Calling all TNs
Comments
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NavyMom - I was also thinking about Inspired - hope all is well with her. She is such a wonderful resource for us - I have learned a lot from her. Let's hope that she is enjoying life and taking a break from cancer.0 -
jen...yay for the fat necrosis!
Hey Dolce..check in ok...we miss you girl...you have helped me..and all of us alot..need you0 -
Cocker-How did your mammo go?0 -
Jianchi- how are you getting along after your first chemo? Hope the SEs aren't too bad!
ALhusband's wife Kathy- Woo Hoo for the all clear!!0 -
Hi ladies,
I haven't been on the boards in a while and was saddened about Luv's passing. May she rest in peace and fly with the Angels…she was certainly one here on Earth. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.0 -
Tiffany, my first chemo was not great.
When I first arrived and the nurse come to me I couldn't help but cried, cried really hard. She asked me whether I was afraid. I said: no, I am not afraid, just sad... The SE hit me on the same day: nausea, headache, lost of appetite... Yesterday was my Day 4, finally I had some appetite. I took two different medication for nausea, neither worked great. I am just very depressed about this whole thing. Anyway, I am better now at day 5. Will take a nap soon and hopefully I will wake up having a better appetite.
Hugs to you as always!0 -
BAK mammo came back clear thank goodness. I just never seen to get rid of the anxiety leading up to it though. Thing is, all the worry in the world doesn't change a thing but I just don't seem to get that into my head when tests are due. It just seems to alter my whole personality and I get tetchy and irritable usually with my old feller. Thank goodness he understands.
Jianchi those four days were always the most gruelling for me as well. Resting as much as you can, drinking plenty of water and taking nausea meds before it starts so you get on top of it, really helps. Eating what you really feel like helps as well, doesn't matter what it is as long as you have something but I always found water melon helped a lot.
AL husband you will soon see the wood through the trees. Keep chugging on, you are both almost there.
Jenjenl whoever thought fat necrosis would be great to have. So happy at your news. Have another chocolate milkshake to celibrate.0 -
cocker- thank you so much. Sorry to hear it was equally hard for you. I have 7 more time to go...sigh...it's really hard now the holiday season is here.0 -
Jianchi I know it's hard to believe but when the ladies told me it would go by in a flash and I would come out the other side they were so right. It will be the same for you I am sure. You go girl and kick that cancer to the kerb with every treatment.0 -
Jianchi,tell your MO about your side effects. My first chemo A/C was rough,I lost 8 lbs in 1 wk! My MO added fluids to to be given before chemo and added emend-anti nausea med to the bag. Someone on this site recommended asking for the emend-it is expensive so they sometimes don't use it right off the bat! The next 3 A/C chemos went a lot better,still lost 2 lbs a wk. But with the 4 taxol,I gained it all back,dang steroids!:(( No nausea with them,bone pain instead! Good luck!0 -
Thank you Crocker! I will do whatever I can to beat the beast! I am just not so into taking medicines. I guess I need to take them way before the syndrome hit me. Eating better now. Thanks!0 -
bellerast- thank you for the tips. I had all the nausea meds, but I think the one made me down was the steroids they put in the IV. At Day 6 I am feeling better and ready to go out. I had quite a bit for breakfast and lunch. I will talk to my MO before the second round.0 -
jianchi - my first chemo wa the very worst of all eight of them. I threw up 8 times the first night aftr chemo because the meds didn't work for me - I thought I was going to die, and I said I will not do this any more - but I did, albeit very reluctantly. You will feel better with each chemo because you will know what to expect - it is a very tough journey, just take each day as it comes - eat when you are hungry and rest when you feel tired. I personally found it worked best for me when I took a couple of short walks outside every day whether I felt like it or not. Good luck. Remember this is a place that you can come with any concerns as there are many of us who have travelled the chemo road and we are willing to put our 2 cents in!0 -
adagio-thank you so much! Wow you threw up 8 times! I did it twice, and it was so uncomfortable, to be honest I felt this was no better than dying. Today at day 6, I was able to go to supermarket with family, eat normally, and even made myself a nice protein drink. I have to be strong.0 -
Jianchi I had EMEND just like Belleeast and it was great. No nausea, no vomiting which is what I was afraid of. I took it for the first three days and never had any problems of sickness. May be your Onco will prescribe it for you as well, hope so because it really works.0 -
Cocker- I will for sure ask EMEND. I was given zofran，LORazepam and Prochlorperazine. Nothing worked too well during the first 4 days. They also ordered marinol for me which I haven't tried. I am feeling better now so might wait and see what cycle 2 is like.
Thank you for all the help and concerns!0 -
jianchi - I agree with cocker about asking for emend - that's what I did, and it made all the difference in the world. You have to be as comfortable as possible through this journey, so my suggestion would be not to risk the same drugs again if they didn't work for you the first time. You must be your own advocate. Glad you are feeling better though - are you on a 3 week cycle?0 -
Jianchi, I also had Emend and didn't have a single minute of nausea, just as my MO promised. Cheap Zofran never worked for me. Lorazepam (Ativan) is an anti-anxiety pill.
Hope the rest of your chemo goes fast and easy.
Carol0 -
adagio and Carol - I will call in tomorrow and ask my MO how come I am the last person in the world to know about EMEND!
I am doing Does Dense so cycle 2 will come soon. I just hope I will feel better then so I can join our family Thanksgiving dinner. Lorazepam is for anxiety but also said to anti nausea. Anyway, worked nothing for me. What is this marinol? I haven't tried but heard it's super expensive. Doesn't seem to be a good thing.0 -
jianchi - I also did dose dense. will you be getting neurogenic or neulasta in between chemos? This is a drug which helps the body produce more white blood cells and thus helps prevent infections.0 -
I agree with the rest on Emend - I used it and never had much nausea through DD AC/T! It's a godsend, even if I had to pay $25 co-pay every two weeks for just 2 pills! And my local Wal-Mart didnt carry it until i started using it- had a challenge getting the first prescription filled. Lorazepam is for all 3 - nausea, anxiety and sleep - I used it before bed - my MO said that would help me sleep more than the prescription sleeping pills. For those still going thru chemo stay strong! We all fight together!0 -
Adagio- neulasta was given the next day of chemo. Thanks!0 -
LanaM- thanks! Emend will be asked for sure. Thank you gals!!!0 -
I had Emend in my IV as well. My stomach felt a little yucky, but I never threw up! Lorazepam (Ativan) does help with all 3, but beware it is also addictive. I used it for a year then decided I wanted to get off it. It must be done gradually- do not stop it cold turkey. Your MO will tell you the best way to do this!0 -
Tiffany, I did have some nausea med through IV, not sure what it is. Also two blue pills before chemo. I need to ask my MO to confirm. I am like you, really do not like to rely on meds. Thanks!0 -
Had emend for each AC...never ever felt sick.. I agree somewhat with not relying on meds but puking your guts out isn't good either...we go through enough..and we shouldn't have to have all the se's if we can do something to ease them a bit.0 -
jianchi - before you fill the prescription, you can look up the side effects of the drugs for yourself. I never used Ativan because I am terrified of anything that can become addictive - that's just me! Also, we should be able to choose which drugs we take and which ones we don't want to take - always have plenty of questions for your MO. Information is power, so be sure to question everything and be your very own advocate.0 -
Thank you all so much for all your love for my mom. The memorial service went very well yesterday and I think mom would have approved. I appreciated seeing ladies from BCO in support of our family. My husband and I created a slideshow for the memorial and I wanted to share it with you here. I have to warn you it is not easy to watch. The song truly is my step-father's story of his love for my mom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6fjLkCFmDA0 -
LovinMyMom- You are in our thoughts. Your MOM was such a HELPFUL and POSITIVE person. May she soar with the angels.
Jianchi, drink plenty of water. I know it sounds redundant, but trust me, as time goes along it will make you feel so much better. I don't know why chemo tends to dry you out?? I ended up having to get a humidifier. I drank water constantly to flush my body, and also to combat that dried out feeling. Once you find the right meds your side effects should be mild to something you can put up with. There are so many little tricks, please inquire.
Question Ladies: I had a BMX so I am wondering how long does a breast surgeon need to follow me, or should all my imaging be scheduled through my Med ONC. I put in a call to my Med ONC's office, I'll let you guys know the answer. Maybe it can help someone, because I am no longer required to get mamos only MRIs.
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Lovin: What a loving tribute to your mom. Thank you for sharing, it helps give a fuller picture of the dynamo behind the avatar here. Obviously much loved and much missed.
Jianchi: Besides effective anti-nausea meds, 2 other tips I have: Drink lots of water the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo. And, take the meds exactly as prescribed. One of my meds was discretionary but my onc emphasized to take it at the very first sign of feeling unwell, even just a twinge; waiting until the nausea comes on, she said, would be too late.0
