Starting Chemo June 2014

hi Canuckmom

My chemo is 6 months too with my last taxol at the end of November. I am majorly bummed because I go Black Friday shopping every year and this damn chemo is going to screw that up! LOL

I'm on ACT not dose dense. How about you?

islandmama, mid-December will be my last tx.  I am grateful that I will be done before Christmas.  It's not dose dense either....I have AC every 3 weeks followed bye Paclitaxol each week for 12 weeks.  I wonder what is more effective and how they choose tx?  Oh well, 6 mos for the rest of my life I guess.

Momma - I'm very jealous! 

day 5 after TC#2.. hair's thinned and feeling tired/headachey. but feeling ready to head back to work tomorrow! trying to drink lots of water and fruits/veggies. feel like i could sleep for hours though!

Canuck, I am on dose dense and will be done with chemo on August 26, then rads.

eloqui, you go! I think working helps me get out of my cancer head, my only child is 16 and doesn't need me enough to fill my day.

Eloqui, moving right along!

Canuck, I wouldn't be able to work either. Props to those gals!

Basia, that is a long time.I can only hope that chemo becomes something your body gets used to and you are able to function fairly well. A dear friend's mother is on her 4th year of chemo (kidney cancer) and 6th different protocol just to keep her alive. It has simply become a part of her life. At least you have an end in site...even if it's far away.

My chemo is dd AC/T. It's 4 months so I should be done by the end of September. After that, I might get to have surgery at last to get rid of my God Aweful TE's!

Canuck

I think we were diagnosed a couple days apart! 

I will be starting rads 3 weeks after chemo for 6 weeks.

Agent99, weight gain comes with the territory right now.  I don't remember what chemo are you on and how much longer do you have to go? I found that I gained about 15 pounds the first time, it took me about 6  months to lose it because I was still on perception.  Believe it or not, it is mostly water weight and will come off once you are done with treatment.  It seems like we eat a lot more because of the SEs of the drugs and we end up eating stuff that we normally wouldn't but who doesn't love comfort foods when going thru hell. This time around I am thinking more about what I am eating and why. And even with this I've gained about 7 pounds. I was impressed that I still fit into my jeans last week. But the first time around all the bloat didn't hit until my last infusion, I just blew up after that one.  I know that was not too encouraging, and I apologize.

Just when I thought I had skated through my 2nd big dose, I was hit big time last Saturday.  Went out to lunch with friends and had a meal that appeared to have something spicy in it.  I couldn't taste the meal but I could feel the heat of the spice.  I got home and thought....I think I'm going to throw up....and that I did.  For about 4 hours straight.  Not only did I lose a nice lunch, I think I lost the day-before meals too.  Then it started coming out the other end.  I spent about 6 hours in the bathroom, laying on the floor in pools of sweat in between rotations on the toilet.  I was exhausted on Sunday and had just enough energy to crawl from the bed to the couch.  I'm better now and the bad taste in my mouth isn't as bad (it has so ruined my morning coffee routine).

There is another drug out there for HER2 + cancers and it's currently in multiple clinical trials.  So far, looking really effective.  It's combined with the AC protocol for adjuvant therapy.  It's called neratinib and is being tested for metastatic cancers and recurrent HER2+ herceptin treated cancers.  FYI for repeat offenders!  Hang in there everyone - here's a virtual group hug!

Laura, I just had a MX on my right side.  At the time I just wanted the one done to get this thing out.  I was going to have genetic testing done & then make a decision based on those results.  I'm negative so I've flipped back & forth about having the left removed.  I will need a reduction on the left if I don't.  I kinda feel like I want to keep my left for sexual purposes.  The other part of me wants it removed to lower the chances of a new primary down the road.  It's a tough decision!!

Laura,

I've had the TE's since April 8. My only saving graces are that it took until June 10 for my skin to heal and start fills and I'm so skinny there is NO extra skin so low and slow has been great. I started with about 150 cc' s each and have had 2 40cc fills each only. I'm already bigger than I started, but I figure I'll see after each 40 cc fill. It is God Aweful having these things through chemo though!

Canuck, thank you for the laugh!

I have light peach fuzz you can feel but not see on my head, kept the hair on my arms, still have eyebrows and lashes, no hair in my arm pits, so little hair on my legs I don't shave and in the pubic area I'm bald as a six year old...

What determines what hair stays? Lol

I had my third round of Taxotere/carboplatin/Herceptin /Perjeta  just over a week ago and I have had a rough week with frequent bouts of painful cramping and diarrhea, fatigue and a raw mouth! Comfort food like chicken noodle soup made by a neighbor tasted good, but then the abdominal response made me never want to go near it again. The side effects of this round seem more harsh.... But I may just be getting weary ! 

My treatments will end September 18th (with Herceptin continuing until June, 2015) and I will have surgery in October, followed by radiation for 6-8 weeks. I'm getting Herceptin and Perjeta as neoadjuvant therapy.  And I think I'm going for a lumpectomy, though there are days I think a mastectomy would mean no radiation and that is appealing ! 

Radical2..... I'm sorry about the chicken soup, too:(.  I need to adjust my attitude and look again for the positive things in this journey !  Friends have continually praised my positive upbeat attitude in meeting this challenge of BC head-on, but this week it has been hard because I'm not feeling good due to stomach issues and fatigue. My oncologist gave me a prescription for Lomotil to use on top of Immodium, but it hasn't really been effective. She is blaming Perjeta for this.......I had a decided allergic reaction to Perjeta during the first infusion, complete with chills, fever, red eyes and face, and flu-like aching. I now get Tylenol and Benedryl BEFORE Perjeta and the last two infusions have gone smoothly.

Is anyone else getting Perjeta along with Herceptin for Her2?

OMG! I have never felt pain like last night.  My foot decided to freak out on me.  I couldn't even stand on my left foot.  I assume its from the neulasta shot because it starts in the foot and radiates up to the knee in my tibia.  I feel so sick today, like I am getting the flu.  I am so glad that AC is over and I won't be needing any more nuelasta shots.  

Fionascottie, I haven't started perjeta yet. I just finished up AC this week.  I will be starting taxol, Perjeta and Herceptin in 2 weeks. 

I was on TCH 4 years ago, and it was much easier to tolerate than AC is right now. I have had so many side effects this time around.