Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

Great to hear from you!  Your story is SO close to mine I am joining this as well, even though I will be starting late next week.  I am 41, IDC, Stage 2a, 1.4cm, ER+, PR+, HER2-, BRCA both -, 1/8 nodes my ONCOTYPE was 10, which was great, but the lymph node involvment is the bummer, even with a score of 10.  I am being told the data on ONCOTYPE is not that old and the data is mostly on node negative women and also many of the women are post-menopausal, which I am not.  So I am still going crazy with which chemo route to go...these were my recs...

First Opinion AC x4 and Tx4, Second opinion either TAC every 3 weeks x 6 or TC every 3 weeks x6, but she would prefer I do TAC every 3w x6 because of my age.  My surgeon too, who was fab, wants me to go full out.  Our doctors are thinking similarly I think, I am leaning toward the TC though. 

My port, which is freaking me out more than almost the chemo, goes in Monday.  I will decide by then which chemo route to go.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress, I am just ahead of you:)

We will do great!  It is only a short period to our LONG lives!

Leta

feroza - I would absolutely speak with 2 or 3 different oncologists, you may not get very different recommendations but you need to be comfortable with them, their knowledge, attention to detail, bed side manner, everything.  Ask your other Dr.'s for recs or if you know of anyone who has dealt with BC themselves who they use.  Forgive me I am new too to the lingo, what is triple negative?  Since you don't have any node involvement, did your Dr. order the ONCOTYPE DX test?  If you are young, pre-monopausal, your Dr.'s will likely recommend chemo.  They showed me the stats and it is worth it to me to throw everything at this, so that I don't get it again.  Yes, absolutly get the port, I am over my freak out over it, the chemo drugs are very strong and you don't want your arms looking like a drug addicts!

hi ladies.  i'm new to the forum. 

i'm having my port implanted on Feb 1st and will start chemo on Feb 5th.  can't tell you how anxious i get when my mind starts wandering...

my onc has recommended the following -

AC (4x dose dense) followed by Taxol (6x), then Radiation (6.5 wks), Herceptin (1 yr) & Tamoxifen (5 yrs straight)

i had a partial mastectomy in Dec '09 & just had a re-excision on Jan 15th.  i can't get into Dana Farber for a 2nd opinion until my margins are clear.  definitely want a 2nd opinion since they're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at me.

i'll post regularly to share my experiences.  can't tell you how appreciative i am to be able to talk to others who are going through the same thing.

sending out positive energy to you all.

Hi Ladies,

I'd love to join you if I may.  I'll start chemo the week of Feb 8th.  I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed.  I'm sure you all know about that.  My oncologist has given me the choice of Taxotere, Cytoxan, and Herceptin for four cycles (her recommendation) or Taxotere, Carboplatin, and Herceptin for six cycles.  Four cycles is cetainly more appealing than six.  Either way, Herceptin infusions are weekly throughout the chemo cycles and then I would switch to Herceptin every three weeks for a year. 

I have been going through some of the posts and making a list of things I might need.  It's all so strange.

Looking forward to knowing you.

Best,

T

faithfulc - hang in there.  i hope the port site gets better fast.

leta - thanks for the tip.  i'll definitely inquire about port size before i have my procedure.

i'm healing from my re-excision on fri.  the skin around the site is red and irritated - actually bothers me more than the excision itself.  i'm waiting for results from my surgeon...hopefully my margins are clear so i can move ahead with port & chemo.  just want to get it all over with asap : )

sending out positive energy to you lovely ladies.

Hi, may I join you ladies?

Will be starting Chemo Feb 4th, I'm not exactly sure what the name of the chemo agents will be.

Should be getting ?????????plus herceptin every three weeks X6, then radiation daily for 6 weeks, then herceptin every three weeks for a few months.

Grace

Grazie - Welcome to the board. I'm HER2+ as well and my onc has recommended ACTH. There has been a recent study showing TCH is just as effective so I'm curious as to to what chemo treatment you'll be getting.  Would you mind sharing?

Faithful - Congrats on the clean scan!  My margins are clear so I can move forward with seeking a 2nd opinion at Dana Farber. Depending on how long the review will take and what they say, looks like my chemo start date will be delayed til Feb 12th; I am also leaning towards just TCH (6x with Herceptin continuing for 1 year) instead of ACTH - would you mind updating my info up top?

Leta - Your update is so encouraging.  Glad to hear all is going well.  My doc did not instruct me to take any meds prior to TC (just Emend if I go with ATC route).  I'm just supposed to pop the steroid day of treatment. Interesting...

roso, my oncologist (a UCLA guy) feels strongly that TCH is the best and that there is no need for ATCH. He said there are some east coast oncologists who hold on to the old model. Based on what he said, I would encourage women to push for just TCH unless their doc has a really convincing case otherwise.

Hi everyone,

I start chemo Feb 4 and have already gotten so much out of reading these postings! I think this little group will help me a lot. I had my tumor out 12/16, 1.8cm, no lymph nodes thank goodness. But it was grade 3 (9/9) with Oncotype score of 25 so the Dr. changed me from no chemo to yes chemo. Yay me

I'll be getting 4x TC every 3 weeks, which seems pretty easy compared to some of you. Then 6-7 weeks of rads and 5 years tamoxifan. No one has said anything to me about a port. I hope they don't spring it on me at the last minute. I'm not emotionally up to a lot of surprises right now.

I'm not planning on a wig, although I may change my mind. I just cut my hair from shoulder to chin length, am having a hairstylist friend cut it shorter in the next week or so, and shaving it at the first sign of trouble. I think the actual hair loss would be harder for me than the baldness. 

Thank you Leta for starting this thread. I absolutely hate the idea of poisoning my body with chemo, but I know I have to do it, and I already feel a little better reading this thread.

Good luck and good health to all.

Just wanted to say good luck to all you gals starting chemo this February and to let you know there IS a light at the end of this tunnel. I started mine in February of 2007 and it was so scary until I got that first treatment behind me! You will come to love your ports - it makes getting infusions so much easier. And as you go through chemo your veins shrink which makes even getting a regular blood test "challenging" at times.

Some easy tips that will help: drink TONS of water before, during and after chemo treatments. Seriously, drink so much that your teeth are floating at least two days before and two days after treatments. You want to keep your body hydrated and flush the toxins out as quickly as possible to prevent issues with kidneys and liver. Slather lotion on several times a day all over your body and don't forget your head. You will want a soothing aloe. Also dissolve a tablespoon of baking soday in warm water and rinse your mouth out four or five times a day to prevent mouth sores. 

And my number one piece of advice: eat anything you want and da** the calories! If you want ice cream, eat ice cream. If you crave a Big Mac, order the extra fries. And if you remember to eat at least a couple of crackers every hour, it will go a long way toward preventing nausea. (Nausea is self perpetuating, the less you eat the more nauseas you become.)  

About two weeks after treatment you will feel a tingling in your scalp, and that means the hair is about to go. I found a woman locally who specializes in alopecia and chemo patients and she shaved my head in her private room (the same day as Brittney Spears!) and then cut and shaped my wig. When I left the salon no one even gave me a second look. I had several wigs to match my moods which was lots of fun. (And one big benefit is that it only takes ten minutes to shower and be out the door!)

Another very unexpected benefit was the love and support and lifetime friendships you will make with your chemo buds. This is the one place you can let it all hang out and know you are totally understood and no one thinks you are whining.

If you have any questions at all, I will be delighted to answer in any way I can. Chemo is not for wusses, but in a lot of ways it was not nearly as bad as I expected. The first treatment was the worst, and then after that you learn how to alleviate most of the side effects. Not everyone has the same side effects, so listen to your body.

Many hugs coming your way, my dears!!