Starting Chemo 2020 January
Comments
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Is everyone planning to work during your chemo treatment? I will be getting my port and starting soon. I'm still undecided if I should start my short term disability now or wait until surgery.
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Hi Dyson, I started Jan 3. I have 4 treatments 3 weeks apart. I have not had any time off work yet, but am planning to for my remaining 3 treatments. It really wasn't too bad and I was able to work through it. I have a desk job, so not physically demanding. For me days 3 to 7 were the worst with constipation, body arches, mouth pain (I couldn't taste anything), and mild naseau. I felt like I had a mild flu, but it was doable to work through.. I started feeling quite a bit better by day 8. My next treatment is Friday and I'll take that next week off just to give myself a break since side effects are supposed to get a little harder each time.. Then I plan to go back to work full time for weeks 2 and 3. But my work is pretty supportive and flexible if I need more time.
On a side note, my hair started shedding like crazy 14 days after treatment 1. I just shaved it yesterday and feel so much better. The hair loss can be traumatizing... for me it was best to bite the bullet on it and not prolong the agony of the inevitable.
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Good luck to you all on this journey! I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 weeks of Taxol. I worked throughout treatment but worked 24 hours a week vrs. full time.
I took claratin everyday and I took stool softener day before treatment, day of treatment and day after to keep things moving. A couple of times I didn't and there was much misery on my part! With the A/C I got 2 diff pre meds for nausea. One last 72 hours. After treatment every 8 hours I'd take the Zofran . Sometimes nausea would start to break thru and I'd take it every 6 hours. So after the A/C Zofran for the next 2. 5 days after that I'd just be tired for a couple days and then every day after that I'd have more energy and feel more like myself. By the time the next treatment rolled around I felt great. = ready to get knocked down again. Neulesta gave me a headache so I would take a tylenol.
I walked everyday and after the first week I was able to run ( I ran diagnosis) A/C was much harder than Taxol. The worst part was when my hair started falling out for like 2 days my follicles were so inflamed. My hair /head just ached.
My hair started growing back during Taxol. I started running daily during Taxol. Steroids gave me lots of energy.
Before my diagnosis I had been using a food tracker and was in the habit of weighing myself everyday. I lots a lot of taste during chemo I made a big effort to eat as healthy as possible and I drank lots of water. Each week during Taxol I would gain 3 lbs when I took the steriod and then 4 days later it would go away.
My main priorities during treatment were to exercise daily and to keep up with my meal tracker and my daily weighing. I think this helped me, I had low side effects and was able to keep my weight steady. I also planned treats for each treatment completed. ( everything from a new pair of fuzzy socks to going to a cookie baking workshop)
Everyone experiences chemo differently - be kind to yourselves, if people offer to help tell them what you need. Treatment will be over before you know it.
Oh also I used Biotene and during taxol I took prilosec.
And lastly the nurses do want you to tell them any thing that is going on so if something seems off be sure to mention it
You got this!
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Hi Dyson. I start my AC tomorrow, 4 rounds, every other week and then I will do 4 round of T, again, every other week. I am on ST disability from work - there are just too many unknowns for me to be able to commit to showing up every day (I work remote). I am going to try and fill my days with quilting/reading and walking. Its strange to not have the routine of work. I had double MX in Dec and that is when they found 5/24 nodes positive and chemo and radiation were added to my regime. I am planning on having my head shaved here at home end of next week when my best friend is here to help me thru it. I have been walking/drinking lots of water in the hopes of getting into a routine before treatments start (tomorrow). I have been taking Claritin and will be getting the Neulesta (sp?) shot on Wed. Luckily the treatment center is just 10 minutes away.
Here is hoping that all of us are able to minimize the SE - and I would like to say a prayer of thanks to all the women who went thru chemo before us and taught the medical field about the SE they were facing so that we are better able to manage them.
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Im on day 7 of my first round of TC. I was all good until the Neulasta shot kicked in. I was down for 2-1/2 days. I did take the claritin but unfortunately it didnt help. I had to constantly take some kind of pain meds. Finally today I woke up without any aching! Feels good to be back to somewhat normal. I never had any nausea but I did have stomach issues, feeling full etc which I think have resolved. So I guess if it holds true, I can do 3 days down out of 3 weeks. My treatment is timed so that I just needed to take off Friday from work and had the weekend to wallow in my misery. I suppose next week my hair will be getting ready to bail on me. I am trying to be ready, but I dont think I really am. Go back for a check with MO tomorrow and more bloodwork. I hope everything is in line.
By the way Maddy, Im with you on the cold capping. It just sounded so overwhelming with everything else I have to keep up with, I just said forget it. Nice that there is an option for those who want to do it though. Take care everyone. Keep us posted on your progress. So nice to have people to compare notes with.0 -
- Hello! I'm a little late to your party. I will do four rounds of TC starting on January 31. I'm looking forward to having a group of women to go through this with!
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welcome texas mama. Sorry you're here but glad too! If anyone would like to post their age it would be interesting to see if that has any bearing on side effects. If not, that's ok too
I'm 65 soon to be 66
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Hi All,
My mom had her port put in today and will begin chemo on Wednesday. I would love for her to join this forum as it was such a blessing and encouragement to me during my treatment, but not sure I can get her to do so. My mom is 77 years young
... just wondering if anyone else here is around that age and how you are doing with chemo. Although not a fun time, I found chemo to be "doable", but I was 48. Mom is not doing the A, just the Cytoxan and Taxotere, so wish she didn't have to be on this roller coaster ride. Prayers for each of you... you can do this!!!
Mary Lee
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Had my first treatment of A/C today. Slept for a couple hours when we got home. Have been drinking a lot of water and rinsing my mouth with Biotene. I have a headache - feels like a sinus headache but didn't subside with Advil. Hoping to get to the gym tomorrow.
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Hope you're feeling well Maddy. I am taking different drugs, but I felt fine until neulasta kicked in.
I did learn yesterday that my smaller tumor has been determined to have enough HER-2 that they want to treat me with Herceptin as well, ugh!
I will get it with my next 3 rounds of TC and then every 3 weeks for a year.
My MO is going to request that Mayo clinic review my slides and give an opinion so maybe things will change, but for now thats the planI hope all of you are feeling good and doing well. Keep us posted!
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So grateful for all the updates! I am going in today to get the results of my CT scan and Bone scan. Hopefully I will get the exact start date for my chemo!
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Bkerber - sorry to hear about the addition to your chemo
Dysonsphere - I had a bone scan and CT scans after my surgery and remember how anxious I felt waiting for the results - praying that you get news of clear scans soon.
I actually felt really good today - definitely had a lot of night sweats but felt like I was well rested this morning. Got my neulesta shot this afternoon - hoping the Claritin that I have been taking will keep the side effects at bay.
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I saw MO today and my scans were clear! We had a long visit where I learned about the AC Taxol regimen and what I should expect. I'm set to start on 1/30/2020. I'm just waiting to get my port in the next few days.
I don't think I mentioned before but I will add it to my signature, I am 50 years old.
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Good news dysonsphere! Im glad you finally have a date for chemo. Not that we look forward to it, but just get on with, right!
Maddy, good luck with the neulasta. I'll be thinking of you.
This week (1) week out from 1st round, I am feeling really good. 1 week off and 2 on would be fantastic if it holds true for the next 3 rounds.
Hair should start to go soon if I follow the timeline of most. Getting mentally prepared.
Take care everyone.0 -
Day 10. This morning my head started to have a tingle to it all over. It has gotten a bit worse during the day and now my follicles are starting to be sensitive.
We shall see how long before the hair starts going.0 -
My port placement was just scheduled for January 31, so I won’t be a January chemo sister after all. I’ll be starting chemo in February.Best wishes to all of you!
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Good luck Texas mama. Hope all goes well for you.
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I'm starting my short term disability today and getting my port on Monday. Can anyone share their port placement experience?
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Dysonsphere - WOW! YAY! So glad to hear that your scans are clear. I found getting the port in to be relatively easy. I wasn't totally "out" so remember hearing the doctors talk, but couldn't feel anything. It is about the size of a small walnut. I really appreciated the port when I had the chemo done. I put the numbing cream on it about an hour before my chemo appt - didn't rub it in, just put about a quarter size amount on top of the port and then put a small square of Saran Wrap on top of it. I honestly did not feel a thing when they accessed the port.
Glad you have your chemo start date. I am 56 years old and the cancer was found in routine mammogram. I am on Day 4, no bone pain (yet?) from the Neulesta shot, just feel tired.
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Bkerber: are your treatments every third week? Mine are every other week. So glad to hear you are feeling good. I was wondering how the whole "hair" thing would work. I have a friend coming up to visit next week and will have my head shaved while she is here. My hairdresser is going to come to the house to do it. I found the wig fitting to be emotionally draining but also felt better now that I have some hats and the wig. During the wig fitting, they put a cap on my head to hold all the hair in and so I got a bit of a sense of what I will look like. Headcovers.com is a great website.
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Maddy, yes my treatments are every 3 weeks. I have 1 beanie and have ordered more. I did talk to my boss, who's wife has lost her hair before and the tingling is the first sign according to him too. I opted not to get a wig since I live in Florida and its hot most of the time. Im sure my melon is going to look awful, but hey, it is what it is! Good luck on your shaving. I'll keep you posted as to when it really starts to let loose.
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Sorry dyson,
I received my port when I had my lumpectomy so I guess you would say it was easy. It did creep me out at first though because every time I turned my neck it would pull. Ugh!
It was really sore for a long time but now I dont feel anything. I had it about 2 months before I started using it and she apologized in advance for any pain, but it was a breeze.
My husband wont go near it lol. They did say it was easier to take out than put in so hopefully thats true. Good luck to you on Monday!0 -
Good luck to all you ladies starting treatment. I just had round 2 today and am home resting. The hair loss hit me at day 12 exactly. I went from a full head of hair to massive loss very quickly. I had my head shaved at day 15. There was stubble everywhere. Now at day 21 there is a huge completely bald spot (no stubble)on the top of my head about 4 inches around. Yikes. Can you imagine what that would look like if I hadn't shaved my head? I dread to think about it... lol. I really don't mind the bald look. Wigs, scarves, and caps are all kind of fun if you just embrace it for awhile.... and no bad hair days! It's a whole lot better than a 4 inch bald spot on the top of my head! I'm bouncing between both the Dec and Jan group...posted wig pics there. (I'm mostly just rocking my bald head and slouchy snoods though)
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Sunrise - thank you so much for sharing your experience with the whole "hair" thing. I am having my head shaved next Friday. So does the hair keep growing in some spots? Is that why you mention the 'bald' spot on your head? Will I need to keep shaving my head to keep the stubble away?
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Maddy, no I don't believe the hair is still growing, it's just falling out in some places faster than others. The hair on my arms, eyebrows and eyelashes are still there.... I have read they may fall out later. Some women state they even finished chemo with their eyebrows and lashes only to have them fall out after chemo. Fortunately the vast majority of women state it all comes back eventually, but you definitely have to be patient when growing it all back. Lots of good info in the hair thread.
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Hi Beautiful Ladies!
I started my first of 4 TC chemo cycles on 12/23, so I'm just a cycle ahead of some of you. It's day 13 of cycle #2 for me. I just turned 50 a month after my diagnosis. It's definitely been a bumpy ride and we've had some family stressors thrown in as well (a death in the family and a job loss). But we stand strong in our faith and know God will carry us through.
I wanted to share some tips/feedback on my experience so far. Hope it's helpful for you all.
1. Fortunately, I have only had very minimal nausea. They gave me something
in my IV that seemed to last for a few days and that worked well. No
diarrhea either. My Dr prescribed Ativan for anxiety but also for nausea. I just take it here and there, usually at night to help with sleeping. I have had constipation on and off but I have been able to
manage it with diet and Colace. I already suffered from stomach issues, so
unfortunately my stomach got very achy and sore once I started chemo, but my Gastroenterologist put me on a strong PPI, Protonix, and that has helped quite a bit.2. I drink tons of water. Especially the day before, during and after chemo.
I believe that helps flush everything out. Sometimes I'll use plain Smart
Water or similar for the added electrolytes and minerals. By about day 10 of each cycle I started getting the metallic taste when I drink water, but it's not horrible. I haven't found too much of a difference in tastes with other things though.3. I eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and make a fresh green juice
everyday (Spinach, celery, ginger, green apple and carrots). This has been
very tolerable on my stomach and adds in a lot of vitamins and minerals.
And the fresh ginger is great for the tummy.I am very careful and thoroughly wash all fruits and vegies either with a
vegie wash or vinegar (my Mom said vinegar works great to kill germs). It's
a little extra work, but worth it.4. I've added in extra protein, including red meat which I didn't eat
before. Oddly enough, my body has been craving the red meat...hubby is in
heaven. I told him not to get to used to it...lol5. I moisturize from head to toe after the shower or bath. I like coconut
oil or a lotion. That's really helped keep my skin smooth. I also apply hand cream and lip balm all
day along, and keep them all over the house for easy access.6. When I get the real dry and sometimes bloody nose, I swab it with Ayr
Nasal Gel. That's been a lifesaver.7. I try to brush my teeth everytime after I eat and I rinse with 4 parts water to 1 part hydrogen (that's what my dds told me to do). So far it has worked and I haven't had any mouth sores. I also did chew on ice chips during chemo as this was suggested to prevent mouth sores.
8. I keep a daily journal and write down my symptoms and how I'm feeling. It's helpful to look back at the previous cycle to see what occurred. My Dr said, generally whatever you experience with each cycle, it will most likely repeat it itself. So far that has been true on my 2 cycles so far.
9. I keep a daily gratitude journal and write down at least 5 grateful things every day. This treatment has slowed me down a bit and allowed me to reflect on the simple things and I look for sparks of joy wherever I can find them.
10. I have a little cosmetic bag packed that I take when I leave. It includes: mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand cream, lip balm, tissues, eye drops, lozenges for dry mouth, ginger chews, bandaids, neosporin, etc. In the car I keep a package of Kleenex germ free wipes. I use them everytime I get back in the car.
11. I take Vit B6 and L-Glutamine (my Dr ok'd both of them). They are both supposed to be helpful for neuropathy prevention and the L-Glutamine is also helpful for the stomach. You might want to ask your Dr about them.
12. I do lots of meditation daily. I suffer from anxiety and this experience has compounded it greatly. I love the Insight Timer App. They have so many great meditations to choose from. There is one called 'Affirmations for Health and Wellbeing'. I try to listen to that daily and repeat them.
13. I've been icing my hands and feet during the Chemo infusion to try to prevent Neuropathy. I bring a variety of ice packs and rotate them. So far, it has helped.
14. Hair Loss, I've been doing the Penguin Cold Caps and unfortunately they haven't worked very well for me. I've lost about 85% of my hair. Hair loss is such a hard thing through chemo. I spent many days crying as it fell out. It's ok to cry and allow yourself to feel the sadness. Some people don't have as hard a time with it and that's great. But if you do like I have, it's perfectly ok. Allow yourself to work through those emotions. Eventually you'll feel better. I have since found so many great resources for hats and wigs, etc. My insurance doesn't cover wigs, but I found out The American Cancer Society does and several other organizations do as well. I've also been having fun getting the baseball caps and beanies with hair attached on Amazon.
Lastly, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or if you need a shoulder to cry on. I appreciate the sisterhood of this group.
Sending healing thoughts to all you. Remember:
WE GOT THIS!!!!!
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Hi Havefaithtoday. Thank you for all of the helpful tips!
I have really started losing my hair. Will probably cut it this week. Next Tues is my 2nd round of treatment and I hope there arent any surprises.
I havent had any mouth sores so far. I did eat ice during treatment. Dont know if it helped but I figured it couldnt hurt either. I did religiously brush and
rinse in the beginning when I had the yucky feeling there, but have slacked off until the next round.
I have a lot of energy now, which I hope will come back after #2. Can anyone talk about that?Thinking about you all and hoping you're doing ok.
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Hi Bkerber, wow, you and I have similar diagnosis and time frames with being diagnosed and surgery and you're just 1 chemo cycle behind me. I go in for cycle 3 next Tues. I'm on day 14 right now of cycle 2 and just started feeling a little more energy today. Last cycle I felt pretty good from day 14-20. Hopefully it stays that way for both of us. Are you getting chemo every 3 weeks?
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I got my port today. I had to get it on my left side. Wow, does it feel weird. I'm scared to make any movement! But at least it's another thing I have gotten through on my journey to being cancer free!
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havefaith, yes I'm getting tc every three weeks glad to know you still have a few good weeks each round!
Dysonsphere, I know what you mean about the port every time I would tense my neck it would creep me out!
Took a while but I dont much notice it now
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