Update and seeking advice

Angela · 01-05-2007, 06:31 PM

Hi all,

Well, I got good news from all my test. It is not in my bones, just my right lung! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I had my port put in yesterday. It is a little sore especially if I forget to take Tylenol every 4 hours. I was surprised they didn't give me something for the pain but they just said take Tylenol.

I begin treatment on Friday. I will be getting herceptin, Carboplatin, and Taxol. Last time when I was on Cytoxan and Adriamycin I had really bad constipation. Has any one been on the comb of herceptin, carboplatin, and taxol? What should I expect? Is anyone on these and still working?

Thanks!
Angela

Jean · 01-05-2007, 06:42 PM

Hi Angela,
I am sorry that you have to go back on chemo. I recently completed TCH
Carboplatin Taxel and herceptin....

It went faily well - I experienced small amount of fatique and nausea, of course lost my hair. Did not loose my eyelashes and brows until after the last treatment. (Had six) now I am on herceptin for one year.

Also after last treatment I did have some numbness in my toes. Dr. said this
will last from 6 - 9 months. A little bit of discoloration on my toe nails, a dark
yellow (but that is also clearing up). Some joint and muscle aches that would
last a few days. Your taste buds will have a foul taste sort of like metal, but
it will depend on what you are eating, sweeter type foods will taste bitter
and salty type foods will taste strange. I found that oatmeal was a good
food choice and ice-cream worked well - water was especially strange tasting. Hot tea worked well.

Hope this helps - stay in touch and best of luck with your treatments.

Sending you all good wishes and Blessings,
Jean

MichelleMoon · 01-05-2007, 06:46 PM

Hi Angela,

I was successfully treated for lung mets with 18 rounds of weekly Taxol + Herceptin, ending in November. I felt really good up until the last few treatments. No nausea and only very mild fatigue. Toward the end, my nails starting hurting and separated from the nail bed (yuck!). Along with the hair loss, that was the worst part. Since decadron was included in the premeds, I usually felt buzzed after treatment and sometimes had a hard time sleeping without some benadryl or Xanax. The neuropathy creeped up on me, too, although it didn't stop me from any regular activity. I was just so thrilled it worked well that these things were easy to overlook!

Wishing you all the best,

Sandy H · 01-05-2007, 07:56 PM

Hi Angela, sorry to hear you have to go back on chemo. I did this combo a few times as you can see from my profile. I did loose all my hair, had some numbness in hands and feet. I had to be very careful with constipation from the carboplatin. I would start drinking prune juice or eating prunes the morning of my treatment because if I didn't I would be in trouble that very night like carrying rocks inside of me. It was awful the first time I did not know and oh, my never want to go through that again! I would only have to use the prunes for about 3 days and then I was o.k. until the next treatment and I had them weekly. That is what it did to me but everyone is different and I have not talked to anyone else who had this much problem with constipation. Wishing you well and this is a great combo for many of us. I used it for skin mets until I had two allergic reactions to the carbo so no more for me. hugs, Sandy

Adriana Mangus · 01-05-2007, 11:03 PM

Dear Angela: Me too I was NED for almost 10 years! and the bc came back to my rt lung, I also developed a cough and was given medicine for a sinus infection even though I told the docs to do an X-ray, which a Doctor did on my 3rd visit!!!!. Yes.....but tanks to my persistence am still here. I was on Herceptin and Navelbine for 9 months, I will start xeloda next week since the tumor's starting to grow again....I'm ER/PR-Her2+. Go on breastcancer.org and read the transcript from the 12-18-06 conference, the guest speaker was Jennifer Griggs, on page 7 she says:: It's important to remember that the benefits of chemotherapy are greater in patients with hormone-receptor-negative tumors, compared to hormone-receptor-positive tumor. I'm sure you will do just fine on the chemotherapy you doctor has chosen for you. Take care.

Chelee · 01-05-2007, 11:11 PM

Angela, I did TCH also. As Sandy already mentioned I was quite constipated too. I tried everything and nothing worked for me except "Senokot". Once I got it going with the Senokot it was fine. So make sure you have something on hand just in case. I lost my hair about day 17 I believe. Slowly starting falling out, then in clumps. It easier to deal with if you just buzz it off before it starts falling out.

I think the worse thing for me was the aches & pains all over my body. Everything hurt. The 3rd day was always the worse as you probably know since you've done chemo before. With this combo it totally ruined my appetite! Nothing sounded, or tasted good. I had to force myself to eat little bits. I lost 37 pounds on TCH. Plus I would get this awful taste in my mouth and my teeth would feel like they had a thick yucky coating on them. (Lighly brushed teeth several times a day.) I had alot of acid reflux with anything I ate so I had to take Protonix for it. And as someone else mentioned here...water was AWFUL. I will have you know prior to my DX I don't drink anything but water. So it was strange to have water taste that BAD!! About my 4th or 5th trt it was almost impossible for me to drink plain water without adding something to it for taste. Plus I would chill it...that helped. I was afraid of getting too dehydrated so I drank "Power Aid" chilled. Now for some reason...that tasted GREAT!

I did get some discolored finger nails and toenails. Just the index & middle finger on each hand? (Strange?) They stayed black a long time then finally lifted off. Only the big toes got discolored. And as someone else mentioned the neuropathy does sneak up on you. I'm six months out from TCH and its pretty much went away. If you did cytoxan and AC I think you will do fine with the TCH. As to working while doing it...everyone is SO different. But I have heard of women working through their entire trt. I know of several that manage it. I know I couldn't of. Some of these women are TOUGH. I don't know how they do it? They amaze me.

If there is anything we left out that you wanted to know...just holler.

Chelee