Starting Chemo in May 07

Hi there,
I had 2 chemo FEC and for four 4days after I'm was so constipated I couldn't beleive I was like that because it never happened before I was never constipated in my life. That was tough ,the nurse told me to drink heated prune juice before going to bed and first thing in the morning that worked.

This time for my third one on 11june I'm taking senakot-s the same day and for 4days after the treatment to make sure that i'm will not be costipated.
Hope it's going to work for you, good luck.
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IDC, 3.2cm,er/pr+,stage1,grade2,19nodes-,her/2-,clean margins

Oh man. I really don't want to take another drug for this. Sorry to be whiny today, but I've never had so many drugs in my life-one for anxiety, two for nausea, one for wbc's, one for rbc's, one antibiotic. My pantry looks like a pharmacy and I never even hardly took aspirin before now. I think I'll try to up the prune juice, prunes, high fiber foods before I take anything else. But man that was painful.

Isn't it great to enjoy comfort foods? I would never eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or mac and cheese without feeling guilty, but now I enjoy it. Maybe that's why I'm having so much trouble going!

Hi, everyone. I've been feeling great for awhile now. My only lasting symptom is diarrhea, but I am prone to that anyway. Too bad I have my second A/C treatment tomorrow.

I have a delicate question. Today my pubic hairs are falling out. I wonder if anyone knows how long before my head hair will follow. I'm really hoping that it will wait until Thursday. I hate to be sitting in the chemo chair with my hair falling out.

Pat

OK guys
This is gross but I have been so constipated since the chemo that I have hemorrhoids and boy do they hurt. I agree about taking more pills so I eat bran every morning. This really helps.
My hair is starting to really fall out today so I am going to get my wig. It finally came in. I will be joining shortly on the bald side. I hope my wig looks cute and natural.
Hope everyone is good out there
Kim

Hi girls,

Thanks for the encouragement. I finally fell asleep last night after takikng almost every anti-nausea med I had--ativan, phenergan, zofran (left off compazine). I think the zofran gave me a headache, so I'm going to avoid that one next time. I think I woke up in the exact same position I fell asleep in! So far I'm still wiped out, but we'll see how today goes. Still constipated, too--that's not helping either, but I don't have enough appetite to eat bran right now. I'm hoping for that turnaround today. I don't know if I can make it to teach, but just to feel like walking around and going somewhere would be like heaven.

Pat, I was the same as Amya, my pubes started falling out about the same time as my head hair, so my guess is your head is coming soon--sorry, sweetie. My first clump pulled out on a Thursday, and by Sunday I was ready to have it OFF. WAY too sore and itchy and messy with all that hair falling out. But it took me a while to come to that--I didn't know until Sunday morning that I was ready to shave, and then I couldn't wait til Sunday night when my husband did it for me.

Amya, I'm wondering the same thing about the white head. Right now my head is ugly, I think, because of the partial stubble (my hair was REALLY dark) and super-white look, so I'm kind of looking forward to having the rest of the stubble come out, but it seems kind of slow. It also is so rough, kind of like when your dad needs a shave. Do you think it will come out more quickly again at about 2 weeks past this 2nd tx? About tanning it, could you spend a little private time in the back yard (or someplace else private) with sunscreen on, to see if you can color it up? Give me your solutions, and when I can lift my head off the pillow I'll be trying them out!

Amy

Hi again,

I called the onc's office--the nurse suggested trying to go out and do something, to see if it would actually make me feel better to move stuff through my system. So I took the kids to the playground at the mall. Felt like total crap the whole time, and couldn't wait to get home. I don't think it helped yet, but maybe later, and at least I tried. And I'm starting to have a better idea that I won't be able to teach violin today. Just can't make it happen. The nurse was sort of like, "Sorry this is just how it is!" Well, this SUCKS!! My husband is coming home at noon today, though--I'll be so glad to have him here.

Still looking to turn that corner,

Amy

Mandy, Don't panic. Side effects aren't a guarantee that it's working. I have had the same thoughts myself since my se's have been pretty mild relatively. I had my period when I got my first tx so we'll see next month I guess.

Hang in there Amy. I hope you feel better soon!

Here's my little crisis du jour: today someone at work said I looked like Rhoda! I don't want to look like Rhoda, I want to look like ME! This is the first day I've worn a scarf, and I tied it hanging down in the back, and yes I have a crocheted sweater and platforms, and I suppose it IS a bit retro looking but it's sort of freaking me out a little bit. Of course in the grand scheme of things this is nothing, and I will get used to not having hair and wearing scarves and before we all know it chemo will be done and the hair will return but geez it feels a little depressing right this second. I have to somehow figure out how to cover my head in a professional manner every day for how many months?? Wigs are too itchy and hot for wearing all day, for me anyway. My boss made a comment, too, about how when it grows back a little it will look butch, which isn't helpful either. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with THAT but can't everyone just keep their mouths shut?

Thanks for letting me whine... my stomach hurts... bleah.
LeeAnne

Hi Ladies,

I just wanted to give all of you a big cyber hug and some inspiration to keep you going through the tough "chemo days". This is only a temporary period of time on a rollercoast road which leads to a path with a great prize at the end --- a long healthy life.

I was diagnosed with IDC back in October 05 (almost two years ago) and had a lumpectomy to remove a 4 cm tumour. Chemo started in Dec 05 for 6 months - 4 a/c and 4 taxol. I also had 5 1/2 weeks of radiation and then was put on Armidex and Zoladex injections.

For those ladies suffering with constipation I found that taking 2 senekot "s" (stool softner) helped me tremendously. There was nothing worse than feeling like crap and then being backed up as well.

Drinking lots of water helps alot, if not water try crystal light or adding a lemon to the water to give it a bit of zing will also help to flush the chemo drugs out of your system.

For me a/c was the hardest of the chemo regimes. The steriods made me moody and I had steriod withdrawal each round of a/c but didnt have it with taxol for some reason.
The fatigue was also very accumulative. Be kind to yourself, solicit help with chores and kids and listen to your body.

I was also one that never took a pill in my life until diagnosed with b/c but the meds are important especially the anti nausea and steriods in controlling some of the side effects. The steriods bloated me including my legs and face but the bloat disappeared once I finished chemo.

Loosing my hair was the worst part emotionally through the whole chemo process as I had long curly ringlets. I am not vain in any way but hair defines your feminity and when you dont have any it sucks.

My hair and eyebrows grew back great and now I am complaining about my wild curls when a year ago I had nothing.

My period continued through much of my 6 months of chemo until the last month or so and then became very different and shorter in duration. As I am highly er/pr+ and was 41 at diagnosis, my oncologist put me on Armidex and I have 3 month injections of Zoladex to chemically shut my ovaries down.

I hope you ladies dont think I am intruding on your thread but I wanted to give you some hope and to let you know that life does return to back to "almost normal" but we are forever changed by this experience. My relationships with my friends, parents, family and especially my husband have only grown stronger through this experience.

Your bc sister
Michele

Michele, Thank you SO MUCH. Amya is right, we needed you to be our big sister right now. I'm so low, and I just didn't anticipate feeling THIS bad. But you give us hope, and I need that right now.

Man, the comments from people are ridiculous, aren't they? When I got my pixie cut to minimize the mess and a "friend" saw me, the FIRST words out of her mouth were, "You look like a boy." (which I did NOT, by the way) and then, "Why did you cut it???" DUH!! I HAVE CANCER! Haven't we been OVER this??!! I responded by saying, "Because it's falling out and I don't want such a mess." To which she cheerily said, "Then you'll get to have fun with scarves and hats!!" Yay, yippee, do you want to borrow all my scarves and hats and have fun yourself?? OK, I'm not normally this bitter, girls! Just a low day, as you know. But I know you all can relate to these comments, right?

Amya, LOVE the T-shirt idea. I'll wear one if you make it! When we were trying to have a baby and struggling with infertility, I wanted a shirt that I could wear around all our friends with little babies that would say, "We're TRYING."

Thanks again, Michelle,

Amy

Thanks Ladies!

I hoped I would lift your spirits.

Feel free to pm me, I am on the board pretty well every day still.LOL. It is wonderful to give back since so many great women helped me out when I was afraid and didnt know where to turn.

My email address if anyone has a question is michele.wenz@sympatico.ca.

Have a great night my sisters.

Michele

Hey Cindy, Go to the personal information page and look for the box that says upload your avatar. YOu can browse for the picture you want and upload it. It has to be pretty small so make sure it's compressed enough before you upload it. Let me know if you have any problems.

liz: Ok i tried that but the pic didnt come up at all. Do i check the box that says something about your avatar,,,,or just click browse and put in the pic u want there? See thats what I did,,,i just clicked browse and found the pic and hit upload but nothing happened. How do I know if its the right size,,,,,and if its not how do i change that? Sorry,,,,,,im kind of a dummy when it comes to this stuff. My kids usually walk me thru this stuff,,,,,sad huh? lol
Thanx,,,,,,,,Cindy

Hi all
I tried to post last night but got disconnected from the internet just as I hit submit. I've had a great couple of days. Kinda makes me wonder if there were actually any drugs in those IV's they dripped into me. I feel crappy the first couple of days and then I'm fine, I have energy. The nuelasta shot doesnt bother me that much either. I am experience a thinning of my hair but its not falling out in large clumps, yet. Today it doesnt seem to be as bad as it was the last couple of days. I did buy a couple of scarves last night just in case.
I had constipation as well with my first treatment and since then I take two stool softeners at night just to make sure.
Over the weekend I had a terrible taste in my mouth and then Monday it was like my mouth was coated with something. I couldn't taste anything, it was almost like it was numb. I called the onc and was told it was probably Thrush and they gave me a script, I also told them about my sore scalp, it was almost like I had pimples and it itched really bad. Had a few pimples on my face as well so they gave me a script for that as well.
I'm not taking: Keflex (only the generic brand) and Fluconazole. Other than those two and an occasional tylanol PM I haven't had to take other drugs after the first couple of days.
I was on the depo prevera shot for ovarian cysts and my onc told me to stop that. I should have had a shot last month so I'm wondering if I will have a period or not.

I want a t-shirt as well for when my hair finally falls out. What a great idea.

Michele- thanks for the encouragement. I know we can all use it and it is very helpful.

Hope everyone feels better soon, sister hugs to all,
CindyKS
ps I always copy before posting cause I get the error as well.

Quote:

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omg Liz,,,,,,,,,,it worked ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,im so happy.
Thanx for the help,,,,,,,,,,
Cindy

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Good to see your face!