July 2020 chemo club
Comments
-
Thank you, AnnaTheBrave and Iamloved. The CT results indicated that additional follow up was needed for the liver, lungs and heart so chemo will start on July 23.
AnnaTheBrave, the talk about pumpkin patches does sound like fairy tales. It's enjoyable to read about everyone's gardens. Wishing you the best with tomorrow's port placement.
BlusteryDay, wishing you well with your port placement tomorrow, too.
Wow, Iamloved, you fasted a l—o—n—g time. Despite the dextrose, it sounds as if the fast was still helpful. Do you plan to do it for every infusion?
Good night, everyone.
0 -
Sharon2020 I do plan on fasting for each one. It really is not hard. 36 hours of the fast is probably the hardest but nothing crazy. Our bodies are quite amazing and adaptive. Fasting boosts our white blood cells, recycles damaged cells to regenerate healthier cells, all sorts of wonderful things happen when we give our gut a break. And speaking of that these steroids must be making me crave sweets. I am indulging the cravings with sympathy because I had chemo. Well that stops today! I have had no changes to my tastes buds or have I had any aversions to food. Day 4 today so we will see if anything changes.
0 -
Iamloved, yes, fasting has many benefits. I am especially interested in the cognitive benefits. Plus, now the benefits for cancer and treatment.
I am glad to read your first infusion went well. Hopefully, side effects remain minimal.
0 -
Hi ladies, hope everyone is doing well. The past week (week 3) I have been feeling great. Food has taste, I am less tired, and haven't had to take any meds. Just in time for my next round on Wednesday, lol. My hair has REALLY started to fall out. Everytime I touch it I get a nice clump in my hand. I've held out from shaving to wait for my sister in law who wants to shave her head with me but was on vacation. Shes coming over later this afternoon to do the big shave! Gah I am ready but not ready, if that makes sense. My head has been terribly itchy and I haven't washed it, but it also feels so definitive. Theres no turning back after this, and I will now LOOK sick. I wont be able to just run out to the grocery store. I plan to wear a wig, as most of my workdays are spent on Zoom meetings and I'm simply not brave enough to be seen bald.
I hope I can gather some strength to get through this marathon of treatment. I am happy to have found a place where others are going through it as well.
0 -
Smichaels11, I am glad to read you have been feeling great for a week.
Yes, the “ready, but not ready" makes sense re: your hair. I am relieved for you that your sister-in-law will be with you instead of being alone at the hair salon.
0 -
Day 5 and 6 have kicked me to the curb! The big D for about 24 hours. Body aches(from Neulasta?) Tired beyond tired. Tonight I am getting more mobile but still queasy feeling. Is this all due to meds being stopped on day 5? I know I went over the recommended amount of imodium in a 24 period. I was doing pretty good until this!!!
0 -
iamloved, were you prescribed any meds for diarrhea? I was told to try imodium first, but was also given medication if it became unmanageable. If not, it's worth calling and asking!
0 -
iamloved:
Day 5 and 6 were the absolute worst for me. I called my dr and he worked through all side effects and what I could take for each one... He said I could still take the nausea meds, Tylenol for the bone aches, and he gave me a prescription antacid as well because I was having stomach pain every time I ate something. I would call your dr...don’t suffer thru it! I felt a million times better after being able to take something...especially for the bone and stomach pain.
0 -
I hope everyone is doing well! I'm on day 4 of my first DD AC cycle and I'm exhausted. But, I'll take exhaustion over nausea and vomiting - and GI issues - ANYDAY! Happy Monday!
0 -
I woke Hubby up early this morning and told him I needed to go in to the hospital. My fear was traveling the 18 miles to the hospital without a bathroom. He called the 24 hour nurse line where I am receiving treatment and they told him I could take up to 17 imodium a day. So I took 2 more. My oncologist's nurse practionor called this morning to see how I was and she told us no more than 8 per day. WTH! Still struggling with this diarrhea...3 days is very hard on this old body. Just don't understand why. I was drinking lots and then BAM! I am glad to hear others are doing do well! My prayers for all as we battle thru these treatments.
0 -
Iamloved, I am sorry to read about the continued diarrhea. I had a challenging week last week, really days 6-10. Diarrhea, lack of taste, heartburn, leg pain, rash, bloody nose, and a period that did not stop for 10 days. I felt like I was playing whack a mole with something popping up every day! I half jokingly told my sister I had a current issue with every orifice except my eyes and ears. The good news is the last 2 days (day 12 and 13) I feel like a fog has been lifted. The fatigue is gone, I have a big appetite and while still having diarrhea it was managed yesterday with just 2 imodium and none today. I am so hoping for 10 days of close-to-normal before going back July 30. I hope you all are feeling better soon.
0 -
So I did the big shave yesterday. It was bittersweet, but needed. I showered after and OMG did a ton more hair come out. I now look a little mangey, lol. I wore my wig for the first time today (I work from home right now, but am on Zoom calls all day on camera) and it was so hot! I hope I get used to wearing it soon! My son is not a fan of the wig. Hes not a fan of my shaved head either so I cant really win with him. Hell just need to get used to the new normal for now. Its blonde and my natural hair is very dark, but I wanted to try something new and fun.
How are you ladies fairing with your hair? I think I might be ahead of many of you since I had my first treatment on 7/1. I am hoping and praying I dont lose my eyebrows or eyelashes. They are dark and I will look nuts. Someone mentioned on another thread that TCHP treatment doesnt usually take brows and lashes and I really hope they are right!
0 -
iamloved, I’m so sorry to hear about your ongoing GI Issues! That’s terrible when they give conflicting advice, too...we don’t need the confusion right now. My nurse told me no more than 8, also. If it continued they could prescribe Lomotil. Is that an option?
0 -
SMichaels11 - I’m behind you by 2 weeks, I think...still haven’t shaved my hair. I’m taking everything one day at a time and haven’t really thought much about the hair, yet...other than buy a couple of beanies.
I’ve been traumatized having to long-term board my parrots for the duration of chemo. They are my babies and moving them was tough. They are in good hands but I miss them. Too much risk to have them around though and my oncologist said if I get sick, he’d rather not be trying to figure out if I have Covid or psittacosis or a type of pneumonia...as a nurse, I get it.
0 -
BlusteryDay, that's rough to have to board your pet birds during your treatment. Pets add so much to our day-to-day lives. Will you be able to visit them or see them on Zoom?
0 -
Smichaels11, great idea to go with a different hair colour to try something new and fun. It sounds uncomfortably warm to have to wear the wig for online Zoom meetings all day.
0 -
Trynryan, that sounds miserable, but I am glad to read you have been starting to feel better. I hope you have a pleasant week leading up to your next treatment.
0 -
Iamloved, I hope you are having relief now from your lower g.i. problem. Is anything helping it now?
0 -
Probiotics...has anyone in your cancer care teams offered an opinion about whether or not it is safe to take them during chemotherapy?
There are very reputable cancer clinics that recommend probiotics during chemo and others that say probiotics increase the risk of infection.
I would be interested in hearing if any of you have information about this or been advised for/against probiotics. Thank you.
0 -
Sharon2020 Today was better. I hope I turned the corner to recovery. Oh I dont know if I can go through that again 5 more times. Does anyone know how to head that Big D off?
0 -
Iamloved, I am glad to read that today was better. BlusteryDay mentioned a prescription medication, Lomotil. Ask if that's an option. I do not know if the BRAT diet (Bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) is useful for this type of diarrhea. It is sometimes effective for other types.
0 -
Iamloved, if I were you I would call and request a prescription for Lomotil. It was part of my package of drugs I received before chemo to manage side effects and it's much more effective than imodium.
I am headed in this morning for chemo #2 today. Wish me luck!
0 -
Best of luck, Smichaels11, as you have your second infusion today.
0 -
Thanks, Sharon! I'm in the infusion room now. Here's a picture of me in my new wig!
0 -
Thanks for the RX tip. I will ask at my next infusion.
Sharon2020 So weird that I have no desire to eat Keto like I have for 2 years. I did try a banana and had a great desire for a Carmel roll😋 which Hubby did bring home for me yesterday.
Smichaels11…You look great! You are so positive about your journey! I pray this round goes smoothly for you. 2 down🤗
0 -
Smichaels11, you look beautiful! By the time you read this message, another infusion will be finished! Thinking about you and hoping all goes well.
0 -
Iamloved, oh, a banana and a caramel roll from your husband. Nice!
I hear you about the keto. I did vegetarian keto previously, but now I plan to consume whatever is going to get me through chemo with the least amount of g.i. problems. I bought high carb foods, such as bananas, oatmeal, yogurt, Gatorade, and Ensure, in addition to my usual nuts, fish, chia, eggs, etc.
0 -
My treatment starts July 31st. Haven't gotten the port yet. My oncologist mentioned immunotherapy combined with chemo for my triple negative breast cancer. It's a phase 3 trial with mature data published in the New England Journal of Medicine and resulted in a 65 percent pathological complete response. With this I would only need infusions once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks followed by surgery. I'm having the double mastectomy due to family history, being triple negative, and my BRCA2 result. Turns out though my insurance won't cover it. He believes it's because the FDA hasn't yet proven this combo prolongs life any more than traditional chemo. Now I will be getting 12 weekly infusions of Paraplatin and Taxol. Then a total of 4 infusions every other week of Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide. Does anyone have experience with these chemo regimens?
0 -
Dubhain, I'm TN and I just had my first AC (Doxorubicin/Cyclo) aka: Adriamycin/Cytoxan infusion on Friday. It was my first dose dense AC of 4 (every other week) and then I'll be doing 4 dose dense Taxol, due to the fact that I'm a 5 hour round trip from my infusion center. I don't have my genetic testing back yet, but had a lumpectomy back in May, so will be doing rads after chemo.
For me, the first AC infusion wasn't terrible - but I ate ice like my life depended on it, to hopefully ward off mouth sores. I was also on a round-the-clock anti-nausea med routine for 4 days to keep the nausea and vomiting at bay. Now, I'm dealing with the other side of the spectrum...constipation. Ugh.
I also had neulasta the day after my infusion, and started Claritin two days prior and continued for 4 days after and had Tramadol for breakthrough bone pain, which was effective.
Today is day 6 for me and I haven't taken any meds today. But I'm not holding my breath...it seems each day is different LOL!
0 -
Blusteryday, I am so not looking forward to this. Since I haven't started treatment yet, this cancer still doesn't seem real. It's like I'm just playing a part. That is SO going to change next week. I chose Fridays so I can recover as much as possible on the weekend, and hopefully go back to work that following week until the next treatment, and so on. Am I kidding myself? I'm sure everyone has different extremes of the side effects?
0
