did you get a lot of stitches? These little details just mess with my mind. Ugh.

Flower68--I'm in South Carolina too. Really stormy right now.

fidget I am in Greenwood, moved here almost three months ago from MA

I had the port put in on Tuesday.. I really didn't want one, and I'm only doing 4 rounds, but my MO insisted on it. She was worried about blown veins.

I really hate this thing. It feels like someone punched me in the chest- hard. It feels super creepy too. Ugh

Thanks Flower68! I think I can handle that. It's just that unknown that is so scary. Whew. Think I'm good now. LOL.

Wow, from MA to Greenwood. That is a big change. I grew up here in Sumter then traveled around with my military husband for 25 years and now we are back. My 84 year old mother lives here alone so we wanted to take care of her. She is very independent and will not live with anyone so I spend most of my time taking care of her without her thinking I'm taking care of her if that makes sense. That's another reason why this cancer is just plain rotten. My daughter will help out with her grandma when I have my bad days so that will help. Anyway, thanks again for calming my nerves and good luck tomorrow.

I had my first dose Thursday Sept 10, no port, nurse blew the first arm vein and I started crying, remembering my iv Rocephalin treatments for systemic Lyme Disease during the middle of my second pregnancy, and the docs blowing 2 or 3 hand veins for every dose --- of course on my left hand which is the chemo side now (right mastectomy). But she got in on the second try. I did not ake a "cold cap" --- doc suggested skipping because of my migraine hsitory. Was supposed to get a cooling glove in hopes of reducing the chance of neuropathy, after the trouble getting into my vein, plus having to order the second drug to give first, I guess it got forgotton. Will ask for one next time.

Then they wanted to hang the Taxotere first, opposite to oncologist and all I've read, so I insisted and got theHerceptin first (after an hour wait while it was prepared). Surprisingly no symptoms from that, and a friend who works at the hopsital dropped by for a chat during the intervening saline washout. Told them I always want the Herceptin first.

Wishing I was given a port, but the practice here is ports only after periferal veins are gone The Taxoter burned my vein almost from the start, but upping the carrier saline flow rate helped --- until they let the bag run dry twice (during semi-crisi with two elderly patients in the same room) --- I'll have to learn to watch the bags myself and call for help Before they're dry After the last washout saline, no objective symptoms on my forearm; nurse said to call if anything happens.

Side effects: Two isolated sneezes during Taxotere. Mild nausea starting as I left the Infusion Center, over quickly with one Primperan pill. Exhaustion and "unsteady on my feet" not dizzy, just weak, started near the end of the Tazoter infusion and worsened at home; same for an initially mild headache that worsened especially at bedtime. Went to bed a bit early but awake now at 5:30AM, luckily headache is gone

My Dexamethasone schedule was a bit different from what people here are writing: five 1.5 mg tablets (8mg) the evening before chemo,,chemo morning, them chemo day evening.

I was given a Neulasta kit: single injection I give to muself at home between 24 and 48 hrs after then end of the infusions --- so Friday late afternoon/evening. Being a "worrier" and bearing how you ladies seem to be getting multiple injections of this white cell booster, I hope mine works for me! Also, I asked about Clarytin but nobody at Infusion Clinic ever heard of that ((Finland). Got scared and a bit confused when they said the bone pain mght not start for several days --- how does one plan anything?

Have been tanking water and hoping to flush this tiff out of my body ASAP...

Tessu my dear i feel so incredibly sorry for your experience today, will be thinking about you

Last night I woke up at midnight with the most intense bone pain imaginable. Mainly in back and hips. After writhing in pain for hours and getting zero sleep, I went to MO first thing in the morning. They ended up keeping me there all day for hydration and meds. I am feeling so defeated by this chemo. I am so sick, so so sick. I am scared of being in that pain again.

I will be starting 16 weeks of dose dense chemo the week of Sept 21. Hopefully my info shows in my signature.

Southerncharm, the waiting for scan results is ridiculously stressful. I am a high anxiety worrier and I had convinced myself my entire abdomen was full of cancer. I even felt like my abdomen was burning up and every ache and pain was magnified. After all that worrying, my pet scan came back with one spot in my nose that the ENT thinks is inflammation from allergies.

The CT scan process is pretty easy. Warning if you haven't had a ct before: If you are having it with contrast you will feel a warm flush over your entire body and may feel like you peed your pants when the flush hits.