Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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I have to apologize for ranting about grandkids the other day. I guess none of you interested in hearing about it. As hard as this fight to get past cancer and through chemo, it is no harder than what I went through for years as I watched my children struggle to conceive. My family is what's getting me through this. I was very happy to find out that KJ was going to be a grandmother and everything else just came out. I'll keep my comments to myself.
Hope your feeling better Aly, God Bless, Mary
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Mary: I didn't think you were ranting about your grandchildren. You were sharing a moment that made you feel better throughout this hard time that you are going through. It's natural to want to share something good that happens. I think we all enjoy seeing that there is really a balance in life. Feel free to keep talking about the grandkids.
I take joy in a cat snoring on my desk as I work. Or reminding me I need a play break.
Terri.
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Mary,,,,,,,,,,,,I also didnt feel you were ranting about your grandchildren. I have a grandson and he was born right before I started chemo. As a matter of fact,,,,,,,I babysat him 3 days a week during my chemo. My family was sooooooooo good to me during that time,,,,,,there were times when I felt like crap and wanted to stop treatment,,,,,,,,,,but then I would look at my grandson and say,,,,,,,,,,,"Hell no,,,,,,,,,I'm not stopping,,,,,,,I want to be around to enjoy this lil guy". So never apologize for sharing moments about your family. That's what pulls us thru most of the time. Keep sharing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I love it.
Too all the rest of the ladies,,,,,,,,,,,,keep up the good work,,,,,,,,,hang in there and keep those side effects at bay.
Take care,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,have a good weekend.
Cindy
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hi
is anyone doing TCH every week i will do every week instead every three. just wonder how i am going to feel after weekly chemo.
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AlyMarie, I know exactly how you feel. I cried for 8 days straight. The Onc kept saying "we can get your through this," but nothing they tried helped me. I lost 9 pounds in 6 days. I was so sick I couldn't function. It was awful. By the time I started feeling better (day 10), I was in the hospital because my white could was so low and my fever was 101.5 and then the nausea started all over again.
I am so sorry that you have to go through it too. I hope and pray you get some relief. I have tx #2 on Tuesday and I am scared to death. It will take all the courage I can muster to take the next dose. I meet with the Onc prior to taking the next dose and I pray she has some answers for me. I honestly don't know if I can go through it again.
Let me know how you are doing. I am worried about you.
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Hi Kay (and everybody). I'm back again from the hospital today and saw my Onc (funny, she said the same thing "we'll get you through this!"). It was my regular weekly chemo appt. but I only had Herceptin because I'm going to go back to the 3 week cycle (and because I'm still sick). If I'm going to be sick for a week anyway, I may as well have 2 good weeks out of 3. Today I needed more fluids and meds for the pain. I'm not sure that I didn't somehow injur myself during 10 straight hours of vomiting as I've had a lot of pain in my neck and shoulders and throat area since it happened. This morning I was very weak, probably from not being able to eat anything of note since Monday but am feeling a little better after another liter and a half of fluids and some assorted meds. I was able to eat on the way home so that's positive.
Kay, what has made you so sick, do they know? I know that the problem with my first treatment was a reaction to the Neulasta. Did you get Neulasta? It sounds like maybe not if your white count dipped so low and you got a fever? I feel so horrible for you because I know what you are going through. I get a week break now to recover from whatever this has been before I go in for what I guess will amount to treatment #2 (2.5?). I got something new for the nausea today, it's Anzemet which is taken just once in 24 hours. It supposedly doesn't make you drowsy like one of my other anti nausea meds does. I'm going to try it and see what happens. This was so different from the first time because even though I felt queasy after treatment #1, I could still eat if someone handed me something, although I wasn't very interested in food in general. This time I simply couldn't eat. I couldn't choke even a single bite down. My Onc is still thinking it's a virus and not the chemo but I guess we'll never know for sure.
Kay, are they going to adjust your meds or do something differently for you next time? I don't believe in the idea of "just put up with it", not when it makes you that ill. They have to make adjustments so you can function.
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Aly and Kay; All I can say is that I am so sorry and you're in my prayers. They premedicated me with Emend this time (had number 2 on Thursday) for that "breakthrough" puking I had days 4-5 last time and they actually cut down my Taxotere because of the severity of my mouth sores. I won't know for a couple days if I'm escaping the hell I went through last time, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes. They never did figure out what caused the horrible headache, but I told them that I will not suffer with that for one minute without calling! I really pray that they find answers for you guys. As my onco says, "This is going to be awful, but it shouldn't be terrible." By the way, I have heard and read that accupuncture actually helps some people quite a bit with chemo-related nausea. Have you heard that before?
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Lynn how are you today? I have been looking for you to post...
Geesh you guys are scaring the heck out of me getting so sick. I have my first coming up soon and wonder how in the world am I going to get through it?
Aly, Kay and Shell my prayers are with you guys...
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Cupcake, I hope you will go back and read the numerous posts from folks who aren't getting that sick!! The getting really sick thing is the rarity, not the norm from what I understand. Don't worry, I'm sure you will do just wonderfully! My prayers are with you!
Aly.
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Cupcake...ditto to what Aly said. In fact, remember a few pages back when we were all scaring ourselves to death reading about recurrences on the internet, and then a few of us started paraphrasing an article in Newsweek about not dwelling on stuff you read that destroys your faith in what you're doing? I think Aly made a great point. Look at the posts where people are doing normal things, having a great time with their kids, grandkids, going to work, going to the gym, etc. And then talk to your doctor about what you're going to do together to make sure you don't go south. And then you do it day by day...which is what I'm trying to remind myself right now...trying not to tighten up against the nausea that last time came on day 4. It's kind of like labor, where you have to take it one contraction at a time, you know? And don't anticipate a bad course on chemo because your preliminaries weren't all that fun. Wouldn't it be great if a lot of your bad stuff was over?0
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Yes I have been reading all along with great interest on this sight cause I have the same Chemo cocktail, and was so hoping I could be like you all, but then thought I would probably be that dang 1% that took a nose dive. Your right on the birth pains and you all got through it and I will too. One thing I have noticed that when they put me out they give me anesthesia like a woman my size and I am so out that it takes me a week to wake up and i get sooooo sick, and the same with having the port put in on Tuesday. I told the Dr today that and to be gentle with that stuff as it throws me for a loop. I get really sick on it. Not looking forward to it, but I bet I do. same with telling them I do not have good veins and after a week of butchering me up they finally said, oh yeah she doesn't have good veins does she, better put a port in.... . I guess I look for the worst and expect it and shouldn't do that. I have said all day, "I will not get sick, I am going to go through all this and not get sick". Yeah and I clicked my heals together too.
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Ya gotta love the attitude of blaming the victim...e.g. "You have bad veins." Well, maybe they have bad phlebotomy skills.
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lol your right shell cause when I went to the other hospital the guy just one stick got in and did everything. Kina makes me have a little discomfort with the big hospital I will be going to. Not only this, but mixing up the meds on my paperwork that I discovered. One thing is they have a system to check the meds with the paperwork before they put them in, but you better believe I will be on top of that. I still worry about Lynn as we haven't heard from her. I sure hope she didn't go down on day 2.
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AlyMarie, I have no idea what made me so sick. I am hoping the Onc can shed some light on it when I see her Tuesday before tx #2. The problem is, I am still nauseous. I am taking Zofran and Ativan each morning and it helps, which is great, but as far as the nausea being gone - NOPE!!! I have been keeping a calendar of my symptoms with the severity and will show it to her. Maybe she can figure out what to do. I still plan to ask her to pull out the arsenal of medications. Since I don't have little ones at home to care for, I'll sleep all day if that is what it takes to get through those first 6 to 8 terrible days.
I did not get Neulasta, but I will with tx #2 along with Procrit, which makes me even more nervous because I am afraid they will just add to my problems.
Shelbaroni, I will be really interested to see how the Emend works for you. It is one of the drugs I have been researching and will ask the Onc about on Tuesday. I hope you'll post and let us know how it is working.
On top of all of this, I am now battling my insurance company. They have decided that they will cover 24 Zofran tablets in a 25 day period. I'm not sure how they figured that out, but I've got to get it straightened out prior to Tuesday. Although it wasn't a great help, it did offer me a little relief with the vomiting and I continue to take it every day, as I still experience nausea every day. Anyone have any advice on this front?? Eacch Zofran tablet costs around $25, so I really need insurance to help me pick up the tab.
Cupcake7, I agree with both AlyMarie and Shelbaroni. I have met two people at the infusion center where I take my medications and they are on the exact same regimen as I am and the medications they are using are working well, leaving them with virtually NO problems. Best of Luck - I'm hoping for the best for you.
On another note, my hair started letting go yesterday - right on schedule. At this point, I don't care. I'm ready with scarves and a wig.
Good luck all.
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Hey CaseyDoodle...I had a treatment Thursday, and I'm starting to feel ucky. Even with the Emend. And last time I didn't get nauseous until Sunday night. So I don't know. But I haven't puked yet. Just ucky, so I can stay on top and still do things. Zofran didn't do squat for me, except turn my bowels into reinforced steel. So I started using over-the-counter Bonine (for motion sickness)--no side effects and cheap! You might try it!Hey and something I discovered, for all you sleepless maids and maidens on steroids out there in TCH land. You can get over the internet a one-week free coupon for Ambien CR (time release) that if you can get a script from your doc, you can fill it. I got mine today and can't wait to go to bed with Mr. Ambien! When that one runs out, I'll have my husband get another one, because the CR version costs a mint and my insurance won't pick it up.Casey...maybe you should ask your doc if she has "samples" of Zofran. Many people get by that way, too:)0
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Hey have you guys seen this? There's a vaccine in phase 2 trial right now against HER2+ breast cancers!! Check out:
http://www.pr-inside.com/a-shot-in-the-arm-against-r657997.htm
Aly.
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Aly...that could really rock the casbah! I'm going to show that to my husband the pharma chemist and see if he can dig up some more on that. Very interesting. Hey, girl--if you're spelunking around on the internet, you're probably feeling just a tad better, yeah?General question for everyone. Has anyone found that with round 2 that you got about the same pattern of side effects emerging about a day EARLIER than the first time? That's what's happening to me. Like the Sunday morning on the first round, I was doing a bike race down the beach. This time, I'm warding off the sinus headache that hit me the following morning.About Emend: the stuff works. I could tell several times yesterday that my stomach just wanted to hurl, but there was a governor on it. My brain simply wouldn't let it rip. Which is cool, because I could stay fed and hydrated and active all day. I just kept burping, which was a little gross...I'm just hoping I can keep it in check today, now that I'm done with the Emend. But yeah...if yr insurance will pick up the more than EXORBITANT tab for it, Emend is gooood stuff!0
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a postscript on my last entry. According to my husband, about 99 percent of drugs fail their phase 1 clinical trials. But who knows? Maybe this one will be a winner!
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Hi Everyone,
I'm new to posting. However, I have been reading all of your posts for about a month now, and finally decided to join in. I love the support I feel from everyone, and always feel less alone when I read your posts. I started Herceptin on May 2 and my first TCH chemo treatment was on May 30. My second was on June 20. I have not had a lot of se's with the second treatment so far. I get yucky feeling about 2 days after the treatment and it lasts for 3-4 days. I drink a LOT of water and take ativan as needed. I hope each treatment goes this way. I have had a few weird bruises on my legs since starting treatment, I can't remember bumping anything, so I think this is a side effect, I will check with doctor on Monday. I am tired more, but walking my dog seems to help somewhat. My biggest downer is my hair loss, I am two weeks out on that, and still don't feel good in my wig or my hats. Thank you everyone for being so open on here, it really helps me and many others, I'm sure, feel better!
Kelly
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Welcome Vintageruff. Glad to hear you have had a mild time of it so far. I really look for these positives as I start July 8th and terrified as you might remember. I woke up with bad dreams about the cancer...could have been I stayed up late on the Internet reading more stuff on my breast cancer.
Not a good thing to do before bedtime. I think my biggest problem is just not knowing exactly what kind I have. I know it is HER2 strong positive, I know they haven't found the tumor, but it could be this awful Axillary lump that is growing in my arm pit. I know the cancer stain is consistent with breast cancer, I know they haven't found cancer anywhere else in my body with the cat and bone scan. I know the first Pathology report said it was metastatic adenocarcinoma, breast primary (otter helped me see this was a temporary dx with just what they had at the time). I'm pretty sure at this point it is not CUP Cancer unknown Primary, stage III, that has a poor prognosis, but possibly a "occult" primary cancer which us usually has a stage II attached to it and sometimes does better. I have an contrast MRI on Monday and I think after that I need to know just where I stand with this. Is the Chemo to control the tumor or get rid of the cancer completely. My emotions are so all over the map. I do remember in my class that is you have unexpected bruising or bleeding that you should notify your oc as it may be a sign the chemo is affecting your platelets (blood cells that help blood to clot). Sure would be something for you to call them about..... So glad to meet you....and hope you post often.... 0 -
Shel...I didn't find the article, my husand did. Last night he went to check his email and I guess the news and suddenly I heard "hey guess what!". It's pretty exciting. I'm going to ask my Onc how folks get involved in clinical trials. The cool thing about it is that it trains your immune system to fight the cancer so if it ever reoccurs it will fight it.
I am feeling a tad better but still struggling with diarrhea for some reason. BAD gas that just will not quit. My stomach is making horribly embarassing noises all the time. Anybody else have this trouble?
Cupcake. I'm sorry you're having such a difficult and frightening time of things. If you're anything like me, the unknown is the worst part. I must not know everything there is to know about how they identify things because my first question was how do they know it's HER2++ if they can't find the tumour? Are they able to do all that with blood work alone?
Chemo can be used in different ways. It's used to shrink larger tumours to make them small enough to be removed via lumpectomy. It's used after the tumours are removed to make sure all the cancer cells are dead, and it can also be used to try to remove tumours entirely, particularly if they're inoperable. It sounds like you have a LOT of questions for your doctor. Are you writing them down? I know that if I don't write mine down I never remember to ask them all. It might help.
Kay, I have been thinking about you and hoping that you are feeling a bit better today. It's hard when the sickness drags on and on and on. I'm still struggling myself and it's been more than a week since treatment #2 which wasn't even a full strength treatment!
Kelly, welcome. Sorry you have to be here but we'll all be as supportive as we can for each other!!
Alyson
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Aly...my husband says that while about 99 percent of drugs that enter stage 1 trials fail, only about 90 percent of those that go on to stage 2 flop. So there's a chance. We'll have to keep an eye on it; but in the meantime, it's good to know that they're working in that direction.
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Well ladies, hair today, gone tomorrow. When I woke up this morning it was all over the pillow and then when I got in the shower, it was coming out by the hand fulls. So, hubby grabbed the clippers and it's gone! It wasn't as upsetting as I thought it might be. I guess with all the puking and diarrhea, it seems like a small thing. I am feeling better today, which is a good thing, since I only have two days until round #2.
Aly, I hope you are beginning to feel just a little better?? Having it drag on and on is such a bummer, especially when there is no end in sight. Also, thanks for the link to the article, any positive news is appreciated right now!
I am definitely going to call my insurance company to see if they will cover the Emend and then I'll ask for it when I see the onco on Tuesday. At this point, anything is worth a try. I am still taking Zofran and Ativan every morning and it definitely gets me through the day.
Hope all of you that are under the weather get to feeling better soon! Aly, hang in there!
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I'm baaack!
Well, I have ONE Herceptin treatment left and then I AM DONE! I am so excited - and I can't wait for the other ladies to reach this place. Trust me, girls, the view from here is amazing!
I am still achy, and I notice that even with the Herceptin only, I am dead tired on Day 4. It could be that I just really get myself worked up over it all, or it could be a legitSE, but since my treatments are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, it has not been a major inconvience. I just sleep a lot on those weekends after treatment.
Kelly: Welcome and I am glad that you found us. I bruised easily during my treatments as well. I have not noticed it as bad since I have been on Herceptin only - but when I told my oncs they did not seem all that concerned since my count were always good.
Shel: I was told the same thing about the iron supplements, and then I went out and got EVERY WOMAN's IRON SUPPORT by NEW CHAPTER. It was a plant-based iron supplement, and although I have no real proof that it made the difference, I have to say that my RBCs steadliy INCREASED while I was on chemo. My counts were better than pre-chemo counts. I also took a multi-vitamin called ALIVE! They make it without iron - which is what I used during chemo, then dropped the Every Woman and switched to Alive w/ iron after.
I really beleive these two supplements (along with a few others that I took) helped keep the Neulasta and Procrit shots away. You might have the same results, and maybe not - but maybe the Iron Support is worth a try.
Aly: Hope you are feeling better! I had a cold or something a few months ago (after TC was done) and all I kept thinking is that the Pink Warriors should be exempt from sickness for awhile - haven't we earned a Get Out of Sick Free card?
Cupcake: Have you had your first treatment? How are you doing?
Lynn, Donalee, Jo, Kay...who am I forgetting?: Hey, Girls! How are you all feeling?
Cindy: Always good to know that Momma is checking in on us. Hope that doesn't make you feel old - don't mean that by calling you Momma, I just really like knowing that you are still here keeping an eye on us!
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Hi guys, I haven't posted in forever. Anyways, I finished my last chemo 4 weeks ago. I started radiation last Monday. 5 treatments, 11 more to go. My question is, is anyone experiencing leg pains? I'm finding that walking up stairs just about kills me and forget walking fast or running. I almost got hit by a car going to radiation I tired to run and my legs said I don't think so....I also have neurophathy in my feet and a little in my fingers. Have been told this all will go away, but wondered how long it actually takes. Someone mentioned taking steriods for the muscles to help bring back strength anyone heard of this? It kills me as I'm a really active person and right now I feel like I'm a hundred.
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I have a question for you girls taking Ativan. Are you taking it for nausea, or something else? I have it, but wasn't aware that it helped with nausea. I have it to relax muscles when I get the all over pain. Would love any info!
Aly
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Nanegge I start treatment on July 8. Seems like it has been months from first discovering the lump and it is bigger now. Hope the delay this long is harmful.
All you lucky ones are passing through the light on the other end of the tunnel and we are just coming in. Thanks for your input to know there IS an end.
Sonnebe steroids is something I really have to watch cause being a diabetic it raises the Blood Glucose. Maybe thats what causes the Neurophathy. I know that is something I had to watch for with my diabetes. Not looking forward to taking something to bring it on.
Casey Doodle how long after you had your first treatment did you get sick? How long did it stay?
Aly Marie a good article. sounds like educating the immune system to recognizes the antigen present and fight it off will be a good thing. I understand taking Herceptin attaches onto the little probes sticking out of the cancer cell sucking in estrogen and dividing so rapidly, and when the white cells come by they see it sticking on it and think it doesn't belong there and attacks to kill it. Wha la no more cell. So when you stop the Herceptin do you take an on going pill to keep a cell from doing the same thing? Or do you just wait for this all to happen again? The Pathology Report said I was a strong HER2+++ so guess they can tell with just the biopsy.
Lynn still looking for you to post...still praying for you.
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Hey Aly, I've only had the one tx so far and I did not have any nausea. But my onc said that Ativan was good for nausea. I took it while I was on steriods, so I could sleep. I also took it when I had really bad indigestion that was keeping me awake (and the insurance company was refusing to pay for Prilosec, so I still don't have a prescription for it yet -- will get it for tx 2).
Cupcake, other than bad indigestion from days 4 - 8 (which the Prilosec will help), I had very few problems after my first tx. I felt fine, could work, excercise, and basically maintain my normal routine. Hopefully, it will be as easy for you. If you have any problems that your onc did not prepare you for, do call your doctor. Someone else mentioned -- most people post when they are having problems. I haven't spent time on these boards writing, "hey folks, I feel great again today" but maybe I should.
However, I can tell that my immune system is taking a beating -- I just got a urinary tract infection for which my doctor prescribed Cipro. Nan, that is so exciting that you are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah!
Kay, I'm right behind you. Today is Day 13 and my hair is coming out a bit. I don't know anyone with clippers to shave it when it really starts coming out. I plan to have it shaved at the boutique at the breast care center I go to. I don't want to shave it too soon, so there might be a day or two when my head has patchy bald spots and long hair. Good thing I have plenty of scarves.
-- Jo
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Ooops, also does anybody know if it's OK to take probiotics during chemo?
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Aly: I was given Ativan as an anti-nausea med, along with Kytril. I was told what days I should take what during Chemo Teach. It didn't make sense to me at the time. Then when I had break-through nausea, the nurses explained it in easier terms. Kytril to ward off nausea all together, Ativan for breakthrough nausea (but it will make you sleepy so try Kytril if you need to stay awake) and Compazine suppositories if you can't keep anything down.
The material provided by the pharmacy indicated that Ativan is an anti-axiety med as well, so I figured that would put me under when I wanted a good night's sleep. So I started taking it the night of my treatment and it did help me sleep while hyped up on Decadron. About half the time I took it was for slight nausea and the other half of the time was to sleep.
Sonnebe: I had SEVERE muscle aches after my fourth treatment. The nurses said it was the Taxotere. It hurt to walk on anything but level ground. It hurt to swim, so I had to stop that exercise. They went away about three weeks after my last treatment. The nurses suggested Claritan D but that didn't help so I just whined for two months (good thing I live alone). I had mild neuropathy that also went away within a month of finishing my last treatment. Congratulations on finishing your last treatment.
Terri.
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