I'm so glad you joined up with us and you are doing great with your post, don't even worry about your computer skills.

 

It sounds like you have a good grip on things.  Yes it will most likely be cumulative but it is impossible really to say for sure how you will be doing as you progress.  We are all different.

 

Keep checking in and ask anything you like, we are right here!

 

I'm Diane and I want to give you a big hug and welcome to our group.  We've all been where you are (or are going through it now).  What kind of chemo are you getting?  It sounds like you're doing all the right things and yes, the effects of chemo will be cumulative but I'm sure your doctors will be monitoring you very carefully.  Let them know about anything that goes wrong and I'm sure they will have a pill or a shot or something for it.  My doctors always seemed to.  Take your temperature several times a day.  You'll be open for infections for a while and they need to catch those if they happen. 

 

The good news is that you're on your way to the light at the end of the tunnel.  If you're feeling down some days, just think of how those nasty little cancer cells are feeling!

 

Please come and post often.  The ladies here are wonderful and so knowledgable.  You'll get through this!

 

Sounds to me as though you have everything under control. Sleeping sitting up or in a recliner is one of the chemo tips. Helps keep those headaches to a minimal. Lori slept in a recliner after every chemo for at least 5 days and more. It stayed in the bedroom until she was finished with all tretments.

 

You are right again as to the cumulative effect. Now just remember to drink at least 3 liters of water a day maybe until Sunday or Monday. You want to flush all those chemicals out of your system.

 

By the way...you did great posting and all we want to do is hear from you...nothing else matters.

 

One thing...make sure that you get the prescription for the "Magic Mouthwash", just in case you start to get mouth sores. Since your onc has made sure you have all the necessary scripts already, I am sure they will give you that.

 

Just rest/sleep when you feel the need, and get up and walk, and do whatever your body tells you that you can.

Hugs,

Nancy

 

Welcome to this site! I have one suggestion for chemo if you are doing A/C. My Aunt Sara who is a nurse had breast cancer as well and she gave me this little helpful hint. Eat ice during your push and it will keep mouth sores to a minimum. It helped me a lot, nausea and mouth irritation were my biggest problems during chemo. Another thing I did was to visit my local health food store and buy Ginger to make tea(for the nausea). I tried all of the nausea drugs on the market and none of them worked as good as an old fashioned cup of hot ginger tea. Hope you feel better soon!!

 

Sending Love!

 

Regina

Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.

Regina

Avastin girls will step up here soon.

Carol

 

I look forward to having the opportunity to reach out to women who really know how I feel and hope that you all will be tolerant of my questions. 

 

My biggest fear is the effects of the chemo - my onc already advised me to cut my thick natural hair so that I am not traumatized by seeing clumps of it wash down the shower drain! Is it true that this will happen after my 1st treatment (ACx4 Taxolx4 then radiation)?  I'm told that any nausea can be minimized so, hopefully that will not be an issue.

 

Also, does anyone have experience with a port?  My veins are almost non-existent so I'll need to get one.  Thanks!!!

 

Yeah, you'll definitely want to get a port.  I think most of us had/have them during treatment, although I may be wrong.  It's a quick, out-patient procedure with minimal pain (at least for me).  I even started chemo the next day, so it's pretty easy and definitely saves our poor veins!

 

About your hair . . . I believe it starts falling out between Day 12 and Day 14 after your first chemo treatment.  When I noticed more than the usual amount of hairs coming out I proceeded to march down to my hairdresser and got a buzz cut.  Much better than hair all over the place.  Plus, I felt in control of that part of the process.  If you feel like you want to wear a wig during treatment, start shopping now for one that looks pretty close to your usual hair color and style.  I actually had people ask me when my hair was going to fall out because they thought my wig was my real hair. 

 

If your doctors and nurses are on top of everything, they will give you prescriptions for everything before you will need them.  That includes anti-nausea medication (ask for two . . . . the usual one and the heavy-duty one, in case the usual one doesn't work), and also the steroids you will need for your Taxol.  Go ahead and get everything so you'll have them on hand when you need them.

 

I'm sure these wonderful ladies will add to your knowledge so you won't feel like you're alone.  Remember that we're just a website away with help and understanding and encouragement for you.

In the Resource section you will find chemo/radiation tips and articles you might find interesting.  Near the top of the page there is a link that says Resource, if you click on that then you'll have a drop down, click on Taking charge of your care.

 

The beginning is so very overwhelming and now we are lucky enough the Foundation was kind enough to provide a forum where we could finally come together.  Since we are such a small group of breast cancer we can feel pretty darn alone sitting in our home thinking we are alone.

 

Many women take a mild sedative and/or a anti-depressant to help get thru this difficult time.  Try not to look ahead, no one has any idea what lies ahead so focus on today, an hour at a time if you have to.

Once treatments begin then things will fall into line.

 

There are also some hat/wig/scarf links in the Resource section.

http://www.headcovers.com - http://www.headcovers.com

http://www.tlcdirect.org - http://www.tlcdirect.org are two places that have large selections of head wear.  Summer is coming so you might find a wig hot and some can be scratchy on a tender head.

Pick up a satin pillowcase, it feels so good and helps to make you feel special which you are.  A sleep cap also feels good for night time, they are soft and our heads can get cool.

 

Arrange for help thru family/friends, someone to run errands, collect meds, grocery shop, bring by supper.  During you treatment you will probably have days you'd rather not mess with these everyday things.  This is about you now so delegate.  It is hard but it is important.  You've got to get better.

 

Ask us any questions and we will do our best to help.  We do understand the stress, tears, anger, anxiety and it is normal.  A rollercoaster ride since cancer also works on our emotions.

 

Be sure and prepare a chemo bag, pack water, snacks, newspaper, mag, ipod, take company if you can, they can go out to bring back lunch and you have someone to talk to, makes it go faster.  Be sure and ask any questions you might have to the Onc or nurse and have paper and pen so you can take notes.

 

Also get copies of all your bloodwork, pathology, any scans and office dictation if you prefer.  You want to prepare a file for yourself at home.

 

Best wishes

 

I'm pretty wobbly also with my markers being off.

 

Tomorrow will be a better day.  Sounds like a good night's sleep will do you a world of good.

 

How did the look good feel better program go, aren't they fantastic!  I went once and really enjoyed it, it surprised me.

Yes a sedative and/or a anti-depressant.  We might sound like druggies in here, it isn't meant that way but these meds do help us through a very difficult time.

 

I have had Taxotere, no Cytoxan.  I ran fevers most times I had an infusions, probably 4 out of 6 treatments I was in the hospital with neutropenia and other issues also came along.  I was very ill and a year and half later I am still recovering.  I did pass out but there was so many health problems I was dealing with I don't know what caused those to happen for sure.   I have one big toe that I evidently hit on something hard when passing out the last time and it has to be broke.  It has never healed right.

Taxotere can be rough.  I know many get along easily enough but not all of us. 

I never had nausea issues though.

 

You should discuss your concerns with your Onc or the nurse and see if they can somehow change your med some or give you something to help keep you from having anything happen.  Are you having the Neulasta shots?  They help most but they were useless for me.

 

Taxotere is supposed to be good for tri negs but I sure don't want to look at another bag of it. 

It would be great if you can finish out your treatment though as planned.  Talk to them and see what they say.  They need to know what is going on with you anyway.  Have you been calling them when these things happen?

Good luck to you and hope you'll update us!

Things will improve but it will be awhile after you are thru with your treatments.  Go easy on yourself and have some patience, it does get better.  We all recooperate at different speeds.

 

My personal experience with radiation was not difficult at all.  Some of us have worse times than others just like with chemo.  Fatique was my main complaint I would say but no big deal really but as we know that is not the case for some.

 

I didn't have as much chemo as you but was out of breath and activity level way down. I saved my energy so I could work. I had to walk up a slight hill to a concert during tx and half way to the entrance, I stopped and cried because this was something that had been so simple prior to tx.

 

I was so excited to be done with chemo I started running immediately, not far but was so glad to breath & move. I did have to discontinue towards the end of radiation. A bit of fatigue and very uncomfortable wearing the appropriate bra.I do think I maybe ran for 3 weeks. It has been so long that my memory is sketchy.  I tried weight lifting during rads but quit that too. The dr's didn't know what to tell me when I asked for advice about excersizing. With the lifting it was uncomfortable and I wasn't sure how much stretching and/or harm it was doing to muscle. Hopefully dr's have much more info on all that by now. My onc was always wonderful saying do what is comfortable. The radiologist was a d*ck. I only saw him because he was the one available at the early appt. I preferred. Trust me, I switched for the annual visits to a colleague.

 

After all tx was over, I began running again with no problems. Weight lifting seemed to bring the hot flashes on so I took a yoga class for the first year after and then resumed weight training once it was more comfortable. Some of it I just had to push myself.

 

I did feel I never quite regained my energy level but ended up being dx with thyroid a year or so later when that was checked.

 

Radiation was so much more comfortable it seemed like a cakewalk !

Congrats to you. Sounds like it is just a bad memory for you now. A lot of good things have come out of this experience for me. Like, I try not to take life for granted because every day is a gift. I try not to say bad things about people or whatever the case may be. It has brought me even closer to those I love. I pray daily or sometimes more than once. And I try to help others. I just finished my chemo this past Tuesday and I am so glad that it is over. Each one seemed to get a little worse. The third one was the worst of all....I blacked out and cracked the back of my head on a concrete wall. Wow, did that hurt. Headache, large bump, abrasion. Even made my wig fit tight. The last one just seemed to zap everything that I had. Even as we speak my house is a mess. It is hard for me to do anything because my fingers under my nails hurt so darn bad that I can't pick up anything and it is hard to type this message. I am still looking at 6 weeks of radiation but hoping it won't be as bad as the chemo. And I did cut my hair because it made me feel like I was the one who was in power. I was not going to let the cancer beat me! And that was a tough choice because I had long brownish blond hair which I had all my life. But maybe this was God's way of telling me that I needed a new hair style......LOL

      I had a lumpectomy in Feb of this year, while they were there they installed a port on the right side of my chest. It sticks out where you can feel the bumps in it but otherwise pretty comfortable. I shaved my head because I knew what my sister went through. She would wake up and find clumps of hair on her pillow. This was devastating for her and I was not going to allow that to happen to me. I am the victor in this situation! As for the chemo, I never got sick where I was throwing up. I did have a little indigestion and when I would eat my throat felt real warm when the food was going down. It made me extremely tired but I made it to work every day. The only day that I missed was the day of my surgery.

 

I just read your post, it is so beautiful.  I had tears while reading you and your daughter's story, so very touching.

 

Ever since I can remember as a child I felt so protected and safe with my father.  My father has passed but to have the experience you two shared is just wonderful.  Father's always give their daughters a sense of security, nothing will happen if I am safe and close with my father.

 

You and your daughter have been in my prayers for some time.  NED for her and for you, cancer never is to happen.

 

Best wishes,

 

Hang in there, only 1 more AC to go!

 

Yes please try not to freak out as it could very well be scar tissue.

I have never had this problem but I would have them look into it soon as you can for your own peace of mind.

 

Good luck, sending strength your way, I know you are stressed, let us kow what you find out.