TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

Sportsmom, you are not alone with the depression. I was on Lexapro for seven months. I too wondered about Tamoxifen interaction, but haven't found evidence of any. I decided to wean off when the Spring came, and certainly had lasting side effects which led to more anxiety? I seem mostly in the clear now. I have five more treatments of Herceptin and felt a resurgence of dark feelings over the past week. I attribute this to a few things including getting off the meds, it being one year almost since diagnosis, to the constant reminders of what I have been through, and a dash of PTSD. We have gone through so much in a year, and there is a point where the whole crap storm catches up. I joined a bc dragon boat team and it's so great for various reasons. Make sure you are connecting with friends, getting out there, exercising. You are not alone!!!

On the topic of diet, I cut down on alcohol, cut down on red meat and generally eat better. Do I allow myself treats? Yup. I turn my head to increased activity and do Pilates now twice a week, dragon boat twice a week, and will hit the gym for weight lifting with my husband. I am comfortable with these decisions. Currently, I am trying to focus on anything that pays into my mental health, as it took a massive hit...we all know that. I won't personally monitor every small thing I eat, as for me personally, that will not positively affect my mental health bank. I guess we all need to find our own personal line there.

I should also mention that I started a local FB group for women with bc and there are 25 now. This has been so good for all of us... this coming week a few of us are running a fundraiser for our local cancer support agency. It's much like this group, but due to the local nature of the group, we can talk about doctors and programs we all know about and connect personally too.

Hapb do we really know the science? I've been around a long time and it keeps changing

Hi Pamela, it is my understanding that escitalopram is also ok when you're in treatment (anti depressants). So I would ask about that.

I attended a nutrition program at the hospital with other bc ladies and their stance is that you want a good, healthy, balanced plate of food. Washed well. They of course support lots of veggies and fruit, but their central concern with diet seems to be weight control. So I believe there are varying opinions about what the "best" diet should beonce a person has had cancer. Here in our region, the focus is on fresh and clean and balanced. So I'm trying to be good . But do I have treats? Ya, I do. I like popcorn. And cookies lol. But im gradually changing the way I do things

thanks HapB. if you are gonna get taxol,i heard its the gentle cousin of taxotere so its more manageable i think... God bless

thanks Elaine Therese

"Delayed gastric emptying". I think I had that during chemo but didn't know what it was called. I would eat a little bit of food and would feel so full that I couldn't eat any more. It was a very uncomfortable feeling. And I had terrible reflux.

Kae: so sorry you had to suffer through all that. I was pretty miserable with those symptoms, but not nearly bad enough to be hospitalized.

Herceptin only infusions have been OK. I still have a drippy nose, but I don't know if that's from the Herceptin or from allergies.

Bella'sMomToo,herceptin causes rhinitis. i learned that from chemo class.

Poseygirl,

I'm on Aromasin, not Femara. I've been on it for over two years now, and the side effects have been mild: hot flashes and I feel a little creaky. KB870 is right that there's an entire thread devoted to Femara. I believe that Special K is on Femara; maybe she will chime in.

Queasy this morning ladies, I knew I had to eat, so I went with toast.  I'm hungry but nothing tastes good to me.  Nothing except peanut butter toast.  I love sweet iced tea, it is my love (ha ha), it tastes like crap now.  CRAP I tell ya!

Yesterday I had 1/2 ham salad sandwich and an instant mac n cheese, I know I need healthy foods.  I did drink plenty of water though.

What are your go to foods that actually tasted good to you and was healthy?   Salad with zesty Italian dressing tastes horrible, ranch tastes bland.  Salty foods don't taste salty.  Water tastes like spit.  Ladies, I need to eat!  Tips please!

Elaine.  TCH.  Thanks, I will try the ice chips next time.  I am surprised that in just one day how nothing tasted great or even good.....  I will try some of the ham and bean and potato soup I made Thursday although, it doesn't even look appealing right now. 

Coachvicky.  Thanks for your tips.  I try a variety of foods (just a taste) and am amazed how bland it all is.  Mmmm a pot pie with a nice brown top  sounds good!

Coachvicky.  Almost burnt is what I go for too, my  toast, choc chip cookies and potpie.   

My husband brought home a plate of squash, mac n cheese and chicken for me.  OMG soo good.  Finally something tasty!

HapB - I did 8 weeks of Taxol and herceptin and now just herceptin. I was scheduled for 12 but had very painful neuropathy and my MO felt that the extra 4 wouldn't give me much added benefit. It seems to me that many don't finish the full course of Taxol or start getting reduced dosages. but I haven't read a good explanation about why number of treatments get reduced other than patient intolerance. My MO seemed almost flippant about my stopping although I struggled with it. Even though I am over 70, I wanted to do everything I could to get ahead of this disease. As to other SEs, what I initially thought was nausea really probably was some gastric reflux as it cleared up quickly with nexium. I lost my hair everywhere. Lots of insomnia the first night or two from the steroids. Constipation is a problem for many of us. I really learned to be certain I was "cleaned out" before each infusion or I was miserable on day two or three.

Before Taxol I got steroids, anti-nausea meds, antibiotics, benadryl. Took 40 minutes to do that before the weekly hour Taxol. Herceptin took 30 minutes. When I went to Herceptin every 3 weeks they took 90 minutes to do the first infusion and decreased it by 30 minutes each time. I am now in and out in about an hour, depending if I am scheduled to see MO that visit. I haven't been able to specifically identify any SE from the herceptin. There is a weekly Taxol thread here if you haven't found it. You might also want to look for a group that says something like "starting chemo June 2017. My Feb. group has gotten very close. Someone smarter than me set up a private Facebook group which I love as I am a regular Facebook user. I chat with them more regularly than I do the folks on the BC site. We have shared some wonderful pictures that way.

I haven't posted a whole lot lately. I had my 3rd AC treatment and I hate this. I am so tired, it takes everything I have to even eat.

So far this week I don't have mouth sores, thankfully. Those sucked.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend

HapB, yes, I did 12 week Taxol/Herceptin and then just Herceptin for the rest of the year.

It has been over two years since I finished Taxol, so the bad memories somewhat faded. For me the worst was nausea. For some reason Zofran did not work on me and my insurance would not approve any other anti-nausea meds (may they get what's coming to them for allowing me suffer for months due to their greed).

I do remember that the side effects had a cumulative nature. The first 2-3 weeks I was feeling well and I thought that this chemo wasn't so horrible. But with time the side effects got stronger, and like I said - the worst was nausea. I never threw up, but the nausea lingered for weeks after I was done with Taxol. I also had some diarrhea, sometimes constipation, but it wasn't overwhelming.

I did cold capping and was able to save the hair on my head. My eyelashes and eyebrows did fall out, but not until after I was done with chemo. I am still fluctuating with my eyelashes thinning every few weeks and rebounding, etc.

My fingernails survived quite well. They were brittle, but I didn't lose any of them. My big toenail lifted halfway and was discolored for a while, but never fell off either.

I believe with Taxanes (Taxol, Taxotere) neuropathy is a big concern. My MO said that some people thought that L-Glutamine and Vitamin B6 might prevent neuropathy, although there was no proof that it worked. He was OK with me taking them and so I was taking them religiously throughout chemo and for few weeks after chemo ended. L-Glutamine powder had a disgusting taste to me and was expensive, but I don't have any neuropathy now. Part of my left foot got numb at the very end of my chemo and it took about a year for the numbness to slowly go away, but today my feet and hands are perfectly fine.

I was told that hydration was very important, so I forced myself to drink a lot of water. It tasted horrible as the other ladies mentioned. I couldn't find anything else that I could drink in large amounts and that would taste better.

Also, I was told that exercise was important in order to tolerate chemo better. I hate exercise, it bores me to tears, but I forced myself to walk at least 30 minutes every day.

I had some fatigue, I still often feel it. At this point, I probably cannot blame chemo anymore and maybe should chalk it up to Tamoxifen? Or maybe it's just a part of aging. Sigh.

I did well with Herceptin, had a little runny nose, few aches and pains (again, maybe Tamoxifen or aging), my heart did fine throughout the whole year.

All in all, my MO said that I did fabulously well with my chemo. I'm glad I did go through with it; this way I know that I used all the weapons that modern medicine was offering me to fight my BC. Well, at least all the weapons that greedy health insurance company would approve.

Keep in mind that Taxol is one of the "easiest" chemo regimens to go through and chances are you'll do well. Statistics are on your side.

Try to find the thread for all the ladies who start chemo same month that you do - excellent advice from Taco1946. I was a member of March 2015 group and it was a great "place" to talk to others who went through chemo at the same time. We commiserated, compared symptoms, lifted each other up. If nobody started the June 2017 group yet, you can be the founder. :-)

Good luck and best wishes.