Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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They were going to give me a port but I really didn't want one so they said we would see how the first round went. It went fine. No port for me
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AnnieB don'e worry about telling us what is going on! I'm just a few days behind and it is good to know what lies ahead and what works for people. My shot releases at 7:30 tonight so I'm guessing I will feel it by tomorrow morning. I took Claritin already. I'll take some tylenol a few hours before it goes in. I have osteopenia and I wonder if the bone pain will be more or less because of that.
I got a port because I need Herceptin for a year. If I only had 4 rounds of chemo I would not have had one put in. I too an worried about our friend. For a fleeting moment I thought about going on to a naturopathic onc but the chemo and targeted therapy is so successful I just knew this was the right choice for me. I do plan to find one to help manage my SE's if/when they come on strong.
twiggy - I slept on the couch the first night after getting the port but my hips hurt so badly from not being able to move. I had my mother bring over the wedge I got for her to use after her open heart surgery earlier this year and I could sleep on my back in my bed for the next 2 nights. After that I could sleep on the opposite side just fine. I could sleep on the port side now if the neulasta delivery kit wasn't there
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Had my first TC infusion on Thursday the 3rd after port placement on the 1st and all went well. I was still on the steroids on Fri and felt okay but sat, sun and mon I was in the bed with nausea and diarrhea/tiredness and overall achy feeling. I take a zofran in the am and during the day, immodium in the morning, ativan when I go to sleep and if if gets really intense I take phenegran. I have alot of heartburn and I also had a huge reaction to the dressing on my port and have a burn type injury all over that area. I started to feel better energy wise on Tuesday (day 6) and am able to eat very bland things without too much trouble. I went back to work on Tuesday after the holiday and have been working full days since. Its not a piece of cake but I am recovering quicker than I anticipated. Good luck to everyone starting this week. A note - I was way worried about constipation as I have had a real problem with that for years due to anti depression meds but I got the opposite so don't take anything until you know which way you'll blow.
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Admonkey I'm glad to hear you are feeling better! I'm impressed that you went right back to working full days. That has probably helped you mentally and physically. I've always had worse reactions to band aids, steri strips and paper tape than I have to what ever they need to be put over. Because of that they used dermabond for the incisions for the port. You may want to mention your irritation the next time you need something with adhesive. There may be something else they can use.
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admonkey-glad to hear about your quicker recovery! My onco prescribed Prilosec for the heartburn and I had immediate relief.
Southerncharm- glad to hear you are feeling braver!
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I've been taking Nexium. Seems to work ok.
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I finally got a date! I start four rounds of dose dense A/C on September 22, followed by eight rounds of dose dense Taxol. All of it is every two weeks. I should have the port installed next week, and an EKG. Five months of dose dense chemo. I really know how to throw a party
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Scotland that sounds intense. I'll keep a good thought for you.
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Hello beautiful ladies, feeling drowsy from decadron, no other problems yet, tomorrow is first infusion so GL to all ladies. They also told me to wash myself with antibacterian soap only so i got a big thing of Dial liquid and used that for my hair too and it feels pretty good. They also told me to wash my sheets in hot water twice for the duration of chemo (6 sessions).
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Almost time for my second dose of dex. So far not much side effects other than I had to pee a lot and we were driving a long way on a short time schedule.
Had an appt with an ENT today to investigate a spot that lit up on my pet scan. They think it's just allergies. Whew! Not looking forward to chemo tomorrow.
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Scotland I am two hours from you in beautiful SC. We should have that party when we are done. Hugs and more hugs to you
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Twiggy you beautiful lady, love yor wig and will continue to think and send positive thoughts your way
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Good luck tomorrow ladies. Can I ask, what is decadron? My MO didn't mention that to me. I'm so dreading this fight, but at the same time I can't wait to get started. My surgeon called. I'll get my port on Tuesday. I hope that thing doesn't freak me out. Does it look really weird under the skin? Did you get a lot of stitches? These little details just mess with my mind. Ugh.
Flower68--I'm in South Carolina too. Really stormy right now.
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Hi fidget, decadron is dexamethasone, steroid anti-nausea, I also got zofran and phenergan prn for nausea too.
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fidget I am in Greenwood, moved here almost three months ago from MA
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hi fidget everything was done in 90 minutes from the beginning to the end and this is what it looks like :
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I had the port put in on Tuesday.. I really didn't want one, and I'm only doing 4 rounds, but my MO insisted on it. She was worried about blown veins.
I really hate this thing. It feels like someone punched me in the chest- hard. It feels super creepy too. Ugh
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The way I look at it: that thing in my body is helping me to fight this nasty cancer.
Tshire i had one of my veins blown two days ago when did mri with contrast, the port excludes the numerous poking and probing to find a suitable vein. Hugs and more hugs to you for tomorrow.
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Thanks Flower68! I think I can handle that. It's just that unknown that is so scary. Whew. Think I'm good now. LOL.
Wow, from MA to Greenwood. That is a big change. I grew up here in Sumter then traveled around with my military husband for 25 years and now we are back. My 84 year old mother lives here alone so we wanted to take care of her. She is very independent and will not live with anyone so I spend most of my time taking care of her without her thinking I'm taking care of her if that makes sense. That's another reason why this cancer is just plain rotten. My daughter will help out with her grandma when I have my bad days so that will help. Anyway, thanks again for calming my nerves and good luck tomorrow.
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Good luck to everyone starting tomorrow. Here's hoping for minimal side effects.
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I had my first dose Thursday Sept 10, no port, nurse blew the first arm vein and I started crying, remembering my iv Rocephalin treatments for systemic Lyme Disease during the middle of my second pregnancy, and the docs blowing 2 or 3 hand veins for every dose --- of course on my left hand which is the chemo side now (right mastectomy). But she got in on the second try. I did not ake a "cold cap" --- doc suggested skipping because of my migraine hsitory. Was supposed to get a cooling glove in hopes of reducing the chance of neuropathy, after the trouble getting into my vein, plus having to order the second drug to give first, I guess it got forgotton. Will ask for one next time.
Then they wanted to hang the Taxotere first, opposite to oncologist and all I've read, so I insisted and got theHerceptin first (after an hour wait while it was prepared). Surprisingly no symptoms from that, and a friend who works at the hopsital dropped by for a chat during the intervening saline washout. Told them I always want the Herceptin first.
Wishing I was given a port, but the practice here is ports only after periferal veins are gone The Taxoter burned my vein almost from the start, but upping the carrier saline flow rate helped --- until they let the bag run dry twice (during semi-crisi with two elderly patients in the same room) --- I'll have to learn to watch the bags myself and call for help Before they're dry After the last washout saline, no objective symptoms on my forearm; nurse said to call if anything happens.
Side effects: Two isolated sneezes during Taxotere. Mild nausea starting as I left the Infusion Center, over quickly with one Primperan pill. Exhaustion and "unsteady on my feet" not dizzy, just weak, started near the end of the Tazoter infusion and worsened at home; same for an initially mild headache that worsened especially at bedtime. Went to bed a bit early but awake now at 5:30AM, luckily headache is gone
My Dexamethasone schedule was a bit different from what people here are writing: five 1.5 mg tablets (8mg) the evening before chemo,,chemo morning, them chemo day evening.
I was given a Neulasta kit: single injection I give to muself at home between 24 and 48 hrs after then end of the infusions --- so Friday late afternoon/evening. Being a "worrier" and bearing how you ladies seem to be getting multiple injections of this white cell booster, I hope mine works for me! Also, I asked about Clarytin but nobody at Infusion Clinic ever heard of that ((Finland). Got scared and a bit confused when they said the bone pain mght not start for several days --- how does one plan anything?
Have been tanking water and hoping to flush this tiff out of my body ASAP...
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Hi fidget hope you will be able to feel better, thinking of you
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Tessu my dear i feel so incredibly sorry for your experience today, will be thinking about you
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Thanks, Flower68, but the whole experience was less awful than I had expected. Went there absolutely terrified --- but I did not die, LOL, and the next time I go (chemo is every three weeks) I'll know better what to expect, so it shouldn't be so bad.
I hope writing about my experience blow-by-blow did 't upset anybody --- MODERATORS, deleteanything I post if you see fit.
(((((((((hugs))))))))) to everybody who needs one today
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Last night I woke up at midnight with the most intense bone pain imaginable. Mainly in back and hips. After writhing in pain for hours and getting zero sleep, I went to MO first thing in the morning. They ended up keeping me there all day for hydration and meds. I am feeling so defeated by this chemo. I am so sick, so so sick. I am scared of being in that pain again.
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Haha charm yes baby!
On a diff note i posted algorithm tatment on erpr- her2+ roll call please check it out
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I will be starting 16 weeks of dose dense chemo the week of Sept 21. Hopefully my info shows in my signature.
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No scar yet, still fresh will tellyou in the am how they connect
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Southerncharm, the waiting for scan results is ridiculously stressful. I am a high anxiety worrier and I had convinced myself my entire abdomen was full of cancer. I even felt like my abdomen was burning up and every ache and pain was magnified. After all that worrying, my pet scan came back with one spot in my nose that the ENT thinks is inflammation from allergies.
The CT scan process is pretty easy. Warning if you haven't had a ct before: If you are having it with contrast you will feel a warm flush over your entire body and may feel like you peed your pants when the flush hits.
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drosy from decadron too
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