Starting chemo January 2018
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Krose53 - Your planned hair party sounds super fun. I hope you post some of your daughter's photos! I keep delaying my trip to the hair salon for a pixie cut,...to the point that I might just have to miss that step altogether, haha. I have naturally wavy/curly hair and the close to the scalp look is going to be a real challenge for me.
Insideout2 - Loved your account of listening to your body, and your laughable moment. It sounds like your Neulasta is different than mine. I just had to give myself an injection.
Amelia01 - You look fabulous and your hair looks great! Happy Birthday! I know what you mean about wondering how many more we get. My mom lived to 92, so I told my oncologist I am aiming for that. But really, that was one of the pieces of grief, and adjusting to a new identity as 'cancer patient' that was so hard for me. I had never questioned that I would see my daughter finish university, get out into the world, have kids (she's 21) or my oldest son finish grad school (he's 28) and also have kids. All of a sudden, I had to wonder: would I be around? We had to put our old dog down about a week before I started chemo, and I thought 'Am I the next one in the family who will be put down?'. I know its macabre, but this is what ran through the back of my mind. Okay, enough. Pity party over, but I know that how I know and define myself is never going to be the same after this - even when I get to 91 and have 1 year left!
Imurphy - how are you doing? You are 2 days post-tx now?
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Many happy returns, Amelia! You look beautiful. And the hair... Oh, the hair... Looks great and so thick! I've been looking with envy at people's hair. Never thought I'd miss my own so much.
I used to dread getting old until this thing happens. Now I'm actually looking forward to turning 48 (in April). If the odds are on my side and I manage to stay cancer free for 10 years, I'm hoping that whatever happens 10 years from now, there would have been more progress towards a cancer cure. Just like the treatment options are so much better today than, say 15 years ago (or so I hear). I just want to see my kids grown.
On a happier note: I had a pretty good day today. I went to yoga for the first time since I lost my hair. I was so self-conscious about going to my exercise classes with no hair, I cancelled a couple. But I went, kept my Lululemon hat on the whole time (it stays put even during the downward dog!) No one looked and no one cared.
Then I decided to wash my wig so it doesn't smell like that awful shampoo they used at the wig shop and which triggered my chemo nausea. So I did it after watching some how-to videos on Youtube. I managed to make the wig hair just like mine used to be: neither straight, nor wavy, juat messy. It was like getting my old life back for a moment At least now it smells like rosemary-mint.
@garifalia - I didn't have that issue on my scalp. Hope it goes away. But I know when guys shaved beards they get little bumps on their faces. I wonder if this is what it is....
Lots of love!
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Garifalia, you most likely have folliculitis. There is a thread about it that I've linked below. Sounds like cortisone cream might be a good first try. And leave hat off when home to air off the scalp. Other than that, so glad you're feeling better after #2! You're half way done, right!?
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Thanks for asking, Deaelle! Chemo yesterday, got home and crashed until dinner. My DH fixed chicken broth with avocado, followed by post-prandial walk. Anti-nausea meds every 4hrs alternating Compazine/Zofran is keeping things under control. This time having bad acid reflux! Tums couldn't handle it, so have been popping Pepcid. Trying to drink my 3L water a day.
If my (fast shedding) hair is any indication, I hope my chemo is killing any remaining cancer cells as well as it is my hair follicles! Knock on wood...
Good news is that MO is going to dose-dense my last two treatments, so will be receiving every 2 weeks and finished in a month. I shared the following link with MO and he was impressed enough to try it on me!
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IMurphy - that is SO great you MO responded to the dose dense paper. I just read it through the link you included - very nice summary. Are you worried about more SE though? Neuropathy is on my list of things to avoid if I can, and I wonder if this increased pace would make a difference to that? My MO gave me a prescription for a single does of Ranitidine ( a reflux drug) to take 1 hr prior to the chemo last time and I didn't have any extra symptoms. Do you get something like this before you start?
sounds like you are coping well - so hang in there!! See if the bone broth might help with energy if you can't eat much just now.
Roxy13 - what a great story about your wig! And nice to hear the yoga class was positive.
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Happy Birthday Amelia! Sounds (and looks) like a great way to celebrate.
Roxy does your wig have a name? Mine did. It was called Jennifer. My best friend called her "Jenny from the blockhead." Ha. We had a love/hate relationship but she did get me through chemo so I owe her some props.
lmurphy I had dose dense ACT chemo June-Sept 2017 and got through it fairly well. Now I'm on a 3 week cycle with Herceptin and wish I could dose dense it and knock time off the year of infusions but, alas, a year it will be.
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Thanks for that Rantidine tip, Deaelle. I'm going to try that in 2 weeks. Regarding side effects, paradoxically they are mostly reduced! Appears to be due to fact that chemo doses are slightly reduced but will maintain levels of drug in system better because less lag time than waiting that extra week when there is that large swing in chemo levels after infusion. However, have to take Neupogen because WBCs are more likely to be reduced.
I'll definitely report my experience!
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Hi, everybody! I am happy to say I'm coming out of the flu haze and managed to go to work today, teach my students, and get home in one piece. Phew! The flu had been the worst part of cancer so far!
Happy birthday, and here's to more for all of us. Sending love to everybody!
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Hi PeachyJeanne, no name yet. We are just starting to bond Like I said, I was pleased to see how much the wig hair was like my old hair, so it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing someone else’s hair so much anymore. And I finally figured out how to adjust it, so I can wear it for a longer time without it being too tight or too loose. I was even able to try on clothes at a store the other day without taking it off (or it coming off!)
Okkate75 - this is great news!
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Amelia01- Happy Birthday. I loved the birthday picture. It's great you celebrated your day.
Okkate75-Glad to know your are feeling better.
Lmurphy-Way to go with round one. Remember to get your fluids in.
Roxy13-It is awesome yoga class went well. I frequently alternated between wigs and my hair before cancer. I think it's great you are working with "her". I hope to be comfortable to go without one.
Krose53- Your hair party sounds awesome.
I went to work yesterday. I never been so happy to be at work. I made a after chemo bag (huge purse)for work and it helped. Almost the same as the chemo, but modified a little. Keeping two separate bags will make it easier for me and gives me a reason to change purses.
We are all making progress. Hugs and blessings to everyone.
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Amelia01- Happy Birthday. I loved the birthday picture. It's great you celebrated your day.
Okkate75-Glad to know your are feeling better.
Lmurphy-Way to go with round one. Remember to get your fluids in.
Roxy13-It is awesome yoga class went well. I frequently alternated between wigs and my hair before cancer. I think it's great you are working with "her". I hope to be comfortable to go without one.
Krose53- Your hair party sounds awesome.
I went to work yesterday. I never been so happy to be at work. I made a after chemo bag (huge purse)for work and it helped. Almost the same as the chemo, but modified a little. Keeping two separate bags will make it easier for me and gives me a reason to change purses.
We are all making progress. Hugs and blessings to everyone.
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Good morning my sisters, Sleep 💤 it seems is getting harder and harder my anxiety is at a all time high.... I’m having my lung biopsy this morning at 11:30 and omg I’m so nervous 😟 it’s a minor procedure and I’ll be asleep but I’m still nervous!!! Been pouring over this chemo binder I was given yesterday so much info...
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lmurphy: Thank you so much for the information about folliculitis. That describes it perfectly and now I have some more remedies to try
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Yesterday was my hair party. Mid-shave my hairdresser gave me a Mo-hawk. We laughed so hard and believe it or not I look not to bad - who would have guessed? Two friends took me to the wig shop and we had a nice afternoon trying on wigs - lots of fun ones!!! Leaving the store with my hair in a box seems a little surreal but all in all a good day.
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hi January chemo group. I'm not as good at posting but I read all your post and try to keep up with everybody.
Just have a quick question fellow fighters. I am 2 weeks from my first Chemo one week left till the next one. I have had some good days now. sometimes the side effects such as the diarrhea and burning indegestion appear out of nowhere. I've tried not taking the meds for them but it doesn't go away. So I take them and feel better. Anybody else have this pop up symptoms. I guess I thought we would have days of side effect symptoms then none till next time. I'm learning
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LK, my MO prescribed a proton pump inhibitor (fancy way of saying a prescription strength of something like Prevacid). I started taking it a few days before my 1st chemo, and am continuing to take it all the way through; it's a tiny pill and I take one about 30-60 minutes before breakfast. I haven't had any of the indigestion symptoms.
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Hi, I just joined and discovered this January chemo group. I started January 9th and am a week out from my second chemotherapy. Glad to be back to feeling pretty okay and glad to find a group in the same place as me. Am currently trying to figure out how to take care of my bald head (shaved it day after 2nd round of chemo because it was falling out). I'm also experiencing frequent bloody noses. Anyone have that? Also trying to figure out what I feel like eating vs. what I should avoid because it causes diahrrea. (I was too ambitious yesterday eating some slightly spicy food.) Greetings everyone!
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Hi All! It's been a while since my last post. I had a bad week last week. I thought I had my hair cut short enough that when it fell out in the shower, it would just go down the drain, but alas, I ended up stepping in a huge pile of "fur" and got very upset by seeing this. I lost about half my hair in that one shower and it was a little traumatic. The next day, before I showered, my husband buzzed it on the shortest setting we could go so I wouldn't have to see that again. They changed one of my anti-nausea meds at chemo last week during the infusion and I seemed to have a lot more nausea last week. I had to take more zofran and compazine and as a result, my digestive tract feels like it's only working at 10%. I could NOT "go". Saturday night it was so bad, we ended up calling the doctor at 11:30pm for a remedy - my senokot wasn't working and I couldn't take the discomfort/pain anymore. I hate to bug them on the weekend or during off hours, but they were very nice and helpful. I'm trying to get myself regulated before my next treatment next week so that it doesn't get any worse. I do NOT want to go through that again. I really need to try to stay ahead of it next time. (Sorry if this is TMI). If anyone has any tips for avoiding the wicked constipation, I'm all ears!
PeachyJeanne, I was hoping to get some info from you about Taxol. I have two more AC treatments and then will do 12 weekly Taxols. I'm worried about what to expect - it's almost like starting all over again since it is a different drug. I'm not sure what side effects to expect or how I will feel. Did you get the nerve damage from it? Did you have the digestive issues with it that AC brings? The doctor said the fatigue would get progressively worse - is this true? How does it differ from AC?
WorriedMe77 - I've been thinking about you a lot. I'm so sorry you are going through all of these extra stressors, and I hope your lung biopsy goes smoothly and returns good results so you can move on and not think about it anymore. I'm glad they are moving along with chemo to stay within that good timeframe. I was concerned about that timeframe as well - of starting chemo within so many days after surgery - so much so, that I'm doing my chemo first and then I'll have my surgery (double mastectomy) afterwards. This is a very stressful time, but just remember (As I keep trying to remind myself) this is all temporary. It's a long road, but it will get better.
Coach - I'm so happy to hear you had a fun "hair party"! I did something similar by letting my kids play "hairdresser" and cut my hair however they wanted the night we were going to buzz it off. I think it's great to try to turn something that we normally wouldn't want to into something fun. Good for you! Sounds like a great day!
OkKate - I'm so glad to hear you are feeling better! I've been so paranoid about getting sick during chemo - I felt so bad to hear that you had come down with the flu. I'm happy you are feeling better and able to get back to work!
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paisley, invest in a squatty potty. It sounds funny, but it seems to wirk
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First of all thanks to all the birthday messages. Wasn’t out fishing for wishes but did find it to be a day that affected me like no other.
paisley- try adding coconut oil to your diet. Do you drink coffee? One tsp in your coffee should get things moving. It needs to be consumed hot otherwise it’s just a glob.
I’m doing 4 EC then 12 taxolos. Its been suggested to get gel gloves or socks for freezing hands and feet during tx. Apparently a bag of frozen peas works just as well if not better (not sure how to use on hands).
Kudos to all of you having the courage to buzz your hair! I’m a whimp. My cold capping isn’t as great as I hoped but knock on wood still hanging on (and tons falling out!). My scalp has sore spots so isn’t just from buzzing. The chemo is doing it
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For those of you in need of icing for your finger tips, I purchased these from Amazon:
and then stick two in each of two socks. I then keep my fingers/thumbs between the two ice packs. My infusion center also has extra refreezable ice packs for when these thaw.
I also purchased:
They come with individual refreezable gel packs that fit into different pockets, including on top of the toes.
As long as I'm going for the cold capping brain freeze, what's a little more chilling.0 -
Sweetflypaperoflife (Great name, by the way!)
Welcome to Breastcancer.org! We're so sorry for the reasons that bring you here, but really glad you found us. You're sure to find this Community a great space for information, advice, and support! This January crew is extremely informative!
We're sure others will be posting their welcoming messages to you soon and posting their experiences with bloody noses and/or eating and diarrhea issues, but in the meantime, you may be interested in checking out the main Breastcancer.org site's pages on Nosebleeds as a side effect of treatment, as well as the page on Eating When You Have Diarrhea.
We hope this helps and we look forward to hearing more from you soon!
--The Mods
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Transformation continues shaved the other side of my head last night easing myself into a new image. I have decided I really like this look:)
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Hi Everyone, thanks for all the help and comments you have been posting. I’ll be talking to my oncologist Friday about dense dosing. Did research and ready for a discussion. My 2nd chemo is Monday. I’m TC chemo 4 doses , once every every 3 wks. Wondering if any of you have lost your eyebrows and eye lashes? Any tips if you have?
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Hi Everyone,
To all posters - our diagnosis led us to this group. Thank you for sharing your posts.
Today I will get my first blood work drawn since my first round of chemo. I hope my levels are where they should be this week and next. My second round is set for 2/19.
Going in to the office has been good for me, however I take a nap and sleep when I get home.
I keep my door shut and join meetings via phone or webex, even when I am in the office.
My SE seem to vary day to day, none to overwhelming. I agree with someone who posted it is weird how the SE change.
To those who had or will have treatment this week, are preparing for next week, or finished a treatment last week stay strong. We have received so much information in a condensed time frame. Our doctors and nurses gave us thier number. It is okay to call them.
It's our body and we should use all resources available.
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Insideout2 my 3rd treatment is on 2/19 so I'm one ahead of you. I see my onc on Monday the 12th. I will keep you posted on how 3 goes half way there!!! I'm doing TCH what are you doing??
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TerAnne-I see my MO on 2/13. I have 5 more of FAC.
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Oh boy oh boy. Now I’m convinced I’ve made that tumor so large via heavy asparagus consumption!
Not loving vegetables at all I would od on asparagus every spring.
I’m getting my head around little to no meat, no dairy, and now no nuts or legumes? Well, I’m perplexed.
I go for round 3 on Monday. I am going to ask for dose dense and even some T. I want this stuff over as soon as possible.
I did another colonic today. Ladies, I highly recommend them. I’ve never felt better! And it flushes all those dead chemo cells out of the body.
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I hate asparagus and still have a large tumour. Besides, The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, the cookbook I use as a reference and has a foreword by the chief Hematology-Oncology from San Francisco General Hospital says it’s ok. I took a picture of the page.
Now seriously: I have a really hard time keeping up with these studies. One day you hear avocado is good, the next day you read some study that it’s too cancer friendly. And so on. I think I’ll just use my common sense and cut down on sugars, eat my greens (well, I mostly drink them in smoothies), eat fruits and veggies, less red meat... I figure I already have cancer, I don’t want to lose my marbles completely in the process trying to keep with this ever changing information.
I gotta try one of these colonics. Problem is - I always remember the scene from LA Story when Steve Martin and SJP went to one and he could barely walk after
XO ladies
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Roxy - avocados are out too 😫
I think I flipped through that cookbook. Is it the one that uses maple syrup as a sweetener?
No discomfort with the colonic but you do have to fart with confidence the rest of the day 😂
Are you going skiing this weekend? I’m sending my son off for a ski week on Saturday. Too bad I’m sitting it out this year and doing chemo instead. Grrrr.
Shlomit- thanks so much for sock suggestion! I’m for sure going to order those.
I was able to buy a Latisse-like product at the pharmacy for 1/3 rd the cost. Same active ingredient but no applicator so need to buy one.
I’ve never used it (Latisse) before. Has anyone?
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