For those starting TAC in March/April 2006....

Dear TAC Ladies!
Thanks to all of you for such caring and support. Paula, Mindy, Karen, and Leigh, and others, all of you have been there for me and I appreciate your tolerance of me.

I received TAC #6 yesterday. (Got the 25% total reduction of Taxotere). Karen, I talked with my doc and he said the TAC trials results(survival stats) include all women that start TAC and include those that don’t finish the total dosages and those that drop out. So the survival statistics don’t mean everyone took all dosages. He said the dosage is based on height and weight and it is all a guess as to if that is what should be given. He is a research analyst that conducts trials and knows his stats, like talking to an encyclopedia; low on the warm and fuzzies but pleasant and knowledgeable, as a nurse I can appreciate that so I trust him. Karen FYI my doc said I could probably go without my last Taxotere but I opted to try it and stop it if I felt discomfort. They changed my IV premeds to the usual zofran but increased the decadron IV to 20mg and added 50 mg of Benedryl IV. I had the IV drip slowed down to 175/hr when I got the Taxotere and I did fine. I found out that it was and is the decadron that is making my face flush. I have read on the boards that Taxotere can cause swelling four weeks following treatment so I got a script for lasix just in case. He said my hair should grow back starting in 4 weeks, I have noticed some hair on my legs though.

I go in for my neulasta shot today. My hgb was at 11.8 and WBC elevated so I haven’t had any procrit yet but I may need neulasta and procrit for herceptin they informed me. I notice I am pretty tired but I am so gonna try to squelch my enthusiasm and take naps. My Nadir is next Friday then I have an appointment for 4 weeks to see my oncology doc again when I will receive my first Herceptin IV. They told me that the most common side effect is a rash. I will be taking Benedryl and Tylenol as a premed. I take herceptin every week for a month and then continue every three weeks for a year. I am er-/pr- but her2+++. I had my last period during my second TAC but the hot flashes continue, especially when on decadron. I had my initial radiation consult in March and my onc office has called them to schedule the appt to start radiation. I feel good they work together. I had a muga scan before chemo. I asked my onc if I should get another before herceptin since I had been taking Adriamycin and he said not unless I am having symptoms of shortness of breath, etc. My radiologist told me that she might want a repeat digital mammography and ultrasound before I start my 6 weeks of radiation. But no other scans or x-rays were suggested. I was DCIS stage1 grade 3 at age 50. T1/NO/MO with SNB 5 nodes negative. Lumpectomy R breast with re-excision margins clear.

Ok .enough of me. I am so interested to see how you all are doing. I expect to be really fatigued but I wouldn’t miss reading about how you all are doing. You all have become special in my heart and I want us all to rejoice in getting cancer out of our lives for good so we can share how it feels to feel normal instead of feeling and looking abnormal.

I can only rejoice when I know we are all finished with TAC, I appreciate reading your personal trials and lets all plan to rejoice together.
Take Care with loads of hugs!
MarciaA

Marcia - That is so great! You have been such and inspiration and help here, no "tolerance" needed!
I had #5 today, which required a little mental toughness drill (because it's not the last, because I was feeling really well so it's annoying to go and make yourself sick) but it went fine and now I just have a little complaining but not sick tummy. BTW - I got Benadryl in the pre-drip from the first, along with Zofran, Zantac and Decadron, so that probably helped me avoid the allergic stuff.
I'm er/pr postive but her2neu negative; I had DCIS and micro invasion left and ILC with 6/16 positive nodes right, so I'm in for bilateral radiation b/c I opted for lumpectomies. See the rads guy for the first time next Monday. Seeing my breast surgeon tomorrow morning for the first time since I started chemo; expecting her to order mammo and MRI since MRI is what found the ILC.
My last period, weak and short and very 'late' was a week after first TAC; no signs of it since, regular hot flashes (trying Effexor, not wowed). I had no menopausal signs (will turn 50 in August) before TAC but this has certainly brought on 'chemo pause' at least. I'll go on Tamoxifen to start, and then if no periods by next March/April my onc says she'll do the menopause tests and might switch me to Arimidex or hold the Tamox for another year (Georgetown team thinks 2.5 years on each is the ticket).
I have really loved this board. I have a great in person support team, but boy it's great to hear from the women on the front lines!
Karen, looking forward to that virtual champagne cork popping on July 6!!!
Leigh

Whoa! I take a few days off and I come back to pages of posts to read. I'm just now coming back to the land of the living from treatment #3. I keep telling myself that I'm half done. (at least for the chemo). My white blood cell count is my big struggle. I had three neupagen shots last week and now they've started me on three more this week. Blech! I'm feeling very worn out and grumpy.

I did recieve an interesting card yesterday. It was an "In Loving Memory" card. I didn't think I was looking that bad.

Jackie

Hi Ladies - well #5 has been a little easier than #4. They slowed down the chemo drip which helped with the nausea. I am much more tired this time around, but the anti-nausea meds are working (BDR suppositories and Kytril). They give me Aloxi in the IV before chemo and ofcourse the Emend. Went for IV hydration this morning and will go tomorrow and sunday as well. So only one more to go My onc is going to start me on Arimidex 3 weeks post chemo. I will get a shot of Lupron to keep the ovaries shut down then hysterectomy hopefully one month post rads. Onc is okay with that timing but need to check with the rad onc when I see her for my first visit next week. Thanks for everyone's support. Going to sign off for now. Karen

Jackie, Jeannette, Karen, Molly - Great to hear from you all. I'm doing well - tummy is amazingly settled this time - but had a big crash after coming home from the Neulasta shot - slept about 3 hours in the afternoon. Had a good visit with the breast surgeon, all feels well, scheduled first real mammogram after chemo and before rads. So great that we are all in sight of the finish line (and it's in the rear view mirror for Marcia!) Hope everyone has as good a weekend as possible. Leigh

Wow, I lost internet for 2 days and I have to catch up!

Jackie - umm that card.. I hope you laughed it off? hehe You are not missing anything weather wise here! It's supposed to be 90 with a heat index over 100 today, and the humidity too don't forget!

Getting the shot of aranesp with my nuelasta really helped me bounce back faster after #5. Aranesp is the one for rbc's. Sucked getting both in the same spot, but definitely worth it to only be "down" for 6 days.

I don't remember if I ever said what I was dx'd with? lol braaaaaainssss! IDC stage 2B 1.2cm tumor, grade 1, er/pr+ her2- ... 1 stinking cell in the sentinel node, 4 others negative.

I was on the border for just A/C or for TAC, and I took the big one because of my age. After this I go for 5 weeks of rads and then probably Tamoxifen for 2 years and see if the periods come back or not. I have a feeling I'm done with them. Haven't really discussed past rads with my onc. I have an appt with the rad onc for when I get back from vacation. Figured I'd get the jump on that!

I'll probably stay inside this weekend with the hot weather. I do have to make an appearance at a grad party for a friends daughter. hey, free food is always good! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Paula

Kburns, Yes I have experienced the fluid retention significantly during 4 and 5. I got increased decadron in my last pre med and got a prescription for lasix after my 6th just in case. I gained a total of 12 pounds with my chemo and it is all around my abdomen which I have never had any weight there either except for pregnancy. Hang in there if you can. Going in for #6 worried me about that distention feeling, Get them to slow down the taxotere drip and add more benedryl and decadron to the premed. It worked for me this time.

Thanks to all my well wishers. I am very fatiqued with my #6. Only 4th day out but I look forward to getting over the side effects. I go to the radiation onc on the 27th, digital mammogram on the 28th. Funny thing is, I remember my rad onc telling me that radiation causes cancer and they still don't know enough about how it will affect the body.

Paula, glad you are doing ok. You did the right thing in choosing TAC versus just AC. You are so young and your family needs you.

TerryJill, you will get there, Hopefully your worse time with the hospitalization is over. Losing the hair is tough but I know you find that all of us can relate.Keep us posted.

Leigh, you sound as if you have mastered how to deal with the side effects. Thank you for your inspirational reports. I hope the mammogram and rad appts go well for you. Two and an half years of meds..I hate that I have to have IV Herceptin for 12 months..was hoping to get rid of my port! Sounds as if you are in good hands with your health care providers. Keep us informed.

Molly, I got the coughy thing during #4 and got worse the fifth and now this time. I had cramping in my feet and hands after the fourth but my doc bumped up my neruontin to 2 times a day and no more cramping.

Karen1956 congrats on getting #5. It won't be as hard going in for #6.

Jeannette my RBCs started dropping after #4 too. It can really make you feel tired. I hope yours doesn't drop much.

Jackie..."Loving Memory" card! Give me a break, Guess cancer survivor isn't in their vocabulary. Sorry about that..prove them wrong!

Mindy, don't be surprised to go into chemo pause. My onc told me that even at age 50 I could start my periods since I was premenopausal...UGH! Thanks for the congrats!


As to the others on this thread that dropped off, I hope you are doing ok. Maybe in the future women won't have to go through the stuff we had to.

I can't wait till all of us get through all 6!


Would love to celebrate with all of you!
Hugs
MarciaA.

I did 6 TAC. Finished Nov 9th, 2005. This is potent stuff but if it kills the cancer... That is what I wanted. I worked while taking TAC. Would have chemo on Thursday and be "sick" over the weekends. Sick for me was a tired like I had never felt before.

Chemo was followed by 35 rads. Finished them in early Feb. 2006. It was much easier than chemo.

Now I am 6 months past and taking Armidex. So far so good. I wish you all good luck. You can do it.

Just remember to be kind to yourself and you body. Rest, eat well, take care of yourselves. This is a time in your life when you can get very ill very quickly. (I know, I did.) But that last chemo will be a day of accomplishment for you. Let others help you. They will appreciate the opportunity, belive me. Even store clerks were glad to help and it did me good to learn to ask strangers for help. I never would have believed the kindness of so many people if I had not experienced it.

Bless you

Leigh,

You look much too young to be 50 soon. I had you pinned for 35 from your picture!

Oh Leigh, I envy you being almost done - and Marcia done. Keep posting here as the rest of us need your support.
I'm on for #4 tomorrow. My RBC is fine - so the doc thinks my fatigue maybe treatment and stress related (I tried to tell her I don't sstress too much but somehow she didn't buy it.

Picked up a couple of other pices of info: the critical time for picking up infections seems to be days 7 to 14, and the last 2 weeks of the cycle for mouth sores. Here I was being so careful week 1! Altho the dose dense seems to be quite popular apparently it hasn't been proven to be more effective that TAC - so we have been going the extra mile and I think it's well worth it.

I had hoped to get away to our place near the mountains tomorrow but don't have the energy to pack to nite, so perhaps we will go on Wed. - with DH driving since it takes close to 3 hrs. It is very peaceful there, and with no phone (no electricity except for a generator and running water in the river) it is peaceful and secluded. Maybe I won't feel so tired. So if I'm home tomorrow I'll post, if not I'll be back Sunday.

Hanging in and hanging on.
Jeannette

Well Ladies, #4 is in the body and doing its thing. I am OK at the momnent - fingers crossed. Will now pack my little back pack and hustle down to where the prairies meet the mountains. You can find some pictues here, taken from a parcel just above ours and looking down on our homestead.


http://www.crowsnestpassrealestate.com/drywood6-59.html

Anyway, back on line Sunday or Monday.
Jeannette

Hi everyone!

I am so sorry that I didn't notice this thread earlier. I finished TAC in Dec of last year, so it's been about since 6 months since my last treatment.

Just thought I would offer this. I feel great now. I wouldn't have believed it then, because I felt really bad, especially during treatment 5 and 6. But after a month or so I felt pretty good and after that and since I have felt just so good and thankful to just feel normal again. It sounds funny but I am thankful to be able to go to the bathroom every day. Ha!

Shannon

Hi Leigh, Yeah I can relate to the feelings of the wig...can't wait to get hair again. Sorry to hear about the tougher time you had with #5. I hope #6 will be better just because it is the last one!

Shannon thank you for your words of wisdom. We all can't wait till we are done with chemo...some of us have radiation to go through as well...

Kburns I am thinking about you today...

Paula...are you around?
Hugs to all
Marcia

Marcia, I am doing fine. Thanks for asking. This is my good week. #5 next Tuesday the 27th. I have been busy trying to get things done before next week. Also my son is playing summer baseball so on Tuesdays and Thursdays he has double header games and it is usually 11:00 or so before we get home. I hope #5 is better for me than #4 was!!

Leigh, I know how you feel about the wig. I hate mine also. I agree, they are hot and uncomfortable. I usually take mine off as soon as I walk through the front door. I have been wearing alot more of my baseball caps lately.

Paula, #6 for you next week right? I am only 1 behind you. I wish I was getting my port taken out after chemo, but I have to keep it in for a year for the herceptin! YUCK!

Hope everyone else is doing ok! I wish we all lived close together so we could have one big celebration after we are all done. It would be nice to meet all of you!

Take Care,
Mindy

Paula, sorry about your cold. I wish I could get my port out but I am in the same boat as Mindy in having to get herceptin. I hear Herceptin causes rashes....oh Joy! Another side effect to deal with...

Mindy I hope #5 will go well for you...seems like the time between 5 and 6 went by fast. I remember going to my sons baseball games. Do you have to have radiation after chemo?

Well Jeannette is in the mountains but I still haven't heard from Karen in Denver or KBurns in Raleigh.

Hope everyone is doing ok!
Marcia