Starting Chemotherapy March 2018

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  • Becca953
    Becca953 Member Posts: 99
    edited June 2018

    Wildcolonialgirl - MO offered to call in a prescription for me to help the eyebrows and eyelashes. I picked it up yesterday to the tune of $153 for the generic. A small price to pay if it works well, but was still shocked at the copay amount with insurance. I drew the right eyebrow in yesterday, then had to go over the left to even things out. Ha! Thanks for the info on the hair. I am a few weeks behind you and have noticed that my leg hair seems to be growing back in but is patchy. Less shaving is OK. My head hair is mutant because I had a nice amount left from cold capping until one month post chemo, then most fell out. I am hiding it under a baseball cap untl I can figure out what to do (cut it super short, etc.)

    Herceptin only infusion #2 scheduled for Monday, provided all labs are OK. Any health tests now are nerve wracking since this diagnosis!

    Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

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  • May07
    May07 Member Posts: 82
    edited June 2018

    Becca I also got a script for the generic latesse. Insurance didn’t cover it and it was $140. I googled coupons for it and found one ...showed it to the pharmacy and ended up paying only $60! Try it? See if they csn retro it

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  • Becca953
    Becca953 Member Posts: 99
    edited June 2018

    May07 - Thanks for the info. Will do. How is the product working out for you? I read that it says may take 2 months for efficacy. I am guessing mine may be able to grow back on their own in 2 months, but I know a few ladies who had problems getting either their eyebrows or eyelashes to grow back at all. Not both together, but either one or the other, so I figure, any help is warranted!

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  • May07
    May07 Member Posts: 82
    edited June 2018

    I have been using it for only a few days. My eyelashes have holes on the bottom and my eyebrows are super sparse. I had great brows...they must come back great again. I'm confident this will help.

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  • Giveityourall
    Giveityourall Member Posts: 71
    edited June 2018

    yangsainst,

    I, like you, started my chemotherapy in March 2018. I am HER2 positive, so, I do the Taxotere, carboplatin, Herceptin, and Perjeta (TCHP) cocktail. I have had a slew of side effects and have struggled through.

    Receiving TCHP regimen every three weeks, my fifth treatment was June 19, 2018. My problem is anemia. My hemoglobin (Hgb) is 8.7 and red blood cells (RBCs) are 3.21. This anemia is not due to iron deficiency. It is due to chemotherapy preventing my bone marrow from producing RBCs. Since surgery needs to occur three to four weeks after my last infusion, my surgeon is recommending that I skip my last treatment. This way, I have a chance to push my hemoglobin to 10. Another treatment of TCHP may push my Hgb to a flat 8.0 - which may be too low. It might be too tough to climb to 10.0 without a transfusion. Nevertheless, if i had not hit this wall, I would push through. So, Yangsainst, if your health is not in jeopardy, try to make it. I am too symptomatic - tired, dizzy, and short of breath.


    Giveityour

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  • Giveityourall
    Giveityourall Member Posts: 71
    edited June 2018

    Yang,

    Also, are you getting any steroids with your treatments - like dexamethasone to help with side effects?

    Is your primary problem nausea, vomiting, and dehydration? Or is it white blood cell count?

    I recommend going in for hydration between infusions. Have you discussed this with your doctor? Dehydration is dangerous. The body, which is approximately 60% water, needs fluids to work well (https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html). The body likes to be balanced - if things go out of whack in one area, the body has a biofeedback system to offset this anomaly. So, you gotta try to keep things in balance. It is better to prevent side effects, then deal with them. Do you have any antiemetic (anti-puke) drugs at your disposable? Does your infusion regimen include an anti-puke drug?

    I am not a doctor and my knowledge is limited, but I hate to see you throw in the towel. Do you feel that you can discuss your problems with your doctor? How about a nurse? Please make sure that your wants and needs are met. Sometimes bringing a friend/family member to your appointments is helpful - an extra advocate.

    Giveityourall

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  • YangSainst
    YangSainst Member Posts: 71
    edited July 2018

    giveityourall,

    Thanks for the info .. None from all that meds you mention is given to me..I have anti nausea pill as take home med they don't really stop anything I just deal with throwing up for 24hrs its the stomach pain or being nauseated is my my problem but I just try to deal with it for 1 week..

    Yang saints

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  • May07
    May07 Member Posts: 82
    edited July 2018

    I have a friend who was on ACT and she said the anti nausea pills did not help her. She said marajana was the only thing that helped with the nausea

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  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 559
    edited July 2018

    yang. Im confused by ur last msg. They doctor doesn't prescribe premeds? Or what we on this blog have randomly tossed out in out messages you dont get as a premed before infustion bbn of chemo drug?

    We all have different insurances or live in different countries, no 2 are treated alike..

    Im sure us trying to help and what ur have gone thru has to be frustrating.. i dont wanna cuz more frustration... if u want to just chat we are all her for u..

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  • YangSainst
    YangSainst Member Posts: 71
    edited July 2018

    urdrago71,

    The Doc give me prescription meds that I need to buy on my way home after the chemo that includes Omeprazole and mucosta for stomach,plasil anti nausea that's it ..but they don't really stop the pain. Then I have to message her if some more pain come out then she will message me what kind of medicine she might ask me to try.

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  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 559
    edited July 2018

    I understand when you say its the pain. I couldn't imagine if its stopping you from daily activities. I didnt know and just want to support you in ur choices..higs and good vibes

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  • YangSainst
    YangSainst Member Posts: 71
    edited July 2018

    Udrago71,

    thank for the thoughts one week after chemo I'm mostly just in bed I can go to the bathroom and stand but mostly just in bed because of the stomach pain and being nauseated last chemo I had mouth sore and heart palpitations.

    But after a week I'm getting better.

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  • YangSainst
    YangSainst Member Posts: 71
    edited July 2018

    Hello ladies its me again just curious most of you here have or had tumor markers or test how much cancer is in the blood. Just wondering if its normal if I never had those test.

    Thanks guys..

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  • hapa
    hapa Member Posts: 920
    edited July 2018

    No tumor marker tests here. It's never even been mentioned to me. When I'm done with treatment the only follow up I'll get is twice-yearly clinical exams. No scans or tests. I'm not even sure what the point is of going in every six months for an exam considering I'm having a bilateral mastectomy with implants, so I might not even bother.

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  • Bec-Ky
    Bec-Ky Member Posts: 216
    edited July 2018

    I've never had tumor markers.... What are those, and do they do that if you've already had your tumor removed and if there was no lymph involvement? I haven't had time to research this....


    Thanks.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited July 2018

    I'm assuming this is CA-125 related? A food friend with OC kept a close eye on hers, although my understanding is that's not perfectly correlated with recurrence/tumor size. As far as I know it's not done for BC patients, at least early stage.

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  • Wildcolonialgirl
    Wildcolonialgirl Member Posts: 123
    edited July 2018

    Bec-ky - and other who are curious - this is a good resource:

    https://www.cancer.net/about-us/collaborations/top-five-list-oncology/choosing-wisely®-top-five-cancer-related-tests-procedures-and-treatments-many-patients-do-not-need/topic-4-follow-tumor-marker-tests-and-imaging-tests-people-treated-breast-cancer

    My team does not do this testing, either - I am due for a mammogram next January, but nothing until then once the radiation ends and I start tamoxifen.  Take-away in the article here is that these kind of tests can sometimes cause more anxiety and not be very predictive, particularly if there are no other signs or symptoms.  

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  • Tlow990
    Tlow990 Member Posts: 23
    edited July 2018

    Thank you Wildcolonia! I have one of those tank tops as my nurse advised it. I am not looking forward to the drains. The radiation on the implant is a little scary but, the odds are still good that it won't encapsulate. Crossing fingers. Nice to hear the pain wasn't overwhelming. I go for surgery in three days and am just trying to stay calm. :-)

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  • May07
    May07 Member Posts: 82
    edited July 2018

    I had the tumor marker blood test at my first visit with the oncologist at Sloan Kettering. I see her in a few days, I will ask her why they do them for early stage breast cancer

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  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 559
    edited July 2018

    Yang, i have two markers from biopsy sites. Not sure if thats the marker ur talking about. I havent heard anything about blood test to show cancer in blood. But i know that for my cancer to have moved from tumor to lymph nodes it had to move thru my blood.


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  • YangSainst
    YangSainst Member Posts: 71
    edited July 2018

    i just read it says it helps the Doctors see how much cancer is in there or something like that coz there's some test in your country that not in here yet like DX onco for example.

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  • hapa
    hapa Member Posts: 920
    edited July 2018

    Yang - I think tumor marker tests are usually given to metastatic breast cancer patients when their cancer is stable find a baseline. Then a doctor will check them over time to see if they're going up or down, which will tell them if the cancer is active and progressing or still stable. A lot of doctors think they're not accurate or useful for early stage patients. For early stage patients, most doctors here recommend nothing beyond regular mammograms (every six or 12 months) to check for recurrence. They don't run scans or other tests to check for metastatic cancer unless you start having symptoms. I hope you're feeling better, try to power through!

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  • Jstarling
    Jstarling Member Posts: 139
    edited July 2018

    No tumor markers, but I did have Oncotype testing. Please feel better soon, Youngsainst. This morning I finally had my platelet-delayed 5th TCH Treatment. Without theHerceptin until the Ejection rate gets up to at least 55%. But happy nonetheless to have TC. I’m so ready to move on to the next step: radiation and am learning so much from you ladies who are weeks ahead of me. Good luck all and keep on trucking!

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  • Bec-Ky
    Bec-Ky Member Posts: 216
    edited July 2018

    My last chemo was May 30th...so this is 5 weeks from that date. I started taking pictures at 3 weeks since I figured the chemo wears off around 3 weeks. image

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  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 559
    edited July 2018

    Bec-ky- omg that's great news. Have you had to trim it so it's all the same length?

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  • Bec-Ky
    Bec-Ky Member Posts: 216
    edited July 2018

    I did at about 4 weeks I took the clippers and 1.5 attachment to trim the straggly gray ones that were longer than the rest. Yes.

    😁

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  • hapa
    hapa Member Posts: 920
    edited July 2018

    Bec-Ky, I'm jealous of all your hair. Though this is probably the only place in the world where anybody is going to tell you that right now.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited July 2018

    Thanks for posting, Bec-Ky. Your hair is coming in gangbusters! My last Taxol is Aug 2nd and I’m hoping for new growth by Labor Day.

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  • Steph74
    Steph74 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2018

    imageBecky —you're definitely doing a lot better than me!! I'm only one day behind you and still look like my grandfather 🤣🤣🤣

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  • Bec-Ky
    Bec-Ky Member Posts: 216
    edited July 2018

    Steph - but it's there!!! And it's growing!! Yours is long!!

    I am not going to immediately grow my hair long... I plan on doing all the things I didn't have the guts to do.... Lol

    Like my pre chemo buzz with the longer stuff on top...

    I want the pink (singer) hairstyle!! Lol

    image



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