July 2020 chemo club

hello Star 🌟!!! Welcome to the club. I was very nervous about my port...but now that it’s done, I love having it. It makes blood draw and infusions a breeze! It was a very easy surgery and I had hardly no pain at all.

I go in for my second infusion Tuesday...TCHP. Tomorrow is the day to catch up on grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions, laundry....I have a cleaning lady that comes Wednesday after my infusion while I walk my dogs so I don’t have to worry about cleaning a ton...it’s very nice.

My hair is falling out, it’s so thin! I’ve been using the lint roller a lot, as hair falls out throughout the day and sticks in the neck of my shirt...making it really poky! The lint roller really helps! My head is gross, scaly, and bumpy...like the rashy pimply bumps on my face...which is a side effect I’ve read. I hope it goes away.

I had a nice weekend, and felt great. It was nice to feel a bit normal for a few days before going back for chemo. My tastebuds finally came back. It’s true they say you just get to feeling normal then it’s time to go back in again.

Iamloved, hopefully the naturopathic doctor will have helpful suggestions for you.

AnnaTheBrave, how are your right foot and toes today?

Stardeweye,welcome and best wishes as you get the port today and your first infusion tomorrow.

Mtspacekace, glad to read you had a nice weekend and felt great.

Kukalona, thank you. Yes, I am doing well except for a mildly painful face rash that started yesterday. It's on my neck, too. It's not itchy; just the entire face is tender to touch.

Kukalona, regarding your experience with the injection... I took a Claritin the night before the injection and another Claritin two hours before the injection, as instructed by the pharmacist, and it seems to have been effective. I hope you are feeling well now.

Thank you for the warm welcome! I'm at the hospital now waiting for registration.

Kukalona, my doctor recommended the OPI brand nail envy strengthener. I ended up having to go to Sally's to get some. It was around $18 I think. As I haven't started I can't speak to it's effectiveness but I thought it worth mentioning.

Smichaels, fantastic chemo response. Really happy for you. My nurse said the lump might start swelling before shrinking. I am praying to see some difference after this round. Maybe I am just too anxious? My oncologist doesn’t suggest a scan until 8 weeks after chemo start.

Getting better sleep after speaking to the physiologist who gave me more assurance.

Hope everyone have a nice day!

I tried my wigs on today...because my hair is shedding horribly. It’s so patchy, and my scalp is dry and flaky. The sticky lint roller is really helping tho! I ordered 3 cheaper wigs from a Facebook page my friend recommended. The 1st is kind of what my natural hair looks like. The othe 2 are fun wigs... I figured that now is the time to have a good excuse to have some fun hairstyles I could never have with my real hair! I got some fun turbans from amazon too. Tomorrow I go for infusion 2, so I had a mani/pedi today...I decided to not fill my acrylics and just get a shellac mani/pedi. So far they looked great under the shellac they took off. My cuticles have gotten really dry, and I got some cuticle oil I use a few times a day. No neuropathy so far. My infusion nurse said that the studies have shown that icing doesn’t really help, so I’m not...so far, so good I guess. I’m just hoping that everything goes good and I can keep the nasty side effects at bay. It’s nice to kind of know what to expect this time.

I hope everyone has a fabulous week! Sending prayers for you all!

Stardewyeye, thinking about you as you go for your first infusion today.

Mtspacekace, the wigs look lovely.

Evergreenman, glad to read that your sleep is better.

Smichaels11, that's great you can't feel the lump!

BlusteryDay, that's such a long commute! I hope someone is with you to keep you company and/or you have great music.

Mtspacekace, hottie alert!!! Loving those wigs on you (especially the purple!) I am starting to feel more confident wearing headwraps when going to the store and being outside. Dressing them up with makeup and dangly earrings helps me feel more put together. Not to mention its been so stinking hot. I am hoping the mangy fuzz would just fall out already! I'd like to rock a clean look around the house, but so far I still have that monk look going on that my little guy loves to giggle about. I begged my SO to clean shave it for me but he refuses. He is afraid of nicking me and causing an infection, which I totally understand. Womp womp.

I am feeling shitty again today and a bit more emotional for some reason. I think I'm hangry, lol. Food tastes... wrong... even though I'm SO hungry. I've tried the salt and baking soda mouthrinse but nothing is really working. I even tried a 50/50 mix of liquid maalox and children's benadryl but all it did was numb my tongue. Any tips to get the taste buds back to semi normal?

I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon tomorrow. I'm hopeful she can give me some pretty boobies at the end of this chemo crap! Fingers crossed!

Star, how did it go? Hope you're feeling well!

Hello all! I have been feeling well the last week, my 2nd infusion is Thursday. Like many of you, my hair is weirdly in between shaved and bald. I noticed a huge amount of hair loss in the last couple of days so I am hoping most will be out in the next few days. Mtspacekace I love the wigs! I bought a “professional” one but also a couple fun ones from Amazon. The one I like best to throw on quick is actually hat hair- a baseball cap that looks like there is a bob coming out of it. Hysterical. I also am having a halo wig made out of my own hair so I am excited to see what that looks like too. I watched some really good YouTube videos on scarf tying- they were helpful.

Thank you so much for all the thoughts and prayers. I made it through which feels like a huge accomplishment. My mind is mush and I'm exhausted so I'll respond in more detail tomorrow after some rest. Everyone sleep well and sweet dreams.

I've been obsessively reading posts in this forum for the last several weeks. I start my TCHP chemo 6 August (3 week cycle) -- assuming I can get an echocardiogram and port placement scheduled before then. This morning I'm going for a bone scan. I was also supposed to have a CT scan just as a precaution, but my insurance said no to the CT scan, but yes to the bone scan. My oncologist didn't really think I needed either at this point, but he figured if the insurance would at least cover the bone scan then I might as well do it. I'm sure this won't be the last time the insurance will make stupid decisions that the rest of us will never understand. If they had said no to both it would have at least been consistent.

I'm trying to do as much as I can right now to prepare for the chemo side effects, but it's really hard to do since it's really unclear which side effects will affect me the worst. I'm making a run to CVS after my scan to stock up on a few things I've seen mentioned here and to pick up some of my prescriptions.

I hope you are all doing well today.

Good morning, everyone. I hope today has many enjoyable moments and minimal discomfort for everyone.

Melbo, best wishes to you and welcome. Everyone here is very helpful and supportive.

Millie5, yes, this is emotional and stressful. We are here for you.

Stardewyeyed, first infusion over! I hope you had a full night of sleep after your exhausting day.

Iamloved, are the vitamin A drops used like a rinse? I hope you are feeling relief.

Trynryan, that's great you have been feeling well the last week. Best wishes as you go for a second infusion tomorrow.

Thanks AnnaTheBrave, this is exactly how I've been feeling for the last 24 hrs Not to mention that I've cried myself to sleep. But today, I've put my wig on (for the first time), kept myself busy and planned to go for a walk when the night comes and it becomes a bit cooler. I have my second chemo tomorrow, and that additionally brings me down.

Thx Smichaels11

Looking great with that headwrap! Stay cool

Iamloved, thank you or sharing the halo tops! they look neat!

Smichaels11, you look so cute in your scarf. Did you tie that yourself or did it come pretied?

Millie5, You'll be in my thoughts and prayers for you infusion tomorrow. Let us know how it goes as you feel up to it.

AnnaTheBraveyour Thank you so much for your thoughts. You are so right that we need to feel our feelings so we can move on. Stuffing them is so unhealthy and so often we are basically advised to do just that. "stay positive and strong" can feel like such a prison.

Melbo, welcome. I hope you can get it all scheduled in time. The wait for treatment was very difficult. As for CVS, I feel like my shelves at home are stocked almost as well as theirs at this point with all I've read as well. lol

Mtspacekace, you look so cute in your wigs! Did you get them all from the same seller? Are they comfy?

I've been experiencing a feeling of hyperdrive today. I think it's the steroids. Anyone else get this? They sent me home with more to take for the first few days and I feel like I can't even think straight.