June 2007 Chemo

im starting may 28th , not quite june, but close enough
im kind a freaked about it, as i have of course never been through this before, i think it si more fear of the unknown and not kowing what to expect...im not doing a whole keck of alot lately just lounging around and being lazy, i htink it is party depression, and nerves about starting chemo.............
anyone else feeling the same way ??

Saw my onc this am and scheduled for my first tx on June 1st! 4 rounds AC, then 4 rounds Taxol.

Gotta get it started if we want to get it done!!

Hoping and praying to keep up with this kick butt attitude!
Dawn

Cy, I just did a quick search on this site and found this article related to Abraxane. I don't have have mets, am being treated for the first time and the SE are very similar. Maybe that's why the onc chose Taxol for me.
Here is the link if you're interested:
http://www.breastcancer.org/research_recurrence_022405.html

Sandra, I have yet to pick out my wig. My son is getting married this Saturday and I've been so busy with wedding plans. But, my sisters are arriving tomorrow and I think we might make a sister date and go wig shopping for me after the wedding. I have some baseball caps but I look so stoopid in them! LOL
I think scarves and turbans might be my fashion choice for the summer.
I hope we can start a June '07 group of chemo warriors to help and encourage each other.
I've been married to my dh for 22 years. We have three "kids", son -24, daughter- 20 and son - 18.
I have a twin who was dx with BC when we were 33, she's doing fine and is definitely my hero and shows me the light at the end of the tunnel.

I just finished up with a full dissection, and he placed the port at the same time. My next appt with the onc is Thursday, I'm sure I'll be joining this June group. I don't know which set of drugs yet.

And, like y'all, I'm scared.

Hi June chemo folks:

I'm checking in from the February chemo cruise. I just had my last chemo today! My regimen was 4XAC dose dense, then 4Xtaxol dose dense. I did this without a port and without any serious problems, other than the usual side effects for these drugs.

There's a great thread that I just bumped up. It's called Tips for getting through chemo.

The most important thing I can stress to the AC girls is to drink, drink, drink those fluids. Aim for 60 oz for the day before, day of, and two days after chemo. Try to maintain 48 oz for the other days.

Your best resource will be yourselves, keeping in touch with each other as you battle the side effects.


Please feel free to send me a private message if you have any additional questions.

Hugs to all of you,
Hillary

Thanks, Hillary, for bumping up that thread, it is full of info and tips.
I have some questions though about my port. It was inserted on Monday and it wasn't nearly as awful as I had anticipated however, it feels strange like right under my collarbone and where my neck connects to my body..like a pressure, is this normal?
Also, I read on another topic here that some women get put on blood thinners while they have their port. I called my onc dr about this and he only recommends it if I have a history of blood clots, which I don't. Should I pursue this more aggressively? I'm wigging out over this!!

Good morning ladies!

I just peeked in here to see if I could offer any support. Sorry this is gonna be long, but it might help. I'm from the May group - had my first DD of A/C on 5/2. The first tx gave me a killer headache and heartburn and I couldn't sleep at all the first night. The second tx I kept eating every few hours and have been absolutely fine. Both times I drank lots and lots of water and brushed my teeth about a dozen times a day. I did find it helpful to use the Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash even when my mouth wasn't feeling sore. Also, the second time around my more "sensitive" areas felt less sensitive because I made sure and clean up well each time I peed.

I think the big thing was making sure to drink water and making sure to eat something every couple of hours, even if it was just a peanut butter cookie. The first time i wen ttoo long between eating and then my throat would just clamp shut when I tried to so I couldn't eat for days and that made everything feel so much worse. I pasted the following from a post I made after my first tx to tell you what it was like:

Hi ladies (fellow brave combatants).

I just got back from my first chemo (AC). The anxiety leading up to it was SOOO much worse than the actual experience! I haven't had an appetite at all lately, but when I got all hooked up and comfy, I asked my wonderful guy if he would go and get us something to eat. I thought a roast beef sub from the deli sounded good and that's exactly what I got. I ate the whole darn thing! Well, we actually split a large one, but I ate my whole half!

I feel a little bit tired but I felt tired when I got up this morning, so I'm not sure the meds have anything to do with it.

The rest of this post is only if you want details about the actual treatment today. I know some people don’t want to know it all and others, like me, the more information the better.

So… I wanted to post right away, especially for those of you scheduled to start in the next few days or weeks. Seriously, it wasn’t hard in the least. I don’t have a port – am deciding on whether or not to get one but the doctor wanted to get moving on the chemo so we used an IV for this first round. My nurse was very good at it and needles don’t usually bother me too much anyway. So unless that freaks you out, no problem because the rest was pretty much a cakewalk. I had a tag team of support – my fiancé took me, one sister showed up in the middle for almost an hour, another sister came for the last hour. I went in at 10:00 and was home by around 1:00 pm (it’s only a 5 minute or so drive). I thought my guy would want to go back to work after sister one showed up, but he wouldn’t leave. I didn’t necessarily want him to so that was fine with me. The room had about 9 big recliners in it and there were I think five others there when I came in. Little by little they finished up and one more woman joined us about half way or so through my treatment. The nurse decided to look in a closet and ask if anyone wanted a water bottle – I took two bottles of water with me and I think it made her realize the others didn’t have anything. I drank my full two bottles by the way – I’ve been listening to what I’m reading! Drink lots of water!!! Well, the water bottles led to little sample kits of biotene and she gave me a thermometer and offered other stuff like blankets. I said I love to get little goodies and that kind of opened everyone up a little. There were more smiles and a little bit of conversation (everyone was so quiet when I came in). She also gave me samples of Celebrex to help with the possible bone pain. She came back and gave me another water bottle – I guess she knew I’d be drinking it up!

Anyway, back to what happened – she put the IV in, took some blood, then hooked me up to saline. During that time they ran a full test for my blood counts (not sure what all of them are, but the red and white counts are important, as is iron). I’ll figure out the rest. They also sent some blood to a lab for kidney and liver functions, but those all came back fine last time anyway. All my tests and counts were “excellent” she said. Amazing how someone so “sick” can be so healthy! (Thank you again, God.) She talked a little bit, told me a few possible side effects (like my urine being dark orange) then put a couple of steroids, another anti-nausea drug, and Zantac (like for heartburn) in the next IV bag. Oh – I forgot – I had to take a pill called Emend an hour before the chemo. Also for anti-nausea. The next bag was the Adriamycin – it’s red and that’s one they especially want to watch for any reaction to. She said if you feel pain, heat, or anything unusual they need to know right away as it may be leaking. I didn’t feel a thing. The last bag was the Cytoxin, I was in good spirits, never felt pain or discomfort, and felt well cared for. I have to go back tomorrow to get a shot of Neulasta that helps keep your infection fighting white blood count up. That’s the one that can give you some bone pain though. She said if I get anemic I might take Aranesp. It was a lot of information but all in all rather painless and easy to deal with.

I know this is only day one, but I was already prepared to get pretty sick since I was first diagnosed. I still have a lot of hope that I won’t get THAT sick, but I’ll deal with it no matter. I’m pretty resigned to the hair loss. That’s just not a real big deal to me. Except, how will I EVER learn to draw decent eyebrows!!!!

I know this is long, but I hope it helps someone. Like I said, the anxiety and fear was the very worst part of it so far. And I don’t think I could get sick enough to overshadow that - it was truly horrible. Good luck, I’m hoping to hear how you all are doing. I’ll keep you posted.

Sheree in Florida

My name is Debbie. I'm 51 and live/work/play in the Boston area. I have been with my partner, Scott, for the past 6.5 years and thank goodness he is in my life. Scott is a wonderful support. I have a 24 year old son from a previous marriage. My son lives and works in WA state. We talk every couple days and see each other a couple times a year.

I was diagnosed with IDC on March 28. I had my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy on April 19 with 1.8 CM tumor and 1 positive node. I had an axillary dissection on May 3 with all negative nodes. I'm ER + PR +, HER-2 negative.

I start my 4 AC and 4 T treatments beginning next Thursday, May 31. I follow those up with radiation and then the hormone blockers. Sound familiar? :-)

I came into this diagnosis very healthy and fit. I am a runner, gardener, hiker, kayaker, motorcyclist, etc. You name it. We probably own the toys, although no rock climbing or skydiving for me. :-)

I plan to stay as active as I can through these treatments. I've done well following my surgeries. I know I'll get stuck sometimes emotionally but have asked my friends to ignore my whining and drag my butt out of the house for fresh air and exercise, even if only for a walk in the woods.

Someone gave me advice recently that seems natural to me. Every day you have to do something to keep your fighting spirit alive. No matter how small, do something that reminds you you are in control. My father, a long time ago, told me I'd never take a back seat to anybody. This situation is no different.

There are some key things I do to survive and thrive in life: maintain a very positive attitude, maintain a sense of humor, count my blessings (vs. what's wrong), play and appreciate all that life has to offer. I'm treating this adventure as a learning experience. I can only manage what is happening to me today. I cannot know for sure what lies down the road. Worrying about the what if's is disabling.

Well that's my M.O. I look forward to meeting the rest of our gang.

Debbie

5kids, me too, between us I'm a mess.
I was dx the second time last Feb and 5 months later I will now start chemo. It took so long to get to this point, at times I've had my share of meltdowns and now that it is this close I'm getting freaked, really weird considering I know it will be ok, just a thing to go thru I guess, I know what to expect but then my meds will be most likely different this time.
The first time I had a lump. AC/T, rads. Had a bilateral this time, triple neg both dx's and see Onc tomorrow for chemo treatment discussion.
I have 4 kids, all grown, the youngest is 20. My 38yr old daughter was dx in Jan and she is just finishing up her Taxol, 4 more to go and doing really well.
I'm 60, my hubby is my rock.
I am so glad this thread has started, it will be so nice to have each other to visit with and share. My first time I didn't even know of this place. As shakey as I am right now I feel like if I sit here all day on this board I can get thru the next 24 hrs, I feel security here.

Hi all,

It is a great feeling to know that We are all here to support one another. I've been attending a bc support group the last few months and met some incredible women there however, we only meet once a month, and it seems like each day I have a new thought or question that needs to be shared.
As much as I don't care for the idea of having to go through Chemo, the most powerful piece of advice I have had from the women in support is to be agressive in the treatment!!! One woman in particular told me that if she had one regret, it would be that she wasn't more agressive with treatment the FIRST Time. Wow that was powerful!
Tomorrow is almost here, and I am now feeling a sense of calm. Thank you all for your snips of wisdom, your generosity in sharing your fears, and trusting that you and I are in a good place with this group.

We are all in this together!

Peace,

Terri

Good luck tomorrow Terri, let us know how it goes,
warm hugs,

Hello Ladies, I have a question for you. As I mentioned above, my biggest angst really is the challenge I have to stay focused on my job. As I went through the surgeries, I took a day here or there but was able to return to work. I do get to work at home and work for a large corporation. But we have projects coming at us left and right. I am more interested in doing anything but think about work. However, I need to pay the bills and keep my insurance up. Are others dealing with this situation? How are you addressing it? My manager is very understanding. I am certifiably ADD/ADHD but not on any meds at the moment. I wouldn't dare introduce any of that stuff with all the other goodies we'll be getting soon enough. I think why it is a challenge for me is that my job is a thinking job vs. a physical job. I have no problem working around the house, working in the garden, going for a run etc. But when I sit at my desk, like right this second, I cannot keep my focus on my job.

Debbie

Susan, Thanks for sharing your situation. I don't have young children (24 yr old away from home). I was reading about the FMLA and using STD a week at a time. My manager is on vacation this week. When she gets back next Tuesday, I'll have a talk and see about identifying specific projects that I know I can do on a routine basis but not have to deal with the more strategic stuff that requires me to hunker down. That is the stress.

I feel pretty good about dealing with the BC. I want to learn more, get more prepared for the treatments with my little checklist, etc. It is the project I want to manage right now. The other stuff doesn't seem to matter to me. Jeeze, now that's a surprise. :-)

I start my 4 AC and 4 T treatments beginning next Thursday, May 31. I follow those up with radiation and then the hormone blockers. Sound familiar? :-)

Where is everyone located? I'm here in the Boston area.

Debbie

Wow, unfortunately our list is growing for June but fortunately, we'll have lots of support and encouragement with each other. Here's what I have so far, feel free to copy & edit or add additional info:

1) Cy - Washington - 5/25 Start - Abraxane/Avaisten
2) Sandra - Canada - 5/28 Start
3) Pam - Oklahoma - June Start
4) Dawn - June Start - 4 AC, 4 T
5) Terri - New York - 6/4 Start - 4 AC, 4 T
6) Cheryl
7) 5Kids 5/24 Start - 4 AC, 4 T
8) Susan - Illinois - June Start - 4 AC
9) Jennine - NC -
10) Bonnie - NY - June Start - 4 AC, 4 T