Starting Chemo May 2016

My Son is 11 and he is my bigest supporter. He knew about diagnosis before i was able to tell it to my parents. He overheard a conversation when Doctor called me with the news but kept it a secret with us together until i felt it is time to time to my older parents.Way after surgery .I know it is hard on him and he is worrying so much especially about my hair. And one of the reasons i am doing cold caps is also for him so he is not upset that his mama has no hair somehow it is the scariest thing for him. But now he knows now all details on cold caps i do even does inet research.

happy Mother's Day everyone!

Just to add to the experience with children, my three year old son has given me extra hugs and kisses since we told him mommy has an Owie. He brings his sponge bob pillow for me to the couch, lays it down, and tells me to lie down so that my mom can massage me. My mom came to stay with me during the AC portion of my chemo. She will sit there and massage me forever until I say it's ok you can stop. The bond between a mother and her child is amazingly beautiful, both ways.

On the practical front, my first day of dose dense AC didn't go well. I felt fine after the treatment and had lunch but when I got home I was extremely tired and achy. I have not eaten anything since lunch and I had nausea. Does anyone have tips on eating?

Considering working my home today since today seems iffy. My neulasta path is scheduled to go off around 4 pm. Anyone else have a neulasta patch?

Finally I definitely feel the neuropathy. Massaging it helps.

Good luck to all of you! Hope you enjoy the weekend!

Laura

Hi Girls, just had my first treatment 4/30 T/C x 4. So from my experience it was def not what I expected. Finished chemo around 6:00 pm. on Saturday. Felt OK, had some dinner. Went to bed 9:00. Woke up at midnight drenched in sweat with a pounding headache. Felt completely off my rocker. Was pretty scared, being that I had no idea what to expect. Since most people said I wouldn't start feeling good days later. Sunday was a fog, headache, just tired and crummy. No nausea. On body Neulesta shot went off Sunday night and by Monday afternoon the back pain kicked in and by that night I could barely move. Back, legs, butt. Anything below the waste ached horribly. And I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. That lasted Tuesday, and Wednesday. Still was tired out of it. Worst part Monday I got constipated horribly. I am never constipated. Took Senikot which they said I could. Now I know to take it before chemo. Thursday started to feel better and appetite is back and today Friday. Just slightly off. But I still have lower back pain and twinges. This would have been way more doable if it wasn't for that damn shot. I give blood Monday and want to talk to my Dr. before having another. I heard some people don't get the shot? Just wanted to share my experience and hear from you girls how your doing. Plus I have 3 little ones 6,5, and 2 to chase after! I was 35 when diagnosed

Hi all -- am finally getting started on TCx4 next Tuesday May 10, using Penquin Cold Caps. Have had a really tough time navigating "the system" -- and realize that my major handicap is living in an area that isn't very progressive in terms of integrative care and cold-capping. Am very nervous about getting started-- probably still in shock, even after all this. Cold caps arrived today, though, and I have a start on my chemo kit.

Really appreciate hearing how you're all responding to your treatments. Who else is in Northern California?

Thanks,

Cat

Chris I can't eat the first few days after AC. As long as your drinking don't worry. I had some broth but not much more. I made up for it later in the week. I go for round two of AC on Monday. So far my hair hasn't fallen out. Making it to Monday seems like a reality. I really don't want to deal with it on Mothers day.

I had my first treatment of T/C yesterday and so far so good. 3 more to go then on to radiation followed by hormone. I came home with lots of supplements to help with nausea, inflammation and immune system support. I was already taking quite a few supplements before my cancer dx so I think that helped a lot along with my 3x a week workout routine. Exercise I've learned is key in this fight so if you can please incorporate it if only a 15 - 30 minute daily walk. I haven't had any major night sweats or nausea as of yet but this is just day 1 after treatment. I too have a Neulasta patch so I'm not sure what affect that will have on my body once it goes off later this evening. I'll keep you posted.

Ladies we are all Survivalists and can beat this disease if only one day at a time.

Stay positive I know it's easier said than done cause I've had my share of days but we have to encourage each other.

Z

I had the Neulasta patch also. Kind of neat but kind of creepy. At least it saved me a trip back to the Cancer Center to have the shot. Not sure if these side effects are from the chemo or the Neulasta. Hopefully they will go away once I stop these drugs and move on to the next. Another interesting SE is that I have very little, if no, sense of taste. This weekend I started getting back into the exercise routine. Was up to 2.5 miles on the treadmill so hopefully I can make it back up to that but time will tell.

Hi Girls, It's been a week since my first chemo. I am on weekly Taxol (12 weeks every Tuesday). Second chemo tomorrow.

I only had so far one bad day. First day after treatment I was taking at easy no exercise. But following day I run /walked 4 miles. Friday was so far worst day. I had a lot of lower abdominal pain that was generating toward rear and sides. I called Dr. office they said it can be no worries unless i have fever. So I did elliptical, ignored pain and went to birthday party where danced till midnight. Next day was better. I run/walked 3.5 miles. I do get tiered after it and need to rest for a while but I am happy so far i can still work out. Yes, yes I am a fitness frick. Used to go to gym 4-5 times a week but afraid of germs now. Figured i will better exercise at home or run. I am so afraid of wight gain on all these meds that it is such a force to move for me. Also I noticed it helps a lot with depression. Whenever I feel sorry for myself this week and start to cry I pull myself out of the bed and move .

I am praying it will be the same for the rest of 11 weeks, but I know people say it gets worst the more you do it. So worried about tomorrow and next week.

I also do cold capping and since hair didn't start shedding yet I guess i feel normal but I know it will be starting on day 17 and I am terrified.

Hello all! Joining in as my first chemo treatment was on May 3rd, and it has been a pretty wild ride of side effects since then.

Have triple positive BC, caught early and being treated with chemo prior to surgery. The jury is still out on what surgery... had a genetics panel done and learned that I do not carry the currently known BC mutations. However, the geneticist suggested bi lat mastectomy based on my family history. Lots of conflicting opinions on this and I have several months of chemo before the decision needs to occur. Focusing my energies elsewhere for the moment.

I went last Tuesday for the first chemo infusion of a lovely cocktail of TCHP (Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin, and Perjeta) plus all the other drugs that go along with these to lessen the side effects (e.g., Aloxi, Decadron, Benadryl), steroids for a few days after. Two days later I returned for a Neulasta injection. I didn't feel too bad for the first few days. Aching pain in my stomach, a lack of an appetite and feeling hung-over and fuzzy brained from the beginning. A few days after the Neulasta I experienced some pretty aggressive bone pain. The painful stomach, "burned" orifices, achy bones, and general malaise have followed me around for the past week. I have been taking Claritin (Advil and Tylenol) for the bone pain, Prilosec for the painful stomach, sipping water and ice chips for the burned mouth, and ever so gingerly eating soft, bland foods. Uhg. Feeling tired, but it is more from the pain and discomfort than anything else. It feels like all my nerves are on RED ALERT.

My vocal cords, throat, and tongue are sore (feels like I have a film of dead cells coating my mouth - yuck!), and clearly my tongue is swollen. It feels like every mucous membrane has been rubbed raw with sandpaper. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with this? How to speed up the healing process? I am not a patient patient!

Hi all! My first post here though I've been reading like a crazy person trying to educate myself as much as possible.

I'm triple negative (go me!) and will have the BRCA test done Friday morning. Meeting with the MO for the first time on Friday afternoon, then Mediport placement early on Monday morning. I'm homeschooling my daughter (13) and running 2 businesses from home. We're moving into slow season with both and her school is wrapping up this week so the timing is good. We also have 2 grown boys - one local and one in NY.

It's all moving so fast - I'm less than a month from finding the lump and being dx'ed - and I find myself doing a lot of nodding and agreeing which is SOOOOO not like me. I'm a researcher, questioner, and this passive thing is as shocking to me as the cancer itself. The breast doctor originally thought I was "normal" and we'd go radiation, lumpectomy and hormone treatment, knock this thing out and be done since it's early stage 1.

Lo and behold, it's not. My daughter calls it "diva cancer" since it refuses to do the acceptable thing and suddenly I'm looking at chemo which was not really in the picture during the early conversations. I'm ready for some answers and hopefully the meeting with the MO will bring them. What kind of chemo, how long, schedule, etc.

Funny how you go from "take both breasts and let's beat this thing" to "chemo, are you SERIOUS?" when reality sets in. And I hate to throw up. HATE IT WITH A FIERY PASSION so bring on the hair loss but please, no barfing.

Thanks, NJNancy. I called yesterday and someone from the office finally called me this morning to tell me that the MO had "called something in" to the pharmacy. Incredibly frustrating. Am wondering now if I should find another MO since it took them nearly a day to get back to me about having a raw and swollen tongue.

Starting chemo tomorrow - 4 rounds AC, 4 rounds Taxol, every two weeks (dose dense). Scared out of my mind. Way more worried and anxious about chemo than double mastectomy, which stems from my lifelong fear of vomiting. My Mom is coming in from out of state for my first round to take care of me, and I'm so glad. The unknown is the worst.