Class of 2009 - Sisters in the same time frame
Comments
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Vivian,
I don't know what chemo you are going and don't speak from personal experience... but so many women on here report that nausea and vomiting are so much less of a problem than they used to be. So... hoping your doctor can up the comfort drugs so you don't have to suffer being so sick. I am hoping it will be easier each time!
pam
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Vivian, we are with you all the way. Pam is right, talk to nurse to see if you can try something different...I got zofran for three days and I also got stematol, but only used it when I was suspicious of nausea...I was told to take it even before you think you need it, as it easier to prevent than to stop. Good luck.
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Vivian ~ 1 chemo down !! Definately stay ahead of the nausea with your meds. I found Compazine worked wonders for me ~ Hoping you get those side effects down to a minimum.
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Hi Vivian - similar to Michelboots, I've also had Zofron (twice daily day of chemo and day after) and Stemetil in case I have any break-through nausea. The Zofron works wonderfully and I've never needed the Stemetil. Your oncology nurse will be able to help if you let them know. All the best.
Sherri
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Hey Ladies - Thanks for all the wonderful support... I can't believe I'm so freaking DONE with RADS!!!! I am doing the happy dance
and I didn't even cry!!! LOL!! Vivian - I hope your next chemo experience is far better than your first one. I definitely would be talking with the doctor and letting him or the nurse know the the meds didn't help as much as they could have and that you got quite sick. Sending you hugs and will keep you in my prayers. :=)
Juanelle - hope you are still hanging in there for your rads. I am praying that you don't get any of the not so wonderful side effects that I did. But just so you know they usually don't start until around week #4 for most ladies.
{{{{Hugs to all}}}}
Ready to get on with my life and more doctor visits... hahaha!!! There will be many more I already have 4 scheduled between Feb. 18th and May 4th.
Renee
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Congratulations on being done rads Renee!
The hospital called me this afternoon and my planning/simulation will take place on March 10th. Does anyone know if that's the type of appointment I should bring someone to? I'd like my husband to come but if he'll end up sitting in the waiting room when I'm in the CAT scan, I'm thinking it might make more sense for him to go to work instead. Do they allow anyone in the room when they're doing the tatoos?
Sherri
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Hi Sherri, my husband was not allowed in the room for the simulation/tatoos. I was not expecting the simulation on the day that I met with the Rad Onc, but he knew I lived an hour away and got me in while I was there already. Try to stay as relaxed as possible because when I went back for my 1st tx, they had to re-calculate everything again as I wasn't totally relaxed during the initial set up. I also struggled with just trying to lay there and not try to help them get me into position each time!
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Hi Sherri,
I may not use the right terms here but...
a lot of the simulation involves marking and cat scanning so no one but the tech goes in and out of the room, multiple times in my case. It took a long time for me, maybe as long as an hour. Hard to lay still so long. I did not get the "tattooes" that day. Lots of ink marks but my TINY permanent marks were done the first day of radiation. It was just a prick of the skin with ink embedded in the spot so the little dots are almost not visible. In fact some of the techs had such a hard time finding them I took a marker and circled them!
Best wishes for your rads. Hope it goes fast!
pam
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Sherri, my simulation lasted about 45 minutes. I don't think they will let your DH go in with you, you may want to just send him to work. I did get my tats the day of the simulation. It was very cold here the day I had my simulation and the techs hands were so cold. I am in sort of an odd position, so it did take them a while to get me set up. Good luck to you and I am glad you are finishing your chemo.
Renee, I have a total of 33 rads. I finished #12 today, so I am at lest 1/3 through. I hope all of yours heal soon and then you can go on with life. I am so ready to be there.
Juannelle
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Hi Sherri,
I actually had my simulation on the same day that I had my 1st appt. with my rad onc as well. No one was allowed back with me, only the techs and the head man that does the radiation plan of care. My tattoos were done that day (I have 4). The one on my sternum/breast bone is the largest one the rest of them are very small but definitely easy to find. Mine were done with black ink. One of my friends told me it looked like a black head. lol! (not funny!) The entire process for me took about 1 hour, if that long. To me the worst part was being exposed for so long in front of an older gentleman (he was the one doing the plan of care). The tattoes are not painful at all, just a little pin prick that I didn't even feel. Wishing you much luck in your rads journey.
Renee
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HI ALL
I had my simulation for rads one hr before my last chemo yesterday and my girlfriend was aloud in may be different here in Aus i was on my back very comfortable could of had a zzzzz but i think it was the happy pill i took an hr before ,nurses were great too nice tats were tiny blends in with a few freckles Ive got showed ,my kids told them it was a start to a whole body tattoo and I'm warning everyone don't piss me of I'm a chemo roid raging tat women now i didn't scare any one they just laughed at me I'm feeling today just really tired been sleeping all morning after 11 hrs last night
MICHELE AUSTRALIA day is similar to your INDEPENDENCE day i think i just stayed home everyone at home was working and the beaches down her get to crazy on days like that so its much better if i stay home im not to good with lots of people i get argues to want to kill
WELL BY ALL TALK SOON WHEN MY BRAIN MENDS A BIT
JOJO JUST
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Ladies - thanks so much for the advice! I will send my DH to work that day. He's a teacher and he can't just leave work easily without arranging for a substitute. I'll go it alone (...and go to the mall across from the hospital afterwards!!)
Sherri
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I just found out today that I will be getting chemo. It will start on 2/18. One thing he told me was that if I get really bad with the nausea, to come in and they have an IV of something they can give me that will help.
I will be getting the Zorfran because I am allergic to phenegrin (sp?), which is another common anti-nausea med that is used. But with me it makes my nausea and vomiting 100 times worse! Plus it "freezes" my belly and my stomach stops emptying its contents into the small intestines. Ugly stuff.
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I had really bad nausea after my first chemo. I never threw up so I did not even have that release. I was prescribed the Emend and Compazine. I took the Compazine and unfortunately found out that I was allergic. I had a dystonic reaction which is uncontrollable muscle movement or spasms. This happened to my neck muscles and I kid you not it looked like I was doing the "funky chicken". I know this because I was staying with my BFF because my DH was doing a golf weekend with his brother that was visiting from Ireland and she and I were laughing about it at the ER because, as I am freaking out about this development, she starts to tell me it may come in handy at weddings and that she can just put my food on the floor and I can just "peck" at it. She and I have been best friends for 31 years this year and times like that are definitely why! Anyway, I was prescribed Zofran and that did not make a dent. Finally my onc put me on Decadron and from then on no nausea ever. It is a steroid but I only took it during the 4 AC treatments and only for 3 days each time. It was wonderful. You may want to ask about it if the nausea gets really bad. The stomach "freezing" sounds like dystonia as well. Phenergrin and Compazine are in the same family.
Thank you for the sweet replies to my earlier post. There is definitely light (and boobs and hair) at the end of the tunnel.
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nene!
That is a very strange image you have conjured up there. What a great sense of humor you have.
pam
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Nene, sounds like the latest dance craze...it is funny you didn't start off with the decadron and zofran like most of us did.
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Renee - Way to go on your last rad! Whoo HA!
JoJo - way to go. Hang in there.
Escribe - Stick with us. We're here for you. And you're going to do A-OK. Zofran is a good drug, and has gotten lots of us through chemo.
Sherri - The simulation might not be a good time for your DH to go along, but I suggest asking your rad onc if you can have a look at your plan once it has been set up. After all of the initial measurements, my onc let me look at the computer screen. We could see the heart, lungs, and all of that good stuff. I saw the path of each beam and just where the radiation stopped. This is really helpful and comforting - you and DH may be relieved to see just how well they can control exposure to the other organs. It you are having radiation on the left side, please consider looking at how much of your heart is in the radiation field.
To all - love and hugs. Enjoy the weekend. XO, Mary
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Great advice, Mary!
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JoJo - I hope you are feeling better by the time you read this. Hugs to you.
Ezscribe- I have faith that you will be o.k. the doctors will take care of you and so will we!
Sherri - I agree with Mary about looking at your radiation plan. I wish someone had suggested that to me. I didn't and now I am finished and will never know. It's definitely worth asking about. It's your body.
What a great day this has been to not have to visit the radiation therapist and no doctor.
I am smiling from ear to ear! I did go get blood drawn at my regular doctor but I even wore a smile for that.Have a great evening ladies.
Renee
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jojo, I can't imagine you being anything but a princess. Sweet and mild and very gentle. I can't see you in a rage.
Renee, glad you are finished and could go around with that smile on your face. Hope all goes well for the weekend.
Mary, that is great advice, I may ask mine if I can see my plan, just to see it. I had not even thought about that. I am sort of a follower not a leader.
I went to get a mammo on my good boob today and they also did my bad boob. I didn't think you were suppose to get a mammo until after treatments. Anyway, they did it and it didn't hurt, I told them to be gentle. Good news, no problems on either one. woooohoooo
Hope everyone has a great relaxing weekend. Enjoy the Super Bowl.
Juannelle
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Renee, so glad you had a good day as well...we deserve that don't we.
I went into work today and gave everybody big hugs for the first time in months...my manager is such a big huggy guy and so kind...I thought he would squeeze me to death...i missed hugging my friends. Here in Canada french people greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks. So it was hard to stay away from that for 4 months..
I go on Monday for my CT scan and mapping with tats on my tats. Do you think I could get a little flower or an achor as a tattoo? Little bit scared of having to lay there for so long and not move..crazy eh. I also go a bone density measure as well today. Now I think I have been to every hospital in Ottawa.
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Michele - good luck with the CT scan and mapping. It really isn't too bad at all, for me the worst part was lying with my arm over my head for so long... it fell asleep! And in all fairness to the tech's they did let me move a little when I was uncomfortable and tried to cover me up a little because it was so cold in the room.
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Michele - good luck on Monday with the radiation scan/mapping! I know exactly what you're referring to with the double cheek kisses. My husband's family is French Canadian as are a number of my co-workers. People always mistake me for being French because I have a French last name and my first name is Sherri.
Bonne nuit
Sherri
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Michele,
Renee (Mimi) reminded me of how cold the rads room is. Something about keeping the equipment at a constant temp. But I was always freezing! Bundle up from the waist down at least. And best wishes for a smooth journey.
pam
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Hello all long time no posts, just busy and enjoying my break for doctors but they are back. Getting scheduled for a thyroid removal next month, first I will have my first follow-up mamma and a bone scan. A littel nervous, especially thinking it will hurt. Oh well tired of surgey and getting stuck buit guess is it what it is. Does anyone take synthroid? What kind of calcium and Vit D do you take?
Snowing outside being very lazy and sitting in my jammies yet at 10 am, almost time to ride my bike. I was having problems with arm and back pain, went to PT in December and feel good. What kind of goodies is everyone making for the Super Bowl, in our house we only look forard to it as an ok to pig out I think!! Have a fun filled weekend. WE are going out with friends tonight for a local steak fry and then back to play cards.
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We are not terribly in to the football and it is a great excuse for breaking the diet!!!
Meatball subs are on the menu :-)
pam
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Carollynn79 - where in Michigan is Port Hope? I'm originally from Sarnia across from Port Huron.
Sherri
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Mimi, I for my CT scan/ mapping can I wear deodorant?
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Michele, I would avoid it just because they also do a CT scan and I seem to remember that they're sensitive like mammography machines....I could be wrong about this but better safe than sorry.
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Sugar,
Port Hope is at the tip of the thumb, 75 miles straight north. I have to go to Port Huron for all my treatments and doctors. Have not been to Sarnia in years, we used to go eat Chinese at the Coburn Hotel!!! WE are making homemade pizza with pepperoni, polish sausage, mushrooms, onions and green olives and snak on cheetos.
Michele, I would not wear the deodorant.
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