Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

rickysgirl

I hope to look as beautiful as all of you, inside and out.

ashla

I understand Lago"s boobies are spectacular too ! Lots of others in the MX/BMX group too .

lago

Sorry Ashla that isn't going to work. I will not post pictures of my boobie prizes on this site

ashla

Lago...

LOL!!!

Jinkala

I took my first two tablets of the Decadron this morning and 2.5 hours later my blood sugar is already up about 60 points from what it normally would be.  I've worked so hard to get my blood sugar under control, I know this is going to mess with my head even though I know it's only because of the steroids.  My regular doctor has already given me the okay to up my Metformin dosage if I feel the need to.

I've got two .5 liter bottles of water with me here at work that I'm going to drink and then I will try to drink two more after I get home. (the equivalent of 8 glasses of water total)  I have a day planner that I'm going to use to keep track of what I take, any symptoms and anything else I need to do. I bought some sectioned pill boxes to sort out my meds that I will need to carry around with me and also to help remind me to take all the right stuff at the right time.

For tomorrow I have an assortment of snack items to take with me to my chemo appointment.  I figure if I bring a bunch of different things, I can just choose what I feel like eating.  I did buy some ginger candy to have a little of during the treatment and after (though I have to make sure to limit it because of the sugar).  I bought some diet ginger ale.  I have yogurt, applesauce, protein bars, hard boiled eggs, lunch meat, cheese, granola bars, almonds, etc... They told me last week that they will have ice and water available so I'm not worried about bringing that.

I have Tylenol, Pepcid, Immodium, and stool softener on hand just in case I need them.  I also have some books arriving today from Amazon to keep me occupied during chemo.  I trimmed my nails really short a few days ago.  I'm going to wait on doing something about my hair though I have already got some nice scarf/skullcaps.

So - I'm feeling fairly well prepared for the most part.  We'll see how it goes.

Omaz

Best wishes Jinkala and Rickysgirl.  I think others have mentioned it but it helped me to keep a 'journal' of sorts to note when I would take my medicine and what side effects I had and when.  I thought each treatment would be similar but they were all a little different for me.  I would get a side effect with one but maybe not with the other.  Also, if you are getting the neulasta shot claritin is thought to help prevent or reduce bone pain.  I took it the first day of the shot and for nearly 10 days afterward.

lago

Jinkala just an FYI they are seeing that metformin might prevent recurrance in post menopausal women. You may not be post now but by the time you finish chemo there is a good chance  you will and will remain that way.

Also if you are having issues with the big C you should be eating fiber. If big D then you shouldn't.

Msbelle

Hair question..... I am not liking my salt and pepper head. I know I should be thankful for hair period!! What kind of dye should we use? I've heard vegetable dye ( where do you get it?) or henna dye. Can we use semi perm dye with no ammonia? I have about an inch now..yippeeeeee

RoulaG

Lago - I will sign up this weekend - I am trying to get my close friends to contribute money (they are attorneys and doctors, but cheap), then my husband will take all their contributions along with ours to his company Gallagher Benefits Services where they will match our contribution. I will work on my friends today and hopefully have a total by this weekend.

rickysgirl

Hi Jinkala,  I just got back from my first chemo, and all in all, it was a piece of cake.  A long day, as first I had t go do an Echo, then on to chemo.  The schedule was breaky, but I got into chemo about 12:30 p.m., and got out by 5:30.  First session was longer tha usual.  I got my antinausea meds first, then my taxotere, then the carboplatin.  While taking the carbo, I was given a tylenol and two benadryl, in prep for the herceptin.  No problems.  My eyes got a little droopy and dry, but no big deal, and my face and neck got a little pinkish, but went away.  the onc  urse said she was going to watch me on the tax as if I was going to have a reaction, that would be the one, but no reaction came.  I actually feel pretty good.  It's like Yaya said, after her first treatment she walked out feeling great, can't believing she hdad her first chemo.  i will keep you posted on the side effects that may creep up over the next few days or so.

I packed the hugest bag, my purse was packed and I took a little cooler with water, sprite, some snacks, and really didn't need any of it.  I drank my water and will drink more tonight, but I think I snacked "because they were there".

 I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and hope to hear from you when you get home.  I think you're gonna do GREAT !!!!!

lago

Rickysgirl we all did that. With each tx you take less and less.

I'm going out of town so you might not see me on as much. Won't have as much computer access.

Omaz

Have a nice time whereever you are going lago!

 ricky - Good job!!

YaYa5

lago, have a wonderful trip!!

ricky, i'm so happy for you and you did great!  has anyone told you about icing your fingernails and toe nails while you're getting taxotere?  it's supposed to prevent nail problems later and there have been some on here who have even lost nails.  lago had really bad nails.  (don't look at her pictures if you're nauseated.  ha!!)  i did the icing and i never had a problem with my nails.  well, they're thin and peeling some now, but i can handle that.   

 again, congrats on getting the first one behind you.   

Moonflwr912

Rickysgirl, see, you could do it! Hoping for small SEs for you. Lago have a fun trip. Jinkala, my doctor told me to double my glimeperide during steroids days, my metformin is almost at max level as it is. It helped some. But my numbers ran high for those thee days. good luck. Much love

psm201244

Glad you're ok rickysgirl!

dancetrancer

Yay rickysgirl!  

YaYa5

jinkala, i'm type 2 also and my numbers were wild on steroids, too.  i just didn't care, though, because they went right back down after the steroids were out of my system.  the numbers did screw with my A1C, but still.  i worried more about the chemo side effects and the cancer than i did my numbers.  i gained some weight, too, but again, when i was finished with chemo, i lost most of it and my numbers were back to normal.  good luck!

rickysgirl

Thanks everyone for the encouragement.  I'm going out to the store when it gets a little more daylight to pick up a few more "just in case" items.  When I first got up this morning, I felt a little shaky, still do, but nothing major.  I'm wondering if it has more to do with the fact that I haven't gotten much sleep, and last night, I got better sleep than the last 3 or 4 days.  I will take the icing of the nails to heart.  I was a long time manicure buff, but since I've been here, I quit doing that.  I have a bad habit of nervous chewing on them and I have gotten them long and pretty on my own, so I want to save as much of that as possible.  I hadn't heard about the nails until recently.  Can I just take an ice pack and rotate among hands and toes during treatment?  I also have been known to take Vitamin E caps and poke a hole in them and rub the oil into my cuticles.  Wonder if that would do any good?  Thanks Yaya, for that advice. 

And yes, I hope to unload my bags and not drag as much into chemo wil me.  They could tell I was the newbie.  Very understanding. 

Can anyone advise me on the effects this has had on your significants others?  Mine isn't handling it well.  He wants to be here with me (we don't live together) but then never comes through.  I won't go into it all here, but am I being selfish for putting myself first?  I am not a selfish person by nature, but I do feel there are times when it's appropriate to want to be the top priority.  Is this one of those times, or do I just go it by myself?  I don't want to make a big fuss, but sometimes I would just like to be taken care of a little bit, and get a little help around here.  He's been here for the BIG stuff, the surgeries, but..........I guess I over-worry as I live by myself and sometimes get scared about that.  Well, me and lots of dogs, but they're not good in a medical pinch.  Any advice there would be appreciated.

Jinkala, thinking of you.  We wnat to hear a good report after your treatment today.  I have an elated feeling right now that I have 1 behind and 5 to go.  It's a good feeling.  I want you to have that feeling to.  We'll wait and see what comes down the road later, and get through that as well.

I see I will be the typo queen during these posts.  I'm ordinarily a good typist, but have noticed of late that there is a lot to be desired with my spelling and punctuation.  Sorry.  I imagine it may get a little worse, but it is what it is. 

Great day everyone.  Onward and upward!!!!!

lago

rickysgirl if  you are going to do the icing you need to keep everything as cold as you can stand it. rotating won't work. Remember I did ice my fingernails with frozen peas. I didn't take a break and still had the issue in a big way. I attribute that to not keeping my fingers cold enough.

 As for your significant other. My husband came to every chemo tx except the last one (he started a new job and just couldn't do it). To be honest it was nice to get the ride to and from but I really didn't need him there. I ended up reading or playing video games as did he. It's a long time to be away from work every 3 weeks. I'm sure your partner wants to be there but I would cut him some slack.You may need him more when you have your bad days.

SpecialK

rickysgirl - I echo what lago says - ice all simultaneously starting from about 10-15 minutes before thet start your Taxotere, until about 10-15 minutes after.  I dressed in layers so I would be warm (kinda) during that time, then as I warmed up later I could take off my layers.  Also, I would cut the nails short - sad, I know.  It helps discourage the lifting and you are less likely to bump them and injure them.

My husband came for all surgeries and drove me to each chemo, except the last one because he was out chasing our dog who had escaped.  I drove myself and he came later after the bad dog was apprehended! Same deal, definitely needed the rides after surgery obviously (and I had a LOT of them), but I could have done the chemo by myself.  He came because he needed to, not really because I needed him to.  His job is very demanding and he has an hour commute each direction, so he is gone 12 hours a day.  Because I was restless and didn't sleep well, he slept in the guest room during chemo because he really did need to sleep - so he came home, had dinner and went to bed.  Didn't really see him very much!  I had no problems being by myself at any point and he did not take any time off once chemo began, except for the day of tx.

rickysgirl

Thank guys.  I don't think I need him there for tx's either.  They can be long and boring.  It's the after I was thinking about.  He has been there for both surgeries, and I have no doubt he will be there if I need more.  I was worrying about the "off" days and wondering if it was such a big deal for him to be here or if I would feel like just being left alone to rest or whatnot.  I'll see how it goes.  I don't want to be a big baby !!

Love74

Hey Rickysgirl - There is a good book called 'Breast Cancer Husband' that I had my husband read.  The guy who wrote it went thru it with his wife about 10 years ago and decided to write a book to help the husbands out.  He also interviewed a bunch of couples who had also been thru the journey.  It basically talks about how to be supportive thru each stage of the process...the surgery...chemo...reconstruction, etc.  If your guy would read it I think it would help...understanding the process from a guy's perspective.

rickysgirl

GREAT !!!  He loves read.  I'll get that for him.  I'm going to go look right now.  Thanks so much.  I'll read it, too.

I found it.  I bought it.  Can't wait for us to read it !!

Omaz

lago - Did you start icing with the first treatment?  I seem to remember that you started with the second...?

dancetrancer

Also, don't forget to chew on ice during the tax (and 15 min pre and post), if you can stand that along with the icing of the nails.  It is supposed to help prevent mouth sores.  Round 1 I chewed on ice, but not a lot, and I came very close to getting 2 mouth sores (roof of mouth and in front of my lower lip).  They were pretty sore and almost ready to open up (felt like a blister on the roof of your mouth after eating something too hot).  The 2nd round and thereafter I chewed constantly on the ice and swished it all around and in front of my teeth, etc ... no issues with mouth sores thereafter.  

Jinkala

Done with my first chemo.  I actually got home a few hours ago but I laid down and fell asleep.    I had a small reaction of sorts to the Carboplatin (red swollen vein above the IV site) so they had to give me Benedryl and something else before continuing on in a new vein.  It really made me sleepy so I had to wait around there about an extra hour after I was done before I felt alert enough to drive home.

I chewed on ice through all of the infusions especially when I had weird tastes in my mouth.  I also draink about 3/4 of a liter of water while there too.  I ate some of my snacks that I brought.  I talked with the lady who was pushing around a cart with tea, juice, water and crackers for people and found that she worked in the same building as I do downtown (I didn't ask if she was at Kaiser as a volunteer or works parttime there).

They gave me the Herceptin first and since I hadn't taken the pre-meds for that before coming down there, they had to wait about 30 minutes to start on that.   I didn't notice any reactions at all with the Herceptin.  They followed that with the Taxotere and I started having some slight aches in my lower back so I told the nurse and she stopped the IV and took my blood pressure and it was normal.  She continued it at a slower pace and the ache gradually faded away and was gone by the time the Taxotere finished.  They finished off with the Carboplatin and I wasn't really noticing any problems until the Nurse asked to look at my arm again and there was a puffy red vein area that I swear wasn't there 5 minutes earlier.  That prompted the action described earlier at the beginning of my post.

So  - I got through it fine though maybe not as cleanly as possible. 

Moonflwr912

Jinkala, glad you made it through, even if it wasn't textbook. LOL. Sorry you had a reaction to the carbo, but it sounds like you managed. They always gave it to me as T,C,H. once they gave me the carbo first, and the nurse appoligized, but said it didn't matter. Also, you should probably check your blood sugar , but don't be surprised it it is really high. D*mn steroids! Get some rest, much love.

SpecialK

jinkala - your last sentence pretty much sums it up for almost all of us - it is the nature of the beast.  But at least it is one down, right?  Good for you!

Jinkala

Moonflwr - I haven't checked my blood sugar since I got home today but my morning reading was 192 and most of the day yesterday it was hovering around 200.  I've just resigned myself to just eat as I normally do and try not to stress over the numbers over the few days that I take the Decadron.

I do admit that I was pleased to weigh in at just under 223 pounds this morning so I'm still creeping down on the weight (was 260 back in Feb/March) - yay!  I admit that I was a little concerned after reading that so many have gained weight while on chemo.  We'll see how it goes because I really do need to get down to a more comfortable weight - I'd settle for something in the 160s.

Moonflwr912

Jinkala, yeah, I kinda just got through, but you want to test, because if it goes over 500 you will need to call the doc and probably get insulin. I just barely avoided it a couple of times. When I was in the hospital, they gave me insulin a couple of times. I lost about 20 lbs on chemo. Mostly due to diarrhea - that was my worst SE and sent me to the hospital once. Much love.