Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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Jaimieh: How is your infection? I have had a slight infection in my mastectomy breast, but nothing like you have had--mine is cellulitis, but it still has not gone away after 2 weeks of antibiotics.
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Helen~ I had to have them removed last week
but they where able to get smaller implants in. So I went from vavoom to athletic foobs but if they heal I will be thrilled. Apparently 2.5 cm of skin had to be cut off from each side because it was way too thin. I hope your cellulitis goes away soon. 0 -
Hi Ladies! Hope you all are doing well and making progress toward your cure.
I had my first Herceptin only yesterday and all went well. No S.E.'s and no nausea. Still have not seen my oncologist since TCH tx#3!, but her PA "promised" she would see me next next time.
Now for the GOOD NEWS! I met with my surgeon and got the results of the contrast MRI! THERE IS NO MORE CANCER IN THE TUMOR!!!! The TCH did its job! We discussed surgery and have decided to do a bilateral mastectomy with removal of the axilla nodes on both sides. My surgeon says this should give me a 93% chance of NON recurrence. We will look at radiation after surgery, but he feels that may not be necessary at all! Just continue on the Herceptin until next April. Surgery is scheduled for Sept 21. (He' gave me a month to regain my strength from the ravages of TCH so I will be stronger going into surgery since the fatigue factor has really got me depleted)
I've had a number of friends ask why I was given chemo before surgery. My surgeon (who was head of breast cancer research at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for 25 years) explained that leaving the tumor in place through TCH lets them do a contrast (radio-die) MRI after chemo and see exactly what effect the chemo had on the tumor. He said "nothing lit up on your MRI" which means the cancer cells in the tumor are DEAD and GONE! There were a few "glimmers" on the scan, but he said that is normal since I had the scan the same day as my last TCH treatment.
I'm walking on air! For all the side effects, I'm here to tell you that TCH is not only dooable, it has been a miracle treatment for me.
hugs to all....
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Heres one for Heceptin only differences in individuals. I feel very tired the night of infusion. My cheeks get very rosy. My taste changes ( I now like modern art) (lol). A little queasy and those are the big ones. I still have neropathy in my feet. I wonder if it will ever go away. I have heard that it can be permanent. But I had my tumor markers tested a few weeks back and they are NED!!! Life is good. I am rocking my uber short hair. I look edgy and elegant so I am happy. I have always had very long hair so it very different for me. It looks like a blond Buddhist monk. Lovin life!!!
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Alaina, the nurse educator has she had a mast and are you getting a bi- mast?
Just be prepared for a bit more pain if you are getting a bi mast. Most people got morphine pain balls along with the drains to go home with. Please ask that question 3 to 4 on a the scale tells me she never had the surgery. Clearly the surgery is doable look at how many of us have done so but with pain meds. Demand them. Some said a while back they are not giving our medals for pain .
Surgery scares all of us more than anything, hang in there you will do just fine. Like you said this is just another step to recovery.
I will be praying for you and sending you positive vibes. All the best
Malle
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My surgeon said he administers a medication in the spine during surgery that blocks pain for 3-5 days. It's not the same thing they give you when you have a baby (Gawd, that was a long time ago). Some kind of time released pain killer. He said he will also prescribe vicodin if necessary, but most of his patients get by with Excedrin after that.
He also agrees 100% with the new studies on exercise and lymphedma. He said his 88 year old mother had melanoma (leg) surgery with leg nodes removed and she suffered with lymphedma for over a year. Finally his father (a doctor) said "honey, let's start exerciing that leg". So they started walking. She now runs 5Ks on Cancer survivor days! Use it or lose it.
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Swampy I wish I had you Dr for the pain. I have to admit exercise which I have finally started doing this past week since my exchange surgery has helped with just about every thing aches in back, sleeping, constipation you name it.And my mood and outlook are so much better too So I sold exercise works.
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Malle,
In fact, the nurse educator IS a breast cancer survivor who has had a mastectomy. Don't know if it was partial or both breasts. I'm only getting the left breast removed at this time. Will decide later if I'm going to remove my healthy right breast.
They will give me pain meds and she encouraged me to use them as needed. She also said that I would not be getting any medals for enduring unnecessary pain. :-) Most everything I've read said that the Mx was not as painful as folks expected it to be. Like you said, very doable.
I'm having a big Ta-Ta-the-the-Ta-Ta's Party on Friday Night! That's what I'm focusing on at the moment! A night of fun and frolic with 125 of my closest friends! LOL!!!
Thanks for your prayers! All are needed and appreciated!
Alaina
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I just realized something...I am 6 weeks PFC and my taste buds are returning! I don't notice as much of the metallicy-salty-sweet taste in my mouth anymore!
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Alaina and Swampy, you'll both be in my thought and prayers for your surgeries. Keep up your great spirits!
Becky
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What is the BETH trial and is anyone doing trials at all. The bone med one?? vaccine?? Also does anyone have their period still. Please inform girls.
Hope all chemos are going well
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BETH is a trial that adds Avastin to chemo. Avastin is suppose to discourage new blood cell development and my simplified understanding of the theory is that it deprives the cancer of blood supply helping chemo to kill it. It is for node-positive or high-risk node negative. The criteria for high-risk node negative includes hormone negative BC even if the tumor is really small. So it gets offered to women like me with a <1 cm cancer, but I don't think that is really high risk enough to be worth the Avastin risks.
I'm on SWOG S0307 which might be what you meant by the bone med one. That is for Stage I to Stage III. You can start it during chemo but it allows starting up to 8 weeks after chemo and it wasn't mentioned to me until after I finished chemo. On that study you get one of three "bone meds" which it is theorized will also reduce the risk of mets. The one I'm on is Clodronate and it can be hard on the kidneys. Chemo stresses them to so I think starting the trial after finishing chemo is better and maybe that's why my onc didn't offer it to me until then.
I think the vaccine trials may be only Stage IV right now.
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Hi - new person here - starting the TCH routine next week - I had ACT 9 years ago, but found a new tumor in May, so have recently had bi-lateral and immediate reconstruction. I have a port put in my arm on Friday -anyone else have a port in their arm? How soon does the hair come out on the TCH? Compared to ACT, I heard that TCH is much easier - but I was told I would be pretty tired. How tired are all of you? I work part time -when did the fatigue hit you (how many days post chemo) and how long did it last? SO MANY QUESTIONS - sorry
I will post a picture soon.0 -
Alaina, I had a bi-mast and I agree with your nurse educator. I had one percoset when I came to my room after surgery, then no more pain medication until I went home the next afternoon. In fact the next morning the nurse asked if I was in any pain since I hadn't requested any medicine. I told her not really, but I was going to have a percoset before I left to go home since I lived an hour away. Once I got home, it took me 3 weeks to go thru a 10 day supply and that was mainly becuase of the drains. It seemed no matter what I did, I ended up pulling the stitches on one or the other drain somehow. My mom is a twice over survivor (15 years for 1st and 7 years for 2nd) and she told me the surgery would be nothing since all the nerves would be cut. I found she was right. Maybe it was the surgeon, I used her surgeon since he had a family history on me. My cancer was only on the left side, but I'm glad I had a bi-mast since my right side was riddled with atypical hyperlasia and now I have a small lump that has formed were my scar is on the right side. The onc is the one who found it and is going to watch it since he's not sure that's is not scar tissue (I have small veins and took longer to heal on the non-cancer side). My decision for a bi-mast was based on I'm 3rd generation breast cancer and since everyone had the cancer twice, I wasn't going to go thru the surgery twice.
I don't post very often, but I check in almost daily to compare my SEs with the other ladies'. This web site has been a Godsend. I have my 5th TCH next Thursday and did decent until the 4th when my WBC and platelets nose dived. I was out of work a week, but other than that I've worked throughout my treatment. Don't worry about the surgery, my prayers are with you and I know you will do great!
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Thanks Everyone for the words of wisdom and experience! I cannot tell you how much they mean to me! I'm starting to be a little LESS freaked out.
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Shelclaire... I had one more period after my first treatment and haven't had one since. I finished chemo on July 6th. I started having hot flashes about halfway into chemo. The onc says that my ovaries have not 'woken' up yet.
Christine....Welcome and sorry we had to meet this way. Ask as many questions as you want, that is what we are here for...support. My hair started coming out 16 days after my first treatment. I washed it that morning, and it took me 20 minutes to pick through all of the clumps of hair coming out. I waited about a week before I shaved it down to a #4 guard myself. Hair gets everywhere before you shave it. One of my main side effects with TCH has been extreme fatigue. I would take off work the first week after each treatment, and then work half days the following 2 weeks. I am still pretty tired and I am 6 weeks past chemo. I have a power port in my upper chest, not in my arm, so I can't help you there. Good luck!
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Alaina... I had never had any surgery my whole life until all this happened to me, and was always scared to be put under anesthesia,,,,, but now having gone through 4 surgeries since December, it is not that bad, you don't even know when you are out, you just disappear for a while and before ya know it you wake up.. I had a bilateral mastectomy on Feb. 20th., and at the same time I had a lipoma (fat deposit) removed from the back of my shoulder,,,, thats alot of surgery for one day, but I have to tell you, the pain from my shoulder was worse than both breasts.... and it wasnt bad. All I took was 2 Vicodin the first night in the hospital, and that was only because I was sore and thought I could sleep better if I took them. You will be fine. Just try to relax. I know its hard. Just know the doctors and nurses will take care of you.0
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Hi all,
I had #1 on Tuesday followed by Nuelasta yesterday. I must say the trx went much smoother than I anticipated. I too had a hard time falling asleep the first night on the steroids. My chemo nurse told me to take them no later than 4:00pm. Slept better the second night, but I also took Ativan so one of them help.
Other than a little constipation the first 2 days, I can't complain so far.
When I went to see my onc dr prior to my first tx she reviewed my CT results. Never had a CT prior so did not know what to expect. My results showed something on my thyroid. Doc said that sometime BC and thyroid are related. Anyone else have any issues with growths on their thyriod?
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Luddy congrats on TX 1. It is wonderful to start the count down. I hope that it is benign on you thyroid. Many people have cysts. try not to worry. You have a lot on your plate right now. You are in my thought and prayers for no bad SE and to sail right through.
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Had my first Herceptin-only tx this morning. (One down, ten to go.) It was so quick & easy. This practice believes in ONLY 90 minute infusions -they do not speed it up in the future. They believe it is less potentially damaging to the heart to do it slower so that's the way it will be. No problem for me - a book, my IPOD and blackberry make the time zip by. It feels SO GREAT to be home withuot the fuzzy headed benadryl haze. It is finally sinking in that chemo is really over for me. I am so glad.
Rads starts Monday. Test run is tomorrow. I feel prepared.
Onward! And to all you newbies - you WILL make it through this. Really!
Amy
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Had my first Herceptin-only tx this morning. (One down, ten to go.) It was so quick & easy. This practice believes in ONLY 90 minute infusions -they do not speed it up in the future. They believe it is less potentially damaging to the heart to do it slower so that's the way it will be. No problem for me - a book, my IPOD and blackberry make the time zip by. It feels SO GREAT to be home withuot the fuzzy headed benadryl haze. It is finally sinking in that chemo is really over for me. I am so glad.
Rads starts Monday. Test run is tomorrow. I feel prepared.
Onward! And to all you newbies - you WILL make it through this. Really!
Amy
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" When I went to see my onc dr prior to my first tx she reviewed my CT results. Never had a CT prior so did not know what to expect. My results showed something on my thyroid. Doc said that sometime BC and thyroid are related. Anyone else have any issues with growths on their thyriod?"
Yes....two nodules showed up on my CT scan after my mastestomy for left-side Phyllodes tumor. I had an ultra-sound, then a Fine Needle Aspiration biopsy on them. Both came back as benign and my Surgical Oncologist sent me to see an Endocrinologist for follow up. He says it bears watching for goiter-related issues, and he'll most likely repeat the FNA in a couple of years.
My onc team has been ultra-cautious with me about the thyroid issues because my mother had thyroid cancer at 48. She completely recovered and lived to be 92 without any recurrence of cancer.
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Things were going so well, then PANIC time after first Herceptin only Tuesday....
My ankles were very swollen Wednesday and then that night my blood pressure went off the charts - 196/84 with pulse rate of 100!! This morning 199/86!!! My family physician has put me on Amlodipine and told me to rest, monitor and come back Monday.
Also, Tuesday, I questioned my onc nurse PA (I havent' seen my onc in over 2 months, but that's another story) about excessive teary eyes and told her they were "gooky" and crusty, and she shrugged it off as being due to chemo. My family physician checked out my eyes this morning and I have conjunctivitis so he prescribed antibacterial drops. I'm sorry, but I was raised on a farm with 7 kids in the family and we all had pink eye periodically. My nurse PA must be a ditz!
I also got a B-12 shot for an energy boost.
Just needed to vent and advise those with teary eyes to beware of conjunctivitis.
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OH Swampy how terrible for you. I might have your Family Physician call you Onoc and find out why she is not seeing you.
I hope you get better soon you poor thing. I'll be praying for you.
Christine welcome sorry you have to be here. I have a port in my chest so can't help ya there.
TCH- for me gave me heartburn for 10 days every time, contipation was a real issue especial at day 5 thru 9 I would literally blow up. so keep and eye on that. the nadar time days 4 thru 10. Neulasta the day after chemo hurt all my joints. all dooable and fatigue around day 4. My hair did not fall out like the bigger percentage of women. Some fell out after day 16 with TX1 & Tx2 I thought I would need to wear a wig early and was ready but it really didn't fall out until #5 and then after chemo was done I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes.
Oh ladies don't forget to attend a "Look Better, Feel Better" class thru ACS it free and does give you so many tips on applying all that free makeup they give you.
Maine Praying that your thyroid is just a cyst.
To everyone hang in there it's all dooable, with the tips from those before us.
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Alaina, Oh the others might be right about the pain. My PS is a vascular nerve specialist on top of a PS so I have feeling and a lot of my nerves. Don't worry you will be just fine enjoy that Party.
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Welcome to all the new members. This is such a helpful thread.
I had a problem with constipation after tx 2 and found that Senakot S really helped. My onc nurse told me to be proactive about it for subsequent treatments and just start taking it day one-five.
I had tx 4 yesterday and still felling pretty good. For me, days 4-6 are the worst--very, very tired. I've found it helps a lot to plan something special during week three to look forward to. I feel pretty normal by then. Went to the beach last week and it was great (under an umbrella wearing SPF 50!)
Take care of yourselves!
Becky
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CAN ANYONE ELSE ANSWER DID YOU HAVE YOUR PERIOD DURING CHEMO. Sorry, we are all on this so an easy yes or no would be wonderful. I am on cycle two going into three next week and got mine today. Worried again this stuff is not working as I am shaving my legs too.
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Haven't had mine since I started chemo. Was told it would put me into menopause since I was close to the time anyway. Everyone is different though. I can't see how the chemo could not be working, your just having different se's than others. Hang in there!
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NO since start of chemo
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I had my period in January after I started chemo then it stopped till day before yesterday then it came back with a vengenece I was prefectly fine without it and am not the least bit happy its back!! Bring On the Menopause!!!!
Or maybe not?????
Bold I can feel your positive energy from your posts You Rock Baby!!I am glad life is good it is for me as well!! I have also always had long hair the short hair will be fun I am ready to have fun ( well as soon as my bangs grow I can not subject the public to my forehead) so soon I hope I can take off my bandanas I have a good amount elsewhere so soon?? PS I get the rasy cheeks also! AmylsStrong Thank you so much for your sweet words it is nice to share with someone who knows that amazing feeling of being told NEGATIVE My thoughts are with you for your rads You will do Great!! 0
