CMF Question
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DesignerMom: congrats! rads will be a piece of cake after this.
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DesignerMom - CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Yes, you did it!!! I actually finished rads on Friday and I had an okay time with it. I got fatigued for a week or so at the beginning and then I was fine. My skin held up great until today. Now I have a red spot that feels like a rug burn in the boost area. You're going to do great with rads!! I did mine at BI-West. Please PM me if you would like to discuss. I think I'm going to break down and color my hair in a couple of weeks. I'm going to go to a salon that specializes in less harsh dyes. I have ALL gray hair so the henna will probably not be able to cover it.
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Doing the happy dance for Designer Mom! No' More Chemo!!!!! YEA!!!! Now, before you know it, you'll be a rad grad, too!
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DesignerMom - Huge congrats!!! You are done with chemo, Whew!!!
Drim - Huge congrats to you too!!!! Done with rads!!!!!! Sounds like you are doing great.
I start my second half tomorrow with cycle # 4 CMF. I'm holding up.
Congrats to codavis and everyone getting through and past all this!!!
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Well ladies, I am the new girl (old woman). I have chosen to do CMF and will have my training/education class tomorrow. Scared to death but reading most of the posts here is somewhat reassuring. I also can't find the shopping list....?
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Hi jodimaca - I was terrified too, but it is doable. I'm half way through and do everything I normally do, just a bit more effort and I take rests each day before jogging. Shopping list link :http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/706846?page=5#idx_121.
I went to rite aid before chemo and bought many, many items on the list and have used most of it at one time or another - you have probably read about the constipation problem with this treatment - be sure to get a good laxitive. I'm using ex-lax, but others have great suggestions too. I suggest at least a gallon of fluids each day (water, juice, crystal lite, gatorade, etc) and keep moving as moving (wallking, cleaning house, jogging, whatever) counteracts the fatigue.
Sorry you have to be here, but you will be fine. All the best to you!! ~Beans
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Oh yeah, I'm almost 53 years old and was premenopausal. I just went through a bought of pouty chemopause and mid-chemo blues for a week or so, but I feel better now, and back to feeling positive about getting through all this!!!!
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Hi Jodimaca!
We CMFers are a supportive group. The oldtimers will come on and guide you through your chemo. Whatever is bothing you, come to this page, post it and you will have a bunch of answers before you realize it. My personal tips were to have colace and stewed prunes for the constipation; lomotil for the diahrrea, pepcid AC for heartburn; plus the anti nausea meds that your doc will prescribe.
I brought Italian ices with me to the actual chemo and ate them---kept mouth sores away;I also found that lemon and ginger flavored sodas, candies, etc. really were appealing during this chemo. And my other tip is to have some easy, simple frozen meals on hand---
Amy's mac and cheese or something like that. You may not feel like cooking on chemo day and it is nice to have something simple to eat.Others will come on and give you their personal suggestions.
Don't worry. You can do this. I am the elderly one on this thread and I did it!!!
Cyber hugs,
Mandh
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Thank you ladies - I am going for chemo education and scheduling this afternoon. At least it feels like I am finally about to do something besides worry. Of course I will worry, too.
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Hi jodimaca!
How was the training? When's your first chemo? Feel free to stop by here with any questions you may have.
Mandy
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DesignerMom.....congrats! So happy that you're DONE
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Mandy1313 - I am starting chemo on Monday morning. Just picked up the cytoxan tablets at the pharmacy and was surprised that they were so inexpensive. Feeling a bit more anxious having read the brochure enclosed with the prescription. Like everyone, I have no idea what to expect and I think once I know what it will be like for me, I will be calmer.
Wish me luck!
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jodimaca:
The first one is the hardest--after you see how 'easy' it is, you'll feel better and the next ones will be easier. It's very stressfull, but you can do it! Just take a deep breath and know that you're doing what you need to do to fight this.
The brochures always include every possible thing that can go wrong. Most of those things don't happen.
I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.
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jodimaca!
Good luck tomorrow. My infusions were all IV and every 3 weeks, so I don't know that much about the cytoxin pills. codavis and golfer and a few of the gals from the Pacific Northwest took the pills, so if you have specific questions about them, I am sure you can get an answer. As for me, I agree with codavis---the fear of that first chemo is worse than the reality (at least for me it was).
All the best and sending a big cyber hug to you. (((((((jodimaca)))))))))
Mandy
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Jodimaca: good luck tomorrow. Do you have someone to drive you? As codavis and Mandy said, the first one is the worst. After that you will know what to expect.
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Hi Jodimaca - I'm over half way now and take the cytoxan pills. Feel free to ask any ?'s. My routine is coffee and cereal in the morning with zofran (8 mg and I cut it in half, if I need to later I take the other half but that's only been once or twice), then wait half an hour and take the cytoxan pills. Then drink about a gallon of fluids over the course of the morning and pee a lot of times. That's about it, it does make you tired and a little spacey. I've had no nausea. At night I take an ativan and exlax or sennekot to make sure to prevent constipation. I also take a nap around 3 pm if possible and then do my exercises. I have 2 and a half cycles to go and will be thinking of you with all the best wishes. Goooooood luck tomorrow. Remember to drink tons of fluids to flush it out. Big hugs to you!!! ~ Beans
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Thank you so much to all who have responded - I look forward to starting so that I can be on the road to completion. My husband will go with me tomorrow, he plans to then work from home Mon afternoon and on Tuesday as needed.
Beanius - I haven't yet heard that I will be having zofran frequently but I guess I will hear more tomorrow - I assume that is only for the 14 days each cycle that you take cytoxan?
Mandy1313 - I live in Seattle now but grew up near Boston and live in Maine during our early years of marriage so I consider myself a Northeaster as well.
More tomorrow.....
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jodimaca:
I just finished my CMF X6, and I took the cytoxan pills. If you have any questions you can send me a PM and I will be happy to answer any of your questions. I felt that this protocol was very doable, you will be surprised how well you do.
Hope everyone is doing well:)
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Thinking of you today jodimaca.............Let us know how it goes.
Rita
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jodimaca - Yes, my routine is 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. I get MF infusions on Day 1 and Day 8 and take cytoxan pills from Day 1 through Day 14, then I get two weeks off.
My main complaint is being a little zonier than usual and I get more tired, but so far have been able to keep up my mostly normal routine. Tomorrow I get the second half (MF) of cycle # 4 and still have 7 days of cytoxan pills. I have all my hair so far. They gave me three kinds of puke pills (antinausea): Zofran, Compazine, and Ativan. I haven't used the Compazine at all, and almost always just take half a Zofran in the morning and one Ativan at night - it helps with anxiety and I get a good night's sleep. I usually mix a big jug of crystal light in the morning and drink it down with the cytoxan pills, 20 ounces at a time. For toothpaste I'm using Biotene and I use the Biotene mouthwash too.
One last item, I ask the nurses to give me ice chips for about half an hour while the chemo is going in. It is supposed to prevent mouth sores. I haven't had mouth sores. Be sure to eat lots of protein.
I'm so wishing you the very, very best!!!!! Please keep us posted on how you're doing.
poohbear - Huge congratulations to you for finishing 6 cycles!!!! Hurray!!!! I'm so happy for you!!!!!!
P.S. This is me just last week jogging in the rain. This chemo is very doable, so relax and enjoy the ride (ha, ha!!)
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Home from my day 1 of round 1 - so far, feeling tired and foggy - but I think that is anxiety recovery and the zofran. I was a little surprised to have a nurse say that I would probably lose enough hair to need a hat to cover my scalp - I really haven't read that on here at all.
I have been drinking quite a bit and will keep at it all day, every day I guess. Hoping to feel like a walk later.
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Beanius- You look great! I so admire you exercising. That is my big downfall, I'm trying to get moving every day, somehow! Oh what a beautiful "pinedome" you live in!
jodimaca- The first is the scariest. I just finished 6 cycles of chemo and still have most of my hair. I did shed quite a bit the last two cycles, but I'm really the only one who notices. It wouldn't hurt to have a few hats and scarves just in case, but I think I heard 70% of CMF ladies keep their hair. Keep drinking your fluids and stay on top of the constipation, it can be brutal. Stewed prunes over lowfat yogurt help with constipation and putting back probiotics which chemo kills.
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Beanius: You look fantastic! What a good example you set for all of us.
Jodimaca: I went through 8tx of CMF and kept most of my hair. After tx 4, I had some thinning but actually it was not that dramatic...I saw the hair in the shower drain and was horrified...but the hair on my head looked pretty good. I did find that some of the nurses in the oncology unit were not familiar with CMF and were quite surprised when I did not lose most of my hair. So maybe you had a nurse who was not familiar with CMF. As Designer Mom said, keep drunking your fluids and stay on top of the constipation. I ate the same stewed prunes/yoghurt dish as Designer Mom during my chemo except I put the yoghurt on top. :-)
Cyber hugs.
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Beanius and Designer Mom:
Five hours since first infusion and still fairly good. Tired, mild headache. I have eaten whole wheat crackers, yogurt and prunes and a string cheese. After reading your posts, can you tell me the quantity you ate of prunes and yogurt? And is there a good reason to "stew" them first? My daughter's friend is knitting me a custom hat and I will look for some "just in case" head covers.
I am wondering did you still feel comfortable eating out, as long as it was a place you felt was safe and clean? I wasn't told not to do so, but was warned strongly about the caution I must take. I am craving Vietnamese noodle soup tonight for some reason and not sure if it is ok to get takeout for something like this or not...
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jodimaca, I eat dried prunes, figs and other fruits and probably a minimum of 6. If you don't poop normally in the morning, don't let it continue or it gets bad! If you have exlax or sennecot, pop it as soon as you realize your irregular. I have eaten whatever tastes good, some things don't appeal. I don't eat out much anyway, but I have without problems. Make sure it's a clean place. Vietnamese noodle soup sounds great!! I crave protein like crazy. Have not noticeably lost hair, but hear it may thin more as I have 2 1/2 cycles to go, my onc says if I haven't lost it by now I won't and that about 1/4 of her patients on this tx have some hair loss. Drink lots of fluids, keep moving to beat off the fatigue. You will do fine. The first one was the weirdest, then it seems like I got more used to the feeling. Don't hesitate to call your doctor if you have uncomfortable side effects, they are there to help you!!! Take care of yourself and know we are all wishing you the very best!!!!!!
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Question for any of you - I had zofran in my IV at 10 a.m. and it has an 8 hour value at that dose. Would you recommend taking it in advance of feeling badly?
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jodimaca:
I don't know if you should take a Zofran in anticipation of feeling sick. I never had to take more than the morning zofran, but after three months I did have a constant low-grade nausea. It wasn't too bad, though, so I didn't take anything extra. At the same time, I started having weird tastes in my mouth and was often disappointed with meals because they didn't 'taste right.' I shed hair and mostly noticed in the shower, but others never noticed. Sennokot didn't work for me--I switched to miralax 1/2 way through. The worst effects for me, which didnt' show up till 1/2 way through (3 months remaining) were being tired and having extremely dry skin--I had constant cuts in my feet and thumbs and they are still a problem and certain smells drove me crazy!
That said, CMF is very do-able. You just have to keep going and talk to your oncologist and others on this site about how to make things better. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for all so make sure your doc is pro-active about minimizing discomfort.
You can do it and you've already finished your first!
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jodimaca - if you are taking the cytoxan pills daily you may want to do like I do and take zofran in the morning with breakfast about a half an hour ahead of the cytoxan. I usually take half a zofran pill, then if I need more, which has only been once or twice, then I take the other half. I guess my recommendation is that if you start feeling nausea (which I haven't had) I would take some zofran before it gets to bad. Hugs to you!!!
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Ah Beanius and codavis - wish I had checked earlier for your reply. I had some great pho soup and was still feeling pretty darn well, considering that this was my first day on chemo. Anyway, I wasn't quite nauseous but had some rumbling and went ahead and took half a zofran. Now that I realize what a role it may play in constipation, I wish I hadn't as I think I would probably have been ok. I definitely plan to follow your method in the morning. Hopefully the steroids from the IV won't keep me up tonight and I won't have any other issues that do either.....
Today a friend, a good friend, asked me if I could articulate how having cancer has changed me so far. I told her I could think of several and shared some of those with her. One of the many things that came to my mind was that I am able to communicate and receive comfort, support, guidance and even humor from women I would have called strangers - none of us are strangers though when we receive our diagnosis and find our way here. Where else could I go for all that
Here I am just outside Seattle and talking with sisters sharing my journey from around the country and perhaps even the world - amazing! I don't know all the lingo and symbols here as yet but eventually, I will.0 -
Rita Jean - just reading backward after my long day - want to thank you as well! What a day!
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