1st chemo today

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madsters1
madsters1 Member Posts: 120
edited November 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi all, Well I did it! I started chemo. Swore I never would and still wish I hadn't, but necessary evil I guess. As expected on day one, I feel pretty good. I "arm wrestled" my doc about the steroids. She only gave me 10 mgs the day of! YAY! That's an answer to prayer by the way from across the country. I know what those things do to ya. The up all nights, the witchy-ness,weight gain. She also gave me something to help me sleep. I'm wired a little different. Have always had trouble sleeping. A menopausal woman on steroids is a force to be reckoned with!! Or a candidate for "the farm" lol
Anyway, I am aware of the possible coming side affects. I've done my homework. So, I think I'm prepared. I guess if I have one question, it would be how's that Neulasta shot? Anybody forego it? BTW I am on 4cycles-every 3 weeks of Taxotere (Taxol) & Cytoxan. I am 48 yrs old post menopausal as of Oct 2011, Stage I ( micro met. in one lymph), grade II, ER+.PR-. Her2-. I will be having radiation and hormone blocker therapy for 5 yrs.Thanks for any advice. Love Ya All, Victoria

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  • missingtexas
    missingtexas Member Posts: 146
    #2
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    Neulasta
    I have always said that the neulasta was the worst part if chemo...the WBC issues that I would have had may have been worse though. I had no side effects from chemo. I did from neulasta and I do from the hormone therapy. I am pre menopausal though so that may have some impact as well.
  • BetsyJane
    BetsyJane Member Posts: 127
    #3
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    Take Clariton before getting Neulasta injection
    Hi Victoria,

    Here's what I did to minimize side affects from the Neulasta shot. I took Clariton D (make sure it's Clariton "D" 24 Hour.) I took it one day before, the day of the shot and one to days after getting the shot. You will most likely still experience some side affects but not near as bad as they could be. The Neulasta side effects didn't effect me until about two days after receiving it. Then I would start to feel a little queezy and extremely tired and weak. This continued for about two days. After two days were up, I felt fine.

    I did want to forego the Neulasta until I met a person from my chemo center that did forego the shot and wound up in the hospital in the Intensive Care Unit for about a week due to an severe infection he encountered because he didn't get the Neulasta shot and his white cells went extremely low. When he told me his story, I decided I would not forego this shot but I must say I was very happy when I was finished getting them. One more helpful suggestion would be to put lidocaine cream on your arm and wrap it in saran wrap about an hour before you to receive your injection. This shot is painful and this will really numb your arm and minimize the pain.

    Hang in there and God Bless.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #4
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    missingtexas said:

    Neulasta
    I have always said that the neulasta was the worst part if chemo...the WBC issues that I would have had may have been worse though. I had no side effects from chemo. I did from neulasta and I do from the hormone therapy. I am pre menopausal though so that may have some impact as well.

    Victoria, I don't have any
    Victoria, I don't have any advice for you as I didn't have chemo, but, I do want to wish you good luck and I pray you have no side effects with your treatment.


    Hugs, Lex
  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #5
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    NO ADVICE SINCE I DID JUST
    NO ADVICE SINCE I DID JUST CHEMO POST SURGERY...BUT THINKING OF YOU

    DENISE
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #6
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    disneyfan2008 said:

    NO ADVICE SINCE I DID JUST
    NO ADVICE SINCE I DID JUST CHEMO POST SURGERY...BUT THINKING OF YOU

    DENISE

    How are you doing on chemo
    How are you doing on chemo now Victoria?


    Hugs, Megan
  • madsters1
    madsters1 Member Posts: 120
    #7
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    Megan M said:

    How are you doing on chemo
    How are you doing on chemo now Victoria?


    Hugs, Megan

    1st chemo...update
    Hey Megan, I'm ten days out and not doing too bad. I'm nauseated tonight, but that's less and less. The Neulasta pain was about 3 days and was pretty bad, but that's all behind me too, well except for the next 3 treatments. Yikes! The fatigue is weird - different. I'm slow during my "normal" energy level time and of course my energy doesn't last as long as before chemo. I know this is cumulative with each treatment. Yikes again!
    I haven't lost my hair...yet, but I know it's coming. It's thinning. All in all I'd have to say with chemo I feel strange. Have never felt quite like this before, nothing to compare it to. There's a general feeling of not being well , but the only way to express it is that my body is a stranger to me. I do have to say on a positive note though that it seems to be a pattern with me lately to have one good day then one bad. This is doable. Thanks for asking. How are you doing in your journey?
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #8
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    madsters1 said:

    1st chemo...update
    Hey Megan, I'm ten days out and not doing too bad. I'm nauseated tonight, but that's less and less. The Neulasta pain was about 3 days and was pretty bad, but that's all behind me too, well except for the next 3 treatments. Yikes! The fatigue is weird - different. I'm slow during my "normal" energy level time and of course my energy doesn't last as long as before chemo. I know this is cumulative with each treatment. Yikes again!
    I haven't lost my hair...yet, but I know it's coming. It's thinning. All in all I'd have to say with chemo I feel strange. Have never felt quite like this before, nothing to compare it to. There's a general feeling of not being well , but the only way to express it is that my body is a stranger to me. I do have to say on a positive note though that it seems to be a pattern with me lately to have one good day then one bad. This is doable. Thanks for asking. How are you doing in your journey?

    I am doing fine! Thanks for
    I am doing fine! Thanks for asking. I didn't have chemo, so, I wasn't much help in giving you advice. But, I did want you to know that we are all thinking of you.

    Your saying that you aren't doing too bad is good news and I pray that it will get better for you. From what I know chemo is hard, and, I certainly think you are all true warriors.

    Keep posting to us,

    Megan

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