Starting Chemo May 2018

Hi Hybrids! You and I are on a similar schedule for TCHP...I have my 2nd infusion Friday. Hope all goes well tomorrow!! I was told to start Claritin the day before chemo. Not sure if it makes a difference or if it just coincides with the start of my steroids and easier to remember. I had pain for about a week, too. There's no way to know if it was caused by the Neulasta or Taxotere, though, since both can cause bone pain. I took Claritin until the pain was gone just in case.

I start the Claritin the day before and take it for a week, also start drinking lots of fluids the day before and for the following week. Seems to have helped with the first treatment and i'm praying for the best for #2 next week.

Yes it will be, Inna! Can't speak specifically to AC, but I found #1 a little. . . boring. That's good!!

Thanks, Ingerp! ClareCo, let’s do it. Good luck to you

Hi InnaB. Glad your first infusion went well! The dry mouth is rough. Mine lasted about a week and a half after my first infusion and then I got some "normal" days that were wonderful. I'm in infusion today but met with my oncologist this morning. She said that sometimes the Biotene can make the dry mouth worse (who knew?) and to suck on hard candy as well as keeping well hydrated. Just thought I'd pass that along.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Hi all! Thanks for the Claritin tips. I had my 2nd TCHP infusion yesterday. Nothing but slight dizziness today. Oh, and diarrhea, but that only left two days before the 2nd infusion, so I expected it. They gave me a prescription for Lomotil, so hopefully that will help because the Imodium really wasn't doing a whole lot. I've been drinking a lot of water though, so haven't had too much dehydration. I cut my hair short a while back. It still looks normal, but it's shedding like crazy and making a mess so it's almost time to shave it off due to the annoyance factor. Plus it will probably start looking think in a day or so anyway.

I chewed on ice during Taxotere this time, and I'm rinsing with a baking soda/salt/water mix after each meal so hopefully that will help with the horrible dry mouth and messed up taste buds I had last time. Will see in a few days. I'm hoping tomorrow night/Sunday morning, I'll still feeling decent and not wanting to sleep as much as the first time. WIth my first infusion, I had surgery to repair a failed root canal from two years ago that was pretty involved (bone graft, removing/cleaning jaw bone and tips of tooth-my MO & Endodontist consulted with each other pre-surgery to find the best course of action), then had my port installed the next day and started chemo two days after the port was installed, so I'm not sure how much of my side effects were from just chemo, or from the combo of all the procedures on my body plus pain pills from the mouth surgery. I'm hoping my body was just worn down from everything combined and that's why I was so fatigued. Although, I've had a few people tell me the first infusion was hardest for them, then it got better until the 5th or 6th. Fingers crossed.

I hope everyone is doing well with their treatment and is having minimal side effects!

Hello ladies,

Jumping in from the April group. I finished DD AC a few weeks back and have started weekly Taxol. Second Taxol coming up tomorrow.

Inna B, I had really dry mouth on AC. I used to wake up multiple times at night due to this. I used Biotene mouth wash and I also got a gel that helped quite a bit. Its Oral Balance dry mouth moisturizing gel by Biotene. You can give that a try.

Best wishes to all of you lovely ladies in here

(1) Reunion weekend was super fun but super exhausting! And my hair held out just fine, although quite a bit in the drain yesterday. :-( Just one or two quick tears yesterday--not sure what I thought the timeline was going to be once it started but I guess we'll see. Next big social event is the 16th--pretty sure it'll be gone by then? Clare--no dinner on the Lawn but the upside is that we were inside with A/C and no mud. ;-)

(2) . . . and the weekend was even more exhausting because <what the hell am I thinking???> we picked up a new dog yesterday. Technically on a trial run, but our Corgi has degenerative myelopathy (ALS for doggies) and something in me wanted to bring a new dog into the family before we lose our little guy (we have a lab mix too). I went to two adoption events in Central VA last weekend with two different pups in mind, but this guy kind of grabbed my heart of the 7-8 dogs I walked/interacted with. Anyway--first night went well. Driving him home in the pouring rain yesterday (after having to carry him about 200 yards to my car) I was kind of wondering if this is the right time but we had a good first night, and he is a pretty calm, happy boy. Kinda nice it's a cool morning (I'm afraid not to take him out every time he goes to the door!), and after today I think the week will be pretty dry (and not too hot!).

(3) Sorry for all of the exclamation points. I'm a little. . . something this morning. I guess one of the good things is I've already been out for 3-4 short walks this morning. Good for me!

(4) And I gotta say the busy weekend/start to my week has meant I really haven't had time to think about SEs from #3 on Friday. None to speak of--so, good!!

(5) Happy Monday to all. Feel like I should cut down on the caffeine--enough going on and starting to write like this is a telegram <stop>

Inna--I haven't told my mom yet, but I probably will next week-ish, as the 16th gets closer (when I will see her on my way to the Pig Roast). I'll certainly let you know how it goes, but really I think I can present it in a not-terribly-big-deal way.

Re: adding a dog to the mix, definitely wait until you can commit. So many pluses but certainly some minuses as well. For a while at least you need to plan your life a bit around them. I work from home almost exclusively--not sure how this would work if I didn't. (Actually--in the good old days I had kids at home to help. :-( )

buttercup1: How are you doing? Haven’t seen posts from you recently. I now have your side effect of creepy pimples/zits all over my head. Doc says it’s folliculitis and put me on Doxycycline & said to try Tea Tree oil lotion. Chemo rash. Ugh. How long did yours last? Hope your side effects aren’t too bad right now.

Inna are you otherwise in good health? It sounds a little odd to me, but I'm only doing Taxol.

Clare--not sure if I posted here that our Corgi has degenerative myelopathy (ALS for dogs). Kind of heartbreaking, but something in me thought it might be a good idea to bring a new dog into the family before we lose him. Not sure what the timeline is--they say 6-12 months from onset of symptoms, which started around February. And just to keep bumming everyone out, he technically belonged to our youngest, who hasn't been home for two years. He'll be here for a few days in late June, and I know the contrast between the awesome, active goggy he last saw and what he's coming home to is going to hit him hard.

Anyway--no stuffiness for me, although have had the runny nose (maybe not bad during allergy season!).

We are having a *lovely* early summer week here in Central Virginia--it's been downright chilly the last couple of mornings. Hooray!!