Starting Chemo January 2017

I sent you a friend request yesterday.

I was a survivor for thirteen years then I was diagnosed in November--spent two hellish weeks trying to get a doctor to respond. We live in a tourist area and all of our medical think they are on vacation. Finally decided to go to Moffitt in Tampa. Original biopsy thought the tumor was smallish but HER2+++ ER- PR- Had BMX on 12/07 and the mass was actually 6 cm and extensively throughout the breast and nipple. Port placement was on 12/30 and will begin six rounds of TCHP next week followed by a year of just Herceptin.

Please add me to this group. I thought I was just going to make it through without chemo, but my Oncotype DX came back at a 36. I start chemo on Wednesday, January 18. I'm going to try cold capping, so we shall see if I keep any of my hair.

MO221 I'm so sorry that you had bad side effects. I sure hope I don't. I'm really not looking forward to this.

How do I get into the Facebook group?

MO221: I have a 15 y.o. son, too. I just explained Nulasta, and I think he just about fainted!

I suppose I will find where the line is for "over sharing" to the innocent young ones. I keep some things only for my husband, other things that only ladies on this board will care about I share here.

My period came a week early, so, I wonder: w"Will I stop having periods while on chemo?

That's helpful BG46TN. I also believe I will be doing surgery after chemo so I am hoping we can get the ball rolling. A week of turnaround was about what I was hoping for so hopefully mine goes as fast as yours. I have no problem being persostrnt

I was triple negative 9 years ago. I am also Brac I positive. I also had no node involvement. I had 4 rounds of taxotere and something else. I had a mastectomy on the right side. And of course my chemo starts after my left breast mastectomy this year.Triple negative usually has a high oncotype score. But everything I read said if you made it 5 years out you were considered cured. I probably would not be facing this again if there would have been an option to take both breasts off. I found alot of survivors in the triple negative community. Hang in there!

Hi everyone, I was diagnosed on Tuesday and had ct scan on Wednesday. I'm having chemo first, followed by a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I will have my bone scan and an electrocardiogram on Monday. Then, meet with the oncologist. They want me to begin chemo the following week. So, I think I will begin chemo in January. Honestly, I am scared to death. I'm triple negative also. I'm not researching too much on triple negative. I know enough to realize it's bad. My sweet husband is being my advocate, which I truly need right now.

I wish each of you a successful, painless as possible journey and may we all live to be 100.

Oh Div, I'm so sorry for the ordeal you are going through.

well, I had my 1st chemo treatment last Thursday. It was a long treatment- 7 hours. Afterward I felt tired and had a slight headache. I felt good till Saturday, then got very tired and the nausea set in. By Sunday, I had to start taking my nausea medication. This is my second time with breast cancer, but my first experience with chemo. I watched my mother go thru it many years ago. You truly don't realize what it is like till you do it yourself. I know I have a long road ahead of me, and my emotions are up and down all the time now. I just want to say that I am thankful for everyone here and all the comfort and knowledge you provide. Let's kick this chemo together

Westthebest: I decided to go with the Penguin Cold Caps. They are going to be a major pain, but they seem to have pretty good results because of the adjustable caps. You really have to have a capping partner to run the capping all day for you. You have to get dry ice that day unless there is a biomedical freezer for cold caps at your facility. Depending on your treatment plan, they have to be changed every 25 min. from about an hour before, all during and for 4 or 5 hours after your infusion. That makes for a long day for your cap partner. Some areas of the country have access to professional cappers, but it is expensive. I will be the first to cap at my infusion center and my MO was very hesitant to support me in doing it because he's not convinced that the safety has been proven. I'm convinced that the long term use in Europe is good enough for me. If you have access to a center with a cold cap machine it's much easier. No need to get dry ice and change the caps every 25 min. Unfortunately, I live in Missouri and we are always a step or two behind! Good luck with whatever you choose. This may not work for everyone, but I'm willing to give it a try. There is a cold cap group if you haven't checked it out on here in the Managing Side effects forum - Cold Cap Users Past and Present, to save hair. They offer a lot of great advice on cold cap use.

Hello, I started the same treatment , on December 27. Next dose tomorrow morning.I received the red devil and taxol the first of December, and was hospitalized for low white count, sepsis, received 2 units of blood. God's blessing to all of us as we go through this journey.

Thanks very much Catgirl. My Onc not that keen on them, but I told him today-women are, and he has opportunity to be cutting edge. I suggested his clinic could provide a machine!

Lots of stuff for me to process.

Best to you

Westthebest: Good luck on making your decision. My Onc was not supportive until I told him I would go elsewhere. He changed his tune and said it was totally up to me. I will be the first at the center. I sure hope it works! I'm kind of obsessed with the cold capping and getting it right. It's a great distraction from thinking about any SE I will have from the chemo. Tomorrow is the big day, so I have a lot to do to get my caps ready!

For you Chemo ladies http://www.goodwishesscarves.org/

I asked for one and I got it today. I love it. I want more, maybe I will wear scarves. Also got a free wig from ACS today, love it. I have echo on Thursday, think the surgeon finally got the auth for Port. SO hopefully soon, but the way things are going I will bro be in Feb chemo

Met RO yesterday on my cat scan they found cystic type of something on left Kidney. I now have to go to a urologist.

GingerGrace: I hope you called in and got an answer!

I start my chemo today. I'm using Penguin Cold Caps, so that adds a bit more pressure. It's also a good distraction from worrying about the chemo. I'll take pictures of my hair so future patients can decide if they think it's worth the trouble. I'm the first to use these at my Cancer Center, so it will be interesting.

I hope everyone is having a good week!

Hydeparkgal, I had similar experience with TCHP. I only had it once and ended up in the hospital for five days. Started over with AC (second one tomorrow) and it was much easier to tolerate. I know my onc would have preferred me to do the TCHP for the triple positive left side, but if it kills the patient, what's the benefit? But trying to find something positive here-my tumors shrank dramatically after that one TCHP. Also, you do learn a little bit how to cope and deal with the side effects as you go along.

Hi Ladies! I was last here in Dec and thought I'd check back in. Looks like there are more of us which sucks but more support is great!

After my bilateral mastectomies Dec 7th, I had a complete lymph node dissection on 12/28. Results showed 5 additional postive nodes which put me at 7/24 nodes and stage 3. Had a CT scan last week and they saw lesions on my liver. I have another scan sat to confirm if its cancer or benign lesions. I'm hoping for the best.

The onc has changed my chemo drugs from AC and taxol to THCP since new results showed HER2 +. I am scheduled for an Echo on Feb 1st, so probably won't start chemo until the 2nd. Hope I can still hang out here. I will have a port placed next week and am bummed.

I'm slowly catching up on all the posts but hope everyone is doing as well as can be given our circumstance.