Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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lago I'll give those a try. I'm sure it is something that will get better....probably from all of the tugging and partying to remove those lymph nodes. libray lil0
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Lago, I am having the nail issue as well, last treatment next week, think it will help to take peas or too late?
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Eleaneg I did the peas for the last 2 treatments. I do think my nails hurt less. After tx4 my thumb throbbed it was so bad. I don't know if you can save them but I do believe it reduced the intensity pain these last 2 round for me. They still hurt but no trobbing… it's only for an hour during taxotere so what can it hurt?
BTW sucking on ice did eliminate my mouth sores. I wish I had spoken up sooner. My onc recommended that.
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HI there....it's been awhile since I checked in. I think of all you girls in here quite often but don't always check in. I was curious how you all were doing and like true warriors you are all doing well
that makes me happy. Yes a few SE but you all seem to be plugging along like me!Number 4 of 6 (but still on Herceptin til November) is on Friday. I developed SEVERE itching two weeks ago all over my body. No rash or anything to be seen on my skin but OMG I was ready to crawl out of my skin! I was put on 50mg of benedryl every 6 hours. That of course was enough to put me in a drug induced coma (well not literally but it felt like it) The itching seems to be 80% better today thank goodness!
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Nora, I had itching as well, my onc wrote a script for allegra which helped and I wasn't in a fog from it.
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They wanted me to call them yesterday if it wasn't any better. It felt much better and I was just using the benedryl creme, tagamet and clariton (which I was told to use starting Friday) it is so much better now. I will remember the allegra if it comes back like it was.
I thought I was going to lose my mind. If any part of my skin had contact with something (like washing my hands or bumping into the wall) it would start itching so bad and then of course some of it just did it on it's own with no contact with anything at all.
I was told it was the docetaxol part of my chemo that was to blame.
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My mouth sores are finally going away after a week. Next time I'm packing ice chips and popsicles because I do not want to go through that again. Does anyone know if its the taxotere, the carboplatin or the herceptin that is most likely to cause the mouth sores?
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Webu - Not sure if it is the tax or the carbo, but I am almost positive it is not the herceptin.0
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Thanks, Amy. From what I have been reading on the "taxotere is a nightmare" thread, it is probably the taxotere.
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It's the Taxotere Web.
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webu its the taxotere. I sucked on ice chips (per onc recommendation) the last 3 tx and had little to no sores. My tongue would get sore. You should also stay away from acidic spicy food.
nora_az I was on Zyertec the entire time. The first week on it I was in a haze but my body got used to it after that. I think that's why I never had hives/itchy. Docetaxol is Taxotere
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I'm wondering if I should suck on ice chips during my next infusion. At the Mayo they have ice chips, soda, juices etc and volunteers that bring anything you want nearby. I think I may take them up on the ice after hearing everyone else talk about it.
Lago, my memory is so bad now....are you done or nearly done with the chemo portion?
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Nora I am DONE. I had my last tx (#6) last Tuesday. I'm also done with nuelasta and its SE as well as constipation and wierd feeling in my chest.
Now I'm doing the taste change, twitchy eyes, weird eye sight, bit tired and some muscle soreness. Oh yes and the finger nail beds from hell
. I think that's going to take some time to go away. Still some numbness if the left heel but that too will take some time. So glad this is the last time though.0 -
Lago....
CONGRATS YIPPEE I'm doing a happy dance for you!
Cant wait to be there myself. At least you know you're only going to start feeling better from here on out.
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Congrats Lago on completing the TC part! I know I was so happy to get that last one done and start feeling better for longer than a few days at a time. Every day after that last one I would wake up and say to myself "Last time I have to feel like this". I don't know, mine over matter, but I started feeling better after the last one earlier than all of the previous ones.
Anyway - congrats! You will find that H only is much easier!
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Just dropping in to say hi! I finished chemo a little less than 2 years ago. The breast cancer experience sort of feels like it was a bad dream and not entirely real except that I have the scar tissue to prove it happened. I was hormone negative so I'm done with treatment - just see the onc every 6 months for a check-up.
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Hello Everybody,
Just want to inform you Im finished with my chemo therapy sessions, last January 24, 2011. Thank God, it was finished. As I watched the last drop of infusion,I became a bit afraid, thinking of recurrence, etc..having breast cancer with two yong children is rather difficult to cope up with, but I musterd great strength through reading this website, discussion boards and it helps me a lot during diagnosis and treatment. Thank you sisters.
Please give me advices on what activities to do after finishing chemo treatments and to reclaim life, as if you havent suffered from breast ca..like living life to the fullest.
Thanks once again!
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Congrats Lago, I think we were diagnosed of breast ca almost the same time. I also just finished my chemo session.
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Congratulations dlcp, great feeling to finish chemo!! I can relate to the afraid feeling though, you just got to trust that you got the best treatment possible and get on with feeling good again.
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dlcp we're done!!! That's a good thing. Congratulations. Love your photo.
Here's my take on where we are now.
I feel the surgery got all the cancer, why shouldn't I think otherwise. Chemo was just insurance. No need to assume you have or even had cancer anywhere else in your body because the test shows you didn't and you have no symptoms. Get through the side effects and get back to life. I'm not going to worry unless I feel something/symptom that isn't right.
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Dlcp, congrats on finishing! Today is my last one...so excited to put this behind me and get on with life.
Thanks to all of you for your words of wosdom.0 -
lago and anyone else chime in: OK I am still struggling to understand this node business. I notice some of you have 0 nodes positive but had nodes removed? I knew from the git go I had at least one positive node. However, after surgerypathology refers to 4 sentinel nodes removed 3 positive. I believe my dr told me back in July that if you have a positive node (I knew I did) they will do the axillary dissection. So I was expecting the armpit reaming out. This was clear.
Were your nodes removed because of size/grade/of tumor? Just curious and confused slightly. libray lil
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Libraylil I had sentinel node on the right (4 nodes) and level I axillary on the leftt where that large aggressive tumor was. Even though there didn't seem to be any invasion based on the MRI and physical exam there is still a 30% that there will be one. Also with a tumor my size (going in we thought 7cm) and HEr2+/fast growing there was an 80% chance of some invasion. My surgeon really thought I would have a micro invasion. When they do a sentinel node dissection its not a complete/thorough look. That's why the final path is important.
At least that was how I understood it. Everyone (except me) was surprised I had no nodes. My surgeon would have taken level II as well if he saw something.
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hi all, my wide had TCH #3 last thursday followed by Neulasta on Friday. She was fine until Sunday when she had a bad headache, some very mild nausea, and other related stomach issues. She was very tired on Monday but by Tuesday was doing fine. She's been able to get by with the anti-nausea meds, an occasional Aleve, and lots of rest. She does get red-faced the day or two after treatment.
She's lost her hair on her head and her sense of taste is gone, but overall she's holding up OK. She hasn't had any nail issues, blurred vision or anything else, and she still has her eyebrows/eyelashes. Her blood counts have been good except she is now taking iron daily, vitamin D weekly, and she needed a vitamin B shot (B6 I think?).
3 more to go, Sunday is the overall half-way point. Our best to all of you going through the same treatment.
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Librarylil: Just had the SNB with my lumpectomy on 1/7/11. I had 4 nodes removed and all were clear. The surgeon explained to me that she would remove the sentinel nodes at the time of surgery and said that she and the pathologist would take a look at them during surgery for 15 mins. or so to get an idea of whether they were positive. If positive, she had consent to continue on for an axillary dissection. If not, she explained that they would be sent away for further examination and could still come back positive (micromets I suppose?) at which time I would potentially have the axillary dissection done at a later date. Luckily, they were negative both in the original surgery and on the pathology afterwards.
Lago Can you or someone else explain, why do the number of sentinel nodes differ? I had 4 removed but other people seem to have a different number. Does each individual have more or less clumped together? My DH is now saying, "well since they are normal, can we have them back?"
If only... I'm losing my mind waiting to see the oncologist so I can finally get on with treatment. Waiting 2 weeks has seemed like 2 months. I will finally be going on Friday.
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Dragonfly, the nodes can be clustered together. Sentinel node dissection can remove typically anywhere from 1-4 nodes. My BS was disappointed that 4 lit up and they were so high up.
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/lymph_node_removal/sentinel_dissection/
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I was confused with what they said on my nodes. My breast surgeon said he took out 16. One was was affected and there was traces of something in the channel? I dont recall hearing him say this to me during my first appointment after surgery.
I had further questions for the nurse practitioner regarding the lymph nodes. She said something about something being in the channel (sorry I cant be more descriptive I didn't understand) I asked her to elaborate on it and she said she couldn't explain it without having the surgeon explain it to her. I am confused now. Does anyone know what she was talking about? It doesn't sound good to me and it's been on my mind a lot.
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Congrats to those of you who are done!
My mouth sores finally healed, but I still can't handle hot food and everything has that metallic taste, yuck. Here is a first for me: There has been a box of Fannie May mint meltaways in my freezer for two weeks, and it hasn't even been opened. Never dreamed there would come a day I wouldn't want chocolate!
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Is dry, peeling skin on the face a SE? Today the skin on my face is red and sore. It is especially bad right around my eyes. Even my most gentle moisturizer seems to irritate it, Does anyone know of any good products for this?0
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Hi Webu - ditto on the chocolates. Isn't that strange? And, I can walk right by a Starbucks with no urge to walk in. I would never have dreamed that day (or months!) would come.
I have some skin issues too. I am on day 16 of TCH. Today, my chin and around my mouth is so dry, it looks puckered. I am 43 and have never noticed that before. I tried putting coconut oil at night. Another shocker...since I used to have really oily skin. Tonight i am going to try Eucerin, which the derm had recommended for kids with the dry/chappy face problem.
Anyone else have any ideas?
Annie
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