The Chemosabe March Cruise

Oh, my beloved coffee, why do you taste so bad when I need you the most? LOL.....Seriously, some things should be sacred!

Marshabel

Well, I'm off in a few hours and yes..playwriter..my port started itching but it still hurts..LOL. It must be healing but it does itch. Marshabel, please don't tell me my coffee will taste bad, if it does, I'm calling this off right here and now..LOL I don't know what I'd do without my morning joe, I like him strong and dark and oh so HOT!..LOL One thing about our hair ladies..it GROWS back! My hair dresser told me it grows back better then before so we all have something to look forward to..Have a great day ladies and if anyone would enjoy some reading, I started a blog about myself at www.rosechemo.blogspot.com I made it so my friends and family could keep up and not have to call all the time..Thanks and Hugs around..Rose

This has nothing to do with our cancer but I used to make web pages. If you'd like to see some that I've done and just get away and listen to some nice music and read some nice poetry I'd love for you to see them. You can start here.
http://users.adelphia.net/~angelflight1/TheRose.html

Angel

I'm back and I wasn't bad at all. Everything went so fast but there was needles! It did hurt a little when they poked my port due to the fact it hadn't healed yet but it wasn't bad. I did have some fun with a elderly gentlemen who was looking rather happily at my somewhat exposed breast when I got up to use the ladies room. He was all smiles at me, I think I made a friend..LOL I feel a little weird but not sick and they gave me some more meds to take tomorrow. It was ok but I'll wait and see what tomorrow brings. Have a great day everyone..hugs..Rose

Hi Rose,

I'm glad it went well for you and you're feeling ok. I hope Whitecotton and Misshapen are okay, too.

I'm doing pretty good today...just a little sensitive to smells and the thought of certain foods. The headache is gone, thankfully. I haven't taken anything but Ativan, but it seems to be enough. I slept well until 4 am, then got up for awhile, drank some warm milk, took another ativan and went back to bed until after 11:00am. It's so wonderful that my mom spent the night so she could get up with my kids. I've been drinking grape juice (thanks for the suggestion), distilled water with lemon, eating crackers, and managed to eat some scrambled egg. Now, I'm ready to get some more sleep.

Cynthia

Don't worry, 3boys4me, we don't sail until our last March Chemosabe has boarded. Some of us who embarked earlier are just getting settled in.
Cynthia and Rosebud, I'm glad to hear you are making it steadily so far. Those first few days are pretty surreal. Just remember to take you nausea meds before you need them and eat mild, but nutritious food.

I atteded my local Look Good Feel Better workshop yesterday. Lots of fun. Also have to admit it's the first time I've ever come home with two Chanel products in my bag!
woo woo - feeling quite UPTOWN!
Cheers!
Lisa

Good luck 3boys4me!
I did It!
It was not as bad and my imagination thought it would be.
There were a lot of people there today and since this was my first time, I had to meet with so many people. Social worker,Pharmasist,nutritionist,nurse's, Doctor's etc. it was a whole scene going on today around me. Felt very special. I even had a visit from the hospital chaplin.
Once all my ekg and blood work was done I was good to go. When I sat in the chair and saw the box with the chemo in it I started to get upset. Tears started to flow. I patted my body and said i was sorry for killing all the good cells and then i patted the other side and told the cancer it had to die! The nurse started with the red stuff and i could see it going in and I felt like a crimial getting the lethal injection and that i was going to die. I just felt so bad for what I was doing to my body. The nurse was so sweet and nice and she leaned in and told me all the good cells will come back and the bad won't, that is why we are doing this. For some odd reason that made so much sence. Duh total sence. My tears stopped and I started to smile thinking how I was taking control and i was doing the right thing to kill it. who cares about my hair my girls want their mom not their mom's hair.
All the drugs only took about 1 and 1/2 hours and no real side effects yet. just feel a little weird I think it is the steriods.
so, so far so good. thanks for all the support i really needed it.
all the best
melissa

Rose & Cynthia
Glad you had a pretty easy time of it. I pray things hold up for you.

I noticed hair shedding into my brush today and it's only day 6 post chemo for me. I guess this will be a reality soon enough.

Had some diaharrea today and have been taking immodium, although can't imagine what's causing it. I have a swollen left knee which I can barely walk on. Guess I have the treadmill to thank for that one.

Good luck to everyone starting the rest of the week here.

Angel

I have to say that today was much better than yesterday. I was unable to get in touch with anyone from the cancer center ahead of time, so I assumed my first treatment was still scheduled.

A co-worker picked me up and off we went. They were actually looking for me because of the message I had left saying that my PCP had called and said my ECHO was not normal.

According to my oncologist, the only thing they look at is my ejection fraction. Mine is perfectly fine. She said she would arrange for me to speak with the doctor that read my ECHO if I would like. However, a nurse told me if I had something serious wrong with me, that doctor would have called my onc personally to let her know. So right now I'm letting that slide. If my PCP calls me back, I will ask them to go ahead and tell me. It is MY medical record, after all.

I had to wait til 45 minutes after my appointment time to get called to the infusion room. It then took two different nurses about 25 minutes to get an IV in me. They kept putting heat on my arm and tapping it. They suggested I wait til my port was in, but I told them I was willing to wait til someone got an IV in me. Then I sat there and prayed like crazy.

They put a steroid and anti-nausea in first and then the Adriamycin. That went fine. The Cytoxan burned just for a minute. I talked and laughed with my friend most of the time. I did take a short nap during the Cytoxan. The Cytoxan also gave me a slight headache and made my sinuses tingle.

It only took a couple of hours once they had my IV in.

Tomorrow I go back for my Neulasta.

I'm playing phone tag with the vascular surgeon, but should be getting my port Thursday. I hope I don't feel too bad by then.

I have been taking pain killers (my neck is killing me from my thyroid and the attempts at port insertion yesterday) and anti-nausea meds. I went to lunch with my friend right after chemo, but have felt queasy ever since then.

All in all not bad.... glad things are going well for my fellow first timers. Cynthia, I'm glad the Ativan is working for you and that your headache is gone!

Rosebud, sorry the poke hurt your tender new port site. So you were already flashing the old guys? Shame on you! LOL

Whitecotton, I can relate to all your feelings and emotions. I thought I might cry when mine started, but I was so happy they had found a vein that I forgot all about tears.

Stephj, I am so sorry for the loss of your hair...(and everyone elses!!) and sorry you're having scalp pain. We're going to have to find out how to take care of that pain! I'm sorry you've been feeling bad and like giving up. Just keep counting down. Each time is one time less we have to do!

Welcome aboard, onlygirl. I know this is a terrible time in your life and you're obviously scared to death, but stick with us, we'll all on the same cruise! You will get love, support, and lots of helpful tips here. You're stating chemo the same day as my good friend, Misk! Good luck!

Sorry, I am too weak to mention everyone, but please know I am reading about you all and praying for you.

See yas later!

Miss S

I am on my second round of chemo, mets to the bones and liver but ironically, I took a cruise to the Bahamas last week during Spring Break! It was freezing!! Yes, you can fly during chemo. But talk with your onc. first. My second port works like a charm! I love it! Keep your chin up! It's a long road but you meet lots of wonderful new friends along the way!

Hi all! I think I'll get on before you raise the gangplank! I'm scheduled for my first infusion on 3/29. I'll be doing A/C + T dose dense. I'm heading to Memorial Sloan Kettering tomorrow for a second opinion, but I really like my onc, so I think I'll just talk through any differences in chemo recommendations with him and set sail!

Thanks for letting me travel with all of you,
Sara

Kennie, Canada, 3/1
stephj, 3/1
Refugee, NeOH, A/C, start 3/5
Marsha2664, A/C + T, start 3/5
bugs416 (her mom started sailing 3/6)
LindaDK, KS, T/C, start 3/8
Maxgirl, Maryland, A/C + T, start 3/8
Holly Hopes, CA, A/C + T, start 3/9
Jillrush, Louisiana, A/C + T, start 3/9
BarbKirk, A/C, start 3/12
GrammyNancy, GA, TAC, start 3/13
LisaDCA, CA, start 3/13
BettyeE, Mississippi, T + FEC, 3/13
Marshabel, TX, A/C + T, start 3/14
Angelflight,CA, TAC, start 3/14
Pmarsh34, NC, TAC, start 3/14
JacqueN, Nebraska, 3/15
Cynthia1962, CA, A/C, 3/19
whitecotton, 3/20
Rosebud1962, MI, 3/20
Misshapen. AC+T, 3/20
Paula37, 3/20 CA, 3/21
Playwriter - (Terri), TX, A/C + T, start 3/22
musicmom3 - 3/22 Treatment unsure at this time
onlygirl4, 3/23
1stlite, 3/29
Fireba, NY, 3/29, AC+T
diamonds48, OR, 3/30,TCx4

Taurie,- FL, A/C + T, waiting for sail date
JannM, - T/C sails at end of the month


http://chemogirlspeaksout.blogspot.com/

Kind of jealous. Chemo school is not offered here in Montana. Oh, darn. It would have been amusing to see OWG. Oh, well.

Thought I should update on treatment.

4 X AC, 4 X T dose dense.

And I have a boarding partner. Hope she likes margueritas!

I am having a really hard time tonight. Nothing to do with the Chemo or anything but a good friend. I've known that her daughter had cancer but didn't know what kind or how long. It's been over a year since her diagnosis of bc I just found out. She has no insurance and has had absolutely nothing done. No surgery, no chemo, rads or anything. Her husband left her with the 4 young kids and she's staying at my girlfriends now (her mother). I cannot believe that this is happening to people. With all of the programs out there such as the one I'm on why on earth do they not make them more public so that people know where to go to get help. I feel this is a total injustice to women with breast and cervical cancer everywhere and there's just no excuse for it!!!!! They took the daughter tonight by ambulance to the local hospital but for what I don't know as yet. But you can bet your bottom dollar I'll have her on the phone tomorrow telling her where she CAN get treatment!!!. Poor thing!
Angel