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Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

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Comments

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited December 2013

    I am recovering from my exchange reconstructive surgery just fine so far. Keep those fingers crossed. LOL 

    Yep my onc nurses said that alternating made sure you ate and drank something even if you didn't want to. I actually had no trouble Drinking for 5 days. As soon as the D hit I couldn't drink and had to force myself to. Weird when you consider that's when I needed to replace those fluids! LOL my taste changed a lot and anything with vinegar was awful. So even ketchup was out. Actually what tasted ok,( nothing really tasted good) was all white food. Mashed potato, mac and cheese, toast, yogurt, noodles alfredo. Not great for you but then again I didn't eat much. Lean cuisine meals with noodles or mashed potato were about all I could eat. Small amounts. My taste buds would come back on the Monday before my Thursday tx was due. So i could eat and drink whatever I wanted for 3 days. LOL BTW ice tea was way better tasting than water. Also a bit if lemon or orange made the water ok to drink. Much love. 

  • bren58
    bren58 Member Posts: 688
    edited December 2013

    moon, I am glad you are recovering well. New B@@bs for Christmas! Yippee!

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    Glad you are recovering well Moonflower...I have 1 more treatment on 12/23 so we all know how I will be feeling Christmas day. 

    This is another weird side effect I am having...drooling!  It is so gross...anybody else have this happen?

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,357
    edited December 2013

    Moon - so glad to hear your great reports.  The only way I kept from overdoing after surgery was to stop the pain meds - then I knew when to quit.   I too love the idea of eating & drinking on the hour - but I was with you, horrible Big D and everything tasted horrible.  Thinking I might modify to drink on the hour every hour.

    Love - yes I seem to drool all the time.  I drool on the pillow when I KNOW my mouth is closed.  It leaks out somehow.  Also drool while I'm talking.  And that's not as bad as my nose dripping everytime I turn around.  Sigh.  Good luck on the 23rd.

    Rumor is my blood tests tanked today - both WBC & hemoglobin.  And urine test probably will confirm a bladder infection.  And the Rx for that aggravates neuropathy.  The infusion center seems to think the doc will insist in transfusions but no one called or posted the blood reports and I know that the hospital transfusion center is closed Tues/Wed/Thurs next week.  Is this the fun time yet?  Sorry to whine.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited December 2013

    ah minus! You poor kid! I hope you hear quickly about the transfusion. Can you take cranberry pills? They work pretty good. And there is a pill for that pain by AZO. It takes the pain away is pill. But it won't cure it. But if you get abx, the urinary AZO works for the pain fast. I used the AZO for yeast infection it works fast too. I don't usually recommend stuff but that always worked for me.

    Lovewins oh. I had tx right before Easter for my chemo. Sucks not being able to enjoy the treats. 

    Thanks for the good wishes. I hope for small SEs for you.  Much love. 

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    Minus two I also used the azo and it worked, makes you pee orange I think.  Hope you are feeling better soon!

    Thanks Moonflower...I had to put my big girl panties on because I was so disappointed about Christmas because I always go to my folks, but I guess it being my last chemo is a good Christmas present!

    Take care everyone.

  • oranje_mama
    oranje_mama Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2013

    oranje here, any tips for Big C?

    Since day 1, I've had 3 Colace, 3 Senekot-S, gallons of green tea, healing tea, and water, eating fiber-rich snacks/meals, oranges, apples, apple juice . . . And nothing. I'm peeing constantly but no BM. On day 3 now.

  • oranje_mama
    oranje_mama Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2013

    oh, and I actually went for an hour long bike ride yesterday too

  • oranje_mama
    oranje_mama Member Posts: 79
    edited December 2013

    in the course of an hour, I flipped the switch from the Big C to the Big D. Apparently two spoons of lentil soup is all it takes . . .

    Of course my DH is out buying prune juice. Hard to keep up with these SEs! Thank goodness a neighbor volunteered to take my 2 kids today for a full day play date at their house.

  • bren58
    bren58 Member Posts: 688
    edited December 2013

    oranje, glad you are felling better. It sounds like the senekot and colace finally kicked in. I had horrible C the first tx. After that I started taking the colace and drank benefiber the day before each tx and for a couple days after. Still had C, just not nearly as bad. Blame the anti nausea drugs for the C, they are notorious for that, and I had a lot of anti nauseas!

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,357
    edited December 2013

    Oranje - there's a great thread here for constipation - next time you need it.  Hope this link works, but if not, you can search for CONSTIPATION under Active topics.  It's so darn hard to balance the two SEs.

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/6/topic/78...

  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 261
    edited December 2013

    moon, congrats on the exchange.  Are you happy with he result so far?

    Love wins, I also had twitchy eyelids.  I've noticed that it hasn't happened for a while sinc I'm off carbo/taxotere for 7 weeks.  It scared the heck out of me since I lost vision permanently in one eye during my mastectomy DIEP surgery.  I still think my vision is degraded.  I would recommend seeing an eye doctor just in case. At the beginning of chemo mine out some ductal plugs in and it helped a lot with moisture for the dry eye feeling. 

    Minus two, I'm sorry to heat about your blood counts. That sucks, but the transfusion will feel good if it's determine you will need it.

    Orange, exercise is the best thing to get everything working right downstairs.  My problem was always getting to a place quickly when it was time to go.  I would walk around the block but not too far.

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    Thanks Marsha, I go tomorrow for my last chemo...well the hard stuff anyway.  Last time I felt sick right away when they started so I am a little nervous.  Just want to get done with chemo!  Wish something could make that 3rd day easier...at least I learned how to handle the big C and D better by the end.  Take care everyone....Merry Christmas!

  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 426
    edited December 2013

    Lovewins- it is ironic, isn't it, that by the time know how to handle the SE's, we are finished? But CONGRATULATIONS on the final one.  Herceptin only is a breeze in comparison.  Enjoy your PFC Christmas.

    AND - it is good that the knowledge we gained can help others. That is why so many of us old-timers stick around, to help the new ones. Hope you will as well!  

    Love to all my TCH sisters!

    Amy

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    Thanks Amy...I will never forget how hard I laughed at a post you wrote for me right before my first treatment....I plan on staying on this thread and paying it forward.  Thank you for all the support you have all given me.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited December 2013

    lovewins. Happy for you. Just get through this last one! Much love. 

  • soriya123
    soriya123 Member Posts: 384
    edited December 2013

    Lovewin Congrats on yhour last chemo! after that wil be only Herceptin.  Can you believe it, I will have my herceptin on New Year Eve? LOLzzz Moon, do you love your new gilrs? are you happy with the results?  i cant wait till i have mine exchange.  MY PS told me sometime around May or June....hopefully.

  • Viji
    Viji Member Posts: 89
    edited December 2013

    Congrats Lovewins! Enjoy PFC...

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited December 2013

    So far so good. Now that most of the pain is gone it is just stretching that hurts a bit. I am pretty happy so far but not all swelling is down. He only went to 850 in them so not as much as he thought. Much love. 

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    So glad you are feeling better Moonflower...much love back to you!

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    thanks viji....last treatment and I had a reaction again, my nurse asked me if I wanted to stop as I was in tear for almost an hour but I made it!  Now to get the next week over with!!!!  So glad it's over!

  • 2ndtime4me
    2ndtime4me Member Posts: 51
    edited December 2013

    Hi Ladies

    I am a newbie Her2+ starting chemo next month. I had BMX with ALND on left side 12 days ago. I had DCIS 3 years ago with lumpectomy and they tell me this is a new primary. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Believe me I will now really appreciate the Holidays more. I am reading old posts, but am sure I will have questions during this process. I get a whole year of Herceptin, Yuck :-(  Radiation too.. I was feeling very anxious, but I now have all my pathology back and medical team on board. I am ready to chemo away any Cancer cells left in my Body.  I did have 3 positive nodes. :-( 

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    I am sorry you have to go thru this again 2ndtime, cancer just sucks.  Do you know how they know it is a new primary?  I have always wondered about that.  Glad you feel better after getting your pathology back....you sound like you have the fighting spirit you will need to get thru the chemo and kick cancer to the curb.  Wishing you all the best...

  • 2ndtime4me
    2ndtime4me Member Posts: 51
    edited December 2013

    lovewins 

    They said because my DCIS was Her2- and this tumor is Her2 +. So it means a new primary, I was surprised to hear this too. Just told me to be glad  they have Herceptin to target it.

  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 570
    edited December 2013

    thanks...makes sense.  I was told the same thing about her+.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,357
    edited December 2013

    2ndTime - Interesting.  I had BMX w/DCIS in 2011 due to the size of the tumors.  They didn't test HER2.  They apparently don't here with DCIS.  My recurrence is HER+ so we're sort of in the same boat.  Sorry you're having to start over too. Looks like you had neo-adjuvent radiation but not chemo??  I don't know much about that sequence.  When you get a minute, do update your signature to show the HER2+ this time around.  We HER2+ girls have to hang tight.

  • 2ndtime4me
    2ndtime4me Member Posts: 51
    edited December 2013

    MinusTwo

    Sorry I had the wrong date for my Internal Rads (brachytherapy) it was after my Lumpectomy.  so sorry to hear of your recurrence. Did you have radiation? So is your recurrence just to Lymph nodes in axilla? I have 3 very positive (full of cancer) lymph nodes. They will be giving me external radiation after I am done with chemo. 

    Do you like your Gummie implants? After this is all over with, I hope to be reconstructed. I have TE 's in place. 

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,357
    edited December 2013

    2ndTime:  Hopefully my recurrence was lymph nodes only, but I had chemo before ALND so lots of stuff was killed off.  Since not everything died, I'm doing more chemo.  Will do rads probably February.  

    I do like my Allergan 410 anatomical gummies.  They were the original version on the market and I got them in a trial.  Now the FDA has released many of their models.  I understand now other companies make anatomical gummies & also round gummies.  Check out Breast Recon 101 thread.

  • bren58
    bren58 Member Posts: 688
    edited December 2013

    Welcome 2ndtime, sorry you are going through this again. I am also a 2nd timer, but I went 12 years between dx's. None of my doctors know whether mine was a recurrence or an new primary. In the end it really didn't matter, because the tx was the same. I am glad you have your team in place and have a plan. That was the most stressful part for me. Once I had a team I was comfortable with and a plan to follow, I was at peace with following through with it.

  • mckatherine
    mckatherine Member Posts: 180
    edited December 2013

    trying to catch up.    Moon - glad your exchange went well.  

    Oranje and 2nd time - welcome.  Sorry you have to be here, but glad you found us.   

    Oranje - I'm just outside DC. Where are you getting treatment?  There is a great group of NOVA ladies from the boards who get together once a month for lunch - we'd love for you to join us.  

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