Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
-
LISA - your housekeeper is PRICELESS! We ALL need to take her words to heart. We are too impatient with ourselves and push ourselves too hard. I think it is because we want to get back to normal so badly and put this behind us. But we HAVE been through SO MUCH - her words were VERY wise (and funny!).
Thank you for sharing.
0 -
CCBaby Happy Birthday!! Hope you enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating you!!!
0 -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY!!!!!!
You are all so great! Everybody here really is in the same boat huh. I have a hard time getting up from a crouching or kneeling position too. And ya. no sex for me either, we did a couple times but it feels llike I'm being rubbed raw, and like I have a bladder infection for a couple days afterward. But I think that will get better with time. However it could get a lot worse, because I have not started my Tamoxifen yet..... I will get that prescription at my next visit, after my expander surgery... that sounds like it may cause bad side effects. If I have any more bad luck I am just going to scream. The last year has been one thing after another, and my husband has been working in Washington state and me and the kids are here in Calif. so we only see him like once a month or so.. we were going to move there next summer, but now it may not work out and he will be coming home......but we are losing our home here, trying to sell in a short sale before they come and foreclose on us . So , at a time in my life when I should be concentrating on my body, I have to worry about where we will live and how to stay afloat with not enough money... Yay... I need some luck to rub off on me...... like this......... my co-workers aunt won the 47 million dollar CA lottery before Christmas!!!
well its always nice to read the post and catch up, even thought I don't post too often I do read them.
0 -
Thanks everyone for my BD wishes!!
Wendy...OMG, you are losing your home!! I am so sorry...I remember awhile back you talking about your financial situation. I wish someone there would do a auction or benefit for you, or that you could get some kind of financial help. Thats just not fair that you have to worry about money along with everything else.
0 -
Lisa1964~ Could your house keeper come up here, please ??? She sounds like a doll.
Lisa~ DO NOT LET THEM PUSH THESE DRUGS IN FAST. I always ask how long and if they want to speed things up I tell them NO. When they drip things fast it seems like you get more SE's at least I did.
I had the weak thigh issues and I had the infusion room slow down the drip of herceptin until it got better. I went about 5 infusions at the slower drip and then slowly my thighs got better. It could have been time but it was not too much to ask for the infusion room to give me my drip in an extra 30 min.
Speaking of Herceptin I have 2 left and I am grateful. I am finding that I am exhausted the week after my infusion. Not the same as chemo. BUT I am still very tired compared to the other 2 weeks. How many infusions of herceptin did everyone else have ??
0 -
Been a while since I checked in. After many delays, I finally finished radiation. But now have some kind of flu bug and running a temp of 102+. Weak as a kitten and my mastectomy side axilly area is very sore and painful. Everything there has tightened up and just lifting my arm is exruciating. Hopefully this too shall pass.
Hugs to all
0 -
Weety - the large muscle fatigue is from the herceptin and it takes a long, long time to get over it. I had my last herceptin only back in October and I am just now getting over the aches and pains.
Christy - Happy, happy Birthday!
CakeLady - I am so sorry that you are going thru so much at a time like this. You are in my prayers.
Amy and Jaimie - Terry is the best. I am very blessed to have her in my life.
Well, I am off to purchase supplies to keep my south Florida horses from freezing to death this weekend. Our weather forcaste is temps in the high 20's, windchills in the high teens and RAIN. Gosh, what happens to rain when the temps are below freezing? Mother Nature needs to re-check my zip code. Brrrrr.....
Lisa
0 -
I just realized that it was a year ago today that I had my bilat. mastectomy done. So one year down at least 50 more to go
0 -
A couple more hints for the newbies - and I apologize if anyone else has already put these hints in. I haven't finished reading the posts, but if I don't post them now, chemo brain here will forget what I wanted to say! lol
1. Using one of those sticky lint rollers on your head after you get it buzzed will take out the little hairs that are left, and help with the tenderness and soreness. I really laughed my as* off looking at myself running a lint roller over my head in the mirror, so good for some comic relief also, lol.
2. Try the Gatorade G-2 drinks. I can take it a lot better than water sometimes, helps when having diarrhea, and is low calorie.
Ok, gonna go finish reading now.... One question for you ladies. I have only had diarrhea, no constipation. Lost 9 pounds in one week after 1st chemo due to it! Hopefully, since getting both procrit and neupogen with second chemo yesterday, this one will go better, but just curious about the constipation vs diarrhea thing. Prayers and thoughts are with all here!!
0 -
Jaimieh - I just had my first herceptin on 12/21..so I have a long ways to go! But I am curious as to how long each person takes for the herceptin. My infusion of H is 1 1/2 hrs. T is an hour and C is 30minutes. I do put my fingers in ice while doing T...it is a funny sight to see. And peas on my toes! Doesnt help that with the windchill today it is between 25-40 below zero!
So herceptin causes large muscle pain? Does that get worse with each treatment?
0 -
I have had 17 Herceptin treatments and one to go. It only takes 30 minutes for my Herceptin, and I have not had any problems other than hurting knees and watering eyes. As far as diarrhea vs constipation, I had both--terrible stomach pains about day 3. I gained about 10 pounds from my diagnosis till then end of chemo. Unfortunately, I still have those extra 10 pounds that I would like to lose before my son's wedding in April.
0 -
maura and lisa, thanks for posting that the muscle pain seems to go away with time. That is reassuring. I was worried I was going to end up a crippled almost 40 year old!
0 -
Okay that explains why everyone seems to be finishing and I still have 2 my oncologist has me doing 19 Herceptins. I'm not sure why and I figured that if I have done this many one more is not going to be horrible.
Allison~ My herceptin only takes about 2- 2 1/2 hours because my infusion room run bloodwork, doing the flush and hook up and the after flush. I think the fastest has been 2 hours
I just try to make the best out of my time. 0 -
My herceptin runs 90 min for the infusion. Doctor refuses to consider speeding it up, says less SEs and strain on heart that way. Who knows if that is true or not. But it is still so much faster than the TCH days, I don't mind it at all. And...only FOUR to go!
I haven't had any bone or muscle pain at all with the H. BUT - my fingers and feet are VERY dry and cracking - don't know whether to blame the H or the Tamox. Plus my poor girl-parts being dry and cracking too. Yikes.
0 -
YES THE DRYNESS! i have been reading about some of you saying that your fingers and feet are really dry and i am just starting to experiance this as well. i am half way through my H and i get it once a week. i think it helps keep the SE's minimized but my heel cracked really bad the other day. I was blaming it on the dry winter weather, but now my fingers are getting that way and that has never happened before. My eyes still water a lot and it has been 4 months since my last chemo. I thinks i just was one of the LUCKY ones who got a bad case of the eye tearing. I carry a tissue everywhere i go!
As for MUSCLE FATIGUE, YES! my legs got so weak and i felt like it would never go away, but it did at about 2 months post tx. I am not as strong as i was before dx, but i can go for a mild hike in the hills now wihtout cramping up. My onc nurse told me it was more to to with my hemoglobin count than anything. I only showed a slightly lower HB count than normal therefore it is not enough to require any medical intervention but just enough to make your largest muscles get really fatiged because they are not getting eas much oxygen. this Made sense to me. As my HB count went up (slowly!) my legs got better. So check your counts and see if that is the culprit. There isnt much you can do, but it at least explained it to me and made me feel better.
Have a wonderful weekend to all of you!!!
0 -
I'm trying to get caught up after missing a few days. You know, Maura, I was thinking about what you said and I know for me personally, I often only reply to the last person I read! Especially when it's been a while. Going back over a few days and responding to everyone is just totally overwhelming, but it doesn't mean Im not thinking about all of them.
I'll try to catch up now--happy birthday Christy! hope you feel better soon swampy! I loved your housekeeper's peptalk Lisa! My legs are very weak, too. I joined a gym yesterday with the hope of slowly getting in shape and building some muscle tone. My Herceptin alone is 30 minutes. Back during TCH they ran it at an hour and a half the first time to see if I had any bad reaction. I didn't, so after that they did it for 30 minutes each time. Also, no Benadryl. I'm usually in and out there in an hour. Senakot S was great for constipation.
Thinking good thoughts for all of you!
Becky
0 -
Wow! It is so hard to keep up these days! Dryness/splitting fingers and nails: Yes! I had my last H only in October and I still suffer from splitting fingers, feet and nails! Liquid bandage and mole skins are your friends! I am also still suffering with nasal ulcers - that is painful!
Weety - The muscle pain does get better, but it will get worse first. Hang in there baby!
Lisa
0 -
My Herceptin only infusion is only 30 minutes and I don't get the Benedryl anymore , like I did in the chemo.. Even though the infusion is 30 minutes, it takes an hour or more once you get in the chemo room. The horrible thing is the long wait in the waiting room. It is such a busy place, with a small waiting area. Many times I have counted 35 people in there, and we all have appointments,,, ,,,, last treatment I waited around 2 hours to get in. They changed their rules recently so that you don't have your doctor visit and your treatment in the same day, so I thought it would go much faster,,, but NO, it does not. In the beginning, when I got the TCH, the Herceptin was about 2 hours then Taxotere for about an hour, and then Carboplatin for 30 min..
Oh and Christy, thats not all, my beautiful almost 3 yr old black Lab has developed a growth on his eyelid, and the vet has referred me to an opthamologist for dogs to see what treatments or surgeries will be needed, he said it may be malignant.....that is going to cost an arm and a leg.!!! I can't get him in to that vet until the day before my own surgery...they are booked solid. I hope its not cancer,,,,,, I didn't want my dog to share my experience literally!!! And just so you know , the financial trouble is not due to my cancer, it is because of some bad choices and drastic cuts at my husbands job... and the fact that my house is only worth half of what we paid for it 5 yrs ago.. But why all this bad stuff happens to me all at once is beyond me.
0 -
Sorry if this will be a double post for some of you - I also put this in Starting chemo in January 2010.
I had my first TCH tx on Thurs 1/7 and am still doing fine. I have the lidocaine cream but didn't give it enough time to work, so I still felt the spike. Port had been in exactly one month but hadn't been used at all, so it took some time (about 20 minutes) to flush the port and drain the stagnant fluids that were there before fresh blood could be drawn for CBC and saline fluid started.
My premeds were: 1 tylenol pill and benadryl, decadron, anzimed and pepcid, each one being 15 minutes through the port. I took the Day 1 dose of emend when the premeds started. Contrary to those of you wired by the decadron, my benadryl was first and it knocked me out half way through. I basically slept through it all, except I kept having to get up to pee - about 6 times.) I don't know the order of the decadron and anzimed but I know the pepcid was last because it was the only one still hanging when the Taxotere came. They started that on a drip rate of 50 so they could see if I had any reaction but I didn't and at some point the drip rate increased to 100. This took 2 hours but they said next time would be 1 hour. Carboplatin was next for 1 hour, then one hour of herceptin. Lastly, a few minutes to inject heparin into the port so it doesn't get clotted.
I went to work on Friday (day 2). After work I went for my Neulasta shot, then went to visit my dad for dinner. He lives in CT, about 1.5-2hrs depending on traffic. DH drove and I napped. After dinner we went to my brother's house (about 5 mins away). On the way home, we stopped at my inlaws in Yonkers. The CT/Yonkers trip is a weekly event for us, but almost always on the weekend. I chose to go Friday in anticipation of crashing on Day 3 as many have reported. Well it is 1:30 on Day 3 and I am still "fine".
I took advice from those before me - drinking my water, eating protein, taking claritin, taking emend as scheduled (last dose this morning) and other meds as needed as soon as any sign shows up so that I stay ahead. I think my only SEs right now are constipation and chapped lips0 -
Good for you Cheryl, im glad your SE are minimal and stay that way, I had my 3rd tch on 1/6 and although i feel tiered, its not as bad as the 1st 2. I did have a nosebleed and im having a real heavy menstrual cycle so my onc told me to come in and check levels, evereything ok. Said the tax and carbo can cause nosebleeds @ times, but as long as they stop on their own its ok.
Be safe everyone!
0 -
Nanadada: I had my 3rd TCH on the 6th too. I'm actually worse than the 2nd but still better than the first. Hope you don't get anymore nosebleeds.0
-
Thanks Sue, nosebleeds stopped but other SE to deal with! Hate this!!!
0 -
Hi I know and feel for all of you about your side effects but they really do pass most of them anyway in time I remeber walking up and down the steps there is alot of them at work to use the bathroom hurt then each week after chemo was over it got better then when the hercepten ended alot of the nose running and eyes running stopped and I did take some allergy pills to help with it as it was embarrasiing at work it looked like I was crying but I was not. The running nose was from not having hair in our nose and it eveidently helps it from running out but the hairs in my noise are back. I can actually say I dont have as many colds etc since chemo and cancer was over and I take the flu shot every year. The best thng all of you can do is come here and also comunicate with your doctors and nurses they are really there to help lets face it they are making allot of money from this horrible sickness and yu guys are all in my heart my arm is giving me trouble my own fault not watching the sodium intake and not doing my wieghts my bad...
Take care and have a nice week gods speed...
Maura
0 -
Maura I hope your arm feels better. Keep up the weights
Cheryl I hope the SE are mild. Keep up your water in take.0 -
Maura I hope your arm feels better. Keep up the weights
Cheryl I hope the SE are mild. Keep up your water in take.0 -
sorry I have not been around lately. Crazy stuff with the weather and my daughter in law had a roll over wreck but is better. Our water froze up for 2 days and my son had to go to the emergency room with what he thought was food poisoning but seems to have been a virus. Watch out for that stomach virus because it is going around. He was dehydrated so had to have an IV. I know how that feels. It seems like everyone is doing okay. I had to have the last of my H dripped slower because I was having SE and I know it took up space for others having more intense chemo but I paid the same as when I had it faster. anyway do whatever you have too. I had 19 H and hopefully no more. I do have muscles problems but I had them before chemo and so I am doing a little better than just after chemo. I have this puppy to walk some and that forces me out into the cold for exercise. I am working some but I can barely make it on my feet for 6 hours. I would love to quit but need the money. I do get a urinary problem after being on my feet for a while and need to see a urologist. I think maybe I have a problem with my bladder fallen from all the SE from chemo. I don't know it could be old age for me.
As for cracking fingers etc. the cold does me this way every winter and this has been a harder winter. Plus washing hands more than ever from the bugs going around. I also had to use a lot more hand sanitizers so that is rougher than the soap and water. Use lotion on your hand and body where you are so dry. my skin is killing me from all this cold and the heater going. Another reason I have not been typing. My fingers hurt so bad with the cracks. Drink water for that too!
As for the nipples, a woman told me she was going to have hers tattooed on and thought a pink ribbon the would be good but I think a rose bud would be good too. At least no sticking out but no feeling either. My do not have that great of sensation as it is and they are the ones I have always had so I am not sure about all that. Just thought I would throw that in. Keep warm and well as you can everyone.
Carolyn
0 -
Carolyn - does this post mean you are DONE with H? I think that is true and if so, CONGRATULATIONS. But I don't want to make too big a fuss if I am wrong and you still have more to go. Please confirm.
(I only have 4 more and am already getting excited.)
Amy
0 -
Hi all,
Met with my oncologist for the first time today, and I'm starting TCH around 2/8. I was hoping for 4 cycles, but his team (UCLA) says 6 is best, with Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year. And radiation after the chemo, of course. Happy 2010!
Reading about everyone's side effects has me scared, of course, because I have a business to run and a life to live, but I'm going into it strong and healthy and will take everyone's advice, from tons of water to tea-tree oil for my nails.
The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is marijuana. I'm a boomer who went through the obligatory pot-smoking phase back in the late '70s and am therefore am completely open to it, and I live in L.A. where medical-marijuana stores are as common as orange trees. My onc. has no problem with it and says it has helped some patients a little, but not a lot. Have any of you had experience with it? I'd love to go a little easier on the constipation-causing stuff if at all possible.
Thanks for any input. Although I'm dreading this upcoming phase of the battle, I'm having fun while I wait-- had a fantastic ski weekend with family and friends last weekend, and am going on a mini-vacation with my husband next weekend, in between four doctor appointments....
0 -
Hi Allison & Jaimieh,
I was on TCH also, finished my 6 rounds in 5/09, continued with 11 more Herceptin, I finished with the last Herceptin on New Year's eve. To answer your question, I had my Herceptin infused over 30 minutes for all the 17 rounds. I had 4 echos done, and they were all Ok. I wish I've done the icing of the nails, my fingernails and 2 big toenails turned purplish black, and all fingernails were lifted off the nailbeds, and I actually lost 4 fingernails. They all grew back now. Things will be back to 'normal' except a few scars that were left on your body. I'm going back to my PS to put on my nipples and she'll take my port out at the same time. Good luck with all you brave ladies, and Happy 2010!
Cil
0 -
Amy, I finished H in July and I am back to my normal smell,taste etc but I am still having problems with red blood cells. I have been on Procrit every since and it is going down. I am afraid I am going to have to have a blood transfusion this next time. I wonder if they can do some tests to find out what is causing this. My onc wants to blame everything on my auto immune problems but I was never this low before chemo & rad. Anyway I guess I have to keep my port indefinitely and I am working some but I am so tired after 6 hours of work but I think most of it is auto immune problems but the H really did hurt my muscles but so glad they have it. I may not be here without it. I had a large tumor and the sentinel node was as large as the tumor and then 3 other nodes with cancer but they removed 22 nodes and hopefully cancer won't show up again. My onc does not say cure or remission etc but he may just be like that. they told my brother he was cured and it was not a month later he had a large tumor in his neck and died in Jan last year so I am not sure about words I just want action. My onc does not believe in too many tests looking. I did have a lot of heart tests but that was mostly because of the cardiologist wanted them done since I am 62 and never had a stress test so I am good with that after H.
Writer, I do not know about medical marijuana but there are a lot of good nausea meds and some don't get that sick when they take chemo. I did not do well but since everyone is different i think that is the reason. I would start with what they give you since we know Maryjane causes weight gain and boosts your appetite ( or it used to) there are 2 things to be concerned about one is diarrhea and the other is constipation and both can hit almost at the same time. I found that if I took Miralax to keep bowels going just before chemo then when the diarrhea hit is was not so hard on me. It may not happen to you at all. I think you have to see how things go but don't go into chemo the least bit constipated is all I am saying. the other thing I would be concerned about is drinking plenty of water or liquids to flush you system after chemo because if you don't it can damage your kidneys. My friend had a lot of chemo at the veterans and they did not tell him this and he now has a kidney that is harmed. He finally went to MD Anderson for a trial because they gave him 3 months to live and they said the tumor was gone so they just did the stem cell transplant and a year after he is alive. Not great but alive. He had small bowel cancer so it was different than us but not the fact of needing to keep hydrated. I also got dehydrated a couple of times from the SE of chemo and that is not fun for sure but luckily this board helped me understand the need for water and I tried to keep it going. I had to have IVs a couple of times but a lot of people have gone in the next day for a bag of IV and they said it helped them. I was not given the option to do that. I did have to go back every time for Neulasta and if you take that take the clarintin for bone pain if your onc agrees. I do not know why it works but a lot swear by it. I never took it but wish I had now. I know it is scary but just try to remember what everyone has said and if nothing else remember the water. I didn't loose any nails but a couple turned white like they wanted to come off my toes but didn't my finger nails grew of all things but now they are brittle and break easy. I think the cold has a lot to do with this and work where they get damaged. I am glad you are getting in some fun before chemo. good to have vacation anytime you can. I waited to tell anyone about my tumor until after graduations in the family and it I believe if I had waited much longer I would not be here. This is not a fun thing to go through but you will have you life back soon. Normal may not be there but a new normal.
I just wanted to put my 2 cents in on the sex problems. It is caused from lack of estrogen because I had a hysto at 29 and had taken estrogen since then and I quit taking it 3 years before the cancer because I had fibrocystic lumps in my breast and I thought that might help. I did start having dryness and pain with sex. I know after chemo it got worse. We don't have sex now and I feel for my husband but I am afraid to use estrogen lubrications so I did look at some of them but never went with anything but Vaseline which helps with dryness but not sex. I wish I knew the answer.
hang in there everyone and I guess the thing is work at feeling good and living a good life after tx and during tx. Pray also. If you don't pray at least meditate for you mental health. You need that quite time.
Carolyn
0
