Dear Laurie,
I completed six rounds of Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin on April 4th of this year. I found that the decadron and anti-nausea meds truly helped. The oncologists first started me out on 16 mg. of decadron but backed it down to 8mg. It's a steriod that made me feel really good but couldn't sleep and ended up with headaches. Changing the dosage worked well.
Just as hutchibk said I felt good the day of and day after but by day 2-3 I was ready to have a lay around day. I would take it easy for 3-4 days and then begin to feel better. Never once did I have nausea just a few gaggy moments.
One thing my family noticed was that the evening of treatments I would be sharp tongued and unreasonable at times. I felt on edge, nerves maybe and the steroids (decadron). I would get angrier than normal when my daughters didn't call to check in, etc.
Sorry to ramble on and on but this site (and others) helped me so much to get through chemo and radiation I want to pass on my experience and help others.
The carboplatin succeeded in removing my ability to taste food. Although I enjoyed orange sherbert and some spicy foods during that time. Food I normally loved tasted horrible. I would drink a soda through a straw and that seemed to taste pretty good. I was not good about diet during chemo time. Couldn't seem to successfully digest leafy salads but enjoyed pasta salad.
It did change my bowel habits from one semi-extreme to the other from day to day but it was doable.
It was important in my line of work to take the chemo months off. I felt that I couldn't be dependable enough and didn't want my employer to have to find a substitute for my "down" days. It happened that I could have worked many of the days in-between chemo treatments and did go in a few times to work behind the scenes in my ball cap covering my bald head.
I am currently receiving Herceptin treatments every three weeks - 442 mg. It's been relatively easy.
Laurie, You will do well. Chemo has come so far and is very doable. You'll feel the meds and chemo working it's miracle through out your body. It's doable and you'll be well!
Wishing you the best.
Feel free to ask me anything at
timmfam@ligtel.com.
Dana
P.S. I had severe heartburn a few evenings that was uncomfortable but protonix helped.