Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Yep. Still having periods. Not a good thing with low platelets. I discussed it with my Onc and he assured me that it doesn't mean that my chemo isn't working-just that my ovaries are stubborn
I did start having MAJOR night sweats, which I am hoping are chemopause related.0 -
Alaina, you are in many people's thoughts and prayers today!
Becky
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Alaina: You are in my prayers and my thoughts. I know you will be fine. I look forward to your post when you are up to it. Take time to heal and remember to breath and think wonderful healing thoughts.
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Good luck to you Alaina-hopw by the time you read this you are well on your way to recovery! Please keep us updated.
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Thank you for the answers on Periods, what a fun conversation. Still have mine (6 days) not normally me. Have chemo on Wednesday see onc on Tuesday so I will chat with her.
A speed recovery to all that are having surgery and the effects of chemo today.
Blessings and Hugs
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dharma...I am 7 weeks PFC and my ovaries have still not 'woken up' I have hot flashes during the day and night sweats. I can't wait for those to go away.0
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I just found out today that I have fatty liver disease, most likely from uncontrolled diabetes. My oncologist is stopping my chemotherapy and feels that I will most likely not be able to continue in the future. This is a huge blow for me. I have only had 1 round of chemo. I REALLY hope that was enough to get the job done!
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I am so sorry to hear that. How did you find that out, was it from a n. Can you get a second opinion on chemo treatment. Not even one or two more and what about the Herceptin can you continue that? Praying for you
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Hi everyone.... I just had my 2nd Herceptin only today, it went well. It is so much easier with a port.
I will be on Coumadin for 3 more months, so they want to hold off on starting the Tamoxifen, because I guess there is some reason the two don't mix. I also got a follow up appointment with the plastic surgeon I saw 8 or 9 months ago, so we will see when reconstruction can begin.
Oh one good thing, the eye twitching from TCH is over for the most part, yay! and my hair is starting to grow a tiny bit,,,, yay again.
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Alaina -- let us know if Thelma and Louise are now seperated. If surgery was a 'go' today, you just imagine ALL of us in your room with you in spirit, cheering you on! I'm the one in the corner, sipping a margarita with salt sprinkled all over my lopsided chest. My Thelma lost her Louise too, last February.
Dharmamama -- I'm so sorry to hear your news. Here's hoping your chemo treatment kicked a$$. Will you be having radiation? I second Shelclaire's suggestion to get a second opinion.
I can't remember if I've already shared this with you all--chemo brain ya know? Please ignore if I did. This is a video of a group from BC.org who have been meeting since 2005! Each year they meet at a different city-this year it was Seattle.
http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=389530&shu=1
How cool, huh?
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ShelClaire: Have you asked your doctor? What did they say if you did?
What is Neulasta? I have seen this several times. I am getting ready for TX #1 on Thurs and just wondered. I know I have to start with Decadron on Wed. but that is all I have heard. Anyone?
Thanks!
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Oh Dharmamama, I'm so sorry too. A second opinion is in order. Maybe there is some chemo or just the Herceptin that wouldn't be hard on the liver.
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Jennsdogs, Neulasta is a drug that stimulates white cell production. Chemo interferes with quickly dividing cells which includes your hair and bone marrow. Neulasta can keep your white cell count up by stimulating the bone marrow to produce. It is a shot usually given 24 hours after chemo.
Some oncologists give it to everyone on TCH. Some wait and see how your white cells do because Neulasta has its own side effects. It is a strong long lasting formulation. There is another drug, Neupogen which is similar but not as strong and not long acting. My onc was a wait and see one and I had problems my first chemo because my white cells went down to almost nothing. I got a neutrophilic fever (a fever without infection just because white cells called neutrophils which are what Neupogen and Neulasta cause you to produce) and felt really tired and lousy.
After that I had 3 Neupogen shots per chemo cycle. They taught me how to give myself the shots.
Neulasta can cause bone pain. Some people take Claritin and Tylenol to help with that.
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Thank you for the link Denali. I think this is the group that Laura GTO belongs to. She has posted pics of their get togethers on a thread, I forgot which one. There is a group of us meeting in Vegas Sept. 25-28. It is under the breast reconst. thread.
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Dharmamama, I, too, am so sorry that your chemo has been suspended. Please take the advice of others and get a second opinion. I pray that you will find the right combination of health care that will support your body's needs.
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Bluedasher - thanks, that explains it. I guess at my first chemo tx they will explain it to me??
Dharmamama: I am so sorry but hope, like you said, the first tx got you good!
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JENNSDOGS- Ask my doctor what. I forgot what I posted already. I go get blood drawn today and then chemo tomorrow. Starting decadron after I eat something unhealthy for me.
Nuelsta does not cause me any pain..not yet but it gets my white count right up to 1100005 days after chemo and as you Can see from posts I feel pretty good. It is a quick shot in the back of the arm and I don't feel a thing.
Dharma- Herceptin is vital and I don't see where it would cause liver issues. Please discuss this with your onc. Can you go on any of the pills. Tamox or Femara or any of them. Praying for us all today. We are warrior princesses. Fight like it.
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Dharmamama - I am so sorry your chemo has been suspended. I agree with the other's on a second opinion and herceptin. Please keep us all posted.
Lisa
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I got mine after first treatment. Was very regular. Now on third treatment and started the same day as treatment, what a treat! (sarcastic) What's got me worried is normally "it" last about 7 days with 2 days being very light. This time it's very light but lasting for over 10 days. Guess I better call the onc. and complain.
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Update on me....I am 7 weeks PFC now and have had 2 herceptin only treatments so far. I start radiation tomorrow and am hoping that the next 6 weeks go by fast. I have went back to work full time now instead of half days. I am still pretty tired all of the time, but I just keep pushing through it. My hair is about an inch long now and thickening up a little. I had a lot of gray coming in with the brown so I colored it yesterday. It looks much better. I still wear my wig in public, but I wanted to color it so it would look better to me when I look in the mirror. Just like Wendy, my eye twitching has went away and my taste buds are coming back. That all may change when I get further into rads I won't be able to get my exchange from expander to implant until at least 3 months after rads are finished. My PS actually wants me to wait 6 months. I have been writing a journal online with my experience with all of this for the past 7 months. Take care everyone!
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Christy, I think a journal is a good idea since you tend to forget things once it is past. Especially things you would rather not remember. I am not sure online is always the best idea but if you don't put too much personal info it could help others too. I think for your children too later in years or if they have to go through this they might benefit from it. I do hope radiation goes smooth for you but you may have some burns but just do what they tell you and even though you have to go everyday except weekends it will go fast. I thought it wasn't going very fast but then when I was finished I said boy that went fast. haha Anyway I am sure the exchange will go well and I do think they have reasons to do it when they think is better. I get impatient and want things to happen right away. I have a doctor tell me I was the most impatient person he had ever seen and I thought I should be well once the shot or pill went in and that is probably true. It all takes time I guess but I am still that way I am afraid.
I got my first hair cut yesterday and it was really just a trim to make what I have look better. It is shorter now but at least looks like I had good hair cut instead of a bad one. I hope it makes it grow faster now. I always heard if you trim your hair it grows faster. The top of my head is where it is not growing and the girl I had do it has been around me through all this and she agrees the top is not growing like the rest of it. She did think it is getting thicker though. My hair is dark with gray but not much more than it had before and seems to be the same as it was before chemo. I still have my unmanageable hair I had before. I was hoping for something different! Well I am just glad to have hair anyway. It will be a year in Nov. since I lost it. I hope everyone here gets their hair back faster than I did. My legs have hair and my eyebrows have hair but it is so fine and no color. I have to fill them in with a pencil. the lashes are still very short but I can live with that as long as the cancer is gone. I look older than I did but then I am older but I lost weight and that had a lot to do with it. I had to have my driver's license renewed and I was really hoping I would have some hair but the man that took the pic is a friend and he mostly got my face and so it does not look too bad. It is so sad we worry about these small things that are so vain but you know it is important to us too. I don't mean to sound shallow and I am happy to be alive.
I hope everyone is doing okay. I don't see so many posts on here from some of the new ones. I hope things are not too bad for you and I think of every one. I know some have gotten on with their lives as they should but I would like to see they are doing better. If you read but don't post do pop in sometimes to give an update. It keeps everyone going.
Carolyn
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Weety - RE: Blood Pressure - My BP has always been low but during the chemo it went up a lot (from 100/70 normal to 125/85 avg). In addition my heart really went up (didn't keep track of that figure so can't quote the numbers). Since I have recovered from the TC, my BP is back down to normal levels, and my heart rate seems to be as well. The nurses told me this BP/pulse effect was pretty normal.
christine1000 - that is so funny that you use the term "wiggly"! That is EXACTLY how I would feel from the dex, but for me it was AFTER it wore off. The way I described it is that I felt like every molecule in my body was vibrating.
Blessed by 4 - I had no periods on chemo and am now in "hard" chemo-menopause. Due to my age (54) I don't expect one again although I was premenopausal prior to chemo. I have read that TCH is worse on your ovaries than ACT.
Alaina - I am hoping that you are recovering well from your surgery. Please post when you feel well enough and let us know how you are doing. I am so happy for you to have such a wonderful party! You sound like such a joyful, special person. You are so funny! (Thelma and Louise lol). I am glad to make your acquaintance but sorry it has to be here!
Blue - as always, you made a good, rational decision about the trial (SOFT isn't it?). I was very interested in this trial but couldn't spare the time from work to look into it and have now missed the 8 wk cutoff.
Dharmamama - SO sorry to hear that you had to discontinue the chemo and hoping that the disease is not serious. If it is any comfort I have read that the early chemo rounds are by far the most effective, so hopefully the one will be sufficient. Can you continue with the Herceptin? There are many indications that Herceptin as a single treatment is very effective.
Gramma23 - You are such a trouper! Wishing you lots more hair in the coming months.
Ccbaby - You and I are on almost the same schedule - I finished my last chemo on June 29th and am now 8 wks out PFC. I have about ½ inch of now very thick hair, but I was sandy haired before chemo and am now BLACK haired with lots of grey. This is a pretty big adjustment for someone who was always a natural blonde! I will be trying lots of dye but need a double process my hair is so dark!
For those of you newbies I won't give you the litany of my SEs because I had it pretty bad and I don't want to make you apprehensive since you will most likely have it better. The good news is I feel great now (8 wks out), it is fading in my memory (gee chemo-brain has some benefits), and it will all be worth it to be done with the BC.
Now that I am doing Herceptin-only every 3 wks, I have no SEs whatsoever except tightness in my formerly-occupied-by-boobs area and some transient pains in my back and hip bones. Not sure if this means that stray BC cells are being killed, so I am happy to have these pains!
I don't get to read or check in here very often now that I am back at what is a too demanding job, but I think about you all on this thread often and pray that we will all be NED for good. Praying you all have good weeks with treatments and recovery.
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Dear Everybody,
Howdee dear ladies. Been a while since I visited. Hope everyone is doing fine.
Finished 31 sessions of RT last Monday, not too bad. Skin broke near my armpit and on the areiola, but healed. Now, the crease where the boosts took place is starting to break......
Had my 9th herceptin shot Wed before last, and this time, the swelling was gone. I had cut back on salty food as advised and it apparently worked. Just s wee bit of nausea after the shot.
Hair's now just over an inch but still thin at the top. The heatwave has lasted a full month, so the shortish hair is handy. But I still wear my buffs when out. Yippee, my eyebrows and eyelashes have grown back, though eyelashes's still not their original length yet.
Still deciding on the femara which was prescribed to me by one onco, but advised against by my BS and another more senior oncologist. Read in several studies that HER2+++ recurrence occured independent of the estrogen pathways, especially if the score was low (mine is 3 on the Allred scire).
I think I'll start the femara soon despite everything. Just wanted my hair to grow a bit more before starting it, I guess......
Cheers!
Ipohgirl.
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ipohgirl that is great your hair is coming along I have been off chemo since last August and getting it slowly back very thin and short but what are buffs I wear a ball cap is that what it is? Pounds take for ever and I have never been over wieght so I am walking and lifting wieghts I got off herceptain in April it was given to me as chemo was never heard of the shot. Do you think herceptain can keep you from getting hair?
Thanks for any info you can donate to us
Maura
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ipohgirl that is great your hair is coming along I have been off chemo since last August and getting it slowly back very thin and short but what are buffs I wear a ball cap is that what it is? Pounds take for ever and I have never been over wieght so I am walking and lifting wieghts I got off herceptain in April it was given to me as chemo was never heard of the shot. Do you think herceptain can keep you from getting hair?
Thanks for any info you can donate to us
Maura
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Ipursuit You and I have the very same diagnosis, and I was always on the same treatment schedule as Christy(ccbaby). I had my last chemo on July 13 and have had 2 Herceptin only's so far. I have no side effects from Herceptin either.
Christy I have about 1/2 inch of hair too, it is dark brown and gray, lots of gray... does anyone know when its okay to color it? I think I need it longer before I do that.
I really need to lose weight and get some strength back. I get winded so easily,, I did before chemo too but only cause I was so out of shape, but now its worse. I try to walk the dog every evening but it has been so hot here, about 105* , I just can't do it much.
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Hello ladies...I am so happy to have found this site
... I had my first TCH last Thursday and had no concept of preparing a Chemo care kit. It's only been three days. I thought I was "in touch" with all of this, but, today was a bit of a slap in the face. I feel puffy, tummy aches, nothing tastes good and...well, this is certainly a strange chapter. What strikes me is how "not myself' I feel. Anyway, it is nice to be in here to read your experiences/suggestions. This is so very helpful. I wish I knew to have gotten my teeth cleaned before I started...is it too late? Yes, Cakelady, it is much too too hot to do anything in this SoCal heat.Thank you...
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Sanaisa, Sorry you have joined our club, but you have found the right place. The way you feel today is exactly how you should feel 3 days after your first tx. Be sure to drink gallons of water to help fluch the drugs out of your system. And remember, there is life after TCH.
Lisa
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Cakelady...Good to hear from you....Remember, thank goodness the chemo is over for us, but we are still herceptin buddies. I am doing radiation now. Today will be treatment #3. Like I said in my earlier post, I colored my hair last week because I was tired of looking at the gray. I used Miss Clairol gray-busters color on it. I post and read the Hair, hair , hair thread and the girls there have colored their hair at about 7-8 weeks PFC too. I think it is ok for you do it now, unless you just want to wait til it is longer. Do you have a facebook or myspace account? PM me if you do...we can keep track of one another there too...0
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Sanaisa, I hate to say welcome aboard, but welcome aboard. The ladies here are so helpful and kind. If you have questions just ask. You'll find somebody has an answer or similar experience.
Lisa's given you about the best advise yet. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. If you find you can't tolerate liquids on some days, suck popscals, eat jello or sorbet/sherbert. Do NOT let yourself get dehydrated. Canada Dry ginger ale is made with real ginger and sipping some can also help calm nausea (shake the bottle to flatten it a little if you feel the carbonation is too "bitey")
In addition to the nausea meds that your doctor may have prescribed, keep Imodium AD, Xantac, and Senna-S in your kit for diarrhea, acid reflux and constipation. TCH kills the good bacteria in your digestive system and I found that a good pro-biotic (I took Kyo-Dophilus) helps replace them much faster than yogurt.
The tastebud loss was the most frustrating thing for me. It's just something you have to "go with the flow" on. Days 3-5 I would usually stick with bland foods (cottage cheese, chicken noodle soup, etc.) After that you can start adding back anything that is appealing. It's just something you have to work through and it will vary from day to day, and almost minute to minute.
Hang in there, you can do this and we are here to cheer you on.
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