Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Anji... I had a PICC line too, for 2 months, and there are a couple ways to keep it dry. I had ordered a PICC line cover from a website called DRY PRO.. it is made specifically for this purpose. It is a rubber sleeve you put on your arm and then pump the air out of it and it seals on your arm so you can take a shower. The other thing that works is Glad Press and Seal wrap... wrap it tightly around your arm and press it down, it works really great! Regular saran wrap does NOT work. Hope this helps you.
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ccbaby Thanks. There is light at the end of the tunnel I know.
They were going to speed up the next treatment but I am going to have to tell them no. I did notice that my thighs really tingled last time (like my scalp did at my first treatment). It was a weird sensation and didn't last very long but I forgot to mention it. cakelady I did try the regular wrap. It was too funny, got soaking wet of course. I've been having baths! Maybe I will try the dry pro route if the press and seal doesn't work for me. I can't remember if you said you have the port yet. I hope, if you do, that it's working well for you. I know you had a lot of trouble from the other thing.
Thanks so much for the input. Hope you all have a great weekend. Anji
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Got the call today for the port surgery... will be on July 28th. I have to go to the general surgery department where I had all my other surgeries.. Do they knock you completely out for that? I have a pre-op appt on the 23rd. I am getting really tired of all the needles, pills and appointments, and I am tired of feeling sick and tired.
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Wendy, I had general anesthesia when I got my port. Not sure if that's standard procedure, or just whqt my surgeon prefers. Also had re-excision surgery at the same time. That might have made a difference. I love having the port--makes all the infusions so much easier!
Becky
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I had MAC anesthetic - I don't know what it stands for but it is lighter anesthetic. It is the same kind (I am pretty sure) that I had for a colonoscopy. You are out and then awake afterwards with a clear head and no lingering side effects. It was great. The port area was tender for a few days afterwards, don't be surprised by that. BUT>>>>> it is awesome to have. It is super quick, easy and PAINLESS when they use it. I was very afraid to have one but I am so glad I have it now.
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Generally for port surgeries, you are in "twilight sedation." You are breathing on your own, but you won't feel any pain nor be aware of what is going on.
If they are knocking you out completely (general anesthesia) it is most likely because you are having the re-excision at the same time.
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thanks ladies, I guess I will find out at the pre-op.
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Wow, woke up and looked for the truck that musta hit me but it was just the Neulasta bone aches...pretty miserable for 2 days. I don't want to OD but I hate pain pills, guess I'll know next time to at least take Davocet. Did not expect this to be so painful, I feel like someone made a voodoo doll and is randomly sticking me all over. Very weird. Anyone else have this? Please say it gets better, no way I can work feeling this bad. Head and eyes ache too.
Guess I'll see how I feel tomorrow. Please share if this has been your experience also.
kauaicharm
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Charm.... Have you tried Claritin for the bone aches?0
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Hi Charm- I had that with the Neulasta, it felt like someone was pulling apart my bones, I was miserable! Claritin helped a lot I would take it 2 days before the Neulasta and a week after the shot.
Hope it gets better!
Lisa, are you still getting SE from the chemo? I am 6 weeks from my last chemo and still have SE most days! I'm hoping they go away soon.
Karen
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Hello Ladies,
It has been 4 weeks since my final TCH. My first Herceptin only went really well--no pre-treatment drugs and a 30 minute infusion. It was FANTASTIC!
Unfortunately, I am still battling with low WBC. School starts in 3 1/2 weeks and I am hoping to have my WBC stabilized by then.
I see that the camp roster continues to grow. To the ladies that have just joined, this is wonderful place to find comfort and support. I honestly cannot imagine what my world would have been like without this site. However, I became so caught up in getting through the six TCH treatments that I did not pay close enough attention to the camp counselors guidance of a healing or recovery period once chemo was finished. I thought I'd finish with chemo and quickly return to my pre-diagnosis energy level. I was wrong. I am not saying the recovery is rough, but it is definitely a reality and I wish I had heeded the words of our camp counselors. If I had, I would have saved myself from the disappointment of realizing that complete freedom from the effects of chemo is a few months beyond chemo #6.
Here's wishing us all the best with our health and healing.
Cheers!
Cloud
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Kauiacharm, I had very bad bone pain with the Neulasta and had back spasms but I did not try Claritin. I wish I had and I did mention it to the chemo nurses. Several here in the past have said it really works so you might ask your onc if you can try it. If it works it is well worth a try. Good Luck with it.
I am completely finished with my tx but not doc appointments. I am still having blood count problems but I think it is compounded by my arthritis and fibromyalgia. I was in the hospital last week with severe chest and back pain but it was not my heart and they think it is the arthritis in my back. Well, I know that is not going away so I will try to live with it. I am still working and that was one week of vacation down the tube. I feel pretty well back to normal now and my hair is growing some but not as fast as I want it to. I think the blood counts might have something to do with that.
I just check in with ya'll to see how everyone is doing. Good luck everyone. Hope you get through this with few side effects but there is life at the end of the tunnel.
Carolyn
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Karen: Your SE's should start subsiding over the next month. I think the herceptin keeps us a little slowed down. I think I would be back to normal now (23 weeks) except for the weight gain. I am sure when I buckle down and take off 20 pounds my energy level will be back.
Charm: Welcome to Nuelasta. My first 2 shots were the worst, but the last 4 really didn't bother me that much. I don't know if we just get used to it.....
gramma: Sorry you have had such a rough week. I had an Aunt with arthritis in her back and she said it was very painful and she was not one to complian. Just try to take it easy and rest some.
I have had a very hectic week and a half and I am just pooped. I got the sick horse home from the hospital on Thrusday, his birthday was Friday so we had a big party for him. That meant I ran around like a crazy person cooking and cleaning. Up early Saturday to meet the farrier which meant another long day in this heat. I am sad to say that Miracle was not granted the wishes we were hoping for. He looks great and is recuperating well from the sugery, but the cancer is very agressive and he has been given 4 to 6 months to live.
I hope every has SE free week!
Lisa
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Hey Florida gals, check this out!
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/34/topic/728898?page=1#post_1440559
Lisa
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Hey Lisa...I clicked on the link, but it didn't work. Any suggestios?
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Hi All. My exchange surgery is Tuesday....yea! If you have had the surgery, can you give me some advice? I have my Herceptin only scheduled for Thursday. Is this too soon after the surgery? Will I still be groggy and laid up? Should I push back the treatment a couple of days?
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Maggie: That's hard to say. I had my exchange surgery on a Wed and my Herceptin TX the next Wed. There was not a problem with that--2 days may be a little soon. I was not groggy at all 2 days after surgery but still a little sore. I would take the advise of your PS or ONC. Good luck.0
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Hey I started my first tx of TCH on july 15th, so far I have been blessed with very little SE. Except for one SE which a lot of stomache cramping. It wakes me up at night hurting and after everytime I eat my stomache hurts so bad I double over. Does anybody else have this problem?? And if so what are you doing about it?? Any suggestions PLEASE!!
Thanks
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Hi everybody, I'm new and start my TCH on Tuesday. I never got a chance to ask my doctor a lot of the questions I had so I'm pretty nervous. A nurse was supposed to call me and never did and I'm feeling like I don't matter. I'm seeing a lot of you mention steroids, benadryl, and nuelasta. What are all these things for?
Thanks!
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Welcome and sorry that you have to join us here. You both will get a lot of good advice on this thread.
Simmons .....I only had a stomach ache only after my last treatment, but I think it was because of something I ate. I had eaten some chicken that was bad. Maybe it was something you ate too? I know we have to be very careful not to get any bacteria. Or maybe it is constipation, that is a main SE.
Twinmom....The steriods are what you take orally the day before, the day of and 3 days after chemo. You will probably get more in your pre-meds before chemo as well. They actually lower your immmune system to help the chemo kill cancer cells and they help with allergic reactions and nausea. The benadryl is in your pre-meds too and helps with allergic reactions. And the Neulasta shot is a shot you get within 72 hours after chemo treatment to help bring your white blood cell count up so you won't get an infection. Not all onc order the Neulasta shot. Mine didn't the firrst time and I got 2 infections, so I received the shot every time after. Please ask your onc and nurse all the questions you have. That is what they are there for, to help you. I always have a list of about 10 questions each time I would see my onc before each treatment, and he told me that he was glad that I ask so many questions.
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Twinmom77: Welcome! I have my 2nd TCH tomorrow and I take steroid pills the day before chemo the day of chemo and the day after chemo. At chemo they drip more steroids into me and also benadryl. I believe I understood the steroids were to help with nausea and allergic reactions and the benadryl was also used to help prevent allergic reactions. I think I understood the nuelasta is a shot given when your WBC is too low. I have not had that yet and hopefully don't experience that at tomorrow's treatment. I meet with my doctor the day of chemo but you should definitely call the office back and ask to speak with a nurse so that you can get your questions answered. There's so much too learn and I would suggest writing your questions down and possibly the answers also for your brain is probably on overload with all that is going on. Best of luck to you...be strong!! You will get through this!
ssimmons66: Glad your not experiencing a lot of SE's, I didn't have too much myself just fatigue and some slight nausea. I am wondering if the stomach cramps can be from constipation which is a side effect for some. You should probably call your doctor to ask though, just to be safe. You can never ask too many questions! Hope you find some relief for this!!
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ssimmons. That stomach cramping really sounds like constipation. Please make sure you are drinking plenty of water and then some more.
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SSimmons - I, too, had the stomach cramping. For me, it was NOT constipation, but rather abdominal spasms as my intestines had to re-learn the digestive process after the cells lining the digestive tract are destroyed by the chemo. They are the fast growing cells that, along with hair, nails, etc. get destroyed by the chemo drugs. Some people get the nausea/vomiting, which I never did, but others can get the spasms. AND THEY HURT! I found they started after I ate or drank anything (even water). It isn't about WHAT you eat, it is the eating process itself that stimulates perestaltic action (sp?) which occurs in waves, and normally, we are all unaware of. But when you feel it, it is very painful. I became afraid to eat or drink anything, which causes problems of its own.
Now, I am on a whole regimen of natural supplements to help my GI system readjust - I take aloe juice, and many other things which really do help. BUT I also have an RX called BENTYL which is normally prescribed for women with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome, which I Don't have), which relaxes the intestinal spasms. I take it as needed and - it really works! PLEASE PLEASE talk to your onco about this drug and ask if they will prescribe. I spent many nights doubled over in white-hot pain from the spasms and, because it is not a 'normal' SE, the doctor's office said "Oh try some GasX" and were nonchalent until I insisted I couldn't function with it anymore. I hate taking drugs unless absolutely necessary, which is why I do all the natural stuff. But these spasms are BRUTAL, as you know. If you want any more info, please PM me. I won't go into further detail here. I hope this is helpful to you. I wouldn't want you to suffer ANY MORE with this SE. It is very very painful and upsetting.I wish you the best of luck. Please ask if you need anything further on this.
Amy
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Thanks ladies for the answers! Well, it's the day before and nobody said anything about getting steroids today so I'm guessing they'll be giving it to me tomorrow beforehand. I really hate this. I hate having to take so many prescription drugs. I just don't put that stuff in my body normally, so to have to put it all in at once is really alarming for me. I had a bad reaction to Benadryl six years ago and never took it again. And I watched steroids destroy several family members whom it was prescribed to, so it's really hard to know that I have to be on that. Sorry to be a downer, just pre-game jitters I guess! Thanks again!
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Thank you all for you responses and trying to help with my problem!
Amy- I think you may be on the right track with my problem because it is not constipation. I am going to call my onco today and ask them if they can give me anything! I also am not big at all on taking a lot of medicines. I will take them if I need too but I don;t even like taking tylenol. I might PM if I don't get any result with my doc. if you don't mind and thank you so musch for all your info!
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Thank you all for you responses and trying to help with my problem!
Amy- I think you may be on the right track with my problem because it is not constipation. I am going to call my onco today and ask them if they can give me anything! I also am not big at all on taking a lot of medicines. I will take them if I need too but I don;t even like taking tylenol. I might PM if I don't get any result with my doc. if you don't mind and thank you so musch for all your info!
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OK, this thread 'disappeared' off of my favorites list and the chemo board. I had to find it in the 'search'. Maybe it is just my computer??
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ccbaby, I don't think it is just your computer. This thread disappears sometimes from the Chemo forum pages but it comes back if you find it and post to it. Maybe something similar happened to it on your favorites. I wonder if other smaller threads get lost but we just don't notice because we aren't looking for them or if it just happens to this one because it is so big.
twinmom, not everyone gets Benedryl with their chemo. Some doctors don't give it as a matter of course. I never had Benedryl during chemo and I'm glad that my oncologist did it that way because I usually felt good during chemo and wouldn't have wanted to lose that work time. I hope you have let your doctor know about your bad reaction to Benedryl so they don't give it to you with chemo and can have something else ready if you have an allergic reaction during chemo.
I also didn't get IV steroids during chemo except one time when I forgot to take my steroid pills the day before chemo so they got a bag of the IV steroids for me.
I didn't get Neulasta because my doctor doesn't automatically prescribe it, but my neutrophils (a type of WBC) went almost to zero about a week after my first chemo and caused a neupogenic fever so after that I got Neupogen (similar to Neulasta but weaker and not long-acting) each cycle.
I know it is hard to have to take all these drugs when you are use to being pretty healthy but some are necessary. Usually you only get the steroids for 4 days or so per chemo cycle so they aren't likely to cause any long term issue.
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ssimmons66 My first treatment was really bad for cramps and my doctor prescribed Buscopan for it. It helped a lot. Good luck. Anji
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Hooked on Hope. My surgeon, Dr. Charles E. Cox, wrote a wonderful article on giving hope to breast cancer patients. This man is so full of compassion and I am so fortunate to be under his loving care.
Biographical info: Dr. Cox was head of breast cancer research at H.Lee Moffit Cancer Center for almost 25 years. He's now with the Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care in Tampa, FL. He is also professor of surgery at the University of South Florida
Article can be found here: http://hookedonhope.org/Dr_Cox.htm
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