Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- May 2017

Rdsm-- we are on almost the same schedule. My second treatment is on Tuesday afternoon and I am also cold capping. I have had a lot of shedding for the past two days as well. I am eating a hat every day -- I started that as woods as I started chemo so I wouldn't be overly anxious about how much hair I had or how it looked on any given day. My cold capping goal is to speed up regrowth so that I can look back to normal sooner. I have a very public job so looking different than usual is a challenge. I do have a wig and I have practiced wearing it once or twice. But even though I look more like myself in the wig than in my hats, i feel less like myself in it. I have a bunch of very public events coming up in July and August so maybe I will wear it for those.

I hope everything goes well for you on Monday.

laurieellen!

Thank you so much. I went with my mom to all of her chemo appointments, radiation appointments and cyberknife appointments I watched her die of lung cancer. But by the time they caught hers it had spread too far. I had one person on here private message me and she has me scared so bad that I'm questioning going through with chemo. But my mom had high aggressively chemo s didn't get sick once sick very tired. She passed away 14 years ago.

BUt this private message left me questioning myself and getting chemo.

Thank you for everything.

Mom Angel, I also watched my mother die of lung cancer, I know all those thoughts and memories well. Good luck and tell your MO your concerns. They really do understand these types of fears. I know logically it is a different type of cancer, that is was long ago and there are more advances. It didn't change my fears. My oncologist is treating my cancer even more aggressively that he would have otherwise, and that makes me feel a bit better about it.

I start TC on Wednesday June 7th. I'm terrified. I have high anxieties and they act up when I'm vomiting or nuasous. That's what I'm afraid of. My hair yes it'll upset me when it falls out but it'll grow back, I can handle being tired and sleep a lot . Vomiting and being nauseous I can't handle it.

Momangel- echoing rdsm above you can do this. I was fearful too. I just had my second treatment this past Wed. and I've been managing the nausea with the meds. Day of chemo nurses gave me aloxi which is supposed to last five days for nausea. But then I also got a three day Emend pack for nausea and compazine and zofran. I've taken the emend day of and for the two days after and the compazine every eight hours to stay ahead of it. Can't take the zofran until five days after as they said it will counter effect the aloxi. By day five after first treatment I didn't need the zofran and I was fine. Nausea lasted only four days after first treetment so hoping it stays same with this one and I'll have one more day. Eating does help but I've only been able to stomach toast or bagels or crackers. Carbs have been my friend. Then after five days I felt very good for two weeks. With all the meds there is no need to vomit or suffer. Stay ahead of it and take whatever they give you. Best of luck!

Welcome Tassie! We are on very similar Dx. Though mine was a recurrance after mastectomy for DCIS with micro invasion, I also had DCIS with 2- 1 cm IDC tumors. Seems they are treating more first occurrences with chemo now. This weekend is so much better than last weekend! I am looking forward to 2 good weeks before getting hit again!

Mom angel- I understand your fear and I was right there where you are. The unexpected is the worst! I get very nauseous after surgery so I was worried about that too. Thankfully, I did fine. Some things that helped me were drinking green tea with fresh ginger, eating something small every 2 hours, and ginger candy was great! Will say a prayer for you on Monday!

Has anyone used self-tanning creams or had a spray tan while doing chemo? I think a bit of color on my legs and arms might make me look less "sickly." But I don't know if there is anything risky about doing this right now. I would appreciate any advice.

hallsnj5 thank you. Are you on the same regimen Taxotere and Cytoxan? I'm sorry about your hair, but look at it this way now your hair can grow back and you'll be a brand new healthy you!

Laurileellenb---I had #2 yesterday and, I too, felt anxiety ahead of time. I think our bodies now know to brace themselves for an assault. And the hair loss is shockingly traumatic. We just have to acknowledge that and then make a plan for how we are going to deal with it. I've decided on a wig to work and a cute soft set of caps at home. And I've been doing that for the last week. Getting used to it and finding our how relatively easy it is to cope with both wig and hat has made a difference in my mood. But I still need to cry a little every day!

I will be sending you good thoughts. My #2 went very well yesterday and I hope yours does too.

Thanks RDSM-- I bit the bullet and just used the stuff I typically use at home on just my lower legs. If I don't have a reaction, I'll consider a professional spray tan for a better look. Although, now that I have decided to wear a wig to work and when out of the house, I may look so healthy and pretty I won't feel as though I need this boost!

Hi Ladies! I had my second infusion yesterday one week late due to the CT scan I had to have last week. It went ok and I still used the cold capper though I've lost a significant amount of hair in the past 2 weeks. I've been just buying cute pre-tied head gears and scarves, sleep caps and things like that and getting used to wearing them at home and outside, took some courage to wear them to work. I've always had very long, thick, curly hair. But seeing some ladies at the hospital and here on this board, and how great they are coping with it and how beautiful they look, have definitely helped me deal with mine. I cried once when my long hair started falling out in big chunks. I could see through my scalp in the mirror and I thought it made me look 20 years older. But I have accepted it and I'm actually having some fun shopping online and trying out some new look, it keeps my mind off other stuff. I'm also planning to get some wigs from charity organizations or doctor's prescription as well. I also have been learning how to tie fashionable headwraps using regular square and rectangular scarves on YouTube tutorials. As far as taking supplements or using sprays, I'm going to hold off until I finish all my infusion schedules as I have been advised by my doctor and nurse. My only fear is the permanent hair loss that may happen to 10% of women. I still have my eyebrows and eye lashes and other hair in my body but I read they could come off much later. I do have permanently tattooed eyebrows but I'm getting a bunch of false lashes ready. I found out about Sephora's free make-up seminar for women going through chemo too, I had to cancel it once because I was feeling too weak that day but I plan to attend one day. I'm taking it easy at home today with Neulasta on my tummy again with the flashing green light. Started taking Claritin 2 days ago to avoid the excruciating back bone pain I suffered from last time. Hopefully it works. Otherwise I just feel weak and light-headed today. I plan to go back to work tomorrow.

Irwells50 - Thanks for sharing. It's so helpful to hear from others in similar circumstances.
Most of my hair loss has been in the past two days. Prior to that, it was only thinning and barely noticeable. Now I'm all but bald in the front and on the top of my head. For some reason, the hair on the back of my head has only thinned so far. I had not been wearing any caps or scarves in the house, but I think I'm going to start (especially since I'm cutting off the rest of the hair later today). I think I'll take GingerA's advice and check out some YouTube videos - I'm a novice at tying scarves.

While reading your post, I'm reminded how blessed I am to have a really fine breast cancer treatment center only 10 minutes from home. It means that my support network of friends and family are always close at hand. I'll be sending healing thoughts and prayers your way on Friday.

Sure is good to hear how everyone is doing. I had my 2nd infusion today. I went much faster than the first. I was done 2 hours earlier, that was nice . I didn't have very many side effects last time either. A bit of queezy feeling but went away when I stopped talking. Lol. No stomach issues except 1 day I had a few cramps but they went away and didn't come back. My tongue was numb and my mouth tingled I wasn't hungry at all for about a week when the bone pain came from the neulesta. That hurt bad. I eventually after all day suffering took a 600mg Motrin and Laid in my recliner with a vibrating heating pad anxious the pain subsided. The next day I took a motron at the first incling of pain I did take the Claritin starting the day after it activated for about a week. I took the ready tab version. Thus time my nurse said to take Claritin today, so I did.

I will update you guys about these side effects. I fasted for 5 days before. I hope it helps. I expect the neulesta pain, however.

I hope everyone gets through this with the least SE and we will move forward. Just a bump in the road in this game called life. Builds character

Rukoni, Thanks for the update.  I am learning from you.  Will ask for a Xanax scrip in case I need it. In what area(s) of your body was your bone pain? Was the massage really helpful or would a rather heating pad do about as well?

JuliaJazz: The bone pain seemed to be more focused on my hips/lower-back, ribcage, and a little bit in my sternum. I think that the lower-back area was the worst. I didn't receive a massage, aside from rubbing my own back, but the heating pad seemed to help a little bit. Carmstr835 mentioned a vibrating heating pad, so I may look into one of those. Today, I'm feeling much better again. My throat is still sore and my head is a little achey, but it's manageable. This is good, because we have a beer festival that we're attending tomorrow. I am still planning to wear a mask, since there will be a lot of people.

Is anyone planning to use Nioxin for hair regrowth? I've seen it mentioned on a board before. Right now, the scalp recovery sounds nice, because mine definitely itches.