Starting Chemo April 2020
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Zarin - I take steroids for 5 days in and around chemo - definitely the fatigue from chemo is worse once the steroids taper, plus just because it's chemo. I have 2 or 3 days where I'm just exhausted, and then it improves. But I definitely have energy when I'm on them. The Neulasta is important for helping your WBC bounce back. I take Claritan daily, plus ibuprofen if I'm achy - and that only lasts a day or so. But I love having that nice high WBC on my day 10 blood draw.
Vilija - so glad to hear that Round 2 went much better! I just finished Round 3, so I'm halfway done. And yes - let me know when you want to talk keto! It's going well for me, as is the chemo fasting.
Hang in there, ladies!
Kris
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Hi all
Had Chemo #2 yesterday with all the bells and whistles. Steroids (does your face get red like you’ve been out skating? Mine does. It’s weird), Zofran, Ativan beforehand. I never get steroids again after that. Neulasta Onpro going off this afternoon at 530 oh joy. I just took a long walk and have been drinking water and flushing out the chemical. So far so good. No bad SEs and even though I had a really high blood sugar last night, it’s now back to around normal. My PCP wants to give me insulin for when it goes up that high. My daughter said if I’d shown up at the ER, they would have admitted me. Who knew? I’ll take the insulin rather than the ER for sure. I’m not afraid to give myself shots. Hopefully this will be very short term.
I wore the ice socks yesterday. Have my fingers crossed they’ll slow down the neuropathy or even stop it. I have a little in my right foot, toes, and a tiny bit in my left. Nothing in the hands. Mine might be too busy to get it with knitting and typing. But I’m not taking that for granted and am praying it doesn’t go there.
Not much else to report.
Debra - good luck to day with your infusion. Thinking of you! Let me know how you make out!
And best of luck for the Thursday group - also lots of good vibes and hope your day goes okay.
Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, yesterday, to kill some time while my feet were chilling and the Taxotere was doing it’s thing, I FaceTimed my younger daughter using my iPhone. I wore a headset so I was talking softly and no one was hearing her. There are a lot of people in that room! It’s so bizarre after being isolated at home for so long, it’s a bit creepy. Anyway, Jul3ia lives in California and works at home so she’s almost always there. It was nice to talk to her, and she was fascinated by the port and the cart and all of the beeping. She kept me entertained until the nurse had to come and hook me up for the Cytoxin. Highly recommend doing this if you’re allowed. It’s a nice way to stay in your happy place.
This time, I got a chair that looked out the window but alas, it’s just the HVAC and a roof out that way. No lovely harbor with steamships and ferries.
I’ll have to just look at picture on my phone.Hope you all are having a good day and feel proud of your accomplishments. We’re doing this - and thank you for being so generous with information and support. It’s so appreciated.
Xoxo
Nan
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J, Allie, and Claude, I’m praying for us all to have a smooth time tomorrow during infusions and minimal side effects! I’ll be thinking about you guys tomorrow!
I had my third aspiration today, and the doctors finally got the cultures from my first aspiration. Turns out, I don’t have an infection. The redness and swelling at my incision site was due to a large seroma, and the fever was my body’s natural reaction to fighting off inflammation. Thankfully, the multiple aspirations have been successful, and I’ve been allowed to stop taking antibiotics! This makes me so much more positive in going into tomorrow’s infusion. Once again, God proves that He is in control! We’ve got this!
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Calling all April 2020 Chemo ladies - I need a favor please.
I saw a post in March 2020 Chemo by Jettie. Her group is kinda quiet. Please take a moment to pop over, read her post, and send her a PM encouragingher to come play with us in our April 2020 Chemo sandbox.
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j
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Jettie — Welcome!!!!
You're now one of us April 2020 Chemo girls ... I sometimes call us Allie's cats. Allie is BostonGal.
Like you, I'm HER2+ ... so are hog co-pilot, wahoomama87, zee72, Hurricaneblair. I probably missed others.
We have a big group and we've made it more challenging for ourselves by some of us giving our real names too. Don't be embarrassed getting folks mixed up — we all still do. The list our thread's creator Jess aka jelloelloello made is quite helpful. It's always at the top of the page.
Jettie, you mentioned you have an infusion this week. Which day? Claud, hog co-pilot, Allie, and I have one tomorrow. It's my second full infusion. I started on April 1, but almost everybody is further along like you. You'll find much in common.
Let us know when your infusion is/was. If tomorrow, you'll be holding hands with us AND — when you see the rainbow at the end of my posts, know I'm blowing you a BIG TEXAS hug and kiss. Catch it and place it on your check. Whenever you're feeling scared, lonely, discouraged, hurt, any yucky thing ... just put your hand on your cheek and feel my hug wrapped around you and hear me whispering in your ear “Everything's going to be ok." Just look for the rainbow, it's always there.
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j
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hi ladies,
Thank you J for the kind note, my next infusion is Monday (no 5), were currently doing THP the C got dropped at last infusion due to rash. Instead now i get the worst fatigue and insomnia ever lol think I prefer the rash with the TCH, but think my MO will stick with the THP for the remainder. I will be done end of June w00t w00t!!! and then onto next steps whatever they turn out to be.
Getting closer to the end does start to make you wonder about next steps and what impact those are going to have.
All your wonderful Chemo pictures make me feel like my MO's inhouse infusion center is something from the turn of the century, Its patient only (even before covid), iv's controlled by the little plastic regulators and need nurses attention, which they miss at times, so i now seem to have a knack of waking up when its down to the last few mins hehehehe, not sure thats a knack i wanted to pick up but makes me feel better at least. Oh and to add to the fun, there patient toilet broke a few weeks ago so now when ya gotta pee, they have to disconnect you from the IV so you can leave the office and use the buildings toilets..... here's hoping there fixed on Monday
Hang in there ladies, time does fly even when you feel like poop, I am 12 weeks down and 4 to go
big cyber hugs to you all
PS days 3-7 are the worst ever!!
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Les — grateful you now have an answer and 🙏 the healing will be speedy.
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j
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Hi all,
Just touching bases after reading all the posts. Welcome new. Hello to "old"...(!) Tee hee...
Since others have mentioned it, I did note that my blood sugar is creeping up along with the alkaline phosphatase...hmm...what's that about I wonder and I will ask my chemo nurse tomorrow.
Had pre-chemo flight check and labs today and I've been cleared for tomorrow's chemo as far as I know. I am relieved. I feeling motivated to plow through this.
Feeling very tired for some reason tonight with some heartburn and I hope I pick back up before tomorrow's appointment at the "spa." (they do everything they can to make patients comfortable...) Just had a bowl of chicken noodle and stomach has calmed down. Time for a Prilosec.
Oh speaking of nurses (welcome sueshe55) I have to say there were some top notch ones in the Interventional Radiology area where my port was inserted - they really wowed me for their ability to put people like me at ease. They seemed to understand without me saying a thing what the apprehensions would be. The first thing my nurse say to me before I could say anything was "before you say anything, just let me reassure you that everything will be FINE." Wow. That was great. I thought when I was watching the nurses work that if I were in nursing that would be one area I would think about. What a wonderful thing to do: help people and make them confident, relaxed, etc. What a gift.
Also, Les, I am very glad to hear that the inflammation issue is being resolved.
My fondest best wishes and gratitude to all,
Allie
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Jettie - welcome to our group. So glad you've found us
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Jettie- welcome to the group!! I love toothless, he's so cute!! Yay only 4 to go!!
I'm a nurse and mentioned to my chemo nurse yesterday that I don't think I could do what they do!! I love my center, I have the same 3 nurses that I had the 1st time around. They are wonderful!! Allie its great your procedure nurse put you at ease!!
I hope everyone is having a great day with minimal side effects!! Keep up the fight to kick cancer's ass!!🥊🥊
~Katie💗
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Reading all the posts on my drive to Houston for my second infusion. Always find comfort in this group when I need a boost.
Wishing everyone a restful evening and minimal side effects in the days to come.
Glad to hear your cleared to proceed with your treatment , hog Co-pilot!!
J - let’s conquer another treatment tomorrow!!
Claud
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Allie — my PCP, echoed by my MOs, said the upticks in my alkaline phosphatase are classic symptoms of my bone metastasizes leaching into my bloodstream more than my liver and kidneys can filter out.
Claud — Drive safely and try to get some sleep tonight. Last time, I didn't sleep, not a wink. Was too afraid of the full chemo. 🙏 tomorrow goes as smoothly as my last time and goes well for you, Les, and Allie.
Jettie — glad you're here.
Everyone — had the teleconference with the palliative care and pain management oncologist today. Most time spent on what pain levels are from current bone mets and long term pain and nerve damage issues from old car crash injuries. She explained the many options to control pain available to me as things deteriorate. Productive meeting
🙏 for restful, healing sleep tonight and many smiles in your tomorrow.
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j
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Hey! I miss you guys! Here's a big welcome to Jettie— glad you've joined us! I added you to our Roll Call list at the top
And I want to share a happy pic with all of you from my 8th chemo session last week (out of 12 - Taxol), which was themed as Rainbow Day:
Will read and catch up, and will post again soon with an update. love you all! ~jess
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Jess, you look beautiful and strong!!! Gorgeous pic!
Les
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Jess- you are looking great! Yay 3/4 of the way there!!
I hope everyone has a great day with minimal side effects!!!
Keep up the fight to kick cancer's ass!!🥊🥊
~Katie💗
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Jettie - welcome! I laughed (in a funny/not funny way) at your "day 3 - 7 sucks!" comment, because I'm in the midst of that now. Just hitting Day 7 today (from Round 3) and you are SO right. It's the worst. Looking forward to the weekend, when I know I'll start feeling better.
All our Thursday ladies - thinking of you ALL today and praying that everything goes smoothly. You've got this!
Kris
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Jess - I love the themes! Sure brightened my day. And, wow, you still have so much hair! You are almost done with Taxol....8 down; only 4 to go. You go girl.
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J, Allie, and Claud, just checking in with you ladies to see how your infusions are going. So far, so good for me today. Going to have the hubby bring up my ice socks and gloves for Taxotere. He’s already brought lunch for me and even snuck in a brownie as a surprise
I’ve giving God the glory for awesome news today! First, my tumor is no longer palpable, so my doctors are encouraged that it’s shrinking. Then, my BRCA gene test came back negative. Praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!
I pray that everyone is doing well today!
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Les,
I am thrilled for your good news! And you get a brownie too! Mmmm....
Thank you (and all) for best wishes for chemo today, which I have just concluded. This was my last Doxirubicin (Adriamycin) /Cyclophosmatide (Cytotoxan) chemo and next I move onto Paclitaxel in two weeks.
Had nice lunch - will shower and then turn in and read - feeling ***very*** tired, and have a slightly sore throat - think it could be from my silly nose again. I had NO caffeinated coffee today... BP much lower.
Blessings, greetings, and gratitude to all!
Allie
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Allie - glad you're done and home. Rest!
Les - Yay for the news! I had my genetic tests done too and nothing came up for me either, so that's a relief. Every little victory in this.
Kris
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Welcome Jettie! So glad you found us, or did J find you? I’m the outlier on the other end of this group having started chemo on May 4th. The April group very generously let me stay with them
You’re in good company.Jess, you look absolutely adorable in that picture! You still have a lot of hair! How did that happen? Never mind, we don’t have a clue, do we? I love love love the theme days. What a great way to commemorate your progress! My hair is about ¾ gone, but there’s still quite a bit there. It’s just sort of clear, so you can’t really see it. If you dont’ look too closely and see how much is missing, it looks like a rock star from the 80s. Maybe I’ll go in next time as a rock ‘n roll chick.
Kris and Les - congratulations on the good news about your gene testing. I had mine done too, and nothing. It’s so weird because my sister, my dad and I have all had cancer. I’ve had BC twice, my sister once, and my dad had prostate cancer. They think it might be from the ground water on Cape Cod when I was a child. I’ve hounded my girls to get mammograms since they turned 30 and they have. So far, they’ve been okay. 🤞
Katie - I like your pink mask
I’m soooo tired. The Neulasta was yesterday, so it’s catching up with me. I think tonight I might make it until 7 before I go to sleep. So much for day #3.
Xoxo
Nan
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Nan, considering you and your family’s history, I’m so thankful that you encouraged your daughters to get mammograms. You’re an excellent example for everyone to follow. I will now forever be an advocate for early screening and at home breast exams! I’ve had several friends be more proactive with these tasks since learning of my diagnosis. Now, get you some good rest!!!
Les
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Les- wow, such great news! Shrinking tumor and no BRCA! *clapping and cheering*
Allie- yay, congrats on your last AC treatment! Taxol (paclitaxel) is relatively mild in comparison for many people, so maybe you’re already on a nice downhill slide to the end of chemo. *fingers crossed*
Also, I’m still reading and catching up, but I did get to the post about Allie’s Cats as our nickname and I LOVE IT! I laughed out loud for real! Haha I love this group so much! Hope everyone’s feeling ok with manageable side effects. My weekly sessions switched to Fridays now, so I’m going in for #9 tomorrow and feeling good about that. Hugs to all of you
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Hog_co-pilot
Hi, my cousin is having her first chemo today for triple neg breast cancer. I told her to start using biotene and suck on ice. I also told her to ice her hands and feet. Can you tell me where you got the mittens and socks with ice packs and did they work well? Also, how often she should use the biotene rinse?
Thank you so much!
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Jess, thank you for the updates. And good to know about Taxol. My chemo nurse said that it would be gentler most likely for me than AC. But to tell you the truth, I feel very lucky in how I've tolerated AC and how any side effects or problems have been handled by the team. It's been a little of this and a little of that but I'm happy my appetite has stayed great, etc.
So...JESS...WHAT WAS TODAY'S FASHION THEME! Your last photo was fabulous as usual. I adore your jacket - I don't think you could get more perfect colors than that!
Allie (one of the cats...purr!)
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My chemo theme today was Dodgers Day, the L.A. baseball team. I’m a big fan! My caption said:
Happy Friday! Take a drink if you miss baseball! Comment and share your “Take a drink if you miss...” #quarantinedrinkinggame!
Wishing everyone a good weekend with energy, positivity, andconnections with loved ones (virtual or social distanced, of course)!
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Love it, Jess!!
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FaithGA,
I'm so sorry to hear about your cousin's diagnosis. I typically use the Biotene 2-3 times a day during the first week after chemo. Here are the Amazon links to the products I use for chemo:
Biotene- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KAOAZ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ice Gloves- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L6FS03G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ice Socks- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L4WOKG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Extra Gel Packs for Ice Socks- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K2G6SAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Chemo Port Shirt (it unzips for your port)- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0763T8PSG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The gloves and socks work well for me, but they need to remain frozen until the moment you put them on. Since my husband isn't allowed to come to chemo with me, I'll call him about 30 minutes before I start Taxotere and he'll grab them from our freezer and bring them to the center. (We'll fortunate to live about 20 minutes from my infusion center.) I've tried to pack them in an ice cooler, but they aren't as cold as fresh out of the freezer.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
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Les,
Thank you for the awesome reply with all the helpful info and advice! I really appreciate it! I was diagnosed 12/31/2015 triple +++, stage 1, no lymph node involvement, BRCA2+. My cousin is also BRCA2+, stage 1, node negative but triple negative breast cancer. Our diagnosis were identical, right down to the tumor size, except for the triple + and triple -. I'm trying to help her any way that I can. This forum was the best thing I found to help me through it. Through this forum my group, March 20XX, started a private Facebook group for ourselves. It was a real life saver and I cannot stress enough how it helped us all. It's so much easier for everyone to follow along with and no one can see it even exists but us. So if y'all haven't you might consider it. We have even had two vacations for anyone who could make it. It has been awesome!!!
Thank you again and praying for your healing!
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Jess!
Chemo Number 9!
Another fabulous fashion!
God bless you!
Well...I have four more treatments to try to make my chemo days more interesting if not fashionable.
Practical matters occur to me: Taxol treatments are long compared to that fast Red Devil and its sidekick Cytoxan...
I think they turned on the air conditioning at the clinic last time and I was getting quite chilly, especially since I did not have any chemo caps ready to wear that day...(first time out with my mostly bald head)...I was going to ask for a blanket but I was only about 10 minutes from finishing so I did not.
But...it occurred to me that I should be better prepared for being comfortable next time, especially with my headgear.
What a silly thing to be thinking about...but I'm on steroids...
Allie
Slightly Amped
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