Starting Chemo in Nov 2016

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    So, who else is still working? I've been teleworking. However, I plan on going into the office tomorrow (as it will be a very low key and unbusy day). Please share your experience with going to work on your non-chemotherapy week. Thx.

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  • BG46TN
    BG46TN Member Posts: 286
    edited November 2016

    well day 3 was pretty good for me so far, I actually got some cleaning done today...I take my Zofran like clockwork to prevent any queasiness...

    I just woke up from a nap and my body is SO achy!!

    Nfullblume I'm guessing this is what you are feeling? my neck, arms, muscles all over so achy and I took the Claritin today too! ugh...have you done anything else to help relieve it at all? And yes I have a dull headache all the time, I'm thinking from the Neulalstra also

    Im hoping I'm ok tomorrow to go to work so I don't have to take more time off

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  • pmevans50
    pmevans50 Member Posts: 54
    edited November 2016

    Sleepless - Sorry you've been having such a rough go of it. Talking to your MO is good thing, and I hope he/she can help you more.

    Nfullblume - You're right. It does feel much better, but I still keep reaching up to twirl my hair!! :-)

    amw5 - I've been working full time with this. I scheduled my chemo treatments for Thursdays hoping any major side affects would be dealt with over the weekend. I've been so very lucky with only nausea and headaches. I just made sure I didn't wait to feel nauseated this go around before I took anti-nausea meds and I'm feeling pretty good. Tired though, like taking a nap is really easy, which means I probably screwed up my sleep for tonight. Oh wait! Who am I kidding? I don't sleep well any night!! :-)

    For work, I make sure I have anti-nausea meds with me. I drink a lot of tea (regular and green tea with ginger), and I make sure breakfast is high fiber and the rest of my meals small. A coworker told me about ginger chews, so I have some of those on my desk, and I also have Gin-Gins, coffee flavored ginger chews and they're not too bad.

    I hope it goes well for you!!

    I hope everyone had a great weekend!

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  • fromtritotam
    fromtritotam Member Posts: 29
    edited November 2016

    Hi Ladies-

    Prayers and positive thoughts to those of you who are still feeling rough!

    Day 3 was not so good-all I managed to do yesterday was shower. The bone pain and fatigue were bad! Th Zofran helped with the nausea- I chased each Zofran with a miralax/tart cherry juice cocktail. Luckily, today was better and I made it out for lunch and shopping with my family. My buzzed hair clogged the shower drain this am- I have some sweet bald spots now :).

    Amw5- I am still working full time. My chemo day is Thursday and I've been able to make it the entire day in the office both fridays after treatment. I'm working from home tomorrow. I just make sure I have plenty of water, a ginger ale and some thin salted pretzels with me at work. My coworkers have been very understanding.

    On the headache front, my infusion nurse told me that cytoxan can also cause a nasty headache. They ran my infusion over an hour this time (instead of 30 min) and it seemed to help.

    I hope everyone had a great Sunday!

    Kelly

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  • natster
    natster Member Posts: 21
    edited November 2016

    Hey all. My hair is nothing short of funny. I took scissors to it this morning to get it shorter, and yes, my drain was full of it. The weather dropped here, so I've been in hats which is a good thing. Interestingly, my lack of hair doesn't freak my boys out. That was my biggest worry.

    I've felt pretty good. I have to say that day 3 was probably the worst for me, so for those of you getting over the hump hang in there. Today I got some shopping done and felt pretty normal. Hope you all have a great end to your weekend!!!

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  • Nfullblume
    Nfullblume Member Posts: 171
    edited November 2016

    I've been working full time too. I get treatments on Wednesdays. I work from home on that Wednesday-Friday. Thursday and Friday have been uneventful for me, so I probably could go in to the office and work. The worst hits Friday night and through Saturday night.

    I'm going to go in to work tomorrow and the rest of the week.

    Patty, I like the ginger chews too

    Becky, mine is normally my skull, spine, and my teeth. But then on day 4, you just have weird spots all over your body that are just sore. It's like, oh hey, this spot hurts, and so does this one. Lol. It's very random.

    Kelly, my hair has some crazy bald spots too. My brother and his wife came over today and had a good laugh at how sad my hair looks. I had to clean the shower drain as well. It's not near as sensitive now that the hairs are falling out though, so I guess that's a silver lining.

    Javamama, how are you doing? Don't you start this week?

    Gina, you still doing well?

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  • LatinMixy
    LatinMixy Member Posts: 31
    edited November 2016

    I have not worked for 2 since my mastectomy. My plans are starting to work part-time in December. I am just too tired most of the time, and my job is pretty demanding. Now that I have two chemo down and I know what to expect, I can better plan my tasks at work.

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  • SleeplessinCO
    SleeplessinCO Member Posts: 36
    edited November 2016

    Wow, after this morning's tummy trouble, I finally felt human again for the first time in 6 days! I got my table set for Thanksgiving (the only thing my sisters are letting me do - yay!) and I took a drive to see the beautiful Colorado scenery with my hubby. Finally a good day.

    I feel so lucky to work from home. I don't know how you all manage to go to work and/or watch small children while going through this. God bless you all.

    Here's to a great week for all of us!

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    Thx ladies. I'm so thankful I have such understanding colleagues.

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  • livin-on-a-prayer
    livin-on-a-prayer Member Posts: 14
    edited November 2016

    So I believe I will be joining your group of starting chemo in Nov. My onco-type score came back super high. My MO is trying to get me on the schedule to start chemo on Tues. and get my first dose intravenously, as there were no openings the following week:( I will be getting my port put in on Wed. and also am getting my hair cut short. Thanksgiving will be a little tricky probably with how I feel physically, but I am trying to stay positive and full of gratitude for my many blessings.

    I can't say I am not filled with apprehension, but reading all of what you wonderful women have shared so far regarding your personal journey has helped me prepare to start mine. I have gone wig shopping, but really am not thrilled with this aspect and may have to stay with hats and scarfs for awhile. Nothing looks quite right to me, even though my dear husband said that he thought a couple of them looked nice.

    There have been lots of tears and I am trying to lean on my faith to lead me through. One of my favorite bible verses is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

    I think being able to communicate with others that are making this same journey will help me deal with this most unexpected time of my life. The encouragement and support you have shown for each other is contagious. So thanks for letting me join the team.

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  • javamama
    javamama Member Posts: 119
    edited November 2016

    nfullblume- I'm still here. Just laying low as I heal from port implant- you know like we are part of the collective lol- and get ready for my first AC dose tomorrow. I'm a little scared. A little freaked out. Ugh

    a terry- I just got Patchett's Commonwealth. I hope it's fabulous.

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  • NextStorm
    NextStorm Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2016

    Greetings Comrades. I've been lurking on this forum for what seems like ages (since my diagnosis in August), but this is my first post. Thank you all so much for all the information you've shared here on this thread. It's been a huge help to me already.

    I don't have an exact start date for chemo yet, but I see my MO on Friday, and expect to start the treatment very soon after that (so probably still in November). I'm getting my port tomorrow afternoon, having a CT scan on Tuesday evening, seeing the MO on Friday morning, and have a haircut scheduled for Friday afternoon. This will be an eventful week!

    Hope everyone is doing as well as possible!

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  • SleeplessinCO
    SleeplessinCO Member Posts: 36
    edited November 2016

    Welcome livin-on-a-prayer. I'm sorry you have to handle so much all at once this week, especially before the holiday. We'll be here for you.

    Good luck tomorrow Javamama. Chemo day for me was actually much easier tha I expected but the anticipation was rough. Deep breaths.

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  • Pamela23
    Pamela23 Member Posts: 510
    edited November 2016

    Sleepless-I'm like you, just feeling human, had 1st tx on Wed. The drug induced haze with the stomach issues was the worst of it. Once that passed yesterday and it is just the bone pain, I feel much more able to function.

    When do I expect the first shed? I used a cold cap but am expecting the worst and hoping for the best.

    Welcome Living-on-a prayer.

    Nfullblume-you are amazing jumping back into life so quickly, what an inspiration!

    BG46TN--I was so envious of you going out after treatment but read your update. Sorry you are feeling lousy. I have felt the same way and like taking Ibuprofen over Aleve since I can redoes sooner. Good luck with the pain! Do you know how long this pain lasts?

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  • Nfullblume
    Nfullblume Member Posts: 171
    edited November 2016

    LIvingonaprayer, faith can get us through so much! You can do this!!

    Nextstorm, deep breaths, try to not think too much about the future. Live in each day and see it as success. As the other ladies said, we are here to listen. Feel free to pour it out here!

    Javamama, good luck today!

    Pamela23, thank you! if you're on the AC drugs right now, it'll start about day 14. You'll know because your scalp will get extremely tingly, like you had a ponytail in for days. Today is day 20 for me. I shaved mine down to a 2 on day 17. My head is covered in bald spots right now. Probably will be pretty much gone by the end of the week. If you have longer hair still, you may want to cut it short in advance. It's extremely messy when it starts to fall out. Hopefully the cold caps work. I'm freezing all the time, so I didn't think I could tolerate the chill! As far as the bone pain, mine sticks around for about 24 hours, then it's gone. I've been taking Claritin non stop for the last 2 weeks.


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  • BG46TN
    BG46TN Member Posts: 286
    edited November 2016

    Thanks Pamela23, yea going out was probably not a good idea LOL but live and learn :-)

    The bone pain is killing me! I had a horrible night sleeping last night, I took Claritin in the morning, and I was still in so much pain...I was up and down all night.

    This morning I woke up at 5:30, took my Claritin and Tylenol (I need to ask my MO what else I can take) then I used a heating pad on my neck and I feel much better now, I'm actually at work (I"m a teacher)

    Strange question, anyone else who is having the bone pain feel really sore where their tumor is? (if you didn't have surgery) the lump in my breast hurts SO MUCH, I have to keep a heating pad on it, and it hurts to lay on that side of my body....

    Javamama you'll do great tomorrow!! the actual chemo day was very uneventful, the "fun" begins later...just take the antinausea meds ON TIME and like clockwork!

    Welcome NextStorm and Livin-on-a-prayer!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2016

    Hello All,

    Just dropping by to say hi.

    Hope everyone is ok.

    It is Day 18 since my chemo. I feel fine except for some itchiness and mouthsores, but both seem to be subsiding now. My body seem to have responded from the 3-day Filgrastim shots given to me to stabilize my wbc. The Rbc however, is still low. Been taking iberet tabs and eating iron-rich food for it. I hope my rbc increases in time for the next chemo infusion. The antibiotic and antifungal meds seemed to have finally worked against the mouthsores or maybe it was in combination with filgrastim, which made them effective against infections. The loratidine given to me also seems to have stopped the body itchiness.

    Day 17, i started to shed some hair but not in clumps yet. I felt a tingly sensation on my scalp before the shedding began. I got a short barber's cut in anticipation for the massive hair fall.

    My next FEC infusion will be on Nov. 25. The 21-day cycle is suppose to be on the 24th but my MO's sched at the hospital falls on the 25th and she says the one day delay is acceptable, even up to a week. Any comment on this?

    I admit that i havent read much of the previous posts and i apologize if i missed a post intended for me. I was busy for the last two days attending to some personal matters. I will try to browse thru the thread as soon as possible.

    My positive thoughts and prayers are always with you ladies. Wish you all good luck and God bless.

    Gina

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  • aterry
    aterry Member Posts: 290
    edited November 2016

    It's good to hear from you Gmmiph and learn your updates on the side effects. I find it reassuring that the dr's have approaches to help with most se's.

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  • Leslie2016
    Leslie2016 Member Posts: 316
    edited November 2016

    Ok, I'm starting to worry, in reverse. lol I was told I WOULD lose all my hair 10-14 days after treatment. I'm on day 20, and I swear if I hadn't cut it all off 2 weeks ago, I would still have a full head of hair. I was so worried about it falling out...now I'm worried that it hasn't!

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  • Leslie2016
    Leslie2016 Member Posts: 316
    edited November 2016

    So I post the above and since I did the back of my head is going like mad. It feels like someone is pulling the hairs out one by one. When I rub the back of my head I get a ton of little hairs all over it. Not on top yet, but the back is definitely disappearing. Guess all I had to do was remind it that it was suppose to go.

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  • LatinMixy
    LatinMixy Member Posts: 31
    edited November 2016

    hello ladies! Is anybody struggling with constipation? The last few days have been challenging. Any tips

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    Nextstorm - Thx for chiming in. (((hugs))) This is a wonderful forum full of great ladies.

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    livin-on-a-prayer - Leaning on my faith is helping me a great deal. I hope you will continue to find comfort in your faith. This forum is full of wonderful ladies. (((hugs)))

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  • Leslie2016
    Leslie2016 Member Posts: 316
    edited November 2016

    Latinmixy, senokot laxatives and stool softeners were ok'd by my MO. They said to take something at night the FIRST DAY you can't go...don't let it go a couple of days or it's hellish to get going again. Lots of liquids.

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    BG46TN - Hi dear. Yes, I do have pain where my tumor is located (haven't had surgery yet - doing chemotherapy first). I normally ice the area (with an ice pack) and that provides me with lots of relief. I also have underarm pain (as I have lymph nodes that are affected too). I also use an ice pack under my arm (for lots of relief).

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  • SleeplessinCO
    SleeplessinCO Member Posts: 36
    edited November 2016

    latinmixy, stool softener tablets worked for me.

    Now I'm dealing with heartburn, ugh!

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    Hi Latinmixy - I make sure I stay on top of eating lots of fiber. I have not experienced any constipation. Have you added more fiber in your diet? And always stay well hydrated (lots of water).

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  • BG46TN
    BG46TN Member Posts: 286
    edited November 2016

    Sleepless I have such bad heartburn today too!!

    I'm waiting on a call back from my MO about my headaches and body pain...tylenol is doing nothing!!

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  • Nfullblume
    Nfullblume Member Posts: 171
    edited November 2016

    latinmxy, I learned from the October ladies that for every day you take anti nausea meds, you should also take miralax. That's worked well for me. I also eat steelcut oats with dried fruits and nuts for a few days after chemo, that helps too.

    Glad you're hanging in there, Gina!

    Leslie, I read that if your hair grows fast normally, then it will fall out quicker. Because the chemo meds are targeting the fast growing cells. I had my hair colored previously and my roots would grow 1.5-2 inches every 8-10 weeks. My hair grows like a weed, so I definitely expected it to go quickly.

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  • amw5
    amw5 Member Posts: 189
    edited November 2016

    Can someone please tell me which of the medications is causing lots of members here to have bone pain / muscle pain? I haven't experienced any of that.

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