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

Hi Mindy,
Sorry about the swelling in your arm. Sounds like you are moving forward to rads and Herceptin. I have had 3 weekly herceptin IVs and 17 of 33 rads. This routine seems to be going faster than TAC. I found a good HER-2 Neu support site with a good message board when you get on Herceptin and have questions. It is at http://www.her2support.org/ It can have horror stories about how Her-2+++ is such an aggressive form of cancer and the high reoccurrance risks but I think you know by taking TAC that everyone is different.

Brigitte, I hope you will be feeling better soon.

Jackie Nice Pic! Especially the smile!

Everyone take care!
Marcia

Hi Karen,

I have had periodic swelling of my hands and feet since the middle of my tac treatments. (stomach too) It has been off and on, but I don't wear my rings at all. It has been only 10 days since my last tac so I am still hoping that this will clear up soon. Good to hear your hair is coming in! I can't wait for that.

Brigitte, how are you feeling?

Mindy, let us know how your radiation appt. goes on Tuesday. I will be doing the same shortly. I am a little nervous about these tatoos that I keep hearing about? I hope they are not painful?

I am feeling better each day with more energy. I haven't had any of the post-chemo depression that I've heard about. I'm just so excited to be done. Last treatment definitely the easiest for me. (3 was the hardest)

Molly

Hi all,
I'm feeling okay, had chemo 5 on Thursday and was very depressed at my appointment just becuase I'm so sick of the whole thing, I guess. My doc has started me in Ativan for anxiety. Can anyone suggest a sleeping aid? I have a prescription for Ambien that I have used up too soon and can't get refilled for 10 days .. I am freaking out that I won't sleep but it's my own fault because I used half pills to help nap during the day on days when I felt too depressed to deal with life. Now I'll be paying the price by going cold turkey, although one of the nurses said Ativan can help make you sleepy.
I'm already obsessing about rads even though it's a ways away. My final chemo is August 24th. sorry for this being so disjointed; I am having that kind of anxious day.
Brigitte

Brigitte, Hang in there sweetie, you only have 1 to go. I am not sure what to tell you to use as a sleep aid, except maybe tylenol pm. I did the whole ambien thing and my doc had to increase it to 2 pills and still didn't work. I would sleep for a few hours and then I was up and couldn't go back to sleep. Just try to take it one day at a time. Don't worry about rads until the time comes. If you feel like you need to talk to someone, please pm me, I am even willing to give you a call if you would like. I am here for all of you!
How is everyone else doing!

Take Care,
HUGS,
Mindy

Thanks everyone. My Ambien was starting to only work for two hours as well. I'm going to try and do more during the day to actually get my body tired, and try a tylenol PM at night. I took a little walk up the street this morning and it felt so good to get out for a bit, before the humidity returns. Seems like no matter how much rain we get (and we need tons more!) the air is still very heavy by noon. Thank you for all your sugestions. I just dread the night time and laying there with my eyes open!!!

Hi ladies,

I had my 2nd TAC on July 31st. Most things were pretty much the same as round 1, the biggest difference I noticed was that it took me a few days longer to feel sort of normal again. I started getting the heartburn many of you have mentioned. So far Tums seems to be working for me.

I do get one side effect that I haven't heard anyone mention. I get my chemo on Monday. Tuesday is pretty OK. Wednesday I just want to hibernate. On Thursday I still just want to lay down and do nothing but at sometime during the day I will get several bouts of cold sweats and sudden nausea. These bouts go away as suddenly as they appear. Has anyone else had this happen? Other than this I have taken the anti-nausea meds and had no other problem.

So far no insomnia, I have just the other problem and want to sleeep all the time that first week post chemo. I'm back at work now for the next 2 weeks until round 3. But I'm much more tired now than I used to be.

Most of my hair fell out between days 17 & 20. I was planning to shave it at that point, but now I'm curious about the remaining hair. Will it stay until day 17 of this round? I still have eye brows, but I noticed some gaps in my eye lashes yesterday.

Darlene

My hair took its jolly time falling out. I had a section on the top of my head that didn't fall out until the 4th round. My eyebrows and eyelashes didn't fall out until then either. They were blonde so it wasn't too dramatic for me.

I get hot flashes that leave me cold and clammy afterwards. My thermostat is definitely broken. I don't know if that's anything like what you're dealing with.

1/3 done is a good way to think of it. I did that,too, so it would feel like I had less to go.

Jackie

Hi to all of the TAC Ladies. It is good to hear that everyone is trying to keep with the schedule.
I am 8 weeks out from my last TAC. I am now taking Herceptin IV every three weeks. (Yeah the Benedryl is what makes you feel like crap even taken in pill form)
I have had 21 Rads. Scheduled to have 33-35. I only have a mild sunburn and it isn't too bad. I use Radiaplex gel three times a day. For all you ladies that are large breasted and going in for rads you may want to consider taking L-Glutamine 15mg.twice a day. It is a natural amino acid that keeps swelling down. My doc recommended it and it seems to be doing well. When they measure my arm circumference on my operative side it doesn't have any swelling so far.
My hair is finally growing. The fuzz is about a quarter of an inch long then comes my dark hair back in. I am still losing eyelashes but the eyebrows are coming back.
Ladies there is hope for a normal life down the road. Radiation is going much faster than Chemo. And like Leigh says, It is a routine going in every day but make the most of it. It is killing residual cancer cells. Another way of looking at it is that you will meet people you wouldn't have had the chance to meet otherwise. The girls that radiate me are sweet and I enjoy joking with them. When I am waiting in the waiting room I also hear stories from other cancer patients and it puts life in perspective for me. That there are others in much worse situations. Life is a journey and nothing happens by coincidence. If you live life as a lesson, it makes all the difference.
take care all, I will check in again.
Hugs
Marcia

Hi everyone, Just checking on my TAC sisters to see how everyone is doing. I am actually starting to get back a little energy. It has been almost 4 weeks since last chemo.
I am curious about the eyebrow and eyelash thing. It seems like a few of you lost yours after your 6th treatment! I am assuming(?) that I am not going to loose mine since I still have them.
Brigitte, How are you doing?
Please keep us all up to date on how you are all doing!
Take Care,
HUGS,
Mindy

Hi Everyone - I am now 5 weeks post chemo and had 12 out of 25 rad treatments. My summer vacation has come to an end - I have been off since the end of June. Tomorrow it is back to school and the kids arrive on Thursday (now that is way to soon for school to start). Feeling decent - finally sleeping with Melatonin (3mg) and Ativan. Still having heartburn and reflux. Two weeks ago, pcp increased my Nexium to 40 mg twice daily for two weeks, then go back to one 40mg/day and to call her after the third week (so next week. I wonder, if I am still having some problems on 80mg what 40 mg will be like. Oh well, will try and see. Arimidex is causing some joing and bone pain - but it is tolerable - thinking about taking glucosimine with MSM. Anyone else take this with their Arimidex for side effects? After TAC chemo, everything else seems manageable. I can see stubble on top of my head, but no real hair yet. Eye lashes are thin and still have noticable eyebrows. I have decided that I am going "naked" to work (wore wig and hats the end of last school year after). I have only been wearing hats (ball caps) when I am outside in the sun for the past couple months. Some one in the grocery store the other day told me I was so brave to go without a scarf or anything and she admired me!!! Heck, it is more comfortable without anything on my head. I do hope everyone is doing well and able to end the last part of the summer. All the best to everyone who are still going through chemo as well as to my sisters who have endured and finished. Keep in touch.

Okay. Tomorrow is the LAST tx. I'm tired and not looking forward to it, but it's the only way to get to the end. I'm trying to rest today. I can do this. There's my little pep talk. I just need to aim for three weeks from now. See you all on the other side.
Jackie

Brigitte, JAckie, TErry,

Were rooting fot you all the way. It has been a tough go for some of you so you are to be commneded for keeping going. It will also feel great when you are all done.

Jeannette

Cheers to all that are almost done or are done! Are rads the next step for many of you?

Yesterday my onc told me to call to schedule surgery. It's nice to almost be done with chemo. It's getting pretty old, and I'm ready for it to be finished!!! Surgery is new to me. I've never had anything except in office procedures and I have no clue. I think only the remaining cancer cells and nodes will be removed since the chemo did what it's supposed to do. None of the lumps are palpable anymore, so I'm hoping for an easy time with surgery.

Hang in there y'all,

Ferne

So Ferne, kep use posted on the surgery. I hope it is small and smooth. The tAC does a super job onshrinking those tumors.

I am still fighting the chemo fatigue, nad think some low red blood counts may be making me anemic type tired as well.
I am looking forward to getting som energy back.
And ,how about the rest of the TAC team? Anyone else out there?
Jeannette

Hi everyone. I'm a week away from my final TAC next Thursday; cannot wait. My stomach has been bothering me like crazy this week; I think the chemicals are working overtime on my tummy lining. I am sure I am not alone in the stomach discomfort, nor in the being totally sick of having no hair -- it is really depressing me lately. I am sick of being looked at, frankly. Okay, enough of the pity party ... thank God this does not last forever. Brigitte