Starting chemotherapy March 2017

same here. .5 mcg twice a day. Does wonders for me.

Tara17,

Nice to hear you are 44 too. Great coincidence.

I got the number for the physiotherapist. However I haven't made an appointment yet. I will probably do so after my third session tomorrow, when I am home and quiet for a few days. I do have symptoms like that you described and i did suspect cording, hence why the physiotherapist.

Jamaica gets in the high 90s in the days. In thw nights high 70s or low 80s. Guess it would be harder to avoid the sun, for me. Hence the nails changing in reaction to the weather. Sigh!

I noticed some darkened spots on my veins , on the hand I am getting the chemo through. Will address that tomorrow with my oncologist.

Will have an afternoon session tomorrow. But I will try and check in tomorrow night. Doing #3 of 4 sessions tomorrow . And three neulasta after. Oh Joy! Grateful for the positive effects of the shots , but hate getting them. My arm is starting to hurt already, complaining about the injections. Have my alleve , but need to get more claritin in the morning.

To all the new ladies, good luck and we are here for you. This forum will be very helpful for you.

Kimburke- Sending positive thoughts your way! I also have some darkening around my vein from my initial chemo treatment 4+ weeks ago, as well as tenderness (had my port placed after my first). I have read that taxotere can be hard on your veins, so that's what caused it in my case. It is going away (slowly).

General question- how much protein are y'all trying to include in your diet? The nurse at my chemo class told me to aim for 100g a day, which seems like a lot, but I could add an extra protein shake or two a day to get there.

Hi ladies,

A quick note. I survived session #3. As expected. First attempt at putting in IV was unsuccessful, near my wrist. So he had to insert more up in the arm where I would normally give blood for tests.
Got a little rest last night and have been up early as usual. Side effects thus far , a horrible headache which Alleve isn't helping much with, Only sleep so I was back in bed for a nap about 10am and its back again. Didnt have a headache after the first two sessions. It should not be dehydration as I have had 2 liters of water since last night up until now at 1pm and my blood pressure is not too low either.
The nurse will come about 5pm to give me the first Neulasta shot, Oh Joy! You know how much I love those shots.

Soxfan75 - I hear you on dates with hot guys. LOLOLOL ! Good to hear you are seeming to settle down now where the effects are more bearable for you. The hair will grow back and you have options , hats , chemo caps and wigs. Its small stuff. I still have a fuzz and am using chemo caps ,its too hot for wigs.

MommyErin - thanks for the positivity, it helped. I am relieved to hear the dark veins will go away. Proteins, I add a can of Pure Protein 35g to my daily smoothies. Sometimes I put chia seeds in my smoothies too. I try and have a cup of raw nuts daily. May have eggs int he am for breakfast a few times per week. and dinner is fish mainly and one night per week of hormone free chicken. it seems to be helping as I haven't lost any weight thus far, I am too small to lose any more. Started chemo at 120lbs and 5'5". Put on 4 lbs by second round and 5 lbs yesterday.

Tara17- Thanks, Seems your IV placement second try issue rubbed off on my doctor. I thought of you when he said ,oh oh, I have to put it somewhere else, it didn't go in properly. i hope they get it right the first shot for you next week. Yup, trying to stay hydrated here, especially more so since the session.

Rebamacfan123 - Oh good tip re the epsom salt. I will try that if it gets unbearable. Hey, I could do with being beautifully exfoliated too.

Tinker-bell and Lordhelpmetoo- Anti-anxiety meds can be helpful. One more thing to take, but it will relax and give you one less thing to worry about. The greatest thing is to know you need that help and address it.

And to the rest of the ladies , good luck and chin up. We all got this!

........and thats my short note. Oh Lordy , "Mi chat nuff eeh" ( translation- I chat too much)

Lordhelpmetoo- I'll be thinking about you tomorrow! Will this be your last? If so, woohoo! Oh the steroids...so helpful, but the bloating! I feel like a marshmallow bunny!

Kimburke- glad you survived #3! I've definitely gained a few pounds as well thanks to the steroids! So much for losing the last 5lbs of baby weight from my last pregnancy ;-P

Soxfan75- I totally feel you on the fog! So much is a blur now, especially the few day right after treatment. Let us know how your date goes ;-

MommyErin,

Yes today was my last treatment! So happy and thankful to God! Now just dealing with puffy eyes and cheeks. Day 4-5 seems to be my worst days so far

Tara, thank you! I'm not a vegetarian but probably heading that route. I also have lentils almost every day. I also have a morning smoothie with banana, blueberries, leafy greens, apple, and a scoop of plant based protein.

You're right about the vitamin D. I had it checked at beginning and was extremely deficient. Dr put me on 50,000 u per week for 12 weeks. It's back to normal. Now I take 2,000 per da

I am becoming a bit afraid.  I will be starting chemo in several weeks (after my last tube comes out next week and the holes finally heal up)  Can I do this?  I know I have to but can I really handle all of this?  Herceptin, Taxol........  Geez, will anyone be able to help me as I go through all of this?

Thank you Tara17,  I am banking on it!

Checking in. 4 days past my second round of TC. Having a rough time. I was in the hospital with pneumonia last week, now I'm in Neulasta hell plus even with the Dignicap my hair loss is going strong. At this rate I am at least 50% down, if it doesn't stop I don't know if I'll have any hair left for round 3 on May 9th.

They had a problem with my PICC line this week so I have a dark angry bruise on my arm too. Just feeling sorry for myself today. I can do this......but the hair, it's puttting me in such a funk that my anxiety meds can't compete.

Hugs for everybody else having a bad day

I don't use coldcap. On my #2 chemo I still have full hair ( buzz to about an inch) during that time hair fall a lot to about 10% left. I decided to shave my hair right after my #3 chemo.

It was a relief don't have to worry about it any more. I was cried at the hospital when I knew that I will loss my hair.