Starting chemotherapy March 2017

AliceAgnes It's from Steroids that they give you. I just had my #11 of 12 Taxol yesterday. I have double vision really bad.. It's scary at first and I do hope it goes away after the Chemo. It's very , very frustrating I know. I will go to my eye doctor after of month off of Chemo.

Tara17

I am happy to hear that things went well for you, during and after your surgery. You sound at peace with where things are now, which is good!

I start FAC this Thursday. I bounce between thinking that I will do fine and worrying about all of the horrible things that I have heard. I think that I just need to stop thinking about it. I am making myself crazy! Thank you for your supportive words. I feel that, somehow, I will make it!

Thank you for speaking courage and strength into me today, Tara17!  After reading your message, I stopped moping around and did Pilates!  I always feel more powerful after doing Pilates, too!

I agree with you.  I just need to tune out negativity and focus on good thoughts! 

I have an "onocology massage" scheduled for later today (offered at  my treatment center).  I am also scheduled for my first acupuncture treatment on Friday--the day after my first FAC.  At first I thought that I should not have acupuncture on Friday, but the medical team thinks that it is the perfect day. It could help reduce a lot of side effects. I am willing to trust them and give it a try! I will do that twice per week for the next 5 weeks.

I will keep you all posted on how things go with FAC on Thursday!

Tara17 - I am so happy to hear that you have gotten through your surgery and that you're in a good place mentally. There's something about being on the other side of surgery that makes you feel somewhat liberated. I'm glad they were able to put some saline in your expanders. That really helps to reduce the shock. The way you handled the days before your surgery is really inspiring, and I hope that anyone facing surgery will take note of some of the things you did to get through it. Sending positive vibes for a speedy recovery.

Scrafgal - Tara17 is right. Every step in the journey brings with it fears of the unknown. It's just a new set of challenges, but you are strong and you will overcome them. Remember that no matter how bad things get, it's all just temporary. If things get too hard, don't be afraid to lean on all of the friends and family that have offered their support. Good luck on your first FAC!

I'll be getting my 5th TCHP on Thursday and with that will be 7 hours of cold capping. I dread that more than the chemo drip. I just keep having to tell myself that it's working so it's worth it.

So most of you know that I've been lucky enough with my side effects that I've been able to continue running and weight training, and I am so grateful for that. Well, I've decided to set a goal for myself (with doctor's approval, of course). I plan on doing a Tough Mudder Half in August. If all goes well, I should be just starting radiation by then so hopefully that won't interfere with anything. I'm excited but nervous about whether I'll be able to do it. Fingers crossed that everything keeps going smoothly!

Welcome back MommyErin! It's so good to hear from you! I hope there are no new side effects with my next round too. My latest SE that seemed to come out of nowhere is random nosebleeds. You're on the same regimen that I am - have you had that problem? I'm glad to hear you're keeping up with exercise too. I've been told it's good for those of us on Herceptin. I just had my echocardiogram this morning to check my LVEF. Hopefully, it hasn't dropped too much. I'm so afraid that my LVEF will drop too low and they'll stop the Herceptin. As for radiation, I don't have my plan yet, but I'm sure we'll discuss it soon.

I'm sure you've already thought of most of the questions for the PS. You'll probably discuss how big you want to go and what's realistic for your frame, as well as how many fills it will take to get to your desired size. They can probably give you an estimate as to how long between surgery and your first fill. I do think some of the questions really depend on what option you choose: skin sparing or regular mx. If you go with skin sparing and you want to make any adjustments (ie - nipple location), now might be the time to ask about that. You can ask the PS about the skin's reaction to radiation with a skin sparing v. regular mx also. And definitely ask to look at pictures!

Good luck tomorrow! xoxo

Tara17 - Not amazing. Just lucky my SE's have been mild. Thanks for the tip on the saline spray. My MO suggested that today too. I didn't have that issue with tissue expanders at first but there was a point when it was uncomfortable. Once you start getting fills and the tissues expander inflate, you'll find that it gets far more comfortable. After each fill prepare to feel pressure for at least 24 hours. It will feel really tight, probably like it does now.

I had a minor setback today before chemo. I have a round hole about a 1/4 inch in diameter on the skin sparing side where it was scraped too thin. It hasn't healed up and I'm four months out of surgery. It started oozing slightly over the last couple of weeks so I mentioned it to my MO. They mentioned it to my PS who's in the same hospital and had me go up thereimmediately so she could take a look. She ended up taking out some of the saline on that side so it wouldn't stretch the skin so much and now I'm really lopsided. I have 450ccs on one side and only 210 on the other. Just in time for bikini season. Anyway, she stitched it up and said she'll fill it again when it's had a chance to heal and after my last chemo infusion on July 6th. I'm so disappointed but I know it was the right thing to do. It's always something...

Soxfan75, Tara17, MommyErin, AliceAgnes and all,

I am MUCH better now.  I actually was going to post something tomorrow, since my sister will be leaving town and I will have time to settle down more. My sister (who live in another city, really far away) has been with me since the night before my first FAC infusion on June 15th.  She was planning to just stay a few days, but when she saw how ill I had become, she decided to stay until tomorrow (10 days).  She will come back before my next infusion on July 6 and stay another 10 days.  She will be with me for each of the four infusions. She teaches, so at least she is flexible in the summer. 

For the past four days, I've been eating pretty well, even though I am still fatigued.  Two days after my infusion, after the steroid wore off, I became so nauseated and ill that I couldn't keep food/drink down.  Saturday night I went to the ER, after speaking with the oncologist on call. He wanted to be sure that I was not becoming dehydrated. They kept me overnight and hydrated me (IV), released me on Sunday morning, and things started to turn around by Monday morning.  It was an awful experience.  The Zophran was not working for the 12 hours recommended, so they told me to start taking it every 8 hours for the first three days after the infusion.  I have no idea about whether the Compazine worked for "breakthough nausea" because by the time I realized it, well, it was too late.  I lost the contents of my stomach along with the Compazine pill!

I am grateful that my stomach has settled.  I feel that I can return to Pilates and Tai Chi this week.  I am dreading my next chemo (on ,u birthday, can you believe it?!?!?), but I need to have faith that it won't be as bad.  At least I know that it will get better after 4-5 days.  Not knowing if my misery would end was really torturous! 

Soxfan, I have not been cold capping and currently I am sporting a kiwifruit level on hair on my scalp! I cried when I lost my hair, even though I didn't really try to save it. It was so distressing for me, and I didn't think that it would be as hard as it was to lose it!  I know how you feel about wanting to control SOMETHING.  I haven't figured it out yet. However, I am starting to think that the only thing that I can control is how I respond to all of the craziness that this disease creates. I am trying to find something to be grateful for EVERY DAY, in the midst of this ordeal.  Just a few days ago, I was simply grateful to have two eggs and a side of grits (and to be able to taste it almost normally)--the first real breakfast that I had been able to eat in a week!  It was all that I had prayed for only days earlier--to be delivered from my misery. I hope that things turn out okay with your hair after working so hard at keeping it. Keep us posted and vent here all that you please!

Tara17...Those tissue expanders are something else!!!  It only started to hurt less once I was cleared to do Pilates, again, after the surgery.  The post-surgical exercises were not providing enough stretching tension for me because I was used to working out harder. Also, my PS told me that because I work out regularly, my pec muscles were stronger than average, especially for a 50 year old. Usually being in shape is a good thing.  However, with tissue expanders, tight/firm pecs means more post-surgical pain. At this point (my surgery was in Feb), I am aware that it is there but it is not painful.  As long as I work out, things seem fine. When I was down after this FAC, I didn't do Pilates and it feels a little bit tighter there. I will work that kink out tomorrow!. Hopefully, you are not in too much pain.

Thank you, all, for sending hugs, prayers and messages to me over the past week or so.  It's been the toughest of all of my weeks on chemo, since MARCH!

Hello, all. As far as I'm concerned, anyone who wants to rant, rant away. This is a safe place to do it. I am simultaneously losing dark hair in the back while growing new white peach fuzz on top. It looks pretty clear that white hair will replace the dark hair I once had but I am the right age for that, anyway, and I finally get to catch up with my older sister. White hair at a certain age runs in the family.

I am really down for the count with my 5th TCHP, too, but my doctor told me I'd probably be taking more naps with the 5th and 6th treatments and I certainly am. I also find myself running short of breath doing ordinary tasks, but I have been told that's normal, too.

The good thing is that all the rest and the caution with diet and meds seems to be keeping nausea controlled. I had noticed a pattern that always on the Sunday-Monday immediately following a Monday infusion, I got sick. I was told to take a prochloroperazine tablet every Sunday night before bed and then one when I got up in the morning on Monday. I did this today and it kept the worst of the worst at bay.

No food tastes good to me now, but I seem to manage the best with soup and crackers.

I just try to keep my eyes on the prize--one more chemo after this and that part of recovery is over!

Thanks, everyone, for sharing what you are going through. My misery loves your company...it's better to hang together than hang separately... etc. etc.

Hello everyone,

I'm catching up on all of your postings and good to see how you are all doing. I just completed by 2nd/3 treatment Tuesday of FEC (fluorouracil, epirubicin cyclophosphamide). That will be followed by 3 treatments of docetaxel (Taxotere). Whew - it has been a ride. The first tx was very challenging for me. Although there's still been nausea in the 2nd tx, they added some meds so it was bad but not as bad. The nurse told me on the first tx that I would be sensitive to nausea as I actually reacted during the infusion.

On another note, I'm having this very weird reaction right now - my upper spine near neck feels warm and sore. could this at all be related to the neulasta shot I got on Thursday morning? I will be having neulasta shots after each tx. No reactions from the first. This is such a strange feeling. I will take my temp, and if no temp and still tomorrow will take a reactine. Any feedback?

In terms of the hair, that's a story for another day. It was shaved Monday when it had really started falling out so much over the weekend. I have a full wig, a half wig (that I wear under a cap or bandana), and a wonderful woman I was connected to (by a friend), who is a survivor (across the country from me) mailed me the bandanas she used during her tx two years ago so I feel they are 'good luck' in a way.

Nighty night ladies, and looking forward to reading your replies!

Limonia,