Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
Comments
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2ndtime, the Neulasta does help. I ended up in the ER after my first infusion of TCH and that was with Neupogen injections. When I was switched to Neulasta my counts still dropped low, but not as bad. Ask you MO about taking Claritin with the Neulasta to counteract bone pain. Good luck!!
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2ndtime, how scary! I hope you bounce back quickly. I had a very difficult time with TCH and also was amazed at those who could work through it. I couldn't. Some of us just have a hard time with it, period. Hugs!
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I am supposed to travel for work next month, by airplane. I am freaked out about it. I am going to ask my MO about it this week. I get my first counts after chemo this week, so I guess that will tell us if travel will be ok for me.
Shaved the hair off yesterday. It actually felt good to get it taken care of.
Hope everyone has a good day with few SEs.
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Dgm good luck.
2nd.. oh. So sorry to hear you had priblems. I ended up in the hospital from TCH too. It is what it is. Glad they will give you Nuelasta. First time with N the pain can be bad so ask your M O about the Clariton ( not Clariton D). It helps.
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2ndtime - hope you are feeling better! I have been getting the neulasta shot after every treatment and it has helped my white blood counts a lot. Of course, I deal with a lot of bone pain because of it, but that is getting better each time. I have one more round of chemo left, and there are moments when I am not sure how I will get thru it. The SEs are bad, and I am not able to work or do much of anything. The first 10 days are pretty bad, then I start to feel human again. I am with you, can't believe people can work thru this!
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2ndTime - sorry to here you're temporarily knocked down. Hope they have you humming again soon. The neulasta worked wonders for me but be sure to take the Claritin for a full 7 days - start one day before chemo & take 4 days after.
Ddgm - what about wearing a hospital grade mask? You might look different but I'm sure the extra protection would help. My biggest problem would have been "hogging" the rest room with the Big D.
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2ndtime, I hope they take good care of you and your counts rebound soon! Hopefully the Neulasta shots will help you for future tx's.
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MinusTwo, yes the big D might be a problem depending on the travel days. Airplane and the big D might not be a good combination.
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ddgm, there is a medicine you can get for the D. Diphenhy something atropine. It works way better than immodium and it's by prescription only. I used to take it only when my D was really bad or I needed to be somewhere. But then I'd try not to use it too often.
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Ddgm - Moon's right. Look it up under Lomotil & ask your doc. I had an Rx but never did take it.
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thank you Moon and MinusTwo. I will ask the Dr about it.
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Ddgm - just be careful since as many people have constipation as have diarrhea. Don't you love these conflicting SEs that say "you'll probably get one but nobody knows which".
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Thx for all the well wishes. I am home from the hospital today resting. I will take clairiton with my Neulasta. Now watching my RBC's they are deciding to drop too.I will be taking it easy.
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2nd I gad to get transfusions 2x. But my doc gave it as soon as you hit lower than 8. Most wait even longer. Normal is 12. But at 18 months PFC mine is still 11.
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2ndtime, hope you are doing better today. Glad to hear you're home from the hospital!!
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2nd time, I'm sorry you had to go through that! I hope that Neulasta works for you from here on out.
I wanted to share my good news with you - halfway through chemo, so I had a follow-up u/s. My tumor is half the size that it was, and BS says that what is left is less dense which could mean that it is mostly (or all) scar tissue. So I have my evidence that the TCH torture is working. 3 more cycles . . .
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oranje! Great news! That's the good thing about going through chemo first. You have proof the chemo works!
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Oranje - great news. Congrats. It's so positive to see mid treatment feed back.
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2nd - glad you are doing better. It is normal to have drops in blood counts - expect your red cells (RBC) and hemoglobin to continue to drop during subsequent infusions. Your white count (WBC) can be helped by Neulasta/Neupogen, but if your hemoglobin drops too far they may consider a blood transfusion. It is not the red count (RBC) that dictates this, but your hemoglobin - this is the number that indicates how well your blood is oxygenating the rest of your body. Usually a hemoglobin of 8 or lower means a blood transfusion, but some people become symptomatic (lethargy, confusion, dizziness, shortness of breath) at a higher number. Make sure you are tracking any symptoms - are you having a weekly CBC or will they be checking prior to chemo only? Different centers do it different ways. Be sure to take the Claritin at least an hour prior to your Neulasta injection.
oranje - yay!
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Special K Thx for comments. I meant my Hgb but wrote RBC by mistake. All my numbers are down. I know the difference. I appreciate your Ladies help.
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Oranje - great news. Keep pressing on - you are halfway already!
2ndtime - there is NO place like home. Glad you are there! Please rest up and take care of YOU. Nothing else is as important right now.
And to everyone everywhere - stay warm and safe. WHAT a winter this has been.
(If you are in Hawaii and reading this, it doesn't apply to you!
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Been like 2 months without it going above freezing. Got 5 inches of snow yesterday. Today 45 degrees! LOL. That's WI!
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Good morning - I have a question. This month is my FIVE YEAR cancer-versary! Can't believe it's been five years. And this year, I start seeing my onc once/year instead of twice/year. And that is my question.
If I have a mammo annually (usually Feb/Mar) and see my onc annually (has been April/Oct), but this year I see her in April....how do I spread my appts so they are not so close together? As of now, I would have my mammo in March, and onc in April. Then next year, same thing? Or should I delay the mammo until the summer, and next year see onc in Feb and mammo in summer? Or should I not wait so long to have the mammo? Last year's was in late March, and my onc this year is early May.
This is confusing to me. Can anybody help?0 -
Hi there, Amy -
I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than I am will chime in shortly, but while we wait, I thought I'd just suggest to you that you can also add your annual gyno appointment into the mix to make sure you're covered with an exam of some kind every four months. Granted, the gynocologist isn't specifically cancer-focused, but you'll get a clinical breast exam, a PAP, and the opportunity to just sort of "check in" with someone.
Tremendous congrats to you on five beautiful, disease-free years! I'm just heading into the storm, but I hope one day to be able to post with this in my rear-view mirror :-)
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Amy, such good news!
I like NinaW's suggestion of including gyno appointment in the mix so that you have a check of one kind or another every 4 months.
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Nina - thanks so much for your advice. It generally would be a good approach BUT I had a total hysterectomy last spring and was dismissed from my gyno (unless I have some sort of problem). No more appts there. One less doctor - Yay. But therefore not a good solution.
Yes, the five years is awesome. It is 5 years from diagnosis, so the first year was full of treatment and didn't feel 'disease free' at that point. But each year that passes, the memory of the whole experience fades a bit more and life feels just normal again.
I trust that as time passes, the same will be true for you as well.
In the meantime, stick close here - ask all your questions as they arise. These women are lifesavers. I am proud to be their sister!Amy
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I still see my breast surgeon annually, and my MO annually, one in May and the other in November - I have my mammo before I see the BS.
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Amyls - unless your docs will post the results of the mammo on something like "my chart", I'd go nuts waiting 4 months. I'd schedule the MO appointment no more than one month after the mammo. Since you've been dismissed by your Gyn, maybe you can add a PCP in there 6 months from the MO? Sounds weird since we're all sick and tired of doctor appointments, but I sure understand we don't want to cut that cord and be out in the cold.
Congrats on the 5 years!!
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amyisstrong - yay for the 5-year mark! Excellent! I wonder if you could still sneak a well-woman check in there even though you have had a hyst/ooph. I did for the nine years between mine and the BC diagnosis. I still had PAP smears until after I started taking an AI and then the NP said the vaginal tissues were too fragile and the speculum could do some damage - since I had never had an abnormal one she said I don't need any more. They also did a routine physical exam at that time - but that could be done annually by your PCP too. Do you ever see your BS? I like to time it so I see my PCP, my MO, my BS at intervals so someone is looking at me close to quarterly. The PS sees entirely too much of me since I am still a reconstruction work in progress, lol!
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Amy, Congrats on 5 years!
I'm still seeing my MO every 3 months. I will be 21 months PFC for my March appt. I am also still going in for blood work every 6 weeks for a magnesium test. I see my PCP every 6 MO for a diabetic check, this changed this year, he was seeing me every 3 months during chemo and for a year after. I am done with my P'S unless I have an issue. I haven't seen my breast surgeon since 3 months after my BMX. Why would I have to see him? I see my gyn annually. (Ok, since when does auto fill put in analy?) LOL. Well i guess every practice is different. LOL
Much love
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