Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

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  • ChickaD
    ChickaD Member Posts: 1,025
    edited September 2013

    Miss Love....hang in there...soon you'll see your pattern and can work around it. I am having a rough week with this last TCH chemo..side effects hit bad same night and I am totally exhausted.......back to bed with me..



    Hugs to all

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited September 2013

    ((((ChickaD))))

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  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 881
    edited September 2013

    still feeling awful!  wish you all well.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2013

    Good morning! Lovewins and ChickaD I am thinking of you both this morning....Hugs and prayers!



    I had my tx on Wednesdays...worked on Thursday and Friday...basically hibernated on Sat. and Sun. and then back to work on Monday, usually. I did call in on one Monday and left early on another...both of those times were because of the diarrhea (ugh...it was wicked). I kept a "kit" in a small tote at work and another in my car for any diarrhea emergencies!!! Imodium did help, though. I had one day of severe nausea that I couldn't control, but have to think I must've had a virus or bit of food poisoning. Another day I skipped the compazine and ativan (not a Zofran fan) so I could drive and wound up sick for a few hours. Take the meds proactively and you should be fine!



    That all being said...I was a busy mom of two boys when cancer walked in the room and except for a few days every three weeks I kept up with them and my job and my life all through tx....including bike riding and learning to rock climb in the beginning.



    It is cumulative, though, and I lost strength and motivation from October (when I had last tch) through the long Michigan winter and surgeries and rads. But come the following spring I was back on the bike.



    It is not easy, but it is doable ....you will find your way :)



    These boards were so helpful...you can always find someone who has been there, done that!



    Hugs!



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  • Annie54
    Annie54 Member Posts: 247
    edited September 2013

    Hello Ladies,

    I have a question about Herceptin. I had H on a weekly basis during my 6x TC treatment. My onc had said at the beginning that after chemo was over, I'd switch to having Herceptin every 3 weeks. Now that I'm moving on to rads, he's telling me I'll stay on the weekly infusion of H and start the 3 week interval after radiation. Is that how it was done for you? Just curious.....

    Annie

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited September 2013

    Annie I was on 3 weeks the entire time (chemo was every 3 weeks too). I think your onc probably feels you are there anyway for rads so why not continue the weekly for a while. Seems to me the weekly might be a little better since its always in your system.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2013

    Annie - there were a few people who used to post a while ago who were weekly and then went to every three weeks after chemo was done, but I can't remember what they did during rads.  Only one that I remember had a lump/rads.  Maybe your doc is thinking you might tolerate the combination of rads and Herceptin better if you continue with the weekly, smaller dose - less side effects of fatigue?

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  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 881
    edited September 2013

    Hi Bailey thank you for your encouragement.  It amazes me that you worked.  I am on day 6 and feeling much better.  Days 3-4 yuck I need to work on ways I can improve because I was a mess....I think mostly emotional from drugs.  I think I got myself all out of whack couldn't remember what pills I took at what time.  I have cut way back and I am going to get one of those pill things with the days of the week on it.  I poo poo it cuz it made me feel old!  Screw that!  I think not smoking has also had a big toll on me.  I have really had a roller coaster ride...my sister in law has been awsome...we were never that close but sge has really come thru for me.  My BF too who is not the most patient person has really been sweet.  I appreciate all these kindnesses.  I realized my main issue during all this has been my lack of faith...I am working on that first...I know God will see me through this I just need to trust and believe in Him.  He has never let me down in the past and i know He will not let me down now.  God bless you ladies, thanks for helping me thru 1st treatment.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2013

    lovewins - here is a link for a chart if you don't want to use one of the day of the week pill boxes.

    http://www.chartjungle.com/health/medicationchartbywhom.html

    Also, I found this chemotherapy side effect tracking sheet from ACS very helpful.  It is a PDF, so click on the link and scroll down until you see Chemotherapy Side Effects Worksheet, and then click on that.  I printed one for each treatment and brought it with me to my next appointment so I could fully discuss any and all SE.

    http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/index

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  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 881
    edited September 2013

    thank you specialk...i will check it out!

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2013

    lovewins - I have a really, really big one of the day of the week pill boxes - and I refer to it as "my old lady pill box" so don't feel like the lone ranger, lol!  I keep looking for even bigger ones because I take a number of supplements, most of them in gummie form so I need the biggest one I can find!

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  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 881
    edited September 2013

    aren't those gummy ones great!

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited September 2013

    lovewins - I have some trouble with dysphagia and some of the stuff I take is too big if it is in pill form, so I love gummies!  Too bad there is no gummy chemo, lol!

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  • lovewins
    lovewins Member Posts: 881
    edited September 2013

    that would be fabulous!  cherry or grape flavor would be awesome! 

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited September 2013

    Im with you there ladies. Gummie chemo! LOL.



    Count me in too on the old lady pill boxes. I have a big one too. LOL. It has am mid day pm and bedtime boxes. Holds 7 days. I can bately git my morning meds in them. LOL

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  • ChickaD
    ChickaD Member Posts: 1,025
    edited September 2013

    OMG  peeing my pants.....I have the old lady pill box too!

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  • GrandmaV
    GrandmaV Member Posts: 1,267
    edited September 2013

    I have two pill boxes and I am an old lady.

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  • Bren58
    Bren58 Member Posts: 1,048
    edited September 2013

    I have two old lady pill boxes (both big) one for the morning and one for the evening because of all the supplements.

    lovewins, don't be too hard on yourself. I had to keep a notebook to record all my SE's and the when I took the steroids/nausea/constipation/diarrhea meds. Otherwise I know I never would have kept track of it all during chemo!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited September 2013

    I'm with Bren.  I have two boxes with 1" compartments - one for AM and one for PM.

    Love: As for remembering things - my Mother had a stroke & was basically a vegetable for 12 years.  My dad insisted on taking care of her at home.  We laughed at all his notes.  Three clipboards - one for listing meds, one for listing BMs and one for listing feeding changes.  I'm not laughing how.  I've been listing all the above plus liquids & SEs by day and with times ever since I started chemo.

    Herceptin question - I've finished TCH & Perjeta now and am 10 days into first tx of Herceptin/Perjeta every 3 weeks.  For those who had neuropathy, how long did it take to go away?  I know the Perjeta will change my reaction some, but I just HATE having fingers like bursting sausages, dead toes & feet like blocks of ice.

    Last week was tests - PET/CT, MRI, Echo, etc.  Later this week I meet with the MO to determine next steps.  Although the largest chest wall tumor has shrunk by half, I'm guessing he'll still recommend more surgery before rads.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited September 2013

    I have weekly pill boxes for home but in my purse I carry this:

    http://thewhiterabbit.net/images/pill%20box%20meds.gif

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  • ChickaD
    ChickaD Member Posts: 1,025
    edited September 2013

    Love it Miss Lago!

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  • Shasha10
    Shasha10 Member Posts: 297
    edited September 2013

    Lol lago. Your great!

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  • ChickaD
    ChickaD Member Posts: 1,025
    edited September 2013

    Damn these hot flashes......

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  • McKatherine
    McKatherine Member Posts: 300
    edited September 2013

    I used a chart to keep track of SE, too. Here's a link:

    http://lumpslymphnodeslaundrylegos.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/chemo-chart.jpg



    If you would like the original word doc so you can personalize / edit it, PM me and I'll be happy to email it to you.

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  • m1970
    m1970 Member Posts: 337
    edited September 2013

    SpecialK, I can't store my fish oil supplement with my other meds...it makes the pills soggy. One thing to consider if storing gummies with solid pills. So I have a big AM/PM box plus another for my fish oil. I HATE when it's time to count my pills. Most of them are supplements with a few preventative meds.

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited September 2013

    Man nice to know im not alone. Including supplementd my morning load is 14 pills. 9 are dr ordered the rest supplements. Wheee are we having fun yet???

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited September 2013

    Morning: 5.5 pills/suppliments + Nuetraflora (powder that I put in my morning water)
    Evening: 3 suppliments

    I only take 1.5 perscription pill(s). Required suppliments calcium and D. I should do fish oil.

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  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 1,755
    edited September 2013

    I could not find the boxes with big enough compartments. I have tiny ziplock bags for each time of day. I do them for breakfast, dinner and nightime. There are empty tiny plastic baggies all over the house, in my pockets, etc. I'd love one container instead! The ones at my drugstore are too tiny, where do you find them?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2013

    Ha! I have a pill box, too! Mine has big AM and PM compartments...mostly for supplements to counteract the SE' s of the prescription drugs. I have two friends who were dx the year after me and I put "chemo bags" together for them....one of the items I included was an old lady pill box!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2013

    Amy - amazon.com has a nice selection..including Iago's mad hatter!

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