Chemo Chicks - newbies to the group

elm3544 said:

This is also a great time to
This is also a great time to let the newbies know about the wonderful people who provide hats and scarves free of charge to chemo patients.

http://www.hatsoff-to-chemo.org/

http://www.heavenlyhats.com/

www.franceluxe.com/

hi I just posted the france
hi I just posted the france website (they are beautiful scarves) I have also received 2 hats from ...hats off to chemo..... thanks for helping us newbies out ..its a very scary time but with people like you our ordeal will be less mentally painful...hugs...Lisa

sweetvickid said:

Newbe
This site is a godsend! Nice to know I have somewhere I can go and talk with out worrying about upsetting others.

Today in about an hour I go to see the oncologist to see what treatment plan we are going with. Thanks to all of you I have my questions prepared!

Loving thoughts to all
Vicki

didn't think I'd be here, but here I am!
Mine was supposed to be "simple" DCIS - everything neat and clean and contained in the ducts. SURPRISE!
Pathology report came back with an invasive component besides the ductwork, hormone receptors are negative and HER2 is positive with a 7.2. So I'll start next Monday (23rd) with my new flavor-of-the-month (actually 4 months) cocktail which will be followed by 7 months of the herceptin chaser. Anybody else doing carboplatin and taxotere?
I looked up HER2 and it looks like I have a lot to be thankful for - the outlook for HER2 seemed pretty bleak until that miracle drug was developed! This is what I'm trying to remind myself of when I wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Sorry for the whining - after PET results and first chemo is over, I'll be better. I promise!

LT said:

didn't think I'd be here, but here I am!
Mine was supposed to be "simple" DCIS - everything neat and clean and contained in the ducts. SURPRISE!
Pathology report came back with an invasive component besides the ductwork, hormone receptors are negative and HER2 is positive with a 7.2. So I'll start next Monday (23rd) with my new flavor-of-the-month (actually 4 months) cocktail which will be followed by 7 months of the herceptin chaser. Anybody else doing carboplatin and taxotere?
I looked up HER2 and it looks like I have a lot to be thankful for - the outlook for HER2 seemed pretty bleak until that miracle drug was developed! This is what I'm trying to remind myself of when I wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Sorry for the whining - after PET results and first chemo is over, I'll be better. I promise!

LT.......
Nice to "meet" you....

I just finished a year of Herceptin. Prior to that, I had A/C & Abraxabe. Also 28 rads.

Everyone is terrified and confused, right from the beginning of this cancer journey. But you are correct about Herceptin being something to be thankful for.
Chemo is not easy under the best of circumstances, but you will get through and come out the other side, a stronger person.
The Herceptin is easy and I personally didn't experience any side effects from it. My hair grew back while on it and I felt fine.

Big hugs for you...

CR

Whoknowz said:

Pitt, you are amazing
With everything you have going on, you take time to round up all the chemo chicks, making us all at home. I'm stage 2 IDC, hormone pos, HER neg. My nodes were negative but there was a micrometastasis in the sentinel node. (That sounds contradictory to me that it was negative but had cancer, but that's what the docs say.)

My cocktail is also taxotere/cytoxan every 3 weeks with the followup neulasta shot. I had my first round last Monday. Side effects have been very manageable -- nausea but the meds took care of it, sore throat, runny nose, bone pain, wiped out feeling, and blood pressure dropped drastically days 4 and 5. It's been much easier than I expected.

Chemo Chicks .. I am not doing very well .. Round 4 last
Tuesday, 11/10 - TCH ... or shall I say week #10 of 18 .. It's getting more difficult to recoup from my TCH treatments .. Herceptin scheduled for tomorrow, 11/17 & 11/24 - then I will be finished with chemo cycle #4. I've been in bed for about 5 days, no lie. Tired and sick, no energy. I did take the neulasta shot last Wednesday, but with me being so tired, I feel that my wbc counts should be low, tomorrow.

6 chemo cycles total, don't know what I can do to get to the finish line.

Thanks Chemo Chicks for checking up on me, I am just besides myself with pain and no energy.

VickiSam

LT said:

didn't think I'd be here, but here I am!
Mine was supposed to be "simple" DCIS - everything neat and clean and contained in the ducts. SURPRISE!
Pathology report came back with an invasive component besides the ductwork, hormone receptors are negative and HER2 is positive with a 7.2. So I'll start next Monday (23rd) with my new flavor-of-the-month (actually 4 months) cocktail which will be followed by 7 months of the herceptin chaser. Anybody else doing carboplatin and taxotere?
I looked up HER2 and it looks like I have a lot to be thankful for - the outlook for HER2 seemed pretty bleak until that miracle drug was developed! This is what I'm trying to remind myself of when I wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Sorry for the whining - after PET results and first chemo is over, I'll be better. I promise!

Same Drugs of Choice
It looks like we are on the same regimen - taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin. I had invasive ductile carcinoma - mucinous form (1% of breast cancer). It was supposed to be clean, clear margins, no lymph node involvement - but my HERS2 is positive almost as high as it goes - and my Oncotype score was 74 - so that's what landed me in chemo land! I have had one infusion. I had the body aches, nausea (no vomiting - thank goodness!). I have also developed a sinus infection. I had some migraine symptoms (flashing lights, head ache) and worst of all alternating diarrhea then constipation! It has been interesting figuring out what my system can handle. I'm starting to get some mouth sores - but not too bad yet - and my taste buds are whacked. I had my infusion on a Friday - and my worst day was the following Wednesday - but things have been getting better. They are having me go in once a week for herceptin for this first cycle - then starting the day after Thanksgiving (at 7:00 a.m.!!!) - I'll get the next round of the three drugs, and do that for the following four treatments. I am also having a port placed on 11/23.

Good luck with your treatments! We'll have to compare notes!

Lori

PS - Thanks for the "freebie" ideas ladies - it does help out!

I'm here
Got through the first week after chemo fairly well. I too am on the same cocktail as Pitt - Taxotere/Cytoxan. I'm in for a total of 4 treatments. As of today, day 9 after my first treatment - I still have hair (with no signs of losing yet-my daughter keeps saying "maybe you won't! Yeh right!). I've had limited nausea, some bone pain and fatigue from the Neulasta shot this past week. Actually took the Monday after chemo Fri off but went back to work on Tues., had Wed off for Vet's day, worked Thurs and part of Fri at which time I realized I'd pushed it some when I went home and slept for 6 hours in the middle of the day.
Still have taste, did have the constipation bad that first week.
Worst I have right now are very sore lips, feeling like they are burned. I keep Burt's Bees lip balm on them at all times.
This week I'm working a slower schedule. I'm only going to be at school from 8:00 - 2:00 and then do paperwork at home.
I started chemo on the same day as Lori and Donna (I think) but will get off that schedule as my clinic isn't open the day after Thanksgiving. I'll go in the following week on 12/3. This should be interesting as I move into my new apt on 12/1. Welcome to anyone just joining the chemo chicks! Lola

Thankfully, I am almost
Thankfully, I am almost through with all my chemo treatments. I am stage IIa IDC, ER/PR positive, HER-2 negative.

I started weekly treatments of Taxol on July 1 and completed the weekly treatments the last week of September. Since October, I am on the chemo cocktail of FAC (fluorouracil/Adriamycin/Cytoxan) spaced 3 weeks apart. I have my 3rd cocktail this Friday and my final (YAHOOOOOOO!) on December 11. I will start 6 weeks of radiation on Jan 4, 2010.

Life during Taxol was not too difficult. The biggest issue was fatigue, which I think was caused more by the weekly travel schedule than the chemo. I am also still dealing with neuropathy in my feet.

The FAC cocktail has been more challenging. The first week after FAC chemo, I am basically on antinausea medication, cannot work and confined to bed. To be honest, drinking water that week makes me want to puke. But I keep forcing myself to drink as much water as possible to help flush out the chemo. However, once I'm past the first week, I feel pretty normal the next two weeks. Mentally, I try to get through the first week by telling myself to just get through today....tomorrow will be better.

LT said:

didn't think I'd be here, but here I am!
Mine was supposed to be "simple" DCIS - everything neat and clean and contained in the ducts. SURPRISE!
Pathology report came back with an invasive component besides the ductwork, hormone receptors are negative and HER2 is positive with a 7.2. So I'll start next Monday (23rd) with my new flavor-of-the-month (actually 4 months) cocktail which will be followed by 7 months of the herceptin chaser. Anybody else doing carboplatin and taxotere?
I looked up HER2 and it looks like I have a lot to be thankful for - the outlook for HER2 seemed pretty bleak until that miracle drug was developed! This is what I'm trying to remind myself of when I wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Sorry for the whining - after PET results and first chemo is over, I'll be better. I promise!

LT
Hi & Welcome, although sorry you have to be here! I love the quote from your novel!
I am on the same cocktail as you.(Taxo&Carbo)Or should say was...I only had two rounds and for whatever reason,(I think insurance)they won't give me the Herceptin until after surgery. In my experience, round 1 wasn't too bad. I had the Neulasta shot the next day and that gave me alot of achiness. But,it kept my counts up so there was a positive side. The second, different story. This one was alot harder on me. I developed blisters on my fingers & feet,(VitE cream works wonders!)was ALOT more tired, no energy, still had mouth sores-only on the outside of my mouth, NO taste buds, and developed weakness in my legs. Those two drugs are pretty potent from my understanding, but they did shrink my tumor and that was the goal. Just remember, everyone reacts differently so hopefully you will have minimal side effects. I prepared myself with Immodium,Senokot,baking soda,Biotene,water, & alot of soft foods!
Let us know how your first one goes.
P.S. Whining IS allowed here!
Prayers & Hugs
Cathy