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Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

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  • sewingnut
    sewingnut Posts: 475
    edited March 2011

    Dragonfly, my Onc told me to take immodium for the diarhea. She didn't want it to go on past 3 days. She said if it didn't stop she would write for something stronger.

  • lilylady
    lilylady Posts: 478
    edited March 2011

    Just a quick note to say I will be joining your ranks next week. I am getting a port on Monday and start TCH X 6 on Wednesday. Neoadjuvant for me. I am going to drop back on the thread so I can catch up with the players.

  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Posts: 925
    edited March 2011

    Dragonfly~ I had the big D with the first 4 treatments (that I remember...oh too well) and it is HORRIBLE.  I was eating immodium like crazy.  I also lost 30lbs and was WAY, WAY too thin for my body frame after TCH but I gained it back afterwards.  I also gained more which wasn't good.

    So my moral is hang in there it will get better. 

  • Anniemomofthree
    Anniemomofthree Posts: 370
    edited March 2011

    nmoss  - I just did TCH #4 of 6. No neulasta yet - like you, I am curious why some give this without checking cbc.  I have decardon, emend, 1/2 dose benadryl and ativan with my chemo. On Monday I had declined both the benedryl and the ativan.  My DH put the cold caps on and I realized why I liked/needed the benadryl and ativan...put me in a nice relaxed state for the caps, so much so that I did not notice the cold.

    TCH is doable...though i had a similar rough 1tx as others, but i had no emend and decadron.  2tx and 3tx were great, no SEs.  Now with 4tx I am sooooo tired. Needing a nap.  Just not that great. 

    So, like TonLee said, it seems to depend on the person.  Really, the anticipation can be worse than the real thing. Sounds like you are uber-prepared and will do great.  I am hoping the best!  Don't forget your sense of humor...it can be the best ammo during the battle!

  • lilylady
    lilylady Posts: 478
    edited March 2011

     I am new to this club so excuse any repetitive questions. I get a port installed on Monday and start the TCH on Wednesday. Went back to early Feb to get kind of caught up on the thread and the players. I will be getting my stuff at the onc office-somehow I pictured a big room full of friendly women like you guys having a big hang-out session. Instead, I will be in a little room by myself.

     Besides not getting the Neulasta they also said they don't routinely prescribe oral steroids for before and after. Hate to miss a good buzz-should i press the point? Seems like I am going to get whatever they think i need in the IV and we will medicate after the fact based on my reactions. I felt pretty rushed today- the onc was speaking to a convention and had to leave before my appt was over. My questions mainly got answered by the nurse while standing at the desk.

    How long do i need to ice my toes and fingers to keep my nails from going? Does the Sally Hansen hardener help? Do I keep ice in my mouth the whole time?

    I have til next Weds to figure this stuff out and will continue backwards to get caught up.

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011

    lily - I bought insulated lunch sacks at Target and put the frozen peas in there.  I used the little cotton gloves from the drugstore and little cotton socks for my feet.  I would start cooling 15 min before the taxotere, during and then 15min after.  Don't let your fingers/toes go numb, they just need to be cold cold. I also joined a group here that was starting chemo all n the same month, they will probably have one for this month if not already.  Also, keep a log or journal of how you are feeling. It helps to remember for the next round if you need to premedicate for something, though each round can be different. Also, don't be shy about calling with your SE's.  Often they know what to tell you to do to feel better.  Do you have a clear contact person at the onc office to call?  Best wishes to you!! Feel free to ask about anything.

    .

  • gasurvivor2011
    gasurvivor2011 Posts: 150
    edited March 2011

    Kathie-Special K- hope you feel better. I am (finally). one week now. Still my legs feel heavy- and if I stand for long periods (like more than a few minutes) they get achy. Uggh.

    I am getting the thrush under control- diflucan & nystatin are helping ease that up. Only a little diarrhea now- nothing like the pain of yesterday.

    It is such an exhilirating feeling when you start to come back up- I get so happy. Though I am quite not the same- more winded walking & that fatigue.

    My doctor said one of the words I hate "it's cumulative (chemo)." I don't know if i should scream or slap someone who says that about the side effects and/or the fatigue(just kidding- but it's tough!)

    I was so happy to work today! I miss my old life. Two down- uphill climb now & feeling better one week (8 days) out. IV fluids help so much today too- got 500mls in my port w/ the herceptin. 

    Hoping I'll get some more use of my legs- those on here who tell us to push ourselves w/ that are right. As much as I wanted to cry while walking over the last few days, it's helped me make it further and further now. So, I just feel like I have a mild case of flu now instead of the worst kind!

    Hope yall are doing well too. We are making it through!

    And yes- neulasta is routine for TCH at my onc office. I do know that it'd be scary to think what I'd be like w/o it as much as that bone pain, chest pain & headache get me for days after.

    Nite all- hoping to sleep again- last night I did w/ help of tylenol pm. hoping for plain old sleep tonight...we'll see!

    Lisa

  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Posts: 324
    edited March 2011

    Hi Anniemomofthree,Tonlee and LisaGH, your right just take the Nuelasta. Seems like SE far outweigh the complications that occur without it. I am still somewhat in the get me out of here bargaining stage of grieving. Plus I research and negotiate for a living. Thanks for sharing.



    Lily sorry you had to be here, you and I are starting same day Port on Monday, Herceptin Tuesday and Taxotere & Carbo on Weds. This board is a wealth of information and support. I like you learned more from here than I did from my patient education with the onc & head nurse. I did visit a larger infusion center but it was far from what you described, mostly elderly and crowded. I opted to do

    My treatment at a smaller center with curtains and only 3-4 people. It just seemed more manageable . Best of luck to you and I hope you have an easy go of it next week.

  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Posts: 426
    edited March 2011

    Lilylady - My onc sounds like yours - did a wait and see on the Neulasta (never needed it, never got an infection) and no oral steroids - just in the drip on the day of. And that worked out fine. They all have different approaches, it seems. I never iced and never had any nail problems either. (The icing wasn't discussed on this board 'back when' I did chemo - spring/summer 09.)  I also waited to see if I needed the anti nausea pills and never did, so I never took them.

    This whole thing is SO personal  - everyone seems to react so differently. I mean - I am THE WORLD'S BIGGEST PUKER - I throw up from everything! I was terrified of it during chemo, expecting to be sick the whole time -  but never once even got nauseous. Go figure!

     So do your reading and be prepared, but don't expect everything you read to happen to you. Each of our bodies really do respond in different ways.

    Good luck and stick around. Whatever SEs you DO have, someone on here will probably have had them and be able to give you some good advice for dealing with them.

  • TonLee
    TonLee Posts: 1,589
    edited March 2011

    Amy,

    The world's biggest puker....that made me laugh out loud. Laughing

  • nora_az
    nora_az Posts: 391
    edited March 2011

    6 days out from my 6th TCH

    Tongue starting to feel sore and heavy, nose starting to run. Head still a bit "off"

    Good news is.....thank goodness I just have to get over this last hump!  Yeahhhh!!

  • kriskat
    kriskat Posts: 116
    edited March 2011

    Day three from first TCH-still feeling ok, more tired this am than previous two days.  No vomitting or queasy feeling just thinking I could sleep like a year:)  I have been sneezing quite a bit though so I am thinking must be some of those flu like symptoms???? 

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011

    Yay Nora!!

    kriskat - Not everyone has SE's, you may be one of the lucky ones that just has a mild reaction.  That would be a good thing!!

  • nora_az
    nora_az Posts: 391
    edited March 2011

    kris...

    I can almost 100% reassure you it's just SE's and not a cold or flu. With the first 3 TCH treatments I swore I was getting a bad cold or the flu, turned out it was just SE's. Now, I just know it's SE's. I have to say though, it mimics the cold/flu quite well!

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011
    krisat - I agree with nora - I feel that way after the herceptin only infusions.
  • zlota
    zlota Posts: 40
    edited March 2011

    Hi to all,

    Okay its been 5 weeks since my last treatment and my legs ares till so sore and ankles swollen. Please anyone there with the same issue I've been taking diuretics but it doesn't help. I hope the swelling is not from Herceptin cause I still have a year of that.

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011
    zlota - I had the most swelling in my forearms and it started to go down at about 8-9 weeks post.  Sorry you have this discomfort!!
  • lilylady
    lilylady Posts: 478
    edited March 2011

    Amy so glad for your post. I am world champion PROJECTILE puker. Last acheived distance  almost 4 feet 2 weeks post knee surgery-that was 1 nurse who will never offer to hold an emesis basin again. She was holding it under my chin and she needed to be around my feet. Second surgery different meds no problem.

      I am glad he is going to go for as little meds as possible-I am just being a pre-chemo worrywart. When i saw the posts on how expensive the Neulasta is I wondered if they were trying to be cheap. I would way rather skip the additional SEs and hope to keep my counts up. I haven't had a cold or flu in more years than I can remember.. Glad to hear how many others are also not doing it.

    Kriskat-keep up the good work. So happy there are people starting at the same time to follow. Spring is in the air and I think everyone will benefit from sunshine and warm air, Winter has been gray and brutal all across the US

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011
    Protein - When I started chemo I met with an oncology nutritionist and she said I should eat 95 grams of protein a day.  I weighed about 165 pounds at that time so that would be 95/165=0.58 grams per lb.  She said this helps with rebuilding the white blood cells during chemo.  It's a lot of protein but I managed it.
  • stlcardsfan
    stlcardsfan Posts: 227
    edited March 2011

    Protein and fiber are the two I concentrated on.

    I had alot of little protein snacks with me, and whenever I started to feel tired, I ate a little something with protein. Usually about 10 to 12 days out of each cycle I stopped doing that. I also had Neulasta.

    My counts did drop toward the last cycle of TCH, I started in on Spinach and red meat. By the time of my surgery, everything was back up to normal. My surgery was 7 weeks after last TCH.

  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Posts: 925
    edited March 2011

    i am another person who never got Neulasta BUT I did become anemic toward the end and I required 2 transfusions.  I went in feeling like I had been hit by a truck and 8 hours later left the hospital trying to figure out where I was going because I felt so good. 

    I also tried to eat whatever I could and I pretty much put myself on the atkins diet.  All carbs tasted horrible.  Now it is a different story :(

  • specialk
    specialk Posts: 9,266
    edited March 2011

    lilylady - ice 15 min prior to Taxotere and stay iced until 15 min after if you can.  I bring an insulated cup of crushed ice and try to hold it in my mouth during that part of the tx.  My center gave a little pack of stuff - included was Sally Hansen nail hardener.  I paint it on every couple of days, coat on top of coat.

    Be careful of the fiber until you find out if you are the constipated type or diarrhea type.  Fiber on top of the big D (love that) is bad news.

    I only get steroids in the drip - none before or after.  I have had mild nausea but it was handled by the Compazine they prescribed.  I had less of it 2nd tx than the first, we're talking maybe a day and a half and it was knocked out by the drugs, no problem.

    LisaGH - still with the big D - last time it was until the 9th post-tx day.  Manageable and not bad enough for Immodium until today.  Other than that just feel kind of tired, but nothing too bad.  I would like to walk but I am a little afraid to leave the house!!!

  • lilylady
    lilylady Posts: 478
    edited March 2011

     Doing some Herceptin research and went to a drug site that sells it-$3180 for 1 vial!! I will be getting it weekly-Ouch for the insurance company.

    I just wanted to see how I am going to feel on the H weeks only that are sandwiched between the TCH treatments. Got sietracked on trying to see how much 1 chemo visit costs. OMG-I am totally worth it and am again grateful I have insurance. I do have many blessings-this whole thing is making that clearer every day

  • sunflower71
    sunflower71 Posts: 53
    edited March 2011

    I am about to leave for my (hopefully) last TCH.  Round 6 was supposed to be yesterday, but my counts were too low.  They gave me a shot of neupogen and told me to come back in 24 hours.  Fingers crossed that I able to have treatment today.  I just want to be done!!!

     I swelled a lot this week, put on 9.5 lbs of fluid???

  • omaz
    omaz Posts: 4,218
    edited March 2011
    Good luck sunflower and congratulations on making it all the way through chemo!!!  
  • Anniemomofthree
    Anniemomofthree Posts: 370
    edited March 2011

    Best wishes Sunflower!    You made it through chemo.  Do the happy dance or jiggle :)   I have that weight gain thing going after 4 of 6 TCH done.  Celebrate the extra fluids - your skin must look great!  Kiss

  • Anniemomofthree
    Anniemomofthree Posts: 370
    edited March 2011

    Lilylady - before you know it you will be done with #1, then #2, etc.  It goes fast once you actually begin!  Hang in there. You are ready AND worth it!  CAn you believe the cost of some of this stuff?  We are so lucky to be living here with great healthcare and great insurance.  

    Have a restful weekend! 

    Annie 

  • TonLee
    TonLee Posts: 1,589
    edited March 2011

    Sunflower, good luck with #6.  I get #6 on Tuesday....

    Lily, I'm curious too about Herceptin only.  Right now I take it every week.  On those days it makes me sluggish, and my tongue goes completely tasteless.  Just stops working for 24 hours.  Also, I feel really "full" as if I swallowed too much water, and it sits right at the top of my throat.

    The benefit is, it keeps me regular.  And I'd suffer a lot to keep that. :)

  • lago
    lago Posts: 11,653
    edited March 2011

    Zolata I started taking a diuretic 4 weeks post chemo and it helped (lost 8 lbs) for a month. When I stopped I started to blow up again so I was put back on it this week. I dropped the few pounds I gained but I do seem to have some swelling. I have a feeling this might be from the Anastrozole. Are you on an Al or Tamoxifen. Edema is listed as one of the side effects.

    As far as stiffness my legs (now 8.5 weeks) are so much better. I have been stretching (2 weeks) and working out (1 week) again so that might help. I've seen a huge difference in the last 2 weeks.

    Sunflower be sure to let your onc. new you put on 9.5lbs in such a short period time. Good luck today.

    lilylady  insurances do work out deals with hospitals and drug companies. My chemo bill is $33337.50 but the insurance company gets a discount of $17135.47. Granted that's still a lot of money but it's a huge discount. I'm not sure what it is for herceptin only because I have yet to have one of those bills processed.

    For years I& my employer paid into health insurance and hardly ever used it. Insurance companies use the money from healthy people to pay for overhead and for those who are ill. Seriously the health insurance companies are making more profit than ever. This is the idea behind the Obama plan. If everyone has health insurance (even healthy people) then the cost will flatten out for everyone. People like us with expensive treatments will not cut into insurance company profits.

  • sewingnut
    sewingnut Posts: 475
    edited March 2011

    I was wondering how many of you that had the nuelasta shot after the TCH were able to stay on track every 3 weeks and finish on time. How much if any did your counts drop from treatment to treatment with the nuelasta?

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