Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Bold...Both my surgeon and oncologist recommended for me to do the mastectomy because my breasts are small and I would not have had much breast tissue left anyway if I would have just done the lumpectomy. I may also have to do radiation after chemo because of the one lymph node positive. I will find out after my chemo is done.0
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Bold and ccBaby......I had a lumpectomy first, then they could not get all clear margins so they did it a second time. But they still could not get all clear margins, I had IDC and DCIS. So I had to get the mastectomy on right side. However I opted to get both sides done so I would not have to go through this a second time. Also because, I was big, DDD and since they would not do any reconstruction at all until all the treatment is over, I didn't want to walk around for the next year with one huge boob and one flat. The plastic surgeon said he would never be able to match one implant to my other boob even with a reduction on the good side. So, now I will get matching boobs one day and until then I wear the Amoena breast forms in a special bra.
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Bold~ I had a bi;laterial because of my age 32 and my lump would have never been detected (dense breast tissue) except for the fact that we could feel it which made them do an US. So since I didn't want to take that chance again I did the double. Trust me when the nerve pain gets to me I think what the hell did I do all this for and then I have to snap myself back into reality and remember why.
Weepy today. I hate crying. I don't feel bad just weepy (thank you chemo). Emend seems to be doing it's job (knock on wood). I came home from yesterdays treatment and slept from 2:30pm - 11:30 pm I couldn't believe how tired I was. I did miss seeing my babies though.
On a happy note my 3 yr. old told me today he can see that my hair is growing
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Bold - We're not too far apart in time from our last TCH. I'm 19 days out from my last, #6 and although I should be feeling better, my medi-port has been giving me pain. I mentioned it to my onc a couple weeks ago and I did get a Doppler test to ensure no clogging was occurring and it was figured to be a bacterial infection. I did take antibiotics which I just finished this past Friday but then by Sunday I started feeling the pain around my port again. Has anyone else experience treating a bacterial infection with regards to their medi port? The pain is just a stinging sensation on the inside around the port area.
As for my skin.. Yes... it is very soft.
As for the twitchy eye... just experienced it on my left eye about an hour ago.
How about anyone out there experiencing "chemo brain"? I have found myself having difficulty with remembering people's names.Also...these last few nights, I've had a very hard time sleeping and I know it's because of my anxiety levels creeping up since my surgery (mastectomy) is coming up next week. I'm scared and more afraid of how I am going to handle seeing myself without my breast considering I did find it hard to lose my hair... I will admit, I did. So, I'm afraid that as strong as I was to make it through the 6 TC's... and they were hard... I know I am going to have to prepare myself for Wednesday afternoon, when I wake from my surgery. Anyone out there than can help me calm my anxiety with their experience upon waking up and dealing with the loss?
I am so grateful for all of the information here... THANK YOU!
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Lorena are you having reconstruction done immediately ??
As for Chemo brain I have at least one daily (no joke). I went to a local deli and I sounded like english was my 4th language. I was pointing and grunting for food. I wanted to just leave and go cry in my car but my 3 yr. old was hungry so I made it thru my cave man conversation.
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Bold, I thought I was the one with bad memory about your face rash, but I remember your talking about your rash right before the Oscar party. If you kept a journal, maybe you could look back to mid February and see if you have suggestions for Amy. I had just decided if I were HER2+ that I was having a mastectomy--thank goodness I did because they found I had Paget's disease of the nipple in the pathology. Cupcake--let us hear about your surgery. Paula: CONGRATULATIONS!!
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Jaimieh - I'm not having reconstruction until after radiation. So it will be a secondary surgery sometime late in the year. This first surgery will simply be removal of the affected breast and lymph nodes. I hate the idea but my plastic surgeon recommended I leave my left breast to be removed when reconstruction occurs since I will be having the DIEP procedure.
As for chemo brain... yes... I too sometimes have trouble getting my words out... it's frustrating.0 -
Jaimieh - forgot to mention... my hair is growing!! I finally have a shade of hair. When it started falling, 5 weeks after starting TCH... I went ahead and shaved it for it was very depressing watching it go slowly and more each day after my 2nd cycle. And now after my 6th cycle and 19 days out, I have hair, even if it's just a shade, I have hair! I keep hearing I should shave it once more... anyone out there agree with that?0
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JaimieH - I am so glad you are getting the blood. And thank you so much for the kind words. This board was so good too me and for me while I was going thru treatment, that I just want to help the rest of you along any way I can.
Cupcake: I know you are still in surgery while I type this, but you are in my prayers. Speedy recovery and God Bless.
Paula - You are done!!!!! Rock on!!!! Isn't it a great feeling!!!!
Grandma - You never fail to have words of wisdom and comfort for all of us. Keep an eye on that arthritis and take care of your self.
Those with the face and head breakout: It goes away, don't freak out, it does go away. Just one more insult to injury.
Bold - Don't even get me started on how this crap has aged me. I started this as a very young looking 44 and I am now 45 and look worn out and haggared. My face is still puffy, my jowls are sagging, the bags under my eyes defy description and let's not get to wrinkles. Oh, and lets not forget the extra weight. I took some pics of when my hair first started to fall out. I will take pics in the AM of me now and post them to compare the aging. Sorry, won't take pics now cause Jaimieh's post made me cry and my makeup ran!
Lorena - My prayers are with you. I had a bi-lateral mastectomy and I don't regret it one bit, never!. I wanted ANY possible breast tissue gone that could trigger a re-occurance. I was a candidate for simultaneous reconstruction and my plastic surgeon rocks! Over time, my scars will fade. Clothed, no one knows. I am 100% silicone so I will always be perky! CCbaby, this goes for you too!
I know I have missed some of you, sorry. But this thread has gotten so big it is hard to keep up.
Hang in there everyone!!
Lisa
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Lorena look after your surgery as the cancer is gone, Then start your countdown until your next surgery.
I wanted simultaneous reconstruction but going back to A's after small c's sent me running to the TE.
Sorry to make you cry Lisa but seriously I remembered your post and put the smile on my face and said can we do it today. Gotta Git'r done and if I don't do it now it will mess with everything that I hope to have done in the next 50 days.
As far as aging I am now about 52 yrs. old thank you chemo. I plan on getting it back though the more good days I have the more determined I am to get things back in place and get my mojo back. I think after this TC part of treatment I am going to be a much more assertive person. The hell with everyone stepping on me. Can you tell I am still on steriods...lol.... I just have an understanding for what is important and what isn't.
Hugs to everyone. Tomorrow I go back to the woods for 4-6 hours. Did I mention how happy I am with my port
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Dune: Your right! Sorry, how quickly we forget the shitty stuff. I just had redness no acne. It was hot and I out ice on it and waited it out. Thats what I did. You have a good memory. Pagets YIKEES. I am soooo glad you caught it!!!!
Thank you all for letting me know why you choose mast. I understand completely. I was just curious why some people get them and others do not. I get a little nervous that I didn't but I made a dicision and I am going to have to stick to it.
Jaimieh: You did not make me cry but smile. I cryed all the time. I think it has to do with the drugs as a matter of fact I am sure that it does. I had a big endocrin crash after 1st or 2nd TX. I could not pull myself together. I was mad and sad and yelling and crying. My poor DH took the brunt of it. It never happened again and I have been able to keep my sence of humor and optimism. Your doing great.
But LORENA you made me cry. I can not help with that loss but I feel for you and you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Cakelady: As if the surgery is not hard enough boy you went through hell. I hope that you are at peace now and know that you kicked cancer ass!
Lisa: YEAH the frigging jowls W.T.F. I seriously am avoiding mirrors. I use to be kinda vain no more. I have had to just be grateful I get to be here. Still my hands look old too. I hope to see them get really old looking when I am 85 years old. I think we have lost the connective tissue as the elasticity has been compromised. GRRRR. Glad to here you have a little hair. How many weeks out of chemo are you now? Can not wait to have a GI Jane. I am tired of looking like the six flags guy. Or DR. Evil.
Peace
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IMy Hair just has the white mad scientist look now. Some pieces longer some shorter, some colored its just a beautiful mess. I am embrassing it now with my one last treatmetn but I will be more than ready to see it return after May. I am with bold ready for GI jane,
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Bold and Jaimieh, I am officially GI Jane! My natural hair was always medium brown, sometimes dark brown. However, I colored it dark and bleached it light as the mood struck. My GI Jane is BLACK! My mother;s hair was blue-black before chemo and she never, ever had it colored.
Bold - I am trying to be an adult, but I am not happy about what chemo has done to my appearance. I was/am vane and prideful, but this just sucks. I have gone from the hot 30 something chick to the chubby "other something chick". Kinda depressing. I need to get off my chunky butt and get back in the gym. That will help a ton!!!! OMG I saw the pics of me on my horse camp/ride this weekend and I almost cryed!!!! Motivation!
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Here is a pic of me and my boy this weekend. We are in the foreground. I am the bald chick in the black baseball cap!!!!
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Lisa - you look BEAUTIFUL. I know it is not the way you see yourself right now, but for me, looking at that photo, you absolutely do. Also - it looks like a wonderful day!
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Thanks Amy - it was a great day. If you look to the right of the pic - out in the water you will see a black blob. We did not realize it while we were doing our "photo op", but that was a 6 foot alligator
. Gotta love Florida! 0 -
Lisa, you look good! You look healthy too! Hair is over rated. I do have to tell myself that. I feel like I am older looking but I always had long wavy hair and now it is just flat on my head but brown and gray. I am going without a hat every where. It is hot enough to do that now. Before I was so cold I just needed my head covered. I have lost weight and continue to loose and I think that helps the old look. I always said I kept my weight so the wrinkles would not show. My neck looks like a turkey neck! I am going to be 62 in Aug and I never felt like I was old but I realize it now!
A woman made a mistake making out her bank deposit slip yesterday so I had to reverse it so she could do what she really wanted to. She was so sorry and it really upset her that she did it but I told her that I found out that life is too short to worry about the little stuff like that and it was not a big deal. She felt relieved and then she noticed my short hair so I guess she understood. I do not know what she was going through to get her so bothered by that but we just have to be kind to one another. These young people I work with just don't understand yet and they get mad about the smallest thing. We are like GOLD, we have been tried in the fire fire and came out gleaming. Ya'll remember that! It does not matter what your mirror says it is your heart that matters. You are all GOLD.
I still have some chemo brain sometimes trying to remember a word but then it could be age related too. My husband told someone he had chemo brain from just being with me during the chemo tx. I am sure it is his age, well he did have triple bypass so I guess he can use that too.
I had some of my se after the last tx like bloody nose and fingernails & toenails turning colors. One toenail turned white and I tried to scrape it off but it was the whole toenail but now it is growing off. They say you can tell you health problems by your finger nails so I guess it really does show up when you have chemo. I was hoping to be finished with Herceptin in June but onc said we were going to over lap it more than a year. I asked how long but no answer. I guess I will see.
I hope everyone is doing okay and I am so happy for the ones that are finishing. It is like a marathon isn't it. those just starting you can make it too. Just one foot in front of the other.
gramma23(Carolyn)
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Hi, all! I have a question.
I'm 17 days out from my first TCH tmt and my hair is starting to fall out. Expected, I know, but my scalp feels like it's on fire. It hurt to lay my head on a pillow last night. I've not seem any mention this SE. I have an appointment to get my head shaved later today.
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Swampy once you get it shaved it will relieve the feeling ((bighug))
Lisa~ Think of you as I am getting my infusion.
The emend I hope continues to help me like it has I feel human still,,,,whooo!! I actually did some gardening yesterday it was a wonderful day. I hope it continues.
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HI swampy, The head on fire is normal, some say it tingles for a few nights and then falls out. Mine after tx 3 is still there just thin but I started out with extremely thick hair.. It is just theese past few weeks that's it falling out if I touch it but still no need for a wig. Wigs , hats are all very hot on my head. I am having my own personal heatwave. My head has hurt since tx#1 and if the wind blows outside it hurts even more.
Taxotere, Carpolatin Herceptin Weekly- Question Can others do this weekly and shorten out overall time? anyone know? Sorry got to go
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Thanks, Jaimieh.... I may be able to sleep tonight! :-)
I'm so glad you were able to get Emend. I hear it is really good stuff. Medicare refused my doctor's request for a prescription for it. :-(
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Hey Swampy- I did my tx weekly x 3 then a week off for 4 cycles. I think if anything, it prolonged it a bit over the once every 3 times 4. If you add in the required week off, it is a little longer. And if you get into really bad nausea issues, you MUST fight for Emend! For me, it made all the difference between quitting treatment and continuing. No nausea on that baby!
Lisa- You look wonderful! I'm a little less jealous now that our weather is nice, but I sure would love to try your life for a day!
Gotta run...until later...
xoEllen
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Lisa You look beautiful Baby!!! It is such a great feeling to be done with Chemo the rest seems so easy now, I got 3 weeks of rads starting in June. Then of course Herceptin only till Jan 2010. My hair is like Jaimieh said hers was I have gotten pretty bald on top the hair in back has actually grown quite a bit Ok I need Opinions I have never shaved my head yet will it be better for Regrowth if I do it now???? Bold How you doing Baby??? Thinking of you sending love and {{{Hugs}}} Denali My Lady How are you??Missing you!!!0
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Hello Sisters: I feel good I am now 16 days post TX. My fingers and toes are still sore but getting better. I can not wait till this stuff is out of my tortured body. Lisa You look happy and healthy. You go girl. Rock: Its so cool that its behind us. Everyday we will be getting better and better. I will miss you in the may rad group. You said you will start in June.
I had a dream last night that my hair was growing like a inch an hour. Thats why they call them dreams. I shaved my head so that it would grow back even. So I am bald as a cucumber and looking everyday to see if anything has changed.(it has not). Someday I will post that I have a hair appointment.
Carolyn:I am confused you have hair now it has been a long time since you were in chemo right? Thank you for aways caring you are an exceptional woman.
Cupcake: I hope that you are resting and on the road to perfect health.
Off to get some work done. yippeee!
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Malleme: I asked the same question of my onco nurses and they said there needs to be two to three weeks between Neulesta shots. I have jumped on this a bit and am receiving treatments about two and half weeks apart. I don't want to push the envelope anymore than that.
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I started the exact same drugs April 9th. I have not had surgery yet, so I don't know if any of my lymph nodes have been affected. I have had one swollen lymph that I have had a biopsy on which came back negative. One of the biggest and best side affects is the fact that I can no longer FEEL the lump! I found the lump on March 6th and in only a month I had feel it grow. I didn't like the chemo, but I at least am able to see a dramatic difference, so it makes it worth while.
As far as the bad side affects...I am doing one treatment of all 3 every 3 weeks for 6 weeks. I did not have nausea the day of chemo, the next day I did though. I thought I was going to burp and it wasn't a burp! Curiously it was the same thing with #2 the next day. That was the only time that I had problems with vomiting so far. They gave me Emend for day 2 and 3 after the chemo treatment. I have had problems with numbness in my hands and feet, I also have had a very bad "Cotton" mouth because of the chemo...like waking up after drinking all night, but not being able to ever get rid of the cotton mouth after it. Food does taste differently also. I have noticed that my skin is a lot less strong after the chemo treatment, but it has gotten better since I am coming up on week 3 and will be going in for another treatment this up coming Monday. Another side affect is that I was extremely tired directly after the treatment and then a week after it I ended up with insomnia, but I am still having my period and I am only 37 and I usually get that even without chemo...although chemo DID make those things and my hormones that much more heightened and sensitive. I had long hair and I shaved it and dontated to the "locks of love"..I am sure that I am going to lose my hair and when I do it will help not have hair all over (my daughter is 9 months old and she likes to pull on it and I didn't want her shoving it in her mouth)
Good luck to you,
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got the call I get a week after my hercepten I had 17 of them and chemo through last summer than radiation in the fall; The nurse said my liver enzemes were elevated a little what the heck does that mean they arent worried but when all your treatments are over you worrry is it going to come back to my liver they took 29 lymph nodes out only 4 were infected but it still worries me anyone have any calming advise????> I am getting my port out Monday its been in a year HELP..I am sorry Maryann I am not good at all this stuff and not sure what all the tech. stuff means single and alone through this all I think of lately last few weeks is I want to do and see so much .. Iam just getting my hair back after wearing a wig almost a year and get my Plastic surgery in June ..
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Colette... I'm about a week behind of your schedule. (Started TCH on the 14). I got my head shaved today. It feels funny! :-) But, damn it, that is something *I* could control! *I'll* say when it comes off, not the chemo!
Your "non vomi, vomit) was likely acid reflux. I had it too. Over the counter Pepsid AC helps and when you feel like eating again take one 30 minutes before the meal then according to directions.
I didn't get Emend so I have some other prescriptions (Ativan (Lorazepam) prochlorperazine (Compazine) and others) for nausea and I probably didn't take enough of them to help the nausea the first cycle. I'll be more proactive next week.
Insomnia hasn't been a problem for me (yet)
Take care, gal
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Lisa... You look great and happy and not at all fat!!! I always love to see the horse pictures and WOW an alligator , lucky it was not too close, would your horse have freaked out? You are so lucky to get to ride whenever you want. I could not get simultaneous reconstruction because they wanted to be sure to get rid of the cancer first, and that would have delayed chemo, and I had already been delayed more than they had liked due to the 3 surgeries I have had since December. How do you like the silicone boobs? I have a while to think about what I want to do,
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I have a question for TCH'rs who are more than halfway through their Txs or already done. When did they do another scan to determine if the chemo was working? Was it after #3 or #4 or was it at the end of your schedule (like after #6)?
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