Starting chemo July 2014
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Hi all, I'm a newbie around here. I found out that I will be starting A/C on July 24th. 4 rounds, 1 every two weeks with Taxol to follow once a week for 12 weeks. Any tips or suggestions on getting thru it?
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Chaosrains,
You look great! Love the extra blog you and Mag added to your hats!
Shirley
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So good to check in and finding ladies having a better day. I've had a rough weekend, I think I'm feeling a little better this evening. Running to the bathroom, unable to eat or drink much. Today a little ginger ale and pretzels have actually calmed my gut down a little. I've been spending too much energy feeling sorry for myself. I can and will do this, but it certainly is miserable.
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Just beautiful Chaosrains!
Mags and tooyang good luck tomorrow , my best wishes of no side effects.
Shirley, thank you so much for doing the caps!! I love them and my girl was so exited that she choose the one she want it first ... can you believe it? kids are the best!
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Hello Ladies
hope everyone is doing ok... Today is day 6 and I have had a tough stomach day for the first time since infusion... I actually felt pretty normal until today... just trying to relax and get through the nausea and runs .... tomorrow us another day Chaos. .. I am also having dense dose.... hoping the side effects arent too crazy being every other week instead of every 3... I love the hat pic.... you look beautiful!
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mommymel,
Your little girl is adorable! Glad u like the hats!
Shirley
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I had my A/C treatment today and all went well!! I read about the ice during the push so I was ready. As someone who's body totally rejected Taxol, I was grateful to walk out of the clinic on my own two feet and not on a stretcher. I know the side effects will hit in a couple days so I am enjoying how I feel today. I'm just a little tired but I can deal with that for today.
I had to let them go back in and suture my port in place because it kept flipping. This was the first time it was able to be used which was a relief.
I go in on Wed to get the Neulasta injection so we'll see how that goes. My treatments are 14 cycles Bi-weekly. One down....
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Tadover - So you are HER2+ also. That means you will most likely be on the same treatment as me. Ive picked up quite a bit about side effects from the TCH topic section on this website. Everyone who posts there is HER2+ .
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Coming home from Dr checkup.I feel well cared for...they all want me to make the hour and1/2 drive to see them! I loaded BC.org on my phone. That's how much I miss you all. Wish all of you "tomorrow" gals an easy day. I actually feel like me todat.
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Tadover and MaBarker5, welcome to our little haven. Add the thread to your Favorites and come back often. You will find a loving and supportive group of ladies who share it all – the pain and the joys.
Kitkatmo, JoeysMommy, sorry you're hitting rough patches. I know it's tough but you can get through it, it won't last long. Hydrate. Whatever you can get down and hold down. Kitkatmo, have you taken Imodium?
Shirley, your hats look wonderful on all of us, even the little one. Mommymel, she is precious. And so are you.
Blownaway, I don't know about the Kindle Fire, but I am able to update dx and add avatar from my iPad. Cousin has a Fire so I will ask her tomorrow. Steroids day today, so I'm the last one up.
ChaosRains, you are so beautiful! And I love your bling! (Did you ever watch Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood? They made personal hats.)
Coyote, so glad you are YOU again!
Too_young and Nancy, we'll be next. Hang on to your hats.
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OMG, I feel like crap. I'm hungry all the time, I have indigestion?? I burp all the time. And I am breaking out BIG time. and I'm pooped and just slow. I'm getting super sensitive to fragrance, everything I wash my hands with makes my hands itch. 12:30 and still not sleeping....
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dancingdiva, have you tried Gas-X? Seems like there were several days when everything I ate turned to bubbles. Erg. Try to stay ahead of the SEs. Eat what you're hungry for. For your itchy hands, you might try a baking soda rinse after cleaning them to remove the fragrance. And if it's bad, call the MO. You've got to keep your hands clean, I know that. Can you replace your soap with something like Cera-Ve or even baby soap?
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Mags - Ill try to find time at work to add some pics from my computer at work. I hope all goes well for you and that the pit is not too deep this time. Now we know what to expect and how to get ahead of the side effects. I'm on Thursday - another all day deal, then 3-4 days down.
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How long did you guys have the lower back pain from the Neulsta shot? I woke up feeling better but my lower back hurts so much today and it's day 7. I think I'm just gonna take a Vicodin and be done with it. I feel like a medicine cabinet! I'm also gonna call my dr to see if she can call me in prescription strength acid medicine. I miss my minty fresh breath! lol.
I'm actually gonna try to run a few errands this morning and think I'll be ok. I miss driving my car, The pink ninja, hence my nickname. It's a Challenger that I made into a race car and I had custom painted hot pink, who knew it would be a good representation of BC!
Have a great day and be blessed!
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1
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pinkninja, I can't address the Neulasta question – I have degenerative disc disease, so my back always hurts, and I can't really say whether it was worse because I was just otherwise so miserable... Did you take Claritin?
Love the car! Pics?
Blownaway, I'll ask my cousin about her Fire today as she's taking me to chemo. She can bring it along.
I'll post from the clinic later.
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Ok girls - this is crazy.....nearly 2 weeks post tx and the metallic taste has returned and I'm soooo thirsty. What's up with that? I thought at this point I'd be fine. It's the gift that just keeps giving....
I did yoga yesterday (restorative - highly recommended - you basically just lay around a lot) and I was so worried that I would toot every minute :-)
No clumps of hair yet. What day does that lovely event happen? - I have to say, I'm dreading that. I'm loving my new short haircut and I don't want to lose it!!! (I keep thinking that maybe I won't = denial).
Irish/Deb
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Hi Everyone - Well, it's been a week since first TX of AC. I was in a fog from Friday through yesterday. I'm not sure if it was lack of sleep or just the chemo itself. I'm still having trouble sleeping because of my broken ribs. SEs could be worse I guess, mostly the fog, constipation/diarrhea battle, constantly hungry and now my tongue feels like it's burning. I've been rinsing with salt water and Biotene, so hopefully that will keep any mouth sores at bay. I truly expected to feel back to my old self by now, but I guess not. The nausea meds took care of my nausea and no problems with the Neulasta shot so can't complain too much. I went back to work on Friday and Monday, but stayed home today because of the stomach problems. Hope everyone is handling their own SEs well.
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Momtoirish - My hair started a general all over thining on day 14 exactly. Today is day 19 from my first chemo and I saw the most hair loss this morning so far. Not in clumps but all over. My hubby called me at work to say we needed to call a pest control company after seeing the huge amount of hair in the bathroom waste basket. He's always so sweet that way....tongue in cheek.
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My hair started falling out in clumps on day 18. Had it shaved the next day and I have to say that other than the shock when I I walk in the bathroom and look in the mirror, I actually love it. Not having to mess with hair! Not worrying about clogging drains!
I am in the chemo chair, getting steroids & Emend right now. Got an A+ on bloodwork, so must be doing something right. Vitamins every day maybe. NP says the Neulasta is working.
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Hi Deb
As to the hair question after 14 days mine started to shed alot... as per request of my daughter I am holding on to what I have for as long as possible, git it cut super short kind of a faux hawk lol again as per request of DD. Tomorrow is day 21 since first chemo and still have hair.....but cannot brush or touch it without lots falling out.
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Thinking of you Mags hope all is going well. Just had my blood work and saw MO, everything is good to go for tomorrow.
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too_young, you go girl!
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Mags,
Looking strong girl!
Shirley
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Mags, Too young (and everyone else I am missing this week)...
Good luck!!
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Just got home from round 2 I'm exhausted though its probably not the chemo
My husbands uncle is in ICU in Austin and things arent looking good- they called in hospice and he is on a morphine drip. I refused to let my husband miss seeing his uncle for one last time so last night when he got off work we took the two hour drive to see him and then drove the 2 hours home ... got home about 1am and then had to be up at 6:30 to drive the almost 2 hours to my chemo and back...
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I'm loving the pics Mags! You look fabulous!
My first chemo was pushed back to next week, just not sure which day yet but I'll still be a July sister
I had my port put in this morning. No pain yet but but feels uncomfortable every time I move. I'm thinking of all you sisters having chemo this week and hoping you all have smooth sailing with minimal SE.
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Tadover - I'm not a MO, but for Stage 1b...I would question getting Andriamycin. I hear it is hard on the heart and so is Herceptin. If more advanced...I would understand.
I'm a HER2+ girl....as well. I am getting Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin... 6 treatments...1x every 3 wks. If you go to the HER2 website....it is one of the common treatments.....so is ACT.....but would imagine for Stage 2 and higher. Perhaps there is a reason I'm unaware of....and I am sorry to stick my nose in your business....but just keep reading about less than adequate treatment from MO's. There are options with regards to chemo and you should just be aware of them. I saw 2 of the top MO's in NYC....and was given several choices.
Today is my 6th day from my 1st treatment......I am doing well. I would say I started to feel tired and not quite right on the end of day 3. By day 4, I felt like I had light flu. I never felt nausea....so didnt take my med until day 4....which really helped. My stomach was more crampy.....and the anti-nausea meds really helped that...wish I knew to take for ANY stomach issue. I also got weird aches around my body (hence flu)....so took tylenol and eventually Aleve (it lasts longer). I slept a lot and drank TONS of water. By day 5 (Mon), I felt OK....not great....but went to work in the morning. By the end of the day....I was fine. And now I feel pretty much normal....except for little weird aches in my head/sinus.....so still taking Aleve....but no nausea/stomach meds. Oh....and I do take Prilosec in the morning.....definitely take that!!!!
I think drinking water helps a lot.....need to flush the poison out of the system. I've been drinking over 150oz/day.
And if you get the Nuelasta shot....definitely take Claritin along with it for 5 days. I took it and I dont have bad bone pain at all....
1st Round - not so bad....hope it stays this way!!!!
-Jennifer
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Just popped a pepcid AC...seems to be working....
OMG Chaos, that sounds rough. Hope you get to rest.
Somebody had asked on another thread about looking at ingredient labels when buying products...aka. parabens,phtalates, etc....Just wondering what you gals think? I've tried stopping to use parabens. I will try buying something fragrance free as the smell is driving me nuts and it's iritating me.
Hugs to everybody!!
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Mainlady - July 30
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ChaosRains, you are awesome to make that sacrifice for your DH, and I'm sure he appreciated that. And we've both survived Round 2, that makes me 1/3 done, how about you?
Wizard, it takes about 10 days for the port to settle in. I couldn't reach across my chest or sleep on my side until then, and now I don't even notice it. I used the Emla cream this morning and it worked out fine, just barely a pinprick when they attached the line today. So much better than the spray.
I've always taken Prilosec with my night meds, I take it to counteract the effects of Celebrex, so it's always been part of my protocol, like Clarinex, which I've taken for years for allergies, so two things I didn't have to change.
I told the nurse today that it's really hard to tell if I had any pain from the Neulasta since I have chronic pain syndrome as well as fibromyalgia and arthritis, so what pain is what? It just is what it is, I live with it. I got tired of the feeling I had when I was taking narcotics, that my brain would not function even for simple arithmetic problems. I'm much happier without them, though still in pain. I could never take enough to get rid of the pain anyway.
Ok I'm going to rest now. Gonna get my nails done tomorrow, then Neulasta shot.
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