Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Thanks for the quick replies!
Omaz - they haven't talked with me about neulasta. I've read from some folks they wait until your WBC or RBC go low enough? I need to start yet another list of questions for them. I've read about people going to chemo class before they start. I didn't have that option.
bluedasher thanks for the review - that's helpful. I've researched enough to say ok to chemo given my diagnosis, but am still recovering from BMX and my focus and energy just not back to great yet. Just started back to work yesterday.
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Ladies, My Mom isn't really improving much and I forced myself on her GI and PCP this morning at the hospital. I needed to tell them face-to-face that she is my Mom, not just another older woman with issues they can't sort out. They agreed to keep her in hospital longer to do a few more tests, try different diets and attempt to get to the bottom of this. So after a few hrs of sitting with her I dragged myself back home and went to bed because I'm not doing well on this 6th day after my 4th TCH. About 30 minutes later my Mom phoned in tears saying that a social worker was in and is arranging to move her to a rehab or nursing facility. I had to call my poor friend, Pat, again and ask her to run interference for me. She is there now, trying to figure out who to talk to. Honestly, I've lost faith in the medical community over other issues but this one is maddening. Pray that you are never old and left to your own defenses in a hospital. Everyone has an opinion and no one coordinates the information. One doesn't know what the other is thinking or doing or saying or planning. There is no continuity of care. It's appalling. And I'm so tired of it all. Thanks for still praying for my Mom. I know you all have your own issues to deal with and I am grateful that you take the time to think of her.
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Bon, that is really not fair!!!! Doesn't the hospital offer any services? What about the Chaplain, could he/she help??
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Bon,
I cannot believe it but in reality I know how it all can happen that way. Unfortunately also seniors get taken advantage of easily with unnecessary tests, etc. I am fortunate enough to work in a hospital and know that you pretty much have to be your own advocate. Get copies of all her tests, results and if you can, go directly to her attending physician. Too often, too many people enter the room and you don't even know who they are, let alone what service they are with or if they are just students or plain old learning residents. So please, if you can get someone there to take the role, it would be to your advantage. If they have case managers, go that route. I feel bad that you are not feeling well, and certainly your worry will not make you get better any faster cuz you worry about your mom. I wish I lived by you so I can help in some way.
What exactly is her situation? Still the salmonella?
I hope that you feel better soon. God will not give us things that He thinks we cannot handle. Eventhough he puts us through trials (and Cancer is a big one), there is some purpose in it even if we don't see it now. I always have to remind myself of that all the time!
I will continue to pray for you and your family.
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Ladies, this is one for the books...
Tonight the chief hospital dietitian personally selected and delivered my Mom's dinner. The docs are trying to restrict gluten and lactose, as well as monitor glucose and salt intake, and stick with low residue, which is essentially nothing raw, lowest of low fiber and mostly bland, white foods like rice and mashed potatoes. It's a really difficult diet to work with now but the docs are doing whatever they can to try to sort out what is happening. So...this degreed professional brought Mom a tray with roast chicken, mashed potatoes and peas! Yes, PEAS!
What person with half a brain would give peas to a woman who is having diarrhea 8 times a day. Tonight the peas made it 9.
My Mom is obviously confused about what she can and cannot eat with all the restrictions, She is upset that she ate the peas, but depended on the dietitian, as promised, to get it right. I oh so wish I had been there when she delivered that tray. The dietitian would have been wearing the peas.
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joykk - my hair started to come out in huge clumps at day 19. i filled a walmart plastic bag with hair. it was all snarled up. I shaved it 2 days later
My hair started to grow every so slightly around tx #4. I am now almost 4 monts PFC and have a nice head of full hair and have had it colored 3x and trimmed 4x. She just trims off the ugly fuzzy ends and now she cleans up my ends and back of my neck!
losing my hair was the HARDEST part of the treatment for me. It may seem silly for some but it was very very hard. My hair was to the middle of my back, very thick (had just had a baby). But it will grow back. After it did come out, I was fine and never cried again about it. Strange it never bothered me again..lol
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taranebraska - where are you at? I am in Omaha also!
I put my fingers in ice and put my feet on frozen ice blocks. My nails are kind of horrible now but not falling out!
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Howdy all
Herceptin # 12 today.
For those on Herceptin only - how many total?
I am every 3 weeks until I complete 17 total. But I thought they originally told me 18 total, every 3 weeks apart.
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stlcardsfan: I have not mapped it out yet but know that it goes on for a total of a year. Did you get herceptin weekly with the TCH then every 3 weeks? I start this friday and pretty nervous. So happy you are on the homestretch. Have you had any major side effects? you obviously have a port?
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stlcardsfan - howdy! I asked my onc how many and he said he didnt know but I will go until my 1 year mark.
Emster - welcome to the board. I was horribly nervous my first chemo. Gosh I will never forget that feeling. I had gastrointestinal issues, some food tasted horrible for about 10days after treatment, I got nose sores but nothing to horrible. It is doable but not fun! I have a port and love it,
Lots of people have different side effects. Anything that comes up be sure and tell your onc and/or nurses and they should have something for it!
Drink lots and lots of water!
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Colleen, Thanks for the Happy Herceptin post, that's such nice, positive news!!
Bon, I'm so sorry about your mom. You have so much going on. Hang in there.
Re: nail issues, I didn't have any trouble! They didn't grow long, but they didn't get black, get ridges, fall off or have any other horrible problems!!
There was something else.... hmmm....
Well, BlueDasher, it's always nice to hear from you.
Maybe I'll pop back one page and see if I can figure out the other thing I was going to comment on.
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stlcardsfan, I'm having 17 Herceptin treatments... 10 down, 7 to go. Will be done in January. And then we're going to have a real party! I might even need a haircut by then!0
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Good luck taranebraska & Omaz. Generic worked fine for me. I finished TCH last March & am now just doing H till year end.0
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Hi, Well I have noticed a numb areas starting on my feet on the bottom and tingling on my little finger and ring finger tip. I am only at day 10 past my first TCH, is this possibly some kind of neuropathy? It just started this evening and has me very worried. Thanks.
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Omaz, neuropathy is common with chemo. It will go away eventually. I think my area was my feet the most but had it in my hands. If it gets too bad be sure and tell your onc. When I went to get a treatment the nurses would ask f I had this or that so don't skip the finger tingling. they know what to report to doc and what to tell you is normal. It is miserable though. I would rub my feet together is it really worried my husband but I told him it would go away and it did but then I stand at my job so my feet are always so tired but no tingling any more.
I always take Generic meds because of the cost. I would ask the onc if it is important to take the real med. There are lots of meds for the same thing and they work different for different people so if you are not getting the relief from one kind ask for something else. There are a lot of people that did not have nausea but I did and it did not matter what I took it did not help much but Ativan did the best for me but would knock me out. At least I was out of it and did not know I was sick and I woke feeling really rested.
I ended up taking 19 Herceptin because of the way my onc counted it. I argued a little but he is the boss and let me know that so I took 19. It was a inconvenience with me because my husband was in the hospital but they seen that as an opportunity since I was at the same hospital with him so every day they had me come down and get a blood test and the very day I was having my last Herceptin and he was supposed to go home they decided to have me get 3 units of blood. I was so upset they did that because I could have had the blood the day before and stayed with my husband all night and then went down and took my last Herceptin and go home with hubby. I trust God knew what was best for me so I know it happened the way it was supposed to.
I think about all of you and even those that have been off the board a while everyday.
Carolyn
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The way I count it, I'll be having 19 Herceptin tx through to the end of June. 4 down, 15 to go. My 1/2 way point will be December 29th so I'll go into the new year on the downward slide to the finish. Doesn't it seem like this cancer dx has you wishing your life away? I keep wishing for this to be over and that to be over. It all seems so negative. I guess I'll just have to shift focus and see each tx as one step closer to NED! Now that's a real positive!
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OMAZ - Definitely tell your onc about it. The good news is that it should be temporary and the feeling should come back after the tx's are over. So sorry you have to deal with this. My onc said that Taxotere had a lower incidence of neuropathy, which is why I wanted it. But lower doesn't mean none. :-(
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Lisasinglem, in your path report did you have any evidence of lymphovascular invasion?0
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Emster - I had TCH every 3 weeks, 6 cycles. Then having H by itself until I complete a total of 17 treatments. Yes, have a Port. Neither arm can be used now. BP gets done on my calf or thigh.
No major side effects on Herceptin only. Just the normal ones like sore joints, slight headache, occasional runny nose. They are just about gone about 20 days in each cycle, and then I go in for another one, and back they come a few days later. I exercise 6 days a week, a lot of treadmill walking, and that seems to help.
17 total for me has me done December 15th! I think it is to early for a count down clock but maybe I can get the Port out this year so I don;t have to do another out of pocket deductible...
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I think I also had 19 herceptins....I just kept going until they told me that I was done. I was told a bunch of different amount of treatment 17-19 and I just kept going.
So I am going tomorrow for a bone scan which I do not have a ton of symptoms but I need it because I am no longer on the bone trial. They ordered it in July and I finally decided that I would comply and do the test and now my oncologist has no idea why or who ordered the test.....GRRRR.... Come on people get with it people....I promise I am not ordering these test...lol.... I also have my follow up herceptin Echo, I just hate being thrown back to active doctors appt....aka in my mind it is cancer land and I just don't want to go back.
So I will be praying for 45 additional minutes tomorrow while watching my scan.
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OMAZ - Path report says "Lymphatic/Vascular Invasion: Not definitely identified" - so I guess that would be no. Did you?
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lisasinglem - mine said 'not identified' as well. No one seemed to pay much attention to that, but it seemed like a good thing to me. Did anyone talk about it with you and what it meant?
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Has anyone had their Herceptin tx cancelled, because of the echocardiogram results? My last tx on the 18th Aug. was cancelled, I went for another echo, and now they've cancelled the one for Sept. 8th. I have to have another echo the 3rd wk. of Sept., and a scheduled Herceptin for the 29th.
I was only mildly upset at having one cancelled - now it's two. Is this unusual?
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I just started on TCH o Tuesday, so starting to feel the achey side effects as of last night. My entire upper half aches. Ribs to head. The nurse said achey happens from the Taxotere. So, my main concern is:
Did anyone feel their throat swelling? I can swallow still, but it's definitely swollen. I called the doctor's office and the nurse said if it interferes with breathing I should go to the ER because it could be an allergic reaction. I don't know what to do! I don't want to be that crazy paranoid person that goes to the ER when it's not serious. I wish doctors and nurses were more helpful.
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I have read that glutamin may be of help in preventing neuropathy and other side-effects of chemo. My oncologist is completely comfortable with my taking glutamin. Here is more information on the subject:
http://pfrc.med.nyu.edu/handouts/pdf/all/pfrc08-000041.pdf
http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=35541#reducing
Good luck and best wishes,
Katherine
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Joykk - Thanks for the glutamine suggestion, I am heading out to get some this weekend. I also talked to the oncology nutritionist over the phone while I was making an appt with her and she also suggested it. I'll check your links to get an idea of the dose.
1marmalade1 - did your oncologist prescribe steroids the night before and day of chemotherapy? My oncology nurse said this is very important especially when receiving taxotere.
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OMAZ - My onc never even mentioned it, so I considered it to be a non-issue. Hope that's true!
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Michcon, I never had throat swelling, and I would be quite worried if it were me. Because I think (and I could totally be wrong) anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction starts with the airways closing. Definitely keep an eye on it. Have you taken benedryl? You really should have been given more information. Please check back in to let us know how you're doing.
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Joykk - yes, I did take steroids day before, and for day of & 2 days after with Taxotere. I've heard that they will cancel a chemo session if you haven't taken it.
I finished chemo April 1 - on Herceptin every 3 wks. since. Never had an issue with the treatments - well, until NOW!
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17 Herceptin treatments every 3 weeks is 51 weeks - slightly less than a year (counting the 3 weeks after the last treatment). Some oncs stop with that (and IIRC it is what the studies used). Some go to 18 so that they give it for a little over a full year. Some give even one more so that they give the last treatment just over a year past the first one. I doubt that it makes any difference. I had it for 52 weeks because I had a trip to Italy for work when I was near the end and they usual time for a dose fell in the middle of the trip so she gave me 2 week doses for the last couple of treatments. If it hadn't been for that, she was going to do 18 every three weeks.
Michcon, I never had throat swelling, perhaps your steroid dose is a little low for you. Some get benedryl too but I never needed it.
1marmalade1 One time I forgot to take my steroid the day before and morning of and told the onc. She just ordered a steroid to give to me before the treatment. But that was after I had had several treatments so we already knew that I tolerated the drugs well.
I haven't has a treatment canceled due to MUGA readings (which I had rather than echocardiagrams) but at the start of treatment my onc said that I shouldn't worry if they have to stop treatment after I've had at least 18 weeks of Herceptin because that's what they give as the standard treatment in Europe. Some on the HER2 board have had Herceptin stopped because of low LVEF readings and some oncs resume once the reading is better and some just stop treatment.
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