Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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Has anyone had a lump appear in the other breast during Chemo? I have completed 4 rounds of chemo. Had the ultrasound done last week. It isn't a cyst. So I am scheduled for Biopsy next week. Radiologist report indicates "2cm irregular lesion with an indistinct margin. This irregular lesion is of mixed echogenicity."
I am trying to remain calm as I have a hard time believing Cancer cells could be growing with all this chemo going in me.0 -
soccrmom - hoping it is a fibroadenoma or other benign situation.
mckatherine - yay!
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Soccrmom13 that is unusual. Hope its just some b9 bullshit.
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Soccermom. That's crap! Hope its just a scare and is B9.
McCatherine, congrats on ringing that bell!.
Much love to all.0 -
so sorry soccrmom, Hopefully it is nothing!!
Anyone thats done with THC can you tell me how long it took to get energy back.?For me I barely have energy back and its time for the next round. I have my last Chemo tomorrow, but still feeling the extreme fatigue from #5. They seems to have gotten worse each time with the fatigue!!
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tangles I found at week 5 things felt significantly better but I never had bad lack of energy issues. I would need a nap by 4 o'clock (I never sleep during the day so that was weird for me) but never flu tired/weak.
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tangles - I thought I would never get any energy back - I had five surgeries in the 12 weeks prior to chemo, which did me no favors. I was due to go back to work 30 days after the last TCH, which I was dreading. I worked for about 3 weeks, then had another surgery, so I resigned. I found that about 3-4 weeks after that I felt much better, so for me it was at about 8-10 weeks PFC that I really noticed a difference, but my timeline is skewed by the return to full-time work and a surgery. I think for most they see a big diffrence at about the 6 week point.
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SpecialK, how soon did you have surgery following TCH? I assume your counts were acceptable at whatever point you had surgery (which is why I'm curious about the time-frame).
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LeeA Good question. I am scheduled to have surgery 4 1/2 weeks after last TCH treatment. I am almost 3 wks post treatment now and am still very exhausted. I ran a few simple errands today and am BEAT! I worry this will really set me back. Hubby wants to go on a trip into Chicago 2 wks post exchange surgery. I am not sure I would be up to it. Wish I had a crystal ball!!
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Tangles you be sure to let me know when you'll be in Chicago. I'll be working but bet I won't be far from your hotel if you stay in the city.
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LeeA - I finished the TC portion of TCH the first week of June and replaced my tissue expander the third week of July, so about 6 weeks later. I still had a low-ish hemoglobin, but my WBC and platelets were OK. It took 6 months for all the stuff on my CBC to jive.
tangles - I flew to Washington D.C. from Tampa for the funeral of a dear fellow BC sister less than two weeks after exchange and I was fine. DH was my sherpa in the airport, but otherwise I was OK.
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Soccermom - We are all rooting for you! Hope it's benign!!!
Lago - Thanks for the info about your friend. I talked to my onc and she was wonderful!!! She switched my Carbo to Cytoxan since both Carbo and Tax can cause neuropathy (although she did say it was most likely the Tax but worth a try). If my neuropathy doesn't progress then I will end up doing Cytoxan/Tax x4. If it gets worse she said she would switch me to EC which is like AC but with a slightly different anthracycline - hope I don't have to go there!!! I appreciate your info!!!
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Soccermom let us know! praying for benign!!
I had chemo 5 and the next day my nurse called concerned that my liver enzymes were way high. Not sure why they did not address this before giving me chemo since the bloodwork was pre chemo. I had been having abdominal pain but did know know what it could be caused by. Now I am just drinking as much water and tea and I can. Still have the abdominal pain but it comes and goes. I have been soaking daily in epsom salts too.
One more TCH to go!! Can not wait to be done!0 -
Tangles - hope it all goes well! Could you plan the trip, then just hang out at the hotel and enjoy room service if you're tired ?
Did anyone else have tinnitus (ringing in your ears) after chemo? I noticed it after round three- but only for a couple days. But I'm a week past #6 and they're still ringing.
Hoping it goes away soon.
Oh - and a nail update - they're all still attached (yeah!) but six of them are white about halfway up.0 -
I didn't have tinnitus or if I did it was very minor but some people do. I think for most it goes away.
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I have white lines/ridges mid nail, but they grew like crazy the entire chemo process. I kept them short. My Mo was surprise the amount of hair I even still had at my last treatment. OF course not enough to go without a hat but still not bald by any means. Now that its over I am hoping it grows FAST!
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McKatherine - I had tinnitus from tx#1, it got better but has not gone completely away, and I am assuming it never will. I notice it more at different times depending on what is going on around me - seems to be a SE of Carboplatin mostly. It seems to be more noticeable after I use headphones.
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People with hearing aids get tinnitis. If you have the problem I would stay away from earphones/buds
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Yep, still have tinnitus. It is better, but some days very annoying.
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Yep, another one here that got tinnitus from the Carbo. It has improved markedly and rarely bothers me now - so thankful.
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Iron supplements? Finished 3rd chemo today but Red Blood cells, Hemoglobin & Hematocrit were all under normal. I asked about iron supplements since I seem to be living on the BRAT diet - and that precludes red meat. The infusion nurses said get Slow-Fe. I'd appreciate any recommendations or cautions or if anyone found this to be a pro-active way to keep the chemo moving on. Thanks in advance.
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minus - expect your blood counts to be lower than normal - that is normal for chemo! Is your MO saying they are too low for chemo? You can try iron supplements but be aware that they can constipate, which in your case may not be a bad thing, but... If you don't metabolize iron it won't solve the problem. Trying to eat protein/iron rich food is the best way to raise your hemoglobin, but that still may not work.
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Thanks Special. My MO let chemo go forward today because WBC were super strong - probably due to the Neulasta shots - but agreed that iron supplements would be a good pro-active measure so we don't have to delay in the future.
My Wal Mart doesn't carry the Slow-Fe but their pharmacist said it is the easiest on the system and she recommended i try CVS. It surprised me that she'd send me elsewhere rather than selling something they carry.
Edited to say - my protein levels were great so no problem there.
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minus - my hemoglobin dropped low enough during chemo to flirt with a blood transfusion (usually done if it falls to 8 or below, or if you are symptomatic) and they took about 6 months to get back to normal. My WBC were never an issue because Neulasta worked very well for me.
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Minus Here's a list from WebMD but there are so many more, many more plant based too:
- Red meat
- Egg yolks
- Dark, leafy greens (spinach, collards)
- Dried fruit (prunes, raisins) the prunes will help your bones but if you have the big D don't eat either of these.
- Iron-enriched cereals and grains (check the labels)
- Mollusks (oysters, clams, scallops)
- Turkey or chicken giblets
- Beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans
- Liver
- Artichokes
And here's a tip: If you eat iron-rich foods along with foods that provide plenty of vitamin C, your body can better absorb the iron.
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Thanks Special.
And thanks for the list Lago. I could eat a can of smoked oysters every day & be happy. Eggs are my friends. I'll check my Cream of Wheat label & double the spinach.
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Did anybody get neuropathy in there fingers longtime after chemo was over?
I had TCH October 2011 and ended herceptin sept 2012 but have recently been having some neuropathy in my fingers. (It is tolerable but just want to know if it is the new normal)0 -
Marcie: Can't speak to the "long time" but I got neuropathy in my fingers after tx#2. Particular annoying & expanded tonight after tx#3, and it's hard to type. I hope mine is temporary, but I've started chugging L-Glutamine in addition to the B-6 and B-12 pills.
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My fingers are ok thank gosh, since I work with microscopic stuff, but I have no feeling in three toes, about two months PFC.
My doc says it will get better....0 -
minus - one of the Cream of Wheats is fortified and one is not - look for the fortified one.
sciencegal - it took a few months for my foot neuropathy to go away, but it did.
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