Starting chemo July 2014
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Wow! You girls have been busy! I'm dealing with abdominal cramping again; the sublingual tabs the doc prescribed last time do work ... eventually. Yesterday it took 3 doses (@4 hours apart) before it calmed down. Big D is keeping its distance, after a dose of Imodium yesterday, but the cramps are no fun. I ate some scrambled eggs and English muffin, and the rumbling started shortly after. Just gonna chill and watch movies. I want to be well enough to celebrate our 27th anniversary later in the week.
JenKay, your sense of humor in this is awesome – I've often said that finding laughter is on of our weapons against the beast, and you're proving that from your hospital bed. We will be praying for your blood counts to improve quickly.
RainDew, I guess your MO uses different criteria, as I was told not to let temp get above 100°. Of course, it's 100° outside, here, guess that doesn't count though.
RamblingRose, if you have Percocet, and the headache is that bad, remember that our meds are intended to relieve the SEs, and that unlike normal conditions, SEs do not resolve themselves without help most of the time. It's another thing to keep ahead of while you're keeping ahead of everything else.
I hope everyone has a peaceful and minimal SE day.
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mommymel - pretty much if you are HER2+ you will be given Herceptin every 3 wks for a year. There is another drug that some are getting called Perjeta. It seems that most insurance companies don't cover it unless you are at least stage 2 and higher. Some stage 1 ppl are getting it but it seems few and far between. I'm going to ask my MO about it on my next treatment.
Herceptin can be a hard on your heart, but reversible when usage stops. So our heart function will be monitored....another question I have for my MO...when my next echocardiogram is?
I'm curious is any stage 1 people got a CT scan or PETScan before treatment?
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mommymel,
Lmk if u want one.
Shirley
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Hi Mainlady, yes we are starting the same date. I'm going in for echo tomorrow and to see MO. I have a bunch of questions to ask her so that is good. What kind of chemo are you getting?
JenKay, you look great for being in the hospital! I hope you can get out soon.
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If you got steroids as part of your premed, like dexamethasone, that's why you have insomnia. My insomnia got better after 3 or 4 days.
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I was using a forehead thermometer and running 99.6-100.2 but when they'd check it at the clinic they'd get a normal reading taken orally. Then we realized that my head was the only warm part of my body, my arms were cool but face was warm. We switched to an inexpensive oral digital thermometer and my temp has been normal since.
I've never been a Hothead before.
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I've felt really good both yesterday and today, today is day 10 post chemo.
We drove 2 1/2 hours yesterday for Lew's mom's 92nd birthday lunch with the family. She's a 51 year breast cancer/chemo/radiation survivor. Sure wouldn't have wanted to go through treatment in 1963. Lew remembers all the kids were shipped to various aunts and uncles for several months while she was in treatment.
It felt so good to get out of this house, spent the afternoon sitting on a shady deck with a light breeze and no bugs, surrounded by blooming flower beds (Lew's sister owns a greenhouse).
I even had the energy today to wash 7 loads of clothes, with lots of rest breaks.
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Wiz: It sounds like you are definitely going to go after it. We all need to keep that strong attitude.
Okay. I'm going to start with the cats. They are all rescue boys. This one is my boy Sunny and he washed in in a flood in 2005.
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Yay! I get to go home today! My numbers are getting better by the minute
Thanks for the encouragement, ladies. Hopefully I won't have to repeat this experience again soon.
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I am filberta14
My chemo starts midAugust 2014.
What should I expect?
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Coyote, here's my cat Monkey. In this photo he's listening hard to a momma raccoon and her three babies romping around in the tree outside my bedroom window.
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squirrel, I love the multi-coloured blue!!!!
Jen, your pics are hysterical!
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Filberta14: I'm sorry that you will become one of the sisters. When I read your question, I thought, "Yikes. How could a person answer that?" It is a huge question. It is the question that every one of asked and still asks about every time we sit down in the infusion chair. It's very difficult to answer. There are so many variables. there is a place to start. Seeing you have some time before your first chemo, talk to your oncologist and find out everything you can about your specific situation. Then search the BreastCancer.org information material and then the discussions for topics that fit you. Read what women who have similar situations are experiencing. In this topic - Starting Chemo in July 2014 (24 pages full)- and the group that started chemo in June 2014 have written over 1200 posts about exactly the question you asked. Read all of those. You will see how different we all are with our specific BC, the specific treatment for it and their predictable and possible side effects, and then the variety of ways we actually responded. Part of your experience will no doubt be somewhere in there. No one knows exactly how they will respond until it is upon them. Personally, this is my second time through it and it's different than the first time, but then... it's a different soup of chemicals.
Others in our group may answer the question differently than I do, but honestly, I don't know how to answer any other way. It is a scary venture, and the unknown adds to that. I think what I suggest will help with that too.
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JenKay: Happy, happy.. going home. Very cute cat.0 -
Finall haircut before hair loss... 12" gone but not forgotten lol... 2nd round Wednesday .. hoping for minimal side effects for myself and everyone
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Hooray JenKay! Glad you get to come home. Love your kitty pic. CoyoteNV, what a handsome boy! What would we do without our fur babies? Good luck JoeysMommy for the 2nd round. I get my first the same day. Have a good night ladies and may the chemo fairies leave you with zero SE!
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yay JennKay!
I think my issue is related to an inflamed (hopefully not super infected...) TE. Spoke to PS, on a big course of antibiotics and will see him tmrw.
Mostly, I don't want this to interfere w treatment. But also would be a shame to lose the TE since I've had it for over 2 months...
We shall see.
Keep the fur babies coming! I love them
:-) DH and I planning to adopt once chemo is done...
Good luck to all of us with infusion 2 next week - I think we are a pretty big bunch...
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Well, good evening ladies. JenKay, so glad you got to go home! Take care of yourself and watch the temp.
JoeysMommy, you are beautiful and the haircut is very becoming. You will be beautiful even bald.
RainDew, keep an eye on that inflammation, we don't need you down for the count.
Puffin, glad you got a handle on the temp, hothead.
Filberta, coyote has welcomed you to our group, and I will add you above. You will find lots of experiences in these pages, and yours will of course be unique to you, but let our experiences prepare the way. There are also some threads that give general guidance in the chemo section.
Coyote and JenKay, what lovely kitties! Here is my Sophie.
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Mags congrats on your 27 anniversary it's so hard I just had my 9 anniversary and know that is lots of work to keep the love. Hope you fell much better to rock the anniversary dinner with DH:)
CoyoteNv hope you are feeling ok , I have being reading the book that you recommended and I think makes so much sense.
I'm in love with Sunny he is soooo cutie!!!Jankay very glad hat you are home and hopefully you will never have to do this again. BTW your cat is lovelly !
Jennliza thank you so much for explaining to me because my MO is in VC and I have no clue what I'm going to do. The mayo clinic MO said that I would get an EKG before and the nurse schedule the infusion for tusday, and I haven't even seeing the on call MO .... Well tomorrow I'll get everything together !
BTW should I prepare for any side effects from herceptine ?
Raindew hope you fell better
Joeys mommy you look amaizing , you have such a beautiful face ...
To all other ladies have a good beginning of week hope everyone will do just fine ...
XO
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Shirley I would love that but don't worry about me I want to give a chance to the other girls that don't have any one yet
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Awwww Thank you Mags and Mommymel that was so sweet
you are both very beautiful as well We each carry our own inner beauty that not even CANCER can destroy its reflection ~ I cant join in on the fur baby fun with pictures because I do not have any pets but here is as pic of my amazing boy ~ he is the love of my life ~ the reason my heart smiles every moment of my life ♡ sweet dreams July ladies have a great tomorrow 
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Hello: Well, I have had two infusions of A/C and two more to go. The first round I was pretty tired and nauseous. The second time around I had way more energy but the nausea is SO BAD. I am on day 9 and still so nauseous.
We have tried every anti-nausea (Compazine, Zofran, Reglan, Ativan) so wondering if you might have any other suggestions? I've tried, ginger, peppermint, sea bands, etc. I have a hard time eating and it's hard to work when you feel like you might throw up every 20 minutes. I am open to any and all suggestions.
I hear ya about the insomnia. I used to sleep like a log and now my body insists on waking up at 3AM on the dot. I started taking Xanax before bed and it gets me to sleep but doesn't last very long.
Hope everyone else is doing well and not having too many side effects.
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Frenchie...I am four days from my first A/C infusion. Today is the first day I won't be taking scheduled Compazine and Decadron. But I think you have been having a tougher time than I. What I was most scared of.
While I can't help with anti-nausea ideas...the insomnia. Are you taking a steroid? It wasn't on your list. I have been up at 3:30am on the dot every night except the first. Which, OK, is just three nights, but yuck! I am convinced it is the steroid.
Good luck.
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Frenchie: I am also doing A/C; only one infusion so far. I wish I had some advice for you re: the nausea, but it looks like they've prescribed you the stuff I've already tried.I too woke up at 3:00 am on the dot last night! Didn't get back to sleep; will just try to go to sleep early tonight.
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Hi, girls. So glad to see the hospital stay is over for JenKay...what a bummer. I hope we all remain infection-free throughout this journey.
I have a wee bit of thrush in my mouth (today is day 5)....using salt water rinses, but wondering if I should be using that rinse they prescribe for thrush. I also took a probiotic last night (am I crazy to do this, or have others tried, also?).
Mumford kept me up all night shaking. He is profoundly afraid of thunderstorms and, unfortunately, last night was one of those nights...just when the steroids are wearing off and we think we're going to get a good night's sleep...
After two rounds of chemo, I had my first thought of how long this slog really is. A few minutes this past weekend feeling a bit sorry for myself...I am grateful, however, that I'm doing this just four times...I know many of you have 6 or more rounds in total. Not to wish one's time away, but I just want it to be mid-September...is anyone else staring at the calendar and dreaming dreams about the last round of chemo? (I'm hoping radiation will be manageable....for some reason I feel like I will cope better with the radiation piece once it begins).
I'm off to plan a trip to England/France for November or December. I will probably not go, but it will be so much fun spending hours fantasizing....maybe I'll toss in a little side trip to Italy while I'm at it...
Happy Monday, ladies.
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Maidentired, I'm doing TAC every 3 weeks x 6. Ready to get started and stop waiting but then again not sure either. Determined though that we can do this!
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Mumford, chemo will be a long slog for me, so trying not to get too far ahead. Four rounds of AC. 12 infusions of Taxol + Herp., then 9 months more of Herp. And, I haven't even had my surgery yet! (Shrink lump shrink!) But, I hope all of you other ladies can keep your eyes on the prize. If thinking about a vacation will get you through, then dream away.0 -
This is my buddy, Nucky. He's a handful!
Wanted to let everyone know that I got out of the hospital Saturday afternoon. This morning I felt up to a shower. This has been an interesting couple of weeks. I have more questions than answers. I am so scared and confused about my choices in this. Being triple negative, I started bold, with every intention of kicking butt. Now...I don't know.
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Well, I must say that our fuzzy families are terrific, but the children are the real wonders. Joey looks just like his beautiful Mom (in a handsome guy way, of course!)
I've been looking over our list, and I can't help but think of those mobile phone advertisements that run a lot on the Food Network about friends and family. That's us! A "Framily"
I've been trying to figure out where everyone is on the treatment schedule. (I keep my own list on my desktop) The first of us on the list have completed #2; a group, of which I am one, are going into #2; A lot of us are beginning to feel better after #1, some are in the worst part of the SEs; and the final group is getting treatment #1 this week. Then there are those of us who have escaped the nastiness of chemo but still have everything else to deal with. We are all over the place.
Have a good (or better) day today. We are actually getting rain on the desert this morning, so it is definitely a good day!
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