Topic: February 2012 Chemo

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Jan 22, 2012 09:28AM gonegirl wrote:

Bffmom, I try to keep focusing on how the chemo will kill the fast growing cancer beat this thing out of my body. But that's hard to keep my mind on that. As people keep telling me, take it one step at a time, another challenge for me. Maybe I should think ahead past all this when the cancer is out of me.

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Jan 22, 2012 09:48AM gonegirl wrote:

I was diagnosed early january, although the hell started with the need to biopsy and the radiologist saying the lump was "very, very concerning." The biopsy of the left breast and the MRI were shortly after.

The cancer I have is aggressive and likely stage II. They found more spots in the right breast so those were just biopsied. The plan is do chemo first for 4 months to shrink the tumor in the left breast because it's took close to the pectoral muscle. Then surgery after that, a bilateral mastectomy. I don't want to ever go through this again.

Thank god your doctor pushed for an MRI for you.

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Jan 22, 2012 10:14AM - edited Jan 22, 2012 10:32AM by gonegirl

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Jan 22, 2012 11:17AM Brandyj26 wrote:

Hello ladies, I will be going thru chemo as well soon.  I see the MO again on Wed for more info.  He was going to send it in for an onco test but decided not to wait.  said with my age(37), muscle involvement, node involvement that he wants chemo regardless.  Not sure what my cocktail is atm, he has only said that it will be "standard" chemo.  waiting for the surgeon to call to schedule appt for port placement.  I know I wont be starting chemo before feb 7th as that is my 4 week mark from the lumpectomy. 

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Jan 22, 2012 12:58PM pejkug3 wrote:

February 2011 girl chiming in to lend some support and hope to you February 2012 girls.

I did 6 rounds of TCH (Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin) starting February 24, 2011.  It sucked and I'm glad it's over but it was very doable.  I have four kids at home (14, 12, and twin 7's) and we maintained a pretty normal life.  I felt crappy about 9 days out of each cycle but I just paced myself and prioritized things.  I never had mouth sores, was never nauseated.  But I did have major diarrhea.  Wow.  But I was already predisposed to that sort of problem and my onc said the Taxotere just accentuated it.  I finish up my year of treatment on Thursday...#17 Herceptin.  :)  I also did lumpectomy and 33 rounds fo rads.  (I hated rads far worse than chemo.  Ugh.)

You guys will get through this.  The road seems long now but it really moves along fast.  Learn all you can and use it to come back and encourage the February 2012 ladies.  Chemo sucks but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared.  :)

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Jan 22, 2012 03:07PM bffmom wrote:

Hello ladies - welcome, glad for the company ....just sad to see that there are so many of us.  Here is a thought that I have been thinking since I was diagnosed.  This disease should be called the "Hurry up and Wait" illness.  Since the day I heard the dreaded words..."you need to have a biopsy", I feel like I am on a speeding train.  It rushes into every station where you have to make instant decisions, while this ominous clock is ticking.  Then.....you wait.  Wait for test results, wait for appointments, wait for healing.  I know it takes time to get better and I understand that, what I can't understans is why everytime there is a decision to be made ....I need to rush thru it.  I'm not complaining but the truth is, when I was diagnosed, I paniced.  The first Dr made me feel that I needed to get this done right away.  It ended up taking almost 2 months before I had my surgery and I Thank God everyday that there was someone in my life who reminded me every minute until the surgery that I had time.  I slowed down, took time to make the right decision for me, spoke to my kids like a normal person, found time to go see my 80 year old dad and let him know and guess what.....the cancer was still there, and I was finally able to be in the right frame of mind to make the right surgical decision for me and got the right Dr to do it.   I don't know, I am not saying everyone should just "lally-gag" and take their time, but you know what, we shouldn't have to rush thru everything.  

Ok off my soapbox.  Sorry you will find I get worked up sometimes about this DAMN Cancer and my anger gets the best of me.  

Enjoy the evening.  I am going back to watching my "once upon a time" show and then off to bed.  Speak soon my friends. 

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Jan 25, 2012 06:13AM Brandyj26 wrote:

Just seen my MO.  I will be on AC x 4 then T x 4.  He wants the first treatment to be by next friday.  I have an appt with a surgeon on 1/31 to discuss the port.  I am going wig shopping tomorrow after work, I want everything in place before I start.  I already have my shopping list as to what is recommended to help with SE.

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Jan 25, 2012 08:53AM beth1965 wrote:

What are cold caps?

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Jan 25, 2012 01:51PM gonegirl wrote:

Tomorrow is my first chemo. Port was put in today. Was supposed to be.February but it got moved up. Can I still stay here?

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Jan 25, 2012 07:48PM SherylR wrote:

Hi Everybody - I start 4 cycles of TC next Thursday the 2nd.  Looking forward to staying connected and learning from y'all the next few months.  

 Just to chime in on the huge anxiety and endless waiting - UGH! 

And a good quote from my surgeon:  "You're young, it's cancer, you throw the f***ing book at it!"

(I'm 44, so somebody calling me young makes me want to do whatever they recommend :)

 

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Jan 25, 2012 09:22PM dltnhm wrote:

Signing in to join the February Chemo group!

I had my left nipple sparing mastectomy, DIEP reconstruction, and node (sentinel biopsy which turned into an axilla excision) on January 10th.

Met with my medical oncologist today to map out a plan. I am really having a great and speedy recovery from all the surgery.

Drains: woke with 4 (2 pelvic/abdominal and 2 under arm/breast drains). Had two removed on the 19th and two removed on the 23rd. YAY!!

Dressings: abdominal dressing gone as of the 23rd as well ... hip to hip incision (which actually dipped to my public region and replaced a 21 1/2 year old bikini line c-section scar) and belly button healing famously. Double Yay!

So now the plan is to give my body a little more time to recover from the surgeries .... the vascular connection for my tissue was made through the axilla node incision .. which spared me another breast scar but makes that area more painful than it would be otherwise and needs time to keep everything going well to keep that fat tissue transplant stayin healthy.

 Start Date:

Chemotherapy should start at the 4-6 post-op week for me: 

early as 2/7 as late as 2/21

Regimen

ACT

AC - Adriamycin (doxorubicin) & Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide); dose dense; 1 dose every 2 weeks for 4 cycles (8 weeks total)

followed by

T - Taxol (paclitaxel); 1 dose for weekly for 12 weeks

That is .. if I get into the clinical trial NSABP B-47

This is a randomized study that includes 12 weeks of Herceptin for women with low HER (+1 or +2 on the stain).

If I get in the trial and if I am part of the group that receives the Herceptin ... then I will take the Taxol on a 12 week regimen.  If I don't get into the trial, then I can take the Taxol on a 4 cycle (8 weeks) regimen. And if I get into the trial but am put in the control group (no Herceptin) then I could always drop out and go with the shorter Taxol regimen. Right now the idea of participating in this trial appeals to me even if I am put in the control group. One way or the other I think that I would be helping my sisters in the fight ... somewhere down the road.

Read through the side effects of all of the meds again this evening and I am right there with those of you who are scared. I am a healthy woman. I just happen to have CANCER. And this whole journey has to make me sick in order to make me well. So it's some little things and some big things and some big little things that make me wonder ... like on the way home I looked at my husband and said ... "I won't have any hair for Ryan's graduation."  The whole hair thing over all hasn't been bothering me so much as I thought about it ... but having any part of the focus of that day being on my cancer ... rather than on my son ... just brought me to tears. I want to RUN again. And I have to get to my 6 week post-op in order to do that. Then I just wonder how all of this will zap the heck out of me and work against me running through it. But I am determined to get back in those running shoes regardless. Just scary.  The port thing is frightening ... I think because it will be there so long. Just another thing to wonder about .. even if it is under the skin. And since I have positive nodes and had the axilla excision, the whole lymphedema thing has been ever-present. My arm looks fine. I have a 'script for physical therapy but need it cleared with my reconstruction surgeon. I would just like to have more mobility & less pain in that arm before chemo begins.

Okay ... so I am extremely long-winded.  If any of you made it thus far ... please just know that I am in this with you. And although I just wrote out my long laundry list of fears ... I also have a peace. I know Whose arms I rest in ... Who knows my name ... Who is walking alongside and carrying me through this. For me trusting and praying for the continued faith to get through this no matter what is the key. And I could not possibly do it without the grace of God. I have the mustard seed ... He supplies the rest. And thankfully He is a real God that allows me to not only praise, rejoice, and submit ... but also to vent, and cry, and doubt ... and let Him know how I am really feeling. 

We're going to get through this girls!!! We're going to make it and come out on the other side even stronger than before we started. Along the way we will probably get kicked around a bit and beaten up ... but we are fighters and we are sisters and we will do this together.

Thanks for starting this thread. I hope you stay even if you were bumped up to January now.

I look forward to getting to know you all better.

Love and hugs!

Diana   

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Jan 25, 2012 10:12PM dltnhm wrote:

Did you get your port in your chest or in your arm? Did I miss that? How was this done? I am imagining under a local ... I can't imagine watching this being done however. Will they be drawing blood from your port as well as putting medicine in through your port? Everything I read says "sometimes they use the port to draw blood". Since I am down to one arm for all blood draws, shots, blood pressure, needle sticks, etc.(now for life) ... I am watching that arm carefully and know the chest port is the only way I can really expect to go with this.

 TOTALLY ASIDE:

I see that you are from Washington DC.  My youngest (the senior in high school) was born when we lived in Alexandria, VA (1993) and we lived in Woodbridge, VA also from '94-'99. Are you actually living in the district or in VA or MD? Were you around during those years?

Nice chatting with you!

Diana

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Jan 26, 2012 02:14AM melly1462 wrote:

Hi ladies.  Lumpectomy Jan. 13th with port placement.  Had the SAVI device implanted yesterday for APBI next week.  Twice a day x5 days and radiation done!!

I've seen 2 MO's and of course they had differing opinion as to chemo regimen.  One said AC-TH x4, the other said TCH x6.  Whichever I choose, the "H" (Herceptin) is weekly for one year.  Decisions, decisions!!!

Chemo class today.  Hopefully that will help with some of my fears.  I give myself pep talks and have just about convinced myself I'll have minimal SE's.  When I have a dark day I remind myself this all just a temporary madnes.

Plans are to start chemo in the next 2 weeks.  We will get through this, we are not alone.  Sending you all strong, healthy vibes!

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Jan 27, 2012 06:07AM Moonflwr912 wrote:

Hello, Ladies1  I had my last iv antibiotic today.  I see the onc on Mon and the ps on Tues.  I should know about my port placement then.  I am actually  so looking forward to the port placement as it will mean the wait is finally over, not to mention the darn picc line will be out!  LOL Gritgirl, please stay with us! Although the Jan board girls are great too!.  I just jumped boards because more people will be closer to my treatment this way.  everyone on the Jan boards has already started, and I was supposed too on the 26th.  but being delayed, this is better.  I am glad we are here for each other, and sorry we all have to be here.  Anyone else on THC? TC x6 , The Herceptin will be weekly for 18 weeks, then every 3 wks for a year. Since my mom and aunts died from BC, I am actually glad to be doing chemo.  It gives me a way to fight they never had.  Mom is gone nearly 19 years, and her sisters longer.  She had a BMX and they told her she was free.  Not quite- she passed 7 years later.  So for me this is big- I am doing chemo, they didn't know her2 at that time, so chemo here I come.  Sorry for rambling.But scared as I am I am ready to do it.  Take care all!

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Jan 27, 2012 07:02AM faithhopenluv wrote:

Moonflwr and gritgirl  - I'm kind of between boards as well (moonflwr we've sorta met in the Jan board).  I start chemo 2/2 but had been reading the Jan thread because I knew I was close and wasn't sure if it would be Jan or Feb, and then I have been reading this thread once it popped up.  I'm thinking they have helped me alot to prepare and if I can I'll share what I know with the Feb group since I will be one of the first so I have a connection to both. 

Fredntan and all the others that popin to say it is doable THANK YOU!!