Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Hey Dutch, Sorry about your Annabelle but am glad her onc team is on the ball. It is so hard to drink when everything tastes so ghastly. Orange Koolaid is my salvation. Not exactly healthy but it's the fluid that counts. I agree with kmmd. Popsicles helped my sore tongue and jello was good. I am going to have to stock up again. I couldn't handle any kind of juice and even water tasted horrible. Good luck in finding something she can tolerate. Oh, I just remembered Italian Ice is good.
Best wishes to both of you and I hope Annabelle is feeling better.
Nancy
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Dutch--So sorry to hear of your Annabelle's ER trip. As someone who normally only drinks water before bc, and remembering that water took on a slimy/oily quality which made it so undrinkable, I found that it was a bit easier to drink if it was iced cold...and I used a jumbo straw. I more or less inhaled it rather than drinking it...and was able to swallow more per time. Also ate a lot of low sodium organic chicken broth or tried to eat as much of the bland foods that absorbed water, like rice or pasta. And I have to agree with the popsicles. I ate a lot of fruit pops.
I don't mean this to sound patronizing, but if it's really difficult for her to drink fluids, maybe you could offer to match every glass she drinks with your doing something that you don't particularly like doing. I don't know, maybe make a game of it somehow? Obviously you're being amazingly supportive for her, and sometimes reducing soemthing like this to a lighter level helps. Staying hydrated is so crucial during chemo, if nothing else to help flush the chemicals from your liver. And it's one thing that you can control.
I remember those days. They are tough. They suck, frankly. But this is something that can make the se's easier. I'm sending out good thoughts and motivation for liquids!
Catherine
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I am starting a TC regimen either this week or next week. All of your accounts of what can happen good or bad have given me an idea what to expect. Knowing that many before me have conquered this treatment makes me feel more relax of what can happen. I wish everyone positive thoughts when feeling sad and a speedy recovery! Diana
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Diana--My thoughts go out to you as you start this less than fun ride. But you will get through it...and having this website is an INCREDIBLE resource.
Catherine
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Catherine-thank you for your words of encouragement! Congratulations on finishing chemo and Radiation! We will all be there soon! Diana
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Hi all! I will be starting this tx in about 3 weeks. I am going 6 rounds.
Scared but so glad this thread is here. It will take some time to read the entire thing lol. I am browsing for wigs now. And thankfully I will still have my hair for my daughters 8th grade graduation.
Will I get a port?
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Sorry to jump on your posts. Was reading because am going between TC and TAC chemo options. And was hoping to get some insight.
Eadsla- I noticed that we have the same diagnosis. Did anyone suggest that you not do chemo only tamoxifen? And I assume that you did the TC, did you decide or did oncologist chose this therapy? Sorry to blindside you, but suppose to start in two days and don't know what to do.
Thanks
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Deborah - I love you alias! I feel like that too at times! I did 4 rounds of TC and was glad I had a port. I would ask you BS or ONC to recommend one. I had a love/hate relationship with my port. Loved it on days when getting treatment but hated it because it was a reminder that I had BC. The port makes treatment easier. You have your arms and hand free to read or do what ever you like while getting the treatment. Otherwise you'd have to keep you arm fairly still or immobile.
Best wishes to you!
Sonia
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Oh yeah I heard there is a medication that makes you gain crazy amounts of weight in a very short time.
Please for the love of God tell me that is not a side effect of either of these.
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Deborah, I'm afraid it is the type that makes you gain weight. I gained ~20 lbs. I was telling my friends that I couldn't even get the chemo that makes you loose weight. However, I did have a friend of mine (who is a nurse) that it is better to gain than to loose.
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Thanks for letting me know.
Oh happy freaking day again.
I am already overweight and I have been exercising and lost 10 lbs. I guess I will just live in strechy clothes. Is spandex back in style yet? Maybe it is time for it to have a comeback~ lol
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MAMAQ, my onc was origianlly going to give me 8 rounds of TAC. He decided to just do 6 rounds of TC because I'm Her2- and node - the A wouldn't do me any good. He said that 6 rounds of TC was "throwing the chemo book at me" for my diagnosis. You know A is very hard on your heart. Ask him what the benifit of the A would be. I don't know what your diagnosis is or what type of surgery if any you've had. I guess that made a short answer long. My onc decided on which chemo I would get and how many rounds.
Deborah, TC does make you gain weight, as well as the steroids you need to take with it. There is also usually some water retention with TC and the steroids. The changes in your taste buds may also make you consume things that are higher in sugar and/or fat than you would like. But you have to just eat and drink what ever tastes good. I couldn't drink water a lot of the time, so I drank a lot of juice. Lots of calories there. I went from 135 to 160 lbs. I do have to say that 5 weeks after my last chemo, the weight started dropping off. I'm down to 145 now and I'm 2 months post chemo. The only thing I can say is don't worry about the weight. Concentrate on getting thru chemo and then deal with the weight. Keep exercising as much as you can and that will help keep some of the weight off.
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MAMAQ--At the time, I was really hoping that I could have avoided chemo, and I felt that maybe I was on the fence in that regard since my SNB was clear, but they were taking out extra margins and found a minute cluster in a node that was adjacent to the SN. By minute, they defined it as less that ten cells(!!!) I thought that that was the reason for the chemo, but it turned out that the biopsy of the tumor showed that it had a "ki67 positive in 20%, consistent with high proliferative phase." That is what made me a definite candidate for chemo. I did 4 txs of TC. My onc said that with me and my stats that this was pretty aggressive but because of my age (43) he thought that I could handle it. After coming here and seeing what other women's treatments have been, I think I got off relatively easy with the 4 txs.
Also, my treatment was decided by a "tumor board." That's just how it was done, so it wasn't really at the hands of one doctor, but several which included oncs I didn't know, my PS and my Rad onc as well as my onc.
I know what you're going through, and it's so much to absorb. I will admit that when I was where you are now, I was a bit shellshocked and tried to absorb as much as I could, but in general, I knew I had to trust the people who were trained in this more than I could ever be. And now that I've just finished rads, in retropect, everything they have done, warned me about, prepped me for was spot on.
And if you're feeling freaked or pressured (and why wouldn't you be) ask questions. Let your doctors explain why you're doing one thing and not the other. One thing about getting through all of this is your mental state. Make sure you are comfortable with what your treatment is and that you understand why it is and what it will be doing to help you. This will help you mentally, believe me. Also, It was explained to me that after surgery, I was classified as "cancer-free" technically. Everything else after that was to prevent recurrence. Chemo finds errant cells that might be lurking elsewhere in your body, and the rads is to go after any cells that may still be lingering locally. Tamoxifen is to block the receptors that made the cancer possible to begin with.
I hated chemo, but I would have hated it more knowing that it was something that I could have done and chose not to do. But everyone makes their own choices on what they feel is best for them. Seeing how differently we have all reacted to simillar tx protocols, I'm in no place to judge what any of us decides in terms of our tx...but I just hope that everyone is confident that whatever they decide, that they are comfortable and informed with that choice.
I'm sure you will be as well. Remember, you don't have to start anything unless you are ready to do so. Sending out a big hug of support to ya!
Catherine
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Eadsla-
I so appreciate you writing back to me. I spoke with the oncologist a little while ago, and he said that he would now like to do TCx4. That is a change from his original suggestion of TACx6. He felt like that, after thinking about it for a whilem that it would be a great treatment plan for me. I like how you explained that after surgery you were "cancer free" and the rest was prevent recurrence. That is exactly why my onco. told me he thought I should have chemo, to make sure to not have a recurrence. I am feeling good about this because I would like to know that I have done everything that I can. I don';t want to have any regrets.
Thanks again for helping out a stranger.
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MAMAQ--Good to hear that you're feeling better after talking with your onc today. And yeah, 4 TC's is a helluva lot easier to handle than 6 TAC's.
And thanks for the thanks. We all start out as strangers when we first get here, but that doesn't last long. You're going to find a lot of support and information on the these forums during every step of your treatment, don't worry.
Catherine
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My concern on all of my weight gain is how is it effecting my heart and other organs???? So much extra weight can't be good on those vital organs. I don't walk I waddle. I see the weight in my face something terrible. Good thing I didn't have wrinkles before this, because they are now stretched to the max. So after chemo is done what seems to be the norm on dropping pounds? I would love to be able to walk across the floor without being winded from all of this weight gain.
Anyone noticing the hair growing on the head after the 3rd treatment? My head isn't smooth now and I can see micro hairs growing....all other area's still has no hair growth...love not having to shave!
)Hope everyone is doing well. We are getting it done...and all of us will be on the otherside before we know it....sure wish it would hurry up for all of us however!!!!
Nadine
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It's the morning after my final chemo (#4) yesterday. I was filled with dread leading up to it, and I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for an easy ride: so far, so good. Had a bumpy night of half-sleep, but I'm still drinking (and peeing) like crazy, still doing my Qigong exercises (aiming for a daily practice), took some Pepsid Complete and Nexium to pre-empt the reflux, and planning to get outside for a walk (or a swim, if the fog ever decides to burn off). It looks like I'm going to be heading for radiation next, and would love to hear the good news from anyone out there who can tell me it's a piece of cake?! At this stage, I definitely feel that my two surgeries and complications afterward were by far the hardest ordeal, so it would be wonderful to think that the worst is behind me. I feel as though I won't be quite ready to celebrate the end of chemo until 3 weeks from yesterday when I don't go back for more....
After my 2nd buzz cut, I decided to let the rest of my hair grow in as it chooses. I never lost more than about 30% I'd estimate, but I'm curious to see if it comes back curly (as before), or something else? And color? Who knows??
Cheers to all of us!
Liz
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Liz, 30% of your hair? Wow, I've talked to women who lost more on Tamox then that. Congrats on finishing. Can't help with the rads, hopefully someone else can chime in
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Congratulations Liz, on finishing chemo. Such a good feeling!! Especially when that 3 week mark rolls around and you don't have to go! I didn't do rads either so can't help you there too much. From what I've heard from others the worst part is going every day and then there is some fatigue. I'm sure someone will help you with info on that. I pretty much lost all my hair on Taxotere. Still waiting to see some growth. I hope your chemo SEs don't get any worse than what they are right now.
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Firni,
Thanks for mentioning that TC makes you gain weight. I had been wondering why my weight kept on going up even though I'm not eating more. I've gained 8 pounds since I started and have been exercising on my good days.
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florbo, exercising will help keep some weight off but you'll still gain regardless of what you eat or what you do. I couldn't exercise after my 3rd of 6 rounds of chemo. I did gain 25 lbs. I'm feeling pretty good again now and have started to exercise again. I dropped 15 lbs in 3 weeks. Now I'm anxious to lose that last 10 and get toned up again. I'm just excited that pre-chemo clothes fit once more.
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Congrats Liz on your final chemo. You just have to stick it through the last round of se's. Somehow knowing it's the last round makes it more bearable. I hope that is the case for you.
I just finshed 33 tx's of radiation last Friday. Compared to chemo, yeah, it was a cake walk. Only downside was that it had to be done everyday. If you're working, then you can easily schedule it before or after work or during your lunch hour because it takes no time at all to do. There is fatigue, which I've got right now, but it seems to hit you towards the end of treatments. At least it did for me. Also, some women had skin issues. I was lucky in that I just had a big tanned square from the field of radiation, but nothing more than that. I think your breast size plays a part in that as well. I am a A cup, so there wasn't a lot of overlap or skin on skin contact below my breast, and that makes a difference.
But definitely, after chemo, you're over the worst of it. I think when you get to the rads portion of treatment, you spend more time on the mental part of all of this...coming to terms with what you just went through, transitioning mentally to get back to some of the normalcy. But I'm saying this right in the midst of radiation fatigue, so...
Also, you might want to check out some of the radiation forums for this month and get a sense of how other people are doing on rads. You'll see, it's so much easier than chemo.
Catherine
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Hi, everyone. Haven't checked in on this thread for a while, but wanted to report that rads is MUCH easier than chemo was! As Catherine mentioned, it is daily, but if you can manage to schedule it during a convenient time, it's not so bad. Mine is 4 pm daily, so I leave work a little early and pop in and I'm usually out in 10 minutes or less. Very little se's - mostly some swelling and tenderness under my arm and in the breast area, a little rib pain on the right side also, nothing that isn't doable or can't be helped with advil.
I'm 6 weeks from last chemo and I've got the duck fuzz hair that's about 3/4 of an inch long (that's gray!) and then about 1/16 or 1/8 of an inch of my dark brown hair sloooooowly coming back. Still lots of bald patches. I didn't lose all of my hair, but then ended up with having chemo rash about 2 weeks after my last treatment on 4/23, which developed then into folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles, that I know stunted the growth I was starting because the follicles were so badly infected. I mistakenly called my onc's office and they prescribed a steroid cream, which made it much worse and by the time I got to the dermatologist, my entire head was covered in red bumps and pimples. If any of you start developing this, please see your dermatologist - they will give you antibiotics and an antibiotic foam. So, I'm bummed that I don't have more growth, but glad it's finally going away.
Still also have minor numbness in my fingertips from the chemo - that seems to be the only other lingering side effect. Can't tell about weight loss - I stayed steady, some weeks up and some weeks down, and my weight is unfortunately staying put right where it is! Wanted to up the exercise level but with the rib pain, my rad onc wants me to take it easy. so, I've been walking as much as possible and getting out on my bike - its been an uphill battle to regain stamina when you figure I'd been immobilized from 5 surgeries and chemo for the past couple of months, but I can at least get on and ride for more than 20 minutes now. Otherwise, energy level has returned, I'm not so exhuasted now, and the chemo brain does go away too!
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Thanks for the update, Chelev. Your posts have been very helpful. I had my 3rd CT tx yesterday and while I'm tired so far so good. However, I have to give myself the Neulast shot later today and that is usually the beginning of the downward slide. I've got a an antibacterial lotion for my head as I also have folliculitis. Thus far I have put on 25 - 30 pounds ... lack of energy/exercise and comfort food instead of my usual. I wonder if I will ever be the same again. Having rads following chemo and then hoping for reconstruction next year - it's a very, very long road ahead still. I can't seem to think beyond one day at a time.
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Hi everyone,
I was so happy to find this thread about TC as I just started on May 18th and will do 4 rounds. (My onco score was 22 and I am 41). My white blood count tanked on day 7 and I've had 2 neupogen shots this week that sent the minor joint pain I was already experiencing (lower back and thigh bones and knees) into orbit. I have been doing 4 advil every 8 hours during the day, and a vicadin at night. These meds take the edge off, but I was totally unprepared for it to be this bad. I will get a neulasta shot post chemo from now on, and I've heard this is worse? Does anyone have any experience with these shots? How long does the pain last after the shots? Or am I doomed to have this pain until the chemo is done--? When does the hair go? I am on day 11 and my wig won't be ready until next week!
I never drank very much water before chemo and it has been a real effort to drink the crazy amount required, but I am convinced that it is helping (although, I tend to get nausea from drinking so much liquid?) I have been drinking ginger tea as well as it is supposed to help with nausea--. I do have the bad taste in my mouth and nothing tastes good, but the bone pain and fatigue have been by far the worst SE. Fresh mint in the water helps me out too (i'm not a lemon fan).
Thanks for all the info. that you are all posting-- you have no idea (well, yes you do I imagine!) how reassuring it is to see that you are not alone.
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Hemen--I found that with the neulasta shot, it helped to have it administered to my stomach, and I also took Claritin beforehand. These were both things I had read on the forum, and it made a big difference in the se's.
Catherine
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Hemen - congrats on getting #1 of the 4 done... I had the neulasta shot each round and I had bone/muscle pain and weird kind of throbbing sensations but it was never enough to take heavy pain meds.. I did take Claritin too ... and Tylenol. I finished my 4th and final chemo on 3/24. My diagnosis is similiar to yours and my oncoscore was also 22 (hate that number now, forever). For me days 3, 4, 5, 6 were the worst... and I felt like I just had to put my head down and power through those days each time and know that on day 7 I would start to come out of the dark hole.... I think my hair started coming out bigtime on day 16 (I think, I'd have to check my "chemo log" which I happily put somewhere in a drawer)...then I just took it off... and moved on... it comes out in handfuls of strands and gets all over the house.. lol. Hang in there.... there is life after chemo!!0
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Hemen, I took claritin already anyway, so really don't know how much that did or didn't help. I found yoga the only thing that really helped with the back pain from the neulasta, and on worst days took a pain pill at night to help with the sleep. The only two things that really worked for me. Looking back on it, I should have let them medicate me more. I didn't realize what lack of sleep and low level pain was doing to me. Now, sleeping more and can see the difference. I was just so sick of pills I couldn't stand the thought of taking more then I absolutely had to. However, if I had it to do over again I'd have taken a lot more of the ativan they tried to give me and been more generous with the pain meds at times my muscles and bones were hurting.
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Hi, ladies, I guess it's time to join you. I went to the onco on Wednesday and I start 4 rounds on 6/10. The info here is so helpful. I am so lucky that I teach and all of my treatments will occur over the summer while I'm not working. While it won't be my favorite summer "vacation" ever, at least I can take it easy if I need to. I'd like to hear from someone who didn't get or need a port. My onco said my veins looked good, so I'm hoping they hold out. Of course he also told me that I had such pretty eyes that he'd do me a favor and get "all that hair" out of my face - a sense of humor for no extra charge! My girlfriends and I are going wig shopping next Friday. I think I'll just be bald over the summer, but don't want to scare the new students in the fall with a bald teacher! Thanks for all of your wisdom already.
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to greytmom_17:
I've just survived my 4 rounds of TC without using a port. I can only say that my onc said it wouldn't be a problem, my veins worked fine, and he was always the one putting in my line himself.
I'm three days past the final dose (5/27) and this has been the roughest overall. I've stayed in bed mostly and feel like I've been flattened by one of those pavement trucks. The only relief I can find is to remind myself that there are no more doses awaiting me, and that my hair will start growing, my energy will eventually return, my healing from surgery will speed up..... Any other things I'm forgetting to remember?
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