Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Hi all- I haven't written for awhile. For those ladies going on Herceptin, I have a friend on it, as well as a lady I met yesterday and the cancer center - they both said that the Herceptin is a walk in the park compared to FEC/AC etc. No noticable side effects, although it can cause hear damage, which is monitored. Their hair is growing back while on the Herceptin and the transfusion takes about 1/2 hour.

Hi Ladies,

As always, it uplifts me to read everyone's posts, thanks so much for sharing!

Rita, good luck tomorrow with your #2 tx. We'll be thinking of you.

RobinJaye, how did it go today? Did your daughter go to tx with you? Let us know.

Terry and Tae, I'm on TC which includes Taxotere. It is not exactly like Taxol, but is a taxane like taxol and I believe has similar side effects. I do some bone and joint pain, but it is definitly managable with Aleve or Ibuprofin, no prescriptions needed. Also, for me, it doesn't occur all the time, started about a week after 1st chemo and lasted about a week. I had #2 tx last week and only have mild bone pain and will take Aleve if it gets worse (I do not get any shots like Neulasta). Tae, hope you are feeling better!

Robertin, I think that is a great idea to do a Caring Bridge website. I haven't looked into it yet, but liked the part about sending the site to loved ones so they can check up on me without calling. Everyone is so wonderful and caring, but I've gotten to the point where I don't want to answer the phone.

Amera, I'm going to go online to Sephora and look up the eyebrow stencils, great idea!

Mizsissy, so glad you are feeling better and just think you only have to deal with that nurse 2 more times!

Wow, interesting the different times it takes for chemo treatments. I got to Onc office at 8am, got blood drawn, saw Onc at 8:20, then to chemo at 8:45, left at 12:30. Both the Cytoxan and Taxotere take a while to infuse.

As for support groups, all you wonderful women are my support group. I can honestly say that this has become a very important part of each and every day for me. I have no intestest in hearing about recurrence right now.

As for me, I've been getting nose bleeds for the past 2 days and they have been getting harder and harder to stop. This morning it took about a half hour to stop, so I called Onc. He had me come in to get a blood count on my platelets and they are fine. So saline nose drops 4 times per day and hopefully I'll manage not to bump my nose too much, it's so fragile that the tiniest bump will start it bleeding. After I left the Onc, me and my tissues went to the mall shopping, had a lovely time!

Guess I got carried away with my message, sorry it's so long! Have a great evening everyone. I'm a survivor fan (have been since the beginning), so will be watching that tonight.

Lynn

I'm going to have to bitch for a second.

My stubble is falling out and I'm now definitely "that cancer chick".

Grumble.

And it's not even having the good grace to fall out all at once, oh no, it's just semi hanging around to piss me off.

Sorry, I'm grumbly and tired today. And darnit, my head is COLD!

Sorry Lynn, I didn't mean to imply you are doing something wrong. Im trying to be a compliant patient. Yet I feel like I - like you - am capable of deciding when I should or shouldn't take an OTC. I have to say the my first period after starting chemo was a killer. First time in 20 years I didn't take ibprofen for cramps. I have talked to others who get to take OTC. I guess I will reevaluate this when my next period comes.

Vicky

Hey guys, session two is not nearly as easy as session one. I woke up this morning tired and dizzy and nauseated. I tried to get ready for work, but simply couldn't. My daughter told me that I should listen to my body more and not push it so hard, so I listened and stayed home. I had appointments with two students, but cancelled. Wow, that was an eye opener. I slept a lot, and just vegetated. Tried to do some work, but my mind wasn't in it. I'll try again tomorrow. Oh, and I wore a black dress today, and as I was sitting behind my laptop I rubbed my head (seems to be a favorite way of stimulating the thinking lately), and all these short gray hairs fell in my lap. The shedding has started. Now it's for real. At least today I truly felt that the chemo was working.

Hi ladies! I am off today for #2. I am not nearly as anxious about the actual procedure as I was last time so I'm hoping that I have less nausea and side affects. I hate being puny!!!!

EVeryone have a good weekend and I'll check back in as soon as I feel like looking at the computer screen. Thanks Lynn for your encouragement. I hope I do as well as you have done!

Rita

Hi Lynn,

I've been taking Darvocet on and off without any feeling of need to "continue"....it's very effective for pain and it also is a mood lifter... I think it would be very hard to get addicted, unless you took more than one a day everyday for a while.

However I had to take *another* one last night because I had such a raging kidney infection I was spending more time in the bathroom than in bed. It did take the edge off enough for me to sleep six hours. Today I have the unhappy task of contacting the Nurse from H**l to get some medication for this kidney infection. It's my third in two weeks, and I'm allergic to most antibiotics...

Good luck to everyone who is starting or just started a new cycle--Rita, Vicky, Robertin. Those second cycles seem a little tougher!!! I'll start my 3rd on Monday if I can get this infection cleared.

Rebecca, Lucky You, a daughter in gymnastics! Will you have a hotel in Ohio? A room and a bed nearby might make you feel a little less anxious.

Love to all,

Mizsissy

Aladora - on the stubble - that is EXACTLY how I feel. It is so annoying.

Good Luck today Rita and Jan. We hope to hear from you soon.
Mizsissy and Amera,
I hope you feel better quick!
I am off to my asthma doc for a check up. I think I might have a sinus infection. Talk to you soon, ilene

Jan:

Good luck with your FEC, I just finished #3 on Monday, not too bad this time. I'm finding the ginger snaps my sister makes for me really help with my nausea.

Rita: Good luck with #2

Aladora, I'm out of Calgary, if you need a Canadian bud.

Going out to get another wig today...decided I want a red one...have a candle party to go to on Sunday with a bunch of girlfriends, and I want to make an impact...hahaha.


Warming up here...we have a chinook going through!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Cheers...Joni

I hear you. Most of the time I'm still shocked when I look in the mirror, seems as though I forget that I don't have hair sometimes. You go through your entire life looking in the mirror and seeing one thing, now all within a couple weeks, it all changes.

Another thing is when I'm sitting up in bed watching tv and I turn my head, I keep thinking my ear is hot, but it turns out it's my bald head is heating up the pillow, never used to do that with hair!

Mel, I think you hit the nail on the head. I am having a really hard time with the hair loss. I can glam it up and look okay in scarves and hats, but I hate that I even have to think about it. I am not one to usually wear much makeup or even dry my hair before I leave the house. Now I feel like I have to really put in some effort to distract from the fact that I am bald. I do not like being this focused on looks.

I am also having a terrible time with dry skin. No matter how much cream I put on my face, the makeup cakes up. And did I mention my facial hair has decided to grow faster and darker rather than do the proper thing and fall out? I am now sporting a mustache. I look like a drag queen.

I fear I will become a recluse if I cannot get over this.

Amera--having a really ugly day

Hi,
My asthma doc said I am fine. She said to use either vaseline or saline in my nose to keep it moist since we also lose the little hairs that are inside our noses.
I have let my husband see me bald. He was gone the week before I had my friend shave it. I was going to wait until he came home but it hurt so much I couldn't. I don't really feel comfortable seeing it myself! It really stinks. I never used to wear earrings before,or much makeup, now I feel like I need to wear them to feel like a woman. I think that is part of the problem, no boob, no hair = feeling like a man!