Chemo in Sept 08
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Hugs to all, especially Yuyu. Keep your chin up! We are here for you.
Tomorrow I find out when I start my cocktails...
Juli
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I wish that I could give you a great big old hug Yuyu! I'm giving you a cyber-hug right now
I got my port installed without any problems. I have a great support group at the hospital, including my surgeon. I did miscalculate and thought that I would be able to drive myself home - had to leave my car at the hospital and one of my coworkers drove me home (and I had sooo many errands to run, trying to finish up last minute shopping for my birthmother's birthday - this will be the first one we spend together). I also did not realize that I would have to take coumadin as long as I have the port in. Learn something new everyday. Then my oncologist calls me at ~7pm tonight( I appreciate his dedication, but the sweet man needs to get a life) to tell me that he found a trial for triple negatives; it involves a drug called Abraxane and Cytoxin. The drug will be offered free to me, but I will only be able to receive it at his office (part of the study guidelines). It's supposed to be as or more effective than Taxomere (sp) with less side effects and only takes 30 minutes to infuse. Thought I had everything planned out - but I have to remember the old saying, "Man makes plans and God laughs". I hope that I will be able to start my chemo as planned because I'm ready to get started so I can get finished!
Love and hugs; I'm getting pretty attached to y'all.
Donna
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Hi All,
First time poster here, but I've been reading since July, when I was diagnosed. This board has been such a tremendous help in getting my head around this whole thing. The wealth of information here has guided me in coming up with great questions for my doctors, and understanding more than I would ever have imagined when I first started this process during some very dark and fearful days early July.
I had a lumpectomy/SNB on August 20th. Tumor was 1.8cm and the one node taken was clean - except for some pesky "isolated tumor cells", which both my surgeon and my oncologist (and my research) tell me are not to be of concern. They still bothered me a bit, but I find that now I'm over it as I inch closer to starting my chemo treatments and the fear/unknown about all that commences.
I will be starting Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin on 9/18. Is anyone else doing that? I didn't see anyone in the Sept 08 list with that combo. I will be having an echo cardiogram and a port put in on 9/15.
I'm worried about side-effects (who isn't before you start, I guess). I'm really hoping to be able to work as much as possible during treatments. I work at a desk all day, so not much too physical effort is required.
I live in the Boston area, I'm 44, and have two kids (14 and 12). They understand what is going on, but I don't think they will truly "get it" until I'm in full swing chemo. Ugh. Not looking forward to this.
So, I'll have 6 Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin treatments (every 3 weeks), then 30 radiation treatments (5x week/6 weeks). Of course, I'll be on the Herceptin for a year, and will also have Tamoxifen for 5 years.
I still have fleeting moments of "I can't believe this is my new reality", but they are getting fewer and farther between. I'm trying to stay positive with thoughts that this WILL work and it's all just a blip on the radar screen of life. Sometimes that's easier said than done.
So, as I'm sure most can relate, I'm not too pleased to be in this club, but happy to have found this supportive and resourceful place.
Kim
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Sorry to welcome you Kim, but "Welcome" anyway. It's definitely a paradigm shift this new reality of ours. Thank God we have means such as this to share experiences. It seems like everyones chemo cocktail is a little different. I do realize that a lot depends on your age, tumor grade, and hormone status....but even then, the combinations seem to be all over the place.
I'll be thinking of you on the 15th. So far, my port experience has not been a bad one (ok, so I've only had it half a day so far - but long enough for the pain meds to wear off and it's still tolerable).
Take care, we're all in this together!
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Woorus, sorry you had a hard time, it's not easy getting used to the treatments. It's alright to be sad sometimes. Give me a call or email and we can get together.
Tammy in Texax, Welcom to the group. As you have seen this is the place to air your worries and I beleive we will all recover faster for it. It's important to express our concerns and fears as sometimes we feel we have to be strong for our children and families. I know what you mean about getting more bad news, just when you think you are over one phase, they hit you with another. It will end and it's all for our own good. We must find a way to welcome the chemo as that is what is killing the cancer. Take Care
Lyn1117, Welcome and good luck for tomorrow you have come to the right place. I love seeing a new post no matter what time of day I log in.
Floridaeyes, Sorry to hear you are back:) You sound like a strong lady, we need you and will be here for you!
Yuyu, You will be O.K. glad the fever has gone, you will feel better soon. Cancer is a horrible thing, but we will all get through it. Stay positive. Hugs to you!
The Missing Wink, Glad the port went in well, have a great time with your birth mother on her birthday.
Kimy, Welcome, I am sure you will find that as long as you are coping well, you kids will too. I try to be as normal as possible when the family are around and rest and feel weak (if necesssary) when they are out.
Thinking of you all, and wishing everyone much strength and happiness, remember you can still enjoy each day, or parts of it! Chris
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Hi all,
I am also new to posting, have been reading this website since July when I was diagnosed. I am currently doing weekly Taxol. Have had 3, 6 more to go, then on to A/C. Last tx I had a reaction to the Taxol. Here is what I learned... Don't forget your Decadron before treatment! My lungs felt like someone squeezed them with a vice. After a large dose of Solumederol and Benadryl, I started to breath again. Scary stuff. Nice to meet all of you, I look forward to reading this website and finding friends and info.
Marci
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Hi all...
I had my first treatment of Taxotere and Cytoxan yesterday.It was very uneventful. I was premedicated with IV Benadryl, Decadron, Zofran and Tagamet. I drank a lot of water the night before and during the treatment. I really think this helped. Stay hydrated ladies. I still feel well today...well enough to go to my morning exercise class.It's a wonder what steroids can do.
Yuyu-Keep your chin up. We are all going to have those bad days at some point but with all this support we'll all get on to brighter ones.
Good luck today and later this week,Tanzie, cjh,HeatherL, the prettiest mess,the missing wink and Lyn 1117. I'll be thinking of you. The anticipation is definitely the worst. Stay positive and think of the chemo as a clear cleansing, healing fluid.
Love to all, L
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Hi Tammyintexas,
Just wanted to welcome you like so many other wonderful people welcomed me onto this board. Big HUGs! It's a bummer to be here, but I wanted to share with you that for me, the hardest part of this whole experience so far has been the "taking of tests", and "hearing of test results". I'm 54 and never had a CT scan, bone scan, MRI, etc. before. All of these tests and weird test preparations, i.e. IV lines, needles, different color dyes, and pee - all terrified the heck out of me. And then waiting and finally getting the test results!
A root canal I had 4 weeks before my bc dx showed up on the bone scan so now they want another xray of my lower "mandible" (jaw) to double-check. Even the breast biopsy showed up as a hot spot on my 4th rib, so that has to be xrayed too.
I told my oonc that these tests are scary for me and she prescriped Lorazapam as an anti-anxiety. The first time I took it, before a test - and long before chemo, I got nauseaus. So... I went to my primary doc and told her "if I'm old enough to have cancer, am I finally old enough to have my very own prescription of valium?". She laughed and agreed, and I got an Rx of 5 mg. to get me over the scary parts. I generally bite off a chunk (half) of a piece of valium when I need a little courage and it works fine. And, thank G-d, except for the little cyst on my pancreas, all of my test results have been fine. Of course, now I"m convinced this bc doesn't mean as much because I'm going to die of pancreatic cancer; a much more difficult fate! (Not true, fortunately!!) That said, all of my doctors have told me that these tests we take look at every nook and cranny and find everything. Even my onc has a cyst on her pancreas. So until it's time to retest the pancreas - and it's almost certainly just a cyst; I'm fine.
There are just a lot of scary tests. So, don't be shy if you need some courage. Vitamin V works for me!
Sue
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Yuyu, you and I started chemo on the same day, and I'm having a bad day today. Maybe it is just the timing. I don't feel "bad", just feel sad and overwhelmed today. I hate cancer, I really really hate cancer.
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Hi all,
Just wanted to say that I have the port installed on Thursday, the 11th. Not exactly sure when the first treatment will be, but maybe as soon as Friday! I'll let you know.
Great to know that you are all right here as close as the computer.
Tammy, my name is Christie and I have breast cancer. And it has gotten a lot easier to say.
I remember the first time I was at the surgeon's office and they asked me if I had ever had any kind of cancer before and all I could think of was "stop saying out loud that I have cancer" because I just could not get my mind wrapped around the idea.
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Finally, I know my start date...Friday Sept 19th. I am having the PET scan this Friday, followed by the Muga Scan on Monday, then get the results next Wednesday along with chemo lessons.
I will be having A/C every 3 weeks for 4 treatments, then Taxol every week for 12 weeks, followed by 6-7 weeks of radiation, Herceptin for a year, and Tamoxifen for 5 years.
Hope I can get through all this without taking too much time off work.
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Brandon Mom,
I know how you feel, it is just not physical symptoms, but also emotional/mental. I hate the fact that I have cancer and having to have to fight this when I should be enjoying my life to the fullest. But, today is a little better than yesterday, and hopefully tomorrow, I am feeling a little better than today. Things must get better, let's hang in there.
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Hi all! Good to have someplace to go and share. I finished my first session yesterday 9-9. If the times that I post are strange, it is because I live in Zurich Switzerland since the beginning of the year. My first chemo was just an strange experience. I did get this circular patch from a friend to put over the port a couple of hours prior to chemo. It was to numb the area and it worked like magic! The nurse gave me more for the future. Prior to going into Chemo, I told my onc about a lymphnode that was not near the surgical site, but was swollen. He sent me over for an ultrasound. The doctor doing the ultrasound started by saying, this was his first day, then when he picked up the ultrasound equipment he said, wow, I have never used this before. After quickly making shaving motions up and down my underarm, he said, well I dont see anything!! Real comforting!! I went back to take the chemo. I will watch the lump for next time. Anyway, chemo was ok (as ok as it can be), but like some of you, I get migranes and this gave me a horrid headache all day. I then went back to work for 7 hours of meetings. I know the chemo shouldnt hit you that quick but with all that going on, I was soooo tired, I went right to bed. This morning I am better (and working from home). I know several of you had it on the 9th as well. My prayers go out to all of you Sept ladies.... lyn
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I had a port put in last week and the 1st chemo treatment is tomorrow. I took my first pre-chemo round of steroids this morning. I am going to be so non-functional at work today as I am exhausted, nauseated, and worried.
Sept ChemoGals!
Sept 01 - FloridaMom TAC (Port placed Aug. 29)
Sept 02 - Jacuelyn32 TC or TAC
Sept 02 - kmg1015 TC x6
Sept 03 - Priz47 A/C (Port inserted Aug. 28)
Sept 03 - 2z54 (Port and SNB Aug. 28)
Sept 04 - Emily2008 A/C x4
Sept 05 - yuyueno TC x6 every three weeks (Port placed Sept. 29)
Sept 08 - woorus 6 tx every three weeks
Sept 08 - Lili46 TC x4
Sept 09 - Tanzie A/C x4 two weeks between (Picc Line inserted same day)
Sept 11 - oldlady TC X4 every 3 weeks, Final Treatment something else.
Sept 15 - Sue508 TC x4 three weeks between
Sept ?? - Curlieqz
Sept ?? - bettysgirl FEC+T
Sept ?? - TheMissingWink
Sept ?? - Juli50 (Port placed 9/05)
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Today's the day for me...FAC x 4, Taxol x 12...port installation 9/18
On top of everything else...I started my period...Oy.
Hope everyone's hanging tough!
Robin
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Hey al! Hope those who had chemo yesterday are feeling Ok and those who started today will get through this. We are here for each other and need to give each other strength and listen to each other vent.
Question; Why is it recommended to chew ice or something cold when getting Adriamycin? Did anyone do this? Did it work, however its supposed to?
I am anxiously awaitng next week, wondering how i will feel and how much I can do. I overdid it yesterday and pulled my chest tube incision open and boy did that hurt! So today, I am not even getting dressed, just resting. I have been feeling down and I feel like I should just let it all out and cry. I just don't feel like me and I wonder who it is when I look in the mirror. I know it wil get better but it makes it hard when even my DH treats me differently.
Sorry to be so down! Just a bad day....
D
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Hey Everyone,
Had a great time with my mother yesterday; went shopping, bought her a facial (she's a sneak and bought a facial gift cert for me), had lunch, did makeup, had dinner, lots of hugs and kisses!
I am going to start my chemo tomorrow as planned. Had my CBC & Chemscan drawn from the port this afternoon and eveything worked out fine. Have to pick up my prescription for Emend after work today..$250 for 3 pills!!!!!!!!!!!! Yikes - hope my insurance covers some of it; and at that price, it better work and do laundry too! The port area is tender; on the plus side, I'm not so focused on the bi-mast incision. I have the rest of the week off and hopefully will be able to come back to work on Monday. I'll just have to play it by ear.
Love the Vitamin V! I gotta get me some of that!
Love and hugs to all!
Donna
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Welcome to all the new warriors!
Good luck to all those starting this week!
I am on day 9 now and feeling 99% of my old self, so those starting in the next couple of weeks, just remember, as bad as it may be, this too shall pass.
I wanted to offer something that I hadn't really seen in any of the boards. An aquaintance of mine had the same regimen this summer (TC) and she also had trouble on day 4 as I did. Her oncologist told her to go in and get IV fluids and she called it "liquid gold". I called on Saturday and they ordered them for me both Sat and Sun. I just went in for 1 hour and received a liter. It really seemed to help. I had more energy and fewer aches. Now I'm guessing that the same can be achieved by drinking as much water as you can, and I think I probably got behind drinking because of the taste and I was sleeping alot, so next time I am going to try and drink a liter every 4 hours and see if it helps. It also really helped me to add lemon to the water. My taste buds are still "off" so it makes it much tastier. So, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!!
Also, kimy, your regimen TCH was just approved by the FDA and from what I know has very good data behind it, so Good Luck!
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Priz47; I just finished FEC yesterday and the E is the same family as Adriamycin and the nurse said you have to take ice or popsicles to keep the mouth really cold and the cold helps to constrict the blood vessels as to not cause mouth bleeding and sores. Hope that helps.
I came home with a major headache and then about 3 hours later got nauseated and sick overnight 3 times but feeling pretty good today. Still slightly nauseated at times and tired but not too bad.
Hope everybody else is doing well and good luck to the new ones to start.
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Adding lyn117, tamyintexas, floridaeyes, kimy, 6cooks and oldlady! Welcome ladies.
Adding juli50's date, and hopefullady's port date!
(I dunno if it's just me,or the chemo, but I have the feeling I've left something out! If so, sorry!!)
Sept ChemoGals!
Sept 01 - FloridaMom TAC (Port placed Aug. 29)
Sept 02 - Jacuelyn32 TC or TAC
Sept 02 - kmg1015 TC x6
Sept 03 - 2z54 (Port and SNB Aug. 28)
Sept 03 - horselover A/C x4 every two weeks T x4 every two weeks (Port placed Aug. 29)
Sept 04 - SingaporeChris FAC
Sept 04 - Emily2008 A/C x4
Sept 05 - yuyueno TC x6 every three weeks (Port placed Sept. 29)
Sept 05 - BrandonMom
Sept 08 - woorus 6 tx every three weeks
Sept 08 - Lili46 TC x4
Sept 09 - Tanzie A/C x4 two weeks between (Picc Line inserted same day)
Sept 09 - cjh
Sept 09 - HeatherL FEC x3 / TC x3
Sept 09 - lyn117 EC & F(5FU)
Sept 10 - theprettiestmess FAC & T
Sept 11 - klfh tx x6 three weeks apart
Sept 11 - TheMissingWink (Port placed 9/08)
Sept 11 - oldlady TC x4 every three weeks -- final treatment something else
Sept 15 - Sue508 TC x4 three weeks between
Sept 15 - floridaeyes
Sept 17 - Priz47 A/C (Port placed 8 / 28)
Sept 18 - kimy TCH every three weeks
Sept 19 - Juli50 A/C x4 every three weeks T twelve weeks
Sept 22 - tamyintexas
Sept ?? - Curlieqs
Sept ?? - bettysgirl FEC+T
Sept ?? - HopefulLady (Port placed 9/11)
Sept ?? - 6cooks T - A/C
You girls please let me know if I need to add, or if I've forgotten anything!
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Tanzie, cjh, and lyn117,
How was your chemo today? Hope you are feeling well and have few SE's from it. Keep us posted.
HeatherL-thanks for the info. i will try it.
D
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Oy.. you girls are hard to keep up with! No slacking allowed around here, chicas.
Still, I love coming back and catching up with everyone.Lots of new faces here! Welcome everyone, all the ladies on this list are really wonderful, and always ready with a word of encouragement or a quick 'feel better hug'.
Well, my first tx was yesterday. And I have to say that compared to the mini-surgery I had with the picc-line placement.....it was sort of anti-climactic. Everything went so smoothly! Thank you Lord! Day one was okay. I was left with a strange strung-out feeling and a churning stomach. But no nausea, and no vomiting. A bit of a headache, but I've had much worse, and some tylenol took care of it.
Today has been about the same. So far, so good!
Those of you that have had bad days and bad reactions-- HeatherL, lyn117, 6cooks, I'm sorry girls, great big hugs go out to you!
Brandonmom, and yuyu, my onco nurse told me that around day 3 or 4 would probably be my worst. I wasn't sure if she was talking about physically, or like you guys suggested, mentally. I think maybe it's just sheer exhaustion which allows us to be overwhelmed by everything we've been fighting off since this horrible battle with cancer began. Hang in there and know folks care about you.
priz-- I asked my onco nurse about the mouth sores. She said that they weren't real common with the A/C that she had seen. So the ice wasn't really necessary. I just nodded, smiled and sipped my IcyCold drink. lol Better safe than sorry, I always say! btw: Vitamin V
Donna (winkster)-- So glad you had a wonderful b-day visit with your birthmom! The one time I pampered myself with a facial, I loved it! Such a great way to spend some quality mother/daughter time!
lili- A good treatment, you say? Whoohoo! Here's to hoping that things are going just as well for you today!
tamiintexas-- I had the hardest time saying 'I have cancer' at first too. It felt so strange coming out of my mouth. Now I'm almost defiant about it. Weird huh?
kmg- Okay, I'm marking my days now. Nine days to 99%! I'm glad you're feeling back to your old self.
PrettiestMess! Me too! I started my period the night before tx.
Amazingly, it stopped just as soon as it started! I don't know if it was stress that did it, the chemo, or the zoladex injection they popped into my belly fat right before I left. How are you feeling after treatment? HUGS.To those of you that start tomorrow and later this week--- Good Luck!!!
take care ya'll,
Tanz
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D'oh! Sorry, priz! That was 2z54 that mentioned Vitamin V. And that little quip was funny, I don't care who ya are. 0
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Newbie here HELP PLEASE!
I feel a distinct difference in my treatment since I lost my Secondary insurance, though I have chosen a really fine ONC. I lost my secondary which was part of divorce agreement no longer being paid by my EX. I chose a Medicare Advantage PPO plan with care...I paid my co-pay today, with comments by my MD that he is giving me a break. That I can take. But he does go off sometimes about how Medicare is going to be broke soon, how some docs in NYC don't take ANY Insurance...I know that...and how the payments are so awful to all the docs. I know that too.
MY problem; do I sit quietly, take my chemo treatment--I had my first chemo today-- and get out fast. I do like him believe it or not... I am a RN and recognize his desire to make a decent living, or should I tell him how upset I get with all his comments about Medicare Payments since I am in this awful Cancer crap and hope he'll understand how I feel.
Any thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.
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Priz47: Hugs to you! Take it easy. I know that's easier said than done. I see you are starting the same Tx 2 days before me. Do you have that "what haven't I done that I need to do" feeling before Tx starts next week? It's driving me crazy!
Tanzie: We have the same Tx too, so I watch your SE's like a hawk because mine may be similar. BTW Great job with the "list". Thanks for keeping us all up to date.
Big hugs to everyone else!!!
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Hi everyone, I'm finally able to post back. I would love to respond to each and everyone personally, but I'm just not able. So thankyou All for sending my well wishes!! And welcome to you other newbies like me who were just diagnosed these past couple of monthes. Its been a long hard week, but after being in the ER (Dr.s orders) 5 hours yesterday (ran blood, checked out tummy, gave fluids and anti nausous med again (twice)..which I still promptly threw up after the car ride home. BUT , I'm able to sit up today finally. They have tried several anti naus. meds none seem to work real well. I fell like such a wimpy whiner. I'm usually soo strong, surgery pain for me was nothing.......this chemo is making me feel like I'm at deaths door. Yes, I said it, and worse yet, I even told my Doctor in my delirius pain "I Can't do it" But alas, today I'm up and can open my eyes without being nausous!! One full week after the first dose. The Dr. says I should not be this bad after the first dose, which scares the hell out me because, whats gonna happen down the line then??? My white blood cell count is already low, and the nurse pressed on my port soo hard to get the blood I yelled out the lords name in vain (twice). My problems escalated since the last time I posted, I developed gastritis, which by the way is extremely painfully. I was in bed, straight for two days eyes squeezed shut, tears running down face, and could only lay on right side. I couldn't eat or drink anything, it wouldn't go down. I've lost 10 lbs. in one week, and I'm not the type of person that loses weight easy. Now I know how a horse feels when he colics and dies. No TV, or light due to the really bad headache and nausousness. I still have my headaches, but today I just feel weak and under the weather. I don't know if I'm having a reaction to something or what? My stomach is still bothering me some but only when I eat or drink..LOL I'm trying to keep hydrated, but its hard when everything you drink makes your tummy hurt and sends these little burps of yummieness back up. I have developed the dreaded metal mouth, can't drink my favorite drink of water anymore, or grape kool aid, only ginger ale, is slightly doable, and warm de-caf tea. Also, I apparently should have gotten my butt balm, because now the pain has apparently passed on down the line from tummy to butt. I know this is a really gross kinda question, and only you girls here may understand.. My butt feels like I poo'd pure acid, but here's the clincher, no pun intended, its not the outside its the shoot if you know what I mean, so, how do I fix this awful BURN inside??? Oh the humanity!!! and to think 6 more days and I have this to look forward to all over again. GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!
Sorry to all if I sound like a downer, but I am down in the dumps.
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Treatment was LONG! I left the center at 4:45 and I was scheduled for 12:45.
I had my exam, and then the trouble ensued! All of my "good" veins are in my right arm, and they needed my left. The poor nurse tried three different places and finally got a stick in the last place...but she couldn't get a blood draw for the Adriamycin. She ended up drawing out of my right arm in the end. Needless to say, I'm thrilled that my port will be put in next Friday!
I had a decadron bag, an Aloxi bag, and swallowed an Emend before the cytoxin bag. Those took about two hours, then the Adriamycin and 5FU were pushed in through the line, not hung from a bag and both took 15 minutes total for both. While the cytoxan was infusing, my whole head felt like your nose does when you've got a righteous sneeze coming on, and I've had a headache all day. Tylenol's not touching it, so I'm wondering if I slept wrong or were really tense all afternoon.
I'm keeping hydrated, and peeing like a trooper...I start my neupogen shots on Friday, and will receive one every day for the next ten days. My next FAC is October 1. 15 more to go!
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What is Vitamin V??? I missed it.
D
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valium
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Tanzie,
Can you please add my wife as she will be starting Chemo (AC) on 29 Sep? Her name is Patti.
Thank you, Tom
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