Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Chemo #1 is done and it is the next day. It is surreal waiting to see what will happen to me. I have another day of steroids and my doc says I will not get Neulasta at this time since I get chemo every 3 weeks. I still have most of my taste and my sister in law made a lovely dinner last night. There is something nice knowing I am checking off the boxes. Still trying to decide if I will shave my head next Friday as planned or wait a little longer. The erriest part is the chemo went in like it was water and yet I know it was very powerful medicine making an assault on my body and now I sit and wait to see what SEs it will produce. I hope you are all doing well today. Thanks for being here for me from the bottom of my heart! And after two back to back procedures I have my first real shower with no plastic wrap around my chest for the first time in weeks! I may never get out. I have been washing my hair in the kitchen sink. Peace and giant hugs!
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Musicalmom You might want to wait a bit longer to buzz your hair-after all you will be without it for a long time! Mine started shedding heavily on day 16 and I buzzed it soon after...most of us on TCH started losing it heavily around day 16-18 but some people actually kept a lot of hair until the second chemo...0
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Yes, hang on to your hair for a bit yet. My mix may be different to yours but I am on day 15, I am shedding but only just, probably wont have much left in a day or two. I know exactly how you feel, coming home after the first tx was freaky, knowing it was in there now and then just waiting! My SEs started on day 3 and went on until day 7/8, then I felt ok again. But depends on your mix, and no Neulasta will help too, you won't get the nasty bone pains hopefully.
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Christean- my onc said that chemo will bring on alot of "menopause" types of side effects. I know it has for me!
Musical mom--make sure you drink not just water but sports drinks, vitamin water and juice, etc. I was told we need the electrolytes, and I was having lightheadedness and dizzy spells on just water. I try not to think about what is going in during infusions--otherwise I'd be running out of there! I did not shave my head, I was encouraged that a lady finishing when I started still had most of her hair--but I've lost 95% of mine anyway. One of the nurses I met said "at least you know the chemo is strong enough."
I will have my #5 of 6 next week--and it seems like it has taken forever. I think the thing that bothers me the most is the taste problems. But I can taste chocolate this week, so its a good thing!
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Thanks for all the comments. I will re-think the hair a bit. Mine is short and thick. Wendyspet tasting chocolate would be good enough for me. Yum. You are almost done. That is awesome. i am happy just to have one down. Getting quesie feeling now so I took my first naus. med. I am trying not to go too crazy today. Feeling more tired too. I guess we all have to start so we can end. I look forward to that for sure. Blessings
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musicalmom - You may not get very many SEs. Everyone is different! I sortof kept track of mine from chemo to chemo and while some things were the same each time other things happened only once. I am always amazed by the amount of counting in breast cancer treatment - number of chemos, number of nodes, number of rads, number of boosts, number of herceptin treatments. A lot of counting down!0
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musicalmom - I did not buzz my head until day 25. I was an unusual one who made it through 2 chemo treatments with basically a full head of hair. Once it let go though - it came out really fast, making my decision to buzz very clear cut (pardon the pun!) The first couple of chemos I really enjoyed Panera's soup in the bread bowl - even though I live in Florida I began chemo in Feb. and it was cool enough that soup was nice and the bread was the bomb!
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I did not start losing my hair until Day 21 after the first TCH, and then it took two weeks for 3/4 of my hair to fall out. I did not buzz my hair ... when it became clear that I was not going to lose all of my hair ... I just took a pair of scissors and cut the remaining hair off. I did leave about an inch of hair and I am glad I did because it made wearing a wig very comfortable. I did not have to wear the stocking cap that I purchased with the wig.
I had my last TCH on July 28 but my hair had already started to grow before that. It's growing rather quickly now, and by the end of Sept, I hope to be able to give myself a trim to even out the growth.
Losing one's hair is tougher than most people think, but just keep telling yourself it's just hair and it will grow back. And it will before you know it.
For all of you just starting ... good luck and God speed ... it will end sooner than you think. Once you reach the midpoint of your treatments, you will see the end in sight and the treatments will pass quickly.
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I never did buzz my hair but did cut it short the day it started to fall out.
I know a woman who just finished TCH this summer and the only SE she had was her hair fell out and I think a little taste change after TX #6. I did have some light hot flashes (no sweats) between 2-5am. I slept through most of them. They gradually disappeared even once I started Anastrozole. No moods swings either. Oh and although I did have some rare SE (nail lifting) I never had any nausea. Other than the Emend I never used any of the drugs they gave me for that. Everyone is different so don't assume the worst.
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Thanks for all the advice and comments. Really helpful. The hardest part is wondering what each day will bring...but I am trying not to be overly focused on that. I just wonder like today, no more steroids will I crash or should I try going to school to get my classroom ready for my sub? SE are pretty tolerable so far. Hooked up with another woman newly diagnosed and it is interesting how we all have to find the doctors and places we feel comfortable with. This is not a cookie cutter diagnosis in any way which reminds me of our 17 year long journey with our autistic son who is now a senior in high school. He motivates me a lot. Have a great day warrior women!
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musicalmom I would suggest doing whatever you had planned to do including getting your classroom ready. The "steroid crash" comes on gradually and amounts to even more severe fatigue than you are already feeling but it certainly won't stop you from functioning. I was always at work when the steroid crash peaked and I just felt a bit like a zombie but kept doing my job in spite of it. I'm assuming you might have the flexibility to work a few hours-if so, that's ideal. If I could have worked 1/2 a day and taken a nap on those days, I would have...0
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musicalmom - Steroid crash made me very very sleepy for a whole day.0
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I take Benedryl on the nights I can't sleep, and it really helps. I hot flash intensley the first several days after my TCH treatment, and my cheeks, chest and arms are on fire, and rashy, I think the Benedryl helps that as well.
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Never had any steroid crash or rush. Loved the steriods because they kept my fluid retention down. As soon as I stopped I put on 5-8lbs in a 2 days everytime.
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I agree, dragonfly1. I lost about half my hair 2 weeks after chemo, and on day 2 after my second chemo, I let my son shave it down to about an inch. Losing the long hairs was more traumatic for me , then the mini hairs falling out. Mine tries to grow back in between chemos. The bonus, is my arm pit hair has been totally gone since chemo one, and doesn't grow back. I haven't lost my eyebrows, or eye lashes, so that is a bonus as well. I only wear my wig, at my 4 hour part time job as a bank teller. I wear scarves, and hats when I teach zumba, or do things in town,. At home, I am free with nothing on my head. I was already pre menopause before getting diagnosed, but chemo has intensified the hot flashes, and I haven't had a cycle in 4 months, so I know chemo is thowing me into full menopause at age 45, but that's ok, aside from the miserable hot flashes, I don't miss the cycles at all
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You are are beautiful wonderful ladies, and we are all fighting a tough fight, that we will get through, and be stronger because of it. I am glad we have each other to share with. It has helped me through my mini weekend melt downs 0
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Zumba girl,
Yes i noticed that same rash. Glad to hear I am not alone I too have had some real hot flashes.0 -
I loved this comment and couldn't agree with you more. I feel very much connected to you all.
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Well I am doing fairly well after chemo # 1. A church friend brought pot roast and that was a really bad idea for me. I don't eat a lot of red meat anyway. It settled like a piece of lead and I had multiple hot flashes. It was a touch and go evening. Still having upper rash like reaction and mouth is beginning to change i think. I took an ativan to try and get through the night. I did sleep okay. I am going to school to meet with with my sub to get ready for the coming school year. I need to work slowly because I realized last night how quicky I get fatigued. Hopefully I will get some exercise today. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
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musicalmom - I remember eating some tomato sauce early on and it really irritated my mouth with the first round. Keep drinking, eat small and frequent. ((((hugs))))0
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Today is day 6 after my second TCH and I am slowly climbing back to normal. The tiredness hit sooner this time (on day 3) and I pretty much slept on and off until yesterday. Lots of stomach cramps too, unrelated to big C or big D. Just pain and a general yucky feeling. I hope and pray that the worst is now over and that the coming days will be better.
Musicalmom, so glad your first treatment went okay. Keep up with your fluid intake and rest when you need to.
YaYa, I believe you had your second treatment the same day as I did. How are you? Hope your SE's are minimal.
Christean, I hope the emotional roller-coaster has slowed down a bit and that you are feeling better. You'll get through this. You are in my prayers.
Omaz, SpecialK, Lago, Dragonfly and everyone else on this board, thank you so much for all your support and advice. I really coulnd't get through this without all of you.
Amelie
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A question for all you ladies: any suggestions for drinks? Nothing tastes good to me, nor water, nor tea, nor juice. And sugar is WAY too sweet.
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Try putting something citris in your water like lemon, lime or orange. I never had the issue myself but I heard it worked for others.
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Amelie - I didn't have much tasting ability during some days with each treatment and I just drank water whether I liked it or not. I know that's not very helpful but that's what I did. I really missed my flavor of coffee during those days and was always so grateful when I could start to taste the coffee again.0
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How lucky, Lago, that you never had the taste issue. It's so disconcerting when things end up not tasting the way they should. You end up not knowing what to eat.... Thanks for the citrus advice. I'll try it and try to keep forcing myself to drink water however it may taste... I did find that adding lots of ice helps a bit...
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amelie, yes, i had my 2nd tx on monday. i'm feeling fine. the only real s/e i've had this time is tiredness. i've slept a lot, even 12 hours at night. i've had an infection in my port incision, so i'm on massive doses of antibiotics, so the big D is a way of life right now. ugh. the infection is better, thank goodness, and my onc said, 'it looks like you can keep your port.' that made me very, very happy! i wish i had some good suggestions for what to drink. the only thing i can get down without fail is diet coke. water just doesn't work right after chemo. i hope you're feeling better today.0
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I had a minor taste issues but not for water. Things like nuts and pepper tasted bitter. It lasted longer as the treatments went on. It still didn't stop me from eating anything except for the real spicy stuff. It never lasted more than a week though.
Nothing stops me eating except a bad stomach flu and general anesthesia.
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What about going to Trader Joes or another store that has different bottled juices and just getting a bunch and trying them out? Maybe mango-papaya-peach with a little dilution will do the trick? also, my DH always wanted to help me out and I found that a distinct task like going to the store for something made him happy to be helping and helped me too.
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Amelie - I have had the taste/mouth issues with each TX. Plain water now tasts slimy to me, so I have been drinking sports drinks, vitamin water or apple juice. I add water and ice to cut the sweetness.
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amelie - be careful of too much lemon though - I did that on my first tx and ended up with a mouthful of sores. I did what wendyspet did and cut juice with ice and water or Gatorade with ice and water. Juice blends like white grape with peach diluted in half with water worked well.
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