had my first chemo!

Thats fine Bon. You are entitled to a good cry. Heck were girls..we are allowed! HAHA Have a cookie and some tea. Cookies make everything all better.

Sending HAPPY THOUGHTS!!!

Regina

Hi Patti,

hi patti,       glad you joined us.    im a young 54, two boys aged 26 and 27, i guess they are men now, and a wonderful husband who is a very hard working architect..     life was pretty grand.     we took everything for granted as most people do.  then the stock market fell,  obama was elected ,  (sorry democrats) and you find the lump.     everything changes, some for the better.       you find out who your friends are,   that" things "dont matter much to you,   and that you  are very vulnerable.    you look at people differently and have more compassion for people who are struggling.     at least , so far, that has happened to me.    of course at first your world crumbles,     you cry, your scared,  you hate that its happening,    then one day you realize you are not alone, and that we are all going to die someday, and that there are millions of women going through or have gone through the same thing.    they are going on with their lives,   dealing with it.    you will too.              i am stage 2 a triple negative.    no lymph nodes, 3.8 cm tumor.    on wednesday , april 1st  i  had the first of  my  8, every two week chemo treatments  which will be followed by 4 weeks rest before starting 5 weeks of radiation 5 days a week.  i  should be done the second week of october.    the first night i was a bit queasy ,   felt a bit wiped out the next day, like i was in a fog.   the next day i went in for my neulesta shot.   uneventful really. i cried in front of the nurse who gave it to me.   she was understanding.   i did have a headache at times but not bad.       i slept sitting in a recliner which helped, and i  took it real easy eating only crackers, water ,yogart, whatever sounded good.    i drank LOTS of water then i drank more water.  its important to flush that stuff out of your system as quickly as possible.    im a retired hairdresser.   i bought a wig for special occasions, then i ran a #4 clipper attatchment across my head which revealed my now grey hair.    i love it.      my sons and i have the same haircut.    so easy.     im going to enjoy it til it falls out completely.   i dont want to lose my long eyelashes or dark eyebrows.   but , oh well.   its going to happen.        i will pray for you and wish you the best while you go through this shxt.    but you can do it.    all of us here will help.     blessings to you and your family,         bonnie.                                   oh and yes i have a port .     it is better than getting an iv each time  i understand, so if drs . want to put one in,    i think youll be happy you did.

Edited by bondande - Apr 07 2009 at 2:06pm

ive had an emotional day.    many ups and downs.    songs trigger tears.   shocked faces of friends when they see me bring tears too.    i wish i could figure out a way to hold them back..............  the sun will come up tomorrow

you have a great attitude and that will be good to see you through this tough time.

What helped us:

1. Bring your slippers to the chemotherapy ward, it will make you feel more comfortable, be sure to ask for the "warm blankets".

2. You should not have to feel sickness, so if you do let your oncologist know, we went through 27 weeks of various chemotherapy drugs and never once had got sick.

3. You are right about the cumulative effect of chemotherapy. It does get a little worse as you get close to finishing the treatments.

4. Try to have ready made meals for dinner that night. Usually I cooked something that only had to be reheated the day of chemotherapy.

5. Do drink lots of water, and try and laugh, it is so important to keep your humor.

I wish you the best, take one day at a time, and if you need anything and have friends that offer to do things for you...take them up on it.

Dave

going for my second treatment tomorrow.   scared.   first one went ok,  hope this one will too............................    bon

I found that I would start feeling anxious about two to three days before chemo. I took ativan at night and it really helped me sleep through the night. Before I did that I would fall asleep and then wake up two hours later and not be able to get back to sleep. I would get up and have tea, sometimes a cookie. Sometimes I would take one during the day as well.

Hi Bon,

I took Xanax at night and during the day sometimes while going through treatment. It is a lot to take in at one time and sometimes the fear of the unknown is worse than just knowing how your body will react. I took someone different with me almost every time I had chemo. We kinda made a game out of it...whos takin mama this time. It is good to have some distraction to make the time go quicker. Hang in there we all know YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Sending Love and Happy Thoughts!!

Regina

Hey bondande,

Hi Reggie24k,