Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin
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Brenda: I had the right one off, too. I had the sentinel node biopsy earlier since I had two lumpectomies before the mastectomy, and I had an expander placed at the same time, so my experience was probably a little different than yours will be. Overall - way easier than I ever thought it would be. A friend of mine dropped off flowers the night after my surgery, and she was absolutely shocked to find me sitting up watching TV. I spent one night in the hospital - came home the next morning. My nurse asked me why I didn't ask for pain relief - I thought it was in my IV, but not so. Actually, I was fine. I went back to work 8 days later (had the operation during spring break). Biggest piece of advice - get a Softee camisole - it has a kangaroo pouch for the drains (the tubes and bottles.) I had no trouble with them - they get a little gunked up but you just strip them with your fingers and empty the bottle. And take it easy - I pushed too hard a few times right after surgery and was afraid I had hurt myself.
I know some people have a much harder time - my PS says I'm tough, but he's never seen me demand more novocaine in the dentist's chair!!!!
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Hey Bethany - how are you?
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WOOOAH! Gorgeous photo Sue! Is that your hair? When are you going to start modeling? Hey, I have a question for you. About the exchange surgery. Do you have all the drains and bottles and stuff for that, too? I'm looking at that in mid January, and I'm supposed to be costuming a play. How long am I going to feel like not going places?
Shelby
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Yeah, I've been thinking about Bethany, too. Beth, if you're out there, sound off, please! Gosh, we ARE like a bunch of little kids hiking through the woods at night, aren't we? Which, Ms. Sue, brings us back to the CONTROLLING METAPHOR: Camp Chemo!
Donalee, did you sneak us in some of those chocolate cookies tonight? I've got a powerful sweet tooth!
Shelby
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Hi Sue and dear TCH friends,
You know, Sue, you are such a thoughtful correspondent -- always thinking of each person's situation and offering kind words.
Shelby, your generous witty wisdom has cheered us all and your insights and advice have been substantively helpful.
Brenda - are you just the sweetest bravest person on the planet, or what?
Carolyn - are you just the most patient and loving soul in Oklahoma and beyond?
Donnalee -- I always appreciate your good cheer and am so glad you got an A+ on your test.
Aly -- your tender heart touches me and you are very brave.
My2boys, Traci, and all others, you are all in my heart and on my mind.
I finish 33 radiation treatments on 12/19. I'm soooo tired -- been trying to work full-time and am finding myself close to tears at the end of each day. Seems it must be the Herceptin that is causing my sore muscles -- I'm pretty bummed that I may feel like this through July and then will it end??? --- worried about the Arimidex doing the same thing. I feel like I'm 85 1/2 years old. Want to feel like myself. I just didn't grok how long this treatment would be part of my life....maybe for the duration. Trying to adjust to that idea and cope.
Hair will be Obama length by Jan 5 when I go back to work after winter break and am not wearing a hat, scarf, wig, or dunce cap ever again. (I hope, if you know what I mean and feel.)
Eyelashes went this week -- two months after chemo. Have decided to take some Christmas money from my mom and get some eyelash extensions as soon as they are just long enough for the xtreme lashes (see website). Excited about doing that for a couple of months.Too expensive for long term but quite glammy.
Winter break at work begins the last day of my radiation and on that day the nurses/techs throw confetti on each person at the last treatment -- I actually look forward to seeing this group everyday. So sweet.
Hoping Onc on Monday's Herceptin visit can come up with a way to offset these aches and stiffness.I'm a little worried that I'll have to convince her that it's the Herceptin and not b/c she thinks I'm not exercising enough.
I'm reading your posts everyday. Take good care.
Blessings and Love, Bethanyp.s.Sue is that your new hair? What was your last day of Chemo. You wook marvuhlous!
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Thanks, fellow campers, but no, that is NOT my hair (Well, it is since I wrote the check to Brandy's Wig Outlet for it!) My sister-in-law and niece took a ton of pictures this weekend - and I had the piece on when that one was taken. My own hair still looks almost exactly like the previous photo taken at Halloween - by the time it gets that long, it will be pure white, believe me.
Shelby: No drains for the recon! I had it on Tuesday - was up and around on Wednesday - back to work on Monday. Seriously - piece of cake - and I had a lift on my C-sized left side also. The PS was pretty strict about no exercise for a few weeks, but normal activity was fine.
Bethany: Like I said, the hair is coming back sllllooooowwwwllllyyyy. . .but my eyelashes and eyebrows grew right back. The extensions sound very cool, but you won't need them for long. Hang in there - 8 more days and rads are over!
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Thanks Sue: I can't get expanders cause I have Rads to go through first. I learned about the camisole softie on Wednesday. The nurse gave me one. Also had a mannequin with the drains in with the tubes and things so I could see and feel what to do. I learned the strip technique, quite interesting. My girlfriend went with me. When I had the Colostomy she took care of my wound packing it and all. From what sounds like from you this won't be hard. Did you sleep ok at night?
Thanks Beth: Sounds like the Rads won't be as difficult as chemo, but still drains you. Seems like this cancer journey is a year or longer.
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My2boys, I always had high heart rate and my blood pressure was up and down like a yo yo with the Carboplatin. for some reason I had more trouble with that drug than any other. My doc thought it was the fibromyalgia I have but I am not sure about it. I am still having a hard time getting my strength back. I am blaming it on the weather right now. I do walk quit a bit but then when I I am not moving I get stiff. As for the creatinine I guess it was never a problem for me.Are you drinking enough water or liquid to keep your kidneys flushed after the txs? I know a man that got some kidney damage from not getting enough fluid at least this is what MD Anderson hospital told him. He had been going to Veterans for his chemo which he had a lot of. MD Anderson gave him extra IV fluid the day after tx to help him get the fluids into him. I know it is hard to drink enough when you don't feel like it. some here are getting extra IV fluid or did when they took tx. I only got extra when I was dehydrated which happened a few times. We are all different and my doc told me he had never had any one have to have the amount of blood that I did and he also blamed the Fibromyalgia for that too. I had a lot of pain with the Neulasta shots and nothing would help it. I am glad the Claritin does it for you and the Tylenol. I am glad you got to enjoy your son's concert. I am amazed at my grandsons and how much they have grown up too. Just seems like yesterday they were babies and now 2 of them are men. the other is 12 but it won't be long before he is grown too.
We are supposed to have bad weather all next week but they are saying it will not be like last year when we had the same thing they are having on the East coast. I did not get my MRI on Friday so now I have to go out to another place on Thur. and then if I make it to that I will go to do the set up for the radiation on Friday. I guess all things are subject to change. I had to go get my records of when I had the mammogram when I found the lump and the ultrasound too. I am not sure why because I never had to have that with the first one. The MRI is supposed to be able to tell if the new lumps are cancer or scar tissue. I hope it can!
I hope everyone keeps electric during these storms. I know how cold it can be when the ice brings down the power lines and I don't want to repeat this again this year. We have a lot of big pines and we lost a lot last year and we are not able to clean up the mess ourselves this year.
Carolyn
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Morning Ladies!
Cupcake, the drains are not so bad. They are annoying and get in the way, but taking care of the tubes and emptying the bulbs is easy. Nobody told me about the camisole with with the pockets, that would have helpful.
Carolyn, glad you are weathering the storms OK. I have a good froend from OK and she says the weather there can turn brutal in the blink of an eye. Good luck with the MRI, prayers your way.
Well I don't know why and I certainly do not want to jinx myself, but tx 3 has become a walk in the park compared to 1 and 2. I got the nausea faster, but it went away faster. This is day 6 and I still have not gotten that gawd awful nasty taste and I usually have that by the end of day 2. My energy level is coming back faster too. I suppose God does work in mysterious ways: My hubby came home yesterday with a horrible case of the flu. This left me with no choice but to drive out to the country and care for our 8 horses - Thank God I had the energy and felt well enough to do it! This time last treatment, the drive alone would have been dangerous.
I hope everyone is gearing up for a wonderful holiday season.
Lisa
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Carolyn - Thanks for the helpful hints about staying hydrated. This time around, I have been drinking water like crazy and they did give me an extra bag of IV fluids with my Tx this time. Since that nasty taste is back for it's post-tx visit, I have been adding cranberry juice to the water so that I can get it down. I am hoping for the best on my blood tests on Wednesday. Good luck with the MRI....I will be praying for good weather so that you don't have to deal with any more than you already are.
Cupcake - I had drains after my mastectomy. They are not a big deal at all and very easy to empty/measure. I kept them safety pinned to the bandages that were wrapped around my chest and they were just fine. It is very important to keep an accurate measurement of fluids collected in the drains so that your doctor will know what is the best time to remove them.
Lisa - I am glad that your Tx3 has been easier on you. Mine has been both easier and harder at the same time, but I'm trying to cut down on some of the meds. Haven't taken any zofran this time around...gave me headaches and made me constipated. No Aleve with the Claritin and I only took the Claritin for one day. I think a lot of the discomfort I was feeling after the chemo was from all the meds I was taking. I'm pretty tired this time around though. I wish that I had your energy. 8 horses...oh my goodness. You are a busy girl. Please stay away from hubby as much as you can since I'm sure that you don't want to pick up a case of the flu! My boys both had colds/strep/stomach virus last month and it killed me to not be able to comfort them the way that I wanted to, but I knew that if I picked up their virus, I would be in worse shape than they were.
You will all be in my prayers...God Bless
Anne
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My2boys - A hint on the icky taste. I have found that the foods that bring it on the worse are the ones with hidden sugar cooked in; catsup, bar-b-q sauce, cheap brands of processed breads, etc. But for some reason, good old fashioned hershey's chocolate is just fine. I just ate some frozen tator tots (yeah, I know), when I ate them plain they were fine, when I tried to dip them in the ketchup I got a hint of the icky taste.
Sorry the meds are making it so much worse. You may be better off trying to do without. The only med I am on is the Zofran. Chemo makes me constipated for the first few days anyway so I am taking the zofran. If you can't take that, ask for another anti-nausea if it gets to be too much. That is such a HORRIBLE feeling - I hate it.
Hubby is being so good about staying way far away. I just got home from round one with the barn and I am resting up for round 2. I am very lucky to have some great friends that came out and helped me this morning.
Take care, Lisa
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Fluids are very important to flush the kidneys and bladder. Beings I had a hard time getting fluids in I ask for an extra IV the next day and they said no problem. Helped me a lot.
Thanks Lisa and Anne for tips on the drains. I had my husband take some pictures of me today with my full breasts. I can print them out so they are for me, no one else can see, to have to remember what I used to look like in case I want that after the operation. I can clearly see the lump under my arm in the picture and I began to cry. The ONC all say, when they examine me, "oh its gone", but I can see it is not and scared what they are going to find when they open me up. Psalms 55:4 My heart is in anguish within me. Stark fear overpowers me. Trembling and horror overwhelm me; then in verse 22 give your burdens to the Lord... He will carry them. I remember 7 months ago God told me not to fear the cancer, but I keep picking up the fear again and again. It is hard to release it. I know God is true in His word it is just so hard not to fear this awful disease of cancer. Please forgive me for being so down, but I know you understand this fear. It is only us who face it knows how awful this disease really is. Tomorrow I will be better and lift my heart and take another step. Just tonight is difficult. Sleep will be a welcome relief.
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Thanks for the tips on fluids. I think I will ask for some the day after the next Tx. They upped my fluids on the day of, but I have been drinking like a fish since then. I find myself using the bathroom in the middle of the night and then taking a drink of water before returning to sleep. If this doesn't flush me out......I don't know what will!
Cupcake......I admire your strength. I try to "let go and let God" and I keep picking up the fear too, but each time I find myself in that scary place that I swore I would never return to, I offer my fear up for others who are suffering like me. This turns a bad thing into a greater good. It kind of takes the edge off the fear for a bit. I hope that you slept well last night.
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Thank you Anne I did sleep well and woke this morning with a new step. Fear is as bad as the cancer itself and just puts you in a disabling place when I go there. I'm not quite sure what you mean by offering fear up for others who are suffering?? In prayer this morning I did ask God to forgive me for my lack of faith last night, and I do trust Him in this. I just need to keep my eyes on Him and not my frail human understanding of this disease.
Lisa when I got the nausea I ask for help and they took me off Zofran and put me on Emend and I never got sick again. There are so many different things they can do to keep the nausea away from you. That was the worst for me. The other SE I could handle.
I am one month out now from the last Chemo and feeling stronger everyday. On Friday was the first day I could clean house all by my self without my husbands help on the weekend. It felt good I could have it all done by the time he came home Friday night from work. My hair is about one inch long now. Sticks straight up , but beginning to cover the dome. Only the teary eyes left of the side effects. So all of you that are in your TX just know you will come out on the other side of the tunnel. If you look you can see the light at the end of it. Just remember to look back and see if any new ones are coming in that you can help now. Reach a hand out to them cause they are really afraid right now. You can share with them what you have learned.
Have a wonderful day campers.
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Cupckae, you are a true inspiration. With your strong faith in God and your great attitude you can do anything.
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Cupcake - Just want to say that as a newbie, you have been an inspiration to me. I admire your strength and compassion! My prayers are with you for your upcoming surgery.
I have tx #3 this Wednesday, and my Oncologist has decided that I should stop working and go on disability. I know that she is right, as it seems all I do is work M-F eat dinner when I get home and go to bed, then on the weekends I sleep most of the time cuz I'm exhausted. It's just a difficult idea to wrap my head around since I am essentially a workaholic. I guess the most sobering thing she said to me was that if I didn't rest during treatment it could take me up to 2 years to recover on the back end, that was not at all appealing. And like Cupcake, my surgery will not happen until. after I complete the chemo regimen.
Hope everyone is doing well!
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Thanks Cali. I think your onc is right you need to take care of yourself right now. Your body is taking awful hits with this chemo.
Lisa and Anne thank you too. Any strength you may see comes from the Lord cause I am totally a whimp through and through.
California finally got some rain and I am sitting here watching it come down outside. I plan to stay in and rest today cause tomorrow is the Herceptin and the next day after that is the surgery so if I don't come in for awhile that is where I will be. I just wanted you all to know I am taking with me all of your support and love. Each time you posted something to me I have hidden in my heart and will be there with me as I begin this next difficult step in this journey of cancer. I pray that each of your tx will ge gentle on you and a smack in the head to those nasty cancer cells.
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Stay strong Cupcake.....we are all right there with you and you will pull through just fine. The stress before a surgery is hard....I know that the Lord will carry you through and hold your hand while you recover.
Cali - I think your oncologist is right.....this is one gigantic wallop our bodies are taking. Anything that we can do to lessen the recovery time afterwards is worth it. I found that I am bouncing back a little better after Tx#3 and I think it is because of the constant fluids....nonstop. I hope it continues improve.
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Cupcake;
May the Holy Spirit guide the hand of your surgeons and the hearts of your caregivers during the next few hours. May the peace of the Lord Jesus, that surpasses all understanding, guard your heart and your mind.
Although your experience with your oncology team hasn't been altogether easy, remember that God, your Father, is the Master choreographer of it all. He has led you and will continue to lead you and keep you.
And we'll hold you up in our prayers this week.
Shelby
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Cupcake, I will also be thinking of you during this time. God is good and he will be with you.
As for working I have know some that did work the whole time where I work but they had a desk job. I am not sure that made the difference or not but I can tell you I could not have worked at all and was glad they told me not to. I am still not back but I hope to the 5th of Jan. I am still not real strong but I had some problems and had to have 7 units of blood during chemo and probably would have needed more but they did the shots 2 times before the FDA stopped the shots for people that were not terminal. Or I guess in special cases too. I would do what the doc tells me to do unless you are just not able to money wise. I did not try to get disability but if they find that this new lump is cancer then I am going to try. I can go on SS in Aug anyway. I guess only time will tell.
I hope all goes well with all of you. I think of all of you every day. this board has been a great help to me over these months.
Carolyn
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I hope everyone is just busy and not feeling too bad right now. I know with Christmas there is a lot to do. Be good to yourselves and don't over do it.
Carolyn
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Hi everyone. I went to "Look Good Feel Better" last night. I would recommend this for anybody who hasn't done it. I really do....look good and feel better....today.
Smiles
Anne
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Morning all! I hope everyone is happy and well and preparing for the holidays.
As for working during treatment. My treatments are every 3rd Monday and I work Mon, Tues Wed., I am a teacher. I worked Tues and Wed after my first two tx, but my semester ended Nov 25, so I did not work with my 3rd tx. Number 3 went a heck-of-a-lot better than 1 and 2. I go back to work Jan 7th and will have 2 more tx's after that. I have already made arrangements NOT to work the weeks of those last two tx's. For me, being able to have no major responsibility the week of the tx is better I think. I am learning that I need to find a balance between letting my body rest and heal AND pushing back. For me it is heal first, then push.
Have a great day everyone!
Lisa
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Hi everyone. I have been on vacation and I am glad to see everyone hanging in there. It can be sooo difficult sometimes but keep walking forward. I know I am feeling much better than I did two weeks ago or even one week ago. I actually threw a fit at my last appointment for Herceptin. I have been doing chemo every three weeks and herceptin every week since august and I told them to leave me the heck alone for one week! My body was tired. My heartrate was 135 and pounding out of my chest and I told them to please let me have a break and they agreed. We were going to change my herceptin to every three weeks anyway so they went ahead and gave me few weeks off. I feel so much better. I am still really tired but I am getting better. It has only been two weeks since my final chemo so I know it will take some time. My rectal bleeding finally stopped. I will tell ya, that scared me to death! I had heard so many horror stories from the insensitives that I knew it was something deadly. I took the miralax and all is back to normal.
I had a fabulous vacation in Tennessee. I know some of you get snow all the time so it is not a big deal to you but I am from South Georgia and I have not seen snow since I lived in Va 15 years ago. Well, I got snow in TN! It was such a nice gift from God after completing my chemo. I stood looking out the window with tears in my eyes because I truly felt like the snow was a gift for me. So for everyone facing a mountain to climb remember you are not climbing it alone and God will let you know he is there. May he bless each of you with your own special gift this week.
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Traci;
I'm happy to hear that you had a wonderful vacation. Yeah, I don't blame you for freaking out at the doctor's office. I would too, if I had to do Herceptin every week. I've always done it every three weeks. I really don't know why they do that every week routine.
Speaking of snow, we're gearing up for our annual ski trip to Utah. Our pastor and his family and some other people have done this annual pilgrimage for over 25 years. The tradition is, they rent a house for about 16 people and then cram it full of 25-30 people. We all share the cooking and cleaning responsibilities, and the cost is fairly reasonable. This year, there will be two of us ladies with bc. I'm all ready for reconstruction, but she's still going through chemo. It's the highlight of my year. This will be our seventh consecutive year, I think. This year, it's my final spurt of athleticism before Build-a-Boob Workshop!
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Shelby: Something tells me you will enjoy every minute of your trip. It sounds like so much fun. I know you will be an inspiration to the other woman with bc. It has really made a difference for me to see the ones ahead of me get through the tx. I really felt like I hit a wall at the end and hearing all of your stories made a big difference in my attitude. I am still feeling down from the last tx but as I get stronger every day I want to encourage those behind me to keep going. The low times do not last forever and you do begin to feel human again. I know for me there were times I would lock myself in the bathroom where no one could see me and just cry because I felt so bad and I felt like it would never get better. Well, it's finally over, I did it! Praise God...WE did it! I no longer have to make plans around a three week chemo schedule. I just make plans. I finally feel human again. I still have radiation to do but after getting through the chemo and seeing the light at the end of that tunnel know I will get through radiation too. I have a year until we can do my build a boob but I can wait. I jokingly told my friends that instead of a nipple tattoo I was going to get a tattoo of an eye winking instead! haha
So after all that babbling I guess I am trying to say thank-you to all of those ahead of me for encouraging me to keep going and I want to encourage those behind me to do the same. Shelby I hope you have the best vacation ever and congrats on the new hooter!
I am off to make Paula Deens "not your mama's banana pudding" for my chemo nurses tomorrow. I am going in just to say "hi" no needles this time! This is a great recipe if any of you like banana pudding. Delicious.
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Traci, I'd love that recipe if you care to share!
)Aly.
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I thought that nausea wasn't going be a problem for me because I had only a couple of brief problems with it during the first two cycles. I guess the cumulative effect is getting to me now - since Sunday I get really nauseous in the late afternoon and it continues all evening. I haven't been able to eat dinner all week. Sunday, I tried and lost it. Yesterday I had some rice mid-afternoon before I got nauseous and up that came a few hours later.
I've got a call in to my onc about getting som different meds. Zophran and Compazine aren't doing the trick for me now. They haven't called back and the nausea is setting in for tonight. I'm getting sooo tired of this.
Meanwhile, does anyone else get chemo-inappropriate food cravings. Yesterday (around noon when my stomach was still feeling good) a craving for sushi popped into my head. Maybe I could at least get some of that thin sliced pickled ginger.
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Bluedasher, so sorry to hear about the nausea. Let us know what your onc says.
Do you think that maybe you picked up a stomach bug and coupled with recent chemo it is making you sick?
Regarding chemo-inappropriate food cravings.....I thought I was alone on this one. I ate so many olives last month that I thought I was going to turn into one. For the first time in my life I craved breakfast sausages too. This month it is the potatoes. I can't stop eating potatoes.....any kind of potatoes.....all day, everyday.
Feel better
Anne
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Hey Blue--
How far are you out from a tx? The best thing that ever happened to me as far as nausea was getting an Rx for Emend, which you take the day before tx, day of, and day after. It works at the BRAIN level, so even if your stomach wants to call Beulah on the great white phone, it can't cuz your brain won't let it! As far as chemo-inappropriate cravings, I usually craved tuna fish sandwiches a day or so out from a tx....it's so weird to have your stomach want to hurl with the governor on it! Then the other thing I found to be useful once the Emend ran out was over-the-counter Bonine, which is for motion sickness. That stuff worked a lot better than either Zofran (which didn't do a thing for me except make me extremely constipated) or the Compazine with less side effects. I also got an Rx for Compazine in suppository form, in case the nausea ever got so bad that I couldn't keep the pills down, which it did only once. Hopefully there's something in there that will help!
Shelby
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