Starting chemo August 2014
Comments
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Kellya, I love looking at your pictures. What a terrific group of support you have around you!!
JustAmy - good for you! You look great.
I had a good check-in today - blood counts are all doing well and I feel stronger each day. A week from tomorrow I go back in for round #2. My goal is to get as healthy and strong as I can between now and then. Still have my hair but not counting on keeping it...
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hi everyone I need to vent. Ever since my last chemo I've had nonstop nausea and diarrhea. I did get a transfusion and liquid anti-nausea meds and that helped for a while, but once again I just got off the throne. Blasting liquid diarrhea what fun!
I guess I'm going to have to go on an all liquid diet or can someone suggest something that will get me through this? Trying to eat regular food and maybe it's my fault. I do see oncologist Friday I'm going to see if she can give me something else ...but I don't know what if anything they can do. The first chemo had no problem! and I do have two frontline antinausea meds already neither of them did crap for me this time.
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Hey Everyone,
Glad we are all on the upswing, Bippy625 I hope you find the right med combo and feel better soon. Also glad StrongEnough is feeling better. I went for my labs today (since this was the day my white cells crashed last time and I got admitted), and sure enough I am neutropenic again.My white cells are .5 again, but at least I have no fever so I get to be home instead of the hospital. It looks like this is just going to me my normal reaction to chemo. I am on Cipro for 7 days and I just have to wait until the Neulasta kicks in (which should be Sat.) Is anyone else doing TAC X 6? I feel like most are doing AC and then T, not all three at once. Curious if you are having the same problems.
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bippy I'm really sorry you have the difficult times for this round. Call your MO office right away. Did they give you the after hours on call number? MO office could move your app closer or they probably will ask you in for IV fluid and more anti nausea IV. Dehydration is bad for us now.
Have you tried Zofran or Phenergan pill for your nausea and Immodium for diarrhea? Check chemocare.com , helpful tips on dealing with chemo SEs.
Cassiecat, glad to hear you are doing fine. It sucks to feel better knowing that we will have to go for another round again. I try to keep my chin up and see the good things on everything. Many times, force myself to stay stronger and it works...:-)
Kellya love your pictures !!! You had a great time and great support. I'm happy for you.
Cathie hope you will have great time at your class.
Gatomal good luck with the genetic test. Hope you do better for the second round. Thinking of you and your baby.
Justamy thank you for the link. My health insurance doesn't cover the wig. I have cancer policy that will pay for a hair product at a certain amount. Social worker handed me over some paper with addresses and websites where we could get some help. I haven't looked into them. I will let you know.
I asked my MO for the magic mouthwash. It doesn't covered by the insurance of course. Lol. The burning tongue isn't fun, better to keep that magic handy.
My fingertips are so dry with the scaly skin. Coconut oil helps a lot but it makes greasy mess in my purse. What kind of organic lotion you use with the travel mini size?
Stay strong August ladies....
Hugs to you all
Shirley
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Bippy have you talked to you MO or the nurses? I have only had one bout of diarrhea and Imodium took care of it. I took Zofran a few times for nausea and that helped as well. I would worry about getting dehydrated. Maybe they have some other options that you can try? I'm so sorry to hear you're struggling with nausea and diarrhea.
purrrrana, take good care of yourself - here's hoping those counts start coming back up soon!
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Bippy, have you tried Boost or something like that? I bought some for this 2nd round but haven't tried it yet. Starting to get the indigestion & bloating so tomorrow might be the day. Tried to eat pasta w/marinara clam sauce for dinner. Might have been a mistake. Tomato sauce often doesn't sit well for me in the best of times...
Besides that, I feel much better now, antibiotics have kicked in & have mental energy back at least. Been burning up FB & texting all evening! Still kinda achey at times, but I'm over the hump, I think. Purrrana, I got neutropenia last round & wound up in the hospital, too. That sucked. Glad we are both avoiding that this round!
I got scheduled for a LGFB class on Monday afternoon in Tucson, really psyched about that!
Here are some more hats that a friend made for me. I can't wait for cooler weather so I can wear them! They are all so soft and cozy!
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Bippy, I struggled with nausea and diarrhea after my 1st infusion, which I lost 15 lbs and then some after my 2nd infusion.
Warning TMI: I had it coming out both ends and at times at the same time..urrggh. The MO switched my nausea meds until they added one that worked. For the big "D" it was harder to get under control as it was hard to eat anything.
I was instructed to drink plenty of water, Gatorade, starchy foods and rest. In addition, add yogurt which will help with the tummy issues and acid. I actually stayed away from regular food and specifically any spices until my stomach and intestines were settled. Some of the food I tried included: jello, mashed potatoes, bananas, crispy toast, very mushy carrots/brocolli/peas, soda crackers, and broth, cream of mushroom soup and chicken noodle soup. I also added ensure (or boost will work too). Food I excluded diary and my beloved coffee.
Have you tried Immodum-AD? I had to stay the course as it took a while to find the right combination of food and at times my body would change it's mind and I would have to find another combination. But once I found the combination of the right food and nausea meds it was great.
Hope this helps and hugs to you
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thank you everyone for your great ideas and helpful info! I was not good, until my iv infusion a week ago. 2 days after it started again but at a lower level. I can't ride in a car because of the motion sickness and nausea that never totally go away...tried Seabands, ginger gum and nothing works. I've tried immodium for the trots but it didn't work. I tried the zofran and the other med for nausea and they did nothing at all.
This being said, I know now that my food choices are the issue! Mexican food --was trying to eat taco salad ha ha. Also eating cheese and other dairy--big mistake! And many other things i was warned not to. Duh!!!!
After reading all your tips I am on the BRAT diet now. Also, no coffee. Also i will talk to my onco for alternative meds tomorrow.
Thanks for being there for me ladies. No one else gets it!
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Glad to hear you enjoyed the LGFB class. I have a reservation for Monday. I'm looking forward to it. Had my 2nd chemo on Tuesday, my Neulasta yesterday and today I have the flushed face and I'm dragging butt. I took Claritin this time so we'll see if we can reduce the bone pain that I had last time. That was horrendous!!! I was able, however, to put a chocolate zucchini bunt cake in the oven before I sat down to rest. I really don't like how you feel so good on the off week and then you get chemo and it starts all over again!!! Still have quite a bit of hair left but it hurts so much when I shower. I'm figuring by Sunday I may have to wear my wig to church.
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oh my gosh!! Hang in there all - I've been off the computer due to my own issues.
strongenough and purranna - Hope your numbers improve. I'm in your boat. Had my 1st genetics meeting Tuesday and asked to see a nurse first. Took blood and found out my WBC was very low (I was so weak, felt like a puddle of mush). I've had a cold since day of 2nd chemo (I'm now day 8 past it) and thrush was awful this time. Had been using the prescription mouthwash (Nyastatin) but it did not work. So I asked for another prescription so they gave me pills (Flucanzole?) which is now working. Been continually eating and drinking but not happily. Such a struggle to find what works but important to just keep at it. I can tell after I eat the I feel stronger, so I know its critical. Dr gave me advance prescription for antibiotics in case my fever spikes next time to 101 (it only got to 100.4 or so over the weekend). Worried that 3rd chemo may be harder...but trying to learn from this.
Question for IV folks - now that I've had 2 chemos, both around my left wrist, that area has mild bruising pain and yesterday noticed a reddish mark/line that is appearing on my skin. Anyone else have this?
I have more questions about hair but will wait til another time. Love the photos Justamy and Kellya. Be well everyone and keep in touch!!
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Jetgal223. Call about the red line on your wrist. Probably nothing.
Bippy.This will not help with the n/v however,wipe with toilet paper slathered in vasoline. Will save your bottom. Throw in trashcan with plastic bag. The kind from food store and WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!
Also, for loaded calories try carnation instant breakafast. Mix with ice cream. I would buy lactose free. This stuff has tons of calories. Use instead of boost or ensure. A lot cheaper.
Took claritin and aleve day of chemo and for next 4 days so far. No bone pain and feel pretty god. Jus tired and hard to sleep more than a couple hours at a time. Using lorazepam for that. No next day hang over.
Good luck all.!!! Three days out from my 2nd treatment. Doing SO MUCH better than the first. Still only eat mash potatos and chop liver.
Love the hats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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day after #2AC. Feel like I was hit by a truck. Bouncing between walls in the hallway to get to the bathroom at night. When we got back at 11pm, we returned to find the elevator broken. Seven flight walkup after chemo w twins? Easy! Took about 20 minutes to get to our apartment. No big SEs yet except fatigue. My WBC and neutrophils looked good. Guess that extra week between helped in lieu of the neulasta. Genetic tests results made my day. All clear. Makes me relieved that I won't get an oophrectomy during my c-section, and I didn't pass anything ( that we can look for now) onto my girls. That kept me going. But the really bad news was they were out of graham crackers in the infusion room! My nurse said she thinks they are locking them up to follow new federal nutrition guidelines. Going to have to pack my own now. Every chemo I look like I'm moving in with my huge bag! Hubby was a champion cold capper helper. In bed all day today and maybe tomorrow too. Hugs all. Be gentle with yourself.
Kellya what a great hat party...love the pics! So fun!
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JetGal -Had the exact same wrist reaction you're describing. The line started where the IV went into vein and .ran about 2 inches up my arm, along vein. It was red and itchy. I'm also on the same chemo regime. I went to see my MO about it. They said it was the vein reacting from the chemo, nothing to cause concern. It took a week but the redness has subsided, just in time for next weeks treatment.
I also had thrush and took Flucanzole and it worked like a charm.
feel better:)
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barremom -
thanks for that news! I was worried that my vein might collapse or something like that. I just want 2 more treatments and then I will hopefully promise my veins no more...!
Glad to hear those thrush pills work for you too...I think they're adding to my fatigue, but I'll take that! Keep up the improvements!!
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jetgal, I have the same problem with my veins. What is weird is mine is fine until about a week after infusion and then it gets very red for several inches. It didn't happen right after. Kinda itchy. I hope my veins hold up. Got a pretty beat up looking arm.
I go for blood count tomorrow. Hopefully it is fine. Running a low grade fever but nothing too bad. Began having some stomach issues a week later. Hopefully that passes soon.
Hope everyone is doing ok. One day at a time!! Be good to yourselves!!
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Gatomal – Congrat’s on the genetic testing
results. Woot! Woot! I took my LGFB
class at Alta Bates Summit in Oakland. How
is cold capping going?I have a new SE that showed up on Monday – blue/black spots
and strips on my tongue. Called the Onc
Nurse line and the nurse that answered hadn’t heard of it but did some research
and also called the doctor. It is a SE
of AC and they say only occurs in hyper-pigmented people. So I translated it for them and asked if they
meant African American or dark skinned.
She laughed and said yes. It is
an unusual SE but does occur. Scared me
for a minute, but now I am Ok. There is
no treatment for it and it will just go away after chemo. Wonder if there are any other SE’s that are
specific to our genetic makeup? Just
Wondering……I am thinking of everyone that had or scheduled for chemo
treatments this week. Have fun for those
that are in their up week!0 -
gatomal, congrats on the good genetic testing news! That is great. I haven't gotten my results yet.
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gatomol, fantastic news on genetics!
Bippy, brat diet and then going more bland I bet helps you, fingers crossed!
Forgot to take the steroid pills last night and man was I tired today, won't make that mistake again!
Boy had it turnd cold, from about 78 to 54. Guess fall is coming.
Feel well everyone!
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Gatomol CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Gatomol: I am so happy for you! I was so happy when I found out I didn't have the gene because I have an 18 year old daughter. Hope you are feeling better and getting some rest after the long day of chemo. Hope this round goes easy for you. Hugs Amy
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Hi all, thanks for the shout outs! It's nice to get some bits of good news in light of all this.
Cold capping is working, but man, that first cap, for like five minutes, is SO cold. Like -15F. Between that and the aloxi and emend, it's rough. Even with some Ativan. The worst is that some old guy was staring at me across from his chair and I have moleskin attached to my forehead, ears, temples (to keep from getting frostbite) then we wrap this huge blue cap on top. The pain is so intense, your head throbs, and I asked my husband to get me a paper towel to just put over my face so I could cry without this guy starting at me. After five minutes, it gets better, then the second one, first five is a little better, but tears again, and paper towel. But then, it's totally doable. It does make the process much longer, but so far it's working. I hear there is a big shed after the second treatment so I'm waiting.
I checked with the doctor and what I thought was 100mg dose is actually converted to a 60mg2 dose! So I am just on the higher end of average. Ladyb, maybe this is what you were quoted too? I would check. It's made me feel a lot better. Do you all feel like sometimes the docs don't give you the whole unvarnished truth to protect you, or to "see how you respond to treatment" and that it actually makes you worry more? There are so many unknowns. After bouncing between the walls this morning with poor motor ontrol, I took a 4.5 hr nap! Even with the kids yelping, and feel a lot better. Just enjoying some chicken broth now. Husbands birthday tonight, got fantastic cupcakes, had half and YUCK! So sad, taste buds, so sad
. Take care all. 0 -
I had my first chemo treatment on August 18th. It is every three weeks for a total of 6 treatments. I have Stage 2 breast cancer and is HER2 positive and estrogen positive. I am married with two amazing kids that are dealing with this. A 10 year old daughter and 6 year son.
My first treatment was the hardest because I had many problems arise from it. The Saturday after my treatment, I ended up in the ER to find out that I had a cyst that burst on my ovaries. The following week, I had an allergic reaction to one of my chemo drugs. So when they said that the third week would be your best...they were not kidding.
September 8th was my second treatment and so far it hasn't been to bad. I learned that the day 2 & 3 pills have to be taken at night because I am not able to drive then. My stomach has been really bad and nothing is working for food. It sucks!
Otherwise, I am trying to take it one day at a time.
Jill
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Welcome Jill - sorry you have to be here, but this is a really great group of women. I hope you'll keep posting!
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Welcome
to the BCO Community Jello. We're sorry you have to be here, but so glad that you've
found some comfort in knowing you are certainly not alone.We understand that SEs suck and you've had a tough run so far. We hope it gets much better as you and your body adjust. Keep your fluid intake up as that seems to help.
Please
do keep us posted. Wishing all the best for you,The Mods
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I've been catching up on everyone's posts. It looks like most have made it through round 2. The MO wants to give antibiotics another full week to work before second chemo. I'm glad he is being cautious but bummed out about the delay, which puts me a whole cycle behind. I'm now doing IV antibiotics at home (or at the office, depending on time). It's a bit scary to be accessing my port myself. The good news is the antibiotic seems to be working. Swelling, redness and blistering have improved. Fingers crossed they can keep this infection under control through chemo with antibiotics, as the alternative would be another operation to remove the tissue expander.
Welcome Jill to the group. Hope things proceed more smoothly from here for you!
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welcome Jello!
Purplegurl glad the antibiotics are working and you're feeling better. Sorry about the delay in chemo#2!
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purplegurll, I'm sorry you have to wait a bit but glad your doctor is on top of things. I hope the antibiotics do the trick and keep you out of any surgery!
I go in for round #2 next Thursday - I'm at the tail end of this August group. My hair is definitely starting to shed more today, 15 days post-infusion. I'm bummed but trying to not let it get me down. I knew it would happen. As mu husband reminded me, having me here alive is more important than the hair! And the hair will grow back. He's right.
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Cassie losing our hair is hard. For myself and many it seems once it's gone we adjust and actuall feel better. It's worse as it's coming out. For me it was also big time reality. Guess in my mind I wasn't wanting to believe I had cancer.
Hang in there. I know it's hard.
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cassiecat - your husband said it right. This is temporary and we are assuring better days ahead. I wore a wrap scarf around my head today for first time. It didn't fall off and thought it actually looked nice.
Purplgurll - so glad to hear you are getting better. Sorry for ur delay.
Jello - welcome to the August group. Should get a lot of useful info here.
Justamy - big step, but looking good with no hair. I'm getting use to it now. Always prepared w extra head cover in car for when I get out of work and want to shed the wig.
Tried doing exercise this a.m. But may have over did it. Used my husbands stretch bands to tone up me arms and now my back is tight. My body is a little weaker and have to know my limits. But definitely will exercise and walk when up for it. I'm gearing up for next Friday. This will be number 3 of 6. My son has been with me and will be with me Friday. He is leaving the following day to go back to his home. I miss him already. He has been my chemo buddy. My daughter is planning on coming in for one of the treatments.
Hope everyone is doing well and finding best ways to manage SEs. We are getting thru this and kicking cancers butt on the way.
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Cassie- I hear ya. My hair is coming out like crazy. Part of me it's wants it gone so I can move on but everytime I walk last a mirror it reminds me if the cancer. I think I've been in senile for awhile and this is making it real.
Catie- I really want to exercise! I walk when I can but I am waiting for the ok from my plastic surgeon to do other stuff.
I am a week post chemo #2. I am finally feeling pretty good. Thank goodness. Going apple picking with the family this weekend, one of my favorite things to do this time of year. I missed out on a lot off my favorite summer stuff including out first planned vacation in years to the beach because of this diagnosis. I am still a little bitter about it but trying to get past it, there will be next summer.
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