January 2016 Chemo!

had second infusion yesterday and my forearms are so itchy I think I might scratch the skin off! Has anyone else experienced this? I have tried over the counter and prescription itch cream and no relief. I don't know if Benadryl would help, but I'm taking clairitin to counteract neulasta and not sure if I can mix the two.

I'm sorry MissBee. That's awful. (((Hugs)))

oh yes the sore throat after my first TC was among my least favorite SEs. It did go away after about 7 or 8 days though. I didn't take any pain meds - just drank ice cold smoothies and tea with honey. Hope someone else has a better pain remedy

Gee Auntie, you look great too. You should have told her it's the steroids. People are clueless. I took steroids for months on end for lupus. A lady came into my office and told me how puffy my face was. As if I didn't know!! Ugh, people can be so insensitive.

Miss Bee! I somehow keep forgetting you went through thyroid cancer stuff too recently. Having walked that road myself (albeit a long time ago) I just want to say you are a freaking hero. The fact that you are even functioning, much less smiling and cheering on others, while they sort out your thyroid meds and you undergo chemo is incredible. I remember extreme lows soon after surgery with my emotions, weight gain and just feeling plain old exhausted down to my bones. I'm so sorry she hurt your feelings. People can just say the dumbest stuff. I am in awe of you that you'd even go out and do something social at this point with what you've been through

jensgotthis, i had somewhat issue with passing stool on my first cycle too. first few days was quite slow in that department. i tried dried prunes and ate plenty yoghurt, i think that helped after about two days. hope this helps.

sheri, i woke up with terrible sore throat and headache on my day 3 after tc as well, onco gave me Nystatin to gargle and swallow, which helped within a few hours and Celebrex for headache. hope you feel better soon.

I'm sorry you had that experience MissBee. This disease and treatment take away so much of our identities, physical and otherwise. It's not helpful when others point out something that we are already struggling with.

I hear you Myra. I am 42 years old and was at a great place in my life. I just started a new job, was planning my daughters bat mitzvah, ran a 15k when I got diagnosed. I'm so angry when I think about it.

This is my first time posting on this thread.I have been on the lumpectomy one. At first I was given the impression ( or somehow I got the impression) lol that chemo was not on the horizon. I had an appointment with RO to start radiation.Even she was surprised when she learned that I was going to see a MO. Then this past Tuesday I learned that they were considering chemo. I freaked out! Luckily I was able to get in to see my cardiologist the next day. He was a big help in calming me down. I have been seeing him for the last 10 years since my open heart surgery in January 2006. By the time I left his office, I was grounded again. lol He reassured me that my heart would be okay with chemo. He also knows the MO I had an appointment with and said he was the best and to go listen and follow his suggestions.

Friday I met with the MO.He went over the pros and cons of doing chemo, listened to my concerns,gave me some literature to read on Taxol and said it was up to me. He sent me home to decide and let him know Monday(tomorrow). Before I left I asked him," If it were your mom, daughter,...( he added wife), what would you tell them to do?" He smiled and said," Since I don't have any intentions of trying to get rid of any of those 3 in the near future, I would strongly recommend that they do the chemo."

I have decided to do the chemo.I will call his office tomorrow morning. That was the easy part. Now comes the hard part...making myself go through with it. I am SCARED! Don't ask "scared of what?" because I am not even sure. Scared of the side effects, scared of what it could do to my body at my age, etc. I have constant butterflies in my stomach when I think about it.

I need to go jump in the shower and get dressed to go to church. Thanks for "listening".

I so appreciate the chance to share this with my BC sisters. I know you all understand. The most well intentioned loved ones apologize when they hear the diagnoses and I can't help think "you're sorry?!" I know there's nothing else they can say and they mean to give comfort. We'll get through this but knowing I have a place to be myself and let go helps an awful lot. Thank you all

I find the days leading up to chemo so hard. I am start to feel normal and back to myself, and anticipating next cycle sucks!! I try to tell myself to embrace it, that it is the treatment I want, but crap, it is not easy!

Vent completed. Back to positive mode.

Smooth move is awesome!  Have had no problems thru chemo with it.  I drink it 2-3 a week and only let it seep 5-6 minutes.  I wish I would have used it for years.  I've struggled my whole life, drank lots of water and done lots of fiber.  I think it's a miracle. 

MissBee sorry about the aunt's insensitive comment. Even though we know people don't know what to say and often say hurtful things it doesn't make it easier to be on the receiving end. We are all going through enough as it is, right?

I'm joining the group of us dreading the second round of chemo. Trying to stay positive and enjoy feeling mostly normal but it is hard knowing in a couple of days I'm going to feel like total crap. For a while too. I'm having a dreadful time trying to sleep at night. I've had mild hip pain for years but since the first chemo treatment it is so much worse and I wake up every thirty min or so in pain, roll over and repeat all night long. I assume the joint/muscle pain that is a SE has made an existing problem even worse.

One foot in front of the other, one day at a time

I had my second TC infusion on Wednesday morning and can definitely say that my worst time is the Saturday through Monday afterward, and then I start to come back very slowly over the next few days/week. The cruel irony is I don't sleep well during this time - I think I must have gotten up to tinkle 5 times last night (maybe the steroids leaving the body and releasing the fluids it had been holding?). It feels like a long time since my first infusion but I'm holding onto the fact that I got through the first round and that everyone else got through too. You ladies inspire me

Hi everyone,

I've been reading your posts in an effort to be prepared for the possibility of neoadjuvant chemo and Herceptin starting in a couple of weeks. Is everyone on a three week cycle with chemo? We have a week long family vacation planned for early March, and I am hoping to make it if at all possible. It's not the number one priority, of course, but making those memories seem more important now than ever.