Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Ann, I didn't know that info. about dog licking. Very interesting. My dog used to bury his nose in my left armpit and growl. This was before my first diagnosis. My tumor was right where he was sniffing!
My legs are also starting to swell. My last tx was 21 days ago. I have deep, white ridges on my fingernails. I'm going to have them manicured tomorrow. This one lady in my support group lost one of her toenails today, also a s/e of taxotere. Taxotere, the drug that keeps on giving.
How long does it take for your hair to grow back after TC? After my first Dx I got AC X 4. One month after the last Tx my head was covered with black stubble! Then my hair grew with a vengeance. Thick and curly and very unruly.
I wonder why I am worried about my hair not growing back? Is that an irrational fear?
Brenda
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Brenda said: I wonder why I am worried about my hair not growing back? Is that an irrational fear?
Nope, but if it is, I have it too!
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Brenda - I have the same fear. I keep checking every morning to see if there's any regrowth. There are new hairs coming through here and but certainly not a 5 o'clock shadow sort of thing. Hopefully that will come soon!
Sherri
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Brenda, my last TC was December 2nd. I have an inch or so growth of hair all over my head. I am still covering my head because you can still see scalp through it, and I don't like that. I'm hoping by next month to be able to get it evened up into a bit of a style. Seems like it's growing more slowly than before TC, but that may be because chemo stays in your system for months. Still can't tell what it's going to be like. I always had curly hair. Right now it lays straight, but when it gets mussed, it just sticks straight up. So it could still end up curly again, I guess. Time will tell. My daughter is getting married in July and my brother has his Bible study group praying for hair for me! hahahahaha I told him to have them pray that I can pay for the wedding! hahaha
You know my dogs lick my feet and now I feel like a bad mommy because I never gave it a thought during chemo!! They seem okay, hopefully they are.
Hang in there ladies, even the worst days pass. Praying for you all.
Anne
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My last of 6 TC treatments was Jan. 6 and I have about maybe 1/2 an inch of hair or more all over my head. I can still see the scalp but it is slowly filling in. I've been using Nioxin products on my hair and taking 500 mg of Biotin 2x a day. I think this makes a difference. I can see hair growing almost daily but I still have that irrational fear that it will never grow back.
Adnerb and Just4Ann - I had swelling in my feet and legs from taxotere (a final parting gift). I've been taking a diaretic that my oncologist prescribed and it makes a difference. I'm also wearing support knee-highs under my slacks at work. And, I too have leg and foot pain. It's improving but sooo slowly, it's incredibly frustrating. And depressing.
Hang in everyone!
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Well, is it just me or has anyone else gotten a flashlight to try to catch a glimpse of hair on their head? If I get it just right, shine it from the back to the front in a dark room while looking in the mirror, I can see tiny little stubble. Is that pathetic or what? I am so anxious to move on from all of this I look for hope anywhere I can.
I did some research last night on the SE of taxotere looking for a timeline. I found several sites that suggest the swelling in the feet and legs usually lasts 16 weeks. Anyone know if this is true or not? They said the same thing about swelling in the belly. Unfortunately I didn't find anything to offer hope that my big butt days are numbered!!
--Ann
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Ohhhhh Ann - I had to laugh reading your post and trust me YOU ARE NOT ALONE when it comes to looking for hair stubble.... LOL...I didn't use a flashlight but I did take the lampshade off my lamp while looking into a magnifying mirror LOL... and LO and Behold , there it was ... stubble !!! LOL....
Yesterday when I was at the Nuerologist having tests done due to damage to the nerves and muscles from the Taxotere, the Dr. was describing to me which muscles are usually affected first and he was saying the upper thigh and calfs and arms, biceps and forearms and I added in Yes extacly and my buttocks too and he said Yes All The large Muscles First ....well yes my buttocks is pretty big I said lol... he and the nurses started laughing lol. I had gained 30 punds in one month from the steroids... but I have lost 9 pounds already and soon as I get back to working out I am confident the rest will come off too.
Taxotere does leave us with some pretty lousey parting gifts doesnt it?
Wishing you all the best of health & happiness !!!
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Catori and Ann - I'm glad I read your posts about looking for hair. Now I know I'm not alone. I'm just three weeks out from my last treatment and am getting anxious for hair. Since I'm driving my family up the wall asking them if they see a difference, I've now moved on to looking "periodically" in a magnifying mirror in the bathroom. If I get the angle just right, the lights from the vanity shine in the right place. Lol...never thought of a flashlight but that's a good idea. I think we're all in good company.
My Taxotere parting gift was/is twitching eyes, which is such a nuisance. I'm hoping it'll stop soon!
Sherri
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Sherri,
You certainly are not alone on this one lol. Also... the twitching eye thing, yesterday the nuerologist I saw said that is part of the muscle damage I have. I thought it was nerves doing it but he said no it is from the muscles that have been damaged from the taxotere. I asked him if it will go away and he said he can not answer that just yet and has ordered some more testing to be done next week to determine the extent of the damage and if it is reversible.
It is driving me crazy too and I feel like everyone sees it but apparently they don't ( or are just being kind and saying they don't lol )
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Catori, can you let me know what your neurologist says. (BTW eye twitching thing, remember it well). I'm a year out from TC and my muscles never fully recovered, nor the neuropathy improved. I've researched the muscle thing in depth and your neurologist is right on according to everything else I've ready, however, most the studies only looked at short term f/u regarding the muscle damage. I knew the neuropathy may be permanent, but I was really hoping the muscle weakness would improve. It has a little, I can drive again, and my legs no longer shake going down the stairs, but, I still have a lot of residual weakness that I'm beginning to worry about being permanent.
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kmmd - did your eye twitching resolve itself?
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It did, but, I think it took about a month after my treatments ended. At the time I thought it would never stop. I remember no brows or lashes, eye lid twitching, still couldn't wear my contacts, and about then was certain my hair would never come back in. That eye lid twitching was so annoying.
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My eye twitching has spread to my forehead, my cheeks, around my lips, down the side of my neck. Also I have had it in other larger muscles, legs,back. even in my elbows ( I thought that was weird ). Mostly in the eyelids but it is soooooo annoying.
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I find my twitching is worse when I'm tired and improves when I put lubricating drops in my eyes. I'm trying keep up with the calcium/magnesium as I think it helps. Mine seems to be confined to my eyes.
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Kmmd..that is horrible that you still have the nueropathy a year later, and I know whatyou mean about the weakness. Geeeeze I hope a year from now I am not still dealing with this, it has been hard enough this far.
Something I read on the website from the drug Taxotere that has me puzzled is...it says it is to be used for patients who have had chemo previously and the cancer progressed. The other time it is to be used is for patients who were node positive and then it is to be used with another drug ( like cytoxin ). I am puzzled because I have never had chemo before and I am node negative.So, wondering if I should ever have had Taxotere.
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My eye twitching has slowed down a lot! Today, though, I woke up with a swollen left foot. I did go get a pedicure/manicure which came with the usual arm/leg massage. That felt SO good!!
Brenda
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There's even a thread on here about eye twitching (cut/paste into your browser):
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/720851?page=1#idx_11
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catori, don't have them saved, but my Onc did show me the trials that looked at early breast cancer node negative and benefit of TC over AC. It was impressive, enough that more and more are offering it. I was told TC harder upfront, AC you worry about longer term because of the potential cardiac effects. The thread is really kind of misleading "just" Taxotere and Cytoxan. So, I've never worried about the appropriatness of it, but, have to say I no longer remember a time when it didn't hurt to walk and I typed well. I'm told I'm an "outlier" in how bad things got so hopefully you'll be in the majority and get better over the next 4-6 months. I would be interested in what your neurologist has to say.
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Well...looking at the positive. When I put mascara on the eyelashes I have left, it's like I have a built-in vibration with the twitching. Since I ditched my expensive Lancome vibration mascara when chemo started (didn't want any contamination)...now it's kind of the reverse, i.e., the mascara stays still and the lashes move. lol
Sherri
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Hey, I didn't know the eye twitching was a SE. But I'm not surprised. I am going to have to start using a pen and paper to keep up with all that Taxotere has given me!
What about neuropathy? Is it progressive? I thought I was just getting clumsy but maybe not. I will trip over the lines in a vinyl floor.
I am so glad I found this thread. I was thinking I was the only one with all these little quirks. It is true that misery loves company. Hopefully we all won't have to deal with these things much longer.
I don't know this first hand but I have heard there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Let's just keep trudging along together.
--Ann
-- Ann
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Sherri, too funny,
catori, and about your Onc saying that to you (BTW: one of the integrated medicine guys I saw for help in this whole muscle thing said its his opinion that pushing working out TOO hard during chemo makes things worse, that walking is good, but pushing the usual muscle burn we get used to feeling with a work out is very bad for those who are sensitive to the effects of taxotere and getting myopathy and neuropathy). DH and I have a new saying in our house. Instead of the check is in the mail, we say "Its not possible for that to happen at your dose" or "no one else has ever complained about that before."
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kmmd - I hear you about the sayings! ...and then they increase the dose because of weight gain, which is probably in most part due to water retention. That's what happened to me.
Sherri
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kmmd: I think I would have to hit someone if they uttered this: "no one else has ever complained about that before."
Well, not really hit. But I would visualize it my mind's eye. . . . .
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HI all - I had an appt. with my ONC yesterday and he gave me information on the SOFT trial - I was curious if anyone else might be considering going on the trial. I haven't had time to really look into it, but right now I think I might as well become part of the trial. It seems like chemo has pushed me into menopause, so I don't see a reason to keep my ovaries.
Sugar77- since I'm officially through with chemo, I got to "ring the bell" at my ONC office. It was a good feeling. I also received a card the signifies what the the three rings mean. Just so glad to be over with that part of my treatment. To all that are just starting - good luck and time will really go by fast.
I hope everyone has a great day.
Liz
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Liz - contratulations! Didn't you finish three weeks ago? I was sure you finished the same week as me (w/o Feb. 8th).
Sherri
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Liz, "ring the bell" --?? Received a card that signifies what the "three rings" mean??
Okay, I'm curious, what does all of that mean?
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Michele - some of the cancer centres have a bell that you ring after you've completed the final chemo infusion. I got to ring the bell at my hospital on Feb 8th. It's a wonderful feeling ringing the bell with the nurses cheering you on!!!
Sherri
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Oh! Cool! What an uplifting ritual! I wonder if mine does that? Or something similar.
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My Nurses don't even acknowledge you leaving, they unhook the port and say you are done... then they get up and walk away. No, have a great day, no see you next time...nada. Just on to the next patient.
*sighs*
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I didn't get to ring any bell at the end of my last infusion, but I did get to experience anaphylaxis and all the drama that goes with that. After I recovered my oncologist poked his head through the curtain and said "I hear you just returned from a trip south, how was it?" Ha Ha Ha ... not.
Seriously, my final parting gifts from taxotere include the tear duct in my right eye being scarred shut so whenever I go outside in the cold or wind I look like I'm crying, edema in my hands and feet, very sore leg muscles, numb right foot, two black toenails and a very bad attitude from tons of steroids. Fortunately, everything but my watering eye and bad attitude is slowly improving.
Sherri, my eye twitching stopped a few weeks ago.
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