Chemo in Sept 08
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Genia, glad you are doing better!
Juli - your pic looks great! I wish what's left of my hair was the color of yours. All my brown got buzzed away, so now it's just grey! Hope the neupogen pain goes away soon!
Heather, glad tx #2 went well - mine is Monday.
Iowagirl - hope you feel better soon too!
Question - how are you girls taking care of your scalp? Are you still shampooing it? Are you put moisturizer on it? What a bizarre question. Never thought I'd having to think about such things!
Have a great Saturday everyone! Hope those who aren't feeling well are much better soon! (((((((())))))))
Susan
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My scalp is sore today......how long before my hair comes out??? Today is day 10 for me.......
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genia- mine was sore for a few days before the big shed began. It really started shedding on day 14 and has gotten worse each day. Toady is day 16 and it isn't going to be long before i have it buzzed because all the loose hair itches. I guess we all have to do it when we think it's right. I know lots of women say they want to do it on their own timeline...good luck to you
Heather- i'm glad your 2nd FEC went well. My 2nd is thursday.
Tammy- i'm sorry you had such a tough time but i am glad you are back home and feeling better.
I hope everybody has a good weekend. We have beautiful weather so i am looking forward to it if the grandkids give us a break.
Take care!
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Susan
I cheated and colored my hair last weekend, so I wouldn't see how gray I am! LOL
Still having lower back pain, but the Darvocet is helping. Wonder how long this will last?
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Today is Day 17 and so much hair came out this morning. I am ready to buzz it and hope it looks Ok. Probably not ill tomorrow or Monday. It is depressing each morning t to comb my hair and it coming out. I feel like I have a rat's nest in my garbage! Maybe I'll feel better once I do it myself. The only power I have over this whole situation!
D
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Priz47 I felt so much better now that I completely shaved my head under my control. I hated all the pieces of hair that were everywhere. My only thing is it is cool here to just where a bandana, but not cold enough to have a winter hat, what to do. I am wearing my wig sometimes for short periods. I want to be outside but don't want to get sick.
Heather
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Finish AC #3 yesterday. I feel better this week than last. I think just keep going, and not giving in to laying down seems to help as well as watching what I eat. I'll do the neulasta shot tonight. I have to admit it feels GREAT to know that I only have one more AC to go!!
Tamm36 - I use Zantac maximum strenth for heartburn and it works well. My doctor gave me a prescription for nexium, but even with my insurance, it was going to cost $50! If you do decide to get Nexium, there is a coupon you can get by going to www.nexiumsupport.com. It is a card you take to your pharmacy with your prescription. The coupon is $30 if you have insurance (or up to your copay, if your copay is less than $30.
Colleen
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Brandonmom, I'm happy to to hear that Zantac prevented your having heartburn. Thank you so much for that information. Medicare allowed Phenergan for me, not the more expensive anti-nausea medication and it worked. YEAH!
Next Tuesday I see my new Oncologist and hopefully will restart my chemo, I am nearly four weeks from my last Chemo and my appetite has returned with no more metallic taste. Happy times for a while. Forgot to add I'm happy to restart; Triple Negative is nothing to play around with:) My hair is falling rapidly in spite of just having one course of A/C. I have an egg head....my son says it's cute... I thank God for his kindness to me.
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I'm shedding just a few hairs.......but put my bandana on just for the heck of it. My son says I look like a PIRATE......lolol........not sure what he meant by that.
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Susan, I am using baby shampoo on my newly bald head. Read that somewhere, but can't remember where.
Also, on another thread, Rockthebald suggested spraying the scalp with Aveda toner, so I will try that.
This morning I was sleeping in my little pink sleep cap when one of the cats came in and to wake me up she tapped me right on the head! They don't seem to mind that I don't have any hair.
Chris
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I was told to shampoo my scalp as normal. I have to because it tends to smell oily as I had really oily hair. I was told to use a moisturizer to prevent cradle cap type stuff. I put a scented moisturizer on in the morning and let it soak in before I put on my wig or hat. It seems to help to keep the wig from being so scratchy. In fact I think I start putting on more moisturizer at lunchtime and see if it helps.
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Hi Girls,
All is well in Singapore, I have part b of my 2nd FAC on Tuesday and although I feel nauseous most of the time, I will be glad to get it over so I can say I am half way through and only two more FAC's to go. I am focusing on Christmas as I finish my treatment 3 days before we fly to the UK. I am so looking forward to it as we had to cancel our trip home in the summer due to my treatment. What are you girls looking forward to?
Good luck to everyone and stay strong girls.
Singapore Chris
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Good morning girls,
Singapore Chris, sorry to hear you are having nausea. I know you have been at this for awhile, but is there anything else the docs can try to reduce it?
Great question to ask about looking forward....I am looking forward to carving that first pumpkin of th season with my daughter and setting it out on the patio, then watching my cats (black) "guard" it. I am also working on a list of things I really want to do after chemo...mostly seeing places and people and making memories. Since I need to do dose dense chemo I plan on doing dose dense life as well...
The leaves are at peak this weekend here in Minnesota! It is impossible for me to look at them and not feel the presence of magical/mystical forces!
CJ
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Hi all. I went away to a Woman's conference with some friends this weekend. I was very glad that I was not horribly sick. Tuesday and Wednesday lots of gas from both ends. Thursday constipation started and my stomach making lots of noise. Friday and Saturday during the day more constipation which changed to diarrhea Saturday PM and is continuing. I am now nauseaus (which is ok since now I'm home). I just took a compazine. I took a claritin on Wednesday when I got the nuepogen. I had a lot of fatigue on Wednesday and the pain Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I also needed to take a nap yesterday afternoon. I am sorry that some of you are having such a hard time.
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Hi, I have never tried this before, but thought I'd give it a shot. I started chemo Sept. 12, and I have 6 of the 8 treatments to go. It sounds like some of you have no nausea!? I'm so jealous. We've tried a variety of things, and it got better after dose #2, but still definitely there. My hair started falling out, so I shaved it, and have had the itchy scalp thing. I'll try the baby shampoo and see if that helps. Thanks! I've had some fatigue, but after about a week (maybe less) its gone away. Does it get worse at the treatments continue? Does anyone have radiation after chemo? I am looking forward to a famly vacation after everything is said and done. No phones, no other people, just us. Aaaaahhhh.
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Welcome MCSK...
Yes I have radiation after chemo (16 more weeks of chemo to go). What type of chem are you having? There are lots of good ideas on this thread for managing the side effects. No I do not have the nausea, but have some chemo brain going on...lost my way to work this week. My teen daughter says I have a bad case of sudden onset of ADD
My fatigue has not gotten worse but seems to fluctuate more with the steroid taper than the chemo regime.Again welcome!
CJH
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welcome mcsk
Ladies i took the plunge and have the fuzzy head. HAD to get that itchy hair off.
Sobering moment. but had to do it.
Jane- i'm glad you enjoyed the conference.
. I have TX #2 thursday.
Heather hope you are still doing okay
Everybody have a good week this week
Lisa (bettysgirl)
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Hi gals,
Hope everyone had a good weekend! My sister and SIL and I spent some time hanging out Saturday, and also went shopping for hats. I got 4 and so I had something to wear to church yesterday!
My buzzed hair is still coming out like crazy. I need to lint roll it I think. Welcome MCSK!
Who all is up this week? Lisa (bettysgirl), I know you said you have tx 2 Thursday. Chris (hopefullady) and I have tx 2 tomorrow. Who else?? Good luck to us all!
Looking forward to: Christmas. I will be done w/ chemo and will be wishing for some peach fuzz on my head. Someone asked about radiation - I'll begin that after chemo and then then tamoxifan (sp?) for 5 yrs.
hugs,
Susan
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Today I went to Race for Cure in Denver. 65,000 people. I ws tired afterwards. It was amazing!
Hair is coming out in gobs. I plan on buzzing it tomorrow, as I cannot stnd all the shedding. I think I am ready, at least I hope so! I do not have a wig, but plan on using scarfs.
I am having my second treatment on Wed. I am a little nervous abt it, mostly wondering if it will bethe same, better or worse? I have to get my prescriptions filled tomorrow.
Hope everyone had a ggod weekend!
D
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my 2nd AC is Friday and I'm hoping to walk the survivor lap in the Relay For Life the next day.
Good Luck to all this week!
Juli
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Hi everyone. Like Susan said, she and I have treatment #2 tomorrow. I think I'm more nervous than I was for the first one. Now that I know what to expect, shouldn't I be less nervous? The first one wasn't too horrible, I guess I'm just hoping that it will be the same this time.
I am not getting used to this bald head either.
Guess I'll quit whining and go to bed! Hoping for an uneventful week for all.
Chris
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Evening everyone,
I was sweating all over town today and yesterday in my cute wig. arrgh. I can NOT stand it. I took it off, wore my mom's beret over my nearly 100% bald head, went to the street fair and felt human. I think I'm going to wear either scarf/hat combos or scarf/cap combos when it snows/gets really cold. I'm disappointed that I can't tolerate my wig but there it is. It's just too itchy, too hot, too much. I'm not working right now so I can get away with not wearing it everyday. Yesterday, I felt like throwing it down the aisle in the grocery store, a la Samantha Jones of S&TC.
God Bless
mina
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Hi ladies,
Can I just say I should have not complained about Taxol? Sure I have numb feet and tiredness, but I got switched to FEC Wednesday and now I know what real nausea is. 3 days of horrible nausea and that was with Emend and Zofran. Thank goodness this is only every 3 weeks, seriously could not do it weekly. Better today and surely tommorow will be better still?
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Hey all - it's amazing what a few days of feeling good do for your morale. Tomorrow I'm getting my first mast bra/prosthesis and my wig - the shop owner is a BC survivor and does a great job of making everything ok...assuming hormones behave, I'm hoping for a good trip. I'm planning to shave my head next Sunday, but may have to before...I suspect it will be a relief to get past that step and just deal with it, but I'm not quite to that point yet. It seems like the last big kick cancer gets to deliver in this sequence. I am having radiation after, but am told it's a walk in the park compared to chemo.
On the odd moments front, I was at Macy's looking for satin pillowcases - they don't have them, but after showing me an $80 pr of cotton pillowcases, the lady asked why I needed satin. Then she followed me from the dept loudly saying "make sure you watch comedy's and buy a bunch of great hats and it will be ok" - Wow, can't really tell you how awkward that was....
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving - I love the holiday. My youngest will be home from college and both my girls are planning to take over the traditional recipes...except for the pies. They plot all year how to change my stuffing recipe because they don't really like it. We always have way too much food but keep adding new ones every year...and Thanksgiving is always here before you know it.
Hope tomorrow is a better day for you all.
Ruth
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Ruth,
Oh, that is funny! Because we all know that comedy and hats make it all good! People mean well they just sometimes don't know what to say.
Good luck bra and wig shopping. Go find something fabulous!
Marci
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Mina,
I know the feeling, tried the wig and no could just not stand it! Good news ladies, winter is coming and we can start wearing stocking caps and a few friends knit me the cutest hats that will be a nice change from the baseball cap currently glued to my head!
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Hi Girls,
One thing about wigs, you can get used to them, but only if you like the one you have. When I first started wearing mine I hated it, but then got a little cotton inside cap thing and the whole experience changed. It becomes more comfortable when all the little bits of hair are gone! I would rather not wear mine, but it does look good and is comfortable when in the aircon.
Cjh, I have tried some different meds for the nausea and they do help, but just have to put on a brave face and do lots of interesting stuff to side track me. Thanks for reminding me about Holloween, I love cutting out pumpkins too, but don't have any cats to guard them, not sure what my dog wil think, hope he doesn't try to eat them.
I also have radiation after chemo, starting Jan, should be a piece of cake. More chemo for me tomorrow, not dreading it, looking forward to catching up with a friend during the process.
Take care and good luck girls.
Singapore Chris
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Hi all - checking in. I had my second TCH last Thursday and am doing alright. I have young kidlets and they help get me moving. Exercise helps the most. This past weekend was the first time to head out without hair and I dreaded it, but I did it. My blood counts were good, so I didn't need the Neulasta. I hope everyone is doing ok. My next tx is 10/23.
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It took me a while too to get used to my Wig, I started wearing it in small doses at home. I can go for hour now, and it's cooler, that heps. HOT does not help, that's for sure
But you do get used to it... at least I did. And I'm glad I stuck it out. It's like an escape into just being a normal someone that nobody knows had cancer for a while. For me, it's a relief... just to be in the crowd...
Springtime
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I cannot believe that you guys aretalking about the holidays already! I look at my friend who has her Fall decorations ut. I just can't do it yet! Haven't even loked at pumpkins!
I want to shave my head, but DH wants to wait "a few moredays". I doubt if I can make it past tomorrow! I just want to get it over with! Pulling out hair everyday is drivng me crazy!
Still tired after yesterday. It really wore me out! need to go shopping to get my bland, high protein food for Wed. Like to have everything ready.
Hope everyone is doing well!
D
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