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08-31-2007, 10:17 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 65
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Dear Christina,
I was on the Herceptin, Taxol, Carbo combo last year (had Taxotere alone 2 years earlier). I had more side effects from the Decadron and Benadryl, with some hair loss thrown in - though I was left with wisps which I shaved off. The result was the best short hair I've EVER had- My white hair continued growing, then later the dark that had fallen out... so I had a "reverse pelt" of silky white, underlaid with thick dark. That was the best part. The worst was that I developed an allergy to both the Taxol and the Carbo - My 11/12 tx with Taxol, and the final 12/12 with Carbo. Speak up quickly if you start feeling odd... such as chest flutters, sudden skin flushing, sudden rash, or just feeling strange. My chemo nurses were on top of my reactions at once. Got lots more benadryl and decadron, but wasn't any worse for the scare. Don't let my experience scare you, just be aware that it can happen and don't be afraid to question. My motto is "when in doubt, check it out!" Other than that, I just seemed to get a little more fatigued with each treatment. Good luck. You'll be in my thoughts.
Rentrac
__________________
Oct. 2003: Dx age 48, Stage IIIA Ductal Ca. dense dose neoadjuvent AC. BrCa 1&2 -, ER+, PR-, Her2+. 2004: R mastectomy, 3+ nodes, dense doseTaxotere ( allergic), total hysterectomy, radiationx36 . Tamoxifen x6 mo., Arimidex x9 mo. Jan. '06: Multi left metastatic nodes left neck. Stage IV. Taxol, Carboplatin (allergic to both), Herceptin, radiationx27. Herceptin cont'd. 1 mediastinal met in old rad field. April: 2 brain mets - Rcerebellar, Ltemporal lobe. Gammaknife. Stop Herceptin, Start Tykerb. May: CyberKnife-mediastinal node, Zometa restart. July: New RLung mets. Xeloda add. Jan. 2008: CT: Lung mets shrinking. Fatty liver w/increased liver function panel. Feb '08: MRI: brain mets back, 2nd GammaKnife. June: Migraine headaches from cerebellar tumor. Team for WBR - Choose Craniotomy on Cerebellum only. Aug: Crainiotomy successful. Sept: PET -right lung apex clean; left internal mammary artery appears malignant. Herceptin in future. Left mastectomy?
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09-01-2007, 08:03 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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Rentrac, thanks for the caution to continue to be alert for allergic reactions. I had assumed that since my first two treatments were uneventful I was home free on that front. I guess we can never let our guard down! It's always something!
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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09-03-2007, 01:43 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 600
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Christina, I am glad you understood what I was saying about the the show. I haven't made up my mind about reconstruction. I am still trying to get the use of my right arm back. I started physical therapy last week. I have an impinged nerve and it feels like I have a steel spring from my sternum to my thumb but it is getting better. I have to say that the chemo wasn't as bad as I expected but the surgery has been worse. Right now I cannot imagine voluntarily going back for more. I may change my mind but only if I undergo some sort of amnesia similar to childbirth. On top of that I found out the other day that my insurance doesn't cover it. I would like to have the option. Hope you get through your chemo okay.
Leslie
__________________
In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
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09-03-2007, 01:47 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 600
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nausea
Emend is a wonder drug. It comes in a blister pack . You take one before chemo, one each of the following days. It really helped me. I had it in conjunction with the Aloxi premed and Zofran as needed. I only needed it on the weeks I had carboplatin.
Leslie
__________________
In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
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