Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Hi Linda - I feel the same way. I just can't believe I'm so tired. It feels good that I am not alone, though I am sorry you have to do this too.Got a new se today - rash, all over my chest and neck. Thank goodness for turtlenecks! Bone pain was bad for me on Saturday, but has eased up since. Is the bone pain due to TC or did you get one of those Neupogen shots the other girls talk about?(I haven't had one fortunatly) Are you working though this? I am trying, but can't seem to complete a full eight hours without a nap in between. Just pathetic.
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Sandra ~ You're so funny!!!!! That hair is great!!!!!
I was thinking of doing that henna tattoo stuff for my scalp - I am losing more hair now after a couple of weeks of keeping a little bit. Did anyone do anything like this?
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samiam: All I can tell you is what my onc said--my blood hormone levels showed me to be perimenopausal. "Chemo will fix that" he said. Assuming it will put me into permanent menopause? Didn't ask more yet as I'll cross that bridge after this chemo one.
Deanna: Excellent suggestions all! I second everything to Brenny. Planning ahead could alleviate alot of stress.
Brenny: Good luck to you -it does sound ambitious, but if you are used to that, have a positive attitude, and are prepared, you should fare well. Just make sure to know your limits & also have a back-up plan just in case--your health needs to come first. Come to us for support! the support group is a good idea, too. I sometimes feel pretty alone in this-have a husband but, bless his soul, not the touchy-feely can-I-get-you-something kind of guy although I know he wants the best for me. Again with the positive attitude--look at it as being able to concentrate only on YOU also--I can't believe what some of these women on the boards do to keep up with families!! Exhausts me to think of it, but to each her own.
Annie: Love your photo!! You look great--I think I am going to look like a fashion dork in headgear. Oops!! Where's that positive attitude?? But I am just not the fashion plate kind & envy you to look so darn cute in a hat.
Sandra: Love your photo too! My hair also grows turtle speed, so gives me an idea of what to expect. I have my daughter's wedding about 20 weeks post chemo!! About the wig & cooking thing: My hairdresser gave me a hint--do not wear you wig (I'm going cheaper synthetic I think) while taking cookies out of the oven!! It will singe quickly. I wouldn't have thought of that!!
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Hi Sandra,
You give us great hope! Thanks for sharing. So 11 weeks out of treatment and you have hair! What day was your last treatment. I am going to use you as my resource. I will be finished Dec 16th! I am so excited that this is moving along. I had my iron infusion today, third treatment next Tuesday...and then I am going to start my countdown! I hate Chemo! I am glad for it, but I HATE IT
. I will be out of it this Thanksgiving for sure. My husband and kids will go to my brothers and be with my whole family. I will be renting movies and in bed with Bella my dog. I know this will be the case since by day 3 this is how I feel I really can not imagine it changing the third time around. I miss my good old little life! I really do. I am almost there! I am happy for that. I think of you Sandra and the hair halo's. I like you don;t really like them. The wig is better for me. I have one style that works great for my look, and feels just fine on. I adorn it with headbands that are cute, and hold them down a bit. This is temporary....MY LIFE IS FOREVER, at least that is the way i view it. At least until I am an old old lady, and live every spec of it. I love my kids, my husband and my life, it is good
My daughter got the very special part in her ballet, she will preform one week after my last chemo; there won't be a dry eye from me! She is my jewel.Love,
Elizabeth
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Hello everybody!!! Linda and Monee - good luck with the bone pain. For me it was a deep, strange throbbing that kind of revved up and then faded, revved up and then faded, over and over again. Tylenol did fix it, altho that first night I was up every four hours with the horses galloping in my hips. I now have 8 hour Tylenol so I don't have to wake up constantly to take it.
Lydia ~ You WILL find your look, don't worry! Whether it be a wig, a scarf, or a hat, you'll figure it out. I figure we might as well have fun with it. Altho, I'll be honest, I have some hats where I don't look so good, what do I do with these now? Also the scarves, I'm just not sure. Sometimes I feel cute and sometimes I don't. The hat in the photo was a gold mine, a lucky draw. It looks nice most of the time.
Elizabeth - I too go right before Thanksgiving. I will be on Decadron on Turkey Day, so that should work out all right. But it is usually a family weekend, and I imagine I'll be fairly crashed Saturday and Sunday. Oh well. BUT THAT IS MY LAST CHEMO!!!!!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!
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Hey, I have a hat that my husband said made me look like a Q-tip...sounds attractive, doesn't it? I figure if I add some eyes, a scarf and a black top hat, I could pass for Frosty, LOL!
Wondering about the comment someone left about sugar and ER+. Does that mean if I am drinking more than one 12 oz. pepsi a day, I am in trouble? That has been my most difficult challenge, giving up the pepsi habit. AARRGGHH!!
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Hi Everyone.
Had my 2nd treatment and am usually ok that day and friday,but not this time.I think this time it threw me back into menopause.That night i had the Hot Flashes from He**,nor icould i sleep all night.The nurse said it does happen sometimes,but that the decadron was also probably responsible for the not being able to sleep.
On saturday i was constipated as usual,so took mirilax,which didn't work,so the next day sunday i took dulcolox.Once it started working,there was no lookin back,seems i've been in the bathroom ever since.I'm also taking the immodium and gasx.They don't seem to be working too well this time though.Along with that i have the dreaded bone pain,even my cheekbones and collarbones hurt.Been taking vicodin for that,as i can't take Nsaids,and the claritin didn't seem to work to well.
I've not had an appetite and have hardly eaten except for a piece of toast or something like that.I made myself a quesidilla last night and couldn't even finish that.I do get my fluids in though.
Tonight DH made a good dinner,porkloin chops smothered in cream of mushroom soup,white rice and carrots.I ate it fine,but about 1 1/2 hours later i was back in the bathroom dumping it.
The diarrhea seems to be my biggest problem.
I've never thrown up yet,but sometimes when dh cooks the smell really nauseates me and i feel like i'm pregnant,and going to throw up.IMPOSSIBLE,i'm 70 and have had a hysterectomy many years ago.
MY next session is on the 4th of dec and my last one the day before xmas,how's that for a xmas present??
Kathi
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Hi, Sue (sdavis)... I was just reading back through the last two pages of posts, and it looks like your short post sort of got lost and we didn't welcome you. So, welcome! Glad you've joined us, and sorry if we missed you when you posted on Friday!
Mary... Welcome to you, too, and good luck on Thursday. I hope your sister-in-law will be able to go with you.
Elizabeth... I love seeing that you are coming up on your 3rd tx! And I'm so glad your daughter's big performance is a week after your last tx. What a great way to celebrate being done with chemo!
Sandra... You crack me up with your hair clips and image of the wig catching fire on Thanksgiving! And your hair looks really nice. It looks like it's coming in really thick already.
Lydia... Thanks for the heads up about singe-ing our wigs near a hot oven! I didn't know that and probably would have done it next Thursday if you hadn't warned us!
I'm sorry some of you are dealing with nasty SE's, but you will get through this! I'm 6 weeks from my last chemo tx, and I have to say, other than a leg that aches mostly at night (Neulasta still trying to crank out those white blood cells, I think), I am starting to feel a lot more "normal." I actually find myself engaged in activities and forgetting to think about having bc, or wondering when the chemo exhaustion will hit, or any of the thoughts that have occupied my mind for so many months. Of course, I am still trying to decide on rads (meeting with my local rad onc again next week), but for now things seem wonderfully bc-tx-free.
You are all amazingly strong women! Thinking of you ~ Deanna
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Elizabeth,
My last chemo was on 8/28 and the picture was taken, say 11/6, so that works out to about 11 weeks. It's still very short (about 3/8"), but it is coming in quite thick and my scalp is already entirely hidden. There's a better resource to judge your hair growth against though, and that's this interesting photographic study:
http://www.karinstack.com/images/hair/HS_grid.jpg
Karin's pictures were taken a week apart, and there are 50 of them, so it sort of depicts a year's growth. Mine now looks like hers at about 8 weeks. There's no explanation. Maybe she started taking the pictures 2 weeks after the chemo, since you are probably still losing hair until then.
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Sandra, the hair looks great! Love the clips.
For a generous box of free hats, make your request on heavenlyhats.com - they sent me a lovely box of 5 NEW hats with tags. They are awesome.
I'm also making hats - berets and snoods - so I can have a variety. I get really tired of them and always looking for something new to put on my head. I didn't shave, so I still have sparse hair about 1-2" long but my scalp is entirely visible throughout. My husband says I look like Fire Marshall Bill on the old show, "In Living Color." Thanks, honey.
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Brenny... I was thinking about you this morning and I have two more suggestions I wanted to pass along to you. There is a thread that's anchored at the top of the chemotherapy section here called, "More Tips & A Shopping List for Getting Through Chemo." You may want to take a peek at it and pick up some of the comfort things mentioned to counteract chemo SE's to have on hand -- things like a laxative (anti nausea drugs cause constipation), Biotene mouthwash, a gentle toothpaste, etc. I guarantee you'll need these and a few other things, and it's best to have them on hand and not have to go hunting for them after the SE's hit.
Also, you may want to take extra precautions re. flying and just being in airports while on chemo due to your immune system (white blood cells) being lowered by the chemo, which makes it difficult to fight any infection. I never get sick but during chemo picked up a little cold bug that turned into a two-week long pneumonia-like ordeal, so I would suggest being extra meticulous about handwashing, carrying antibacterial wipes, etc., for use in airports, as well as maybe even having a face mask with you, just in case you get seated next to someone who's coughing.
Just some random thoughts I wanted to share... Deanna
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Hi All -
I have a new appreciation for anyone that has done chemo. I am a work through anything kinda girl and this just hard. Wish there was a pill to combat fatigue. The caffine just doesn't cut it.
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Hi Everybody,
I started T/C on Nov. 6th. I was wondering what the term Chemopause means. I am 45 and was due for my period yesterday. I am always like clock work. Does the Chemo put you into menopause right away? I know after my Chemo and Radiation I will be on tamoxofin for 5 years.I don't quit know hormonally what is happening. I have been extremely irratable and anxious the past few days, aside from the other side effects. Bone pain and fatique. My hair is thinning but not falling out in clumps yet.. This is all so overwhelming. Any insight I would appreciate.
Thanks,
Tina
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saraand45 - my onc said that I would definitely go through "chemopause" since I really haven't had a period since a year ago, August. I do have more intense hot flashes, not more just worse. Feel like I might spontaneously combust at a moment's notice. I find that if I drink more water, they don't feel as intense. My onc also told me that the Tamoxofin will finish off the job. He said because of my age, 46, they can't consider me post menopausal, so I remain stuck in hot flash land until I am 50. At that point, they will switch my drug to...ahh, can't remember...DARN that chemopause
...keep your chin up...you can make it through this!
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Hi all,
Today is my last chemo! I was up all night due to decadron. Started planning a wonderful luncheon at my home when my radiation is done (late Feb) for all the wonder-women in my life who are sustaining me through treatments. I think having something really positive to look forward to at the end of this tough almost-year is really helping me.
I've done more reading than posting on this board and want to thank you all again for your advice and support. Just a couple of thoughts to respond to some recent questions. I found that I needed to eat really bland food for the first several days to help with indigestion. After my second tx, a friend brought us a roast turkey dinner. I ate that turkey for the next 3 days, 2 or 3 times a day. Tasted like turkey! And seemed to sooth my indigestion. So, with Thanksgiving arond the corner, maybe that might help those of you having tx soon.
To those who are having their first tx soon. My 1st tx was very difficult. I got quite ill and needed to be hospitalized for a couple of days. My oncs decided to reduce my tx dose by 20%, and my neulasta (which I give myself the day after tx), by 50%. I did much better for tx 2 & 3. So, if you have a really tough 1st tx, you might want to discuss this option with your oncs.
I think "chemo fog" is real, or at least it has been for me. Maybe it is mixed up with fatigue too. Anyway, I find that I need to double and triple check things I'm doing, especially work related. I usually operate at a fast speed and I find slowing down a bit to think more carefully is important.
I am so thankful for those of you posting about the decadron crash. I think that is what happened to me last time and I didn't know what was causing the crash. Today I will ask my oncs for a weaning strategy for this time.
Best wishes to all.
Diane
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Hi Monee ,
I know the fatigue is hard, I have been trying to walk about 15 mins a day. I seem to do real well in the morning and then bam, I have had it by 3:00. I am at home, my Mom came to live with us last year when my Dad passed away. She is in Congestive heart failure, so I quit my job to care for her. But lately, it doesn't seem I have the strength to care for anyone LOL! I didn't get the shot you were talking about, it makes me alittle leary, when I go back for the 2nd tx and they check my blood count.
I am still really tired and still no appetite. I to have a new appreciation for all going through chemo, this is one of the hardest things I have done. Now I have a few mouth sores ewww and just when I think the bone pain is gone it announces its back. That is from the TC from what I understand. Sorry to sound like I am whining. Anyway maybe today will be a better day.. You are all in my thoughts and prayers and I thank God for each one of you....
Linda
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Congrats on your last one today Diane. Welcome to the other side. I hope everything goes well.
Linda, I still have a lot of fatigue also. I'm worried about going back to work as I have a very physical job and I just don't see how I'm going to be able to do it right now. The walking does seem t help though.
Chris
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Ladies I am one month since my last tax treatment. Eat lots red meat for your iron levels and good old raisin bran every morning for the constipation. Good luck you will get through it fine.
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Lindy 58 - I am starting my first tx on Dec 2 and when I asked about the Neulasta shot the nurse told me that I would not automatically get one. And like you, when I go back for blood work for my second tx, they will decide if I need one. I understand your concern -- and I will be in another state for the 3 weeks between my treatments, so can't even get in easily to get one if the bottom falls out of my world. Would a low white blood count account for your extreme fatigue?
Is the hair gone yet?
You are not whining - we are all in the same boat! Hope tomorrow is a better day.
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Hi Linda and all - one week and one day past first tx and although the day started out good, I could go home an nap right now. It is a struggle to stay awake and I find myself eating just so I can.
Brenny - Linda and I had our 1st tx on the same day and my hair is still attached. It needs color pretty bad, but I hate to waste money on something that is leaving me soon. (Gosh I'm cheep).
When I feel this tired I just can't imagine doing this again. And as depressing as this sounds, I'd quit right now if my husband would let me. You all give me hope.
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Hi All,
I'm new to this Subject but just got my Power Port today and will have my 1st treatment of the Cytoxan and Taxotere next Tuesday. Just curious when you find is your worst days for you all. I know the hair will be leaving me as well but don't know when that will happen. They already gave me Zofran to have if need it and they suggested to have my Wonderful Hubby take me and pick me up since we don't know if I will be real sleepy after the treatment.
Thank You,
Jerri
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Hi, Kathy (kathimdgd). I went through the constipation turning into diarrhea, with only Immodium the first tx, and it wasn't enough. By the second tx I got lomotil from my onc, which worked much better, and I was even more aggressive taking it for the next two treatments so that it was hardly a problem. Good luck to you on it. Small meals of bland foods will help!
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Well, 1 treatment down, 3 to go. My sis-in-law was able to go with me. I used the Ice mittens to help stop my nails from falling off. They were COLD, PAINFULLY COLD!!!! The worst part of the tx was the mittens. We were cracking up as they didn't have ice slippers, they just used a pair of mittens for my feet as well. We had a good laugh over how my feet looked stuffed into a pair of mitttens. My sis-in-law will email me the picture, and I will try to post them here for all to see. I had to wear the mittens for an hour as the Taxotere was given. The first half hour was VERY uncomfortable, but the second half wasn't tooooo bad as the mittens had started to warm up by then. Drinking LOTS of h2o now to help get rid of the Cytoxan. Hoping for minimal SEs as the days go by.
Mary
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Does anyone have trouble sleeping because of hot flashes? These are full body, I'm so hot I can't stand it, whip off the covers, too hot to sleep, episodes. Very annoying.
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Teena,
I was on hormones before BC occurred so now no more but my doctor put me on Effexor for the hormones for those nasty night sweats. Ask your doctor. Also I think I think I have heard of Black-cohosh (not sure of the Spelling) which you can get at any GNC store.
Jerri
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Hi Jerri, and welcome. I just had my 4th treatment, and I find that days 3 - 5 have been the worst for side effects. Counting treatment day as day 1. My hair started falling out about day 15, and I had it buzzed a few days later, as it was making quite a mess in the house. They also recommended that I have someone drive me home from treatments because of the benadryl.
Best of luck to you, you can do this.
Chris
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Hi Chris,
You sound like a Pro!!! I wonder if anyone of you had any Bruising after the Port was placed in??
Thank,
Jerri
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Hi All,
Brenny : I am not sure if the fatique is from that I won't have my blood checked again until 12/3 when I have the 2nd treatment. No it is falling out slowly, from what I understand day 14 thru 21 is when your hair starts to really let loose. So when that happens my friend is going to shave it for me. Thanks for your support about whining! Don't worry you will get through this with the rest of us on the bad days we will hold you up!
Monee: Hey girl, My hair is still attached as well, but it's falling out slowly, like I was telling Brenny. I know the fatique is getting you down you can do it, let hubby pick up the slack (easier said than done i know)! Guess what NOW I have a UTI oh joy bone pain and pee pain LOL! Waiting for my onc to call me in an antibiotic.. We will get through this that is for sure and kick cancer in the pants. Do you have to do radiation after chemo?
I hope that everyone else is hanging in taking it a day at a time... is all we can do right ladies!
Love to all
Linda
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HI Lindy and all that listen to us complain. I felt normal today. It was SO wonderful. And I broke down and bought some hair color. - (coloring as we speak). So sorry about the UTI. Sometimes if feels like we can't catch a break. Sheesh.
I had a bi-lat so no radiation for me, I did radiation last time I had bc. I was tired then too. Keep us posted on your progress. Today was a great day.
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Hi everyone,
I have been reading and reading all the posts and find it very helpful and informative. This is my first post. I will be having my third of four TC treatments on Monday. As usual, I am getting a litttle apprehensive. I have actually done well, but I do have two annoying side effects, which the nurses tell me will definitely get worse with each treatment. My mouth thrush I had with both treatments and it is worse this time. I cannot stop the magic mouthwash and that keeps me okay. The other se is red, peeling hands. This started with treatment two. The redness (or should I say purplish-redness) has lightened up, but the skin is peeling no matter how much and how often I use udder cream. I have not seen either of these side effects mentioned. Anyone have info on these.
Other than that I feel quite lucky. Still have taste buds, no real stomach issues, I have continued to exercise most days, and the baldness just isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
You are a great group of ladies..................so very supportive.....................and pretty funny at times too.
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