Herceptin + Taxol + Carboplatin + Rads

[Lyn]

Hi everyone, had my first dose of above combo last Thursday and felt the pin ball effect just about straight away. I know it is working because I can turn my head without any pain so the pressure is off the nerve that was shooting up the back of my head making me feel like I wanted to throw up and hindering the use of my right arm like I had a frozen shoulder. Rads were commenced on the Monday so that can't take the credit but with the Carboplatin it is a bonus. Will try heat pack with the drugs this Friday, I have another 6 rads to go and my neck is feeling flatter, my onc appreciates me giving him all of our up to date treatments, in Australia the combo hasn't been FDA approved yet but the drugs are legal so how I have them in what sequence is our business, the politicians don't have to get plugged into a drip so they can go jump, and as for the tax payers paying for our drugs, my family is quite pleased that their taxes go back into the family and I have worked continually for the past 30 odd years, but we still get narrow minded people complaining, and I only stoped working with the big "C" which I now describe as my career. We just have to remain one step of C at all times. Next question, how long for the combo???

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Sandy]

What do you mean heat with your chemo? So glad to hear it appears to be working. That is geat news. Hugs, Sandy

[Kitty]

Lyn,

Hope you're doing this combo weekly....should see results in 3 months...I have continued the treatment even after it appeared all but a small line remained on my liver mets (after 11 weeks) as a precautionary measure. I have had 30 treatments so far, cat scan scheduled for Monday and will probably have 32 treatments in all if everything remains stable. Hasn't caused me any problems...have been working fulltime and feel great. Don't know about the rads part ...didn't have that, but know this chemo combo works well. Hope it works out for you.
Kitty

[Lyn]

Hi Kitty,glad you are doing great, yes weekly, how is your hair going, the reason I insisted on weekly was because it is sooo Toxic otherwise, but, don't have a plan as to how long to stay on it?

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Hi, my interpretation of the onc is with a heat pack on the neck, but spoke to radiologist and they said that it can be done with rads, but not too common, otherwise anything that strays from the norm they don't want to know about it.

Hugs Lyn

[Kitty]

Lyn,

I think we are curious what is the logic and/or purpose of using the heat pack with taxol and carboplatin? I have never used heat, and I believe this is a new concept to us. Just wondering...

Kitty

[Lyn]

Hi there, the heat pack heats up the tumour when placed over it, my neck is the problem, so then the drug is attracted to the hot spot, same as sucking ice stops drug giving mouth ulcers with 5FU, haven't quite gone into the mechanics of it yet, but I believe it did reduce some of the swelling in my neck with treatment last Thursday, I am continually feeling my neck and it did feel smaller. Problem was that the heat pack didn't stay hot for long and I didn't want to hassle the nurse so I will take my own small hot water bottle this week.

Loe & Hugs Lyn