TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Thanks ladies...you are making me feel not so nervous about chemo coming up soon.

Lol Lago....I actually considered wearing Depends....lol

Does the Herceptin start from the beginning?

ChickaD - the Herceptin only starts at the beginning if adriamycin or epirubicin are not part of the chemo regime for you. If they are, Herceptin is not typically given together with either of them. Adriamycin/epirubicin can cause possible complications with the heart and Herceptin has that potential also.

I received 5FU/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) for 3 cycles (every three weeks) followed by 3 cycles of Taxotere/Herceptin every three weeks and now just Herceptin (14) every three weeks for a total of 17 Herceptin treatments.

Wishing you and karenrm all the best with your chemo.

ChicaD I have no idea what I got, bit I went every week for 2 yrs with operations pausing it for a while, but I was normally in by 9 and out by 4-5--and we all talked and laughed so much the rime flew by --we'd get our blood tests results and hold them til everyone got them and pay liars bloodtest and the winner was actually the looser cuz they had the lowest but we made fun with it. I remember I used to play liars poker whe I was a bartender so I made up liars bloodtest and everyone played and even tho u'r plugged in whe u uplug it it is on bttery so if u feel like walking around and talking u can there usually wasn't an empty chair but he urses would get one for u to sit and sometimes I'd go where the nurses would sit (they were right in the same room) and the phone would ring and I'd answer it---whe u go everyweek u get to know people pretty quickly and I'd see them come and go and everyone always started being silly and would say people don't believe all the fun I have here. I t was not like anyone expected so u and Karen should relax about it--it's really simple to get all of it. And if u'r with a group start talking and goofing around and everyone including the staff will join in, that's what I did, but I do have a big mouth so it's just me.

Thanks ladies all the info really really helps. I feel armed and ready....lol♥

Getting geared up for my chemo. Thanks for the suggestions and encouragement. Good to know I can go to the bathroom. I'm there so often anyway, well I predict i'll be there more than not! My BFF wants to go with me. She recently had a difficult hysterectomy and friends helped her so much, I think she wants to give back. The benadryl concerns me because I get very sleepy on it, so I'm glad to have a driver.

Thanks again, ladies, and I'll let you know how it goes...

Good luck karen.

hi all.  Good to hear so many chemo stories - mine will start soon, and I breath a big sigh of relief hearing from so many that it wasn't so bad.  My own update - I had my lumpectomy with reduction on Friday.  The surgery went well.  The result is kind of ridiculous - On my right side, I have the perky "C" cup breast of a 20 year old, up right by my armpit.  On my left side I have the pendulous, droopy "G" cup of a 60 year old that ends down by my waist..... They recommend that I eventually get the left side done so that I match.  I'm not so sure after this experience.  There was a complication from the anesthesia.  The anesthesiologist doing the breast block punctured my lung - after surgery in recovery when they removed the ventilator, my lung collapsed, I woke up in extreme pain gasping for breath.  They just thought I needed some more painkillers but I managed to convey to them that it wasn't my breast that was hurting.... so they put in a chest tube (bad) and started suction, and things got better.   back in my room that night, it happend again, for some reason they had turned the suction off and had to turn it on again... so, the chest tube had to come out and was unbelievably painful (I can't believe they didn't sedate me) and 6 chest xrays I didn't want later, I'm home from the hospital, kind of shaky.  They are saying that I'll have no long term effects from the pneumothorax, (they kept saying that my lung sounds were good and my chest xrays were fine, but kept ordering more chest xrays, and the next day told me how much better my lungs sounded)  but my husband says that I have a 20-50% chance of it spontaneously happening again, and that I should never again fly in an airplane.  I'm going to see a plumonologist to get an opinion on my lungs.... so.... for these guys, surgery is routine - it is their job, like teaching a class, or digging a ditch or typing a ltter - it is just what they do every day and is routine... but when it is you on the table and there are unintended consequences... well, it makes one think twice about elective surgery.  Thanks for listening.

OMG flaviarose! I do believe TonLee had a collapsed lung from surgery too. Not fun. I'm sure she's researched the hell out of that.

Unfortunately punctured lung can happen with anesthesia as well as a lot of other stuff. Rare but it happens. My mom's surgeon had all these papers for her to sign before surgery. My mom said "I'm not going to read all this can you summarize?' Her surgeon said "Yes, basically it gives me permission to kill you. " He knew my mom would laugh.

That can make your droopy G into a perky C. Be sure to get a different anesthesiologist.

Anyone have a seroma after surgery and what did you do about it? BS pulled my drain last Tuesday even though my output was still about 40 cc's a day. It was blocked and leaking like crazy. By Friday I had an egg sized seroma so they said to come in and have it aspirated, which I did. They drained about 40cc's. By Saturday afternoon it was back. The nurse said they really don't like to stick them too often because of the risk of infection and lymphedema. So what do I do? It is really uncomfortable and painful. Will it resolve on its own? Will gentle massage help? I went back to work today (desk job), and that is not helping the situation either.

hello Bren, I had seroma ( bigger than yours)3 weeks after the drain were out. just go once/or twice  a week to see the surgeon to extract the liquid ( each timemore than 100ml) .I was ok.after,no infection. 

I'm not new by here, just wanted to forget............but I'll finish herceptine now in June. 

I'm wondering if somebody developed Lymphedema after 14 month after surgery? My forearm is swelling some time, with big effort, but with massage is better. is this limphedema?

thanks

Wow Flaviarose what an ordeal so sorry ((((Hugs))))

flaviarose....   ....  ....  I'm hoping you are writing this from home?  I'm thankful that you and your husband between you have enough marbles to make the best sense of your situation to get the best possible outcome over time. I agree regarding elective surgery.

All I had was lumpectomy and SNB to two breasts that were described as fairly perky at the time (at age 51) and over time since the surgery one has drooped only a bit and the other is where yours is, so we are pretty much twins in that respect, other than that the one with cancer has rads necrosis and is pretty painful to touch.

With you in spirit,

A.A.

Thanks for the great vibes: everything went great. No reactions to the drugs, everyone there was wonderful, including the other patients, and got a little nap in during the herceptin! Long day this first round, but should be shorter next rounds. Gonna take it easy tonight: a little baseball on tv and Castle later tonight. We'll see how it goes the next few days. But so far so good...