Minnie (my personal hero)....sending warm and positive thoughts your way....You're are a constant source of inspiration to all of your 'family' here...

Lois & Buzz in NC

Thank you everyone, I knew I would come back on here and read things that would lift my spirits up.

I go tomorrow for a blood test to test the coagulation of my blood and then Wednesday to have the port put in. Not sure what to expect with that, any of you guys have it?

Also, do you start feeling badly as soon as the chemo is administered or does it take awhile? I'm already going in there asking for Zofran (they mentioned compazine and I said nope) but I'm so clueless about the actual administration of chemo and I hate not knowing everything. I understand the effects it can have, but when does the "bad" stuff start to happen?

Love to all,
Minnie

Ps. Nelie, if I start to lose my hair, I would be honored to have your scarfs. My 10 year old grandaugther has been staying here with us, we have to push her to go home a couple nights a week........said she needs to stay here to take care of Nana. Her name is Kayla and she has a beautiful soul, so gentle. She's 10 and told me Saturday that she was going to buy us matching scarfs and she would tuck her hair up under hers so I wouldn't feel "alone". She also asked me if I was going to die......geez, I hate that question, I remember when my 12 year old, who is now 17, asked me that. I told her not if I could help it and she seemed satisfied with that.

Minnie- my husband has a port and the procedure to install it was no big deal. We were home in a matter of hours. He is so glad he got it-much easier that getting stuck with a needle. When he was on the Cisplatin he didn't have many side effects. They gave him meds to halt the nausea beforehand. With the Erbitux he had mostly skin changes-no nausea. This time the Taxotere is kicking his butt. He had three treatments before his hair fell out. So much easier for a man, he has a crew cut. It really tends to make him sick to his stomach for a few days so he is taking the Compazine but I think he will switch to the Zofran. Kytril is a great anti nausea med but it is really expensive so ask it the nurses have any samples and sometimes they can order it as part of your treatment. Good luck and your grandaughter sounds like a wonderful girl.
Sue

I just went to the beginning of this thread, since you do chemo every 3 weeks then you are likely given fewer treatments at a higher dose. I.e. talk with your MO re cisplatin side effects which you asked for in a different thread.

Re port, that is a snap. Not a big deal at all. It makes everything so much easier, you hardly feel the prick and it work every time. Removal is also easy (15 minutes or so), not quite a quick as the PEG tube, though!

M

My first chemo Tx was not bad at all. My second one knocked me for a loop so it could have been the cumulative effect of the chemo and/or the fact that I had 15 rad Txs since the first? I do know that nothing stopped or helped my nausea from then on. Ugh.

Minnie, Could you just PM me your address and I will mail you the scarves. As for when the effects of chemo set in, I just had cisplatinum so whatever I say here your mileage may vary but how it worked for me is I was OK and not badly nauseated the day tehy gave me the chemo because they give you so much IV stuff to control the nausea at the same time. The next day was when the nausea hit but it didn't get really bad until 2 days after the chemo. I was trying to control it the first time just using compazine until day 3 after when I had been up all night with the heaves when they finally broke down and gave me zofran. After I started on the zofran I was still nauseated but it wasn't nearly as bad in terms of actualy vomiting except during the hour or so when I had the amifostine in me as well.

I continued to feel pretty bad for another week then felt better again in terms of nausea. However, I think it was about two weeks after the first chemo when I started to have seriously falling red and white blood cell counts and that got so bead it delayed my second chemo.

In terms of the actual administration of the chemo. The worst part for me was having to just sit sit sit there for HOURS. Bring videos or a good book and fun people to talk to.

As for the port, I had it and the PEG done at the same time so they made me stay overnight though nornmally it would have been an outpatient procedure if I'd had just it done alone. The site was a bit sore and sensitive afterwards for a couple of days but really not even much of that. After everything you've been through, this won't even hit the radar in terms of any discomfort.

Your 10 year old grand-daughter sounds like such a sweetheart. How wonderfully empathetic to want to wear her hair under a scarf so you won't feel alone. I hope you find time to go scarf shopping with ehr beforehand and find something really pretty you both can wear!

I am thinking of you every day Minnie, and sending prayers for your ease and comfort through this next leg of the battle.

Nelie

I must be one lucky guy. I never lost my hair or got nauseated one little bit. I did lose the hair on my chin and don't have but about 10 hairs to shave. LOL I hope you do the same Minnie only not the shave bit.

Minnie,
Bill's port was such a Godsend...he was so happy to have it for any procedure...bloodwork or chemo. The MO gave him a script for numbing cream to swab on it 1/2 hour before he came for treatment..we just gooped in on and covered with a square of saran wrap to keep it off his clothes. Made the stick painless...just pressure when they push the needle in.

He still has his port..hates to get rid of it, but has decided to have it taken out in a month or so. He wants to wait till after our vacation in case there are any problems.

Deb

Minnie,

I wish you good luck this week and all the weeks to come.

One of my partners has had a port for over six years as he has been switched back and forth on chemo by IV and by mouth over the years. It was no big deal getting it put in and has been used many times for the administration of many other drugs. It has been a blessing for him.

Jerry

Minnie, I am thinking of you and praying, Love you, Carol