Starting Chemo May 2008

I think your maxipad solution is really ingenious!  (And precisely the sort of resourcefulness that we need these days.)

For what it's worth, I found my lump on 1/11/2008 and I only started chemo on May 7th (I could not find a place that would give me a mammo in < 4 weeks!!).  I completely relate to the feeling of "Can we get started already?" but it is really really important that we're healed before we start chemo because it is so hard on our immune system.

I have popped some popcorn and am eating it in bed as a show of solidarity. Take care, and let us know what happens!

Hi, I just joined the group too. I had a double mastectomy and LD reconstruction with ALND on May 1st. Chemo will start in a couple of weeks. I had 4 drains removed on Wednesday. There is a bit of fluid building up. Does anyone have experience with this? So far the postings I have read that involve drains were from women that said no fluid build up for them.I know if it builds up too much I'll have to get it removed but I'm not sure what too much is.

Hi, I just joined the group too. I had a double mastectomy and LD reconstruction with ALND on May 1st. Chemo will start in a couple of weeks. I had 4 drains removed on Wednesday. There is a bit of fluid building up. Does anyone have experience with this? So far the postings I have read that involve drains were from women that said no fluid build up for them.I know if it builds up too much I'll have to get it removed but I'm not sure what too much is.  Thanks

Hi, I just joined the group too. I had a double mastectomy and LD reconstruction with ALND on May 1st. Chemo will start in a couple of weeks. I had 4 drains removed on Wednesday. There is a bit of fluid building up. Does anyone have experience with this? So far the postings I have read that involve drains were from women that said no fluid build up for them.I know if it builds up too much I'll have to get it removed but I'm not sure what too much is.

Hi, I just joined the group too. I had a double mastectomy and LD reconstruction with ALND on May 1st. Chemo will start in a couple of weeks. I had 4 drains removed on Wednesday. There is a bit of fluid building up. Does anyone have experience with this? So far the postings I have read that involve drains were from women that said no fluid build up for them.I know if it builds up too much I'll have to get it removed but I'm not sure what too much is.

Welcome Karen, Pepper204 and LisaLA!  Lisa - are you actually in Los Angeles?  I am on the central coast of CA.

Robin - Yes, I am still waiting, but I found out on Friday afternoon that I should hear something on Monday or Tuesday.  Of course, that's what they said last week about this week!!  Ha!

Tina - I have a "chair" scheduled for the 22nd.  (I'm not sure I like the sound of that )  So that if Stanford is on time, I will not have to wait another week to start.  I'm with the rest of you, if I have to do this, let's get going already!

I was gone for a couple of days, in part, because my oldest dd had her last gymnastics competition today.  And I just want to say she did AWESOME!  I love to watch her and her teammates (partially because I love gymnastics) and I'm so glad I wasn't feeling bad from chemo.  Now we won't have anything until September/October and I should be almost done by then - another reason to get started!!

Hi all, Sorry I have posted for a few days. Tuesday was my first treatment and everything seemed fine until day 4. Yesterday was the pits. I had no energy at all. I have been constipated for days and the stool softeners aren't doing the trick. I still have a good appetite but no room in my stomach for food. My in-laws are bringing over a huge fresh fruit salad to hopefully shake things up. All the meds they gave me for the first 3 days were wonderful. I do have another nausea pill which they prescribed to see if it helps. Just took one.



My sister and daughter took me shopping for my wig. I found a very nice one that will hopefully work for the entire time. Work has been pretty non-eventful and keeps my mind off the queeziness. Tuesday is fill #2 in the expander. They put 150cc's in on Tuesday last week. I have two more of 100 each. Feels like a rock. Will this always feel this hard until I do the switch?



Lisa, slowly you should regain your mobility. I'm four weeks post-mast and finally have most of my feeling and mobility back.



Pepper, keep an eye on the fluid. Mine was a bit elevated but they never aspirated it. Welcome to all the new gals and I'm sure we'll talk soon.



Roxi

Happy Sunday ladies!

Lisa - where did they put the port?  I had my left breast mastectomy and port insertion (on the right side of my chest) done at the same time.  The port was more uncomfortable than the mast side but over time, as the swelling decreased, so did the discomfort.  Now, its just there.  I have full range of motion.

Roxi - So glad to hear from you!  That exhaustion is the pits.  It hit me day 3, a little less on day 4...then good from then on.  I hope the same happens to you.  I didn't experience constipation but I think (at least this is my opinion) its because part of my daily "diet" is to have 2 tsp of olive oil in my food (usually my eggbeaters in the morning).  I also eat a good amount of fiber and drink TONS of water.  All combined, I think it has helped.  Maybe you could try adding a tsp of olive oil to a yogurt or something where you won't notice its in there.  Either way, I sure hope you get some relief soon!

Welcome Pepper - I don't have any answers for you on the fluid.  Its possible that a little fluid build up after having the drains removed is normal.  I can't imagine that they would've removed them if they weren't ready to come out.  It never hurts to call them and find out, which is probably what I would do.

~Adrienne

I get to start chemo on May 28th, so I guess this is where I should be. I was diagnosed with DCIS and IDC HR/PR+, HER-.   I will be getting 6 cycles of FEC followed with 4 cycles of T every 3 weeks.  I will be getting Aloxi, Zofran and Emend for nausea plus have the Emend, Zofran and Phenergan to take at home after treatment.  Will also get injection of Neulasta after each treatment.  It has been a long road to get to this point. 

Had biopsy 4/1, lumpectomy with SNB 4/16, lymph node dissection 4/30 (was so glad to get rid of the drains) and port insertion on 5/14.  I have also had a PET scan, CT scans and MUGA scans.  All surgeries went well, up to the port insertion.  Had to do it twice--1st attempt the surgeon couldn't get it where he wanted it so he tried the jugular,, plus I went into tachycardia during the procedure, Xray showed catheter to be in a smaller vein, so it was back to OR.  2nd attempt was successful in the subclavian vein.  Site is still sore, but that is to be expected.  (Also had a small puncture to left lung, that has cleared up.  My oncologist was going to start the chemo this week, but decided to wait an extra week to give me some time to heal.  

Been trying to decide when to go get my hair cut, before of after the 1st treatment.  I will get a wig but will probably only wear it on select occasions.  Other times, I will wear a scarf or hat.  Hubby says that wearing a hat or scarf is like showing my "badge of courage" and that fighting this fight is something I should be proud to show.  He is going to shave his head and have a small pink ribbon tattoo put on the side of his head, to show support for me. 

Don't know when I will go back to work.  I work in a nursing home so the risk of infection is very high.  My oncologist would prefer that I don't work until at least after the first few treatments.  Fortunatly I have short and long term insurance, but I already miss working.  When I do go back, it will probably be a desk job with very minimal resident contact.

That's my story.  Now I am just waiting for the first treatment. 

I pride myself on being pretty steely, but when I read about people having to have 2 re-excisions or port complications or when people like Gracie casually mention their "small puncture to the left lung" -- I am in awe.  Way to stay sane, women.  I raise my glass of V8 to you (w/ regrets that it isn't something stronger)!

(I have my second date at our in-the-pool chemo cocktail bar on Wed @ 9am.  I better start blowing up my water wings... Will anyone be joining me?!)

I'm in the pool with you, Wed @ 9:30.  Do they still make those swimming caps with the "floppy things" all over them (you know the caps I'm talking about...LOL)?  Of course, who'll be needing a swimming cap?

Maybe I should show up to chemo with a drink umbrella in my water bottle...........

I have decided to join in on the discussions (I have been reading for a couple of weeks to help get prepared).  This has been much better than the center's education program in terms of pratical use.

I just had my first treatment of T/C 4 days ago and am feeling really yucky right now.  Please tell me there will be some good days as well.  I have 6 treatments to go through and then 7 weeks of radiation so it will be a long summer. I have also been reading the T/C list but I wanted to talk with others that are going through this now as well. 

God has been preparing me for this for the past several months.  Maybe after this is all over I will feel like telling others.

Lenny, I'm just a little behind you.  My first chemo is tomorrow and I'm more than a little nervous.  I will be doing 4 T/C and then about 7 weeks of radiation.  I'll be waiting to hear of any side effects you experience.  I plan to keep some kind of a log of my own experience and see how much is the same from treatment to treatment. 

Hi Lenny,

 I was feeling "normal" and able to return to work 5 days after my 1st T/C treatment. My 1st tx was on May 9th, returned to work May 15th, worked for 6hrs and then a full day on Friday. I know it feels like hell for a few days, but you will feel better! I am getting only 3 more treatments, every three weeks. I would find out exactly why you are getting 6. Seems like you barely have enough time to recouperate in between! Good luck and god bless and know you are not alone in your fight! We will be right here helping you along.

Take care, Kim

Lenny, welcome to the TC club!  I'm currently on day 5 of my 3rd cycle of Taxotere/Cytoxan.  My pattern has been that I feel crummy ("chemo hangover") the day after my infusion; the following day (counted as day 3 of the cycle) is pretty good; but after that, well, it all depends.  Today I could hear the "truck" coming and I swear it ran over me and backed up and ran over me again.  It seems like days 4, 5, and 6 are often the worst with TC.

Each chemo regimen is different.  My onco (not to brag or anything) says she thinks the immediate SE's of TC are probably worse than those with AC.  Don't try to tell that to the women getting AC and having trouble controlling their nausea and vomiting, though!  The aches and pains with Taxotere can be "distracting" (to put it mildly); add that to the pains from the Neulasta shots some of us get and that accounts for the "bad" week.

OTOH, the 3rd week of our 3-wk cycles can be terrific!  I start feeling pretty good by around day 10, and by day 12 it's like the sun has come out and everything is normal.

Lenny, are you getting your treatments every 3 wks, or are they dose-dense (every 2 weeks)?  If they're every 3 wks, you should be feeling much better as that 3rd wk approaches.  Some people say the effects are cumulative, but I don't know about that.  My 1st tx was a bit worse than my 2nd; so far this one is not much different from those.  I am really looking forward to finishing with all this, and getting on with my life--know what I mean?

Hugs to all the May chemo campers.  Where is that pool-side bar y'all are going for your treatments?  I haven't found it yet! 

otter