TCHP Ladies Late 2014 / Early 2015

SugarCakes: I like the way you are thinking..on your way to pCR!

IndyGal35: Glad you are making it through chemo. You sound great! I have 4 more days of rads. 28 total. It has been very easy. My skin just started getting red and itchy. I was a bit fatigued at first, but kept going. For me, activity reduced the fatigue. I do make sure I get a good 8-9 hours of sleep every night.

I haven't had any radiation related issues with the tissue expanders or scars. I do see my PS this Thursday and we'll see what he has to say about how my skin looks. Initially he wanted my skin to heal at least three months before the exchange surgery. I'll let you know what he has to say.

Have a good evening! On to dinner prep..

Amy

I'm getting round #3 today, so I'm hitting the halfway point. I'm going to ask the MO if I'll be getting any scans or assessments to look at tumor shrinkage in the next couple of weeks, etc.

Round 1 brought fevers/chills/aches, and round 2 brought none of those, but I got the gift of nausea instead. Fatigue, chemo fog, runny nose, big D, and a rash have all been consistent so far.

It seems like fluids really help. This time, I'll see if I can get fluids on days 3 and 6 instead of 3 and 8. Also, the prednisone (for my rash) really helped with my nausea too. I'm going to ask for a 7-day script instead of a 5-day to get me through the worst of it. Many people swear by Emend, so I'll see if that's an option too. (The Zofran just didn't help enough, and I can't take phenergan or reglan due to allergies.)

Good luck to anyone sitting in the chair this week! I'll let you know what the MO says and how things go. HALFWAY!!! Hooray! Boy, I wish I could celebrate with a frothy Guinness tonight...

They give me Aloxi with chemo too. That long half-life really helps for acute nausea! They're going to see if insurance will cover Emend for delayed nausea when I come back for fluids on Friday.

They wanted to give me Zyprexa as a daily dose through the rest of chemo, but I'll start that as a last resort. It's an anti-psychotic drug, but it has shown great success in CINV. Still, the thought of yet another med that causes SE makes me nervous

what's the deal with lashes n brows coming out near the end of chemo? It's like one last twist of the knife.

I don't have metallic taste but have read using plastic utensils works great. Chemo tongue for me is food tasting like rotten eggs. Only thing that tastes right is extra sweet foods like the worst kind of cereal. I'm glad my tummy is a lil barfy n turned off from food bec I normally don't eat sugar/carbs and put on lbs. grrr

Ugh, I remember the everything-tastes-bad SEs. Plain water was horrible, but adding some fresh lemon or lime to it seemed to help. Just eat what you can and try for the best nutrition you can muster.

I just finished #3 on Tuesday, and my tastebuds are already shot again.  Unfortunately, sweets are the only things that still taste good.  I also notice that I have been eating a lot of dairy, because it is soft.  I think my body is craving carbs due to the fatigue.

Did any of you have an MRI or US done at the midway point to see if the TCHP is shrinking your tumor?  My MO tried to measure mine yesterday, but it is deep, and they can't get a good measurement.  He feels confident that it is not growing, but he's not sure if the chemo is shrinking it or not.  I meet with my BC in 2 weeks, so I will ask her about the MRI then.  Just wondering if your chemo has made an impact on the size.  (That would really bring me some encouragement as the chemo train is starting to run me down tonight!)

I had an ultrasound just before round 3, and indeed my tumors had shrunk to the point of being undetectable! That was a happy day. The one I'd felt I now know was roughly 2 cm to begin with, and it started shrinking noticeably within the first round of chemo.

Surgery - my MX was about 4 weeks after chemo.

Fatigue - I too got tired and achy climbing the one flight of stairs to my MO's office some days. My legs really ached, as if I'd worked out hard, even when I hadn't done anything. That all passed and I feel good as ever now.

Thanks for all the tips ladies! I'll definitely try the lemon trick with water, etc

Daisyq-good to know you didn't feel better for two weeks. At least I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Loriekg-so funny about the meatballs...I ate ravioli out of a can after the first two chemos. It was the only thing that seemed palatable. I also have the worst fatigue I have had. And it makes it tougher having an 11 month old and a 2 year old. I feel like I can't be the mother I like to be.

Indygal35-I also had multi focal tumors, the largest being 5.5cm and the doctors could not feel them after day 6 of the first chemo! At my last appointment chemo a doctor I had never seen before did my exam without looking at the imaging or notes first bc he said that can bias him. He also felt nothing! I have not had any ultrasounds or imaging since chemo started.

IndyGal35 No scans so far (since chemo began). They were been able to tell it shrank (by almost ½) after one chemo treatment by just measuring with a tape measurer. After 2 treatments, they couldn't feel it at all, but mine was not deep either.

Thanks for the encouragement Amy and Cassie! It is kinda scary, this feeling like an 80 year old. And hoping/wondering if you'll ever feel like your old self again.

Oh boy, ralieghgirl—an 11 month old and a 2 year old!! My hat is off to you! At least your kids will not remember this time.

--Lorie

I am curious. Is it now the standard of care to give herceptin and perjeta to all HER2+ patients? I was treated successfully (achieved a pcr) in 2011 with taxotere, carboplatin, and herceptin and am holding strong and cancer free as of now.

Jill...another criteria for Perjeta, in addition to its use prior to surgery, the tumor needs to be larger than 2 cm.

good vibes and luck to you! Dare I say I'm jealous it's your last one🙊.

I've been thinking about you TCHP ladies.

RaleighGirl, good luck tomorrow. #6 is a kick in the pants, but it will be the last kick in the pants for you! I was so wiped out that I ended up sleeping through most of the bad days. Fortunately,my husband was off from work (Christmas holiday) so child care and meal prep was covered.

Lorie, check in before next week. I remember that I felt the same way..you still have a few days to recover before the last round.

I am still plugging away with Herceptin. I am happy to report that now the SE's from Herceptin-only treatments are almost nonexistent. Just a few days of D. I think I have 6 more to go then exchange surgery in September. I decided to have my ovaries removed at the same time. Although my breast cancer was not ER+, I would feel better having them removed. I'm 51 so they aren't doing much anymore.

Hi DaisyQ…glad to hear you (and Cassie) aren't having any issues with the Herceptin only! You know, nobody has even mentioned to me having my ovaries removed, and I am ER+. (I'm 51 too, so don't have any reservations. I'll have to ask about this.)

SugarCakes…did I read (maybe on another thread) that your BS said no way to SNB? Why was that? Or was that no to just SNB only? But then if the SNB was negative, wouldn't that end the ALND discussion?

Just got back from meeting with second PS. Thank goodness I really liked this one—the first one, not so much. First PS was jumpy and rushed and I didn't even get all my questions answered before he was out the door. This one today was relaxed, sat back in his chair like he had all the time in the world. Surgery hopefully (if all goes well after chemo #6) might be first week of June…(gasp!)