Starting Chemo April 2024 Support Thread
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thank you, @halyy2024 . I was able to slip in tomorrow on a cancellation at another location. I need to drive an hour and a half first thing in the AM and miss yet more work, but I just need to know if it’s anywhere else in my body. Might be all the prednisone, but I’m sinking into such a funk the past two days. I’m praying it will be some good news, not more bad.
And it’s now on my questions list to ask my medical oncologist about zofran.
I hope your cold capping has much success and saves your hair! 💕 And that round two goes very well for you!
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@bailey.boo thought I would share the meds my oncologist did for me. Our diagnosis is pretty much identical. TCHP. I take Dexamethasone (steroid) 2 x day the day before treatment, the day of and day after. Olanzapine 1 at night day of treatment and the next 3 nights after. It's a drug commonly used for schizophrenia but they figured out it blocks the part of the brain associated with nausea. Then I have Zofran and prochlorperaz to take alternately for nausea as needed. Thankfully I haven't needed the last two! I'm so thankful how proactive this team is. They also gave me a two page common symptom list with OTC items allowed. I've had a bad problem with heartburn and take previcid but the two x's a day wasn't doing it, so when I mentioned it they gave me an IV dose when I got fluids and magnesium. Just passing this on so you can talk to your oncologist in case this is not standard for them. Hopefully it will be though!!
Glad to hear you are getting your PET scan in! Praying for good results.
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@bailey.boo yes I’m glad you’re getting it checked out so they can make sure they’re doing everything they can for you. I feel you on the funk…I’ve found distraction helps me. I’ve started reading a few cheesy romance novels and watching some good shows on Netflix that help take my mind off what’s happening..especially at night when I tend to stay awake and fester. Praying for you that all goes well with the scan 💞and your doctor should prescribe zofran, it’s pretty standard and definitely makes a difference!
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@halyy2024 It's great that you have your sister to help you with your hair! Hope the treatment went well today and the cold capping was ok. Good to know you can do braids - thank you for telling me!
Hope everyone else is hanging in there this week!
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@halyy2024 I hope your treatment went well! I understand about the 5 to 6 day thing, I'm scheduled for the 16th and just now feel like myself mostly. Praying we get over the funk faster this time! Hugs to you and all of us!
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Thank you for the info and tips, halyy and grammie! These are great things to consider, and I found that that list, and it was great.
I hope everyone is doing well today! I got the PET scan this AM, and I’m so nervous and emotional over it. I will be so thankful if it hasn’t spread anywhere else. I think this has been the hardest, most nerve-wracking thing for me so far.
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Hey @halyy2024 . I went to sleep great but woke up at 3. After the IV Benadryl during my 2nd treatment today, I took a long nap! I have only taken steroids twice before chemo and both times I had a hard time sleeping. I had face flushing this morning from them too. Told my dr this morning before treatment and she said it was fine and I could take OTC Benadryl for a couple of days. Going to take it at night and hopefully that will help me sleep. I take another steroid tonight and two tomorrow, then done till next time. They didn't give me IV steroids either.
Treatment went without issues today PTL! Already feeling the heartburn coming back.
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@bailey.boo when do you get results?
@grammie2 thats great I tried the Benadryl last time and it didn’t help, I was just groggy and awake lol. Maybe this time will be better fingers crossed
Thanks ladies for all the well wishes :)
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@bailey.boo I ditto @halyy2024 's question! Praying for the best result!
That stinks that Benadryl didn't help. I start the med that works on blocking the nausea brain receptors and the first treatment I slept pretty good after I started taking them. Hoping for a repeat. But still plan to do the Benadryl for the face flushing. And I a little bottom lip swelling a day or two after the treatment. So hoping the Benadryl will ward that off as well. Learning process this is!!!
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I hope you both get some good sleep tonight! I’m wondering if it’s true that melatonin is okay for HER2+. I read it a few places and jotted it down as a question to ask my team. If it’s okay for me to take, I want to— it has always helped me sleep better.
I’ve been living on Benadryl and arnica, along with rX steroids. The port site is healing! Monday chemo may happen. (And I always ping awake at like 3:30-4AM on Benadryl. What’s with that?)
My PET scan results are already sitting in my portal. I love that my center doesn’t hide my results from me, unlike my PCP. It LOOKS like there is no spread past the axillary! I want to wait to hear it from my oncologist before I share news with family and friends. If true, I will just be so thankful and feel so fortunate to have the options I do. These tests are pure hell, mentally. They definitely humble you and put things into perspective.2 -
@bailey.boo that's wonderful news! So happy for you! Celebrate!! I absolutely hate waiting for results. Send me into full blown panic attacks. I start the day before with the panic so I know how you feel, as I'm sure we all do.
My hair has started to come out A LOT today. Not sure if I can bring myself to shave it. Just been running my fingers through it and throwing the strands away. Husband is not supporting me at all. Just says I'll be fine without hair and i should quit crying about it. In fact, got in a huge fight today. He's had enough he said. Sorry to dump on here, had to get it out.
Hope you all have a restful night tonight! Hugs to you all
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@chickenlovva im sorry that’s tough. I feel like only those who are going through it truly understand. I have been very emotional over the hair loss. I have long thick hair and I didn’t realize how much it tied into my self esteem, femininity, and overall confidence until i started to see it falling out. I explained to my husband how in a weird way the physical changes are actually harder for me than the side effects I am feeling from chemo so far (so far they are mild tho). When I don’t feel well I can rest or push through if it isn’t too bad, but when I look in the mirror and see myself looking different I can’t ignore that..it makes it feel more real and I can no longer compartmentalize it in my mind or distract myself with something else. I am forced to face it. That has been hard for me. Explaining this to my husband has been helpful, and I ask him to validate my feelings and just listen and not be dismissive. Maybe you can try talking to him too, I have found that the people in my life are trying their best but really just don’t know what to say. Best to you, I see you and I understand ❤️I hope you know you’re beautiful regardless
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@halyy2024 that is so beautifully said!
@chickenlovva I'm sorry your husband isn't being more supportive. Sending supportive thoughts.
@bailey.boo happy to hear some good news for you! Waiting for test results is so hard. I agree with you that it's better when they don't hold them back even if you have to wait a little longer for the expert interpretation.
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Thank you so much ladies!
@halyy2024 tha WAS beautifully said! Made me tear up a bit.
Much love to you all 💓
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thanks, everyone 💕
@chickenlovva {{{HUGS}}} I’m sorry it’s falling out so suddenly. Here to listen, anytime! My husband has said some dark and insensitive things over the past couple of weeks, just not thinking. Then I cancelled plans for a big event we’ve been looking fwd to this week because I feel anti-people-y. I still pushed him to go. It was a good call. I brought it up again afterward to let him know I was good with it, happy he went, and it’s important that he takes time for him. Things have lightened here since. I wish we had people in our lives who have been through this, but it sounds like he vented to his buddies anyway— he’s back to wanting to shave our heads together. Not happening! 😂 I hope things are calmer soon for you ❤️
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@bailey.boo that's awesome news!!!
@chickenlovva and @halyy2024 I really think our spouses struggle too. Mine has said he sometimes doesn't know what to say so he doesn't really say anything and that bothers me. But the hair thing is hard! I dreaded it up to the point I shaved it. I didn't shave it bald but a short crew cut. The side I sleep on is getting really thin though LOL. I just couldn't deal with barely using a wide tooth pick and handfuls would come out. Hair was literally everywhere. I dreaded it because it would make this C real to me too. But I prayed to God for comfort right before we shaved it and it went really well. I pray it will for you both also!!!
Happy Friday everyone!!!
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@halyy2024 how are you doing today? Good I hope! My second is on Thursday. Eeek!
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@chickenlovva i got the Neulasta shot for the first time, we skipped it last time. So I have some muscle and body aches today from that which isn’t fun. But I’ve been taking the Claritin that the nurses recommended to me as well as Tylenol for the pain and it’s brought it down to a more tolerable level. Kinda feels like when you do an intense workout and you’re sore the next day. Other than that just tired and a touch of nausea but not too bad overall! Which chemo are you on?
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@halyy2024 TC 4 rounds. 1 down 3 to go! I'm so glad you're feeling pretty ok! My first one wiped me out until almost time for the next one. I had the Neulesta the first time, thankfully i didn't have the awful pain. I'm so sorry it's hurting you. I pray you feel better!! I did have headaches though after it.....
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@chickenlovva oh ok so we’re doing the same thing! I’m on TC too. Thanks for the well wishes 🫶🏻 hopefully this round isn’t too bad for you either, I feel like I’m living my life in 3 week stretches lol. Can’t wait till summer time when this is over. Do you still have to have radiation or surgery? I have my exchange surgery left after this..I had a mastectomy with reconstruction back in November while I was pregnant.
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I hope you feel better soon, @halyy2024
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@halyy2024 I had a single mastectomy in January, so I need surgery too! No radiation though. Don't know if I want an implant or the flap thing. I'm such a whiner! You were pregnant and had surgery! You are a ROCKSTAR. Wow! So you have a little one through this too??? My kids are older so I need to buck up! What's your baby's name?
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@chickenlovva oh wow our journeys are so similar. I also don’t need radiation. I had clear margins from my surgery, but my oncoscore was high so my dr recommended chemo to hopefully prevent recurrence in the future. God willing. I’m getting an implant, I have an expander in now. I’ve heard of the flap but I don’t know too much. We’re all rockstars this whole thing is crazy! Having postpartum hormones on top of all this has been tough tho. But also a sweet new babe keeps me distracted and busy! He’s 2 months old now :) how old are you kids?
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@halyy2024 My onco score was high too! Clear margins and nodes but lymphovascular invasion unfortunately. Onco was 33. We are SO similar! Right breast, found a pucker on my skin which led to me finding the lump. They are 19, 16 and 14. 2 girls and a boy. I love them so very much. They are my world. I'm so glad you are doing so well and I love your attitude! This site is so amazing! Hugs to you! Give that lil babe a snuggle from me!
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Holy crap, @halyy2024! You gave birth during treatment? You are amazing! We are all amazing, but that’s Wonder Woman level 💥 Mine are all adults now. I just have a house full of cats and a dog. We set up Invisifence, and I’m training Bailey on that today.
My oncologist confirmed that my PET scan indeed shows NO spread beyond my axillary nodes! I feel so thankful and hopeful this morning.1 -
@bailey.boo That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you! Enjoy your day!
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Great news about the PET scan, @bailey.boo !
And amazing that you are doing all of this with a new baby, @halyy2024 !
@chickenlovva how do you do it with three teenagers? Also amazing!! I have a 15 yr old son and feel like my hands are full between parenting and continuing to work through all of this.
Made it back from NYC and finished my second TC treatment yesterday. Halfway done with infusions! My hair is falling out in huge handfuls despite the cold capping. But otherwise treatment went more smoothly this time around with more premeds to avoid another allergic reaction.
I'll be doing radiation after this since one of my tumors invaded the skin. I guess it's a good thing because that's how we found the cancer. And my second tumor is the one which required chemo (oncotype 26). Never would have found that one without the MRI after the first tumor was diagnosed.
Sending positive thoughts to everyone!
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Hey everyone! Just catching up on everyone's posts. I've been super tired today. Thursday went fine, Friday I felt pretty good until about 3 and got really tired. I worked remotely that day thank goodness. Today I woke at 3 am and been tired all day. Other than a little constipation, mild headache, it's been ok.
Hugs to everyone!!!
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