Chemo starting January 2019
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First infusion done. No issues. The nurses were wonderful and answered all our questions. Very detailed on everything they did. The nurse iced my hands and feet for me. I do need to bring mints next time for the flushing on my port. I didn’t like the taste of the saline. Blech!
Good luck for those starting this week!Water! Water! Water!
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Poem: Buckled in.
The track clicks in noisy upward suspense
Buckled in tight there is no escape
The choice has been made, I've waited in line
Crowded together we are silent
A few lift arms to embrace the free fall drop
Most crunch in a ball jaws tight
Roller coaster
I usually love the controlled chaos of gravity play and hair swish, Stomach twist and speed.
But here I sit on a different ride. Five months of up and down with digestive tricks. Others with me strapped tight.
The steady upward anticipation toward the first plunge of chemo day. Nervous but at the same time comforted by the oncologist's analogy.
I've always eventually been able to exit the ride.
Jan 14, 2019
Erin McGee Ferrell0 -
Love the poem Erin! Good info Jenkins00. Glad it went well
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Hi everybody! I’ve been reading these boards for a while now so just got up the courage to post. My chemo starts on January 17th and the closer it gets the more nervous I get. I will be having AC x 4 and then on to T for 12 weeks. Trying to get prepared for everything. These boards have been a great help for me!
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Our Jan group is getting bigger & bigger!
Welcome Nanomom11. There are lots of us getting the same regime. It's not fun but we just have to take it one step at a time until it's over!
The funny thing is I'm now thinking I over-prepared for chemo. I read all the tips and bought all the products, but half of them are still sitting in my drawer unused. I also packed a "chemo bag" of supplies eg. lip balm, moisturiser, sunscreen, toothbrush, thermometer etc... but have forgotten it every single time I've been out. Once this is over I'll have to throw out the excess, I don't want to taste Biotene toothpaste or smell Aveeno body wash ever again.
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Hi All, looking forward to seeing how everyone is doing this month. I start TC on Friday for 4 rounds, pre-surgery for a 2.6cm mass. I had 4 rounds of AC 15 1/2 years ago which wasn't nice to me. No anti nausea med could help me. Hoping TC will not be as bad, I am going to try fasting mimicking.
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B74:
I completely lost my taste for sweetened tea during chemo and so stopped drinking tea all together. I pretty much have stayed away from it since because I realized that even just a cup in the morning was keeping me up late at night.
The aversion to sweet things might be from the anti nausea meds btw.
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B74 - I assume some of the items recommended won't be needed or appreciated til we are on our 4th, 5th or final treatments. I would rather have and not need, than need and not have.
Also I got my Rx for my "Cranial Prosthesis" aka a wig. It was faxed to my workplace and I had a hoot showing my co-workers the serious sounding prescription and seeing how long it took them to figure out what it really was. Hey, I have to find some humor in this horrible thing we have to go through.
Also I am happy to report that yesterday the bone pain went way down and last night I had a good night's sleep because of it.
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Getting first chemo now.
Let the games begin!
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MLanne - Glad to hear the bone pain is better. My Neulasta patch is set to go off at 6:15pm tonight. Taking the Claritin. My oncologist did say yesterday that I can take my left over narcotic if Tylenol or Ibuprofen doesn't touch the pain.
Good luck Ruffian188 and for the others who are having their first treatment today!
Welcome new members to our group. Sorry you are hear but glad to have each other!
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heading into my chemo in minutes. I have been asked and accepted into a drug study for anti nausea meds. here's to good results for me with it. also met with clinic social worker and getting a referral to financial aid also. been here since 915 this morning and they told me that I will be done and able to go home 430-5 .
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Good point MLAnne - somehow I keep forgetting we've still got a marathon ahead of us.
That's hilarious about the 'cranial prosthesis'! Wow I can't get a prescription for a wig here but did visit the wig library ($20 to borrow one for 6 months). I'm not sure if I'll actually wear my shaggy dog (the one the kids chose as closest to my real hair), but it's there in case, because I have no idea how I'll ACTUALLY feel about venturing out bald.
rrshannon - I'm SO sorry you're back here again! Was that 15.5 years in 'remission'? Crap. My nurse did say they've "come a long way" with anti-nausea meds in the last 10 years, so hopefully this won't be anything like your last experience.
Good luck everyone who's just had or about to have #1.
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Hi Everyone. I will be starting chemo at some point this month, once I get a port put in they say they can start chemo 2 days later. I work part time, have 3 little kids to care for, and a husband that works 24 hour shifts, so I am looking to minimize side effects as much as possible! I will be on AC x4 and T x12 on a dose dense schedule. Has anyone taken the medications to preserve your fertility? Lupon I think was one of the meds my onc mentioned. I am done having kids but am concerned about the long term effects of starting menopause at 36.
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Good luck, Ruffian188! I start on Friday, with the same treatment as you. Wishing you all the best, with minimal SEs
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I was just given the date of my first treatment - January 25th (getting 12 weekly Taxol + Herceptin). Trying to figure out what the essentials are to bring/do. My nurse navigator said the side effect people complain about most is fatigue, and that makes sense, but from reading this forum it seems like a lot worse could happen and I need to be more proactive and figure out the icing of hands/feet for neuropathy. Also my last hemoglobin was a little low so I'm trying to get more iron over the next week. Opioids make me throw up, I vomited 4 times the night of my mastectomy then I went on tylenol and was ok, and I really hope that doesn't mean I'll be more reactive to Chemo.
I'm grateful for all the knowledge and advice shared on this site. It's so helpful.
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@B74 Yes that was 15.5 years remission, this was a new cancer and not a reccurrance. 15 since Rads were completed. With all the advances I am praying for the anti nausea med's to work. I already and bone and muscle pain that comes as well as neuropathy from spinal stenosis so this should be interesting to see how my body responses. just a few more says before I begin.
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update on day 15 post TCH infusion #1. I’ve felt good for 2 whole days now, so keeping my fingers crossed this lasts till next infusion in 6 days! Food even tastes good, which is so enjoyable. No hair loss yet; I share your trepidation B74, every day....is this the day?
Thanks to all the vets for reminding us, someday this will all be a memory...
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update on day 15 post TCH infusion #1. I've felt good for 2 whole days now, so keeping my fingers crossed this lasts till next infusion in 6 days! Food even tastes good, which is so enjoyable. No hair loss yet; I share your trepidation B74, every day....is this the day?
Thanks to all the vets for reminding us, someday this will all be a memory...
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I think I jinxed myself saying that I hadn’t needed most of the stuff I prepared. I’m now in hospital with fluey aches/pains & a temp above 38C (100.4F), getting bloods checked. I actually went for a run this morning, & when my legs started aching this afternoon I thought it was from not having run for a while. Unfortunately by the time I realised I had a temp it was 10pm.. Anyway I’m now very glad I had a hospital bag packed
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Welcome Alden722. We are sorry for the reason you are here but I hope you find us a wonderful sisterhood.
Oh no, B74!!! I am so sorry that happened. I haven't thought about packing a hospital bag. Can you tell us more about your experience so we know what to look for?
I have had a tickle in my throat since I went back to work and now I am worried it will turn into something more.
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B74 - Oh no!!! I hope everything will be okay. I didn't even think about a hospital bag. Good idea.
Welcome those who have joined our group recently. We are all here for you!
Day 3 for me and dealing with night sweats, I think from the steroids. Jittery today. Little bit of joint pain. Otherwise, managing. Going to try and get back in the office Friday. Fingers crossed.
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The chemo I’m getting (AC) kills your immune system & your WBC are at their lowest on days 10-14. So they gave me a little card saying “medical alert - neutropenic sepsis” & said if my temp was 38C (100.4F) or higher I needed to go straight to Emergency. I really didn’t think it would happen to me because I was feeling so well. But yesterday everything started aching & I developed a temp so I had to come in. HOWEVER if you’re on different drugs this may not be a risk - they definitely would have discussed with you if it was.
Anyway the blood test showed my neutrophils are almost non-existent (0.1), so I’m waiting to be seen by the oncology team, they might give me one of those WBC boosting injections. I’ve already been given IV antibiotics as a precaution even though I’m sure I have a virus. I want to go home & sleep in my own bed! Hospital sucks.
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Starting first A/C infusion tomorrow ....cleaning disectfecting everything like crazy....this is going to be a germ free zone! I just found out last night my insurance isn't going to cover the Nuelasta patch so now I have to get Gratix injections. (Everyday for 6 days) I am going to have the nurses show me how to do it myself do I can it from home and not drive in everyday.
B74- oh my gosh how scary I hope you are getting the relief you need and back cozy at your home soon!
Hope everyone else is doing well with minimal side effects.
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Hi Everyone! I've been lurking on this board, and I finally got the nerve to post. I had my first round of chemo on the 4th. I'm starting to panic about when the hair loss will begin. I already cut my hair really short a few weeks ago. Part of me wants to shave the rest off and the other part of me wants to leave it be until it starts to fall out. Is anyone else beginning to lose their hair?
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Hello everyone, i wanted to check on experiences of others.
I am scheduled to get my second round of chemo TC next week. First one was hard especially for first 10 days with main symptons been nausea, constipation, constant low grade fever, itching, swelling and other SEs. They say SEs are cumulative, should i expect round 2 and further rounds to be every more hard or am i just thinking more than i should..
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TriMama - welcome and sorry you need to join our Club.
As to the hair, I am only 7 days post first chemo and haven't noticed anything yet. BUT I decided I wasn't going to wait and went out and had a wig fitting today. Insurance isn't going to cover it even though I got a prescription, but I can at least try to get reimbursed through my HSA. I know I probably paid a bit more but I wanted a professional fitting by someone who has been in my shoes. My mom came along and we made a day of it. I go get it next week but I am not expecting to need it til February. The sobering fact my fitter shared, which I hadn't considered, isn't so much that I will lose the hair as it might take 6 months or more before it grows back enough to not look like 'cancer'.
B74, so do they give you Neulasta or something similar to boost your WBC with AC? I know I was warned to take my temp any time I felt unusually warm and to call the clinic or go to the emergency room if it was over 100.3. I was hoping that that would be a very rare thing to happen.
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Trimama,
I had TCH #1 Jan 2, no hair loss yet. I have wig ordered, but wouldn’t you know it, backordered! Supposed to be available in 9 days. I guess if I lose hair before then, I can wear a hat.
B74, get well soon. Good thing you headed straight to ER
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I had my first chemo 10 days ago and still no hair loss. I have very short hair anyway and I’ve bought a wig and several cute head covers to be proactive. The day it starts coming out I’m having my husband shave it. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and she warned me that once it starts coming out you shed all over the place.
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I took Claritin as well but it was not much help. Thankfully the last two days I’ve finally started feeling back to myself again my only complaint is major hot flashes at night and insomnia.
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Welcome, Trimama! We're sorry for the circumstance that have brought you here, but we're glad you've joined our community, and we hope you find this place to be a source of support as you continue with treatment!
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