Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

EverForward

the product I have is "Formula 2."

yensmiles

Thanks EverForward, i'll be going shopping soon!

oh anyone can tell where to buy those coldcaps? or special mittens for hands? or particular brands that might be useful? or creative ways of cooling head, hands and feet? cos somehow i've a feeling the coldcaps aren't something used here as NONE of the oncologists i visited even mentioned it.

MinusTwo

yensmiles - I believe cold caps are rented and are quite expensive.  You have to have several & change them during the infusion and it requires someone else to help.  There are some threads you can search on this site that discuss cold caps but you can 'google' and get lots of info.  

As for mitts, I've read that a few infusion centers provide cold mitts, but most of us just use ice or frozen peas.  I used lunch thermal bags & kept my  hands (and feet) inside w/frozen peas in ziploc bags.  My chemo center let me keep the peas in their freezer for the day.  I changed out the bags 1/2 way through the infusion for a new set from the freezer.

yensmiles

oh thanks MinusTwo, lunch thermal bags sounds fabulous!!! haha, next question, if i don't rent those cold caps, what's a solution to having something cold on the head without ice melting and dripping down one's hair?

Brwneyedgirl

I did not have any change in my nails until the last round of chemo.  Now I have 3 that have dark rings and are tender.   I am hoping they do not fall off.  Too add to it I smashed one last weekend. 

GinGin74

yensmiles,  I'm doing the cold caps through this company http://www.chemocoldcaps.com/index.html.  You rent them for each treatment.  They delivered 8 caps frozen with dry ice that are changed every 20 minutes during chemo.  I put the first one on 50 minutes prior to my first chemo drug and continue them for 3 hours after my last chemo drug.  I'm 16 days out from my first chemo and my hair looks exactly the same as before.  The caps are a real pain to use and are uncomfortable to wear, but keeping my hair was important to me.  So far so good.  The caps are made of a special gel that freezes to -30 degrees before you apply them.  Way colder than ice from the freezer.  There are a lot of other thing that the cold cap sales rep recommended like not cutting or coloring my hair prior to treatment, don't wash it 3 days before and after treatment, only was it every 3 to 4 days between treatments and never use heat to style like a blow dryer or flat iron.  So basically I'm sporting dirty up styled hair, but at least I have hair.  And I when this journey is over I won't have to regrow my hair.  

dilli68

Hi all. I had my first chemo treatment on the 27th. It was a tuesday. I went home felt great till Friday!!! I felt like a bus hit me!! Every bone in my body hurt, my head, My mouth, I took the claritin like my Dr. Said. I  was constipated till yesterday diarrhea kicks in. No strength to get up. I guess all this is normal?? I go se my oncologist today. Ill ask how long does this all last!:( 

linda505

Hi dilli that sounds about the same as mine.  I get treatment on Tuesday and by Friday afternoon I am feeling everything - by Tuesday or wednesday of the next week I am usually starting to feel better.  The Diarrhea lasted a bit longer with the 2nd one - make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids - get some gatorade.   Ask your MO what to take for the D - I took some immodium - all ask what to take on top of the claritan for the aches and bone pain - mine let me use Aleve as I don't do well with tylenol.  Good luck

EverForward

Hi Dilli. I have treatments on Wednesday, neulasta shot on Thursday morning, and by the time I walk home from work on Friday, the bone pain is already starting. Friday evening and all Saturday EVERYTHING hurts and I haven't found anything that helps with the pain. Sunday it starts to dissipate enough that I can go for a short walk. A combination of SEs continues for the rest of the week and I'm feeling human again by Friday. I'm still working full-time and I don't know if that helps or hurts. It's good to have somewhere to be and something to focus on. But the Monday after round 2 I went to work and ended up taking a taxi home a few hours later.

dilli68

Hi Linda505, Yes My OC said I can take aleve or Advil for the pain. I started felling a little better today. I asked my OC if my next ones are going to be more bruttle? He said close to the 5 and six one. I have a total of 6 treatments. 1 down 5 more to go. Wow Everforward!! You are still working? I work at a pre school so my Dr. said that would be taking a high risk with infections and all. Today I went for my one week after chemo check up, My white cells are low, so he gave me some Antibiotics. Maybe the neulasta shot did not kick in yet. How far after did you ladies lose your hair? 

dilli68

Linda505, I was reading your diagnosis its very similar to mine. Did you also have it in your Lymph nods? 

AmyIsStrong

Dilli - I think for many of us it starts to really come out fast right around day 17-18, or just before your second treatment. You might want to get it cut short before then, I have heard it is very traumatic if you have long hair to watch it start to fall out. I didn't have long hair, and I cut it VERY short before then, so did not experience that. Then around day 20, I had it buzzed with clippers down to GI Jane length. It did not fall all the way out (like cue-ball bald), and it is important NOT to shave it down with a razor. Those short little hairs that are left will give you a good head start when it is time to start growing back.

dilli68

AmyisStrong, that good to know, about not Buzzing it off, everyone is telling me to buzz it now. I have long hair, I was going to get a boy cut on Sat.

linda505

Hi Dilli - not in my nodes - but I had bilateral BC - one on each side - HER2+ on the left and HER2- on the right - I never do anything in life half way LOL.    My hair started coming out about day 14 after first treatment.  I got it cut into a pixie when I started chemo and when it first started coming out my hubby buzzed me with his 1/2 blade - I kept it like that until it started getting tender which was the day before my second treatment so I had him shave me then to about 1/4" and it felt so much better.  Once your hair starts going the weight of your hair makes your scalp tender.  I also rub coconut oil and/or bio oil (buy at target) on my head really soothed it.   I haven't had any real trouble with my white counts yet at my weekly blood draws.  Last week, the day of treatment 2, my reds were a bit low and whites were just slightly low - had the shot on wednesday and have blood tests tomorrow to see where I am at.  I am also working as much as possible.  I work the two days after treatment then don't work on that Friday and Monday - I try to work on Tuesday but if I don't feel ok I don't got in- I then seem to be able to work at least 5 hours a day the rest of the time.  But I am not dealing with kids with germs - I agree that would not be a good idea.

EverForward

My hair started falling out exactly two weeks after my first infusion. I went to my hair salon and had a buzz cut that weekend. But I think she left it too long because after taking a shower, my tub would look like I had just washed a dog. So after a while I bought a razor and did as close a cut as I could. Recently it seems the stubble is not falling out any more. Overall it has thinned out considerably, but there is still a fair amount of stubble.

linda505

Hey Ever - same with me - still have quite a bit of stubble - more than I thought I would have.

debiann

First round I had the neulasta shot in the arm. MO asked me not to pretreat with Claritin, he wanted to see if it was necessary for me. I had pain in the shoulder, neck and jaw on the side I had the shot. Not awful pain, but pain. This time, I took the shot in the stomach, again no  Claritin but no pain either.        

I'm on day five of cycle 2, having some low blood pressure today. Anyone else get this? I'm trying to stay hydrated, but everything tastes so bad. I found I can tolerate Sprite. I never drink soda. Trying so hard to eat healthy but its not working. Felt so sick driving home from work I had to buy McDonald french fries. I think I needed the salt to raise my bp.

Moonflwr912

Deb Ian you do whatever works. Mashed potatos worked for me. Also iced tea to drink and some of the sports drinks were ok. Lemon and orange worked. My hair fell out on day 24 . 3 days after 2nd tx. And the first nuelasta shot us the worst pain. After that it hurts but nowhere as bad. Below is one days worth of hair falling out. That's an 8 1/2 x11 paper under it. And actually I still had hair on my head. At that point. I got it cut the next day. 

Moonflwr912

What I looked like about 2 months into tx.

debiann

I buzzed my hair after the first treatment because it hurt so bad. I still have lots of nubbies, but they are falling out like crazy, everywhere! Such a mess, I'm shedding worse rhan the dog. 

Moonflwr912

Debbie some ladies wear a mesh cap to catch those nagging little shreds. 

debiann

Way to hot for that, lol, its like menopause all over again. Too think I actually considered a wig, I never could have one. At the end of the work day I'm ripping my scarf off for the drive home.

Moonflwr912

I wore scarves mostly too but I had my wig for Easter. LOL

The nicest scarves were the pre tied ones. You just popped them on your head and forgot about them. The other thing I did was were the fake bangs from TLC. They are about 16$ and you can get them any color. My friend who is a stylist cut them to fit my face. I put velcro on the scarves that didn't have them and just popped those bangs on. It really changes the look without any fuss and it's cheap. They have curly and straight. And because they are just on the forehead they are very comfy. 

Much love. 

SpecialK

dilli - my hair did not fall out until day 24 - which is unusual.  I went through two rounds with a full head of hair.  Prior to chemo I had long hair and my hairdresser cut 8" ponytails all over, styled what was left. I had a hairpiece called an underhair, made out of my own hair by these folks: www.hatswithhair.com

This hairpiece was more comfortable than my wig and cooler in the Florida heat, even with a hat.  I mostly wore fedora type hats, or a Nike ball cap that was a lightweight material. Once my hair started to come out I had my DH buzz mine, but with a 1/2 inch guard on the clippers.  I never really lost all of what was left.

yensmiles

hey Monica, your hair grows quite fast (or is that "normal" speed for the rest of the ladies who's been through this).. i'm assuming your current profile picture is now, as compared to the 2 months ago picture!

Moonflwr912

yen I think you misunderstood. My tx was 2 years ago. I'll show what I looked like 6 months after tx here. This was December 2012.notice my eyebrows are painted on. I did not have any. No lashes then either. 

MinusTwo

Don't forget - the best tool I used when hair was coming out was a lint roller.  It was even better after I got most of the long hair cut off.  I used it at least 3x a day.

Summerwheat

Thank you for all your posts, ladies, they have helped me tremendously. I don't think I have ever posted on this forum though. I am between TCH #4 and #5, and treatment 4 had to be delayed because of low platelet counts, treatment 5 again the same (day before chemo #5, I had 55,000, and they do chemo only at 100,000 and up). So, this scares me a bit, to say the least. I did get the Herceptin today, however. Has anyone have a treatment delayed becasue of low platelets? I don't feel tired, I feel totally normal the third week. I do have a very mild case of shingles on my back, which I have had for some time, they don't itch or hurt, it's just weird. MO says that the shingles could cause the low platelets, or I have naturally lower platelets (I had low platelets (below the lowest end of normal) last year for no obvious reason, and then they climbed up again). They climbed up again prior to treatment 4 after it was delayed as well. What a rollercoaster, I just want to get this over with! Thanks for listening.

To those ladies who just started chemo: I am working, 24 hours a week, and it's been working pretty well. My boss is great and realizes that I am not the fastest thinker right now, and I have a job where I really need to use my brain. But for me it's therapeutic to get out of the house, put make-up and a hat on and get going. I think I would fall into "the hole" if I were at home all day long. There are days where I can barely do anything (about days 4-5 after chemo), but then, I slowly come out of the slump, and the second and third week after, I am usually fine. But: everyone is different, and it also depends on the job. If you are a teacher, you have to be mentally present every minutes. If I want to zoom out for a bit, I can, I have no audience. Just no zooming out during a presentation ...

Cheers - Alexandra

SpecialK

summer - platelets, like all blood cells, can be affected by chemo, but they are the blood cells with the shortest lifespan in the body - only 5 days.  Platelet counts can vary widely from day to day, and even within a day.  Don't worry too much about them being low - it is more of a snapshot than with other blood cells, which give more trending info.  You will not feel tired from low platelets - they are the blood's clotting factors, without them you will bleed more.  That is why it is dangerous to give chemo because it injures soft tissue - you can actually start bleeding if your platelets are too low.  Try to be extra careful using knives, or anything that you might cut your self on or with though.

Brwneyedgirl

I have my first Herceptin only infusion on Friday.  Should I expect to be nauseated or feel yucky?