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CoolBreeze · 10-04-2013, 04:27 PM

After my first, initial treatment, I felt better quickly. It was week by week improvement. I didn't do radiation so don't know how that will play into your recovery, but a month past chemo my fatigue was minor. By three months it was gone (and then I had to start all over again!).

I've been on herceptin for years and have no SEs from it but a runny nose. Definitely no fatigue.

The most complicated aspect of your question is the neuropathy. I sure hope you've kept your doctor informed the entire time - mine switched chemos on me to try and curb the neuropathy, as it often is permanent. Not the eye twitch that will go away, but the numb toes is an all too common reality for post-cancer lives. I am very much not into any treatment or supplement but there is an exception - l-glutamine for neuropathy, and that's because UCLA has done some studies on it that show it helps prevent neuropathy in chemo patients. As soon as I started taking it, mine went away and I've had 7 different chemos and had none.

Maybe too late for you - I don't know if it works post-therapy. I took it the day before, the day of, and the day after treatment. It's a powder you dissolve in water if you are interested.

Let's hope you are one of the lucky ones and your neuropathy goes away, and quickly.

Congratulations on finishing the hardest part of treatment! The rest will be a breeze!

10-04-2013, 04:27 PM	#10
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: Final Chemo! After my first, initial treatment, I felt better quickly. It was week by week improvement. I didn't do radiation so don't know how that will play into your recovery, but a month past chemo my fatigue was minor. By three months it was gone (and then I had to start all over again!). I've been on herceptin for years and have no SEs from it but a runny nose. Definitely no fatigue. The most complicated aspect of your question is the neuropathy. I sure hope you've kept your doctor informed the entire time - mine switched chemos on me to try and curb the neuropathy, as it often is permanent. Not the eye twitch that will go away, but the numb toes is an all too common reality for post-cancer lives. I am very much not into any treatment or supplement but there is an exception - l-glutamine for neuropathy, and that's because UCLA has done some studies on it that show it helps prevent neuropathy in chemo patients. As soon as I started taking it, mine went away and I've had 7 different chemos and had none. Maybe too late for you - I don't know if it works post-therapy. I took it the day before, the day of, and the day after treatment. It's a powder you dissolve in water if you are interested. Let's hope you are one of the lucky ones and your neuropathy goes away, and quickly. Congratulations on finishing the hardest part of treatment! The rest will be a breeze! __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.