Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Whooo Hoooo TonLee!!0
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Tonlee Hooray! You are done and now you can get de-ported:) What a long and winding road this journey is...0
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FWIW, my wife's last herceptin was 11/17, her port comes out next week.
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Wow imatthew - I remember when you and your wife started chemo. So glad to hear that you BOTH have finished! Where will she get her port out? I had mine out at the hospital. Much easier than going in!0
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hi Omaz, she's having hers taken out at the surgeon's office, just a local this time. Yeah, we're hopefully near the end of the road. She has nipple reconstruction on 12/27 and that's it for surgery as well (well, just a tattoo after that).
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Matthew and TonLee - Congratulations. No butt-biting. Just happiness to be done.
Note - having the port out with a local is no big deal. I sort of couldn't believe I would be awake throughout, but it was nothing. They turn your head to the other side (and mine provided a nurse to hold my hand) and you can't see anything. You are all numb and it's about 20 min. They do have to 'yank' a little bit because your body's tissues grow around the port over the year that it is inside you. But it DOES NOT hurt at all. You just feel the pull. And then it pops out and they sew you up. We chatted and made small talk throughout the entire procedure.
And it feels AWESOME to have it out! I am so happy for both of you about it.
Amy
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TonLee and imatthew, congratulations!! Can't wait until I'm where you are now. Starting my treatments on the 21st, but it does my heart good to hear from those who have made it through.
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ToniLee and imatthew, Congratulations. It is encouraging to hear that you have made it through! Imatthew, I love that you post for your wife because this is not something that happens to just us, but also to the people who love and care for us!
I am dancing with NED (No evidence of disease)! My margins are clear and am ready to move on to radiation. I will start in January. Herceptin has not been an issue for me so far. I've had 2 since I finished TCH.
I have a question about removing medi-strips. They used glue and those darn strips on my inicisions and they are still (9 days since surgery) as stuck on me as they were on day one. Is there anything out there that is safe to use to help the process? I have a call in to the surgeon, but that may take days!
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Hi Ana,
What I've done is take a Q-Tip dipped in alcohol and gently work the steri-strip off.0 -
Ana,
Congratulations on NED!!! I had Dermabond instead of steri strips but I picked it off little by little in the shower. I seemed to be able to get an edge easier while wet.
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Thanks MizMarie and Judy67. They did call me back and said they will remove them for me when I go for my post op on Monday. The nurse said they have a silicone spray that takes them right off.
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Congratulations Ana - Good News!!0
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Thanks everyone! Though I feel like I cheated by not finishing the last 3 Herceptin....lol. Oh well. I just realized today, God willing, I won't be back in a chemo chair ever again in my life!!
Wouldn't that be wonderful?
(She says while knocking on wood, crossing her fingers, and eyes, you know, just to be sure.
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TonLee ~ May your wish for never being in a chemo chair again come true for you and all the rest of us. That would be the best news of our lives...right up there with world peace!
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I am starting this regimen on Monday. I am so scared. I am going through a divorce as well. I am 37 and have two children ages 7 and 5. I am so thankful that a friend found this forum for me. What can I expect after my first treatment? When will the side effects start?
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Welcome LotsofFaith - you have found a wonderful group of women who are here to help and support you. I encourage you to ice your finger and toe nails during taxotere treatments to prevent any nail problems. About 30% of women do get some nail problems and a smaller percent have it pretty rough. The icing protects the nails. I used frozen peas. You can search here about icing and peas and come up with past posts. (((hugs))) it is scary, I agree. My onc PA suggested some ativan (anti-anxiety) medication in my pre-chemo infusion to go along with the steroids and anti-nausea, it helped.0
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LotsofFaith, sorry you had to come here, but so glad you found us. i think you will find that chemo isn't nearly as bad as you think it will be. waiting is the hardest part.
for me, the SE's after my first treatment started on day 4 (counting chemo as day 1) and lasted about a week. by the third week, i felt almost normal. please follow what omaz suggested about the ice. i did it with the taxotere and didn't have a problem with my nails. i also didn't get mouth sores and i think it's because i chewed ice during taxotere, too. there's a forum here under "chemotherapy - before, during, and after" and it's named "More tips (and a shopping list) for getting through chemo." it is extremely helpful. i used many of the suggestions. you don't need to buy everything, but being prepared with a few is so helpful.
another suggestion is to take you nausea meds starting on the day of chemo. don't wait until you get nauseated to take them. there is no reason you should suffer with nausea. the meds for it are wonderful.
i'm sure many of the wonderful women here will give you other suggestions that worked for them. most important is to know that you don't have to go through this alone. most of us have already been there. we'll answer any question you have, so ask anything, anytime. good luck to you. please let us know how it goes on monday.
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LotsofFaith,
Ditto what YaYa5 said. There is so much good information throughout this discussion board. Just click on the ones that apply to you, and you'll find a wealth of information that makes a big difference in your overall experience.
When I asked my oncologist about the icing, he said he didn't believe that it works. But he's not in the chemo room with me, and I'm using the frozen peas and crunching ice the entire time of the Taxotere drip. So far, my nails and mouth are doing fine. I also take glutamine tablets to help prevent mouth sores. My doctor did agree with that supplement.
Welcome to this forum, and good luck on Monday. Like YaYa said, the worrying about the unknown was worse than the actual experience. Day 4 is also my roughest day, so I'm ready for it tomorrow.
Take care,
Deb
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LotsofFaith, I agree, chemo won't be as bad as you think. If hair loss is a big concern, there is a product out there, Penguin Cold Caps that will prevent you from losing your hair. If you start chemo on Monday, the caps would have to be overnighted to you. The website is www.msc-worldwide.com. Good luck!0
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LotsofFaith I found the first 3 chemos pretty easy but everyone is different. I know one gal who didn't have any side effects till tx 6! She finally had a little taste change.
Others have given you great advice. Be sure to keep a diary of the SE so you can bring it in and tell your onc. Believe me you won't remember even if you don't have chemo brain (I never got chemo brain BTW). Also tell them everything. Even the SE that you don't think are a big deal. I made the mistake of not telling them about an issue with my toenail till a few treatments down the road. I was one of those 30% that had nail issues big time.
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Welcome LOF. I ditto what is mentioned above about reading through this thread...you don't have to read the whole thing...maybe go back about 6 months ... that will give you information from two groups of women who have gone through it most recently with all the recommendations. I also believe BDavis started a thread about side effects which lists them efficiently.
Yaya, if icing didn't work, then how do women using cold caps keep their hair? If it works for the hair, why not the fingers? (That's not scientific of course, just observation. Which docs just loooooooove ...buwhahahahaha) I think you made the right choice to ice. If it stops even one nail from lifting, it saves you the trouble and pain of dealing with it.
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LotsOFaith,
Sorry you are going through this. Finding this forum is great because what ever you experience, it is likely that someone else on here has as well. There are some very knowledgeable people here!
I agree that chemo was not as bad as I thought it would be, although it is cumulative and it seems to get harder in the end. I was able to predict the days I would have trouble with, typically 2 days after my last dose of steroids. I agree with Yaya, don't wait for symptoms, medicate before you have them. My taste buds came back during the first three treatments, but after #4 they were gone and did not come back until about 5 weeks after I finished. For me that was the hardest part because I didn't eat as I should. I had big issues with anemia towards the end.
I was able to work throughout treatment and managed not to get sick. You have young children and will be exposed to more germs. Just wash your hands, keep anti-bacterial handy and encourage your children to do the same.
I iced my nails throughout and have not had any issues with them. Peas work really well. Ice Caps may be a good option too, but I know Penguin Caps are very expensive and most insurance won't pay for that. The way I look at it, it is just hair and it does grow back. I have sort of enjoyed experimenting with things to put on my head. My favorite and most comfortable are cut T-shirts. You can accesorize and match your outfit with them and they are inexpensive. Youtube is a great place to find ideas. This is one for the T-shirts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNOY4cS_k7AGood luck to you! We will all be here for you as you begin your journey.
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LOF - I just started TCH yesterday. I agree with these wise women that the anticipation is the worst part. Chemo day was not painful or stressful at all. I had a little heartburn last night that was taken care of by a Maalox tablet. I am going to try to stay ahead of any nausea, I took my Zofran last night and will take it today and for the next couple of days even if I don't need it at the suggestion of my onc nurse. I go in for a Neulasta shot today, hopefully that goes well. I am sure that in another day or two I may be on here whining about some SE's but I just want you to know it's most likely not going to be as horrible as you imagine. Hang in there, try not to stress too much over it. These women have been so great....even though I haven't posted much I have taken all the discussion to heart and they have helped me tremendously. Good luck to you....you can do it!
Kelly
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Kelly,
Has anyone said anything to you about Claritin for the Nuelasta shot? Take one today before you go in and take it every day for 7 days. It prevents bone pain from the shots. The nurse also told me to take Advil an hour before I went in....
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Ana - yes, I mentioned it to my MO and she supports it. I will take it today before I go in. She did warn me that some of her younger patients have not seen relief from it.....never thought I'd say it but I hope I'm OLD enough to get the benefit...45! I'll let ya know!
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I just finished my final round of chemo yesterday - YAYAYAY! Except for the hair loss (devastating!), I had relatively few of the "routine" SEs, such as nausea, taste changes, nail problems, etc. Unfortunately, I got the more serious blood-related ones: neutropenia (spent a couple days in hospital for that one), chronic anemia - have needed blood transfusions 3 times, and was given aranesp once to also help with hemoglobin), and low platelet numbers that caused one treatment to be postponed. Even with all that, I have been able to work most of the time - I missed 2 days for each treatment, and a full week with the neutropenia, and a day here and there when I just didn't feel 100%. I had minimal bone pain with Neulasta, nothing ibuprofen couldn't handle.
Chemo is very do-able... Be prepared to let go of work and household responsibilities when you need to. I have found that people really want to help - give yourself permission to accept an offer to mail a package or bring you a meal or two.
Good luck on your journey, Kellogs and FOF. Time may seem to stand still for a while, but you WILL reach the finish line before you know it! HUGS!
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MizMarie - Thanks so much for the encouragement and congratulations to you on finishing! YAY! I am lucky enough to have a wonderful, supportive DH (we are still newlyweds) and work for a fantastic group of doctors who will support me also. I hope I get as lucky as you with the SE's (except the blood ones.....YUK). It is day 2 for me and I go in for my Neulasta soon. So far so good, just a tiny bit of heartburn. I know day 3-5 are usually when it hits so I am trying to enjoy this SE free day and brace myself.
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Kelloggs - important to note that the majority don't have as severe blood SE as MizMarie had. Count on your hemoglobin dipping - try to keep your protein and leafy green quotient up, if you can tolerate them.
MizMarie - Yay!!!
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MizMarie - Congratulations on finishing!!0
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Thanks Special K.....I'll keep that in mind. I generally love vegetables so hopefully I can eat them. I love your handle by the way and would have used it myself...it's been a nickname of mine for years!
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