Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Had my Herceptin today. I was never so happy to have them put that bag of fluid into my body. That insurance scare really shook me up. I also made my appts for the final 3 tx. I will be done on 4/8. Then the port comes out on 4/26. I may have mentioned that already but I am going to probably say it many more times because I AM SO EXCITED. The finish line is really in sight now.
To you ladies who are just starting - it seems like it will take forever, in the beginning, but then you build up momentum and it really goes fast. I cant' believe I am almost there already!
Insurance situation so far so good for now. Thank you ALL SO MUCH for your support. It helped me get through these past few days. I mean it.0 -
I wanted to share a pic with you girls. This is me and 2 other girls from these boards, Alyad and Gramof3...We met up at Ruby Tuesday for dinner a couple of nights ago. We live in the same town and all go to the same hospital and had all of our treatments about the same time. I just cut their hair last week. Alyad (on the L) finished chemo in June. I (in the middle) finished in July and Gramof3 (on the right) finished in August. You can the variance in our hair growth. Except I cut Alyad's above her ears and short in the back. I hope the pic shows up because I have never added a pic before!
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Your hair looks great! Something to look forward to ... thank you for sharing!
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Hi all, just wanted to report in that treatment #3 is kind of kicking my butt. They decreased my steroids in my pre-meds so I could try and get some sleep, plus gave me a diuretic for the swelling in my feet and hands. Not sure if the decrease in steroid is making me nauseated. I also feel like my heart is racing a bit. I took my steroid and emend this morning but this afternoon had to take a compazine with xanax to try and help me not feel so wired. Hasnt helped.
Got my neulasta shot this morning. I have been taking my Claritin so hopefully that keeps the bone pain away.
I have a super dry mouth also. So far no mouth sores but my nose sores sure do hurt.
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ccbaby - thank you for sharing that picture. It for one helps me see that the hair really will come back!!! Good luck to all three of you, and again thank you for sharing.
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Christy... The picture of you 3 is awesome.. thank you so much for posting it. How nice that you could all get together and that you could cut their hair. I need my sides trimmed like Alyad's...
I went to the PS today for a check up and oh my gosh the parking was a nightmare. I have never had this bad of a problem, all the lots were full and there were security guards not letting anyone into the parking structure that I needed to go in. I had gotten there on time, but I ended up being 30 min late to my appt because I couldn't even park on the hospital grounds. I had to park at a shopping center across the street and walk, and then go thru such a maze to find a familiar entrance to the hospital. But my doc got me right in anyway. One wierd thing though, he was going to add some saline to one of my expanders and he tried twice and couldn't get the port! so I have to wait til next time. And my other side he was going to wait on anyway because it is already bigger than the right side and for some reason it feels tough and rubbery. That side has been tougher , thicker and less feeling ever since the mastectomy for some reason, and that was the healthy side! I just don't get it.
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how do you add a picture to the post?
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Cakelady and Weety - I didn't get any PET scans or CT, or MRI or anything like that since all this started either. I did get a Muga Scan but they haven't done a second one yet. Good to hear that your SE that I am having eventually went away...gives me a little peace of mind.
Swampy - Thanks for responding to my post, I was really bummed about my hearing. Hopefully I am as lucky as you and it will clear up, also. The twitching eyes is the most annoying though, it makes it difficult watching TV and reading...even when my eyes are closed they are twitching!
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Wendy....I uploaded my pic onto Photobucket and then posted the URL onto here.
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Hello allisontom911,
Just hang in there. It too shall pass. I think the racing heart comes from the Herceptin as I am on Herceptin only and still get that. Just remember to keep drinking the good ol' H2O. Hopefully after 3-4-5 days the worst of the treatment cycle will be over and you can rest a couple of weeks until the next battle.
I loved the haircuts in the photos. I think many of us diagnosed early in 09 have enough hair now that it looks like we just chose a pretty short style. I have only had one trim, but it is really starting to thicken. I have dyed my hair the very lightest blonde as it seems that my hair is now so gray that color does not "take" very well.
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Dear Shadow and Swampy, You both could have been describing my experience with chemo the past 6 months. You are not alone. I think I was underprepared for the SE, since the Dr thot I was healthy to start with , always had been, so I was a good candidate! My stomach reacted to the chemo as well as to each Side effect drug! I kept telling the onc and nurses that "less is more"! I quit taking compazine as It added to my dizziness and vision out of focus problems. I dealt with diahrea and just accepted that 6-11am I'd stay home near a bathroom, rather than take Immodium and immediately swing the opposite direction with constipation. I will applaud the emmends as it took most vommiting away, altoho I'd be revisited about a week after treatment with nausea at night. I'd just sit it out on the bathroom floor eating saltines. My goal became "to not throw up" this cycle. wow what a noble goal. I'm through now and greatl.y relieved but still experiencing acid reflex. I'll get my first dense dose of herceptin next week. The small weekly dose gave me chills and diah. for 2 days. Hope I've built up some kind of immunity to those SE, as I have 7 more months on the stuff. We do feel comforted if we know we're not alone or somehow targeted to have weird and extreme reactions. Count me in. ( I also had radiation recall which is so unusual but did skin damage and set me back a few weeks from getting my 5th treatment.) ANYTHING can happen on this cancer journey; there are no guarentees as each of us has a unique and highly complex body. Right now I am relieved and grateful...but I couldn't recommend what I took to anyone else. Its been a scary ride. Best to you all and I know you'll make it one day at a time. I'm enrolled in "A TIme to Heal" 12 week program to get my head and emotions back to normal. Its been really good so far. arby
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CCbaby: Thank you so much for posting your beautiful pics. My hair is much shorter than yours and I am further out than you. But I like it well enough. I look more like Haley Barry but uber blond. UHH where those bloody Mary glasses? LOL Yum. Hope you all had a good time.
Side effect!!!!!!!! ugg huh? Arby dang girl you had it rough. Thank God it passes. I remember that I looked at the season of American Idol and thought I will be done when they announce the winner. It marked the progress.
I am on nothing now! It is good but scary. I finished herceptin. You know a lot of people blame hormone blocking therapy for some side effects. I can tell you that I am still not back to normal. My lower back and hip hurt still. I am still having fatigue issues and am very sore in my lumpectomy breast and under arm. My right leg is still having swelling issues. I had my onc. appt. last week and he said that it takes time. I will have a full body scan in 6 months.gulp! Other than that I am happy and grateful for the worst being over (God willing). Oh I was told to massage the scar line on my breast. I have to tell you it kind of freaks me out to do that. I guess I am shell shocked
My onc reminded me that exercise is of paramount importance. It can flush the toxins out of out systems and expedite recovery and our health as well as lessen the chance for recurrence.
I will try to post a pic later.
in solidarity
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Thanks Bold! I love Halle Berrys hair! My co-worker highlighted, trimmed and texturized my hair yesterday and last night we did Joan Rivers hair for a comedy show she did in my city. I am standing next to Joan in my avatar pic. She was actually very nice and easy to please!0
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Christy... you do look really cute!! You should post that pic of you and Joan that you put on Facebook. I think everyone here would like to see it.
Bold... I know its wierd to give yourself a massage there, but it helps. I had bilateral mastectomy, and one side, (the healthyside oddly enough) came out really tough and thicker than the other side. Like extra scar tissue or something. I was told to do massages on it with a good lotion everyday. It did help. I just got expanders put in, so now its very firm again, but the PS is going to have me do those massages again. The left side has been very tough compared to the right ever since that mastectomy, the doc is just watching me for now, but I hope nothing is wrong.
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Bold - Do you think your lower back and hip pain was a SE from Herceptin? I have the same pain and hurts most during the night. I'll fall asleep on my left side and then wake due to the pain on my left hip, i'll fall back sleep on my back and the pain in my lower back wakes me up, i'll turn onto my right side, fall asleep, and then the pain on my right hip wakes me...and so on, and so on. Needless to say I don't sleep very well at night. I'm taking Tylenol PM to help with this. Did they prescribe you anything for your pain?0
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I have some of the same hip pain, and I haven't even started chemo yet! In my case it's from being 51 years old and fairly active. If I walk an extra mile than my normal route, my hips hurt, especially at night. Or if I do anything really different, they hurt. I figure it's just early arthritis. I don't know how old you guys are, but could the aches and pains be unrelated to chemo/Herceptin?
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Ummm...
Being 44 and never having had any bone/hip pain until chemo/Herceptin, I think it is due to the drugs. Looking forward to having my own body back...
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writer - I am 52 and up until now I had never experienced any hip pain before. My pain started after my second Chemo. As for my back, the only other time I've had lower back pain (waistline) was during my monthly periods...the pain is very similar. I'm currently walking on my treadmill 4 to 5 times a week for an hour... not sure if this is contributing to the pain, but I'm trying to keep my strength up.
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Well, I'm probably headed for a lot more hip pain then, if I already have it before TCH. Bummer.
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You ladies are all so beautiful! I need to post a post cancer photo of my short hair! This photo of me was taken 2 weeks after my mastectomy Nov. 2008. I have about 3 inches of hair now. Finished herceptin in December and got my port out last month. I too have hip pain like a period (occasionally) but now have had upper back numbness and tingling for 2 1/2 months. Tomorrow I am having a bone scan because of this. I'm scared to death of mets ot the spine. I don't want to be paranoid but this is sure strange and annoying. It doesn't hurt though. But then I keep telling myself breast cancer didn't hurt either and I didn't even know I had it! It is hard to believe that one year ago I was BALD! Yes, the hair comes back very slowly but I swear once I was done with Herceptin, about 4 weeks later my hair started growing like a weed! I do still have the runny drip drip nose so when does THAT go away!?
Diggin out from our massive 2 foot snow storm here in Virginia!
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Hey Koryn,
Have not spoken in awhile...
I will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Hugs,
Ang
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Good luck with your scan tomorrow, KorynH. I'll keep you in my prayers. Think positive!
Becky
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I will be getting my 16th herceptin treatment tomorow. We are suppose to get a foot of snow here tonight, so I hope I can make it to the hospital tomorrow!
OK Wendy, here is the pic from after my co-worker and I did Joan Rivers hair!!
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I have had hip pain and joint pain but it has seemed to go away the further out I got from TC and then when my period came back it got much better. Now I just mainly have back pain when my period is on it's way....now it needs to get on some kind of schedule. I have had my period 3x in the past 6 weeks. I would love a 28-35 day cycle please.....
We or should I say my DH is currently trying to dig us out of of 2 ft + snow storm from the weekend. I'm not able to pick up more than 10lbs for another 2 weeks since I had my flap surgery. The best part is we are not even dug out from this storm and another is predicted for Tuesday/Wednesday....... we normally average something like 11in of snow a year and this is blizzard #2 this winter.
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EVERYONE in the picture looks so glamorous. How wonderful to get to meet such a funny lady.
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Thanks Christy... you made me smile, cause I made you put that picture up...
. Good luck with your Herceptin,,, getting close to the end.. my next one is on the 22nd. I'm behind you now due to my surgery. 0 -
Christy you look so cute in the pic with Joan and your friend. Seems like everyone's hair is growing faster than mine but I have had 2 trims to make it look like it was on purpose. the back grows a lot faster it seems but it did start growing better after the Herceptin. blood count is still not good though. It is better than once was at 7 and now 10.7 so it could be worse I guess. Work is killing me now that I am working every day but just a few hours a day. Just glad it is not 8 hours a day. I could not make it.
Have as good a day as you can. Lisa where are you?
Carolyn
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Day 6 past treatment # 2 and like clock work the sore throat is back! Darn, now I guess I will probably start coughing tomorrow.
ccbaby - good luck with #16. Maybe the snow will miss us this time!
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Thanks everyone! stlcardsfan... the snow did miss us here, did St Louis get any?
Ok, now I only have one treatment left!! waahooo!
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Love the picture ccbaby! You must be one talented hairdresser to get chosen to work on a celebrity!
Jaimieh, did the hot flashes (from chemo-induced menopause) go away once the periods started back up, or did it take a while for them to be resolved? I am so sick of them! I get at least 12-15 during the day, and then probably another 8-10 all night long. I've been trying not to complain about them and just accept them because I know it's a small price to pay for getting rid of the cancer, but. . . well, they've really been getting bad. I think maybe even worse than when I was on chemo.
Writer, I get really achy since finishing chemo, too, and I'm 39 and didn't notice it before chemo. If I've been sitting for a while, I feel like I'm 90 years old when I try to get up. All my joints seem to be really stiff. I'm also still getting the dizzies. I'm not sure if that's the herceptin, or if it is the lack of estrogen.
How long after chemo did everyone's periods (if premenopausal) come back?
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