chemo today

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mariam_11_09
mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I admit I am a little apprehensive to embark on the chemo journery. It is a huge unknown with plenty of possible side affects and it is not just a one time thing like surgery. Anyway, I will be thinking of all of you that have gone through this, are going through this and about to go through this. There is a huge amount of comfort and inspiration knowing there are many truly wonderful and amazing women out there going through something similar and with whom I can share on this board. You are all such an encouragement and source of strength.

God bless you all! Really, I mean this.

Comments

  • bjmom1
    bjmom1 Member Posts: 152
    #2
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    chemo journey 2yrs ago
    I can understand how you feel about the chemo journey. I have been through it two years ago. But here a word of encouragement believe each time you go to treatment that this med is healing your body. Listen to positive music and talk to people who going to encourage to stay strong throughout this process. This board is a great start. Good Luck with your treatment and God bless you. Here a Big Hug to take with you on next treatment.
  • Marlene_K
    Marlene_K Member Posts: 508
    #3
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    Best wishes!
    Sure hope your treatment went well and that you'll have little to no side effects. I hope you've taken the liberty to read up on the many posts here about the possibilities so that you have some idea of what to expect. Of course, they give you all kinds of paperwork listing the possible side effects, but there's nothing like hearing it from a whole lot of ladies who have actually gone through it. I just finished 6 treatments of TAC three weeks ago and will be starting radiation soon. Stick around... this is a fantastic site with such good-hearted survivors that are ALWAYS willing to give advice, share their experience, say a prayer or just plain tell you they 'understand', which is probably the ultimate, as most of all, we need to be understood. This isn't an easy journey, but together us pink ladies can tackle it and come out the other side even stronger than we started out!

    Please let us know how you made out when you're up to it.

    Hugs, Mar
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #4
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    Marlene_K said:

    Best wishes!
    Sure hope your treatment went well and that you'll have little to no side effects. I hope you've taken the liberty to read up on the many posts here about the possibilities so that you have some idea of what to expect. Of course, they give you all kinds of paperwork listing the possible side effects, but there's nothing like hearing it from a whole lot of ladies who have actually gone through it. I just finished 6 treatments of TAC three weeks ago and will be starting radiation soon. Stick around... this is a fantastic site with such good-hearted survivors that are ALWAYS willing to give advice, share their experience, say a prayer or just plain tell you they 'understand', which is probably the ultimate, as most of all, we need to be understood. This isn't an easy journey, but together us pink ladies can tackle it and come out the other side even stronger than we started out!

    Please let us know how you made out when you're up to it.

    Hugs, Mar

    Hoping that your chemo goes
    Hoping that your chemo goes well for you. Let us know.

    HUGS
  • canoegirl
    canoegirl Member Posts: 169
    #5
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    Hope it's going well
    Hope the chemo is going well. I'll be following right behind you with my first chemo on Tuesday.

    Hugs,
    Marcy
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #6
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    canoegirl said:

    Hope it's going well
    Hope the chemo is going well. I'll be following right behind you with my first chemo on Tuesday.

    Hugs,
    Marcy

    THanks every body. I
    THanks every body. I usually have a pretty positive attitude however I can also whine - the after effects of the chemo wich started an an hour and a half after getting home were dreadful. The nausuea even with takint the anti-nausea medication was crap, not to meantion the sinus pressure headache and mild diarrhea. I could hardly move.

    My daughter took great delight in going giner ale shopping with the neighbour and her son, then watching movies until another friend came home over with dinner for her. We both feel asleep in the living room.

    This morning I woke up feeling less nauseaus however very light headed and dizzy with little appetite. I am off to go get the neualsta shot. Keeping my fingers crossed that this will wear off in a few days.

    And just to note, I am very prone to nauseau from motion sickness, coffee, drugs etc. So it really didn't come as a suprise just not something I wanted.
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #7
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    THanks every body. I
    THanks every body. I usually have a pretty positive attitude however I can also whine - the after effects of the chemo wich started an an hour and a half after getting home were dreadful. The nausuea even with takint the anti-nausea medication was crap, not to meantion the sinus pressure headache and mild diarrhea. I could hardly move.

    My daughter took great delight in going giner ale shopping with the neighbour and her son, then watching movies until another friend came home over with dinner for her. We both feel asleep in the living room.

    This morning I woke up feeling less nauseaus however very light headed and dizzy with little appetite. I am off to go get the neualsta shot. Keeping my fingers crossed that this will wear off in a few days.

    And just to note, I am very prone to nauseau from motion sickness, coffee, drugs etc. So it really didn't come as a suprise just not something I wanted.

    Hang In There
    Hang in there. This is one less chemo session to go through. If the chemo is giving you headaches, tell the onc. They can run your chemo meds slower and this reduces the headaches. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you are in good hands.

    P
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #8
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    aztec45 said:

    Hang In There
    Hang in there. This is one less chemo session to go through. If the chemo is giving you headaches, tell the onc. They can run your chemo meds slower and this reduces the headaches. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you are in good hands.

    P

    Thank you. Today I feel


    Thank you. Today I feel significantly better not fully myself but certainly more functional. Am hoping I keep moving in this direction. I have let go of the very dramatic 'I don't want to do chemo again' and since I have a better idea of what I can expect from it, will be more prepared next time (daughter can have a sleep over, friend can come hang out with me on Friday night, stock up on ginger etc).


    When I went to get the neulasta shot, I realised that walking around a little actually helped me feel better. The nurse who gave me the shot told me I should tell my oncologist about the headache so they can give me the cytoxin a little slower.

    Things are looking up. Yeah!!!
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #9
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    Thank you. Today I feel


    Thank you. Today I feel significantly better not fully myself but certainly more functional. Am hoping I keep moving in this direction. I have let go of the very dramatic 'I don't want to do chemo again' and since I have a better idea of what I can expect from it, will be more prepared next time (daughter can have a sleep over, friend can come hang out with me on Friday night, stock up on ginger etc).


    When I went to get the neulasta shot, I realised that walking around a little actually helped me feel better. The nurse who gave me the shot told me I should tell my oncologist about the headache so they can give me the cytoxin a little slower.

    Things are looking up. Yeah!!!

    Glad to Hear It
    Glad to hear that you are feeling better. I used to stock up on items that helped me through chemo week, as I called it. Don't forget to tell your onc about running your meds slowly. I had the same problem which is known as a Cytoxin Headache. They are not fun. But you got a plan and will be more equiped to handle the side effects better next time. Your daugter sounds like she loves you a lot, a real trooper.

    P
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #10
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    aztec45 said:

    Glad to Hear It
    Glad to hear that you are feeling better. I used to stock up on items that helped me through chemo week, as I called it. Don't forget to tell your onc about running your meds slowly. I had the same problem which is known as a Cytoxin Headache. They are not fun. But you got a plan and will be more equiped to handle the side effects better next time. Your daugter sounds like she loves you a lot, a real trooper.

    P

    Good to hear from you
    I am glad that you are doing ok. Every side effect can me minimized with medications, so as soon as you feel something is not right with you call your oncologist or search here. I am wishing you easy Chemo and minimum side effects. Yes, hair is not the biggest problem in the world.
    Good luck,
    New Flower
  • laurissa
    laurissa Member Posts: 773
    #11
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    Hi Mariam
    I just finished 6 rounds and made it through ok. The side effects are manageable, for me, the hair loss was the worst part of it. Bone pain was relieved with vicadin. I also took tylonal pm at night. Good luck to you on your treatment. When will you start and which drugs will you be on?
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #12
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    aztec45 said:

    Hang In There
    Hang in there. This is one less chemo session to go through. If the chemo is giving you headaches, tell the onc. They can run your chemo meds slower and this reduces the headaches. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you are in good hands.

    P

    Good luck with chemo! We
    Good luck with chemo! We are here to help you however we can!
  • dctimmons
    dctimmons Member Posts: 10
    #13
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    Thank you. Today I feel


    Thank you. Today I feel significantly better not fully myself but certainly more functional. Am hoping I keep moving in this direction. I have let go of the very dramatic 'I don't want to do chemo again' and since I have a better idea of what I can expect from it, will be more prepared next time (daughter can have a sleep over, friend can come hang out with me on Friday night, stock up on ginger etc).


    When I went to get the neulasta shot, I realised that walking around a little actually helped me feel better. The nurse who gave me the shot told me I should tell my oncologist about the headache so they can give me the cytoxin a little slower.

    Things are looking up. Yeah!!!

    Glad to hear that things are looking up.
    Mariam,

    I'm sorry to hear that you had such a difficult time immediately following chemo.

    My experience was not as severe. If they didn't include an anti-emetic in your IV this time, DEMAND it for Round#2. I too tend to get nauseous easily and having it in the IV, as well as taking a Zofran as soon as I got home, kept that beast at bay this time.

    Another friend had suggested moving around during treatment - and since I had started pushing fluids in advance, that was not a problem. Must have had 3 bathroom visits in the 3 hrs of treatment!

    I was slightly dizzy and light-headed Saturday morning, but food seemed to help that. And also had a slight headache, and hadn't heard of that in connection with the speed of gettinbg the Cytoxan so I'll mention that to my doc.

    I'm mostly just TIRED - and I don't think there's any magic that will make that disappear, except time!

    Hang in there - we'll get through together!
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #14
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    New Flower said:

    Good to hear from you
    I am glad that you are doing ok. Every side effect can me minimized with medications, so as soon as you feel something is not right with you call your oncologist or search here. I am wishing you easy Chemo and minimum side effects. Yes, hair is not the biggest problem in the world.
    Good luck,
    New Flower

    Glad you are feeling better.
    Glad you are feeling better. It is great that they do have so many medications now that can help ease the side effects of chemo. Wishing you good luck!
  • mariam_11_09
    mariam_11_09 Member Posts: 691
    #15
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    I have been feeling better
    I have been feeling better today as well, a little spacey. It is kind of hard to eat, I can only see to tolerate very bland and non-acidic foods. I seem to get heart burn very easily so have been eating steamed vegtables and potatoes with a little butter and salt, yoghurt, plain organic cornflakes with bananas (I almost never eat bananas). This evening I had grilled chicken which was just what I needed.

    I drank so much water during the chemo however I never once got up to go the bathroom, in fact I never left the chair for the whole time I was there. Perhaps getting up and moving about might help as well.

    I do feel a tightness in my chest but perhaps some rest might help that as well.

    Thanks for all your encouragement. The surgery seems like a piece of cake compared to the chemo. It is quite a ride.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #16
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    mariam_11_09 said:

    I have been feeling better
    I have been feeling better today as well, a little spacey. It is kind of hard to eat, I can only see to tolerate very bland and non-acidic foods. I seem to get heart burn very easily so have been eating steamed vegtables and potatoes with a little butter and salt, yoghurt, plain organic cornflakes with bananas (I almost never eat bananas). This evening I had grilled chicken which was just what I needed.

    I drank so much water during the chemo however I never once got up to go the bathroom, in fact I never left the chair for the whole time I was there. Perhaps getting up and moving about might help as well.

    I do feel a tightness in my chest but perhaps some rest might help that as well.

    Thanks for all your encouragement. The surgery seems like a piece of cake compared to the chemo. It is quite a ride.

    Glad you are feeling better
    Glad you are feeling better today Mariam. Praying that it gets easier for you.

    Angie
  • CarrWilson
    CarrWilson Member Posts: 111
    #17
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    Angie2U said:

    Glad you are feeling better
    Glad you are feeling better today Mariam. Praying that it gets easier for you.

    Angie

    Glad your better
    I am so glad you are doing better. I think it is OK to whine when you need it. We all do once in a while. I can't handle the ginger ale, but there is also a ginger tea and crystallized ginger candy at Trader Joe's that can also help with the nausea, if you need a change.

    Just think "one less" treatment you have to go through. I hope your next one will be better.

    -Carrie

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