January 2016 Chemo!

Lovestofly thanks for the updates! I have been looking to see how just the first few days feel like.

Does anyone in here know when your taste buds start to go? I know many of us have different types of treatments. My first 4 founds are Adriamycin and Cytoxan. Anyone else on this and had taste changes yet? Feel free to respond if you have other cocktails too!

Oh, and bone scan came back clean : )

I am also joining group. This past week has been a whirlwind. I had my surgery Dec. 2. Met with the oncologist Tuesday. Having my pre-tests Friday, port placed on Monday and my first treatment Tuesday. I am doing AC+T. After he wants me to do radiation and then hormone therapy. I am dreading this so much!

Hi Ladies, I just wanted to jump in and say HI, I started Chemo on January 23, 2015 and finished on June 12, 2015. It's hard to believe that it was a year ago that I was going through all of things you ladies are currently going through. Best advice I ever received was, stay hydrated, exercise when you can, eat what you can (I loved mac & cheese, can't even look at it now but that is what worked for me at the time), listen to your body and rest when you need to and though it is hard at times, stay positive, this is just a bump in the road of life!! Big hugs to all of you.

((MissBee))

My port is less painful today, but still very tender when touched. I don't know how anyone uses it for treatment the day after insertion.

Those of you who have already started, what,if anything, did you eat before chemo. Did you eat while in the chair? Did you have to get up to use the ladies room

hi all from the sept group. Good luck to all. I drank a 32oz Gatorade or Powerade during infusion to flush out the chemo. I sucked on ice during the adriamycin push. Needless to say I will never drink Gatorade or Powerade again. I still can't look at any red drinks without thinking of adriamycin. And sometimes ice brings back chemo flashbacks.

For foods: I ate a light breakfast before chemo. During chemo I ate lunch during premeds. Dinner at nite was usually eggs. I kept a bag of animal crackers by my bedside and would eat them when I felt nauseous. The sweet mild dryness of the fracker helped better than saltines. That and ginger ale settled my tummy. You may find that eating a bit actually helps the nausea feeling. But eat small meals or snacks a few hours apart.

Water is best but try flavored waters if needed. Arizona green tea was my go to when water tasted like metal. And dried prunes helped with constipation. Eat what you can and if mac & cheese tastes good then go for it. ( it was my comfort food to make me feel better).

Looks like we are getting our ports the same day..Monday the 11th. I too am triple positive. I begin chemo on Thursday the 14th. I was diagnosed just a couple of weeks ago. Surgery will come after chemo for me.

hair loss usually starts around day 14 I've heard. I'm at day 2 and planing to buzz soon

Chemo has knocked me around and I haven't been up to posting much over the last couple of weeks. So glad to be feeling better now but treatment number 4 is next Tuesday. Dreading it but it's my last.

I'm usually at the treatment centre over lunch and they provide sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit, biscuits, cake, tea, coffee and cold drinks so I always eat during my infusion. I have had no issues with nausea but I try to snack often.

My head got very sore especially around the crown before "the fall". It even hurt against the pillow. When it was falling into my food I'd had enough and buzzed it. Was day 17 I think. You will know when the time is right for you Delight55

Wishing everyone minimal side effects. Hugs Donna.

Cathytoo this is the right place! I started chemo Wednesday, a different regimens and you, when that is common in Canada, but so far it has not been too bad. The best advice I have is to stay on top of the "as required" nausea medication, don't wait until it's necessary, take it as soon as you feel a twinge!

I just reread your post and saw that you lost your husband recently, I am so sorry, what a hard time this must be for you. The ladies here and in other parts of this forumare just wonderful.

I am finally coming out of lurking since my diagnosis in November to introduce myself.

I am scheduled to begin chemotherapy on 1/13/16 and am very anxious about the whole process and what to expect. Reading all of the hints/tips here has been wonderful for me. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone.

I am still working on my signature to make sure I have everything there and it is accurate.

Dx, 11/13/15 IDC, Left, 4.4 cm, Stage IIA, 0/9 Nodes, ER+/PR+/HER2+

Chemotherapy - 1/13/16 Carboplatin, Taxotere

Targeted Therapy - 1/13/16 Herceptin

Surgery - 12/3/15, Lymph node removal: left underarm, axillary; mastecomy, left

I had my neulasta shot yesterday and today my legs ache. I did take a warm bath which helped while I was in there. I have been in bed most of the day

I feel so lazy!

The wig is FUN! I was was going to get a fun one but ended up with a pretty one that I always try to get my normal hair to look like. No I didn't take any Claritin. I will have to check into that. Thanks

Hello ladies! Thanks for the warm welcome all.

So, here is the rundown for me on the dd AC/T protocol - sounds a lot like everyone else's…

Day of chemo pretty easy (The gong show at the dry ice place in the morning was a whole different story - nervous nelly trying to get it all right with ice blocks that don't fit her cooler!) except that I am cold capping, so I was anxious because everything has to be just so and the caps at -33 C/-34 C for my thick hair and me worrying that I might get frostbite, and that the nurses would be cranky… BUT, the nurses were lovely, the caps were freaking cold and I had to power breathe and not let the tears out for 10 mins and every 30 mins at cap-change…and the chemo was easy, and they gave me cookies and crackers and lovely mint tea. Then I went home and kept changing those caps for the next 4 hours. Thank goodness for my lovely patient husband. And I really hope it is worth it and at least a good part of my hair stays!

They had me pretty dialled in with the antinauseants, Emend and Dex before chemo, and a regular schedule, and the stemitil as needed - I did take it, twice, just as some nausea came on - usually I would have soldiered through but I heard them say loud and clear to take it ASAP.

I woke up day 2 and felt pretty good, went for a little walk with my son, played at the beach, pretty normal. Day 3, took the kids to school, went for a 7k walk, and then collapsed in bed for a 2 hour sleep. Rest of the day felt a bit foggy/groggy. Day 4, walked again but a wee bit shorter, still up the big hill, and managed to find some groceries - felt like I was in a total fog - and went and slept for 2 hours again. Had a sudden surge of energy at around 7 pm, like everything had lifted, got a bunch of stuff done, made dinner and banana bread, went to bed and bingo was awake and WIRED at 3am. ( Day 5) Must be coming off of the Dex - not a nice feeling - that too many coffees can't settle down sense. Anyhow, went back to bed after taking the kids to school. Icky feeling, mouth uncomfortable, heart racing for a few hours, now settled down.

Started neulasta day 3, took claritin with it and no bone pain at all so far. meant to take 7 days, dose is 1mg.

So far food tastes ok, have been trying to keep it on the bland and smaller portion side as advised ( except for the moroccan lentils;) ) Today toast with avocado and lots of salt and pepper was so so good!

I think tomorrow will be a better day. So surprised because last night at 7, I almost felt normal. Guess this is just phase 2.

Cold caps and goosedown;)

Had first dose of Herceptin / Perjeta / Taxol yesterday, it was a very long day, waiting between treatments for an hour to make sure there were no reactions. I think I had a panic attack at one point (labs were at 6:30a, it was already 2p and I want even half way through the second bag) but I got over it after 15 minutes or so. We left around 5pm exhausted on the 2 hour drive home, felt some funny tingling in my nose and pinky toe, but I have felt fine otherwise - no diarrhea, no nausea, no bones aching. Maybe it's too soon. Or maybe it will all hit me tomorrow. I worked all day today without any problems.

Next week will just be Taxol, so looking forward to getting in and out promptly. Although the caregivers are wonderful and fun to talk to! It's a good thing too, I'll need to visit enough in the next 5 months.