Chemo starting January 2019
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I hope everyone is doing well. Picked up my meds and other items to get ready for my first infusion on the 14th. My DH was able to get his business trip pushed out a week to be with me. I feel like all I want to eat iscandy and junk food knowing what is coming. Eek!
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I too just the got the email that all my meds are to be picked up from the pharmacy. I’m not sure why but as soon as I saw that I just started crying... this is really getting real. I had the surgery in December but the whole chemotherapy is really frightening to me. Ugh
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Jenkins00 - that's great your DH could move his business trip, personally I'd hate to have to go through this on my own. Enjoy your last week!
Skygirl44 - I fully get your fear, I was exactly the same. There's so much that's unknown - how will you react, will it be manageable, will the anti nausea meds work well for you etc. Do you have a start date?
I'm now on day 4 (though actually it's just over 72 hours since AC#1 which didn't finish til 4pm) and feeling a lot more human thank goodness. It was very rough for a couple of days but a relief to come out of it. I did a half hour walk this morning, am eating normally (though certain things don't appeal at all - coffee, sweets etc - I'm actually only wanting healthy food), and have managed to do stuff with the kids though I'm probably using the chemo as more of an excuse than I really need to given DH has the week off. I think maybe the fasting did help after all because others had told me it's common to be wiped for about a week. Or maybe you just bounce back better from #1.
Not feeling top of the world emotionally, but that's as much to do with it being a very wet day, having kids at home for the long summer school holidays going stir-crazy, and maybe coming down off the dexamethasone (I only took a half-dose yesterday and skipped it today). I'm sure I'll start to bounce back soon.
Hugs to everyone and hope those recovering from #1 are doing ok.
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well it sounds like I'm going to be joining this group as saw surgeon to and she stated that she wants me to have chemo first before surgery which will be mastectomy and possibly double especially if I want it. Reconstruction to be talked about later
Just done with dr and he stated chemo starts next week for 8 treatments on a 2 week schedule. Will look up the drugs later and post
My chemo will be 4x AC followed by 4xT, with surgery following that and then radiation for ? Will start probably Tuesday by for sure Wednesday as blood work will be drawn Tuesday and hopefully shows I can start Tuesday, my white cells are on lower end so they are hoping to be higher next
B74, I made time this evening to go get a new very short and ? Your term radical haircut, I have had long hair for over 55 years in other words I have never had or wanted short hair but have it now om
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kaylajane:
If you are having nausea, let your MO and chemo nurses know about it. In many instances they will be able to make changes to your pre meds or at home meds to reduce it. They should be able to get you to the point of little to no nausea.
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WC3- Thanks for advice. Nausea has resolved, and meds actually worked reasonably well, I would say "little" nausea for just a few hours days 3 and 4.
B74- That is funny, you are having a wet day and it is summer holidays! Here in Wisconsin Northwoods, it is also a very wet day-- rain mixed with snow, and I'm afraid our road will turn into an ice skating rink, which will make walking a bit of a challenge!
Skygirl- I thought the chemo was more frightening before it actually started....something about the unknown being more frightening than the known? I totally get that future cycles may be different, but somehow easier to deal with now that I have 1st infusion down.
gkidsnana- good luck! (I am one very cute 2 year olds grandma!)
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Hi Australia, my 34 year old daughter started the same regimen on Friday 1/4/19. Good Luck to you!
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Well, I got the word today that my Dr's request to use Abraxane was approved by my insurance. So this Wednesday, Jan 9th, will be my start date with the new regimen. I understand it will still be paired with Cytoxan and still run in 3 week intervals. Is anyone else here on Abraxane?
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Thanks Ladies. I was having a bit of a moment yesterday. I had gone for a really nice walk and then came home to a slew of prescription additions to my chart and I haven't even seen my Oncologist for a bit so I wasn't really prepared for that? (3 anti nausea meds ?) really?
I have a lot of free time right now I have been on FMLA since December -my job won't let me work while I'm in treatment (Flight Attendant) which is really great to have all this time off to recover from surgery, chemo, and radiation but my mind gets the best of me sometimes.
B74-Thank you so much for your words of encouragement my first infusion is the 17th. This whole experience is getting easier to process and I'm so grateful to have this forum and all of the wisdom and support. Have a great day everyone
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kaylajane - I took the same chemo as you... carboplatin/taxotere. My SEs stayed the same all 6 times, improving a bit when I learned mre about fasting. My recovery got harder slightly (feeling normal again took longer over time). My doctor told me the SEs tend to stay fairly consistent with whatever they are in chemo #1, which turned out to be true for me.
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after a delay starting chemo (originally scheduled 1/14/18) emergency gallbladder surgery and a two week hospital stay, I started chemo today. I wasn’t even told it was today, thought it was a check in but my surgeon gave my oncologist the go ahead and my oncologist said ( I think we should begin today) probably for the best, I’ve been getting too anxious about starting and this way I had a good night sleep and didn’t stress over what it would be like.
The steroids gave me some energy but not nearly as much as I’d hoped for, I’m still so fatigued and tired from surgery that I don’t think anything would have given me back my before surgery energy. Glad to have it over and start this journey so I can get it done, I think the waiting and fear of how I’d feel were making it that much worse.
Thoughts, hugs, prayers and positive vibes to everyone going through this
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mnsotamom74, welcome to the group and sorry you are going through this. Nice to have another Minnesota resident here.
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Hi All. Just an update since my first ACy dose on Thursday afternoon: The nurse walked us through each step, so it wasn't scary. I had hard candies and puzzle books to distract me and it took two hours total. Around 8pm that night I started feeling nauseous, despite the IV pre-meds. By 11:30pm I couldn't sleep, with .5mg Ativan so I took Compazine too and slept well after that. Since then every day (today is day 5) I have had slight nausea most of the day and a few food aversions here and there. Nothing awful. I slept a lot on Saturday but I think it's because the port was put in on Thursday afternoon and it bugged me every time I moved. I started taking Claritin two days before Neulasta shot and have been lucky to not have any bone pain at all.
Wishing you all the best as you go through your own journey.
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Hi all, starting chemo tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting things started. I haven't been fasting and I am hoping side effects aren't too bad. 🤞
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I met with the chemo nurse today to do training for my upcoming chemotherapy treatments. I will be getting an echocardiogram next week and a port on the 30th. On the 31st I start the first of 8 treatments. They will be two weeks apart so my second treatment will be on Valentines Day and the final treatment will be 2 days before my birthday in May!
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Just wanted to wish Mariett, Mgm0712 and MLAnne all the best for #1 (or in your case MLAnne, 2nd go at #1... hope the delay hasn't been messing with your head too much, and the new drug combo goes smoothly)
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Good luck all with your first round! I didn’t fast at all--more like a last supper
I actually felt less nauseous if I tried to eat a bit, half a pb and j or crackers. I definitely took the anti nausea meds for the first and second day. The third and fourth day I slept. A lot. Today I’m feeling a little more normal. Hope all are doing well and feeling better! X0 -
First round done!!!
Completely and utterly uneventful. It was obvious that somewhere my chart has a big red flag because everyone kept reassuring me that this was going to go so much smoother with Abraxane....and they were right. Only side effect I can point to is a little tightness near the port and my guess is that is from just the amount of fluids they pump through there. I took a compazine (sp?) when I got home to be on the safe side. I don't want to wait and see if nausea happens. I have the next few days off so I can see how, if, and when I get SEs. Then I can plan better for future treatments.
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Good luck everyone on your first round! I hope no SE's or very minimal SE's! In training this rest of this week and not sure if I will retain much knowing Monday is right around the corner. I will be teleworking from home next week which I am thankful for. Glad to have this board and group! Take care everyone!
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Frst round done. It all went fine. No side effects yet but I'm sure I will get some in the next few days. I have the neulesta shot tomorrow and dexamethasone and claritin to take for side effects. If I do get side effects I won't know what meds it's from at this stage. Best of luck to everyone on this journey to wellness 💗
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sky girl... I know exactly how you’re feeling.... my first out of 4 AC was Oct 15 and I was verrrry scared to go and do it!! It’s not as bad as you think ... it goes fast and by the time you know it , you’re at the halfway mark !!
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Starting chemo on 1/15/19 TCH every 3 weeks. I have been anxiously reading everyone's experience who started this month.
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I was told by my BS I’d be starting my chemo this month but I’m playing the waiting game this week for scans and oncologist appointments. Chemo will (most likely, acc to BS) be my first treatment, then lumpectomy, radiation and long-term hormone blockers. I have at least 1 positive node and most likely 3. Can anyone give me an idea of the events once I meet my oncologist? Are there a lot more steps or does it move pretty quickly after that? Bone scan and ct scan are Jan. 15, first oncologist visit Jan. 23. I’m nervous with the waiting and just want to start battling this disease in my body. Things moved quick at first and now I just wait.
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The waiting is the hardest part. Hang in there. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever (and in some ways I have been because I had surgery first and healing issues so it will be 5 months from the date of dx until I start chemo).
As for when you meet with oncologist, she will tell you what chemo treatment you are getting, go over treatment somewhat and set up chemo training and schedule any other tests you are required to have, dependent on your type of chemo. At least that’s how it worked with me. If I hadn’t had healing issues I would have been starting within a month of meeting her. I know other people who start within two weeks of the meeting, it all depends on other tests that are required and how hard it is to schedule them.
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Yesterday, day after Chemo, I felt perfectly fine. Took my anti-nausea meds to be safe. Took Claritin and had my Nulasta shot. Woke up achy today, I assume from the Nulasta. Going to head to the gym and see if moving helps.
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mncteach, Thanks for responding. Sorry to hear of your healing complications, I hope they've resolved now? The steps after meeting the oncologist make sense. It seems strange to say I'm anxious to start chemo, but I guess I am. We'll see how the timing goes after my Jan. 23 appointment.
Has anyone here been icing their hands and/or feet during their chemo? Or have you seen anyone else doing it? I've read that some people do it to minimize side effects like neuropathy of hands and feet and damage to nails. I'm just wondering how hard it is to tolerate?
Keep up the good attitudes everyone. You've taken your first step with this phaseif you've gotten started!
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They are mostly resolved, have one spot which is being tricky but doc (and I ) don’t want to delay chemo any longer.
I do not know anyone personally whom tried the icing, but have read about several people trying it and not having neuropathy
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rosie - I iced my hands and feet... hands hurt! Feet were ok. I got freezable socks from amazon. No neuropathy and no finger/toe nail problems.
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Rosie - I iced my hands and feet. It is very tough the first few minutes - so cold - but you acclimate. Only had the one treatment so far so I have no idea if it is helping or not. Also my second chemo nurse said she saw someone else doing the same once but it doesn't sound like standard procedure.
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