Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Anafoefana,
Wishing you the best with all of your decisions today. This certainly can be overwhelming. Seems like many of you are hooked up with MD Anderson. So glad you are all in great care hands.
Day 4 of chemo 3 and I am feeling very tired but managing the symptoms thus far. Hugs to you all this Monday morning.
You inspire me.0 -
Anafoefana,
Wishing you the best with all of your decisions today. This certainly can be overwhelming. Seems like many of you are hooked up with MD Anderson. So glad you are all in great care hands.
Day 4 of chemo 3 and I am feeling very tired but managing the symptoms thus far. Hugs to you all this Monday morning.
You inspire me.0 -
Thank you musicalmom. I decided to go with a lumpectomy. There is a chance I will need a mastectomy if they find cancer cells in the tissue they biopsy. I will have a sentinel node biopsy although the MRI shows no lymph node involvement. After talking to the surgeon, the oncologist and the plastic surgeon, I feel this is what will be best for me.
I have # 6 on Thursday. I can't wait to have it over with!! I am feeling well overall, but my taste buds just never came back after # 4. Eating is a chore and nothing tastes good, salty or sweet. I look forward to eating something that tastes the way it should. I am hoping that by Thanskgiving I will be able to taste!!!
I am scheduled for surgery on November 29. They said a lumpectomy is outpatient and if I had a mastectomy I would be in the hospital for one night. Wow... seems like one should stay there longer. Is this typical??
Hang in there musicalmom.. are you half way now? It goes quickly after # 3.
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Hi Anafoefana,
Yup, that sounds right. For my lumpectomy, I went in early in the morning and was home just after 2 pm. They monitor you for a couple of hours after surgery and if everything is looking good, you get to go home with a set of instructions, and pain medication.
I never had to use the pain medication because the pain I had was very bearable. The instructions from my surgeon said to wear a snug bra to keep the breast from jiggling, and folks on the board were saying to buy a front fastening bra. Worked beautifully for me ... picked up those sports bras from Walmart, and I was so glad I did. You want to move as little as possible so wear everything that is front fastening.
Do everything they tell you to and you should heal fast. I was able to use the elliptical two weeks after surgery.
Good luck for your surgery. I will say a prayer for you on Nov. 29.
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Hello Gals,
It has been a very long time since I posted, so I will give an update on what has been going on with me. I had TCH #6 on 9-29-11. It took me a good 10 days before I felt decent, but I have been feeling really good since then. My last Herceptin was last Thursday....So I am done with chemo infusions. What an amazing feeling to be sitting in that chair for the last time. It was quite emotional. There were so many times I felt like it would never be over. I feel like I am at the end of a marathon and it is such a good feeling. I really am quite proud of myself when I look back at the last 6 months. I am now going to have a 6 week "wash out" period, and then I will begin oral Tykerb (lapatanib) on Dec. 1st. I know this sounds like a strange treatment plan but I am on the ALTTO clinical trial and I feel quite good about it.
My next hurdle is on Thursday when I will have my TE/implant exchange and a total vaginal hysterectomy with BSO. (Yes..this is only 3 days away). I am so nervous about the hysterectomy/BSO. I think the exchange will be a breeze. I have had a tough time deciding on a BSO, but I've had 2 opinions and they both say this is the way to go. My FSH levels came back at 104, and I also have a uterine fibroid. So, I am moving forward and trying to trust my doctors. Having my ovaries removed at 39 has been a tougher decision for me than a BMX!!! I just keep telling myself that this is the last step...I will be recovered and back to my normal life by Thanksgiving.
My taste buds are still puny but I think they are slowly getting better. I gained 10 pounds during chemo and can't wait until I can exercise with the same intensity I've always had so I can get these extra pounds to go away. (Steroids, less activity, and chemopause is a bad combo). I have been able to work through most of my treatments..but I have had some bad days. My hair is slowly growing....actually it's not really hair...more like fuzz., but the fuzz is getting longer. I just wish it would lay down instead of standing straight up. My eyelashes are thin, but a few are still there. My eyebrows are pretty much gone. I haven't had any nail problems until about the last 2 weeks. After #6, my nails became soooo tender and my middle, ring and small fingers have darkened red areas on the nails. My left hand is worse than my right. I also have 6 ridges on all 10 fingernails that grow out from the nail bed. I am sure that these represent 6 chemo treatments just like rings from a tree. My fingers feel like I smashed them in a door. So far no nails are lifting. My hot flashes are quite severe and miserable. Nights are especially bad. I would give anything to get one night's sleep without the hot, then freezing cold episodes.
In between all of this..I managed to take a quick trip to the Oregon coast which was absolutely fabulous and completely enjoyable. I have been reading all of your posts and keeping track of where everyone is at in their treatment. You are all inspiring and encourage me every day by your strength. Hugs to everyone!
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(((Hugs back to you Christean))) I hope your surgery on Thursday is a breeze!0
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Hi Christean, good to hear from you and it sounds like your doing well despitecsome big decisions. I am curious how the hysterectomy BSO came about? I have uterine fibroids ( had endometriosis) and have had them for years prior to BC, my onc or gyn never mentioned a hysterectomy. My FSH level was 126 2 months ago and I just started aromisin today. I am still on Herceptin. I was stage 2b zero nodes. I just don't want to leave any stone unturned. Thanks
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Good luck Christean with the surgery . I too have not posted in awhile. I am awaiting my TE exchange surgery and looking forward to getting both breasts to be the same size.
I am wondering if any of you continue to experience neuropathy after TCH. It has been 3 months since my last TCH and my feet on the bottom are still quite numb. Also fingertips. I have started acupuncture (3 sessions so far) but so far no results. Started taking L carnitine as well for neuropathy 2 tabs/day. What are others doing about this? Do you all have neuropathy after the TCH? I still have about 5 more months of Herceptin to go Thanks for advice
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nmoss- I will try to make a long story short. I had very heavy bleeding from the fibroids, which of course has resolved with chemo. But, docs say there is a good chance my ovaries will "wake up" and I will have to deal with heavy periods again. I was also looking for a permanent method of birth control. So I was originally thinking I should have uterine ablation and a tubal ligation. Docs said this was an option but a hysterectomy would make more sense and I agreed.
As for the BSO- it has been a much tougher call for me. My onc strongly recommended the BSO but my gyn was more hesitant. He checked my FSH which was very high and indicated complete ovarian shutdown. At that point, he changed his mind and recommended BSO because he said my ovaries weren't functioning at all anyway.
Hope this makes sense!
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serenitywisdom - I am about a month farther out from TCH than you and my neuropathy on the bottoms of my feet has finally just now resolved. My fingertip numbness waned after each tx so that didn't seem to be much of a problem. Hopefully in the next few weeks you may see the foot numbness dissipate - I first noticed the left getting better, which felt weird because then I was uneven! I just realized the other day I could feel most of the bottoms of both feet! I wore heels to a function last night and my feet felt funny after a couple of hours but not really numb, so yay!
christean - good luck with your upcoming surgery. You are doing a lot all together so remember to take it easy!
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Chistean , thank you for giving me something to think about. My gyn and onc think my ovaries will never wake up:) hence no Tamoxifin. Good luck with surgery!
Special K glad to hear neuropathy is resolved!!!0 -
nmoss1000- I am surprised that there will be no tamoxifen for you. Even after my BSO I will take tamoxifen or an AI for 5 years. Are you taking an AI?
Is there anybody else out there who has had a BSO and is not taking tamoxifen or an AI? I'd love to hear from you?
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Just to chime in on nueropathy. It takes a long time to resolve. My last chemo was Jan. 18. I have nueropathy in my left heel. It started to get better late Sept. Right now it's cold out which usually means it gets worse. I has not. So it is much much better but not gone yet. I'm confident this will resolve. Still waiting for several of my fingernails to unlift though.0
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Christean, Thanks for the update. I've been wondering how you were doing. Good luck with the surgery. Sounds like a lot, but then you'll be done by Thanksgiving. What a great feeling that will be. I am curious though, how come you are already done with Herceptin if you just finished with TCH in September?
Musicalmom, I hope your SE's are minimal this round. Good luck to you.
Amystrong, I hope you are having a good time on your hiking trip.
I have a question I hope some of you might help with. Has anyone experienced watery eyes? I seem to remember a discussion about this a while back. My eyes are constantly tearing up and I don't know what to do. I remember someone mentioning blocked tear ducts. Is that something that will resolve by itself? I've never had eye issues before and would hate to have to be under an opthtalmologist care and facing eye surgery in addition to everything else. My 5th TCH is on Monday and I am depressed just thinking about all those SE's.
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Yes I had the watery eyes as many other did. Sometimes its caused by dry eyes and eye drops (not the kind that gets the red out though) can help. Sometimes it's more serious and you might have a blocked tear duct. You need to report this to your onc. S/he may want you to see an ophthalmologist.
Mine was just dry eye and went away. My eyes may tear a little more than before in the wind but not like on chemo. I would just walk down the street crying all the time. It sucks because it became hard to read too with all that water in the eyes.
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Lago, how do I know the difference? I don't get it all the time; mostly at night and in the morning and when I am outside. But it's happening with more frequently than it used to when it first started. Gosh, I HATE chemo!
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You need to discuss this with your onc. You're probably OK but I'm no doctor. I know mine got worse as treatment continued. It wasn't till after treatment ended that is got better and it took a while. I think mine started after TX5.
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Amelie_Rose- You could try bion tears eyedrops during the day and refresh pm ointment at night. Maybe this will help if your watery eyes are caused from your eyes being too dry and overcompensating by watering too much? I'm sorry you have #5 on Monday. It just sucks that you have to keep doing this over and over....But you can do it! I will be here as your cheerleader. #5 was a tough one for me (they all were), but after #5 I could really see the light at the end of the tunnel and I was really anxious and ready for #6 to hurry up and get over with. You are almost there!
I am finished with herceptin because I am in a clinical trial for lapatinib (tykerb). It is the ALTTO trial and I am in arm #3. I had my herceptin weekly during my 6 TCH treatments for total of 18 herceptin in 18 weeks. Now I have a 6 week break with no meds. My surgery is in that 6 week "wash out" period. Then I will start lapatinib which is an oral med that I will take daily until June for a total treatment period of 1 year. I will also start either tamoxifen or an AI when I start taking tykerb.
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Amelie_Rose I had extremely bad tearing/watery eyes from the Tax and actually got so worried that I went to the eye doctor after my final chemo. The tears began during the last several chemo cycles and got to the point that it was almost 24/7 for at least a month after the last infusion. The eye doctor advised that it almost always clears on its own but it can lead to scarring and blocked tear ducts in some cases and they sometimes use stints to keep the tear ducts from closing during healing-the problem is caused by dry eyes (weird, huh? since your eyes become very wet). He told me not to worry as long as it gradually improved and reduced in frequency (which is what happened). It was another miserable and annoying side effect and took a while to taper off.0
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hey, amelie, my chemo twin! i've had the dry eyes that also water, especially when i am outside. i don't think i my eyesight is the same either. i'm having a hard time with my eyes. my eye dr. gave me systane to use and it helps, but if i have on eye makeup, i don't use it. priorities, right???
i'm having #5 on monday, too. i'm dreading this one more than the others. i can't remember what your se's were on #4. i was completely wiped-out for about 10 days. i don't want those se's to get any worse. i'll be thinking about you monday!
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yaya - Number 5!! Getting through it!!0
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Almost 18 months PFC here. Had a echo done on Monday, and my heart is back to were it was pre-chemo. Yea!
Got nipps on 8/29, and go in for tattoos on 11/4. Double Yea!
Only issue I am dealing with now is overactive bladder syndrome. Possibly from a result of the chemo. I didn't have this problem before chemo, and at 44 it can't be from age yet. I stayed super hydrated during the entire time on Chemo and all during Herceptin - so this makes no sense.
Just curious if anyone else who is done has had any type of bladder issues?
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stlcardsfan - First, yay for your team! Second, I had problems with UTI's - one during chemo between #2 and #3, and then one two weeks ago (I am 18 weeks PFC) that proved to be antibiotic resistant except to ones I am mostly allergic to. We tried one that was risky but would work and I kept my fingers crossed that I wouldn't react to it, and thank goodness I didn't. So, now every future UTI will have to be cultured to find the appropriate drug that will work. Unfortunately, that means at least 72 hours before I can take something
I had not had a UTI for about 20 years, was not surprised by the one during chemo, but this last one was out of the blue.0 -
Hey Chistean I just started the AI aromisin yesterday. I was on Femara for a week and it made me incredibly sick.
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SpecialK - thanks for the Cards shout out! YEA!, I am so excited to see this series!
I wish they were just UTI's, but all the cultures and tests have been 100% clean. They ran so many tests on my urine - and nothing. So, the OBS diagnosis was by process of elimination.
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stlcardsfan - I have read that loss of estrogen can weaken things in the 'lower area'. Maybe specific exercised (kegel) would help.0
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stlcardsfan - you are welcome for the shoutout - but sad for my TB Rays
I will just have to root for your team! Is there any consensus of thought that the OBS is an unfortunate coincidence, or is the thinking that the irritated soft tissues from chemo have stayed in that state? Either way it is a bummer. I had many UTI's from a young age and I finally had a urological consult about 30 years ago. Turns out I was born with a stricture that was causing the problem. I had it corrected and the problem was solved for the most part. Are your docs suggesting any of the OBS meds right now?0 -
Tearing eyes-=taxotears I heard that the chemo can definitely cause this. I am now 3 months PFC and just on herceptin My tearing has slowed down considerably but it is still there. Opthomologist said no damage being done but to use single vial preservative free drops. I am using "refresh" and also applying warm wash cloth compresses to my eyes in the morning when I first wake up. Sometimes the lid would be stuck and the warm compress has helped.
RE neuropathy- thank you all for the information. My feet on the bottom are still numb. I am seeing an acupuncturist and have had 3 treatments so far. Currently no change but time will tell.
Re bladder and leaking issues. After reading all the anecdotal posts it seems to me that this must be a more common side effect with TCH, but the oncologists don't bring it up. It makes sense that we have neurological damage from the chemo on the feet then who knows what is happening to the bladder. Kegels might help, can't hurt.
Hugs to all
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Yesterday while I was in the infusion center getting hydration a 'newly dx' lady came around with her husband. They were just giving her info etc. and explaining tx, she'll be getting this same mix. Anyway, I didn't get a chance to talk to her, so if by chance you are reading thru these threads and see this and want to Private Message me to meet at all, I would be happy to. I don't know what sort of support group you might have already but if you need help, I am here. I am just thru tx 4, have 2 more to go then Herceptin and Rads too. OUr infusion Center and staff are very nice.
To everyone else, good morning, I am back to work today, and concerned about my bladder,
have to see how it goes, must put some drops in my eyes too so that I can actually see what I'm typing. It's very early here still, couldn't sleep!0 -
Thank you to everyone for all the advice on the watery eyes (taxotears). You guys are the best and I really don't know how I would go through this without the support I find here. I feel a bit more reassured knowing that watery eyes are a fairly common SE for TCH. I had a bit of it after tx#2, but then it went away to come back again after tx#4. Today is much better than yesterday and who knows, I might be well again right in time for tx#5....
re: neuropathy. I am starting to feel a bit of pain/tingling in my fingertips. It's still faint but I worry it may get worse after my last 2 treatments. Special K, did you use L-Carnitine? Did it help? I am taking Vitamins B-1 and B-6 and hope that will be enough to prevent it.
Yaya, I'll be thinking of you on Monday as well. Not looking forward to next week, knowing I am going to feel sick for days all over again. Let's hold each other's hands through this round!
Christean, the Altto trial sounds very cool. Good luck with your upcoming surgeries and keep us posted on the remaining of your treatment.
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