Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Hey Rickysgirl glad you're doing OK. Enjoy the pharm high. Like I said I loved steroids
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Yeah ricky'sgirl, glad you are done - one step forward!
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Rickysgirl- I had a UMX with TEs and had the port placed at the same time. The TEs hurt SOOO bad. The port does not hurt at ALL! Today it is a bit bruised, but really, it doesn't hurt. The incision is starting to itch a bit but that is really all.
If you had no node involvement and a MX, it is quite likely that you won't have to have radiation- hopefully not!
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Hi damiana, I almost cried when I saw Burleson, Tx. I am from TX, now in MS. I hate it with a passion and want to come home so badly. I thought this would be my year, but, sadly, not. When I get passed all this, I am going to be packing my bags, my dogs, my cats and....vamanos MS. How are you doing with your goings on? I hope all is as good as it can be. By the way, what are TE's? I'm learning as I go.
And yes, lago, I will try to enjoy the pharma-high, but it does sem to be producing the slightest bit of nausea. Sipping Sprite and enjoying that. I also seem to be a bit warm, even though my a/c is set on 70.
Thank you all for the well wishes. Now, after tomorrow I can start counting down my chemos. Anyone else gearing up for their first? Let me know how you all are doing. My best wishes are with each and every one of you, as well.
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TE = Tissue Expander - used to stretch the skin and muscle out to support an implant.
My first chemo will be on Friday the 10th - hoping for minimal SEs (side effects).
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O.k., so mine is tomorrow the 9th. I know I'll only be one day ahead, but if there's anything you want to know, just ask. The anxiety is what's killing me, so if I can help, please let me know. I just want to know what the routine will be, and after I know what to expect, I think some of the anxiety will fade. I hear ya about the side effects. The onc nurse said they MAY come 3-5 days after, so that will be the test. I didn't do implants, which is why I wigged on the TE's. Good to know, though. I don't want to be out of the loop. Good luck on Friday. I'm sure we're all right there with ya.
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I've been reading a lot on this thread and several others on the chemo board. I feel like I'm pretty well prepared though I know everyone experiences it a little differently. There is a thread for people starting chemo in August that I read and post on a lot too.
I didn't do recon either but I saw TE mentioned so much on the surgery threads that I had to go look it up here: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131/topic/773727?page=1#idx_1 Of course people do have a way of making up new abbreviations as needed but that list is pretty good.
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rickysgirl, so glad the port placement is behind you now. my chemo side effects didn't kick in until day 3-5, and they were gone during the 3rd week, the week before my next treatment. i remember walking out the door of the clinic after my first TCH treatment and looking around and saying to my daughter, 'i just had chemo and i don't feel one bit different.' if you're prepared for side effects, just in case you have one of them, you'll be able to attack it immediately. i was NEVER nauseated and i think that's because i got an anti-nausea drug with my chemo and i took the anti-nausea pills as soon as i got home until i was sure i wouldn't be sick.
good luck tomorrow. we'll all be there with you in spirit. come back and let us know how it went.
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Rickysgirl and jinkala, good luck on your first tx, wishing you both small SEs. Mine generally started with fatigue on the third day. Nausea and diarrhea on the 5th day. Most people got constipation, so don't owait too long to relieve that if you get it. But, some people got very small SEs, so you never know.
I can't remember who wanted to know about claritan for the nuelasta shot, but I took it the day of tx, and for about 4 or 5 days after.
Also, keep up with the August chemo board, everyone there is going through the same thong at almost the same time, it helps. Much love0 -
Thanks for the info. I hate the thought of the nausea. I do have pills for that so I'll keep them at the ready. I was a bit queasy today, but they said it was probably from the anesthesia. I was also sweating, sweating, sweating, probably from the same thing. I cannot take a shower until after chemo because of the way the port is bandaged, so baby wipes and hot washclothes, here I come. I was so glad to find a can of PSSSSSST dry hair shampoo. Hadn't seen that since I was a kid, but it still works. Goodie!!! My best to all, and I'll tak to you soon. Have a great night. I think I'll hit the hay.
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Best wishes Rickysgirl and jinkala for your first tx's! My worst days were days 5 or 6 through days 10 or so. I never felt "great" week 3, but I certainly felt better than week 1 or 2.
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I'll do some reading up, too. Never to late to learn anything. Good luck and I'll be back in touch with you. I feel like I'm prepared, too, but it seems I always have "just one more questions." I imagine it will be like that all the way through.
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Rickysgirl & Jinkala I was working out in the gym for 70 minutes (treadmill about a 4.6 miles per hour, faster on the elliptical) the day after chemo the first 3 round. It's cumulative so at the beginning it might not be too bad. Granted the nuelasta first shot I had bad back pain. Also really bad constipation but once I knew I was getting that I got ahead of it tx 2.
Be sure to keep a journal so you know what happened and when. Bring it with you when you see your onc at the next tx. They want to know all the SE. Even the ones that didn't bother you so much. These could be a warning of something happening.
If you are having nausea on chemo use the drugs. Also ginger is very good for nausea so if you get nausea from anesthesia (I do from general but not local) try eating some pickled ginger.
BTW my TEs didn't hurt. Granted I do have a high tolerance to pain so I found out. Didn't take any meds, use the pain pump or even a tylenol after the BMX with 10 nodes on one side 4 on the other removed. My BS & PS are still surprised.
Hang in there gals. The unknown is whats so scary about this.
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For newbies - here is a link for the American Cancer Society Chemo side effect tracking log sheets, I found them very handy.
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@nho/documents/document/acsq-009502.pdf
Good luck to those who are starting in the next couple of days!
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Hi...I just wanted to offer support for those who are currently having TCH, or are soon to start TCH. It is true that the unknown is what is the scariest. I can say that it wasn't a cake walk for me, but as many of the posters have said, you will soon learn what works for you. I prepared for every side effect listed and while some really bugged me (the metallic taste being one) you will find that at some point you realize it won't be forever and that you won't necessarily get every single SE. I hated the nausea, but found that if I kept ahead of it with the medications, it was tolerable. As Lago said ginger works, too. I could have bought stock in Canada Dry during chemo! I can honestly say that the information and support I received right here was invaluable...the women are so knowledgeable, caring and supportive! I always felt (and still do) that it is a totally safe place to vent, whine, complain, express my fears and get expert advice. It's a tough journey we are all in together and sometimes you will feel the chemo part will never end. I remember telling my DH that I didn't know how I could do it 5 more times, 4, 3, 2 & 1, but I am here to tell you that your strength and courage can and will get you through! If I did it, anyone can! Hugs...Linda0
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linnyhopp, good morning. Your words were just what I needed to hear this morning. I am starting today @ 12:40, but I have been up since 3:52 a.m. I do love this site and everytime I get on , there is something new to learn, Like Specialk's SE list. I printed that out first thing. Thanks a million SpecialK. I was trying to right down things as I went, but this is a big help. Lago, what prompted the constipation and how did you get ahead of it. I have my little bag at the ready with Colace for one, Immodium for the other, and all kinds of other little helpers. Don't know what I'll need but I'd rather be prepared. I will have limited physical support here, so I want to make sure I have everything I may need in case I have no one to go get it for me and cannot make it myself. I requested some Ginger Ale last night and will be getting a load on Friday to have on hand. Will that "ginger" be o.k.? I did have neausea from the anesthesia yesterday and sipped Sprite all day. Good, but gets to be too much. I got sleeping pills in case the Dexamethasone kept me up. I fell asleep just fine, but started waking around 1:30 off and on. Just decided to go ahead and get up. I see why they say take the Ambien when you're falling asleep, so you'll stay asleep. I was so tickled to actually be falling asleep that I figured I wouldn't need it. Lesson learned. I'm sure there will be more to come. Have a good day all. I'm sure the first one is the logest, so I'm looking forward to getting that under my belt. rest assured ladies, I am taking a long list of questions to ask, which I couldn't have done without each and every one of you. I so appreciate the hints and suggestions of things to ask. It has brought some relief to me and I'll take all I can get, as I'm sure everyone else felt. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. A shout out to Yaya. I have my questions ready regarding the taking of the anti-nausea drugs. Since we're not sure when it will actually kick in, I decided to ask if I could just take them like a regular daily prescription, to ward off the SE. Makes sense to me but what do I know? I'll find out today. Hope everyone has a great day. I'm going to start on those deplorable chores and get them out of the way...........just in case I don't feel like doing them later.
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Rickysgirl..
In a place where wise advice is found in every post perhaps the most valuable for me was this one...Chemo is your friend.... I repeated that over and over again many times through tears. Then it became surgery is my friend...then it became radiation is my friend... Treatment is your friend.
I told you I had neo adjuvant chemo...treatment before surgery. I didn't tell you that by the time I was ready for surgery after chemo...my 3 cm tumor had melted away. There was no trace if cancer in my breast. I am not the only one.
Go to it and Fight like hell!0 -
Ashla - well said! Chemo is our best friend in this situation. My onc told me that in order to make you healthy again I first have to make you very sick.
Today is my last TCH - I am excited and scared all at the same time. Excited to be done with the most difficult thing I have ever had to do to myself and scared because will it do it's job.0 -
I will fight !! I am going to visualize this chemo sweeping through and washing away anything bad. I am calmer this morning than I thought I would be, largely in part, I think, to everything I have read on here. I was very angry, at first, because after my surgery the surgeon told me the tumor was gone and the cancer was gone. He didn't even think I'd need chemo, so it all came as a big shock. I am so happy yours melted away. If you don't mind me asking, how many treatments did you have before your surgery, and was surgery still necessary after the chemo, if there was no trace of cancer? I'm interested in learning all about this I can, so hopefully, one day, I can be as helpful to someone else as ya'll have been to me. I can't seem to stay off this forum. It's so wonderfully addictive.
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Rckysgirl...
I had 6 neoadjuvant TCH treatments ...every 3 weeks.....prior to surgery. Still l doing every 3 weeks herceptin for a total of 17. 4 to go.
Prior to treatment I had sentinel node biopsy at the same time as I had port placment. The bs placed a marker on the tumor. They go back in where the marker was and remove surrounding tissue . It was mostly scar tissue. The MRI and US prior to surgery showed no trace of cancer and surgery confirmed it.
With Her 2 positive..they have layers of treatments. Each has shown to lower the likelihood of recurrence.
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rickysgirl - I was told to take my anti-nausea meds starting at 9:00 p.m. the day of first chemo and to continue at regular intervals for 72 hours, or until no longer needed. I think many of us where given those same instructions. I was advised to do this regardless of whether or not I was actively experiencing nausea, in an effort to stay ahead of it. It is much easier to prevent it than it is to treat it. Neoadjuvent chemo can eradicate all visible evidence of your mass (CPR - complete pathological response) but surgery is still required - often it can be less invasive. Neoadjuvent chemo is often given to shrink a large mass so the lumpectomy will be less disfiguring, or to obtain a better margin in either lumpectomy or mastectomy. Good luck today!
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Ricky I have minor IBS so constipation can be an issue with me. Even now if I don't take my nutraflora daily things move slowly. Usually Milk of Magnesia (MOM) works for me. My first chemo I was taking my nutraflora and eating dried apricots. Added the MOM but that still didn't work. I finally tried Metamucil as directed on the package. I ended up with hemorrhoids the first time because of not going for 2 days (I eat lots of fiber too). After that the night of chemo I started with the Metamucil. Things would move slowly but they moved. Had chemo on a Tuesday. By Saturday I stopped taking Metamucil. BTW I still take nutraflora daily. It was recommended by my Gastroentinologist.
Yah Roula! You have no reason to think that chemo didn't do it's job. Hey there is even the chance that you didn't even need chemo and surgery was enough. Now get your butt on ACS the strides site and sign up for the walk on the Illinios Ladies team. I'm going to try and plan a place for us to go for brunch, lunch or dim sum afterwards.
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I followed the same antinausea regimen as SpecialK, and never had major issues with nausea. Now heartburn, that's a different story, but most find that is well controlled with a proton pump inhibitor like Protonix/Nexium, etc.
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Heartburn sucked for me as well. Prolosuc doesn't work for me. Protonix/Nexium worked for a while but eventually I had to get a script for Carafate. By the end of chemo I was on Nexium and Carafate. (had to switch from generic protonix to Nexium because new insurance wouldn't cover the less expensive drug. crazy!)0
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I have that anti-nausea regimen on my list of questions for today. She told me to take them when I start feeling queasy, not to wait til I am full on throwing up. Seems to make more sense to me to take them like you said to even ward off the queasiness. I did realize this morning that I messed up right out of the gate, though. I was supposed to take 2 dexa's yesterady morning, which I did, and two last night. I only took one. I think I felt to bad/hangover-y, from the anesthesia from the port placement that my head wasn't quite screwed on right. I hope it doesn't mess things up. I'm ready to get in and get it over with, and start my countdown !!!
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I had the same issue as lago. Didn't get nexium until the end, and it really seemed to make a difference. So fight for it early if you have bad symptoms. By the end of tx I was on Nexium twice a day, Carafate 4 x daily, Pepcid twice a day, Maalox sometimes 4 times a day, and "Green Cocktail" every 4 hours as needed...and I was still having breakthrough symptoms. I also needed to have an endoscope to make sure no ulcers had developed. I was an unusual case. Most can take Prilosec once a day and have symptoms be controlled. I have pre-exisiting reflux, so I was set up for heartburn treatment failure.
BTW, if you aren't on probiotics, ask your onc if they may be warranted. They really helped regulate my constipation/diarrhea.
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My instructions on the anti nausea meds were to take the first Emend as soon as my chemo was started . The infusion nurse would tell me take your Emend when the pre chemo blood work was okayed.
For all you newbies..they weigh you. Take your BP and temp prior to treatments. They took blood from theport and it was sent to the lab. When the results came back and all the levels were okay..then treaments begin.
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I had bad heartburn from the start. It took a week to get the protonix due to screw ups(since the prilosuc didn't work). It was just awful.
Emend was the only anti nausea I took. It wasn't an optional one
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BTW...all you newbies..you get to look as good as Lago post treatment!
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Ashla you're so sweet. But you're right… I did look like Gollum with brown eyes during treatment. Actually this might be right after treatment since I have some hair. I just couldn't pull off the bald:
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