TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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Welcome Kelly.
Just chiming in to say ditto on the port. Can't imagine chemo without it.
Slightly different experience than some of the other ladies. Didn't use the numbing cream and found the sticks tolerable. Never needed the oral anti nausea meds, (but I did take Ativan at bedtime for a couple of days each cycle), had minor constipation - apple juice was my fix. Didn't get Neulasta first round, but did the rest. Lago is right - the first one is worst. After that the side effects seem to settle down. I kept a diary / chart to track them. They changed a little each cycle - but having notes helped me remember everything when talking to the nurses. By the last few rounds the fatigue really sets in, but you've got your groove going with the other side effects, so it seems to go by faster. My biggest complaints were heartburn (that showed up after round 5), and my nails
Both are slowly getting better.
Know who to call at your MOs office when stuff comes up between appointments, and come here to ask questions, too.
I feel like I need to quote the Home Depot commercial:
You can do this. We can help.
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I didn't have a lot of nausea either, and neither did Lago. I didn't take the nausea meds at all.
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Morning.....cant sleep..back pain...my own fault as previous delusions of being Superwoman...
OK...calling all sexy bald now or past sisters....I have little bumps on my head that hurt...what's up with that? Hair trying to grow? Anyone experience this?
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Dating After Cancer: Single, Bald, Female (30) Seeks...
Wonderful read....
http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/34036290 -
Miss Ashla.....loved the story!
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I had no nausea with chemo… none, zero, zip. But I do get it after general anesthesia.
I still have all my nausea pills, acutally have all my pain (narcotics) pills and anti-anxiety pills. Need to dump those.It is rare that someone can't get the nausea under control if they get it but it can happen. If you get nausea and the drugs aren't working there are other drugs that should work. Demand them. They tend to be more expensive so they don't offer them right away.
I swear the best thing you can do is exercise if you're up to it. I was just power walking for 45-60 minutes daily. I couldn't do my strength training because of the healing from BMX initially so I waited till after chemo and exchange to start up again.
BTW 1/2 the time I forgot the numbing cream for the port. My chemo nurse was amazing. I never felt a thing when she accessed it. Otherwise it only hurts for a second.
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Welcome Kelly. I'll chime in with the rest and say get the port. You will be using it for the next year. Even though I did not have the greatest experience having mine put in, I would still recommend getting one. Here is a link to the detailed procedure
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/721889?page=1#post_1074079
ChickaD, Sorry chemo is not being nice to you, but glad you have a good attitude about it!
I also did not smoke, drank very little, was not overweight, did fairly regular excercise and still got BC. In fact shortly after my first dx I remember reading an article with a quiz about what your risk of getting BC was. After taking and scoring the quiz, it showed I had a less than 0 chance of getting BC, but there I was, newly diagnosed. There is still so much we have to learn about who gets BC and why.
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Gout: I never smoked and still got it. I was never overweight, always ate well and exercised. Again, there is no rhyme or reason that the can determined. Lots of links to low Vitamin D!
Chick: I too was more afraid of the rads but it ended out being the easiest for me.
I also didn't have any major se's from the chemo (well now the Herceptin a different story with the EF). DRINK the 100 ounces of water a day.
Lago: That's funny, I still have all my anti-nausea pills too. Why do we keep these things!
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Bren58- I saw in one of your past posts that you see Dr. Cziernicki at Penn. I actually have a second opinion scheduled with him on the 23rd, I am going to start chemo prior to that based on my doc at Chester county's recommendations and because it is so convenient to my house, but I have read that Cziernicki has done a lot of work for Her2+ so I'm hoping he will have some Input about long term maintenance with Her2+ and just confirm my doc has me on the right path.
Thanks everyone for the info! One more thing...I have been reading some about the newly released drug perjuta. My doctor did not mention this drug and I wonder if it is because im not a candidate or because it is so expensive and insurance won't cover it. I would be willing to pay any amount extra for something that might improve my odds. It said it is for metastatic breast cancers, does that include any spread, like to the lymphs, or only for further mets.
Thanks again!0 -
KellyBee perjuta is in trails for early stages I think, if that's the one that gives you diarrhea. I wanted to get into the trail but the just stopped accepting node negative people… weird because someone stage IIA with nodes could do the trail but even though I was stage IIB, no nodes = no perjuta trail.
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I had my herceptin yesterday and have always had the 90 minute drip. Yesterday, while still in my benedryl haze, found that they did the drip in 30 minutes! For my infusion center, this was just approved. I've been on herceptin for almost 2 years, and they said that's why. I couldn't tell a bit of difference, so I'm happy about it. Anyone else get it in 30? I have a very small port, and love it.
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Hi Granna1948
From my 5th Herceptin treatment and on I have had it infused over 30 minutes. Nice to be in and out so quickly
Kellybee - agree with all re: port, wonderful to have even if mine is fairly prominent, works like a charm, the first few times accessing kind of pinched but since then no discomfort with access at all0 -
Granna1948 I had a juvenile port and always had a 30 minute infusion.
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Guess they're just really conservative here, but I do love the 30 minutes. Only drawback for me is the benedryl doesn't have as much time to wear off. I'm such a cheap drunk. They call me "the sleeper!" Lol!
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So last chemo was Thursday. I'm finally done. Still have neuropathy in my fingers and toes from the taxotere. Got an RX of Neurotin and it seems to be helping. On a high note, my head is covered in fuzz since I quit taking the nasty red devil. Now it's just herceptin until next June. Still no start date from the doc on radiation. I will try to pin him down next appt. Hope everyone is doing well.
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Liz, are you currently taking Arimidex? I know I would sometimes get awful back spasms about a day or two before my period. I do wonder if that has something to do with estrogen deprivation? I actually got a muscle relaxant from my doctor for those days so I wouldn't miss work. The spasms were bizarrely out of my control. I got them maybe 2 days out of a year, but they were debilitating.
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GiGif, congratulations!! I took B6 and I now, finally have no neuropathy. It took awhile since I finished chemo on February 22nd, but I'm happy to be able to type with all of my fingers again. I still avoid the left pinky for some reason, but I'll get that little guy going.
Granna, I don't get benadryl with my herceptin only infusions. I wish I did. I'm a cheap date and I loved that stuff during chemo. My infusion has always been 30 minutes and I've had no trouble with it.
And youse guys with no nausea during chemo---holy crap! I was ready to puke anywhere and everywhere the first few days after the first treatment. I think that is what got me in trouble. Once it hit, oral anti-emetics were pretty much worthless. My cancer center said to me when I stumbled in there after a week of puking my guts up "why didn't you come in sooner? We would have accessed your port and shot the drugs into your system!" All I could say to them was "ah doi..doi..." And I work in medicine. Dumber than a box of hair sometimes.
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GIGIF Nueropathy can take up to 2 years to go away but most folks seem to see improvment 5-8 weeks PFC.
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Pbrain: yes Im currently taking Arimidex. Started in May. I had a few times during chemo when I would have back spasms but seems to be getting more frequent. I had a hysterectomy 7 yrs ago, so I have no period. I guess I should let my Oncologist know about them. I hope its not the Arimidex if I have to take it for 5 years but thats better than bc any day!
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Hi, liza, and Kelly. Get the port Kelly! What they all said. I got the nausea and big D , others got Constipation. Bit they give you help, use it. Stay ahead of the nausea, and if you are in pain stay ahead of it. You will probably need steroids too, use the sleeping pills if needed.
Liza, I had a horrendous back problem after my fourth tx. Had to get meds, and see chiropractor. It helped. I could not walk. They thought it was deconditioning, and saw the chiropractorbthree times a week for a couple of weeks, then twice, then once, finally once a month. I had a hell of a time with tch. But I got through. Much love to you all.0 -
Can anyone tell me ....When doing chemo does this go to all organs like bones, liver etc... are is this justgo in bloodstream? My mom has no clue! We wanted to know...every tissue?
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goutlaw Most chemo's to my knowleged do not cross the blood brain barrier but the brain tends to be the last place the cancer would spread (unless you have brain cancer then it starts there). I would assume it goes to all the other organs because when someone does get mets they give them chemo… then check the scans to see if the tumors have shrunk. With brain mets they usually do radiation and/or surgery.
That being said I do believe Carboplatin can cross the blood brain barrier. Check with your onc but one of the chemo nurses told me that.
BUT don't assume the cancer has spread through out your system. They don't know if it has. My onc told me in my case there was a 40% chance I didn't need chemo or Anastrozole. The problem was she had now way of knowing if I was one of those 40%. Of course I didn't like those odds so I did/doing treatment.
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Does anyone know the percentage if we decide not to take tamox or any other pill?
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Ang7894 your onc should be able to tell you the specific benefit bases on your diagnosis. It is different for everyone depending on their age of diagnosis, stage, and what treatment(s) you've done/not done, etc.
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Liz: Arimidex can cause lots of aches and pains. I think most eventually go away or you get used to them....not sure. I'm 2 years on it now and not having any problems. Note: The latest standard and you onc will tell you is 10 years on these pills. I'm not concerned because it will change over and over I'm sure. Good luck!
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Arlene when did the standard change? I was told still 5 years in April/May but may change to 10
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Not sure Lago. My onco told me at my last visit 2 months ago that now it would be 10 years. I'll have to think about that one!
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My NP told me it was looking like it was going that way. I too will have to think about that one as well. I have 2.5+ years to think about it
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Just wanted to share that the results of my endometrial biopsy for unexplained bleeding on Tamoxifen are in - BENIGN!
Bleeding hasn't occured again, so we aren't sure if it was an errant perioid or due to a small cervical polyp I had. If it recurs (anything more than spotting) I will need to have a d&C done via hysteroscopy.
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Happy Dance-trancer!!!
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