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Halavan---So far, so good!
I had my first halavan chemo last Tuesday and will have the second tomorrow. So far it seems to be good news---no nausea, some extra itching but so far no new hives, am able to sleep and eat, just extra tired. However my two oldest daughters are visiting and we are staying up late and doing more. My husband and I even drove to Las Vegas (an hour and a half away) to pick one daughter up from Houston, at the Las Vegas airport. It was a long day but I slept well and had no after effects. I have a good appetite (a first with any chemo!) and hope to gain back a few pounds I've lost. I am amazed at how short the halavan infusion is: only an hour including anti-nausea med, allergy med and a hydration treatment. The actual halavan infusion itself is less than 5 minutes long! I am uneasy that I am unable to add herceptin, but guess there is no info on doing the two together. Besides, my ejection fraction has dropped to 45 and my onclogist won't give me herceptin unless my ef is over 50. Since we did try herceptin alone after the problems with other chemos, he seems to feel that the herceptin doesn't work now for me. But my concern is whether the her2 cancer can be stopped without herceptin. Anyone have comments on that?
I am noticing some irregular heart beats and higher pulse, plus the extra fatigue and dizziness. The oncologist said to watch for those and also any indication of fever or immune problems. I have blood tests the day before the chemo so the onc is aware of how I am doing. I am not sure how many weeks the halavan treatment is given, but it is once a week. I know the first infusion doesn't always tell the tale so I will let you know how the second and third do. It was such a help to have the info and experiences available here! As always I am so grateful for this website and all the kindness and concern shown here. Even when I don't have time to post, I always read the new posts and send out a prayer and love for each writer. Thank you all for being there and special appreciation to Christine and her family. Hugs, TriciaK
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