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09-27-2013, 04:08 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 570
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Final Chemo!
It's final chemo Friday! Very anxious as the SEs are starting to build up. ...but this is the last one!
Questions about the transition to Herceptin only:
1. How long did it take you to feel relief from TC and begin to feel better (fatigue is my real problem)?
2. How long to get relief from neuropathy? I have a miserable and almost constant, visible to everyone, eye twitch and dead toes.
3. How do you feel on just Herceptin? SEs? I want the fatigue to clear up.
4. Radiation SEs? I start radiation on 10/21 for 25 txs.
Thanks for any insight!
It's final chemo Friday!!! I am almost there....
__________________
Tracy Arcari
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11/12 BSE ignored the lump for SIX months.
5/1/13 IDC ER/PR- HER2/neu+++
5/14/13 Mastectomy and SN biopsy
5/20/13 IDC Stage IIb Grade 3 Nodes 1/4 also IDC and DCIS multi focal in remaining dissected tissue.
5/30/13 MUGA and CT thorax, abdomen & pelvis, establish baseline.
6/4/13 Installed my little purple power port.
6/14/13 Chemo started TCH
6/14/13 Informed of suspicious ares on scans scheduled PET.
7/1/13 PET Scan NED!
9/27/13 FINAL CHEMO taken! ----well, maybe not.
10/15/13 Three little tattoos.
10/24/13 Radiation begins and fourth tattoo placed.
11/27/13 Perfectly radiant! Radiation completed the day before Thanksgiving and so, so much to be thankful for this year and every day hereafter.
1/2/14 Happy New Year, you have a Goiter? Muga down to 59%.
1/17/14 Hashimoto's Dz Dx'd. Now maybe I'll feel BETTER!
5/2/14 Herceptin completed! New kitten!
8/19/14 Prophylactic mastectomy (right) and PORT OUT! I'm DONE and now I really am a SURVIVOR.
2/15 Started not feeling so swell. Memory lapses and GI issues with nausea and blurry vision.
4/30/15 U/S cystic gallbladder, cyst on right ovary and mass in my uterus. GYN consult scheduled---and cancelled. I'm not ready.
5/4/15 Brain MRI clear (big sigh of relief)
7/30/15 Back Pain
8/31/15 Radiograph: compression fracture L2
9/10/15 Bone Scan positive
9/21/15 CT scan conclusive for tumor
10/1/15 CT guided biopsy & Brain to Pelvis MRI reveal additional lesions on spine C6, T10, T11 and L2 is collapsing.
10/8/15 Abbreviated pathology: new tumor(s) poorly differentiated carcinoma consistent with known breast primary.
ER-/PR+ (40%) HER2/neu+++ Ki-67 4% Pancytokeratin AE1/3 Strong Positivity in all malignant cells.
10/13/15 Abnormal Dexa: moderate risk of fracture to both femoral head/neck R&L. Significant risk to lumbar spine.
10/14/15 Radiation consult back to the cooker.
10/20/15 MUGA 50% down from 54% after a year off Herceptin (???)
10/21/15 Kyphoplasty L2
10/22/15 Re-start Chemo: Perjeta, Herceptin & Taxotere
10/26/15 PET Scan confirms C6, T10-11, L2, new lesion noted at L4 but no visceral involvement---Happy dance!!!
10//29/15 Xgeva
10/29/15 Radiation Simulation--three new tattoos to add to my collection. Just call me Dotty.
10/30/15 CA27-29 63 U/mol (<38 U/mol)
11/3/15 First Trip to see Dr. E. Mayer at DFCI
11/4/15 Surgical consult to re-install my little purple power port.
11/9/15 Radiation treatment one of five.
11/10/15 Installed my little purple power port and not a moment too soon, took them four tries to get an IV started today.
Yes, we really are going down this road again.
12/5/15 CT for suspected pulmonary embolism demonstrates increase in T10-11 mets.
12/8/15 Bone Scan uptake at T10-11 (not seen 9/17/15) & Right 8th Rib (not evident on PET 10/26/15)
12/10/15 Consult Re: PROGRESSION. Halt THP due today. Schedule PET and order TDM1 for next week. PLAN B.
12/14/15 PET scan: NO PROGRESSION! THP is working, metabolic activity minimal. Merry Christmas to me! Sticking with PLAN A, it's working.
1/7/16 Start Taxol weekly instead of Taxotere (has been too taxing and not rebounding between txs.) Zometa instead of Xgeva.
3/28/16 CT shows new sclerotic lesions on T12, L3, L5, L6, right ilium and head of right femur. No uptake on Bone Scan (progression????)
3/31/16 Discontinue Taxol start Arimidex, still getting H&P.
6/2/16 Discontinue Arimidex and start Exemestane.
6/18/16 PET is NEAD!!
7/1/16 Discontinue Exemestane and restart Armidex (SEs)
8/29/16 CT/Bone Scan Stable (still uptake at T10-11)
10/3/16 BSO pathology negative
10/10/16 MRI: Brain clear!
10/14/16 Switched care to Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care
11/24/16 Xgeva, New MO preference to Zometa
12/12/16 CT/Bone scan Mostly stable significant uptake at L2 plan to PET
1/12/17 PET shows NEAD celebrate with a new puppy!
3/29/17 CT & BS = NEAD
7/31/17 Aetna denies access to H&P <gearing up for a fight>
8/4/17 CT& BS= STABLE
8/9/17 No treatment, Aetna still denying H&P
8/14/17 Aetna appeal approved H&P through February 2018!
2/5/18 CT & BS = STABLE
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09-27-2013, 07:29 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 645
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Re: Final Chemo!
Congrats!
1. How long did it take you to feel relief from TC and begin to feel better (fatigue is my real problem)?
For me, it was about a month. However, my feet/ankles were horribly swollen because my body was expecting the steroids after 3 weeks and didn't get it. Had to go on lasix for a while but it cleared up after a couple of weeks. You will feel better every week.
2. How long to get relief from neuropathy? I have a miserable and almost constant, visible to everyone, eye twitch and dead toes.
I did not have bad neuropathy, only my hands. I started taking B6 (100mg) and it seemed to help. There are other suggestions throughout this site, just search for neuropathy
3. How do you feel on just Herceptin? SEs? I want the fatigue to clear up.
Only side effect for me has been a runny nose. Truly, Herceptin alone for me has been very uneventful.
4. Radiation SEs? I start radiation on 10/21 for 25 txs.
Radiation is a grind because it is daily but a walk in the park compared to chemo. You may feel somewhat tired along the way and it all depends on how your skin reacts. I was pretty lucky. Only used aloe gel and didn't get really red until the last week. But my radiation oncologist was going for "crispy", so...
For me, surgery was easy, chemo was really a physical and psychological ordeal but doable and radiation the home stretch. I have 2 more Herceptins and my exchange surgery is scheduled for mid-October. It's been a long year and I wish my hair would grow faster, but I believe we come out of this stronger and with a better sense of what really matters in life.
Best
Janis
__________________
March, 2000: 48, Post menopausal (5 yrs HRT) Left breast, IDC 3mm/DCIS 1.6cm, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, mod differentiated, MIB low, lumpectomy, node neg via SNB, rads=33 Stage 1a
June, 2000: Tamox 4.5 years,Femara for 5 years (end in Jan. 2010)
Sept, 2012: 61, Via mamm, ultrasound, biopsy, right breast, 2.3cm tumor, ER+/PR-/Her2+++, poorly diff, KI67 60-70%
BRCA 1 and 2 negative
October, 2012: Bi Mast with tissue expanders, port placement
Final Path: IDC 2.8cm, DCIS, 1/4 sentinal nodes positive (@#$%). Stage IIB
Nov 29, 2012: Begin TCH/6x/every 3 wks, H for 1 year/every 3 weeks.
March 14, 2013: Finished chemo
April 9, 2013: Begin radiation 28x
May 22, 2013: Finished rads
June 1st, 2013: Started Aromasin for 5 yrs.
July 15, 2013: Switched to Letrozole (Femara). Probably for the rest of my life
October 16, 2013: Exchange surgery
October 31, 2013: Finished Herceptin
December 5, 2013: Port removed
Glad this year is over!
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09-27-2013, 07:37 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: El Paso ,Tx
Posts: 436
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Re: Final Chemo!
I didn't have any neuropathy, but felt it took about a month to start to feel I was coming out of the chemo funk. Herceptin was easy I only had a runny nose, my RBC has remained low but slowly recovering. Radiation was easy, I didn't have any fatigue just turned red but no blistering or anything. Everyone is different though. Congrats of finishing chemo though one more thing to put behind you.
Suzanne
__________________
 dx: DCIS 6/8/10, HER 2+ 7/26/10; Stage I Age 41
Double mast w reconstruction
6 TCH w 1yr herceptin
Tamox.
25 radiation tx
Removal of expander on L due to infection. Tried to save it had 3 bouts of antibiotics and went to see plastic surgeon 2-3x wk to get drained. Saving it was my idea not his. But lost it anyway.
Reconstruction set for December 21st,2011
Finished chemo 12/2010
Finished Herceptin 8/26/11
Reconstruction 12/21/11
Expanders exchanged for silicon 3/19/12
Nipple reconstruction 5/18/12
Nipple tatooing- 7/9/12- All done yay!
11/22/12-Went back to get scar tissue stretched to even the outside of breast, didn't work due to it being radiated skin.
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09-27-2013, 10:33 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Philly Suburbs
Posts: 1,709
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Re: Final Chemo!
Congratulations on finishing all your "hard" chemo!
You made it!
Hoping that H only, and radiation are a breeze by comparison!
 Denise |
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09-27-2013, 04:10 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 3,463
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Re: Final Chemo!
Herceptin was a breeze for me too as were rads, it took me about 6-8 weeks to get over the fatigue but a little longer for the neuropathy to clear but you're over the worst now and well done!!!
__________________
Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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09-27-2013, 11:36 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 585
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Re: Final Chemo!
Congratulations...!!!! It took me about a month for the fatigue to start to lift gradually, and probably another couple weeks after that to get over the neuropathy. That last dose of the chemo was the worst! And now it is all behind you. Kudos to you!
__________________
Diagnosed in October 2011 Stage IV with metastasis to liver.
January 2012 after double mastectomy, started taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin.
Clear.
December 2012 was diagnosed with five brain mets, and had whole brain radiation.
Around July 2014 two mets in brain, one a residual spot and one new one growing in size. Received Cyberknife on both areas
Clear/NED
April 2015 remain NED
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09-28-2013, 05:05 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Katonah,New York
Posts: 228
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Re: Final Chemo!
Congratulations! You did it!
Thanks for asking those questions, I was wondering too, my last TCH is scheduled for Oct. 9th.
__________________
3/11/13- normal mammo and US
4/30/13 Found pea sized lump while showering
5/10/13 core bx
5/15/13 dx IDC 1CM,
5/20/13 BRAC 1&2 neg
5/28/13 lumpectomy and SNB, ER/PR/Her-2+, Nodes neg,positive margins
6/13/13 revision of margins . Now clear
6/26/13 first TCH
Chemo Ninja~kutaki Zika Zukuchiri
10/18/13-Bx of calcification-neg whew
11/7/13 Started Radiation.
01/2014- Started Tamoxifen
06/09/14-Steriotactic BX left breast calcification-Benign
06/18/2014-completed one year of Herceptin!
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09-28-2013, 06:45 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 265
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Re: Final Chemo!
Huge Congrats!! I finished July 22nd...indeed, the worst is behind you!!
Eye twitching...I had started a thread on that as I was dealing with it towards the end of my chemo. 
I had spasms underneath my right eye, as well as twitching that would come and go daily for about a good month. Now I hardly notice any twitching, just a bit...I believe it definately was a side effect!!
As to Herceptin side effects...a runny nose is the most I can speak of...you've heard it from the others, this is a "walk in the park" compared to chemo!
__________________
10/18/12 Found pea size lump right breast
11/7/12 Biopsy
12/14/12 Lumpectomy
1/4/13 Rexcision, NO CLEAR MARGINS!! :(
2/11/13 Mastectomy with Expander Placed
2/15/13 INFECTION at Mastectomy site...emergency Surgery!!! Expander removed :(
DX: DCIS, IDC, Stage 2a, 2.7cm, 1/5 nodes positive
ER/PR-, HER2+++
3/28/13 Port placed
4/1/13 Begin 6 Cycles TCH Therapy
4/1/14 Finished Herceptin!!
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10-03-2013, 08:00 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 124
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Re: Final Chemo!
Congrats!! A huge milestone done!! I actually finished Herceptin a few weeks ago. Once I was off of Taxotere and Carboplatin - it took about 4 to 6 weeks to start losing that groggy feeling - but I still had it a little through the Herceptin. I also had the twitchy and watery (to the point of running) eyes and neuropathy. The eyes cleared up quickly. I still have neuropathy issues (it's been 10 months since TC) from time to time but it's not as bad. I think the Vit B complex and Biotin has helped some. It might be a lifetime thing now - but it's doable. Herceptin - runny nose - still have that - hope that goes away soon. Things will start to get better ... hair starts coming back... energy... you start to feel "normal-ish" again. Congratulations again~
Jeri
__________________
Diagnosed 16Dec1993 ITP (auto immune disease - low platelets)
Splenectomy 11Nov2009
Rituxen May2011
ITP playing nice
Diagnosed 3Jul2012 BC
2 cm - Grade 2 - Stage IIB
HER2+++
ER+/PR+
bilateral mastectomy 20Jul2012
Metastasized cancer found 1 lymph node
expanders placed during surgery
TCH chemo "cocktail" started 24Aug2012
every 3 weeks - 6 treatments
Herceptin - 18 treatments
LAST treatment Taxotere & Carboplatin 7Dec2012 -yay!
Continue with Herceptin 26Dec2012
Started Arimidex 01Jan2013 (for 5 years)
Surgery to remove expanders/reconstruction 18Jan2013
Infection in left breast from reconstruction/infection in most nails - SO many meds! 22Feb2013
Left implant not playing nice.... might need to remove and try again - blah! 04Apr2013
3Jul2013 - one year since diagnosis - booo cancer!
15Aug2013 LAST chemo infusion!! YIPPPEEE!!!
13Sep2013 2nd reconstructive surgery.. the FOOBs are looking good!
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10-04-2013, 04:27 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 562
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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.
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