Starting Chemo June 2017
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Susie, I had a "tour" of the chemo treatment area yesterday, in advance of my start date on Tuesday - I had the same feeling as you!! Everything and everyone looked so blah...it looked like a place for sick people. Which I guess I am, but I don't feel like it! My chemo education nurse said to wear something comfortable and not to "dress up for them", so I said I would dress up for myself instead. I've got cute button-down shirts that should work better for port access than an old t-shirt anyway.
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JuliaJazz: My nurse recommended the Look Good Feel Better as well. The earliest I could get in isn't until Mid August. All the other times coincide with treatments. So far I still have my hair. I keep checking but it seems okay. Onoy thing I've noticed is my head is sore and cold.
It's day 9 and onlya few mild side effects so far. But totally manageable. Hasn't stopped me, but slowed me down a bit! Worse side effect is dizziness. Have to watch how fast I turn my head or get up. Feels like motion sickness.
Does anyone know if the side effects get worse as you go along?
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Pink --they can fit you better for a wig when you have already lost your hair so it is a good pick me up. Glad you are doing so well on day 9. We are getting different meds though, so I can't generalize. I don't really know the answer to your question. I think it probably varies a lot. Best to ask your doc.
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Susie I hope all is well with you ...
I'm on 3 week schedule with my HTCP .... had my first round last Friday ...
I wouldn't drink a whole lot of tea it has caffeine in it and that will dehydrate you .. I would check with your MD.
I'm doing Pedi Lyte with lemon aid.. or Gator Aid or Water with cranberry juice...
Can't drink my coffee taste like dirt!! bllahhhhhh
The Neulasta injector is pretty cool.. saves you a trip back into the office..
Hugs from TN
Denise0 -
Kim.. I'm doing better today .. 8 days out from my first chemo.. its been a "interesting" to say the least lol..
I agree the 4th and 5th was the worst.. started feeling little bit more like me each day after the 5th day ..
I've never talked so much about "poop" and what it looked like or how many times I was going to someone ( to the RN ) in my life lol...
Just very tired right now..
Is your smell hyper sensitive??
Hugs from TN
Denise0 -
Susie, Too funny! I didn't have "the talk" with my medical team.
Regarding Neulasta, I am going the day after, so I cannot speak to a Monday schedule. Another hospital in my network is open on Saturdays and they make me an appt to get it done. Also, I have only had a private room, but they did show me a room like you describe if there is overflow. There are lots of treatment rooms, though. Sad, huh? Get the sweet tea! I am still working through what tastes ok drinkwise. Dry mouth and taste issues plagued me for about 4-5 days, but today was nearly a return to normal. I'm a little turned off by water now. Lemonade seems to be ok, and I had a big Coke today. I am not going to worry about too much sugar if it's all that I can handle. We have to get liquids somehow, and my team said it didn't matter if was water, soda, juice, jello, etc. I have dropped a few pounds. Was 119.4 today. (I have a Fitbit scale and weigh each morning.) Felt like I ate really well yesterday, so I was suprised I dropped a full 1/2 pound from the day before. Cyg, Welcome! If dry mouth is an indication of cavities after this chemo ends, my dentist bill will match my medical costs!
I have NEVER had such dry mouth in my life. I did have a cleaning the week before chemo started, but I sure will be quick to get one as soon as humanly possible when treatment is over. You can forget Rx Nystatin. That stuff is gross. I did it for 5 days and said Biotene it is. At least Biotene has a minty taste. I walked 2.5 miles today (a brisk pace with my DH), picnicked in the park and did some weed control in my flower beds for an hour. My energy level was quite high today. I just need a good 8-hour sleep. I can't seem to get past 6 before I wake wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Girl power! We are doing great! I keep thinking I am going to pull a chunk of hair out any day, but not yet. I know it's coming... Crazy thing is, I really need a haircut! Too frugle to pay for a cute short 'do. I will just suffer for a week or two longer.
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KimPossible: treat yourself and get the hair cut. I did! Might even keep it short for awhile. I bought a bottle of streakers in blue, pink, and purple. It washes out each day but so worth the compliments I get about how they like it. Mind you my hair is pure white and has been for quite some time so the colours really show up. Have some fun with your hair! It'll grow back. I know what you mean about pulling at it. Each day I wonder is this the day?
Denise: had a giggle about the poop! Sooooo true!
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To all of you: You girls rock! When I'm feeling bad or down or just have a question I turn to you. Sure others can sympathize with us but unless you are living through it it's not the same. We can discuss anything here and someone has gone through it and can help us.
I'm on day 3 post chemo. I hate the taste of water now, it makes me gag. Food isn't much better. I am trying to eat throughout the day so I don't feel hungry. I find when the stomach empties the nausea sets in. I read some of you think day 4 and 5 are the worse, I'm dreading it. Cause I feel like I was already hit by a ton of bricks.
I have a baby shower to go to today. It's for my daughter in law, my second grandbaby. It's in Ohio. So about a 2 hour drive. I'm riding with my sister but a new symptom I'm having is motion sickness. Not looking forward to the drive but can't miss the event.
Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday. God bless!!
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So I am a week out from my second AC treatment and yesterday I just had a blah day. Just wasn't feeling the stay positive thing at all. Today I am picking my sorry ass up and am going to get out of the funk and get back to my positive self. I love reading how everyone is doing each week and can't wait to get my 3rd AC treatment out of the way this Friday. The biggest tumor in my breast has already shrunk from 2.5 cm to 1.8 cm which is awesome. I just need to keep reminding myself I am strong and I am going to kick this cancers ass.
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Third AC in the books for me! My counts looked great, according to my nurse. They haven't uploaded them to the online system yet so I can't see the numbers myself. This week my parents joined us. I was able get caught up on all of the family goings on with my grandfather and uncle's own medical dramas. My poor mother has been taking care of both of them and I have cancer on top of that. The woman should be given a medal.
My own round 3 experience was much like the first two. The end of the cytoxan is always the worst for me. I get the headache and sinus pressure. I was a little more tired this round than last. We had lunch after we left the cancer center and I tried to nap. We had some friends over off and on for dinner to celebrate my birthday. I was pretty well wiped out by about 8:30.
I think I've figured out my magic formula as far as intestines and toileting goes. I do have a bruise looking thing developing under the nail on my right big toe. I might have my manicurist take my nail polish off of my fingers or switch to a lighter color. Right now it's blue (for graduation). However, I do like the idea of not seeing dark spots under my nails.
Fingers crossed for minimal SE for everyone
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Today is my 9th Day out from my first round of chemo..
Feeling a LOT better... still a little tired... and the diarrhea is still some what of a problem ... but I'm eating .... and stilling drinking a ton of Pedi Lyte with Lemon Aid ( highly recommend this )
Did some housework too! Woot! Just a little bit... masked and gloved it up and cleaned the bathroom! Sprayed it down with Lysol ... it looks better and it makes me feel better..
Took a little something last night to help me sleep ...I think it made a world of difference! Rest,Meds on time, Fluids, movement and a positive attitude is what going to get me through all this chemo... all this wavers from time to time... but I'm staying the course..
now time for a nap...
Hugs from TN
Denise0 -
Susie, Country Time Lemon Aid has made the whole water thing taste better... but yeah I'm right there with you ..our water taste nasty now
Also, I can't drink my coffee it taste like dirt..
At its worst everything smelled sooo bad.. OMG .. besides the diarrhea the whole " everything sinks" phase of chemo is the worst for me..
I'm already sensitive to smells even before this.. but on day 4 and 5 .. it was at its worst...
Rest... srly ... rest as much as you can....
Hugs from TN
Denise0 -
WordLady,
Yeppers.. the Claritin helped sooo much with the bone pain! Got to hurting really back I think it was Thursday night , across my upper hips.. the kind of pain that makes you jump...
Took the Claritin .. then took a small walk up and down my driveway ... then came and put a cold pack on my back... with about 20 mins or so after all this ... I was pain free..
Not sure why it works but it does!
Hope everything is going well for you ..... you are in my thoughts and prayers..
Hugs from TN
Denise0 -
Glad to hear what others are going through. Thanks so much for sharing. It's hard to know what normal is anymore!
Denise: I'm with you on that. I don't stray too far from the bathroom and always know where the nearest one is when I'm out.
Just when I think I've got the side effects down something else starts up. Something new every day.
My hubby keeps saying one day at a time. Grrrrr! He's right.
Good advice HapB. We expect too much of ourselves at times like this.
Pamper yourselves ladies! Live for today, laugh every day, and love yourself.
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Sorry HapB I'm just now seeing this
I'm on Taxotere, Carboplatin ,Herceptin and Projeta .... after the 6th round they will drop the Taxotere and Carboplatin... but con't until next June with the Herceptin and possible the Projeta ...
Hugs from TN.
Denise0 -
Thanks, Denise, for posting about your chemo meds. If you go into your profile you can put in your diagnosis and any treatments and they show up at the bottom of your posts. Perfectly OK if you don't want to do this but it makes it easier for people to think - that applies to me because I have a similar diagnosis or the same chemo meds.
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Susie, Agreed that water became gross. Was able to tolerate a little this morning. Lemonade is agreeing, so that is my main liquid for taste right now. I just made some green tea -- will add a little sugar and ice. I will see how that goes. Do take it easy when you can on the days you are not feeling your best. I would think those are days our bodies are saying we should rest to avoid other complicating factors. We need our strength and energy for each of these treatments!
hhuey, I get that, but you are right in that you can't stay stuck in that blah. I had 2 days in a row of that last week, but I then "snapped" out of it. I guess for me, most of the shock of this has worn off to wear acceptance is creeping in and determination to fight, deal and come out on the other side well and done!
MsLin, I removed my dark nail polish (on toes only) and put on a super pale pink. It's allowing me to watch the nails closely.
Denise, I am glad you are a lot better but sorry you are having diarrhea issues. My issues are opposite of that. I know I need more fluid intake.
Has anyone noticed a change in their hair before it fell out? Anyone there yet? LIke mine is just wild and different from before. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it's been quite unruly and not as soft as normal. Still no signs of letting go, though, but it's just been 10 days since chemo. I was told, though, it could start coming out week 2-3, so that is near!
Proud of all you ladies! Hang tough!
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Susie - I had the same issues with drinking. I could not do water at all. It took me a bit, but finally found that drinking the fruit tea from Blue Coast Burrito was my thing. yes it has caffeine and sugar - buy my MO said to drink what would go down and stay down. That was the only thing that tasted normal for me. I would dilute it with some water as it was a bit sweet for me, but it sure tasted good. Also, my MO gave me the option of coming in for fluids since I was having a hard time drinking. Chemo on Thursday - then went for fluids on Monday. It gave me a good little boost. Everyone is different. My friend and I joked and said we were on the "white" diet as well - toasted bagels, baked potatoes, rice, oven roasted potatoes tasted wonderful as well. And eating with plastic utensils helped with metal tastes of food. I had chemo on Thursday and had turned the corner by Sunday and Monday - so again, everyones bad days are different. HapB has very good advice - listen to your body. So, So hard for us women to say no to anything - but others will have to understand during this time. But a baby shower for your grand would be such a hard thing to miss!
I noticed several were dealing with the HA and sinus issues with Cytoxan. My MO told me to let them know immediately if that started happening and they would decrease the rate. Once they slowed the rate down - all of those SE went away. Just a little FYI
.Hugs all around!
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Hi everybody, I'm now on day #5 since my AC #1 and starting to feel life-like again. I mentioned before that infusion day was uneventful; day #2 Thursday was pretty uneventful as well. The Neulasta pod did its thing without any trouble and I haven't really noticed any side effects from that.
Unfortunately day #3 came on with a vengeance, starting with nausea at 2 AM Friday and progressing from there in ways you can all imagine without detailed description. :-) I can now understand why Adriamycin is nicknamed "the red devil." Anyway, ultimately we went back to the clinic at 3 pm Friday for more IV anti-emetics and hydration. Driving 90 minutes round-trip while feeling sick in Friday afternoon traffic in a heat wave in the SF Bay Area -- SO not recommended! So that was a fairly unpleasant 12-hour period. But they gave me IV Kytril and Ativan, and a prescription for Ativan tablets which seem to work better. The Zofran tablets (basically the same as Kytril, I think they said?) definitely caused a really bad headache that wouldn't go away with either Tylenol or normal ibuprofen. I've never had a migraine in my life so I don't know, but I certainly had a really bad headache. They told me to take some 800 mg ibuprofen that I already had on hand, and that helped finally. So day #3 and day #4 were not at all pleasant -- and in the course of them I didn't take any of my normal meds including the Claritin so I need to get back on schedule with those.
However, finally I'm feeling more normal. I'm now not taking the Zofran tabs at all; instead I'm alternating Ativan and Compazine. There is discussion going around with the doctor and the clinic about changing what premeds they give me for next time. I have been eating small bits of bland things every couple of hours and drinking a lot of lemon water. I agree that keeping something in the stomach makes a big difference in avoiding the nausea.
At this point on day #5, are most of you past the need to take the anti-emetics? Frankly I'm afraid to stop taking them for fear of the nausea starting up again. I can call the triage line tomorrow to check in about that, I guess, but thought I would inquire.
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I forgot to say that I was given a sheet from the FDA about Taxotere that says it is given in alcohol and you should consider the alcohol content on your ability to drive one to two hours after the infusion. I had my Cytoxin infusion afterwards and slowed it down to 40 minutes to avoid headache and then had to check out and so forth so I think I could have driven, although my husband did. But it is something to think about and not something I was told ahead of time.
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I still haven't been told that. They gave me a sheet about Cytoxin and Taxotere, but I don't think it said a thing about alcohol
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Wordlady - so very sorry! Not fun! The nausea hit me the day of chemo. I had chemo on a Thursday along with all of the pre-meds and I was told to start taking my Zofran on Saturday morning whether I felt sick or not because that is when the nausea most likely hits. By Thursday evening the nausea hit me like hello. Took the Zofran and called MO who also said go ahead and take the Compazine. Once we knew it would hit early, I started taking a Zofran as I was walking out the clinic door, alternated Zofran and Compazine until Sunday night. That seemed to take care of the issue, but the Compazine made me sleep all the time...... not a bad thing when you are not feeling well. That truly stinks about the Zofran and I hope they find something that works quickly. But now you know when your nausea is most likely to hit so start taking whatever they suggest the day before. It won't hurt to take a few more just to make sure you are over this hurdle. My first round was rough as well, but we got the kinks worked out before the second round. Prayers that you will as well.
JuliaJazz - my nurse told me that with Taxol I was basically doing about 16 shots of tequila ha! I told her the tequila would have been more fun
. I had to sign a form stating that I would not drive and they would not start chemo until my driver (DH) was there. Between that and the benadryl - I could not have driven home. hugs all around!!
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Wordlady - I get a terrible headache when I take Zofran. The long lasting stuff in the IV pre-meds don't bother me, but the pill form does. I take the compazine every 6ish hours once I get home for about 4 days after infusion and then whenever I feel nausea coming on. I take Ativan every night to sleep no matter what. I'm prone to nausea and this works for me. I also make sure I always have a small snack near by. I eat fruit, fruit snacks (Simply Balanced fruit leather that I get at target), slices of cheese. I like lemon fizzy water to drink when water tastes terrible.
Just listen to your body. If you feel nauseous, take something. Don't wait to find out if you need it, just do it
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Hi JuliaJazz, I hope you are feeling well. I start the same chemo treatment as you this Thursday. Feeling nervous is an understatement. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind. I know we are all different but how long after your AC did you start feeling better? How long did you ice your hands and feet before chemo? Where there any side effects that you didn't expect?
Thanks and I hope you are feeling good today!
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Wendeez, I am not sure what meds you will be given. I had Taxotere and Cytoxan. If yours are different you need to ask others who had those. I haven't felt bad at all. I had no nausea at all. I took Varubbi just before I started the procedure. It was very expensive but recommended by the doc. I took Zofran that night and the next morning and the next night. I am off that now. The first two days after I felt pretty normal. Today is the third day and I napped a little more and have some mild pain in my legs but I have arthritis anyway so it doesn't feel much worse. Lots of people say day 4 is the worst so perhaps I will have a bit more pain tomorrow. I got a heating pad in case I need that but so far I haven't. The procedure itself went well. I had Neulasta Pro that was applied there and went off 27 hours later. If you have more questions, just write again.
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I don't know what I'm doing wrong but it won't add the H and Perjeta to profile!
Denise0 -
ML1209 you live in Hendersonville! I'm in Nashville
Denise0 -
Wordlady, Sounds like you went through it but got through it. Yeah! I only had to take anti-nausea meds (they gave me Zofran and Compazine) 3x - days 1, 2 and 4. I only took Zofran, but I had no real issues with nausea per se. I have had two bouts of heartburn (one lasting 24 hours). They told me last Friday to just take OTC meds for that.
MSLin, Regarding Taxol...meaning you feel drunk after? 16 shots per treatment? OMG. That sounds worse than the red devil! Maybe when I start that, I will order some chips and salsa to eat while I am being infused.
I had a HUGE steak last night with corn on the cob and fresh green beans, and a banana split for dessert. Then the heartburn started, so I curbed it quickly. Making up for that bland diet last week. Oops. Interestingly, the walnuts my DH put on my split tasted UBER bitter! I had to push them off.
My BFF arrives from GA today, so I am super excited to have some fun for a few days.
Be well, ladies!!
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I am 6 days out past my second round of TCHP. Main side effects up until yesterday have been the jittery, buzzy, can't keep my thoughts straight in my head. I couldn't sit still and went non-stop throughout the days doing things. Then yesterday, I slept until 11:30 in the morning, got up and stayed up 7 hours, went back to bed and slept 11 more hours. Yesterday my son took me out to visit some friends and then for a ride and then to the grocery. It wore me out in a good way. I woke up this morning with a clear head. The diarrhea hasn't started yet but it did last round about this time.
I took nausea medicine the last 5 days Every six to eight hours. Food, of course, has no taste. I've been eating very light but yesterday had a 6-inch turkey sub from Subway. Didn't want the cheese and lettuce so just had the meat and the bread and some potato chips. For some reason, anything potatoes really taste good to me. French fries are something I'm craving now. Also, ice cream tastes wonderful and I can even taste the vanilla. I wonder if I am hungry as I need something on my stomach those first five days every 2 to 3 hours. I don't know if I should be forcing myself to eat more or not.
For those of you with the dry mouth, I got Xylimelts on Amazon and they work great. They were a suggestion somewhere on this site. It says to put 2 in your mouth when you go to bed but I have only been using one.
I have a question about vitamins. I have always taken a multivitamin and 1000 mg of vitamin C every day. I asked my oncologist about it and he said it was fine although I read on here not to take vitamins. Can anyone give me some advice please?
Reading all of your posts encourages me and helps me to pray for us and to be thankful for how well many of us are doing. Thanks to everyone for posting and encouraging us!
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upheld,
I have been your shoes when I got BIRAD5 mammo on 12/29/16. DX was bad bc mine was both sides and pos nodes. I am about to have my last chemo any min ( #8 DD wo any break). Facing 30 sessions of rads. And total hystrectomy (You know by now my diarrehea form of BC is serious)
I wanted to say hello and tell you about my 86 hr old mom from whom I get inspiration from. Better late than never please let me now. Mom was hit w ovarian 20 plus yrs ago. Emergency total hysterectomy within the same day she had. Was given 6 months to a yr. I even bought funeral expense life insurance. She only had medicaid and survived. She was hit w BC about 10 yrs ago. She beat that w medicaid again. She is 86 now still Alive and kicking. She leaves my father behind everytime they go out. Oh I should tell you that my father is a jerk now he was a bigger jerk back then.
Thank you for listening my silly statements.
Mimi
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