HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???

jaykay · 11-06-2015, 07:18 AM

Hi,

In addition to what had already been said:
- If you are going to wear a wig, get one before you start chemo.
- You can avoid nausea by really following all the instructions from your doctor. Start anti-nausea meds the day of chemo and take them for at least 4 days after. I never experienced nausea
- Food will taste like cardboard, as well as any liquid. Eat what you want (seriously) because it is important to get calories in your body. I pretty much lived on chocolate Danish and turkey and cheese sandwiches. I'm a coffee drinker and it tasted horrible. I switched to tea.
- Have "vitamin water" in the house. As Tracy said, keep hydrated. Water may taste terrible, too
- If you work, schedule your treatments for Thursday or Friday because it will give you time to recover over the weekend. I had chemo on Thursdays, was great on Friday due to the steroids (speedy) and starting to crash on Saturday/Sunday. Went back to the hospital to get a Neulasta shot on the Friday after chemo. That helps with your white blood count. I was never sick during chemo.
- Get Biotene products for dry mouth. Sold everywhere - mouthwash, toothpaste, gel. This will help with mouth sores.
- Baby yourself. Take naps if you need them. It is all about you!
- Get your teeth cleaned because you won't be able to go to the dentist for routine visits until chemo is over in order to avoid any infection. I totally forgot and got my teeth cleaned 2 days before chemo started.
- Expect "teary eyes" and a runny nose. Tearing is thanks to taxotere, runny nose to Herceptin.
- Hate to bring this up but be prepared to lose your hair before your second treatment. I don't know where you live but I started chemo around the same time 3 years ago and it was a cold winter! Get some soft knit caps to wear around the house because your head and neck will be cold.

Finally, you can do this! Hardest part is waiting to get started. The heavy chemo (taxotere and carbo) is just 4 months. By spring, it will be behind you. Herceptin alone is, by comparison, a walk in the park

Best
Janis

11-06-2015, 07:18 AM	#4
jaykay Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 645	Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin??? Hi, In addition to what had already been said: - If you are going to wear a wig, get one before you start chemo. - You can avoid nausea by really following all the instructions from your doctor. Start anti-nausea meds the day of chemo and take them for at least 4 days after. I never experienced nausea - Food will taste like cardboard, as well as any liquid. Eat what you want (seriously) because it is important to get calories in your body. I pretty much lived on chocolate Danish and turkey and cheese sandwiches. I'm a coffee drinker and it tasted horrible. I switched to tea. - Have "vitamin water" in the house. As Tracy said, keep hydrated. Water may taste terrible, too - If you work, schedule your treatments for Thursday or Friday because it will give you time to recover over the weekend. I had chemo on Thursdays, was great on Friday due to the steroids (speedy) and starting to crash on Saturday/Sunday. Went back to the hospital to get a Neulasta shot on the Friday after chemo. That helps with your white blood count. I was never sick during chemo. - Get Biotene products for dry mouth. Sold everywhere - mouthwash, toothpaste, gel. This will help with mouth sores. - Baby yourself. Take naps if you need them. It is all about you! - Get your teeth cleaned because you won't be able to go to the dentist for routine visits until chemo is over in order to avoid any infection. I totally forgot and got my teeth cleaned 2 days before chemo started. - Expect "teary eyes" and a runny nose. Tearing is thanks to taxotere, runny nose to Herceptin. - Hate to bring this up but be prepared to lose your hair before your second treatment. I don't know where you live but I started chemo around the same time 3 years ago and it was a cold winter! Get some soft knit caps to wear around the house because your head and neck will be cold. Finally, you can do this! Hardest part is waiting to get started. The heavy chemo (taxotere and carbo) is just 4 months. By spring, it will be behind you. Herceptin alone is, by comparison, a walk in the park 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!