HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Chime in please! Has herceptin (or tykerb)affected your eyebrows/lashes,fingers/toes/

Andrea Barnett Budin · 01-11-2008, 04:34 PM

'95-'96 Chemo. Bald. No eyebrows or lashes. All grew back.

Sept '98 - May '99 Taxotere, Bald. No eyebrows or lashes. Nails turned black and lifted off nailbeds w/oozy stuff presenting. EVERYTHING DRY. Eyes, nose -- yet severe and constant tearing and runny nose. Fingertips, heels severely dry and burning. Neuropathy.

Overlap w/Herceptin Nov '98 -- to present. Hair did not grow back as after 1st chemo. Very thin, frail, dry, like fried hair. Receding hairline as in male pattern baldness camouflaged w/ right *do*. Eyebrows did not return. Eyelashes did not return as before -- some came back but most did not, now very sparse, shorter and not equal (meaning right and left upper and lower are not evenly distributed). Still dry eye but not as bad at all. No tearing. Still slightly runny nose. Very slight, especially when eating??!! Nails remain thin and splitting, frail. Cuticles very dry. Heels dry but not burning. One toe nail has a vertical split that grows out and returns. Toenails better than fingernails in genl.
Andi

01-11-2008, 04:34 PM	#19
Andrea Barnett Budin Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW... Posts: 1,904	Hope This Is Helpful, Lani... '95-'96 Chemo. Bald. No eyebrows or lashes. All grew back. Sept '98 - May '99 Taxotere, Bald. No eyebrows or lashes. Nails turned black and lifted off nailbeds w/oozy stuff presenting. EVERYTHING DRY. Eyes, nose -- yet severe and constant tearing and runny nose. Fingertips, heels severely dry and burning. Neuropathy. Overlap w/Herceptin Nov '98 -- to present. Hair did not grow back as after 1st chemo. Very thin, frail, dry, like fried hair. Receding hairline as in male pattern baldness camouflaged w/ right do. Eyebrows did not return. Eyelashes did not return as before -- some came back but most did not, now very sparse, shorter and not equal (meaning right and left upper and lower are not evenly distributed). Still dry eye but not as bad at all. No tearing. Still slightly runny nose. Very slight, especially when eating??!! Nails remain thin and splitting, frail. Cuticles very dry. Heels dry but not burning. One toe nail has a vertical split that grows out and returns. Toenails better than fingernails in genl. Andi __________________ Andi BB '95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive... '98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!) + good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either... Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...