Starting chemo January 2018
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Oh, @WorriedMe77, that's wonderful news! So glad to hear it!
I just completed a two hour work meeting and was bald the whole time. And it felt ok! I didn't even know about cold capping until I started this thing, was too lazy to get a wig, and didn't prep for this part at all. I was in denial about how much it would suck to not have hair. So figuring out I can get through it feels pretty amazing.
On the downside my radiation oncologist pout the kibosh on a long-planned family trip due to timing, so I'm going to have to cancel it. I was told no chemo until a week before I started, so had happily made plans for an April trip through Utah's national parks. Ugh. Cancer keeps getting in the way of things. But I went ahead and booked tickets for a trip to Maine at the end of May, so I'll just keep marching ahead.
Round 2 is tomorrow. Fingers crossed for no new SEs! I'll let you know what to expect, @roxy13. 😉 Hang in there everybody.
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Worried me 77, I am so glad you got such good news.☺thanks for sharing, so good to hear good news. keep up the fight.
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Had my first round of Chemo TCHP Tuesday the 23. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Had a great team and fantastic nurses. Neulasta infused last night not to bad. I don't feel to great today. scratchy sore thoat, cough very, jittery, indegestion pain.Finally broke down and called he nurse. she told me to take zofran.I also took 2 tums and 1/2 hydrocodine. feeling better now. didn't think I was nauseous. but the zofran helped. A little advice call the doctor or nurse when you are unsure of issues. 😊0
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Okkate75. i didn't know about the cold capping before either. I might have went in that direction to be honest. But I can't dwell on the what ifs.
We love to travel and have done it for years. We normally take at least 2 vacations a year, but this year isn't looking as good. I hoping this isn't going to be my new normal that everyone keeps talking about. I am hoping by fall everything is in place to go somewhere. My MO just said after chemo he would turn me over to radiation. I should be done with chemo end of March and hoping to start the radiation soon afterwards just to get this all done.
LKinKC - Are you taking the claritin?
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Excellent news!!!!! Hurray!!!!
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Hallelujah @WorriedMe77!!! I just got home from my 2nd chemo and you were the first person I had to check on. I'm so relieved for you.
I also want to pass on this important information to everyone that I learned today. I was NOT given the iv drug called VARUBI (rolapitant) due to the infusion centers bad experience with this anti nausea & vomiting drug from chemotherapy. I received it during my first chemo session and had no problems and experienced no nausea or vomiting afterward, so it worked well for me.
However, my nurse said they recently had 3 patients who experienced immediate adverse reactions in one day, and at the other oncology clinic one patient coded after receiving the drug. It was approved by the FDA on October 25, 2017 and my clinic only recently started using it. Since it's serious enough for my clinic to stop using VARUBI I just wanted to pass this info onto all of you.
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Hi all - home and on the couch after first chemo: AC. The facility and nurses are wonderful, very thorough and kind and a pleasant place to have the magic poison put in your body. Feeling a little queasy, but zofran on board, liquids next to me. Amazing husband was with me every step, and he's feeding the dogs, building a fire, taking good care.
Hope all goes well with you all.
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I brought along some gifts from friends to my chemo session today. A cozy blanket and pair of socks (I’ll take down the photo if it offends anyone)
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update on day 3 post chemo.
I feel like my whole skin is crawling!
my hair hurts lol. its weird!
no nausea. a bit relaxed stomach. but very very tired and light headed from noon till 4pm. then energy went up again a bit.
had my neupogen injection done by myself- easy peasy:)
also my lovely hubby got me a book chemotherapy and radiotherapy for dummies, and a beautiful chemo cap.:)) love him:))
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garlifalia OMG I love love love em!!!!! Made me LOL as I sit I’m this damn ER tonight... Something’s wrong with my darn port it’s moved 😳😳 and swollen and red so in the ER I am... Thank you everyone for the well wishes you ladies make me smile and at times cry 😭 because I understand exactly what your going thru...
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Love the socks too, @garifalia! Thanks for posting the picture!
XO
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Worried - You knew you were okay, I'm so happy it was confirmed. One less dragon to slay!
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love to all-
Feeling very spacey and dizzy on day 4 and want this poison out of my body!!! Help!
Love the socks!
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Hello Ladies! I just wanted to say "hi" and that I'm joining your January Chemo group. I had my first AC treatment on January 16th. Here - 10 days later - I feel pretty good. The first 5 days were rough. I instantly lost my appetite and couldn't stand the smell of anything. Day 3 (the day after the Nuelasta shot) it was an effort just to move! By the 5th day in the evening, things started to taste better and I was able to eat more. Been getting a little more energy every day. I go back next Tuesday, Jan. 30th for my next treatment (I'm on a Dose-Dense schedule) and I really don't look forward to it. It's hard to go and do this when I initially felt perfectly healthy and fine. I'm not sure I've fully accepted my cancer diagnosis yet - I mean, I know I have it, but the trouble I'm having is that I felt perfectly healthy and I have to put myself through this treatment when I felt perfectly fine. It would be easier if I felt sick and was doing all of this to feel better - but it's the opposite. Hard to wrap my head around....I haven't lost any hair yet - waiting for that to happen. I'm assuming it'll be within the next week? Usually around 2 weeks, correct? I have 2 young girls (8 and 10 years old). They are looking forward to playing "hairdresser" and cutting Mommy's hair when it is time to shave it off!
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Paisley I felt the same way about my tumor. I felt it first in November, then went for mammograms and down the whole road, but never felt compromised or weak, in fact, I was riding my bike stronger than ever. I asked my surgeon about that, and he replied that when you start feeling symptoms then the damn thing has gotten so big that it's hard to do anything about. That's why we self-check and do mammos so we catch them early.
Mine is an aggressive fast-growing little bugger, HER2+++, and I guarantee it wasn't 6cm (how big it was on mastectomy) when I palpated the girls in September.
It's so weird that we have to feel first so bad in order to feel good again, but I have deep trust in my medical team and amazing support from my husband and army of friends. A little queasy this morning but I can eat and drink, a little dizzy getting around but otherwise ok.
I want some Fuck Cancer socks too!
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Welcome Paisely! I’m glad you’re in our group. I don’t know about hair loss with AC since I’m on TC, but my scalp felt tight and sore about day 12 after round 1 and then the next day started shedding. It sounds so sweet that your young daughters will help cut your hair.
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Paisley - I'm with you! I still have moments where I can't believe this is happening. Mine was 17mm and couldn't be felt at all. During my yearly mamo they seen it and took me right for the untrasound. Talk about freaking out. At that point they really didn't think it was cancer since it was so small but it turned out it was. In fact it came back TN which is not good at all.
My hair right now is falling out big time. I plan on buzzing it tomorrow which I'm sure is going to be really hard. It started on the 2 week mark and each day it falls out more. I'm not sure on your length of your hair but mine was longer and thick and now to be honest I regret at least not cutting it short early on.
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Good morning Olesya and all you other chemo ladies! I wish I had been able to do dose-dense. I am 12 days out and feeling ready for a next dose. I want to get it over with!
I have noticed some shedding and mentioned it to a girlfriend. She said that was great news because it means the chemo is killing all those fast-growing cells, including any cancer cells trying to take root!
So, although I wish we didn't have to lose hair, it is visible evidence the chemo is working! And to that I say... YAY!!!!!!!!
Here's hoping you have a restful, healing weekend... Laura
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lmurphy - thank you so much for your post. You just totally put this into perspective for me. My head has been itchy for the last 3 days. I've been waiting and checking for my hair to start coming out. I've been really upset about losing it - it is long and always has been. This afternoon, when I run my had through my hair, I am having multiple strands coming out with each pass my hand makes through it. It's definitely starting to come out. I fought back some tears and came on here and read your post. You are right - this means the chemo is killing all of those bad cells. I'm going to try to focus on that - and while it is still extremely difficult, I will try to think of this in a positive way and say "YAY" as well! I know my kids will be excited to play "hairdresser" this weekend - even if I am not as enthused. If it continues to come out (and I know it will) we will be cutting it and then buzzing it off this weekend.
Char105 - I'm with you - long hair and having a hard time with this. But, we can get through this! I just keep telling myself that it'll grow back. I started getting gray hair when I was 16! I'm only 43, but my hair is pretty much solid gray (I color it brown). I'm not looking forward to the buzz cut since it'll just be all gray then! And, when it grows back in - I'll be solid gray until I can color it!!!! It's kinda funny on one hand, and kind of depressing on the other!!!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
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I'm home from infusion #2, and it's so much easier knowing what to expect! Into my pajamas I go. I've got my claritan, stool softener, water, high fiber foods, and am taking the weekend to get in some walks and practice being grateful for these drugs that are killing cancer cells. Hope you are all hanging in!
And for those of you shaving your heads this weekend: it's hard, but it also feels better to get it over with once the hair is coming out in chunks. Very traumatic, but those feelings eased pretty quickly, for me at least. I hope the same for you. We are so brave!
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I don't know how so many of you are able to go on with normal activities. This was my first week of chemo (Monday) and I'm beat. Just completely exhausted from my head to my toes, with aching bones, muscles, earache, everything. I have dragged myself around the house all day. Today was day 5, hoping tomorrow is better. Neulasta pain hit me like a brick wall yesterday and today.
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My second Chemo is on Monday January 29th I’m getting Herception too. Two down four to go, praying everything goes well
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Good evening to all,
WorriedMe that’s the best news I’ve heard all week...what a relief for you. As others, so many sleep problems, can’t tell you how many nights I haven’t slept at all since this started. I just accept it when it happens and rest when I can. I am officially bald as of tonight...somehow it doesn’t bother me like I thought it would but I found a wig so much like my hair, my family thought it was mine when I sent a picture!!! only problem after wearing for 6-8 hours my head is hurting and I yank it off as quick as I can. Round 2 starts for me on Tuesday....ready to face it and be done. I dread the nausea and will ask forsome stronger meds. I hope everyone is in good spirits. I try to stay positive most of the time but hey, I have my meltdown moments too. I hope everyone has a good weekend and can find some joyous moments and rest and peace. We are in this together!
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Good morning ladies Hope everyone is feeling as best as can be expected.... My port is ok no infection MO thinks that it was accessed wrong by nurse and just swollen thank god!!! Have a great weekend be kind and loving to yourself YOU DESERVE IT
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Good news about the port, Worried. I'm always scared something will happen with mine. It is weird to live a life of apprenhension about so many things.
Has anyone else lost their nose hair? I have and my nose is runnng a lot. Not to mention my tongue is darkening and I can't eat very spicy food. I have always loved spicy food. The hotter, the better. The other day I ate a bit of jalapeno and my mouth was on fire. I was amazed. That has never happened to me before.
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I have been drinking as much fluids as possible and have become very bloated and have chubby cheeks. I am guessing this is normal but does it last
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Gigi - still have nose hairs and my mustache
It is recommended not to eat spicy foods because of mouth sores and GI tract being wacked out of shape. I'm surprised you have a taste for it! I love spicy food but am turned off by it (as most everything except the verboten foods)Coach - drink, drink, drink! Water is best
Flush the gunk out! Worried - my port has hurt since day 1. I get a weird pain towards my shoulder and it is thought that a little nerve ending was grabbed poorly (or maybe because the dr actually used his NON STERILE! hands to swipe his phone while gowned up!). I was too afraid to say anything after he wanted to challenge my request for an X-ray blanket for my organs during the port placement. He was a total a**. Glad you haven't an infection! Rose hip oil is supposed to be great for minimal scarring.
Is anyone else just battling everyday pains? My tissue expander bothers me, the port bothers me. I still haven't full mobility with my arm....
Becky - I slept tossing and turning because of my various chest discomfort and the fear that if I slide on the pillow all my hair will fall out. And prior to chemo sleep was my only escape from this horrid reality.
Princess - normal activity started today, day 5 after chemo. For the other days, many things were an effort. Try good deep breathing. I find that it helps get the oxygen circulating and makes me feel a bit better.
Every single thing is just salt on my big wound.
I'm trying to be "upbeat" ---- but alas, it is difficult. I did tell off my MIL yesterday which was a good feeling
Can't afford to harbor negative thoughts, so I threw them at her Is anyone else going to be doing the 12 weeklies?
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Amelia - I'm scheduled for 12 weekly Taxol treatments after AC.
BTW - I haven't had any issues with mouth sores so far (crossing my fingers).
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Hi fellow crusaders and fighters. today is my 5th day after chemo round one. Anybody have ideas on what to eat, or try to eat. I am drinking copious amounts of water.only thing that is not repulsive.
Thanks
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I had a lot of smoothies when I felt nauseous. I just mixed whatever didn't make me gag at the time and added some protein (nut butter and/or powder). The chemo nurse said it was a wonderful idea.
Speaking of nose hairs - my nose is running like a toddler's, but I attributed that to the cold weather. Who knows - maybe I lost my nose hairs and didn't realize it. Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't have to shave my legs anymore... I see no signs of that happening anytime soon, though.
Take care, everyone! ❤
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