[Joy]

Well, I just got back from a big appt. to receive results from last weeks imaging studies. Brain MRI is clear-thank goodness The pet/ct showed virtually no activity in the little spots in lungs and bones and no change in the liver tumors. The CT with IV contrast did show progression in the liver and some liver "irritation" as a result. My onc consulted with a radiologist who specializes in cancer and they compared the last 3 CT's together.

WE decided to quit Navelbine and Herceptin and switch to the trendy new treatment complete with all the diarrhea fun...tykerb/xeloda.

I will start early next week. I have been on xeloda before but with taxotere for nine months and initially the diarrhea was horrible and the hand/foot thing became a show and tell item at the center one day-the worst case they'd ever seen. I had really toughed it out though. To the point of being stupid before I complained. They reduced my dose by half and things were better.

I talked with her about that experience and she was willing to start on 1500 vs 3000/day for 14 days at a time. She did mention that taxotere can interfere with xeloda's clearance and that maybe that was why the situation was so bad. I remember thinking just how sexy I was to have wisps of manky hair on my head, watery diarrhea ALL DAY, a heavy period for 2weeks all at the same time. I was such a catch.

Anyway, I will start at 3000mg's of xeloda per day plus the standard 1250 of tykerb, which i'm going to try in the evening first.

In the past I found that B6 did make a difference for the hand/foot deal and that very natural lotions containing calendula helped with my hands. I did not use any anti-diarrheals last time, my doc at the time seemed clueless about the diarrhea. But I plan on getting the immodium and whooping up on that as needed this time. It will all balance out the last year of constipation I guess.

Xeloda was very effective for my liver mets last time and honestly I'm excited to beat the crap out of them again. My gut tells me that I will be a good responder to the Tykerb too. So providing we manage it all well, I will trudge on!!!

So, ladies, we are all in this together and I'm holding us all in a warm nurturing, but feisty place with this.