Starting chemo August 2017 - would love some moral support!

Hi Willow22,

My onc told me that the icing does not prevent from neuropathy, it can only save the nails but I was also thinking about taking with me some ice for the mouth and then some blocks and for the nails. What kind of gloves are you wearing? Plastic or cotton? I will also take some towels with me thank you for the advise. Otherwise I am very nervous, trying to pull myself together.

Cherry

Hi everyone.

Today is Day 4 after second AC. I feel ok, my biggest complaint is indigestion/heartburn. My stomach just feels off and I am very worried about constipation, even though I have been taking colace. I have been using the baking soda/salt mouthwash several times a day and so I haven't seen any sores yet, but my mouth is very sensitive.

Yesterday I was exhausted and very emotional. I don't know what is causing the emotional reaction (chemo, steroids, or just having cancer) but it has been tough. I have been walking every day (just came back from a 45 minute walk) to try to keep my body moving. I also am still trying to drink a lot of water.

I started losing my hair Day 13 after first treatment. To make it more manageable, I had a hairstylist friend come over for a "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" party. We cut my hair very short but in stages, so she got to play around with various styles (like a mohawk) that I would never actually get. The day of this last treatment, I cut it even shorter as it was beginning to come out in patches and hurt. It is basically a crew cut now and I am waiting to see what happens next.

My appetite has been good. I am craving salty things (like unhealthy pizza and burgers). I ate whatever I craved after the first treatment, so am trying to be more cautious now. I am eating a lot of toast and eggs and trying to get some vegetables in. I had been losing a lot of weight before my diagnosis so I really don't want to lose anymore.

Wishing you all strength and energy today.

Angela

Clearpath- I am now on Day 4 of Tx #1, so hoping tmrw is better. I think I freaked my husband out a little bit yesterday when I slept almost the whole day. I told him after today it would get better. I hope I'm right!

Sorry to hear about your hair. Inhad a wig fitting yesterday morning. I was hoping it would be fun, but it wasn't really. Should've taken my daughter or some girlfriends with me.

Do you have a plan for the hair?

Rebeka

Hi Willow,

I talked to another doctor and she said that they ususally observe for neuropathy and lower the dose when a patient complains about the symptoms. She also can add som B6 through the iv, I will ask about this tomorrow. And will try to get myself those mittens If not I am bringing the ice. Hugs, Cherr

Hi Ladies, I am sad to say that I am joining the group but am so thankful that it is here. I have been reading for a few weeks now. I will be starting my chemo on Aug. 24. I am BRCA2, triple positive. My anxiety is very high right now, thinking that may be because I have been through this with my mother three times (the cancer, the chemo). I am trying to stay positive since I do believe there is power in a positive mind. Want you all to know that reading your experiences makes me feel less crazy and alone,:)

Hi Kimberbir, welcome, I am sorry you have to join this community. I am new here too, starting my first infusion tomorrow. I am also triple positive, there is a great thread called Tripple positive group. You will find a lot of help and advice here, it has been a lifeline to me, I literally did not know anyone who had bc, nothing in the family, but here I am. And I am glad that I have someone to talk to, I was going crazy before I found this forum. Cherry

Hi Rebekah - yes, my plan for the hair is a Jon Renau wig I bought, also a baseball cap with hair from Headcovers, and some other hats.  I am ready, but am not happy to lose my hair - I hope it will still be brown and not gray when it returns. My wig fitting wasn't fun either - I felt rushed into making a decision, but I am happy with the final purchase anyway.  My mom came with me.  I think you will feel better in a few days - I felt much better after day 7 except for one day (day 9) when the Neulasta kicked in and I had back pain (but it was tolerable).

Hi Kimberbir - welcome - after I got my cancer diagnosis, I was tested and was unhappily surprised to find out I was BRCA1 positive (although I am not triple positive) - I know what you are going through.  A number of my relatives are now getting tested, and I will need to have some additional preventive surgeries (removal of ovaries and other healthy breast) once chemo is done.

Off for my evening walk now - good luck everyone!

Hi cherry

I was told to have Ativan for the night before infusion so it will calm me down. They gave me zofran and emend during IV infusion would be better you check with your doc. Also welcome to our group.

I could not sleep much and all this feels so awful. I will only be given cortisone 30 min before the infusion if I understood them correctly, but I will talk to them before the infusion. I was not given anything else except for Zofran and Primperan for nausea

Thank you PauletteK, I am heading to the ckinic now, I will ask them about some sleeping pills. I have an antianxiety pill, Lergigan, I am not sure the name will tell you anything, but when I take it I sleep too much, will try it today evening, Cherr

Cherry - I take Ativan it works great!

Ladies I found I became such a pickie eater now I can't take any food is dry, such as steak or even pork chop now. I need sauce or kinda wet do you have that problem??

Lcin - all of us are scared when we found out that we have cancer, this is something I didn't expert at all. But when it comes we can't stop we only can accept. I do think our attitude toward our treatment is important, my sister in law has stage IV breast cancer she is still with us after 8 years. So we can't do it. Eat as much as you can on your good days so you can gain some weight back, also I take Ativan so I can sleep at night. We do need the rest to fight this battle.

Hi, I have just posted the same text on Weekly Taxol Group.

I had my first Taxol today and it was unremarkable but I was trembling as a trapped animal in the beginning. I was given cortisone, some antihistamine and even anti-nauseous meds via iv and were surprised that my oncological nurse told me it will only be cortisone. Herceptin 5 ml, was given as an injection in my tie, very slowly and I was very scared but the nurse said: I have already given you a half of it. I did not feel much, maybe because it was a first time I do not know. Then the nurse went on describing how Taxol will be given, about a possible reaction, what is the protocol and how she will stay with us during the first 30 min. She was very kind and tactile, like rubbed my shoulder telling me how tense I was. And I said I know but I cannot control it, I try to relax and breathe and then later I feel like my body gets tense again on its own. She said, if you will feel bad and cannot breathe we will stop and I will push the button, many people will come to the room at no time, do not be afraid you are going to be fine, it does not happen often. I have to admit I was so nervous, it was good I laid down otherwise they could wipe me with the sponge. I got the ice-socks and mittens. She started and I did not feel anything, the nurse checked my blood pressure three times, it went up a little but then went down though still was higher when it was before. I got a bag of over 500 ml, and what is strange I cannot remember the exact amount stated on it. I usually remember an image, a picture, some sort of eidetic memory, I still see the picture and I sort of cannot read it, only know that the first number was 5, because I remember me thinking it was half of liter and the last two were either 24 or 42 but I am not sure. Never happened before with a memory this fresh, chemo brain already? Another thing was when I was going to the toilet (the room btw was dull, no tv, we were two patients there, I thought this clinic could have better rooms), above the toilet seat there was a sign " If doing chemo please flash twice". I asked the nurse if I even have to do it at home and she said, yes, the drug leaves the body via urine so it has the highest concentration of it and no one at home should be exposed to it this way not even through the fumes, it is very toxic. And I was just thinking, yes, here I am getting over half of liter into my system, over 8 liters in total. What a disease that we have to be treated this way. I wonder if my husband starts avoiding me.

Hi LCin312,

Welcome to this community, I am sorry you had to join it though. I know how hard it is to accept the situation, I am new here and I am still getting like less quiet nervous breakdowns like several times a day if my mind feels that there is a little energy left for those, otherwise I am just sad and trying to cope the best way I can. I did not know anyone with bc where I live and was chocked at the diagnosis because I had no family history and am still relatively young, children at home. I live in Europe, a smaller country, we do not have any communities that are that active and diversed, not of the same scale. There is so much support here and comfort, great tips, moderators are alert and posting links, not to mention it is a place to vent, something I discovered about myself after I was diagnosed is that I can be this whiny, but I am and probably even was before but not to the same extension. Well, it is all stress, and people who has been here for a long time (I am so grateful that they are still coming here to support the newbies) keep telling that it gets better. There is a great thread where stage 3 survivors have been posting for years, there are people who were diagnosed way back. I am triple positive, there is a thread called Triple Positive Group that started back in 2011, I am reading it from the beginning, interesting, have like 1000 pages ahead of me, but I am not working, am on sick leave, and have a lot of free time. I would have gone crazy without this community, but on the other hand I would have found it sooner or later, I was searching the web on bc all the time.

Cherry

Hi everyone

I started dose dense AC yesterday, was really scared. Nothing note worthy side effects wise as of yet, thank God, but I'm holding tight for the coming days. I've just taken my anti sickness this morn and am getting neulastin today! I just keep thinking, one down!!! I hope we all have safe journeys through this, without many bumps. I'm 36 and everyone in there was a lot older but it was a chatty, and happy kind of few hours with everyone just getting on with it. It wasn't half as sad as I thought it would be.

Im shaving my head today and just getting it over with. Bye bye hair, hello scarf fest!

Good luck to everyone