Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

Awnooo

NeedstobeSTRONG i started chemo on oct 28 and by Nov 11 I was losing hair like crazy, I had long thick hair to my elbows and waited to chop off until last weekend, if I could do again I would have chopped from the start, less messy. This is my first week with my baldness and it is not so bad. My dog has been having a hard time with it though, :P

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SpecialK

Awnooo - interesting about your dog!  They are very sensitive, aren't they?

lago - right you are!  DH is just happy I am still here, apparently regardless of boob size and/or butt size!

Relda

Good morning everyone!  Had my first Herceptin tx yesterday and MAN, that did not go as well as it did the first time I did Herceptin in 2006.  Back then I barely had any SE's, just a headache on infusion night and a little upset tummy.  Yesterday?  Started to feel queasy about 2 hours after the tx was done, then spiked a fever that got as high as 102.  Chills, shakes, no appetite etc.  Awful night, feeling better this morning but still have a little fever (99.6) and still feeling queasy and achy.  I'm pretty shocked at the difference in my reaction, very disappointed :-(

Omaz

Relda- Hopefully it's just because of the higher loading dose maybe.

Grimbol

Yay, had my last chemo yesterday, now just Herceptin every 3 weeks and rads to come too, but no more chemo!!!!!

 Praying that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow with minimal SEs for everyone.

Need - be gentle with your hair and it really should last a few more days.

Omaz

Whoo Hooo Grimbol!!! Just in time for Thanksgiving.

SpecialK

grimbol - yay!!!

relda - possibly a bad timing 24 hour bug - not related to the chemo?

Omaz

Relda - I have no idea if this is important but when they reconstitute the herceptin before they add it to the saline big bag they can use bacteriostatic water which has benzyl alcohol in it or plain sterile water.  Some people are sensitive to benzyl alcohol.  I asked for them use just use sterile water.

Awnooo

specialk, at first he didnt recognize me and kept tilting his head right and left, like asking for clarification, but now he's all good, he's a westie so he's so inquisitive ji ji

ladies, i've been on the foods for breast cancer sites and they're saying not to feast too much on sage, fennel, gravy, butter, grapefuit so im trying to stay strong, although they can forget about the gravy, im making a lighter version with turkey broth and some gluten free thickener

Omaz

Awnoo - Grapefruit?? what's the matter with grapefruit??  I like grapefruit.

Relda

Omaz/SpecialK - my onc is sure its a reaction - he's going to give me some pre-meds at the next infusion and if it happens again we may switch to a weekly smaller dose.  I get my next one on 12/13 so we will see how it goes.  In the meantime we leave Friday for Florida - going to help pack up the condo my parents are selling and then we are getting on a cruise ship on the 4th for a 7 day Caribbean adventure.  I am so looking forward to a nice relaxing beach holiday before all the surgery and treatments kick in. 

Omaz

Relda - Have a wonderful time!!

lago

I have read not to eat grapefruit if you're doing Herceptin. Grapefruit actually is a no no for other drugs too. It reduces it's effectiveness. Just do a google search on herceptin, grapefruit

Omaz

I'm done with the herceptin.  I have read that it can interfere with other meds but I thought that was more the juice and if you had it at the same time.  I didn't have much grapefruit during herceptin for some reason but am eating it now, again for some reason I don't know!

lago

I did twice by accident. First time I didn't know it was a problem. Just a little bit in my salad. Second time   I order a squid cerviche. They made it with pink grapefruit. I realized it once I started eating it. It was not listed as an ingredient on the menu. I was not happy.

Awnooo

i know is a bummer, grapefuit is an island on this mettallic taste winter, ji ji

i found it here but in general i was told that grapefruit blocks lots of meds

http://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/

this tongue feeling is getting the best of me today, with all the thanksgiving stuff on the internet, im really close to pull my fake hair out lol

Awnooo

squid ceviche! yumm, peruvian ceviche yumm

Omaz

Awnoo - Wow, thanks for the heads up!  I'll be feeding the grapefruit to the rest of the family.  LINK

YaYa5

grimbol, CONGRATS!!!  

Omaz

I found this summary of the grapefruit effect. LINK

Awnooo

THANK U LADIES FOR THE USEFUL LINKS AND CONGRATS TO GRIMBOL, CANT WAIT TO GET THERE!!

(CAN U TELL THAT I HAD MY SUGARY TREAT OF THE WEEK, AN ORGANIC PUMPKIN CUPCAKE BY http://www.sugarcupcakery.com/)

AND I WAS ABLE TO TAS-TE IT!!

Grimbol

being on Ativan I have had to stop grapefruit, but I didnt realise I couldnt eat it during Herceptin either.  However are we supposed to know these things???  I have a sticker on my Ativan bottle.

Today has been rough, bad nausea upset stomach and really tired, difficult to be excited about being done until I'm over the SEs too!  But I'm trying, have to get thru tomorrow pretending I'm ok then I cna crash on Friday, no shopping for me!

GrandmaV

Grimbol, Congatulations on being done.  I hope you start feeling better real soon.

The leukine shots worked.  Had blood work today and now the neutrophils and white counts are higher than normal.  But now my platelets are too low.  I'm not sure how to increase those, except to continue with iron and B12, and eating iron rich foods.  I was suppose to have my 2nd chemo Friday, but Onc decided I better wait to see if the platelets come back up, so tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.  I feel great though, so I'm going to take advantage of this break.  Increase my exercise and eat healthy. 

lago

Grimbol I totally get what you are saying. I was there last January. Everyone congratulates you  on being done… but you're not done. The SEs have accumulated and take even longer to get over. I found the 3 weeks was better but 5 weeks PFC is the time you can really start to celebrate. You really do start to feel a whole lot better by 5 weeks, at least I did.

SpecialK

grimbol - it only gets better from here!

grandmav - nothing you can eat will improve platelets, but they are very fickle - they can be low today and normal tomorrow - it just depends on the day they are checked.

awnooo - love Westies - a very good friend has one.  So cute!

relda - hope the adjustments work out and everything goes smoothly next chemo.  Enjoy your cruise!

I can't have grapefruit either - because I take Lipitor.  Good thing I knew that because I was completely unaware of the Herceptin prohibition.

YaYa5

happy thanksgiving, my special friends.  i hope everyone has a wonderful day full of love, peace, and hope.  i am extremely grateful for each one of you.  

SpecialK

yaya - happy thanksgiving to you too!

imara56

Congratulations Grimbol!  I finished my last chemo last Friday too!  I have been having problems...fainted and fell...ended up in urgent care...red blood count low...blood transfusion this past Monday...I'm so weak I can barely walk...and my surgeon moved up my surgery date.  I'm ready for this year to be over.  I'm so blessed to be done with chemo. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and you are all in my prayers...

anafoefana

Grimbol and Imara, congratulations!  I am 5 weeks out and am feeling normal. My tastebuds are back just in time for today. You will feel better soon!  Imara, I had a blood transfusion after my last infusion as well, and I felt awful, but within a week I was much better and it only got better from there. 

I have my surgery next week.  I am a little apprehensive, but trying not to think about it too much.  Hoping nodes and margins will be clear!  My Onc thinks they are from the MRI, but the surgeon is not so sure. 

Does anyone take Silymarin?  My liver enzymes were high (I think they still are) and a nutritionist I spoke to suggested I try taking that.  I have not had a chance to ask the onc yet, but was wondering if anyone else has taken it.

Happy thanksgiving to all!  

lago

anafoefana My tumor in total measured 6.5cm. As you can see I got both clear margins (but close… I has small boobs and close to chest wall) and clear nodes. My BS thought for sure I would have micromets in my nodes but didn't. Yes these big fast HER2+ ones can be nodeless. I'm hoping you get the same outcome as me.