Starting Chemo in Nov 2016

BG46TN, congrats. You got through it. And that was so sweet of your sister to show up.

Anyone here started on herceptin only?

I start next week and I am wondering if there are any side effects? My OC said no but I have been researching and finsing out there may be some side effects.

plantchild - I feel the same way. I start Taxol in 2 weeks and my MO and nurses say I will have no issues. I don't quite believe that after reading this site

Leslie2016 thanks for the reply. Do you get nuelasta after herceptin? I opened up a letter from my insurance company yesterday stating that I have been approved for nuelasta again?!?? I am kinda confused as I was told all I would get is some benadryl with the herceptin and that is it....

I posted this on our FB page if you are a member, but if not I thought I'd share--Throughout this journey, I never mentioned what I was going through on Facebook. My family and my community knew about it but never really knew how to put it 'out there'. On Monday when I finished rads, I decided to address it to my FB world. Thought I'd share because I think most of you will relate to what I wrote. This is what I posted:

How many times have you had the opportunity to say you are proud of yourself? I mean REALLY proud, like "you are AMAZING" proud? Well that's how I feel today after finishing my LAST breast cancer treatment. I have spent the past 6 months enduring surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. I ventured on this journey helpless and scared. Now I've come through on the other side ready to kick some ass. I've learned so much along the way--who my support system is, how amazing my community is, how sometimes the people we expect to be there aren't, and the people you wouldn't expect show up at just the right time to lift your spirit. I am a better person than I was before this adventure. I am a more empathetic person, I have learned to openly share how I feel and show my appreciation more easily, I have also learned that sometimes the smallest gestures can make the biggest difference and I've been paying it forward. I have learned to be patient with myself as I'm still trying to trust my body that betrayed me. I am more grateful for the mundane things in life, I am thankful for what I have and know that somewhere someone else has it much worse than I do. Most of all, I have learned what I'm made of. I am strong, I am a fighter and after what I endured, I'm feeling pretty badass!!

Plantchild-- I didn't know ER- woman were given tamoxifen. How does that work?

Pamela23....so you questioning this made me think I should research more....

Good ole google lol!

here is one study I found.....going to keep looking

Results

The 5-year overall survival (85%) was better in women under the age of 50 years. Patients with ER+/PR+ tumors had a better 5-year survival rate (94%); those with ER-/PR- tumors experienced the worst outcome (74% survival rate); whereas single-positive cases were in between. In 97 out of 128 patients with ER-/PR+ tumors, tamoxifen was given as adjuvant hormonal therapy, and it increased the survival benefit in the lower grade group in terms of overall survival and disease-free survival (p=0.01 and p=0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

For high-grade tumors with ER-/PR+, adjuvant tamoxifen therapy may have no survival benefit, whereas for the patients with low-grade ER-/PR+ tumors, adjuvant tamoxifen therapy is highly suggestive.e is one study

BG46TN, I'm sorry you're not sleeping--maybe sleep will improve during the break. I understand how the stress of the upcoming surgery could interrupt your sleep cycle. I'm not nesting. A friend gave me a pair of socks with cute illustrations and text: "I dreamed my whole house was clean". The SE's from Taxol are not diminishing as quickly as I'd hoped. Maybe a 10% improvement for some SEs but over all it feels like just another week of chemo. My feet/toes have not improved and chemo brain is still an issue. I'm hungry all the time and I'm eating more so you'd think my energy level would improve but I'm actually more tired. So I don't have the energy to do much. I certainly hope this turns around before surgery.

Plantchild, the reduction from 20% to 10% is really worth going for.

I had my UMX and SNB on 3/27. I got the path report from my surgeon. I did not achieve pCR, but the tumor shrunk from 2.5 cm to 1 - 4 mm. (My surgeon said that what was left looked like swiss cheese.) My MO said that there were no active cancer cells, so no additional chemo. My SNB was negative. I don't need radiation. I will continue on herceptin till the end of October. I will have periodic follow-ups with my MO, and (annual?) mammograms for my remaining breast.

So I am now 'cancer free'. I am happy, but I can't help but be wary.

Hi ladies. I hope everyone is doing ok.

a terry- the nerves repair themselves. It takes a while.

Still having some intermittent neuropathy in my feet. Hair is growing back rapidly. Both on my head and eyes. I've down 3 weeks of radiation with 2 more to go. Hoping to start hormone suppression shortly thereafter. Then not think about cancer of the next five years. Oh, I'll do my follow ups. And I still have surgery and stuff. But once I can put it behind me, I will put it behind me and only think about it when I go in for my cancer appointments.

Seriously. Once I got my port out, I've been sleeping like a trooper. No more guarding the right side because I didn't want to mess up the port and bleed out. No more guarding the left side, because well, my flap is BEAUTIFUL and thriving and I can roll all up on it and nothing hurts or twinges or anything. Well, other than my radiation chest pain. lol

I'm sorry I've haven't been more active on the forum. I've been participating in our FB group. But now that I am coming out of feeling like crap from chemo, I think I can do both more frequently. At least, it FEELS like I have a shitton of energy.

I hear you Becky, after my lumpectomy, I felt nauseous and at least made it home before throwing up. someone said a patch behind the ear, I think the one you use for motion sickness, helps. Is that what you are afraid of? I also as given something beforehand when I told them I was nervous and it was amazingly calming..like buzzed, laid back awesome. Just can't remember what it was. Valium?

hi everyone, had my bilateral mastectomy Monday, I stayed 1 night, could have stayed 2 but my back was killing me in the hospital bed...So I went home, I was in a lot of pain, the meds in the hospital didn't really do much, the ones they prescribed for home worked much better. Actually the muscle relaxers they gave me help the most! ...I've been sleeping in a recliner in the living room all week, uncomfortable, some pain and lots of tightness across my chest..Ugh I'm not enjoying this part at all. I think I just had no idea what all this would feel like..I can't do anything, I feel like I have a metal band wrapped tight aroundthe top of my chest, it sucks.....I'm getting sick of sitting around but get tired after 5 minutes of being up and moving around....This is why I haven't been on here all week, been feeling down....I hope I start to feel better and more optimistic about all this.

Surgeon called yesterday to see how I was feeling, she said they got pathology back...Left (good side) was clear, righthad clear margins, Lymph nodes all clear, but there was still a 1.6cm that still had cancer :-( we were hoping for a complete response but nope....So I'm sure my oncologist will put me on Xeloda now...which he had said they would do if I had residual cancer...Sucks!!! I'm trying to be happy about the clear nodes and margins but it's hard....cancer sucks!

BG46TN, hope you have a quick recovery.

I had my surgery 3 weeks after I finished chemo, its definitely doable....I knew that I always felt good by 3 weeks after...

good luck!!