Starting Chemo July 2019
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I read about the Claritin on this site, as well as tonic water with quinine for muscle cramps. I’m taking the Claritin instead of Benadryl at night because I take Ambien, and don’t want to mix the two. I woke up this morning with the shivers, but no fever and just a non-itchy rash from the sunburn. This looks more like sun-poisoning to me, as I have gotten it in the past. My BP meds and the chemo are making me extremely sun-sensitive, just when it’s getting sunn here in Chicago.
Britgirl, jjpope1, Fairydragonfly - hope your day improves and you get some good sleep tonight. It’s interesting that the red face and overheating seem to cross treatment types.
Welcome beastmode! I’m sure you’ll find this group helpful, I certainly have.
2019Whatever - I’m in the city proper, Hyde Park, so treatment is at University of Chicago.
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dvhmouse: As far as the port is concerned, I think you'll be fine. I had my port placed around mid day and went out the same night and felt great. I have bruising around it still, but it hasn't bothered me as far as pain.
As far as how you'll feel r/t chemo on Day 3 ... no idea. Feels like we're all just winging it through this first week until we see how our bodies react.
I guess it also depends on what kind of work you do. An office job where you're mainly sitting, you'll probably be fine. A more active job or requiring a lot of driving might be more difficult.
BTW, Re: the red face. Could we all be getting hot flashes? My face is reddened, too. Although no fever and I definitely haven't been out in the sun.
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Okay, now I want to try this chicken pot pie, but KFC here doesn't sell it! Grrrr.
Today is day 5 post chemo.
I'm doing better, temperature has stayed down which has helped my anxiety. My most troublesome side effects are (sorry if too much info) diarrhea, heartburn, headache, aches and pains, tingly scalp, and a bit of an itchy rash in the unmentionable area. The heartburn/aches/pains are really screwing with my sleep. So not sure if I'm fatigued or not too.
All the side effects I am having are easily managed, luckily. No where near as bad as I thought they would be, which is a huge relief. Drinking about 3 litres of water a day, took things really easy yesterday and today, and braving leaving the house for the first time this afternoon. With the almost fever yesterday, I am nervous about being outside of the house, but can't live the life of a hermit.
I hope everyone else is doing well and welcome to the new groupies.
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Thanks for the warm welcoming everyone!
jjpope1 - I have seen Claritin mentioned a few times here but was not told about it by my Onco. What is it used for? Thank you!
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If you are given Neulesta after your chemo treatment, one of the side effect is some pretty bad bone pain. The Claritin stops the bone pain. You take it like the day b4 the Neulesta, the day of treatment and for four subsequent days and you shouldn't suffer bone pain. If you don't need Neulesta then you don't need the Claritin.
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Claritin and Benadryl both help if you also happen to have allergies, too. ;-
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Y’all (sorry from NC) I had a crash and burn 😢😢 got up feeling a lil better and was I guess tooting my own horn and feeling like yeah I’m good. Got it in my head I wanted a stupid bacon sandwich and went to a local diner on way to work. WRONG ANSWER it was like I was pregnant all over again. I wanted to puke as soon as I smelled food. Made it to work and glad I did because I barely made it to the bathroom with diarrhea. Sat for a while, head was feeling the weird again but not as bad and just thinking what the hell has happened. Felt a lil better about a hour later so yes stubborn me ate that freaking sandwich. By lunch I was done and went home. Stomach is still lil messed up and head/neck has started to hurt. So day 3 is playing tricks on me. BUT IM GLAD TO SAY I HAVENT FELT LIKE DEATH AND IM THANKFUL 🙌🏼
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JJpope- Heck I give you credit just for going to work. Glad you are home now. Try to take it a little easier!
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Jjpope- hope you will be feeling better. Going to work on day 3 was brave of you. Glad you got to leave early. Hope you're feeling better tonight.
I am home now after final T/C. I am feeling very good. MO cut dosage again and extra iv fluids give at infusions. I jumped for joy when MO told me NO NULASTA patch this time. I almost got up and kissed her!! She said my blood counts looked great and this being last treatment meant I did not need it. I got a certificate for completing full treatment and got to ring the bell 4 times. It was a wonderful day for me.
Best wishes to all, hope everyone is feeling better and gets through their full treatments with minimal issues.
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Congratulations upstateNYr on finishing your last chemo treatment!!0
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Thank you Dvhmouse- I am on cloud nine. I hope that everyone feels like this after their last treatment. One hurdle completed is such a great feeling. Best wishes to all.
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Jjpope1 - sending you lots of healing positive energy. Take care of yourself. Big hugs.
UpstateNYer - congratulations! What wonderful news!
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Fairydragonfly- I hope you feel as good as me when you complete your final treatment. I still have hurdles ahead, but getting through the chemo was definitely the hardest part. I am proud of myself , as I was ready to quit after the second treatment. Hope things go smoothly for you and everyone on this forum. If I could do it, so can you. Blessings.
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Hi everyone. I'll be starting chemo next week I think. So glad I found this website. It's nice to read all of your posts. I'm having 12 T then 4 AC. I'm also doing the Keytruda clinical trial. Anyone else having Keytruda?
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Welcome Divergent! I just started chemo on Monday this week. So far today has been okay, feeling shivery, but no fever, so I was able to go to my volunteer job this morning. I’ve found this group just great and the folks very supportive
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Grastofil sucks! I now know what they mean by bone pain. It's awful! I still have two more injections to go. I can't get comfortable no matter what I do.
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congrats Upstater!!!! Woo hoo!! I’m cyber toasting my morning coffee to you!
Over all I’m happy to see everyone in our little group is doing so well ( knock on wood) and I hope it continues!
Welcome Divergient! I’m having the opposite of your chemo 4 A/C and then 12 Taxol. My port placement is next Wed.
This week I’ve has a CT scan, and Echo and a Bone Scan. All were uncomfortable and mildly painful since I just had a BMX 2 weeks ago. Would have been nice if I could have done those tests before the surgery. Oh well just hoping the bone scan comes back all good today .
-Victoria
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Welcome to the family Divergent 💕💕
UpstateNYer I’m so happy for you that you made it and didn’t give up 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I went to work on day 2 as well. I need to keep as normal routine as possible and not burn all my sick time up so I’m working as much as I can. I was out a month due to my bilateral mastectomy and had no idea I would be doing chemo AT ALL. Was about to start my reconstruction road and then this comes up. So trying to keep as much sick and vacation time as I can. I have a wonderful and supportive group of guys and supervisors that I work with so that makes it 100000 times better and easier.
Yesterday sucked is all I can say. Ended up with bad headache and nausea and all I could do is cry. And in my head I’m saying Jessica get ahold of yourself your not about to die, this is temporary, all the normal are you kidding me talk and my body is like yeah be the cry baby it’s ok. I did stay home today because I was scared to do a lot of moving and make the headache worse. I do feel better not great but better so I’ll take it. Apt for acupuncture at 1 so I’ll def let you know how it’s goes. I am so hungry but don’t want to eat right now. Are y’all playing it by ear and just trying to eat whatever sounds good or sticking to plain safe food because of the nausea? Like you think hey I want pizza so you cook and try to eat it or do you say don’t think pizza is a good idea and eat a cracker?
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Thanks to everyone for your well wishes. Hope your treatments go well with minimum se's. I will stay on the forum to give encouragement and prayers to all of you sweet ladies. Have a blessed day.
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I got my cath-a-port put in today and the surgery tech got a little over generous with the Betadine. I must say orange just really isn't a good flesh tone for me, particularly on my face!
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Hi all, just finished my CT and Bone scan today. My port goes in July 22, chemo begins July 26. I’ll have 8 treatments- 4AC and 4 Taxol. Then I have 6 weeks radiation. I plan on wig shopping with my friends next week.
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dvhmouse- glad your feeling ok after your first chemo. I'm pretty nervous about starting. They said the first two times will be long days.
jjpope1- I'm going to try to work as much as I can too. I wish there was paid family leave. I also plan on going for it if I feel like eating a certain food. But we'll see how that goes.
2019whatayear- let me knoe how you do with the AC. I kind of wish I was doing that first too to get it out of the way!
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Found out today I'll be joining this group of amazing women. Went in for a nuclear cardiac stress test the first week in June. My heart was fine but nuclear dye attached itself to a mass in my left breast. Long story short, I have Stage 3 Breast cancer with at least one lymph node involved. I was absolutely stunned because I have no family history and I just had a clear mammogram 8 months ago. Today my oncologist laid out my treatment plan. I'm scared to death about it.😢
Port inserted next Wednesday, July 17th at hospital. Chemo starts the next day.
8 weeks first round-Doxorubicin and Cytoxan. I go 4 times for this (once every two weeks)
12 weeks second round-Taxol (I go once a week for this)
Mastectomy after this
Then radiation
I'm scared to death and would appreciate any advice, prayers, or positive thoughts anyone would care to send my way.
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Hey, NGCPeach welcome to our group! Sounds like we have a very similar treatment plan although I had my mastectomy before start of chemo. We'll get through this together!
I know it's a big old shock, especially with no family history of BC (same here ... no genetic link ... no family history), but it's 2019 and breast cancer is HIGHLY treatable. We have great odds and we're gonna get through this!
Welcome to Divergent and Amy52 ... our group is growing! Yay!
So yesterday was day 3 post AC treatment #1. I felt nauseous all day. Just took it very easy. Today I feel better and plan on walking the dog in a minute. No bone pain yet from the Neulasta. I've been taking Zofran round the clock to avoid nausea and Claritin daily to help with bone pain.
Other than that, no issues with constipation/diarrhea yet. There's such thing as TMI in this forum is there?
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Welcome Amy52 and NGCpeach! So sorry for the reason you've joined. I was also scared to death when I found out, but being able to compare notes with folks on this group has been invaluable and comforting.
I got my port put in yesterday, and it was a bit more traumatic than I expected. Lots of pain and an enormous bruise around the incision sites. I don't know how much of that is from having my first chemo tx on Monday, and how much just my physiology.
Other SEs have been minimal, some heartburn, fatigue, a nagging headache and I think a little neuropathy - my hands itch. So I think I got off lightly this week with Wednesday and Thursday the worst days, maybe because I'm getting a somewhat different regimen than other folks
Hope everyone who started treatment is feeling a little better today and will have a good weekend.
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Welcome NGC Peach,we can do this! Dvhmouse- on your face? Oy!
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Just wanted welcome all the new additions to our group. I’m sorry for the reason you are joining us but I hope you find it as helpful and supportive as I do.
I’m taking a one week previously planned vacation before port placement on the 23rd and chemo on the 24th. You all have helped me so much in being prepared to start the journey...thank you
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Amy 52 and NGCpeach welcome to the family 💕💕 this site has been a life saver for me. Take the time to go through different forums that appeal to you or your questions and read what info is there. Also if there’s something specific type it in the search bar. I was able to plan, prepare, and gain a lot of knowledge from this site. I’m so glad I found it.
dvhmouse I hate you had such a hard time with the port placement. It’s crazy how it affects different people. I may would try a warm heating pad over it to see if that helps sooth it??
britgirls I’m glad you’re doing so well!! Keep it up!!!
fairydragonfly checking in on you and your status?
Amy52 you and I are doing same rounds of treatment. I had my 1st on Monday. 2nd will be on 2nd. Mine was detected by my first mammogram. I chose to do double mastectomy vs lumpectomy. Had DM on May 14th. Thought all I had to do after was 5 yrs on the pill. But based on oncotype cell test I fell in the category that was a higher risk of reoccurrence so I had to do chemo.
Today has been a much much better day for me 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Weds and Thurs were hard and I was waving the white flag. I did do acupuncture yesterday and really liked her. She wants to see me a couple of days pre treatment so I go back Thursday the 18th. Was still nauseated and not feeling good when I got in bed last night. But woke up feeling totally better. So I’m hoping that the acupuncture is what helped and I continue to feel this way the days to come. Wanted to add, if you use oils.... that peppermint on your feet and your stomach is supposed to help. Also digize by young living they say is supposed to work good too. So I’ll be adding that to see, hey it can’t hurt.
Wishing you all a feel good and happy weekend 💕💕💕
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jjpope1 - so glad to hear you're feeling a bit better today! Yes, I'm going to try a heating pad on the port site and hope that eases some of the discomfort.
Something I noticed this week is that I feel better when I've gotten a chance to get outside and walk around, either with the dogs/husband or just 15-20 minutes by myself. I'm not a gym/work out person, but I do enjoy walking. Anyone else had this experience?
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I'm alive. Coping with bone pain and headaches. Not doing much of anything today. Just feeling blah. Still manageable.
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