Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Good morning all.
I have been wondering about hair as mine is starting to grow. I lost my eyebrows this past week, but they are growing back in already. I can't say the same for my eyelashes...
Thank goodness for eyeliner! My hair is also mostly gray and it is sparce. I am hoping it is going to fill in, especially on the top! I might have to do a comb over otherwise! 
I developed a very strange rash over the weekend, on my breast and around the lumpectomy incision. It will be 3 weeks since surgery tomorrow. I emailed my dr. but I am wondering if anyone has had anything like that. It is very itchy, only on that breast, and the incision is all red.
Other than that, I am great, stronger and feeling more normal everyday. Herceptin has not been affecting me at all. I will have my third one since finishing TCH this week. I start radiation on January 5th. Hoping that will not affect me either, but one step at a time!
For all those who are struggling with SEs, it will get better and will soon just be a memory. Your hair will grow back and you will feel like a normal person again soon.
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My hair came in more gray and black! even my eyebrows turned black. I had brown hair. My eyebrows are still black. Not sure about my hair because I color it. I gained, at one point 15 lbs on chemo too. It's all gone. Lost most of it this summer. Most of it was fluid.
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Dear GFs,
Sorry I have failed to stay in touch but I just couldn't. I have been sick so much of the time. I am happy to report I am recovering just barely from chemo 6 of 6 and am waiting for the the 10 to 14 days to begin seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted to quit more times that I can count. However the final day did come and those that have cheered us all on have helped me a great deal. I hope to look back and see how you all are doing. In 3 weeks I continue with Herceptin until August and start hormone therapy soon. Giant hugs to all of you.0 -
Musicalmom - YAY for being done. You will start to feel better all the time. The H-only is a breeze in comparison. So happy for you.
Amy
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Congratulations musicalmom - WhoooHooo for being done!0
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Congrats on being done with chemo, musicalmom!
I'm just 10 days PFC, but am already seeing a little bit of darkening on my head underneath the chemo white stubble, especially on the back. Very dark, and I'm a true auburn redhead.
I will say that #6 was the hardest in terms of SEs and recovery time. I'm over the hump now, but it took twice as long as it did with all the others. So happy to have this part of the journey behind me!
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yay for musicalmom and mizmarie!
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musicalmom and mizmarie, congratulations. So glad to hear there is an end to this. I've only had 2 treatments and it just seems unending. Tx #3 Friday.
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Hang in there, GrandmaV - you're almost halfway through!
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So does anyone have any suggestions? The post chemo nausea after round 1 was every nightmare I ever had and more. There are lots of other side effects, none of which are fun, and I didn't expect it to be...but no kidding, I really can't even sit up for days without dry heaves. I was told "we have really good meds nowadays and it's just not that bad." Says who????
They gave me IV Emend and Aloxi during infusion. I had oral Zofran, Phenergan, and Compazine for after. No help at all. Used sea bands, had acupuncture. Ditto.Next treatment is Thursday, and I am in tears today just thinking about it. Have gone back to work, actually feeling kind of normal, just tired over the past week....and being flat on my back again especially for Christmas just doesn't feel good. I have tried all day to reach my MO...all I get is a runaround. Feeling frustrated.
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darlam, I'm using a ginger supplement. I start taking it 3 days before chemo, day of, and for 3 days after. Here's a link to the medicalnewstoday.com article about a study that shows it reduces chemo induced nausea by 40%. I don't have nausea until about the 6 day after so I plan continuing after this next treatment for another few days. My onco approved it. Our cancer center participated in the study:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=150176
I hope the link works. If not, try copy and paste. I hope this helps.
I take 550MG (.5 gram) capsule a day
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darlam - I had to keep something in my stomach - mostly I liked bananas, cottage cheese, slice of bread, cheese stick, cracker. Just a little bit at a time - getting an empty stomach made nausea worse for me.0
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Darlam, I don't have any suggestions, but wish you the best on your next treatment. One thing to remember, is that you don't necessarily have the same SEs each time, so your next experience may not be as bad. Hugs to you!
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Darlam,
Sorry you are having such a rough time.
I used Ativan and Xanax for nausea and they seemed to work well. If nothing else they made me sleep!
I've heard that ginger works also, but have not tried it. Nausea is the worst and I hope you are better soon!
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anafoefana, I don't know how your rash is doing or if it has any bearing at all on it but I got a rash too, they put mine down to being allergic to the chloroprep they used to clean the area. I also got the rash around my port for the first 4tx until we realised they used chloroprep to clean that too. Now I have to remind them everytime to use alcohol instead. My rash eventually went away but it took a few weeks I think.0
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anafoefana - I developed an allergic reaction to Dermabond. Don't know if they used that on you to seal over the incision site. Got better after Dr. peeled most of it off, but still red in some areas and very itchy around my port where it was also used.0
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Starting chemo tomorrow. I have my ice chest and bags of frozen peas ready for my nails and one for my eyebrows (just in case it will help). I have my fuzzy blanket, peanut butter crackers, my nook, & my ipod. I've taken my steroids for the day as well as Claritin for the Neulasta shot. I also have fresh ginger for tea and ginger supplements to help with nausea. I think I'm as ready as I can be. If anyone sees anything I've forgotten please let me know. Thanks!! Judy
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Good luck Judy67!
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Good luck to you. You sound very prepared! Your pathology sound so much like mine! I go to my MO today for the results of the oncotypeDX test. Is chemo ever not an option for Her2+ path report? Basic question but I can't get a definitive answer. I'm just really confused. Good luck to you!!
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Yay musicalmom~
Darlam my SIL who works for one of those pharmaceutical companies said that if the nausea meds they give me don't work there are others. Typically the others are not given first because they are more expensive. She said I might have to push to get them to prescribe the others. No one should have to suffer from chemo nausea these days. (But I never had the issue. I never had any nausea. I got other SE instead
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NCbeachgal, my BS and Onc both told me they didn't think I would need chemo even though I was Her2+ because it was only about 3mm invasive and was removed in initial biopsy. My score came back a 43 which meant I had a 29% chance of recurrence. This for me was a "no brainer" on the chemo. I would have thought more about it seriously if my score had been on the edge. But, the more I read about Her2+, the more I'm glad I'm getting the chemo anyway. I feel better not taking any chances, the Oncotype score just reaffirms it for me. Let me know what your score is. Good Luck! Judy
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Hey Judy67-my oncotypeDX score is 35 so chemo is around the corner. The head-scratcher now is that a follow-up mammogram showed a calcification at the lumpectomy site and now they want me to have another biopsy this Friday and possibly postpone chemo if additional surgery is needed.
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NCbeachgal - sorry about having another biopsy, hope it's nothing. I had a mastectomy with expanders and the decision on chemo took long enough that I was close to changing out expanders for silicone implants so I went ahead and did that surgery 1st. Oncologist said I had to wait 3 weeks after surgery for chemo which is why I'm just now starting. The waiting is the hardest part isn't it? Good luck and I hope you don't have to have another surgery.
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Judy67 and Grimbol,
The BS said it was contact dermititis and I have been using cortisone cream and it has cleared some. It is still red around the incision. She said if it had been an allergic reaction it would have happened sooner. It is very itchy! She told me if it does not go away we would have to use a steroid pack? She said that would delay radiation so she was really hoping the cream would work. Very strange! I have not used anything new or different, so I don't know what I might be reacting to.
I go for Herceptin tomorrow so I will have the nurse take a look and see what she thinks.
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Warm wishes for you tomorrow Judy67. And yes the waiting is very hard!
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Hi ladies, Someone on the november 2011 chemo thread asked if icing fingers and toes during Taxol helps with neuropothy (sp). I didn't know and explained how I ice during Taxotere to hopefully avoid nail problems. What do you think?
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Grandmav Icing during Tax is intended to prevent the nail soreness and lifting that can occur (a condition called onycholysis) but it's not intended to help neuropathy. Taking Acetyl L Carnitine and Glutamine have been somewhat effective in preventing neuropathy during chemo. Vitamins B6 and B12 also help the nerve pathways but you have to make sure your MO will let you take them. The only thing my MO would allow during chemo was Acetyl L Carnitine and Glutamine. I started the vitamins after chemo was over to try to boost nerve regeneration...0
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Thanks dragonfly, I knew you would know the answer to her problem.
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Hi everyone. I just finished reading the last few pages to catch up. Congratulations, MizMarie and Musicalmon for finishing chemo. Musicalmom, it's good to hear from you. I am sorry you had such a difficult time, but glad that you are finally done.
Nmoss, so happy to hear that everything was clear. What a relief!
LotsofFaith, Slgarcia and Judy67, hang in there. I hope you all have minimum SE's during the holidays.
I had a very bad scare this past week. My BS found a lump on one of my lymph nodes and requested a sonogram. After the sonogram, a very concerned radiologist walked in and suggested a biopsy. Needless to say, I was devastated thinking that the chemo hadn't worked. Fortunately, the biopsy was completely negative and my nodes were simply reacting to the chemo drugs. I feel so very blessed today that everything turned out to be fine and that I can now have a happy Christmas. Radiation starts the first week of January. I am very scared of radiation, but take comfort in knowing that so many of my sisters here have successfully gone throught it.
Happy holidays, everyone!
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Darlam, I take ginger root capsules 3 times a day and have had very little nausea. I really think it helps.
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