Hi Laurie -

Yes I have been scratching like crazy for the last 3 days. (about day 12-13) It was my last TC before surgery on Sept 26th. My head, shoulders, chest and a little on my legs. My head also feels strange, like I am getting cradle cap.





Irelandmb -

I have just had the most awful time on this cocktail. Even with 4-5 nausa RX, I was still nausated for 6-7 days the first cycle, 14+ days the second and third cycles. I was even given Emand (almost $600 for 3 pills) and a special IV with some long term anti-nausia meds (5-6 days) They help as far as preventing vomiting but the nausia was still there.



I have developed sores and constant itching. The worse was the job taxotere does on our membranes, i.e., mouth, nose, throat, stomach and intestines. I wasn't too bad with tx #1, but not so lucky with #2, the diarehea continue for at least 2 weeks, maybe longer.



With tx #3 it got so bad it looked (at least to me) that I was passing pieces of skin in my bowel movements. I have no idea if it was my stomach or intestines. I was raw both inside and out. Eating has not been something I wanted to do, actually I had to force myself to put somethng in my stomach. I hope this is helpful and starts some conversations.

Laurie



Yes the TXs seemed to have gotten worse each time. I wonder if, after surgery, they will start back at the beganning or if the SE will pick up where they left off. I will be on TAC next time.

Hi Harley,

Just wanted you to know that you are in my thoughts today.  I hope your tx goes well and that will bounce back very quickly!

Laurie

Hi Harley,

Good luck today. I know you'll do well. I had my 2nd tc yesterday and so far, so good. I do notice heartburn pretty quickly. I let me kids buzz/cut my hair last night. They got a kick out of it. It was hard, but I actually felt a little liberated. I get Neulasta today so we'll see how that goes. I'm going to take the Claritin like you suggested. Hope you are all doing well.

Eve

Laurie,

Thanks!  Your prayers helped me!  The treatment went well today.  and now, I only have 1 MORE!!! YEAH!!

I met with the onc today, and he went over some things that had concerned me.

He mentioned using Claritin after the Neulasta shot, which the nurse mentioned to me the last time...  I told him that I don't like Neupogen, so it looks like I won't be getting it again... yes!

I mentioned the neulasta shot was given in the WRONG arm last time, and it still hurts.  He told me that it's something called Lymph..ingda... I will look it up!

Also, my dh was with me, so he mentioned that I get these LOW WBC  days the 2nd week after treatment.  He said usually his patients get them the 2nd day...  Well, I guess I have to be different, don't I?  

I figured, why not?  So I asked for a Rx for Ambien, since I have trouble sleeping.  He gave me a Rx and I will try to get it filled tomorrow. 

LAURIE,

I also have itchy scalp and ears... I also have itchy legs... I don't know what is causing this.  I read a post that suggested taking antihistamines, I think... Let me know if you find out...

Hugs,

Harley

Hi Harley,

Just wondered how you were doing.  You are in my thoughts.

Laurie

Hi Harley,

I'm doing well -- I actually feel pretty good.  My itching has subsided a little bit.  I noticed today that my arm hair is gone.  I am so dreading losing the hair on my head which I expect will be any day now.  I now am retaining fluid, and I feel like I have gained 10 pounds in 2 days. 

They didn't put any Benedryl in my i.v. last time.  Maybe they will this time if I tell them how itchy I've been. 

Wow, three treatments down for you.  My next one is next Thursday -- I think my last one will be on November 9, just a couple days after your reconstruction.  When I had my mastectomy, I had a tissue expander put in place and, I think in December, I will have my implant surgery.  If you don't mind my asking, what type of reconstruction are you doing?

Did you try the Ambien?  I was going to ask my doctor if I could take Tylenol PM or something to help with sleeping -- it is so tough to sleep the week after chemo, at least it was for  me.

I hope you continue to do well.

Laurie

Hi Laurie,

I didn't try the Ambien yet...  I used it several years ago, when I was first dx'd with my thyroid disorder and premature menopause condition.  I feel very tired tonight, so maybe I won't need to use it until next week...

Glad to hear that you are feeling better...  yes, the hair loss has been the worst se so far for me...  Good that your itching has subsided, too.  I don't know for sure if I had benadryl in the I.V., but it seems like it must have been there, because I have less itching now, and for the past week and a half, the itching has been bad!  I forgot to mention it to my onc. when I went for my last tx...

On Nov 7th, I will have my reconstruction surgery.  I am supposed to be getting the Becker Saline Implants...  I think it  is by Mentor, and it is a PERMANENT expander/implant, so only ONE surgery will be needed!!   I am excited about that!

Good Luck!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Harley

Barb,

My doctor didn't recommend my taking the Oncotype test because my tumor was 1.7 cm, even though I am er+/pr+, her2- and had no lymph node involvement.  I'm amazed, too, at how different the standard is.  I asked for the test, but my doctor thought that I should do chemo regardless ---- and what I'm reading is that chemo isn't that much of a benefit for us er+/pr+ girls -- its the hormone therapy that is the important piece.  I am only 46, so I did decide to do chemo anyway.  I think my doctor told me that it only decreased recurrence about 2 percent or something like that.  It was my age and the size of my tumor that dictated that I do chemo.

Harley,

I wish that my surgeon had recommended the Becker implant for me -- this tissue expander has been annoying at times and I face another surgery in December.  But I think the surgery is the easy part -- once its over that is.  This chemo thing is another story altogether.  Did you obsess about losing your hair?  Yesterday, I realized that I anticipate the loss of my hair in very much the same way that I anticipated my water breaking when I was pregnant -- where will I be when my hair starts coming out.  I can only hope that it is a gradual thing and doesn't release all at once.  At the game, I could picture my hair starting to come out and blowing in the wind -- similar to the way a dandelion that has gone to seed, its seed pods being carried by the wind.  I actually got a chuckle out of this one.

Since chemo, I notice that I have very silly and random thoughts!

I hope you all have a great day.

Laurie

Hi Ladies,  I decided today to go ahead with Chemo after my onc thought that I should.  I too feel that I need to deal with this now so it won't come back down the road, thus the bilateral mastectomy.  Anyway I will start 4 treatments of TC beginning on Monday, Oct. 1.  I am sort of in the middle of my reconstruction having had 200cc filled in my tissue expanders.  I really wanted this all to be behind me by the end of the year....  I can still have that goal but I meet with my ps tomorrow to see what he thinks.  Something tells me that the best ps in town won't be doing my exchange surgery the week between Christmas and New Years.  I can always have dreams right?  Wish me luck!

Hi Urbie,

I was diagnosed in June and had a single mastectomy followed by reconstruction with a tissue expander.  I had my first of four tx of CT on September 6 and my next tx is this Thursday, September 27.  I have done pretty well with things so far, considering that it is chemo that I am taking.  For me, the first week after the tx is the worst but that gets better.  I am now losing my hair -- they told me that I would around day 17.  I, too, struggled with the decision to do chemo.  My onc didn't recommend the oncotype test for me for some reason -- she told me that my tumor size was the reason.  I had a 1.7 cm tumor -- no lymph node involvement -- and I am er+/pr+ and her-.  My onc told me that the best treatment will be the hormone therapy after chemo is all done. 

It looks like I will be having my implant surgery in December some time if all goes according to plan.  All in all, I have tolerated the tissue expander very well.  I am small-chested, and my ps keeps asking me if I want to go bigger -- which would mean an implant in my one remaining breast.  I told her no and explained that I've never had big ones and I don't want to start at 46!  My 16 year old daughter thinks I'm nuts -- she looks at it different and feels that why not get bigger ones at 46!

Good luck with your first tx -- keep us posted on how you are doing.

Laurie

Hi All,

Well, I survived my second tx today -- just barely it seemed.  When they were giving me my taxotere, even though I tolerated it very well the first tx -- I had an allergic reaction.  That was so scary -- all of a sudden my chest began tightening and my face turned red.  I called to the nurse who immediately shut my pump off.  My blood pressure had gone up, too.  So, they waited until my system calmed down and then they gave me benedryl.  I have read in this site that people usually get benedryl first.  Not at my oncology office -- they will get a doctor's order for next time so I don't have to go through this again.  That was so difficult.

I absolutely love the people that work in this center -- I feel so much love and comfort when I go there.  Is that the same with all of you when you get your tx?

Just curious --- two tx down and only two more to go.  Now I just have to wait for the side effects to kick in.

Laurie

Laurie,

Sorry you had a reaction to your tx!   Well, at least you are halfway through!  Yippee!

The people at my onc. center are very nice, too.  I was telling them today that next time, oct. 9th, will be my last tx!  They told me to remind them when I go in, and they will celebrate with me before I leave!  I say give me a glass of champagne!!! 

Barb,

Yes, my last tx is Oct 9th!  What day is yours?  I dont' have rads after, but my reconstruction is scheduled for Nov 7th.  I am doing great!  I only had a little trouble with lymphedema after the knuckleheads at my onc center gave me a Neulasta shot in the left arm, which had lymph nodes removed....     ....sigh....

I saw my surgeon today to see what he thought, and he thinks I need to do EVERYTHING.... keep moving it, keep it elevated, take Motrin, maybe put warm compress on it....  I am supposed to be referred to a LE specialist by my onc, but my dh doesn't think I need to go...  I have to think about it, b/c when I woke up yesterday it was REALLY SWOLLEN!!!   And, it was hurting last night...

But, other than that, everything is going well.   I will be SO GLAD when the chemo is finished, and when my reconstruction is done!

Good Luck!

Harley

Barb,

You are right behind me, since my last tx is Oct 9th! 

So you decided to go ahead with all SIX of your tx?  It is good to hear that you  were able to get all the txs of TC!  Glad to see that you didn't have too much trouble with se's from the tx!

Well, my hair was shaved to about 2", so it felt like it was all gone!  I had the receding hairline that men get, so that ALL disappeared, and the next day, it was back...  just fuzzy white hair!  The rest fell out in patches, and reseeded itself...  all white and fuzzy.  Now, it has started turning darker, but there is STILL alot of WHITE hair there.....    sigh....

Now I am dealing with swelling in my left hand from the Neulasta shot a month or so ago...  I have an appt. with an LE specialist on Oct. 17th, but I think that is REALLY too long to wait for some help with the swelling.

Good Luck with your last tx...  I'll be reading for you posts, so let us know how you are doing, ok?

Hugs

Harley

Barb,

Sorry about the hair...  I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS BC!!!!  I look like Sluggo, from the old comics, Nancy & Sluggo!  No one can understand, except someone who's been there... 

I think my hand will be ok... it's just the hand that is swollen.  I keep a wrist wrap on it, but it's a carpal tunnel thing, til I can get to the LE specialist.

I didn't want rads, so I opted for the bi-lateral mast., as my surgeon recommended it because it will make the reconstruction easier.  I guess since I had small breasts, he had to take about half of my left breast anyway... the bc was very small, but he took alot of fibrous, fatty tissue out to bx.

I am 44 y.o., but postmenopausal due to a condition called premature ovarian failure; I was dx'd at age 35.  I will need to take hormone treatment... why do they call it that?  They take AWAY all my estrogen!  I'll keep my ovaries, I guess, since after menopause, we make estrogen in our adrenal glands, and we can't remove them! 

So, you were ER+, too?  It sucks, doesn't it?? 

Good Luck!  Keep in touch!

HARLEY