the start of my journey

[visualizehealth]

Hello all of you wonderful women (and a few men)! I'm starting chemo tomorow, taxotere and carboplatin, along with the herceptin. I'm getting 6 doses of the chemo, one every 3 weeks. My biggest fear is of the unknown. I was just wondering, if I get the chemo on Wednesday, do you think I'll feel ok to do stuff the next weekend? There is a festival this weekend, but I didn't know if it would be safe to be around a lot of people, not knowing how long my WBC count would be low.
Thank you for any advice
lots of love,
Annie

[RhondaH]

Welcome (though sorry it had to be under these circumstances). While everyone reacts differently, you SHOULD feel fine (though maybe a little tired) after your first chemo (mine didn't HIT me until my 3rd one and until the last chemo, I walked 2 miles each day...except for chemo days and a couple of days after). You don't need to watch out for your blood counts until about day 10 (this was the time frame that I kind of kept to myself). My chemo was different (you can see in my signature), but you should be fine and you want to keep living your life as normal as possible so that you don't go crazy. Take care and God bless. BIG HUGGS.

Rhonda

[Melinda]

Annie,
I am on the same regiment. Everyone goes through this differently but my experience is this...
For the first two rounds (I had mine 3 weeks apart) I felt fine the day of ( Thursdays) and the day after chemo. I get a neulasta (for WBC) shot the day after (Fri)chemo because I work around lots of people. On Saturday I feel just OK and Sunday the achy painy side effects from the neulasta appear. I have not missed work but on Mondays I only operate at about 80%. Tuesday I am great and keep feeling better each day thereafter. Food does not taste the same, and you need to find something to keep your strength. I make sure that I take my anti-nausea meds preventatively. Once you feel sick its too late. My worst part is the decadron that you take the day before and for the next two days. I did not know about the effects of the decadron until after my first round, so by round two I had the ONC prescribe some ativan for sleep. To me I really needed to get a good nights sleep every night.
This was for the first two rounds. I just completed my 3rd round on 4/12 and it was a bit tougher to get thru but... then again the effects are cumulative and the third proved to be a bit of a challenge. Again.... everyone goes through this differently . All in all round one and two were quite "doable" for me, and 3 was not a charm but I made it.
THere are other side effects, metal mouth, constipation/diarehea, runny nose, etc, but I put on my big girl panties and stiffened my upper lip and just did it.
Drink lots of water, keep yourself hydrated, and find some comfort foods.
You can do this! Keep the faith
Melinda

[Melinda]

Annie, here is the link where I asked about TCH on the board. There were a lot of responses from all of our sisters in this and may give you an even better insight to TCH.
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=27097
Melinda

[Mary Jo]

Hello Annie,

I won't repeat what everyone else said, other than to say (what other's said) everyone truly DOES react differently.

That being said...................I send a hug and prayers for God to protect your body while you journey through the chemo world. Chemo is definitely doable (is that a word?) and isn't nearly as bad (at least to me) as I was anticipating!

You'll get through it and we are all here to support and encourage you as you go through it.

Love and hugs,

Mary Jo

[visualizehealth]

You guys are awesome! It is so helpful to know about what to expect. I'm trying to be brave. One of my friends told me to think of the chemo as the "armor of God" running through my body. I have a hard time taking any kind of drugs, just because I feel that it is so hard on the organs. I already have my calendar marked for my last chemo dose (which happens to land on my birthday!)
Lots of love,
Annie

[Jean]

Dear Annie,

Wow, what a way to celebrate your birthday!
Check the link as Melinda mentioned - great info on it.
The TCH routine is very doable. Just plan your schedule around
chemo. Two days after treatment don't expect to do big things
feeling tired is normal. I would suggest to have your treatments on Thurs.
this way you have the weekend to rest over. (esp. if you are working)
I was able to work during chemo - slowed down on Mondays.
DO NOT at anytime not take your nausea meds even if you feel
fine....the chemo will sneak up on you and it is diffiuclt to get hold
once you begin to feel upset. So therefore prevent it! Drink water
you do not have to drown yourself - but do sip on the hour.
That is very important right after chemo to flush your system.
As far as contact of people - at least we are not in the flu season.
You should be fine but do avoid anyone who is sick. Let people
know who visit you to hold off if they are fighting a cold etc.
If your at work just wipe off your computer and phone with
disinfective wipes.

Try to get out and take small walks. Nothing is as bad as we may think.
The new meds are wonderful (just take them even if you feel fine).
Wear very comfy cloths on treatment days - you may be there for a few
hours. The steriods will make you retain water....don't let that bother you it is normal. In season now is watermelon, which is a natural diuretic.

Also another important point: Discard any makeup that you used before
chemo, as it may contain bacteria that your body can no longer ward off
because of the drop in white blood count.

Think positive thoughts and please remember your sisters are always here
for you. Wishing you all the best.

Hugs,
Jean

[fauxgypsy]

I just finished my second set of taxol, carboplatin and herceptin. The first time it really affected the taste of food. The second time I had tha carboplatin I mentioned to the oncologist that I hadn't really been nauseous, just a little queasy but not enough to take the Zofram. I think I was trying to save it In case I really needed it. I get IV Aloxi at the time of chemo but this last time he gave me a prescription for Emend. It was a blister pack for three days. I started it right after chemo. You are supposed to take the first one prior to the chemo but our pharmacy was not close to the clinic. I felt so much better and food tasted better as well. I don't know that it was the Emend but I think that it might have been. Another thing that I do is to drink Danactive yogurt. I don't have very much diarhea but I do know that it messes up the natural flora and fauna of your digestive tract and the yogurt helps to replenish it. I haven't had any low blood counts yet and haven't needed the shots. I have had acne on my face and scalp and my "hair" hurts but I do still have hair though I am shedding. Maybe I am molting. I have treatments on Fridays and the fatigue hits me on Sunday and Monday. Then I am good to go as long as I pace myself.

Good luck!
Leslie

Good luck

[Bev]

I was usually sleepy for 2 or so days after tx. Although WBC's dropped, I was able to go to Baseball games etc and live with my 3 children during flu season with no ill effects. If you really want to go this weekend, go. Just wash your hands a lot. After your next treatment you will probably know how your body is going to react. BB

[Erin]

Annie,

I don't want to be negative, but I am a big fan of being armed with info. so I will be pretty frank.

My first 3 rounds were pretty good..not easy, but doable as they say, but a little worse each time. Chemo-day (day 1) was fine, as were day 2and 3. Day 4 I started to feel it. Tired, lots of chemo-brain problems. I was up and moving around, but taking it easy, watered the garden but didn't weed, went on a stoll instead of a power walk, took the elevator at work....you get the picture. Not too bad. By about day 8 I was really pretty much back to myself.

I am just past my 4th round and felt pretty bad on days 4 through 7. Took 1 and 1/2 days off work...and really shouldn't have gone in that half day. This round is markedly worse for me. Profound fatigue, horrible diarrehea, that terrible disconnected, spacey chemo-brain feeling. This day 8 and I still feel like sh*t.

The oddly good news is the day I start to feel better I begin to get a serious dose of euphoria. Just soooooooo grateful that the worst is over, and I made it through another one. I know that next week will be grand, even though I am not truly back to myself, I feel so much better that I am on top of the world...Wierd,huh?

I will say what others have said....it sucks, but you can do it. Be good to yourself, allow others to help you, take it easy, and don't be a hero about the meds. Use what they give you and if you need something else, ask for it.

Best of luck :-)

[Sherryg683]

I'm another one that pretty much did as I wanted, even when my WBC's got low...and believe me..mine got pretty low at times. My oncologist told me from the beginning to eat what I wanted, keep up my exercise if I felt like it and go out and enjoy life when I felt good enough to. I didn't avoid crowds, ate salads and had sick kids in and out the house all the time. I never once came down with anything while on chemo. THEN...a year later when I'm suppose to be feeling like my old self again, I came up with shingles that ran in 3 nerve paths. I have terrible lingering pains from them that just don't seem to be getting any better. All the doctors have told me it was because my immune system is still weak from chemo, guess that makes sense but you wonder why it didn't occur when my immune system was really low while on chemo..sherryg683

[Sherryg683]

Erin, you talk of the chemo brain... I still have chemo brain. My brain just doesn't work as well since being on chemo, I'm just not near as sharp and still stumble on my words. That was the worst for me about chemo was that I felt so totally out of it mentally..sherryg683

[Marie G]

It is Marie G wondering how chemo went for you??? You were in my prayers where you will always stay. Keep the faith, smile and laugh, and make new memories each day that you are gifted with. As you progress with treatment you will get to know the routine and with that will bring you comfort. At night when the voices speak louder make sure you have someone to talk to if you need. You will find your peace as you get on. Make sure you ask questions and get answers, whether it be your doctor or these wonderful Angels on this site. Stay away from sugar and eat right, even talk to your doctor or a nutritionist for supplement advice. Take care Sweetheart, we are all right here for one another. >Waiting For A Miracle(My husband has stage IV her2/Inflammatory BC>>Love Marie G

[janet11]

One more shout of wishing you good luck through chemo. I found TCH very doable. The one thing that I was surprised about though was that food (food glorious food) was no longer my friend. Each cycle, I'd find one or two things that I previously liked now tasted disgusting and a few things would just taste 'ok. By cycle 6, it was a challenge to find things I would eat.

But did I lose weight? NOOOOOO... I just kept tasting, trying to find things I liked (*laugh*). Oh well.

The first thing that went was coffee and anything with vinegar on it. 2 months after chemo was done, I had my first cup of coffee again and finally enjoyed it. I DID do well with tea though, so that was my 'hot drink substitute'.

Drink plenty of water. And my hint: when your mouth develops yucky tastes, brush often and rinse often (I used Biotene mouthwash). I kept my mouth SO clean that I had the best dental checkup I've had in YEARS ... the month AFTER chemo ended (*laugh*).

Good luck,
Janet