HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - 3rd TCH treatment...delayed reaction...UGHH!!

CoolBreeze · 05-29-2013, 05:35 PM

Having been on chemo now for 3 1/2 years, I know the feeling and more. Obviously, I am not the same as I was when I started, but I know our bodies can manage.

Keep in mind you DO have an end date, Step 1. Make a plan for doing something fun on that date, or the day after. Buy something you enjoy, make a plan to go somewhere you like. You deserve to be rewarded.

Step 2, eat as well as you can, even if your food tastes funny. Eat what you like and can get down, you can worry about healthy foods again later. Calories are calories and your body needs them to manage this assault.

Very important: Drink LOTS of water the day before and the day of chemo and the day after. You want to be very hydrated and have that stuff wash through your system.

Make sure you don't overdo your energy level. (I did at first, I was making sure this wouldn't interfere with my life) but sleeping and rest is important too. My doctor once said "you keep it up, you are going to be lying on the ground with a circle of faces looking at you." REST!

Don't ignore the emotional - you may have have been keeping it "together" for the graduation and now let it go so are feeling this more. But three treatments, hard though they may be, means you are halfway done! Yay!!! If you did these three, you can do the rest. But all that to say is if you FEEL down, allow it. Just don't let it happen too long because when you get in that down mood, it's harder to get out.

You are amazing, your body is strong, it can recover and you will be fine. It helped for me to think of this (early on) as a psychological experiment, interesting, one experience that most don't get. I enjoyed seeing how people reacted to me and what my body could do. It's a neat way to change your thought process at a time when we are all tempted to go "woe is me."

Your last treatment, when your blood is really affected, is the hardest. I remember that with my first round, I walked up the stairs to the doctors appointment every single time and vowed I'd do that to the end. By the 6th and last treatment, I had to pause on the landings but I was proud to have done it. I made my goal.

Now I take the elevator.

LOL.

Good luck to you, and BIG HUGS. You can do this, you WILL do this and you are going to be one of the WINNERS! I have faith!!!!

05-29-2013, 05:35 PM	#6
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: 3rd TCH treatment...delayed reaction...UGHH!! Having been on chemo now for 3 1/2 years, I know the feeling and more. Obviously, I am not the same as I was when I started, but I know our bodies can manage. Keep in mind you DO have an end date, Step 1. Make a plan for doing something fun on that date, or the day after. Buy something you enjoy, make a plan to go somewhere you like. You deserve to be rewarded. Step 2, eat as well as you can, even if your food tastes funny. Eat what you like and can get down, you can worry about healthy foods again later. Calories are calories and your body needs them to manage this assault. Very important: Drink LOTS of water the day before and the day of chemo and the day after. You want to be very hydrated and have that stuff wash through your system. Make sure you don't overdo your energy level. (I did at first, I was making sure this wouldn't interfere with my life) but sleeping and rest is important too. My doctor once said "you keep it up, you are going to be lying on the ground with a circle of faces looking at you." REST! Don't ignore the emotional - you may have have been keeping it "together" for the graduation and now let it go so are feeling this more. But three treatments, hard though they may be, means you are halfway done! Yay!!! If you did these three, you can do the rest. But all that to say is if you FEEL down, allow it. Just don't let it happen too long because when you get in that down mood, it's harder to get out. You are amazing, your body is strong, it can recover and you will be fine. It helped for me to think of this (early on) as a psychological experiment, interesting, one experience that most don't get. I enjoyed seeing how people reacted to me and what my body could do. It's a neat way to change your thought process at a time when we are all tempted to go "woe is me." Your last treatment, when your blood is really affected, is the hardest. I remember that with my first round, I walked up the stairs to the doctors appointment every single time and vowed I'd do that to the end. By the 6th and last treatment, I had to pause on the landings but I was proud to have done it. I made my goal. Now I take the elevator. LOL. Good luck to you, and BIG HUGS. You can do this, you WILL do this and you are going to be one of the WINNERS! I have faith!!!! __________________ 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.