Chemo starting October 2017
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Hi Joyseeker. Dropping in from the Oct. surgery thread and saw you here. I wanted to let you know even though we don't know each other, I am still thinking of you. Yep, anxious and sad, that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? Your chemo day will come and go and before you know it, it's over.
My chemo treatment was six in total, three weeks apart. It seemed like it was really slow but yet really fast. I am still getting the targeted therapies of Herceptin and prejeta, the last one was last Wednesday and I've been really wiped out and down this past week. Anyway, hang in there, okay?
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Waking up and thinking of you Joyful Sara!! YOU Got this! Know that YOU are in control...that YOU are trumping this cancer that decided to so rudely rear its head in your body.... that YOU are choosing to poison this cancer in order to regain your health.... YOU Got This!
We are here waiting in the wings if anything pops up that concerns you! Go Sara Go!!
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Hi Joyseeker- I know how you feel when you say you are worried about treatment and sad about prognosis. I too have been feeling the same way however I am slowing realizing that it serves no purpose for me right now. I'm beginning to tell myself that I will get through this and I will defeat it. I think it is a normal process to have these feelings but somewhere along the way we all get stronger. You can do this! We are here for you!
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Anyone on Netupitant/palonosetron aka Akynzeo for nausea? It's the only nausea med listed on my treatment plan right now, though the doctor said she would send me home with a prescription for two others. One like Zofran (but longer acting I think...) and something else. They aren't listed on my treatment plan right now. I saw people talking about Emend as "the big guns" for nausea. Just wondering if I should be asking about that tomorrow.
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I have Emend. Heads up. It’s 125.00 per tri pack. But if it works I guess it’s priceless. I also have ondansetron for the first three days and Metonia as needed. Pharmacist said I wouldn’t likely need the “A’s needed” as the other two are very effective. Here’s hoping......an hour until I start popping pills and head for my infusion
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I’m just worried about the laid back approach so far. The oncologist certainly wasn't concerned with side effects. She called them nuisances. And, for example, when I asked about seeing a dietician, she said, "Well let's wait and see how you feel with the nausea." And when I asked about sleeping, she says that if I have trouble sleeping that maybe they could lessen the steroids the next time, but since they help the nausea she didn't want to do that. So she is not very proactive which is opposite of me. I read that Emend is the "big gun" for anti nausea and that should be a pretty standard anti nausea med, but I'm obviously, I'm no expert. I'm just hoping that her relaxed approach is countered by a more engaged nurse practitione tomorrow when I have my chemo teaching. I only see one anti nausea med on my treatment list and there are like four steroids. I'm just concerned they aren't doing enough to be proactive.
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Petey, I had one anti-nausea via infusion before chemo started, and then I have a steroid and anti-nausea for 2-3 days after. You'll learn more tomorrow at your class, but I highly doubt that they are going to let you take A/C without something that works. FYI, I was very concerned about nausea before A/C as I suffer from severe motion sickness (which was listed as a possible trigger), but so far, so good. And I'm pretty sure that everyone who had any issues with Round 1 had their medications tweaked to help with Round 2.
I'm waiting to hear from Sara Joyseeker that she made it through okay!
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In the chair for #1. Thanks for the support ladies.
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Let us know how you do Sara if you are feeling up to it!
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Looking good, Sara! Is that a hint of smile I see in your eyes :-)
Hope it went ok. And by the way, your short haircut is really cute.
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Thanks for the support ladies. I’m home. Curled up in my chair. I think a nap is coming on. Oddly settled that now I’m in the action/treatment phase. Drinking. Drinking. Drinking
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Thanks for the support ladies. I'm home. Curled up in my chair. I think a nap is coming on. Oddly settled that now I'm in the action/treatment phase. Drinking. Drinking. Drinking. Tonight is my second dose of steroids and anti-nausea. Hoping for a smooth ride.
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Only surprise was the huge red syringes of the red chemo medicine. Five of them! That was completely unnerving!!
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First chemo down. Although it started out as a miserable day, so far so good.
After my replacement port insertion on Monday I was given Oxycodone 5mg for the pain, every 6 hrs. By Tuesday evening my hands & then my lower back started itching like crazy. I managed to get some sleep once it subsided, but once I got up yesterday it just became insane, The itching then started affecting most of my back, my belly and my legs in addition to my hands & fingers. I called my surgeon's office to express my suspicion that it was a reaction to the Oxy & ask if I could take Benedryl to combat the itching. The thing is, I didn't have the same reaction when I was on the Oxycodone/Acetaminophen combo after my lump/SNB/chemo port placement 4 wks ago. But my discharge papers this time said to not use that if I still had any left and just use the straight Oxy. My surgeon was out of town when I called yesterday, but his fellow surgeon said I should discontinue the Oxy & take Tylenol if needed for the pain and Benedryl for the itching.
I haven't taken an Oxy since 4:30am yesterday morning. My itching had just (temporarily) subsided before my scheduled 10:30ish dose & I was only experience mild/moderate discomfort as opposed to pain, so I switched to Tylenol, and in addition to the Benedryl tablets I've been applying the cream like hand lotion.
I surprisingly got a pretty good night's sleep last night. I picked up a couple essential oil diffusers yesterday & had frankincense going out in the main living area. When I went to bed I was a bit drowsy from the Benedryl, I turned on the diffuser with lavender oil in the bedroom & set the sleep timer on my MP3 for one hour in order to listen to a meditation. I think I fell asleep only 15-20 minutes in (YAY!) and slept through till 6:30 this morning, at which time I got up to go to the bathroom hoping the Sennecot I took last night would start doing it's thing (been constipated since Monday's surgery even after taking Dulcolax Tuesday and Dulcolax & Miralax yesterday).
I thought things were going well until I got out of bed with my alarm about an hour later & my hands starting itching like crazy within minutes.
I actually still had welts on my thighs from the itching late yesterday afternoon. This was so disheartening that I had no appetite for breakfast, but made myself a SlimFast shake (not because I need to lose anymore weight but because it's an easy, tasty way to get extra protein & nutrients), and choked down a bowl of fiber cereal. I really did NOT want to go into my first chemo full of anxiety, but I couldn't help myself & was an emotional wreck when I arrived. Plus the fact that my port area is still sensitive to pressure just 3 days post-op. But the girls there were so kind and my mood got an additional boost when my pre-treatment blood counts came back "perfect". I've had little appetite & difficulty getting a good night's sleep since my diagnosis in July, so I mentioned to them that I really think I need to get on some anti-anxiety or anti-depression meds to keep my emotions an a little more of an even keel so that my lows don't get SO low. They contacted my MO who got me an Rx for Buspirone & Xanax. She also advised 25mg 3 times daily for the next 2-3 days to hopefully relieve the itching.
After my session was over I was feeling better & went home with my Dad & stayed for lunch. I figured I'd better eat something while I had a appetite. I was partway through lunch when my MO's nurse called to let me know the crisis center was open 24-hrs a day any time I feel like I need to talk to someone & get the anxiety of my chest. Though my Dad & his wife were pressing me to stay with them for the next several days, I chose to come home to my place because here I have all my post-chemo care stuff (foods, meds, etc) and can sleep/nap whenever I want without being in anyone's way or being disturbed (they're both partially deaf so TV volume is cranked up & if they want to talk to each other they have to yell, so not conducive to rest - LOL). Plus at home I'm guaranteed the bathroom won't be occupied if ever I drastically need it. When I got home I felt like a nap, so I turned on my diffusers & the meditation hoping to replicate last night's results. But those dang steroids! I did get some rest, but no sleep & found it difficult to focus on the meditation. So after an hour I got up, grabbed an apple & a Gatorade and went out for my walk. Did about a mile and a half instead of my usual 2 miles. Because I was in a good place emotionally, I decided not to contact the crisis center counselor today because I know discussing it will bring me down. Even just talking on the phone about the recommendation to do so whenever I felt the need ruined my appetite & I was unable to finish more than a few more bites of my lunch. So since it's recommended I don't drive for the next few days while on the frequent Benedryl I plan to do what I can to keep my moods up (meditations & mantras, light exercise, essential oils, crystals, and being proactive in getting small amounts of food in my belly every couple hours and drinking lots & LOTS of fluids). I'm focusing on not allowing myself to dwell on the potential negatives coming my way and instead enjoy the current moment & fill it with hope & positivity.
Wow, this ended up being long! Thank you all for your support. It helps to know that I'm not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if my tunnel is very long (a full year of chemo then radiation) & I've just barely started.
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Sara and Tablzs, you did it! Keep that water coming and keep those snacks handy. I think you're both going to be pleasantly surprised how good your meds are.
Tablzs, sorry about your allergic reaction. I'm sure that was scary. Keep up with whatever you can do to control the anxiety. I think we all completely understand.
Sweet dreams, or at least sweet cat naps!
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Tabz - Congrats on getting the first chemo behind you. That's so cool that you could get yourself out for a walk even though you hadn't slept and weren't feeling your best. I really hope that allergic reaction was a one-off and doesn't happen again. That itchy feeling can really create anxiety. I had shingles earlier this year. After the pain subsided it turned into itching and I thought I was going to go out of my mind.
Anyone else dealing with a runny nose? Mine has been watery/drippy for over a week now. It's been sore and the skin right inside my nostrils is dry. I've tried a few different things to help: Boroleum, Aquaphor, vaseline, etc. I can report that the best is AYR SALINE GEL WITH ALOE - by far :-)
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Agatha, I've had a drippy nose, too. I'm going to ask my MO if I can stay on Claritin/Zyrtek the whole time so that it doesn't run all the time. The good news is that it's clear, so no sign of an infection, but my fear is that if I let it go, it'll turn into a cough.
Last night I felt really tired at bedtime and was looking forward to a decent night's sleep. Then at 9:30pm, I got a text alert from my credit card company asking if just used my card at a UDF. No. Turns out someone copied my card somehow (mine was still in my purse) and was using it at various grocery stores throughout the early evening. They got away with about $300. Even though I won't be liable for any of the fraudulent charges, it was enough aggravation that it took me several hours to get to sleep. All I can say to those criminals is that Karma is a bitch.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!
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Sara and Tablz - So glad you made it through.
Tablz, I can understand the itching and hope it goes away for good. Good for you for walking! I know I need to do more of that. I was walking by the lake a few blocks from our house for about a week and then the weather turned here and it's been gusting 35-50 mph all week. I should get on the treadmill downstairs. I know it will help me come next week.
Agatha - I'm wondering the same thing about the Claritin. I usually take Zyrtec for allergies, but if the Claritin can help with bone pain and drippy nose that would be great.
Lisa - Those credit card stealers are such an aggravation. I'm sure they got your card either online from somewhere or the POS system from a store you shop at. My husband works in cybercrimes and for a while had to work on the cases where people hacked into business systems and stole numbers. He hated those cases, but he did come away with the attitude that everyone is going to have their numbers stolen now...it's just inevitable. I just had a Lyft charge on my card from California. That's the only thing that they charged luckily, but now I gotta switch everything to a different card. Annoying!
I meet with the nurse practitioner today for chemo teaching. I'm anxious to get the details! Hopefully, everyone has a decent day!
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Good Morning Ladies - afternoon and evening were like the worst headache on steroids. Very bad hangover like. Kept up with water, munching on Cheerios and almonds. Off to bed at 9:00. Woke up three times to drink/pea. Took anti nausea at midnight. Up now. Peppermint tea and toast. Planning on a day of rest.
Tablz I had that itching when I took tramadol. Not fun. Aveeno makes a nice oatmeal anti-itch if you are out and about.
Petey111 we too have had wicked storms. 100km/hr with gusts to 140. Power lines down, trees and lots of grass fires. I am I Southern Alberta so the grass fires are particularly scary.
What was everyone’s bad days?
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so pissed off... Woke to my period today.. Was hopping chemo would have killed it... Grr
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So, I'm in my 4th week of chemo and have gotten soooo tired of drinking water. The metallic taste doesn't help. Anyway, the other night I was at a Euchre party and was moaning about how I didn't think I could down another glass of water, but didn't want to drink anything sugary or caffeinated. So my aunt made me a cup of decaffeinated lemon ginger tea. I didn't want to be rude and tell her that I don't drink tea, so I want ahead and sipped it. And then I sipped it again. And I actually liked it! I know that they recommend trying new foods during chemotherapy because your sense of taste may be impacted, and I'm here to report a success story. In fact, I'm sipping a cup as I type.
Sara the Joyseeker, sorry you had a headache, but sounds like no nausea? Maybe you can ask your MO if you can take anything. Those wind storms sounded incredible! Glad you made it through the night and wishing you a calm, relaxing, headache-free day today.
MrsWinnie, it's almost like cancer is taunting us sometimes, isn't it? Another reason we need to kill it.
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Hi Everyone- I was wondering if anyone else has little twitches every now and then on their scalp? Wondering if this is a side effect from the chemo. Thanks!
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Didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Got up took a Ativan and went back to bed. I had husband take daughter to school and that is usually a fiasco. Anything out of his normal routine just throws him.
Chemo # 2 was Tuesday and feeling headache/nauseous last night and this morning. Didn't have much with round 1. I was just really tired over the weekend post chemo
Need to go take a shower now but dreading it since I will be combing out more hair this morning. 😫 It's hard to take that step to take it all off.
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Hi, Jennifer. I'm in the same boat. After a really good day yesterday I am achey and grumpy and decided just to stay in bed. This weekend I have a lot to do so I'm just going to lay low today.
The hair thing is traumatic. Are you able to go out without a scarf or wig still? If so I can see why you wouldn't want to yet, but I really recommend buzzing down to #2 at least with clippers. The little 1/4" hairs fall out, but it is NO WHERE near as traumatic as when I had normal length hair coming out in my hands and brush.
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This has been the last 3 mornings. I only quickly gently shampoo once and run a wide comb through once. And let it air dry however it falls. I have fine hair normally. So getting thinner. Still trying to hold out till the end of the weekend.
On a positive note, I really feel like my lump is getting smaller. I found my lump. I could see it in the mirror one morning. It measured 2.6 on ultrasound and 3.1 on MRI. It use to feel like a little rubber bouncy ball from a vending machine and now feels more like a larger marble. I hope I am not kidding myself. My breasts are so lumpy anyways, when I found the lump I didn't know if it was normal or not. I still feel all sorts of lumps in both of them. My BS called them classic fibrocystic breasts. One of the reasons I decided to get a double MX after chemo.
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Oh girls. I feel for you all. I'm going to have to make sure I follow the November thread too since I'm starting on Oct. 30th.
I have to say, I met with the Nurse Practioner today and I loved her. She answered so many questions and addressed so many of my concerns. I feel so much better. Still nervous about Monday of course, but much less so than I was before today!
Here's wishing you a nausea-free weekend!
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Tri-lady, can't say that I have scalp twitches, but I have twitches everywhere else, so I'm thinking it's nothing to worry about. I think it's the Neulasta...?
Jenn, that is wonderful about the tumor shrinking. I think that mine is, too, but have quit poking at my breast because I don't want to jinx myself. I'm not going to mention it to the Nurse Practitioner on Wednesday, so that I don't influence her, but I'm praying that she will notice when she does her bi-weekly breast mauling. It'll make this harsh chemo so much more bearable when we KNOW that it's working.
Re the hair. I'd say that ~25% of my head and pubic hair is still holding on for dear life. The hair stubble looks kind of silly. I'm pretty sure Treatment #3 will do its number on the holdouts. Anyway, I've been wearing hats and caps now for over 2 weeks, and most people don't even notice me. With winter coming on, hats will make me even less conspicuous, and I'm really stoked about that.
My only complaint right now on Day 9 post-chemo #2, other than the fact that I'd give my right arm to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, is that I'm having a bout of diarrhea. I took the first two doses of Imodium, as the handy dandy chemo paperwork directed directed, and so far, so good. My NP did say that staying on top of diarrhea was critical, so I'm actually treating it this time. Everyone else complains of constipation, but somehow I end up with the opposite. My body is so flipping weird.
Today I was off work and feeling really tired, so I enjoyed a mini Game of Thrones marathon. I didn't watch it when it was live, so I'm binge-watching now. I'm in the middle of Season 2, and wondering if I should abandon it. The storyline is very engaging, but my God, the violence! It's very trying on my nerves.
My aunt mentioned the other day that it was good that I was being treated over the holidays, because the last 6 weeks of the year should just fly right by. I thought that was a nice thought to hang onto because. the. days. are. dragging.
Have a great, nausea-free weekend everyone!
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Hey All,
Had my second round of AC on Monday and this one took me down far worse than the first. I'm wondering if it's the cumulative effect they talk about. Crazy high energy on Tuesday - felt 100%. Wed - Fri, could work only a couple of hours. Achy, nausea, retching and slept for most of those three days. Felt like Rip Van Winkle.
Lisa - I finished Game of Thrones two weeks agoand hated when it ended. Each season - more outrageous than the previous. Loved it!
I too have stopped poking at my breast. My ON asked me if I was feeling it and could I tell that it was shrinking? Told him " that's your job -ha". Plus he has two new NP's in his practice so they all do a round-robin of pushing, prodding, measuring, discussing. I asked him if he'd like to invite the janitor in to weigh in on the subject.
It's now Friday night and I'm feeling on the mend. Love reading all your stories.
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No nausea. But no appetite either. So, so tired. Up for an hour. Down for two. Normal? Cocooned on my couch with pillows, heat bags and a blanket. Resting up to go watch my daughter in her riding lesson this afternoon.
Love and hugs,
Sara
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After 1st chemo on Thursday, yesterday was actually pretty great. I was in the best place emotionally & energy-wise that I've been in several weeks. Went for a 2 1/2 mile walk, ate throughout the day, did a load of laundry, and even found 3 job openings to apply for (been unemployed since the end of July). Thursday night & last night I took an anti-nausea tablet before bed just to be on the safe side. Slept pretty well both nights too. This morning, I'm feeling very tired. Stayed in bed till 11:00 then only got up because I knew I needed to eat something & stay hydrated. My stomach... not what I would call nausea, but more a feeling of discomfort. So I took another Ondansetron just in case. Probably just gonna lay on the couch today & binge-watch 'Outlander'.
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