Starting Chemo in February 2019
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Good Afternoon All!
I hope everyone is doing well. For those who had chemo recently, I hope you are having little/no se. I am getting ready for chemo #3 on Thursday. I have been taking things easy here.
I have to admit I am handling carboplatin much better than I thought I would. I haven't lost what hair that grew back from my last chemo cocktail of taxotere and cytoxan. I am looking forward to finishing chemo and moving on to radiation.
For those going in the chair this week, sending you good thoughts that you have little/no se. Make sure to hydrate and take care of yourself!
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Way to be a champ, Notgivingup!!
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KKmay I am getting the picture of why you have taken so much responsibility for your Mom... How stressful. I am sorry she is not better able to take action to care for herself!
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Round 3 of 6 completed today! Officially half-way there! Came home and took a three hour nap! The Benadryl gives me restless leg so they also give me Ativan to counteract that SE. Needless to say, I’m pretty tired when I get home!
Some good news, because I drink about 100 ounces of water a day my kidney function is that of a healthy person! Second time in a row! She was pretty happy about that! Since I track my SE by day I’m able to see what days are worse. Last time I had a week of nausea starting in day 2 and a week of diarrhea starting on day 8, both the same as to round 1 so the NP told me to start AN drugs tomorrow morning even if I’m not nauseous or not, and Imodium the morning of day 8. Also told me to call the office after two straight days of either for other options.
I still have about 40% of my hair after I buzzed it 2.5 weeks ago. It even appears to be growing out a bit. Know more of it may still fall out, but it has appeared to have stopped.
Notgivingup, good luck later this week and good luck to everyone else! Hope news is good and SE’s are less!
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Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well and not dealing with many side effects! I go in for round 4 of 6 of TCHP this Friday, I'm just past the half way mark! Woohoo! This last round my MO was concerned because I had lost a few pounds (I started at 118) so she decided keep me on the steroids for a little longer. I normally take them the day before, day of and day after chemo. She suggested taking half of one for the next 3 days to keep my appetite going. The only probably was come Wednesday I started feeling really crappy. Usually Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are my worst days so I feel like staying on the steroids just prolonged it. I’d much rather get my crappy days out of the way first. Has anyone else’s MO suggested this? Thank you! Hope everyone has a great day
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congratulations gonnabeatthis and amf5484! I’m going in for rd3 of tchp next week. So glad to be moving through this.
My latest SE is folliculitis - scalp acne. I called my MO & she prescribed a topical antibiotic. Seems to be helping, even after just one application.
My hair is hanging in there, too. It’s pretty patchy, but I still have about 40% of it, as well. I imagine it will continue to shed, but I buzzed it all the way down so I’m not wearing quite so much of it.
My wig has been doing a good job at work. My clients (I’m a massage therapist) have just said “I like your hair, it looks really cute!” Phew. I was worried that people were going to question me or stare.
For anyone who is looking for a wig, here are my tips: buy one before your hair falls out - that way you can match your own hair. Get a wig with a lace front - it looks the most natural. I recommend synthetic hair, wash & wear - you only have to wash it every 14 wears & after washing it will go back to the exact same style, no styling necessary.
Here’s my wig pic:
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Mastectomy or bmx to decrease recurrence for her2 positive. My breast is to big to remove just one and I cannot follow any tumor reappearance. What is average recuperation time after these surgeries. Pros and cons? I do not want anymore as much as possible to go through this again and want increase my chances being longer with my teenage son.thaks for adv
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Paloma1211, your wig looks great! I agree with getting it before your hair falls out, I have really curly hair and highlights. They dyed and permed the hair (took pictures of my hair whe I was in and ordered). Several friends of minedidn't even realize it was a wig! Really pleased with it and its comfortable too! I walked out of one place thinking it would be okay, but the second place made me realize not all wig shops are alike! So happy I went to a second place!
Margun, I had a BMX with immediate reconstruction. Recovery was about 4-6 weeks, much better once the drains came out after a little over two weeks. Like you being HER + I wanted to avoid a second cancer in my second breast and look as symmetrical as possible. First few weeks were the worst part (and having to sleep on my back) but I managed. I don't regret it at all, I would not have wanted to go through it for a second time had I not done it and then found cancer in my other breast. I had a nerve block before surgery and that helped a lot. I stayed ahead of the pain with the painkillers, per Dr's instructions and it wasn't bad at all.
New side effect, anyone else have skin peeling? My feet are peeling, very off and when I went in for my Neulasta shot they told me to keep cream on them (I do everyday) and let them know if they begin to scab over, hurt or I develop a fever.
Hope everyone is doing okay!
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with what you wash your wig? With shampoo.? Also I see your like me her3 positive. What is your chimo regiment. Mine is 4 ac and 12 taxo
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is the bmx decreases radio cycles
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gonnabeath. Did you recovered 4-6 week at home by yourself? Could you move to prepare something or take bath
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Hey everyone!
#3 AC in the can! Hoping things go ok. Question. Genetic testing. Have any of you had it and what did it entail? I spoke to my MO (thinking she would just do it) and now she wants me to see a geneticist....none of this seems to be easy! Just wanted to make an informed decision about surgery
Lauren
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gonnabeathis- if I do not go to reconstruction but dom skin nipple saving if possib'e, the recovery time will be shorter? How is manageable after surgery to do some basic things, prepare food have bath? Tjank
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margun- I too had BMX with immediate reconstruction— I could not do many things for myself for a few weeks and no showers while drains are in. I had my mom stay with me and between her and my husband, it wasn’t horrible. If not having reconstruction, it will be a quicker recovery time, but you will still have drains. Also depends on type of reconstruction. I had DIEP flap, which meant I also had to heal my abdomen.
Gonnabeatthis— I have not had peeling, but that sounds uncomfortable. I put a heavier cream on after every shower ( I use cetaphil lotion) so hopefully won’t have that complication.
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mn teach/- If i have no reconstruction the drains will remain? What I meant by reconstruction that I do not want any implant but of courI do not want drains left. Sorry i am not too knowing this.
How long it took until you felt ok without painkillers and resumed your normal life? Thank
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I could not take a shower until 24 hours after the drains came out. I was able to take a sponge bath everyday and went to the hairdresser to wash my hair. My Chemo is HCTP x 6 and I will have radiation because my lymph nodes were involved. I was lucky to have many people deliver meals and my husband and friends were always available (my husband worked from home the first two weeks after surgery. I was only in the hospital overnight. Once the drains came out I was pretty self sufficient and even cooked meals, but my husband cleaned up after meals.
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gonnabeatthis/ i guess a some kind of reconstruction we need after surgery? Even though it does not include implants which I would avoi
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Margun- the drains are needed because by removing your breast creates an empty space and your body will try to fill it with fluid. You will end up with drains because of this. I was on painkillers for a while (maybe 2 weeks) but I had the extra abdominal pain too since that is where they got the fat for my foobs.
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Margun - because my wig is made of synthetic hair, I purchased shampoo specifically made for that type of material.
I have triple positive cancer - I’m doing tchp x 6. Then I’ll do surgery (hopefully lumpectomy). Possibly radiation. Then hormone therapy for 5-10 years
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hi Palom, why you prefer lumpectomy
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hi Palomawhy you prefer lumpectomy?i thought in case of invasive her2 positive the bmx is safer choice
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mnctech. I guess you were saying that the fat for reconstruction was taken from abdomen? This is the procedure for reconstruction? There is other simpler means for reconstruction. Thank
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Margun- There are several options for reconstruction. My plastic surgeon went over all of them and then gave me information to take home so that I could go over it and make the best decision for me. The fat was taken from my abdomen.
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mncteach- the surgeon removed the tumo and the plastic surgeon did the reconstruction during the same operation? That is efficient. In my hospital these two surgeries they do not want to do together and even that the dr insist that lumpectomy would be sufficient when I feel safer with bmx
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like to know the se you experienced with taxol. I am starting it after ac. Ac was tough on me fatigue. Cold and numb ties fingers, zero appetite., on and off cough with no understandable reason. Eating is crucifying experience. Like to know what expect with taxol
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iam relatively young person but thus ac is tearing me down 1st 8 days. Feel fatigue even dizzy while sitting a bit to eat. I am eating because I know I have to but I do not want to. Coughing in off. Nurs told me some people work after ac. So i am this weak with Ac or nurses are painting a nice picture to encourage Taxol is next and she's said will be easier. Really? Comments
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Hi everyone,
Margun, you will have to have drains and won't be able to shower with them in, regardless of reconstruction or not. I had to have mine for just a week as I had lumpectomy with lymph node dissection. I understand for mx you need for 2 weeks and I'm assuming if bilateral then 1 on each side? That would be rough. Having the drain is a necessary part of the process. Sometimes a reconstruction at initial surgery is not an option and is done at later time. I'm sorry your having such a rough time with the AC. I have a few rough days but have been able to manage ok. My 3rd round was a bit rougher.
Had my last AC yesterday, woohoo. Hoping I don't have quite as much GI distress as last time. Diarrhea....not horrible but annoying. Now on to Taxol in 2 weeks. QUESTION: Is anyone icing or planning to ice during Taxol? McTeach, I think you said you did not ice for yours? notdefined, what are you planning? I am a bit torn. Asked my MO and she was not much help, says it is not a proven therapy, that she has patients that use it and still get the neuropathy and those that do not use it and don't. She left it up to me. I asked the nurse at my infusion and she did say that many people do use it. Does anyone know if the incidence of the neuropathy is different for the lower dose vs the dose dense?
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loiswb,
I found an article from an MO who also had BC (at MD Anderson Cooper in New Jersey),that gave chemo tips and she did ice during taxol. I bought ice packs (nothing fancy like many sold), and I'm going to try it. I figure it can't hurt.
Lauren
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Hi all!
Sorry it's been a while. I have one more round of dose dense AC on Thursday. I'll be so relieved to get that 4th round under my belt
. After that I start dose dense taxol for 4 rounds (over 8 weeks).Loiswb- I was told that the side effects for doing 4 bi-weekly Taxol infusions over the course of 8 weeks is often fatigue. Versus the weekly infusions of Taxol over 12 weeks is often neuropathy.
I hope I get the final ok to do the 8 week schedule for Taxol after finishing AC, since I have a lot of plans in the works for the summer — all depending on wrapping up chemo by a early June timeframe! Fingers crossed it works out like I hope!!
Take care!!
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Margun— I did and still do work during chemo, I took the day of infusion (Thursday) off as well as only working 1/2 days Friday and Monday. I was worst on Sunday. Taxol is supposed to be better, but 1st one was rough for me, we’ll see how 2nd one goes next week.
Loiswb— I did not ice. Only had one round so far, so time will tell
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