HER2+ and no chemo for early stage?
Comments
-
All the best hikingandhorses! am glad you've made a choice that you're comfortable with! yay!
0 -
Hi ladies!
I've done my chemo today.. finally, after chickening out twice.. once last week, and once this morning.. woke up early, did last minute googling and then changed hospital and doctor. Now i'm still in the hospital after finishing chemo about 2 hours ago, and in good energy while waiting for my sister to pick me up after work.Thank you all for the support and discussion, i'm glad i made the decision after many hours of research, and lots of ups and downs emotionally.. partly, my emotions were triggered when i visit the semi-public hospital where it's just old, worn out, the face of dying and decay... and patients pack the place and look so sickly that i just get crying spells there and then for the next few days.. so decided to go to a private hospital, pay 30-40% more for the whole treatment.. and at least feel that i'm going to a hotel!
The psychological edge works for me... my oncologists thinks i've broken chemo's bad reputation by laughing so much.. It was such a blessing that my oncologist here accepted my last minute request (buzzed him at 7am) to come and do my chemo here today. He's been very kind and entertaining questions i have via emails and whatsapp earlier, which speaks a lot on his being. He came and checked on me several times, even did another briefing with me before the session, although the nurse can do it. It was thankfully a breeze for me.. the only pain felt was where the needle went in.. and my doctor says i can get "emla" from the pharmacy that will numb it a bit and make the poking less painful/totally no pain for the next sessions. and oh, I did Taxotere-Cyclophosmide-Herceptin.. totally okay throughout!
My oncologist also said it's okay for me to go out, especially these few days before neutropenia hits.. and just to be mindful of disinfecting as it's not so much of the airborne i should worry about but me touching things..
Thanks ladies for all your sharing which helps me in the decision making!
0 -
yensmiles - I am so glad you are OK. Good choice going to a decent hospital. Now remember, it will probably hit you in a couple of days. Did you get some medication for nausea? Did they give you Emend? Also - if you get bad leg pain get some claratyn or claratine and pain killers to take until it passes. Any side effect can be treated. I remember lying in bed crying for 10 days, but once we worked out what SE's I was going to get, we treated them in advance and it was all smooth sailing after that.
Ring your onc with any problems you have.
I'm glad you are having TCH - I'm a bit suspicious about FEC-TH - mainly because one of the ladies I know here in Oz ended up with mets after having that treatment. The more modern trials seem to favour TCH and my onc being so brilliant never even mentioned the other treatment.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
0 -
Thanks for the big hug Suzie!
and no, i didn't get emend, the doctor says it won't be necessary. He did give me medication for pain, though hmm...i forgot the name! LOL!!! "chemobrain" settled in early..or rather prior to chemo..probably from all the stress! Now that's gone..cos that most important first step taken: JUST DO IT!!! oh, for FEC, they do give emend, cos the reaction is supposedly stronger when it comes to nausea.Why did you cry in bed for 10days, that must've been really awful? Was it the bone pain?
Sorry to hear one of the ladies you know in Oz had mets after treatment. It's possible that she's one who fell into the percentage of "resistant" to the drugs..and chemo really works in 1 out of 3/4 patients.. we won't know where we fall till years later, and hopefully our treatment works!
0 -
yen - I cried for 10 days as I had bad tummy grumbles and the leg pain to start with - once the onc prescribed something to stop the SE's I was fine. I was really cross at the time because I think they should give you prescriptions "just in case" instead of waiting to see what happens. Once I had somac for the tummy trouble, I was fine for the rest of the treatments. I must say I never vomited, just felt a bit off for a week or so.
0 -
oh, thank goodness you didn't vomit Suzie, bad tummy grumbles and leg pain is bad enough. I do have something to take for the pain from days 5-8 (when doxetacel side effects hits the bones bad)..
thankful for that, and also that i can still "go in the toilet" yesterday and today. hope regular bowel movements remain for the rest of the weeks.. i do have bloating..and some tummy grumbles yesterday.. bloating still on today.. and i think pineapple juice before my dinner last night helped the digestion.. and this morning, my regular juice of celery/carrot/parsley kinda has a diuretic effect and relaxes the intestines.. haha, hope this is not too much information! 0 -
I just remembered - you need to take a stool softening med because you will need it if you have been taking any steroids.
Don't forget - Claratin or Claratyne as it's called here to go with the pain med for the leg pain. You can get once a day ones and it worked really well. It was day 3 when it hit me
0 -
thanks for the tips Suzie!
We have claritin here too!:) though my oncologist gave me another pain-killer... lol! my surgical brain combined with chemo brain doesn't help with memory! 0 -
Claratin is not a pain killer - it's an antihistamine - for some reason if you combine it with a pain killer it fixes the leg pain - my onc told me to take both.
0 -
Claritin (10mg 24 hour - and regular, not Claritin D) is an antihistamine that is thought to help combat pain from Neulasta. The antihistamine action decreases the edema in the bone marrow that is a by product of the rapid manufacture of new white blood cells. Generally the first Neulasta injection is the worst for pain because of the first time rapid expansion of the marrow. Subsequent expansions are usually less painful because the marrow has already been expanded previously - kind of like a new pair of shoes are tight, the next time you wear them they are a little looser. The dosing should start at least one hour prior to the injection, but you can start the day before. You should continue for at least a few days, and can continue up to a week. Here is the trial info:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01311336
0 -
SpecialK - I didn't have Neulasta - it was the taxotere that caused the pain.
0 -
Oh Yen..what a relief that you don't have to make any more decisions....glad you started your journey of chemo it will go fast
meanwhile wishing you a easy time
Neulasta was very bad for me of course the MO didn't mention anything like severe bone pain later he tells me you should've have taken some ADVIL
♥YEN♥ We are always here for you
Hugs from NY
Sheila♥
0 -
Thanks SpecialK, Sheila and Suzie!
It's indeed a relief! *hugs*hmm.. shall be checking the claritin and neulesta with dr should I need it.. hopefully not... though lol! it's too soon for me to tell given that it's just 2 days after the chemo.. staying hopeful anyway!
0 -
suzie - I have not seen others who have used Claritin for anything other than Neulasta bone pain. That was why I included the link to the clinical trial. It is interesting that your onc suggested it, is it standard practice where you were treated?
0 -
I don't know if it standard practice, but he is one of the best oncs in Australia. When I got the bone pain on the 3rd day after the first chemo, we called him and he prescribed claratin and digesic tablets. I made sure I started taking them on the 3rd day after each chemo and I was fine. I definitely did not have Neulasta.
0 -
I'm glad it worked for you!
0 -
hi all!
I was 50 when diagnosed earlier this year and am undergoing FEC- TH treatment. My MO who is the chief of oncology at my hospital told me earlier this week that with my type of cancer he is of the opinion that I will live a very long life
He said in some cases they know right away if there is a probability of a poor outcome and that while things are never 100%, he feels that I will go very well
I went into this very healthy - my ct and bone scan showed no mets so I hope for the best
So far I've had 3 rounds of FEC every 3 weeks. My next 3 will be taxotere/ herceptin with herceptin continuing for a year
I also get a neulasta shot the day after chemo
I will also be given tamoxifen as I was still getting periods although I think my periods were starting to get irregular since last sept
So far side effects have been minimal. Other than some nausea, fatigue, dry mouth, feeling wired and a bit of tummy trouble my SEs haven't been as bad as my worst hang over. Lol
I have been able to exercise and actually rode a bicycle 15 miles last Thursday
I wish the best to all of you and hope that time passes for all going through treatment!
Good health!!
0 -
yensimles - how are you???
Good to hear you are coping well Footballnut
0 -
yay Footballnut! 15miles of cycling is fabulous!
Suzie, i'm not doing too well today.. slight fever..and if it doesnt subside by tomorrow morning, i will have to go for a blood test in the hospital to check my white blood cells.. other than that it has been better than expected
manageable side effects and i drink heaps.. probably over 10 litres a day.. so lol, throat feels okay after the initial few days.. and even got rid of some (suspected) candida through washing with apple cider vinegar. am hoping the fever miraculously disappears so i won't need any meds! just love natural healing...0 -
yen - good to hear from you. You'll start feeling better soon I hope.
0 -
hi everyone.. to those who have contributed to this discussion and helped me make my decision, and perhaps others reading this in future who's making their decision,
Chemotherapy wasn't a breeze but felt like one and radiotherapy is/was a breeze for me!
I had minimal side effects as i took precautionary measures and watched my diet and also exercised whenever i can even if it's walking the dogs or following half of a 10-min youtube exercise clip! Shall complete all my 20 sessions of radiotherapy this Saturday, and i feel GOOD and feel LIBERATED. Time flies and as it did, i find myself more confident and comforted.. seeing my hair is growing again (initial stage still, but it's a joy seeing that there's more hair each day). Am also back at work (helps pay for herceptin which continues till next year).Thank you all for the advice.. i was so paranoid and afraid that i almost didn't go for chemotherapy, and now it feels like something in the distant past even though it's over not that long ago...
I'll probably be leaving this site soon.. so wish you all well, thank you for being such gems!
0
