Starting Chemo in February 2019
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Thanks @mncteach. No, I haven’t taken anything pre-emptively. I thought I should try to take as little extra drugs as I can manage. I did take a Tylenol last night because I’m starting to feel achy in my upper body. I’m going to take a walk this morning, while I still have some energy, and try to stretch and get everything moving.
Hope everyone is well today. We are still here, still getting closer to the end.
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notdefined, it has already yielded striking results in mice, re boosting response to chemo... that's why they are doing these trials. In people, we know it dramatically improves stuff like triglycerides, glucose, etc when practiced regularly; cancer has metabolic connections for sure so this is already a benefit. Anecdotal evidence is excellent. The worst problem they have is getting people to DO it! My SEs were so much better when fasting-mimicking that I was convinced. There is a formula for the mimicking: 1100 cals on day 1; 800 cals on days 2-5. Largely veggies, and a small amount of protein (100-150 cals) and healthy fat (avocado, olives).
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Well, the positive attitude I was trying to maintain after round one is being seriously challenged this week. Round two has completely kicked my butt- weak, bone aches, GI issues, and one nasty 24 hour headache that the docs say likely isn't related to treatment. Has anyone else had terrible headaches?
I've been trying to work as much as possible through treatment and am starting to question whether I can continue much longer. That didn't take long. Something has to give though- being a working mom was enough to juggle before my diagnosis. Life feels very out of control right now.
Any moms of school aged kids in the group? I'd love to chat if you're interested.
Hoping all of you ladies are hanging in and doing as well as can be expected. It's comforting to pop in and read your stories. 💕
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Titsup-Sorry you are having prolonged SE. I would be happy to chat.
I have 7 year-old twins, and I am the primary wage earner (as well as insurance provider) in my household. I am trying to do as much as I can to maintain the household, but it is kind of a joke. My husband works from home, and he is a big help--but not when it comes to doing laundry or cleaning the house. My mom and sister have offered to help, but I haven't gotten over my pride to have them help me clean. I will lean on them if I get desperate. I have been ordering groceries online and having them delivered which also helps a ton. Also, my boss is allowing me to work from home which I am very grateful for.
My 2nd round was canceled, but I was hoping I could continue working through it. Are your SE easing up at all? I was hoping that the first round was what I could expect for the other 3, but now I am not so sure.
santabarbarian-I did read the success with the mice. I also read though that the studies in mice are not always indicative of how humans will respond. I did read that fasting could possibly prevent cancer from occurring in the first place which is very interesting. Yes, getting people to fast can be difficult. I felt like the water fasting was easier, because I didn't have to think about it. I will try counting my calories, if that is the best way for me to get my liver functioning and give me the best chance to survival.
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Hi Titsup,
I have had a headache off and on, some lasting over 24 hours since my first chemo (2/19). My Dr told me the anti-nausea drugs during treatment was probably responsible for the first 2 day headache. I think the ones I’m having now are probably more related to lack of sleep (insomnia) or maybe part of the jaw pain I’m feeling - not quite sure what is causing that, maybe it’s related to the bone aches because it’s a completely different kind of headache than I’ve ever experienced - literally my entire skull hurts! I’m drinking plenty of water so I don’t think its related to being dehydrated. Luckily I’m not working through treatments and don’t have children so I don’t have other responsibilities. I can concentrate on getting well. Managing this is more than enough for me and I don’t know how people who work or have families manage. My husband is very good at checking if I need him to pick up dinner on his way home!
Hope you get some relief soon!
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I got aunt flow today, and where I'm glad that I haven't started menopause yet, I am not glad about these cramps. Not taking any over-the-counter meds will be interesting. Can I have some wine instead? Nope. Blah.
This is the first month without my Mirena IUD, which I miss terribly. I used to get horrible cramps before it, and now they are back with a vengeance. Hot water bottle is all the comfort I get. Okay, I'm done feeling sorry for myself....for now.
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Hi K8bstn....
Definitely start the Claritin 2-3 days before your next chemo & steroids. It will greatly help with the Neulasta bone pain. Unfortunately, I wasn’t told about using Claritin until after my 1st chemo treatment & I suffered through the pain & discomfort. Not a good experience.
I am a bc survivor after being diagnosed 2 years ago (2/2017) with stage 3 HER2+, ER...taxotere, carboplatin, perjeta & herceptin....double lumpectomy & complete lymph node removal....& 32 radiation treatments .
Sending my prayers & best wishes to you as you go to battle against this horrible disease. 🙏💗
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notdefined,
I bet your twins could do some simple tasks, like gathering up laundry, loading the dishwasher, and cleaning their own room/s...
I strongly advise you to bite the bullet and accept help. It's great to be superwoman but if you handle things too well people do NOT understand how crappy you are actually feeling, and you'll wind up pissed at them! I had a big fight with my clueless-but-loving sister, who had no idea how mentally pooped I was because I was not complaining. She arrived ffrom out of state for a visit and proceeded to lie around and not help at all; I was sort of expecting laundry, lunch, something. I wanted to smack her.
Accepting help is also a way to let those who love us do something useful. One of my best friends was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer about 3 years before my BC diagnosis. It was beside myself with worry about her.... and being allowed to help was *so* good for me! (Happy to report she is NED.) It was a great lesson to let *select* people help, and let them in. When people said, "let me know what can I do" I gave them a specific task. To an amazing cook, "Can you make me some bone broth?" She brought me 2 Quarts organic chicken and 1 quart organic Beef! "Can you bring me berries from the farmer's market?" "Would you take me to my X appointment?" etc... And if there was nothing I could think of I'd say, "Can I put you on my call-when-I-need-something list?" I did not have that many needs so I never used the same person twice but I used just about everyone once.
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Hi all~ had my first treatment Tuesday and have been in bed since
Expected some fatigue, nausea and bone pain but was in no way prepared for this. I feel out of my mind and like I’ve been possessed by the devil or something. Dramatic, I know, but man I’m sick. Trying to stay hopeful that these SEs will ease soon. Hope you are all having an easier week 0 -
Hi
I had my first A/C chemo shot yesterday and I have not experienced any any side effects yet, not sure if me taking CBD oil 1:1 CBD to THC ratio has anything to do with it.
Anna
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Well, after 6 weeks off, I finally had round 2 today. I was soooo nervous about my port but no issues at all. I couldn’t even feel the access. Thank you Lidocaine!! Overall, the infusion went well. I’m drinking lots of water now, feeling ok, and waiting to see what SE’s hit me this time. Also waiting for the Neulasta OnPro to kick in tomorrow.
Wishing the best for everyone, and sending extra love and support to those suffering from tough SE’s
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santabarbarian-thank you. I will try to take your advice. Part of me wanted to wait until I really needed something, but today was the first day I notice the impact of chemo on my body. I created art in my shower wall with my hair that is falling out today. That was depressing. I stepped on a nail (it barely poked the skin), and went on a rampage of scrubbing it clean, putting rubbing alcohol on it, then Neosporin, and bandaging it. My eye also swelled up today. I vented a little to a friend, and it did feel good to let it out. I guess I'm not done feeling sorry for myself, but I hope it's just hormones.
CSRoberts-sending hugs. Hope that you SE's go away.
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Addybear, in my case the third to 4th day was when the SEs appeared... That first 2 days I would be flying from the steroids they put with the chemo. Though cannabis did help me with the mild SEs.
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titsup - I can totally relate about struggling to be a working mom before diagnosis! I have always been bad at it. I have an almost 4 year old, kindergartener, and second grader. And work was already overwhelming before this additional challenge was mixed in. Keeping up with the kids was hard! It may have helped that I made that widely known over the yearsthat I thought I did a horrible job at juggling all these responsibilities!! Because my family immediately stepped in to help with the kids when we started this journey. And I'm just really getting started with this marathon since my first chemo day was Thursday.
I've been out so much with all the appointments over the past two months (so many biopsies:( and scans and tracking down reports) and then getting ready for treatment. It feels like there's no way I can keep up with the work load. Do you dread working now? I couldn't even log on today to check in today. And I'm allowed to telework some days. It just feels like too much. And I hate hearing these stories from well intentioned people about women that worked through treatment. And only missed a day or two. How is that even possible.
BUT this will pass! Keep swimming! I'm trying to work on accepting help that will benefit my kids from people beyond my family. I just started sharing beyond my family and work this week and was so comforted by all the support! There may be people that would love to root for you that might not be aware what your family is going through right now? Help can come from some unexpected sources.
Take care!!
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the thought of going back to work is a little daunting. I’m a massage therapist, and I’m honestly not sure what I’ll be able to handle. I have plans to go back next week (9 days after chemo #1), and asked to be put on “light duty”. I guess we just have to roll with the punches.
All the waiting around to see what is going to happen is frustrating. I feel like I just need to put everything off for a few weeks while I wait and see. I don’t want to push myself too hard, but I also don’t want to languish in my bed.
Wishing you all happy days ahead
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Yes my catscan abd MRI , showed no nodal involvement. After lumpectomy my sentiial node was removed and was positive , but pathology showed no exterior nodal involvement. Dr said that when you present on Evans with no nodal inbolvevet it means that your nodes aren’t compromised to much but scans can’t pick up microscopic cells .
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On day three after my first round and thankfully the only SE has been some gastric distress and a lingering headahe. The Neulasta patch went off yesterday and has so far not caused any bone pain. Wondering if the SE are cumulative such that rounds two three and four will hit me harder. Any ladies who are further along notice a difference in severity of side effects? I did do fasting and taking Claritin, both of which I think have helped.
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Day 2 post chemo #3– some things have been better, some worse. I am extremely tired today and been short of breath (thanks anemia). As for headaches, I have had headaches all through treatments, not one thing I can pinpoint as to cause, first round I was not eating well, second round I got my period, and this round who knows so far!
I am trying to work through treatment as I used all my sick time up for surgery, but finding it more difficult. I am doing most of my teaching from a chair now as standing for more than about 10 minutes exhausts me. My coworkers are very supportive and helpful, boss not so much, but such is life. I can’t imagine giving a massage right now, so hope all goes well Paloma!
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Hey there ladies chiming in from the other side of chemo.I was fit and pretty healthy going into treatment. For those you struggling at work... chemo hated me and there was no way I could have worked through it. So rest assured if you can't work through chemo you are not alone. Everyone responds differently to side effects and struggling doesn't make you weaker than other women. I was really happy for those doing well but I sure was envious!
Best Wishes to you all.
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Toni, in my case the actual chemos were all roughly the same in terms of SEs, but as time went on it took longer to "bounce back" and I did not get back to 100% but rather more like 75% by the end. On my early chemos I was 'down' about 6 days and by the last one I was down more like 10 days, and though I did not feel lousy by day 10, it took another ~5-6 weeks post final chemo to recover to the point of feeling fairly normal. I am aboout 14 weeks Post final chemo now and my RBC is still just under normal, but I am not conscious of it as I am no longer winded by carrying one bag of groceries 25 feet. That was my worst SE - anemia, breathlessness, and that was cumulative. I got better at the fasting so the SEs of the chemo itself never worsened.
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Hi everyone,
I’m startin ACT March 15, getting my port in the day before... I’m in the March group but finding your updates from the other side of the anticipation really helpful so thank you! I had a BMX Feb 1 (2 weeks after diagnosis), 3 weeks off to recover and then was back at work this week. Felt so good to be acting “normal”, I hate that it is so short lived! Dreading the SE and hair situation. Also have 2 school aged kids- 6 and 9. Hoping to have energy for them and work, but trying to take it day by day...
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LizzieAG, yes it’s so helpful to get the insight, experiences and support of others in this same turbulent boat! I was the opposite of you... nearly a month between diagnosis and surgery, then 6 more weeks before start of chemo. The uncertainty and anticipating was maddening, I just wanted to get the process going! Though it probably did help to have more time to mentally prepare.
These groups are a tremendous resource for SE’s, how to deal with and even prevent them. I had bad constipation with round 1, I was more proactive with meds for round 2 and it’s gone much better so far. Also, my MO never mentioned Claritin for the Neulasta SE’s until I read it here and asked about it.
One thing that really helped me with the hair loss was buying my wig in advance. First, we were able to compare with my natural style, color and texture. More importantly, I felt more prepared to shave my head when it was time, knowing I had my wig ready to wear. I ordered a hair halo (partial hairpiece to wear with hats) and actually wear that much more than my wig now, it’s much simpler to toss on and walk out the door for a casual outing. I have several comfy cute hats to wear around the house too.
Good luck! So far, my SE’s have been less than I feared, and that’s been true for many of us. Hope that’s true for you as well.
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Hi I am new to this all the way around but glad I am not alone. I don't start TC chemo until April but thought I would reach out and say hi to a fellow Vermonter @Mncteach --I am in Colchester.
I learned about ChemoDiva.com today from this message board (Chemo Tips) and I am very excited about getting a halo wig after being pretty depressed about the prospect of losing my hair for the last two weeks. So thank you for providing all this great support and info!
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Welcome IloveVermont... I’m in the south part of the state, Bennington! Glad you found this site, it’s full of lots of info! Now if it could just tell me where my purse is. Damn chemo brain, can’t remember having it in my hand since chemo on Thursday and haven’t gone anywhere but work since
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Chemo brain is my next focus of study. Can you recommend a thread that deals with it?
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I Follow a group called chemo brain. I did ask my MO about different things to help with it and learning new activities and reading aloud were two things she recommended. I don’t think mine is as bad as I have seen other people deal with, however I do get a space feeling now and then like a fog that just won’t go away. My biggest thing is recall, but I often try to multi task still which may be why too. Overachiever, type A just don’t want this to slow me down, but am getting better at asking and receiving help and just taking it slow when needed
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Hi all - I had my first AC on 2/21 and am gearing up for round 2 this Thursday. I completed 12 rounds of Taxol in January without incident, but so far AC is a whole different animal. Can I share my story? I got thru the first 3-4 days without too much nausea, thanks to the meds, but was exhausted days 3 and 4. Day 5 I went back to work, and throughout the day developed a sharp pain in my left posterior rib area, and started having a muscle spasm whenever I would take a deep breath. Thought maybe this was the Neulasta bone pain I was expecting. The next day i felt the same and got winded quickly with any activity, so I called the cancer center nurse, who told me to go to the ER to rule out a PE. (I had a PE several years ago with these same symptoms). Ugh. Spent the entire night and following day in a crazy crowded ER before they finally said no PE. The next day I felt fantastic. The back pain was still there but much less, and I felt more energy than I had in months. That day the cancer center nurse called to tell me my white cells were low according to my labs from the hospital. (Wonder why they didn’t tell me that when I was sitting in a crowded ER??) Anyway, I’m taking this burst of energy as a sign that my white count has recovered, and I am planning to enjoy these next few days until the whole thing starts again. Today I made pancakes, vacuumed my entire house, and went shopping with my daughter. It’s been a good day. Health and hugs to you all
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Welcome Pinky24! AC is a whole different animal. I am doing mine ac first then taxol but my MO keeps telling me it will get better with the Taxol. I wish I could say it gets better, but I am getting more tired, my Neulasta is doing the trick with my white blood count but have had anemia and that is part of the extra tired/winded feeling I get. I think this round (#3) was better except because I knew what to expect. Instead of fighting it, I came right home and slept and had everything ready to take it easier and even what foods I wanted to keep me going. Hopefully you will get a rhythm too and I’m glad to hear you have made it over the first hard bump!
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hooray for good days Pinky24! May there be many ahead for each of us.
Anyone here a migraine sufferer? I get them occasionally and they usually start with an “aura”. My vision felt a little goofy on Friday, much like the aura. Thankfully no headache followed. Wondering, of course, if anyone else has had that experience?
Out of curiosity Mncteach, is the whole anemia thing also cumulative? I haven’t gotten my first CBC post chemo yet, but I’ve been feeling pretty good. Hope your energy rebounds soon
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Hi ladies,
I hope y'all don't mind me coming in to your thread since I completed my chemo in March.
Lauren, I saw your post on the March 2011 thread and decided to reply to your most recent post.. I am on
the March 2011 thread, and I am a 2 x survivor. The first time I was diagnosed
was in January 2011 and I started chemo in March 2011. The second time I was diagnosed
was March 2018. both times my tumor was less than a cm so I had surgery first then chemo. I started chemo AC June 27 and Lauren, I had the same chemo regimen that you are
about to start. 4 rounds of AC and 12 rounds of Taxol. The AC
was rough on me but it was doable, my last AC treatment was August 8. The Taxol
was easy compared to the AC. My biggest issue with the Taxol was I got tired of
going to the treatments every week but I did what I had to do to get well. My
last treatment was November 14. My hair have started growing back, most side
effects are gone, however I do have neuropathy in my fingers and toes but it is
getting better.Chemo is no fun to anyone but the end results are worth it.
I’m living proof 2 times.((hugs)) to you all.
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