Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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That's a great idea Amy. I will discuss it with DH when he gets home tonight. He needs to set some ground rules with him. I appreciate the advise - hard not to overreact and be emotional when you feel like crap!
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DT... Want my humble opinion...this friend's opinion is going to be the first of many unwanted opinions that you will be getting. While I make a mental note of who said or wrote what, for the most part, I do not waste good energy trying to explain myself to ANYONE except the DH. So many folks don't know how to behave and I am not in the mood to become the next Emily Post. If someone is persistent and continues to behave badly, I will often say, "Excuse me?". Followed by silence. Often, I will not respond to absurd emails either. I find being silent extremely empowering...I love giving the silent treatment or the evil eye! Try it!
. After you get the hang of it, you begin to do it effortlessly!0 -
Amyisstrong, I like your advice. I was likely a blundering person in this area too (more than I am now) before BC. Some times people just don't have a clue what to say, and if he is coming from a place of concern and caring about you, clue him in. Then if he persists...see ya.
So sorry you are going through this DT. Has the ringing in the ears subsided a bit yet?
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Dancetrancer People can be very unhelpful or just plain hurtful. Here's a story just to make you laugh. Last summer when I had just finished chemo, was feeling fairly miserable and had just lost much of my eyebrows a colleague at work looked at me during a meeting and said something like "I notice you've lost your eyebrows and it makes you look rather alien-like". WTF?!? I was so angry. Well, then I thought about it and realized that she's just an idiot and must have some serious issues to say something like that when she knew what I was going through. DH saved the day and turned it into something I can laugh about. He pulled out the camera and used the fisheye lense to take this picture and said "here, email this to her":
Don't let anyone get you down. It's tough when you don't feel well and your coping ability is down but you will likely have many more stupid comments and reactions along the way. We are here to cheer you up!
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Dragonfly, your DH has a great sense of humor - that photo is awesome!
rk85, the ringing is less noticeable today - I do believe it is getting better. Thank you for asking. I saw the ENT and am waiting to get scheduled for an audiogram.
I am feeling a bit better, just tired and lots of indigestion. Hoping I am on the upswing with no more surprises coming my way...
I so appreciate all of the support, thank you ladies so much.
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dancetrancer I would email your friend saying it was very rude of him to send that email and you would prefer, no wait, demand he refrain from making comments about your treatment choices. When is gets is medical degree and does his specialization in oncology then he can discuss this subject with you. Otherwise this topic is off limits.
And if he doesn't stop then he isn't a friend. Best to block his emails.
I had a friend that started sending me research articles on new treatments for stage IV and mets while I was going through treatment. I nipped that in the butt too. Told him "I am not stage IV nor do I have mets. This is not the type of information you should be sending me." He got he message.
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Hope everyone has a great weekend with small SEs. DT glad you are feeling better, dragonfly, love, love the alien! I look like Mr fuzzy, not cool like that, LOL.
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Good morning everyone. I had another long night. I started running a low grade fever in the early evening (never any higher than 99.4 F) and still have it. Also started trending towards diarrhea, but not quite. Thank goodness I had held off on taking any more stool softeners. In general still just feeling very, very weak. My pt education papers say to call/go to ER if fever runs > 101 F, so I haven't called my doc yet. Is this low grade fever and exhaustion still normal compared to what some of you have been through?
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Good morning DT - I don't know what's normal but you and I have the same symptoms so there's that LOL. I too have been running a low grade fever around 99.4-9. My onc said no big worry, unless as you said it gets to 101. So don't stress that. The exhaustion is normal too, on both my tx's so far I felt pretty wiped out for the first 10 days. The diarrhea got the best of me, but after a few days the Imodium finally started to work yesterday. Isaw my onc yesterday and was dehydrated as well as very low in potassium and magnesium so he put me on IV fluids and man did that make me feel soooo much better. Helped with the diarrhea as well. I feel much much better today. So I guess what I am saying is that as you make your way through the chemo part of your journey you will see what's normal for you and be able to deal with the SE's as they make themselves known to you. But what you are feeling and experiencing so far is in,one with my experience as well. It gets better!!
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Relda, LOL, misery loves company - glad to hear you are having very similar SE's! Very glad to hear your doc said not to worry about the low grade fever. I'm petrified of developing a neutropenic infection. Sometimes I wish I didn't know so much...ignorance would be bliss right about now! So, so glad the Imodium worked for you and that the IV fluids helped so much! And thank you for the encouragement!
So, regarding DH's friend who sent me the emails about chemo, we have not responded yet. DH doesn't want to deal with the drama and is just overwhelmed with not being able to "fix" me and trying to focus on his huge workload at the same time. It's killing him to watch me go through all of this...he's always been my "hero"...so hard on him! I'm sure you all can relate. So we decided just to table it until DH feels up to talking to him. Well, the friend just called and left me a voice mail saying "Please don't hate me. I probably shouldn't have said anything. Please don't hate me. I'm just worried about you." Oy. Drama. I do NOT need negative energy right now or drama! It did make me feel better, though, b/c I know he really cares...he is just misguided and opinionated, and IMO, uneducated on my specific breast cancer and chemotherapy. Not a good combination. But he does care.
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Dance - (((hugs))) Are you able to keep up with fluids and food alright? You didn't have neulasta right - so your blood may be in a trough right now. I hope you start feeling better soon.0
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Omaz - thank you for the hugs!!! They help!!! Yes, thank god, I am eating and drinking ok. Kinda have to force the fluids a bit, but I'm tracking it on a flow sheet to make sure I get enough in, plus making myself drink pedialyte when I can (blech!). My appetite is weird, food aversions, etc., etc. DH is out right now getting all kinds of frozen meals for me so that I can have lots of options to try to choose from when he is not here (he is swamped at work and needs to go into the office today and tomorrow when not fussing over me -poor thing!). I've decided I'm just going to eat whatever the heck sounds good, even if it's not my normal healthy diet. If mac and cheese sounds good, so be it! I'm trying to get protein in, to build my reserves, but it is tough, as my aversions have been chicken and beef!
And yes, no neulasta preventatively...per MD Anderson's (and my onc's) protocol, they don't give it unless you develop neutropenia...so yeah...kinda worried for sure about my WBC counts!!! Wish I could get it tested today...want to know what the heck it is.
Right now is the best I've felt so far...fingers crossed I'm on an upswing...!!!
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I HAVE A QUESTION FOR ALL YOU LADIES ON TAMOXIFEN,
how long after your TC was over did you get started on Tamoxifen?
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I finished TC in July and then started rads after a few week break. Finished rads in early Oct and started Tamox then.
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dance - I had a fling with McDonalds fish sandwich between chemo 1 and 2. Brief but fierce - !
Awnoo - I had rads and then started tam about 1 month after rads I think.
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Omaz - ba-ha-ha!!!
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Awnooo - I didn't have rads. I started tamoxifen right at 6 weeks pfc.
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dance - I ran a low grade fever with every tx - even with a Neulasta injection, and my WBC never dipped. It was just part of the deal. Sorry you are feeling crappy, literally. I ate whatever appealed to me - and like omaz with the fish sandwich, my love affair was with potatoes in any and every form.0
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DT, Low grade fever here too. Eat what appeals to you and it will be carbs in potatos and toast and rice. after the first week going into the second post tx, your taste will come back a bit and it will be easier to eat better. I am just getting there now. Thurs was 1 week post tch. So hang in there. I am glad your friend is a friend- just pop him a note that says you have thought this through. Your DH sounds overwhelmed- give him a hug from us. Have a good weekend, much love.
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thank u ladies, my onc waited 9 weeks to do it, but my levels were not horrible, so i was just wanderig what was the standard...
uhmm...
hope u have a great weekend, rainy here in ohio0 -
Post chemo day 5 report - several (4 to 5) "loose" bathroom issues throughout the night last night (not frank diarrhea)...almost called the doc this am b/c of noticing some increased blood BUT, it remains bright red, so it is most likely due to hemmorhoids. I was having issues with this BEFORE chemo (doc was aware), so it's not like it is a completely new issue. Still, scary. No more bathroom trips since 7 a.m. this morning, so it seems like at least for now that part of the GI system has calmed down. My temp was down to near normal this morning (another reason why I didn't panic and go to the ER), but after an afternoon nap it climbed back up to 99.6 F. Still very, very tired and when I try to do just a little bit my heart rate climbs. I will be calling my doc ASAP in the morning to see about getting my electrolytes, WBC, etc. checked and report my symptoms. I think my symptoms are pretty suspicious for either low RBC or low WBC, but we'll see. Ready for this to be over and I've only had 1 treatment. Any advice for how to stay strong with proceeding forward?
Staying hydrated, watching my temp, eating small meals, resting. Don't know what else can be done besides that.
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DT, you seem to be doing all the right things. Hope the numbers are ok. Good luck.
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DanceT be sure you write all this down so when you do visit with your onc you can report them. You think you will remember but you won't. So many things to be thinking about these days. I still come in with a list, granted much shorter but it's the only way I know I'll remember.0
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Dance i second what lago said, I wrote down the day something started and the day it ended and brought it all with me to my appts.0
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((((((DT))))))
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My SIL started her treatment this past Tuesday and has had a rough week. She is feeling better today, but has had quite a bit of nausea. She is getting Hercepting weekly. Has anyone else here had it that way?
She is having bone pain from Nuelasta. I mentioned Claritin to her before she went, but she wasn't receptive to it. She said she mentioned it to her MO and he said he had never heard of such a thing. I remember a while back someone here mentioned some research that supported the use of Claritin. I would love send her that information so that she is more receptive to it for the next round.
Thanks for your help!
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Ana, believe me, she will be more receptive after that pain, you don't want it again. If she is feeling nausea, did they give her compazine? She needs to take what they gave jet or call for something else.
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anafoefana one thing I will say is the 1st Nuelasta is usually the worst. Plenty of folks do get Herceptin weekly during chemo then switch to every three weeks. She is actually getting the same does but its spread out so she doesn't get it all at once.
If her nausea meds aren't working there are others. They can be more expensive so some oncs don't like to prescribe but that's BS. Let her know there are more options.
I took Zyrtec but still had some pain with Nuelasta. I took Aleve for a few days with my oncs OK. If she wants to take Aleve she must clear it with her Onc. Aleve can thin the blood and some of the chemo agents can do that. Also I don't know what other meds she is on.
BTW it was the nurse from Blue Cross & Blue Sheild of MA that told me about Claritin.
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Ana - I know dragonfly had weekly Herceptin that switched after chemo was done to every three weeks. Here is a link to the study on Claritin and Neulasta:
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Thank you all. I took Claritin and never had any bone pain. The nurse that gave me my first infusion told me to take it before I found this group.
Interesting about Herceptin. She was saying she wished she didn't have to go back every week.
She is definitively more receptive now. I feel bad for her though. I wish no one had to go through this! She is taking compazine for nausea and she said she is just taking it every 6 hours, not waiting for symptoms.
Specialk, thanks for the link. I looked for it, but all I found was blogs. It is interesting that some doctors have not heard about it.
Thanks again ladies.. you are the best!
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