Starting chemo July 2014
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Rosemamma88, welcome to our little corner, sadly growing day by day. Please add us to your favorites and check back in often as we share our experiences to give you some idea what to expect. You're one of us now. (One of us! One of us!)
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Mag,
Yes, I got the neulesta shot yesterday, have been taking claritin... I have lupus so I usually ache anyway, but this ache is different... Anywhere I touch is sore... I will get thru this too... Just going to take a little more concentrated effort... Would love to soak in a hot bathtub but have another 6 days before my port placement site is supposed to be healed.
RainDew... Good luck today! Will be thinking of you!
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Hi July Gals!
Sorry we're a little late jumping in here, but we are just stopping in to provide some helpful links, starting with the main Breastcancer.org site's section on Chemotherapy, including what to expect, types of chemo meds, and side effect management.
There are some really helpful key threads here in the Chemo forum too!
Great tips and practical advice on the following discussion board threads:
- Tips for getting through chemotherapy
- More Tips (and a Shopping List) for Getting Through Chemo
- PORT PLACEMENT: Detailed description of process
- Head Covering Options for Hair Loss
- wig advice
- Cold Cap Users Past and Present, to Save Hair
Also, Last Month's Chemo thread might be informative!
Hope you find this helpful!
--Your Mods
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thanks Chaos!
I'm pretty scared, but also excited to get the show on the road :-)
Infusion not till late afternoon/early evening west coast time, so will let you guys know how I get on tomorrow.
And thanks mods for links!
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I'm starting next week, July 16!
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Welcome, pinkninja. We are glad to have you here though no one really wants to be. Add the thread to your favorites so you can find us again easily and share your experiences and side effects. What is your chemo cocktail, do you know yet?
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ChaosRains,
I hear ya girlfriend.....the train analogy is a good one. I wasn't prepared for this since I was told that TC is "mild" (if this is mild I'd hate to see the real stuff). When I was preggers with triplets and was in the hospital for a month like a beached whale with really bad hip pain that morphine didn't even touch - well, that doesn't compare to these aches. I finally broke down and called the nurse today (isn't it strange how they are all over you after surgery but after chemo - no follow-up?) - anyway - she told me to do both Advil and Tylenol and gave me a script for the magic mouthwash as I have a sore developing. And my brain is really confused - I'm hungry but I'm not. This is a weird ride, for sure.
I'm hoping that it gets better - I have heard that Day 3 is the worst - let's hope so! Can't say I'll be lining up for the other infusions - but at least we'll know what to expect. We'll get through this....
Deb
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hello ladies,
I am back with my start date. I will be starting AC which I'm assuming is adriamycin and Cytoxan on wed July 16. Just starting to read up on these drugs. I will also be having a port inserted later be cuz i need to start ASAP and can't wait for the surgery for the port.
I am also 42 and have 2 small kids. I guess I will be telling them this wk-end how sick mommy might be getting.
I am super anxious about needles and getting worse instead of better. I am trying hypnosis on Monday to see if this helps? Suggested at hospital and I will try anythinG!!
There are so many of us here. Hugs to everyone.
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hi ladies,
So first infusion done. Relatively painless (although first attempt at a vein made me question my decision not to have a port...totally blown. Different nurse, way better result. Thank god.)
Most obviously difficult part of the actual infusion was the cold caps. When they say cold, they mean cold!! I was totally unprepared for instant omg my head is exploding pain. Ativan and Percocet arrived shortly after. Helped enormously - pretty sure I can do this now. Happy to share more details if any other July sisters are go with the caps.
Curious to see what tomorrow brings - from reading above I'm seeing a lot of bone pain (are you guys finding this mostly the neulasta shots or from the chemo itself?), GI issues, mouth sores...hope I am prepared!
But hey! I am 1/4 done!
Onwards!!
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DancingDiva - I hope the hypnosis works. I used to have a thing about needles but fertility treatments (lots of needles) knocked that out of me. I bet by the end it won't be as bad. I'm sure it won't be easy with young kids - I hope you have some help (my husband just said last night that he doesn't think the kids would have eaten the last few days without the gal that we hired to help - although they are teens and I'm sure they could have fended for themselves. To be honest, I'm surprised, but my husband seems to be affected by this - kids, not as much. He's losing his job in a month, so that might have something else to do with it too. Yesterday in the midst of my body aches, I handed him the bills from surgery, etc. (around $6k) and told him to deal with them. (I guess they have payment plans at hospitals). That felt good and one way that I took care of myself yesterday.
Rain - Glad that you have one tx under your belt. I was unprepared for the truck that hit me....I hope you don't get the same truck on your street. I think one thing that I didn't do that would have helped is to drink more water. This stuff needs to be flushed from your body pronto. It feels like poison.
I just made an appt. for acupuncture on Monday - my body is craving moxa. I slept well last night (except for some nightmares and night sweats) - I think the Melatonin helped. I didn't take pain relievers during the night and not fast enough this morning so I'm hoping that the Advil and Tylenol kicks in soon. I'm ready for a morphine drip - the aches and jabs aren't fun.
Chaos - how you are feeling today?
Deb
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Hello all, Just a quick report in. Day 3 if I count infusion day as day 1, which was uneventful until the middle of the night. I did start with the anti-nausea program. It has helped, but I am totally non-functional. Since then, some digestive issues and mouth sensitivities. It could be (and may become, since it is early) worse. I'm hanging in there so far.0 -
Still getting ran over by a freight train here... no energy whatsoever... I havent got out of bed today and at this point i dont know if i should try to make myself or not
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MTIQ, you'd think I'd get used to needles afterward all this dx and stuff but I'm getting worse!!! Between the Ativan, hypnosis and port hopefully all goes well. Just want to attack!
To all my other chemos chicks..... What exactly is Dense Dose and under what conditions would you get it?
DD
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Im getting dense dose... i think rather than once every 3 weeks (which would equate to basically once a month) i get my treatments every other week.
The reason im getting dense dose it because of the high mitotic rate and nuclear grade 3 -- i think...
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Hi, everyone,
New to the site and new to chemo: starting next week. TAC, 6 rounds, every 3 weeks. My oncologist says I will "tolerate it well," but doctors are a lot like pilots. When they say, "you might feel a little pressure," it's a little like being on a plane and being told it might get "a little bumpy." You just never know what it means.
Just saying hi and looking for support. It's very good to be here.
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Hi Susan, I will add you to our list but let me know what day you start, ok? And welcome to our little club.
Sorry I've been awol today. I got a rx for the abdominal pain, but I'm still pretty much immobile.
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OK Chemo Warriors - I finally feel like I don't need a morphine drip (chemo was on Wed. am). I was just so taken off guard by this all (I was told that TC is "easy"). I should have read here sooner. I have to say I've never felt so bad in my life (sorry, don't want to scare anyone). I think that forcing myself to drink water and sleeping most of the day helped. I actually had somewhat of an appetite tonight. Aches are coming back - time to dose up on Advil/Tylenol (at this point, I'm not worrying about my liver so much). Next time I'm going to have a a schedule of pain meds - as much as the doc will let me.
Mag, Coyote and Chaos - sorry you aren't feeling good. I hope it gets better soon - this is not fun.
Deb
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hi ladies,
Did today happen? If so, I missed it...
Like really missed it. I have literally slept all day. Think I have been awake a total of 2 hours.
Hope this doesn't bode poorly for sleeping tonight (you know, when I should be sleeping....)
Mags, Momto, Chaos - hope you guys are feeling better.
Lafayette, welcome.
Rain
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I'm wondering if anyone stop this stuff after one go? I'm seriously considering it.....I've never felt so bad in my life. Maybe I'm wanting to bail because my onc here was on the fence about whether or not I needed it. My former onc in CA recommended that I do it. Now I'm questioning whether or not to subject my body to this again. Maybe they gave me too much? (sorry to be having a pity party here....but I almost went to the hospital today the aches and pains were that bad).
I'm also starting to wonder why some tolerate this OK and others don't. I'm clearly in the "don't" category....although I've always had a high tolerance for pain in my life. I'm wondering if it's my auto-immune issues? I know that Chaos has them, too (I have vitilagio, had Hashimotos, still have candida). I've gained a fair amount of weight in the last year....and am currently not that fit - yoga, Pilates and acupunture went out the door.
Would love some insight or hypotheses into why some of us tolerate this well while others (like pitiful me) is singing the blues.
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Hello everyone. I actually started chemo in June but seem to feel more in tune with the July group. I've had two treatments so far and have struggled thru both of them. I'm 10 days out from my last infusion and feel somewhat better. If I can help any one here let me know. MomtoIrishQ did you have the neulasta shot? If you did that is probably what is causing the bone pain. Try taking Claritin the day of and 5 to 6 days after. It really does help. Raindew I know what you mean about sleeping, days 3 and 4 after my infusion I slept almost all day. Well I guess it's time for me to call it a night. Goodnight everyone.
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I survived! I dont know how to put it other than that... slept a whole day, somehow pushed through yesterday feeling very out of body and today is much better still a little fatigued but dont feel like a zombie! Its not easy, but you can push through it! I did have thoughts of stopping after just one round too... hard going from someone who worked out regularly to not having the energy to sit up straight... those thoughts are my consolation... knowing i can stop at any time but still choose to fight!
I hope you are all doing well today! We are all going to have our bad days going through this, but we will make it through!
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Dixie - thanks - no, I didn't get the N shot so I can't blame that. I just am achy all over - massive headache and today, starting getting random shooting pains all over my body. Chaos - glad to hear that you pushed through - I'm going to try and sleep and see if that helps. Just got a call that my 89 year old mother is in the ER in PA with heart issues - when it rains it pours. Thanks all for being there.
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Getting my oncotype results tomorrow. Hoping and praying for a low score.
Shirley
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I start August 6.
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starting August 6th, nervous!
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Yikes ....D day is fast approaching.
Is everyone taking steroids for a few days around treatment day? Wondering of they work at keeping you energized for a few days? Will I be able to go to work the next 2 days after Chemo.
Is anyone else working during chemo?
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Hello Ladies
I had my port placed yesterday.. not too bad if a procedure just a bit achy and itchy but doing good... I am very sensitive to the adhesive on some things ... all set for first infusion Wednesday morning... I wish you all peaceful comfort as you heal... and that you always find something to smile about 0 -
Hello Jennliza.. I plan on working through entire treatment but will take one day at a time as each one of us may respond differently to the exact same treatment... keeping positive thoughts... good luck
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hi Jennliza,
Also planning to work through it. Thank goodness I had a Friday infusion though - I completely slept through Saturday.
Today was much better - a little loopy and needed a nap around 6, but awake most of the day. Nausea meds seem to be working...fingers crossed that stays the case...
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OK girls - I finally feel better! (4 days after my infusion). I had a bunch of stabbing pain in my lymph nodes, joints and hips today - but the general achiness has gotten better. I'm going to get through this....thank goodness. I thought I was tough (having been in the hospital for a month with 3 placenta abruptions and a PROM), but that didn't hold a candle. I guess everyone responds differently to this poison. I'm going to get a second opinion on all of this.....if I knew if wasn't going to be as bad - I would go through it again, but otherwise, no. I was cold, sweaty with heart paps which really freaked me out.
I hope you are all feeling good...
Deb
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