TCh vs. ACTh

Cathy....Me too!!I mean...I was so amazed by the ladies that I work out with, once they found out about my bc....they came out of the woodwork with offers of help, driving, cards, snacks...and now that I have moved past the chemo, last summer 4 of us started having lunch together....Then it was 5, then 6, then 8...now up to 13.  And we never talk about bc...we just laugh, and laugh and laugh.  I love that little group!  And I never would have this huge circle of friends had I not been dx'd.  Go figure!  They helped me more than DH ever could!  Just the way women are, I think.  Glad you have your little group too.

MaryAnn,

My energy never left me yesterday, however, today, I have a dull headache (but can't complain, that is my only complaint).  So I have just taken it easy, but I agree with you, for me the unknown was the hardest.  It was like a weight lifted when I finally decided to go with the TCH.  I wanted what was best, but the heart damage was of great concern.  You have to feel confident you made the right choice for yourself.  It finally all makes sense.  There is no scientific answer, you just have to find your own peace that says this is what is right for me.  This is the best chat I could have found.  I am returning to work on Friday.  I hope my side effects stay as doable as yours seem to be.

Cathy and Carla - Hope your week is going well.  Carla - let us know how you are feeling after your first treatment. Cathy- I am eager to hear what your dermatologist says about the acne.  If it's from the Herceptin (which we will take for a year), I will probably go in myself to see what can be done.  If it's from one of the chemo drugs, I think I can live with it until May.

MaryAnn-

Had a lot of face discomfort, almost like a sinus infection this week.  Nurse thought it was from the Decadron and would subside.  Haven't had much appetite, which is unusual for me.  Went back to work today.  I made it, but the end of the day couldn't come fast enough.  The nurses said lots of fluids and you think you are keeping up, but I tried to eat something with more substance tonight and I am finally feeling better.  I am going to make sure I watch my fluid intake.    My hip bones ached really bad today.  It really helps to hear how others are affected, because at least you can say "okay" I can do this, it will pass. 

Has anyone found that when they get the Herception alone, they see side effects?  Next Tuesday will be my first time for just the Hercpetin.

Carla - I don't get any side effects from the Herceptin alone.  I seem to have a constant stuffed up nose though - just don't know which of the drugs it is from.  For me, the aching muscles/bones lasts about a week, max 10 days after chemo and is mainly in my lower body.  That seems to be a fairly common side effect.  I used Claritin last time and it was better.  If you look back in this thread, you will see the conversations that Cathy and I have had re: Claritin.  For me, side effects are concentrated in the first ten days or so after chemo and the last ten days I feel good which gives me a break before the next go around.

Hi everyone,

I am also HER2+ with neg nodes. Tumor was somewhere between 1.2 and 2.5 cm according to my oncol, 1.2 according to what surgeon says. My oncol whom I think is very good also put me on an 9 month AC-TH program. I am 54 years old. I called the nurse yesterday and she told him I would prefer TCH-TH, the nurse called yesterday saying he would be fine with that too. My thinking is this. If this is a good protocol and it sounds like it is--they will start identifying more targeted therapies that we may benefit from later if need be. The goal is now to survive with a quality of life and hope for better treatments such as Herceptin down the road. My oncol is calling back patients that did not get put on Herceptin to see if they want to get it now. Same will probably be true with us as new and better drugs become available. I just got SO nervous reading about all the stuff AC followed by Herceptin could put me at risk for...good luck to all of us! I am having my second surgery on Monday for wider margins--not fun but necessary else facing mastectomy. Will report back. Thanks for this group.

Cathy, I start my treatments around March 3rd, else a week later to heal before chemo. I am hearing chemo slows down healing time. My last surgery was on Feb. 4th and I'm still not over it. Thanks for your support. My surgeon never explained about the possibility he would not get it the first time so when he called me I was very depressed. Why don't they tell you the possibilities ahead of time? This time I'm letting my husband answer the phone...I can't handle it. Let him tell me. I had to change the ringer on my phone cause it was making me jump out of my skin. I have some meds to take tomorrow night to help me sleep. Chemo has got to be a bit easier than surgery..

Cathy, I almost forgot, great news about the swimming! I will ask. But come to think of it there are other pool excersizes I can do without doing lap swimming which would expose it to a lot of water. Also, maybe just put a bandage over it to seal out the water. There are some good ones available. No going down the water slide for awhile (waah!)....I love water slides (and roller coasters)...I have a 9 year old adopted daughter that wants me to do the rollercoaster this summer as is our tradition at Busch Gardens. I told her I wasn't sure about this year. i might start slowing down just a tad!



E2

I have my port in my arm (inside of arm just below the elbow).  It is called a Pasport.  It took about 2-3 weeks for it to completely heal but now, I literally don't even know it's there.  The Pasports are smaller than the ports used in the chest but my surgeon used a slightly larger version than would normally be used in the arm (I think to make sure it could be located and used easily).  I am so glad I have the port ... definitely worth geting one if you need a year of Herceptin.

Hi,

I was on ACTH, got newlasta shots after every chemo, I found a trick was to take it out of the fridge 1/2 hour before the shot reduced any bone pain to almost nile. Told the oncologist and she now tell all her clients to do the same and has told me they all have agreed it works. One more herceptin to go then I get a break for a couple of months before my ooph.. Will be happy that is done to so I don't have to get shots to stay in menaupause. Glad to see everyone doing well and givin hints on what worked.

DX Aug-06, IDC, 5cm, stage ll, grad 3, 0/23 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2+

In for a penny in for pound of flesh so to speak

Got a surgery day for my portacath--March 3rd. How big a deal is this surgery?

Erica - the port surgery is pretty simple.  Mine is in my arm but that seems to be quite unusual.  Either way, arm or chest, is a pretty simple procedure and only requires a light anesthesia (they described it to me as similar to what you get for a colonoscopy).  After the incision for the port heals, you should pretty much forget it's there.