TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

greta - I didn't change my frozen peas out. I received my TCH in order, so the T was first, after pre-meds. I put a bag of peas on the front of each foot, and put a towel on my lap with the other two bags. I dug my nails in like a claw, occasionally using my right hand to get crushed ice to keep in my mouth from an insulated tumbler that I brought. I could do it myself and it worked, I had no ridges, lines or discolored areas. When I got home I just refroze my peas again. I also painted my nails with dark polish on chemo day, then next day removed the polish and painted on a coat of clear nail hardener. I painted on a coat a day for seven days, then removed it and started over - repeating until the next chemo day.

Special K - I am taking Tamoxifen. I guess I'll have to pitch the Brisdelle and get some Icool and anything else you can suggest that would mix with my current cocktail. I guess my gyno is just not up to date on cancer drugs. Thank you!

Blownaway thanks for sharing. I will use the ice. If I ever get to that point. This bladder infection is still hanging I can feel the pressure again and I am still on the antibiotic! I made an appt with the urologist . Will see next week.

Hi runningcello -

Congratulations on your last Herceptin infusion. ^{I just had my first loading dose yesterday so it's nice to know there is light at the end of this tunnel!}

^{Stay strong (and a little crazy never hurts.)}

kateb - so sorry you find yourself here, but welcome nonetheless! There is a taxane only regimen - 12 weekly Taxol plus Herceptin, but I don't know if they would recommend it for multi centric breast cancer, with one tumor greater than 2cm. If it is something you are interested in you should bring it up with your onc. As far as advice, I would honestly wait until you start to see what you need - some people have assorted GI issues, affected taste, neuropathy, etc. - but everyone doesn't experience the same side effects. It seems to be a process of figuring out which things you will experience and how to deal with them. I would not take any laxatives or softeners until you figure out if that will be a problem for you - I had the opposite so taking those prior to my first chemo would have been disastrous! I was consistent with that SE all through so investing in a big tub of laxatives would have been a waste of money. I went through a lot of Aquaphor - I used it for lots of things, chemo can cause dry and cracked skin. Lubricating eye drops are pretty universally used to combat the taxane induced dry eyes that produce excessive tears. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the eye drops help. I would say stay ahead of nausea - better to prevent it than try to get rid of it. A lot of people use the salt/baking/soda/water rinse multiple times a day to stave off mouth sores. Ask your oncologist how to get in touch with them after hours so that if you need something you can contact them for help. I tried to do things ahead so that right after chemo I had fewer responsibilities - I grocery shopped and cooked ahead, did laundry, paid bills, etc., so that I could just relax and rest. If friends and family offer to help - let them, it is good for you and for them. I am sure others will offer advice shortly. If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Kate,

Welcome-but sorry you had to join. This is the best group of women you could ever find. Ever. Be sure to find your chemo group-probably August 2015 since you see your MO the end of July. That group will become as sisters as you go through the treatments and healing together.

I did not take leave during any of my process. The day I had THE mammogram I signed a contract to serve as Interim Dean of Health and found out my now ex-husband had a date that night with a former nursing student. Quite the saga. As a nurse in a health science center I went to work as Dean with drains, my port accessed, nauseated, and conducted business from the chemo chair. I knew if I stayed home I could fall into a black hole. I took naps at work (my building had more beds than some hotels), brought my newly crowned therapy dog to work every day, pushed an IV pole around as I received extra fluids, and kept going. I will admit I used my health as an excuse occasionally to get out of some horrid meeting. The first day of the semester my faculty and staff wore Bald Caps (I was bald by then) and had T-shirts made for everyone in pink camo. A student gave me a purple wig (think stripper pole) and I wore it occasionally. Every faculty member in my building has many initials behind their name so I had lots of medical support at work.

I served one year as interim and two years as stated Dean. I resigned in June and returned to FT nursing program director. This is a 10-month position versus 12 with much less stress. I have had one of those winding roads the past three years and fell into every rare and unusual side-effect in the book-and had some new ones. I prepared by having a fresh supply of a variety of fluids, flannal pillow cases (in my past I had many children tell me it hurt when your hair falls out), a stack of books, and some easy to do meals. I had been told (and this was good advice) if I had nausea and food aversions to avoid foods I really like because if there was nausea with those I would not want them again. It was true for me.

Everyone does the best they can. One day at a time-or half a day-or an hour. What ever works for you. There is a thread here about the crazy things people say to you-I will post the exact name later. But-that helped me laugh and realize it was not just me getting crazy comments.

Be kind to you. Ask questions. Take naps. Drink what you can.

Susan

Hi to everyone. Had all my labs today with urinalysis if all clear will start TCH Wednesday. Gooseberry and Kdcjjc we are close in starting treatment and Dx. Sometimes I feel like so strong about this and others I just want to curl up cry and say forget it! It's like a huge roller coaster ! I had my hair cut super short today in prep for shaving it. I kind of like the short style. So I was ok with that. Kate welcome I am relatively new here as well and I am so grateful for this group of women sharing and their inspiration! Just knowing someone is here to advise and help means sooooooo much!

SpecialK thank you for the information you share. I am learning a lot

KateB, welcome. Sorry you too have joined the club. These incredible women will help guide you for sure. Please let us know how you are doing.

fluff - so beautiful!!! Hoping your spot is a nothing - DH just went through this - turned out to be diverticulosis and doc told him to eliminate the flax he was using in smoothies and limit nuts - pain went away. His abdominal CT inadvertently showed the bottom of his lungs in the CT field and there were numerous nodules in both lungs - eeek! Pulmonologist said watch and wait but he felt it was nothing. Scary though!

Thanks to all for the warm welcome and great information. My research brain has kicked into overdrive (and I have access to a university library and its vast databases, yay!); yesterday I spent some time reading about multifocal breast cancer, which is what I have. It looks like I'll likely be offered two different courses of chemo: AC-TH, or TCH. Given the cardiotoxicity associated with AC-TH and the relatively low (statistically speaking) chance of reoccurrence either way, I'll likely opt for TCH if it's offered. We'll see what the two oncologists say.

I did some research on the docs, too; one of these women has published pretty extensively on aggressive BC (which I have) AND on quality of life during treatment. The other is rated really highly for bedside manner. I'm thinking I'm going with researcher over nurturer, but we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Out of curiosity, because everything I've read says something different: what kinds of pre-chemo tests should I expect? Given that my nodes were negative (thank everything holy for a small bit of good news in all of this), should I ask for a bone scan or a baseline brain MRI, or can we assume that there are no mets?

I'm not happy about my DX or the fact that this has happened to any one of us, but it appears that I've found my people. Thanks again, ladies.

kateb,

If you end up doing AC, you'll get a heart scan. Your MO may or may not recommend the insertion of a port. (My MO wouldn't do AC without a port.) Otherwise, it's up to your MO as to what scans you get.

I was diagnosed with locally advanced cancer (stage IIIA). So, before chemo, I got an MRI and PET scan, and after chemo, I got an MRI and PET scan. But, I was doing neoadjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery), so the point of my scans was to discover whether or not my cancer shrunk enough during chemo to allow me to have a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy.

Some MOs are big on scans. I call my MO Dr. Scan because she orders them all the time (I'll be getting a PET scan in August).

Fluff-I LOVE the picture. And the description of the parties.

I'm curious if anyone had itching with Herceptin only. I'm at12/18 treatments and I've been itching only for the last treatment. Nothing helps.

I referred to it as the lethal injection room, but my MO calls it the filling station, but you have to be old enough to appreciate the reference. My infusion room did a lot of non-chemo stuff because of the hematology practice, so there were people getting iron and some other concoctions - lots of people connected to "gas" pumps.

Alice12 I was stage IIB. Really big tumor. Diagnosed exactly 5 years ago last Monday. I am still NED (no evidence of disease). The first 2 years are when most recurrences occur. That doesn't mean you will. I would also ask about Perjeta (for HER2+). This was recently approved for early stage to get before surgery.

Finally your oncologist should be able to give you statistics based on your medical history, age etc. with and without treatment. I know for me with treatment I had a 84% chance of remaining NED the first 10 years. (Note they didn't even consider Herecptin in that number because it hadn't been around for early stage 10 years at that time so my odds are probably even better).

HER2+ used to be one of the worst diagnosis. Now triple positive prognosis is one of the best.