Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Jamie, the 'off' taste will probably last a few days (3-5), then will convert to a metallic taste. In later cycles, the tastes lasted longer. Biotene mouthwash was WONDERFUL for the bad tastes -- there were times I was awake every 30 minutes to rinse my mouth.

Good luck. I just finished my LAST one on Dec 27 and the bad taste is finally ending (*smile*).

Janet

RobynJaye, I am doing 4 cycles of AC- 3 weeks apart. I had my first treatment on Wednesday. I doing OK - a bit of nausea, no vomiting. If you don't tend to constipation, be carefull of the laxatives! I took the recommended 2 Senekot and had cramping, etc. I'm down to 1/2 of one at night only. Feel a little shaky - I think that's from the steriod they give for the nausea. I'm off those tomorrow. The treatment took about an hour once we got going and didn't hurt. A friend told me to suck on candies during the Cytoxan infusion, because it can give you a headache - that helped. I don't have a port - they don't go that way here for unless you have "crappy" veins. They got my IV in first try, so I should be OK. Good luck to you on the 25th! You'll do fine.

Hi all:
Today has not been such a good day- feeling a bit pukey, but hanging in there. I had my first ac on wed. so it's beena few days. DH took me out to get a quick bite to eat and to stop at Bath and Body Works (more yummy lotion) and the trip wiped me out! I really thought I wa going to get through this without the crud. It's kinda depressing.
Hopefully tomorrow is a better day...

tlc

TLC, I'm feeling a bit crappy after my Wed. AC as well. Felt really "off" on Friday, and just tired this weekend. Maybe days 3-5 are lay low days. It's kind of scary knowing these drugs are in my body - and what are they doing? I can see my life style has gone from go, go, go, to go, s-t-o-p, go, s-t-o-p!

Hi Lynn12, I am in there with you. Cytoxan and Taxotere. We will have to keep one another posted. have not started yet, will most likely be starting about a week from Monday.
To the ladies talking about the wigs... Also got my selected this week. Weird to sit there and do that when you have a full haed of hair, but I do agree that it looked better than my hair:)
Cheers for now....

Just ready your "hair" description and it cracked me up!! Thanks for the laugh...I just got mine cut really, really short and it's really funny looking.... hang in there!

Lynn - I am from the Nov/06 group. Don't rush on the prostesis too fast. Let your incision heal really good first else the mastectomy bra rubs along the incision. And I know what you mean by the "Softee" type of insert. I found that the "Been A Boob" is better (full of soft round pellets) as it forms around the incision and feels like holding a soft toy up against ones body and that feels good. But I also made my own insert from white fabric and guilt batting to insert inside those summer tops. So while I have 2 more treatments to go and then 6 weeks of radiation I am looking forward to summer.
Also found that the wig I bought pre-chemo fits differently after all hair disappeared. Same for all caps that I buy - I have to sew a seam in them to make them smaller. But hair will grow back. Get hair cut down to 1/4" as soon as some starts to fall out else it really is a messy "hairy" time - bathtub and pillow is always full of hair. I wore a cap to bed during that time as it was less messy on pillow.
I am Stage 3C and have gone through 3 FEC and now one Taxofere. Today I feel like a truck rolled over me but it is the pattern and it to will pass.
Ladies - this is tough believe me - but you can get through it. - Valerie

Hi Amera and all chemosisters. I'm a little shaky today. I scared I'm getting a cold. I have chronic sinustis and have been coughing up a bit. I called the nurse and she said to drink plenty of fluids and watch my temp - which is fine. I wouldn't be giving this a second thought if I wasn't on chemo. Also find I'm very weepy. Could be the steroids (finished those last night). A friend told me that when she was on steroids for Crohns, she would cry at home improvement shows - so touching when they see their new house! I think I'm going to lay low today. No nausaeu though. I guess so far so good, but what a trip!

Note to self...do not watch any home improvement shows :P

Amera

Thanks for asking Amera, I actually feeling pretty good tonight. Today was my first back to work post-chemo (day 5). I am pretty wiped out, but it's a good wiped out! I am in public affairs and really enjoy my work. My bosses are being the absolute best and have given me my orders to REST when I am tired 8-)

Hope everyone else is doing good, keep smilin'!

tlc

Friday was chemo day. Saturday I felt great. Sunday I felt pretty awful - like a terrible flu bug was challenging me and I was losing. Yesterday I felt about the same with some hip pain and a headache from the Neulasta injection. I didn't try to go to work.

But today I think is better. My stomach feels much calmer. My hips still hurt but the head is better, too. I'll rest today and try work tomorrow, I think.

I stood in my bathroom yesterday crying a little, "One is enough - I don't want to do this anymore." Today I can say "One down, 7 to go."

But I don't say that with a smile.

But I'm saying it, I haven't given up.

Hi all - I'm not feeling too bad today, but still with the thick mucous (gross I know). It doesn't realy feel like a cold - could it be from the chemo? Anyone else experience this? A storm is coming in here, so I don't think I'll be out for a couple of days. I can't shake the notion that now that I'm in the "nadir" of low WBC, I can't leave the house! Any words of wisdom? How careful do I have to be?

Hi,
Can i join you all?
I will be starting chemo on Jan 25. I will pick up my wig tomorrow. My muga scan is Friday and I will have my port put in next Friday. I have been waiting for a month since my surgery to meet my oncologist. I finally met her yesterday. Now everything is happening so fast. Yikes!

She suggested a/c every three weeks for 4 times (12 weeks total), followed by Herceptin and Taxol weekly for 12 weeks. Then radiation for 6 weeks continued with herceptin every 3 weeks for a year. That sounds like so much!! My tumor was 2 .2 cm, lumpectomy, pr+, er+ and her2+, grade 3, no nodes. I went for a second opinion at Dana Farber on Friday. A cancellation popped up at DF and I grabbed it even though it was before I met my oncologist. The oncologist there suggested the same drugs, but in a different regiment.: 4 treatments a/c 2 weeks apart, followed by taxol and herceptin, 6 treatments 2 weeks apart. My oncologist told me she would call the oncologist at Dana Farber and talk to her about the differences. I felt good that she was willing to do that. I was curious what the norm is with. Which way is more common?
Everything sounds so long and scary. My attitude so far has been positive, and I do not want to crash, but this is a lot of stuff to absorb in a short period of time. I read so much in the past month, and I kind of expected this, but to hear the oncologist tell me this info is very different from me reading and guessing what treatment I would receive and for how long. I guess the length of treatment is getting to me the most. I just hope I can get through it all.
I love this forum. Everyone has been a tremendous help , and without this support, it would be so much harder.

Hi,
I start on Jan 17. Four a/c 3 weeks apart, followed by 12 weekly taxol treatments. I had a 4 cm, grade 3, triple positive idc, no node involvement, stage 2. I can't quite grasp all this yet ... I will be bald for six months. My daughters are coming home this weekend to go wig shopping with me. How strange is this? I am going to do my best to continue working full time thru it all; we need the job and income. And the distraction will be good for me, I think. So much to learn.
Melia

Hi, Gilda,

Today is Wednesday. I worked almost all day, took two Compazines and I am hungry for the first time since Friday. I don't even have too bad of a taste in my mouth but it smells a little now when I pee. . .all in all, not as bad as I was afraid it would be. I hope everything goes well with you all.

Hugs,
Minigrace