Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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I started claritin the day before the neulasta shot and took it for 7 days following. It made a huge difference in reducing and eliminating most of the bone pain.
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Dear Madge24,
I too had 6 treatments but had one node and a small bit in a second node. I noticed you didn't have any nodes involved and stage 1. I am curious as to why your doctor has you on 6 treatments. Love, Birdsong
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I have been taking it every day since my 3rd chemo. I have it every 3wks. I'm less achy all over and have NOT taken any Oxycodone since. I take allergy medications anyway - everyday. So this will not hurt taken every day. They give me benedryl also during my chemo, so there is something said about lessening the pain with these type of meds.
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Thanks everyone for your tips on Claritin. I took one yesterday and woke up today to a massive headache and neck pain, but absolutely no bone pain.
Beach2Read, I am sooo happy for you that you had your last treatment. It must feel wonderful! This is probably a dumb question, but did the time go by very fast between first and last treatment? I'm already dreading my second. Will you be going on Tamoxifen now?
Shay
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Hi Shay, glad you didnt have the bad bone pain i had severe bone pain and one of the pains that came with it was headache and neck ache so you were lucky not to get the bone pain with it, i had to take pain pills to get thru it. I had my last treatment about a week and a half, ago im doing a lot better now but it did go faster than i thougth it would just seems so long since first dx till now, i will be going on tamoxifin when i see onc next week. I noticed you are from s.ore, i lived in grants pass ore most of my life, are you any where near that? Good luck with the rest of your tx and hope it all goes smooth with little SE
debbie
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Hi Shay,
Sorry you got the headache and neck pain. The time does go fast. Don't worry about the next time. Actually as you learn to manage your particular SEs it gets easier to deal with, the fear of the unknown is gone. My onc had told me on second visit that SEs will likely be similar each time, but may take longer to get over by a day or so. I've been lucky to have fairly minimal, annoying SEs and that they were consistent.
Since I am post-menopausal, I will be going on Femara after my visit on the 3rd.
All my best for an easy weekend. If you are tired, do as I say, not as I tried to do...TAKE a NAP and enjoy it, don't keep pushing. Keep remembering this phase is temporary.
Deborah
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Hi, Ladies - My name is Mary, and I'm starting 4 rounds of T/C on Tuesday. Got my port yesterday and feeling sore - does that go away? Are any of you able to sleep of the side with the port?
Shay - it looks like you are ahead of me by about a week. How are you doing? Hope it is going well - hang in there.
Dogsaver - you will be a little bit behind Shay and me. I'll be rooting for you. If I can give you any info, just let me know.
For those of you who are midway, keep the good information coming. Hope you know how much your posts have helped already. REALLY GLAD to learn about Claritin. And for those of you who have just finished - HOORAY! Hope the hair grows fast for you - I'd love to know when you start to see it again.
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Welcome Mary, yes, the soreness around the port does go away. I still feel mine when I sleep on that side but it's not painful. The nice cancer ladies made me a little pillow to use on my chest when I am wearing my seatbelt in the car. You will be glad to have that port when you see someone in the infusion room going through all sorts of hoops to get a decent vein for their treatment.
I have my last of six on Thursday, and Monday I go in for the radiation simulation and get the tattoos, so I can see light at the end of one tunnel and the gaping black hole of the next one, but moving forward just the same. Good luck to you.
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MAGOB,
Hi there-Good luck with your chemo-stay strong! My hair has started growing back already. I have my last chemo on 8/17 (this Monday). it has been growing since before my third treatment. The doc said I would lose it again, but so far I have not. Now, it is not thick by any means, but it is growing.
Laurie
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Magob-The port soreness does decrease. However, I always had a hard time sleeping on the opposite side. I think the line went across my chest. Kind of a weird feeling, not painful. It took about 1 week before the soreness went away. Take some OTC med or your pain pills from your doc.
My hair started to grow like Lori is saying all throughout my treatment. It was not thick and did not cover my head. I started to see complete growth at 5-6 weeks after chemo.
Hang in there ladies! It's not easy but you can do it!!!!
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Good Afternoon Ladies! Hope you are all feeling good today. It's day 3 after chemo. I still have a headache, but much less than yesterday. It seems to have settled mostly in the forehead and jaw area. Still no bone pain - sooo grateful for the Claritin pointer. My 6 year old son has a nasty cold, coughing, congestion and sneezing all over. I'm trying to stay away from the poor boy, but am afraid I'm going to end up getting it anyway. Drinking lots of water, washing hands, etc., so we'll see.
Debbie, I am very familiar with Grants Pass. I never lived there, but went to High School in Medford area.
Deborah, Thanks for easing my mind a little. I've always been so healthy that even the littlest stuff is wearing on me. I really want this to be over with.
Mary, Good luck with your tx next Tuesday. I was told by my Naturopath to keep my mouth as cold as possible along with drinking as much water as I could during the infusion. She said that the ice in the mouth helps the blood vessels (?) constrict, so not as much chemo gets into the mouth. My mouth was frozen the whole time and I went to the bathroom about 10 times. But so far, no problems in my mouth.
Have a Great Day everyone. I'm so glad to have all of you.
Shay
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Birdsong -- Re: your question about why i'm getting 6 instead of 4 T/C with no node involvement. The short answer is I don't know. The dr. initially said we'll give you 4 or 6 tx. But after surgery they'd found more than they bargained for and she was kind of alarmed -- she had been on the fence about chemo for me but after surgery, she was certain about my getting chemo. She said officially I'm stage 1 but she was treating me as if I was stage II. My cancer was spread out so it wasn't one big mass, maybe that was the reason. Also I had two sites, which they call multi-focal.
I trust she knows what she's doing. I did not know the usual protocols starting this whole thing -- like they give you 4 unless a node is involved, etc. I was just in shock for the first couple of months. My tx have gone much better than I thought. My last is this Friday.
Love the moniker Birdsong, it's so sweet! Congrats to all the girls who are finishing up tx. YOU DID IT and it is an accomplishment. To those still in chemo, hang in there, you can do it too, I promise!
Take care everyone.
I
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There must be different protocols regarding either 4 or 6. Where I am the protocol is 4 tx even with lymph involvement. I guess different docs do it differently
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Regarding 4 or 6 treatments. My ONC told me that a study had been done and at a conference last year they were recommending 6. However, no "concrete" evidence had been found that 6 was better than 4 and he thinks of it as an insurance policy. The studies are out there....I've just become to tired to hunt them down.
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Congrats on winding down are due to some of you ladies. I had my last treatment on Wednesday and went dancing out of the office! As for hair I wanted to chime in. I lost most of my hair, but not quite all, after the first treatment. It's been growing since. I have about 1/2 inch of peach fuzz. It may come out after this one, but I didn't lose any after # 2 or 3. The PA at the onco's office said they must have just hit me in between my growth cycles - chemo attacks fast growing cells, like hair and cancer, and it doesn't all grow at the same time. If it's not actively growing, chemo won't touch it. Oh, well, we'll see. Good luck all.
I tolerated the 4 treatments very well but am glad it's over. Keep going ladies!
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I was also multi-focal (primary tumor 1.5cm plus 2 smaller tumors <.4mm clumped nearby) with no lymph node involvement, and it was recommended I do TC x 4. It is interesting how different ons have different protocols. Thanks for the tip on the studies regarding 4 versus 6. I think I'll take a look (although I'm not sure I will want to be advocating for more chemo)
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Thanks for the encouragement, the tips, and the information. Echo(Mary) - Thanks for the help. A pillow is a great idea to keep the seatbelt away from the port. I'm glad to know about that. Will pursue that first thing in the morning. Laurie - Hooray! Glad to hear your last treatment is tomorrow. Be strong and keep growing that hair! It was really great to read that yours just kept on growing. Swest- thanks for telling me about your port. It seems mine goes across a muscle in my neck, and I feel it every time I swallow. Ouch. But it sounds like it gets better with time, and that is comforting. Shay - Good to hear from you - been thinking about you. Sorry about the headand jaw aches - hang in there. And stay away from those flu bugs! I will indeed drink lots of cold fluids before, during, and after. I started brushing with sensitive tooth toothpaste so my mouth will be able to take the cold a little better. I plan to dominiate - no time for SEs! Greytmom - good to know the hair keeps coming in.
Thanks to all of you - it helps so much. Have a good week and stay strong. Write when you can and let us all know how you're doing. XO, Mary
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Last Chemo today! YAY!
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Good luck, Laurie!!! You are finished!!! I hope your se's are minimal and believe me, within 2 weeks, you should start feeling like your "normal" self again, with increased energy and stamina!!
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Congratulations Laurie!!!! Yipeeeeee!!!!!!
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I'm going to try claritin hopefully it helps thanks for the advise
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Greysmom, I am so happy for you! Sorry to say I am a little jealous. I cant wait to be saying I am done!
Everyone else~ keep fighting. Hope everyone feels good.
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My infusion nurse recommended taking two Aleve's twice a day for Neulasta pain. Apparently this is the prescription strength. I take the generic form of Claritin (Loratadine) everyday for allergies and I'm not sure it's made a difference as I've had some bad back, shoulder, neck and sternum pain regardless, but am trying the Aleve regimen this time, so far so good.
Had my last chemo Wed 8/12 and Neulasta the following Friday. What a relief! My birthday is tomorrow and I just want to celebrate another year of livin'!!!!!!!
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You GO Glostagirl!
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and, Happy Birthday!
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wow glostagirl happy birthday! isnt it funny, for the past few years i have been like "i dont want any big bday hoopla" but now i cant wait to have a big celebration. had my first radiation session today. multi catheter brachy. was alot easier than I thought, went to work after the session and my coworkers asked if we could go into a room to see if i glowed. i didnt of course but i think to entertain everyone i should go get some glow sticks and put them in my shirt.
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Glow sticks....LOL....great idea. I think I'll get a couple for the next time my kids and their significant others drop in.
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Love the Glow Sicks idea!
Happy Birthday Glostagirl!
Mary - My dad is from Hood River. Nothing important but did not think there were very many people in that town.
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I am on a cliincal trial for TC x 4 plus herceptin...I was told that the purpose of the trail to determine if 4 tx's would be just as effective as 6 tx's for HER2+ no lymph node involvement early stage bc.
Have had #1 chemo and two Herceptins, chemo #2 is tomorrow.
Congrat's to those who have finished and sending healing hugs to those who are still in treatment!
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Thanks for all the b'day wishes ladies, makin' me smile big time.
Love the glow stick idea, I can just picture a crazy colorful wig and lots of glow stick jewelry! woo hooooo. I might have to use this idea for Halloween!
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