starting chemo

ever1

Hi Everyone! I will be starting chemo on 3/30. I will have 4 rounds of Adriamycin & Cytoxan two weeks apart, followed by 4 rounds of Taxol, two weeks apart. I am feeling scared & have read lots of postings on this site and was very glad to find the site. If anyone would like to share their experience or has any suggestions, I would appreciate them. Thanks!

Ronee33

Hi,
I did the same chemo routine - only I did taxotere. There are going to be lots of people who give advice about chemo. Here is my two cents.
1) Chemo sounds worse than it really is.
2) Find someone who can go with you each time. It should be someone that you can be comfortable around for several hours. They will be a way to take your mind off of the procedure. Also, I took a portable DVD player and we watched DVD's to pass the time.
2) Take a snack. I took cheese, nuts and fruits. Something that is healthy and that you enjoy. I got through chemo remarkably well because I ate well. I ate a diet high in proteins and vegetables. Even if I felt like something bad for me, I ate well knowing that it would help in the long run.
3) Exercise daily. Some days I was strong enough to walk for almost an hour and some days just 10 minutes. But get some exercise daily.
4) Remember to do what only what you can. Don't be a super hero. Some days just getting dressed took all my energy. And then I had to go to work! Do what you can and no more. Don't feel guilty.
5) The effects are cumulative. It will take longer to get over the chemo each time.
6) Drink lots of water the day of chemo and the day after. The sooner you flush it from your system, the sooner you will feel better.
7) Laugh every day.
8) Most importantly, chemo is a poison that is killing the cancer cells. Yes, your hair will fall out. Yes, you will be so tired you can't stand it. Yes, you will feel nauseous. But mostly, it will only last so many weeks and then it will be over. And you will live. And that is really what is important.

DiO

I did the same chemo you will do--4 AC, 4 taxol, all 2 weeks apart--last year at this time. All of Ronee's advice is right on and I heartily agree. One more thing to be prepared for is the roller coaster ride of the blood counts. I assume with the dose dense you will be getting a Neulasta shot the following day as I did, and it does work to make the WBC count go up in time for the next treatment, but it doesn't keep it from going down to begin with and you most likely will bottom out at around 7 days after treatment. When this happens your dr probably will want you to stay home and not be exposed to anyone who may be sick, as your immune system is not able to handle any "germs" out there. I had planned to work, but found I was unable to get in many days of work even when I felt like it because of the low white counts and I work in retail, so am around a wide variety of people every day. I was told to expect fluctuating counts, but not how often I'd end up having to stay away from people! I feel if I'd been better prepared for this ahead of time I would have been able to handle it better emotionally when it happened.

Just remember that like Ronee said it is a finite time and you will get back to your normal routine at the end. While the fear of recurrance is always there, it gets less as time goes on.

Good luck and God bless! Di

gerddy

Hi,
I just finished my third round, same treatment schedule as you with the grand finale of radiaition.
All of the sugestions are true, drink lots of water, juice, gateraide, and whatever else you can. Water is the best. You will smell the chemo leaving your body.
Next, eat, eat, eat, don't worry about the figure now girl. Healthy choice and spurlge some too. I am maining my weight by eating all the time, for some reason it has increased my metobloizem.

Rest when you need to and let others help the way they say they want to. If your Iron gets low learn to love beef.

Most of the week of treatment I'm pretty tired but I do exercise almost every day. It helps keep a positive attidude, that the way to win this round. Think half full, not half empty.
Good luck, you will do fine,
Gerddy

roxanne53

DITTO to all of the above

Roxanne

LorettaB

Hi,
I am in exactly the same place you are with the exact courses of chemo...I start on 3/31. My breast cancer had metastatic cells in the sentinel node. On the advice of my oncologist, I returned for a second surgery to take out a few more nodes. They were all clear.
One thing I have learned is that there are so many women in these same shoes who have so much support to give. And thanks for posting your message. All the responses were extremely helpful to me.

Loretta

krisrey

Hello,
I too was on the same as you. I had the 4 A/c and 4 taxol every two weeks. The good thing is that having it every two weeks makes it go by faster. I had daily nuprogen shots to keep my WBC good, and it worked because I was able to continue with the two week schedule.
I will not say the chemo is easy, BUT it is doable! You will have some days of feeling crudy and a little more nausa with the A/C than the taxol. But, thankfully the meds pretty much take care of that. One thing I did find is that the chemo has a cummalative affect. I was able to continue running up until number 3 chemo and the doc told me I need to take it easy because I had some chest discomfort (I was doing to much). I continued to workout at the gym and continued to walk almost everyday. I think the Taxol was easier but I had muscle and joint pains that lasted only a couple of days, but some days they hurt bad enough where I had to crawl upstairs to put my kids to bed. But again, that only lasted a few days. The worst is the hair loss, but that again grows back, and pretty quickly too!
Keep a positve attitude and try to get some exercise when you can WITHOUT overdoing it like I did.
It has been two years since my dx, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck and let us know how you make out.
Kristen

jdubious

Hi! I had 6 A/C and 12 taxol, and I was never sick. Take all the medications they give you for nausea, they really work.
I liked going to my treatments alone - it was like having a good "time-out" just for me. I got to sit in a comfortable chair, read a book or magazine and look out the window or watch tv. I could focus on just me. I found it relaxing, not having to entertain someone else.
My worst symptoms were being tired and chemobrain, but I worked at my job the entire time I was getting chemo, so it doesn't have to be a huge deal. Just keep a positive outlook and eat anything/everything you feel like!
jill

krisrey

jdubious said:

Hi! I had 6 A/C and 12 taxol, and I was never sick. Take all the medications they give you for nausea, they really work.
I liked going to my treatments alone - it was like having a good "time-out" just for me. I got to sit in a comfortable chair, read a book or magazine and look out the window or watch tv. I could focus on just me. I found it relaxing, not having to entertain someone else.
My worst symptoms were being tired and chemobrain, but I worked at my job the entire time I was getting chemo, so it doesn't have to be a huge deal. Just keep a positive outlook and eat anything/everything you feel like!
jill

Hi Jill,
I also found that I liked to go to my chemo treatments alone. My husband always offered to go with me, but I just felt like I would need to entertain, or get all stressed out about him not being at work. I tried to explain to him that is was less stressful if I knew that I did not put anybody out. The only time they recomended that someone drive me home was on the taxol because of all the benedryl they give you before hand.
I enjoyed (sounds funny...enjoying...) sitting by myself reading or watching tv. I was also working during my chemo, and taking classes finishing up a degree. I remember studying for a horendous statistics exam and I could not keep my eyes open with all the benedryl..lol
Kristen

JKAlley

jdubious said:

Hi! I had 6 A/C and 12 taxol, and I was never sick. Take all the medications they give you for nausea, they really work.
I liked going to my treatments alone - it was like having a good "time-out" just for me. I got to sit in a comfortable chair, read a book or magazine and look out the window or watch tv. I could focus on just me. I found it relaxing, not having to entertain someone else.
My worst symptoms were being tired and chemobrain, but I worked at my job the entire time I was getting chemo, so it doesn't have to be a huge deal. Just keep a positive outlook and eat anything/everything you feel like!
jill

I felt the same as Jill, I didn't want anyone else with me. That's a personal preferance, but do have some one come with you for that fist one if you can. What I did was bring my portable CD player (or now an IPOD if you have one), and several CD's. I'd close my eyes, listen to music and just forget where I was. The nurses would come tap on my legs when they needed to talk to me. I do agree that AC is much harder than taxol, make sure they give you meds for nausea. To put it mildly, chemo sucks, but you'll get through it. I had 4 rounds of ac, 12 of taxol, and 52 of herceptin, plus radiation. It felt like I'd never get done at the time, but looking back now, it wasn't so bad. Listen to your body, and drink lots of water. You'll get through it and come out stronger on the other side.

Kathy1108

JKAlley said:

I felt the same as Jill, I didn't want anyone else with me. That's a personal preferance, but do have some one come with you for that fist one if you can. What I did was bring my portable CD player (or now an IPOD if you have one), and several CD's. I'd close my eyes, listen to music and just forget where I was. The nurses would come tap on my legs when they needed to talk to me. I do agree that AC is much harder than taxol, make sure they give you meds for nausea. To put it mildly, chemo sucks, but you'll get through it. I had 4 rounds of ac, 12 of taxol, and 52 of herceptin, plus radiation. It felt like I'd never get done at the time, but looking back now, it wasn't so bad. Listen to your body, and drink lots of water. You'll get through it and come out stronger on the other side.

I finished my treatments on 10/03. I had 4 AC and 4 Taxol. I found that taxol was worst because of the join pains and I got the reaction on the 3 treatment (it can happen on the first two treatments but mine was on the third). When you get taxol a nurse has to give it to you slowly and sit with you for a while. The reaction I got was that I started to feel very hot and my face got a little red. They had to stop the treatment for a few minutes then start it up again but very slowly on me. That happened eventhoug I took benedryl. My husband went with me on every treatment. He was a big help. He brought with us my laptop computer and a walkman. I played games and listened to music while I was getting the treatments. Sometimes when we were able to get a room instead of a chair I was able to watch TV. After my treatments I would have to go back for my neulasta shot, so on the third day my whole body ached but it only lasted that one day. I agree totally with everything that Ronee33 said. My hair is back and it is waver than before. Good Luck.

Kathy