Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Catori...just wondering did your onco say that there was any loss for not finishing your rounds. I have a terrible allergic reaction today, I was able to finish, but it was so bad they where thinking of sending me home and coming back on Monday and starting a new treatment plan using AC.
Thank goodness they slowed the drip down and I got all of #2 in. But If I have the same thing with number 3, I just don't know....just curious what the doc said.
Thanks
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Pslam121
Got the Biofreeze...thanks for the tip...it is working wonderfully!!!!
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Dublin4-
I had a reaction during my second TC (trouble breathing, flushed, back pain) they slowed everything down and I was able to complete all. They did one drug over 1 hour and the other that I had trouble with over 4 hours.
Slowing down the meds makes a big difference.
Deb
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Everett78
That is what they did for me and it made the difference and I was able to complete the treatment. Have you had #3 yet? If so how was it. Sorry to hear that you had the same type of trouble but glad to hear that you made it through.
Thanks!
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I haven't been on in a while but wanted to give an update. I finished up my last treatment January 25, six in all. My SE were accumulative, as most of us find out. The eye twitching ended about 9 weeks after final treatment was over but I have developed problems with the oil glands in my eyes -- I didn't even know I had oil glands. According to my opthamologist they are suppose to produce a real smooth oil kind of like baby oil to help keep the eye lubricated. My eyes are producing oil more in line with Crisco. So they feel gunky (I don't know if that's a word but it is descriptive) and sometimes when I blink my vision gets blurry -- kind of like I am trying to look through a think layer of Crisco. The thick oil has clogged my oil glands and it just perpetuates the problem. Has anyone else ever heard of such a thing?
The muscle aches and spasms in my legs have ended as well. That has just been in the past 3 weeks but I am so glad its over.
My lymphedema has gotten worse and is quite painful but I guess I will learn to live with it. I have been in touch with the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans where they have developed a surgery call Lymph Node Transfer that may help. I am considering having that done this fall when I go for reconstruction. Still collecting information.
And best of all my hair is growing back. My surgeon, who also happens to have finished chemo is the past year, suggested using a baby brush several times a day and it has really helped. She said that going so long without hair allows the follicles to become clogged and brushing with the baby brush will help stimulate the follicle and help unclog. Sure, it's coming in as a kinky, curly mohawk but at least it's coming in. I have stubble all over the sides and back but on top it's about 1 1/2 inches long. And thanks to my blurry vision, when I look in the mirror I think it looks marvelous (haha)
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Oh, and I forgot one other thing. The other day I was driving back from an appointment with my physical therapist and had the windows down. It was such a beautiful, sunny day and I was loving just being out in it. I thought I had a fly in the car because I just kept feeling something tickling my legs. I just kept brushing it away but it kept coming right back. As I got out of the car at home I happened to catch a glimpse of my legs in the sunlight. Turns out my fly was actually the hair in my legs. It had grown in and was about a half inch long in places. My leg hair had been blowing in the wind. Now that's not a story I can't tell just anywhere so I am glad to be able to share it here. :c)
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Dublin4-
I was able to complete all 4 of my TC rounds. I didn't have any futher trouble once they slowed things down. They marked it in my files, but they still told me to remind the nurses each time...just to be safe.
I hope your next TC goes smoothly.
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I finished 4 rounds of T/C a little over a year ago and while I would like to be able to comfort you, instead I will tell the truth. When I was asking around before my chemo everyone sugarcoated it and after my experience I vowed to tell it straight when people ask.
I had a horrid experience, incapacitating pain from the Neupogen or Neulasta (I forget which since I still suffer from chemo brain a year later) shots that boost white blood count. Also, the constipation was debilitating. I won't enumerate all the other SEs. The one thing I feared the most (since I had to keep working for most of the treatment) was nausea but thanks to Emend I had none whatsoever. The fatigue was pretty bad, though. Also, once I was through it I started to really read up on cancer and was dismayed to realize that by accepting chemo I had just trashed my immune system beyond probable repair. The same immune system that I am now depending on to keep the cancer from coming back!
Needless to say, I will never sign up for chemo again. No matter what. And I will be honest here - you will feel worse after each successive treatment and it will take longer to feel better each time. Prepare yourself for that and I hope you have someone to help you with cooking etc.
I am now off meat completely, changed my eating habits dramatically, gave up daily glass of wine and feel better (bonus: lost 9 lbs from the new eating plan without trying). Also started going to a naturopath. I feel for you but encourage you to look into all the positive things you can do for yourself from here on out even if you do continue with the chemo. Life will be different after enduring cancer treatment but you will savor it more. And you'll learn who really loves you. I will pray for you.
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Just4Ann: Love the leg hair story! Thanks for the baby brush tip; I will try it. I am looking forward to the day when my hair starts coming back. I have some white wisps, but mainly stubble at present. I have eye troubles, too, and hope the twitching will go away eventually. My left eye doesn't seem to focus well.
Mare-Willi: I'm so sorry that has been your experience. I am with you on the savoring life part.
Not everyone feels significantly worse with each treatment. I'm one week out from my fourth and final and am feeling pretty similarly to how I've felt at this point after each round. More fatigue, more shortness of breath, but able to work, exercise, and do my hobbies.
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Dublin4:
Oh, I am so sorry you had such an experience with your treatment---I echo the advice from Everett78 to remind the staff each time. Hope you are feeling better now and I am so glad you were able to find the BioFreeze and THANKFUL that it is helping you. It may seem like such a small thing to some but to me it was a miracle! Just talked to my neighbor last nite & discovered she is having neuropathy still from chemo for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma several years ago. It broke my heart that she has suffered that long, but I had only discovered that it helped me recently and sent some to her. I pray that it helps her as well.
Just4Ann: I too loved the leg hair story, sooo funny. And you are so right, only some things would I share with family or DH, but you ladies "get" it all, without having to explain. I'll be trying the baby hair brush, too! The top of my hair is thicker than the sides and back and I just am getting so impatient!
Everett78: praying for benign results next week! Do you sleep with pillows "attached" to you, like I do? My husband says he can't find me to hold at night anymore because of the pillows. But if I place them just so, then i don't feel the pulling sensation of the expander (when I had it) ...and now my implant. With the expander, just when I would start feeling better, it was time for another fill. Hope you can feel better and get some healing rest.
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Dublin ~ I did ask my Onco what the survival rate for me would be since I only did 3 rounds instead of the 4 and he said he did not have an answer because there have not been any tests done to compare 3 rounds vs. 4 rounds. I do worry about it, I can only hope for the best I suppose and do all I can to remain healthy. I stopped smoking 2 weeks after my diagnoses....cold turkey...have not smoked since Oct.12th at 11:30 pm. I gave up diet sodas and am trying to just live a healthier lifestyle. If I allow myself to worry about not getting to finish my last round of chemo I will make myself sick so I try to just look forward and make healthy changes along the way.
I wish you all the best and hope your SE are few.
Peace and Blessings ~
Catori
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Bev, Deb, retrievermom and Flmgkat: Hip hip hooray! You finished TC!
Those with thinning hair: Are you taking tamoxifen or arimidex? I read somewhere that those drugs' SE's might include hair loss or thinning.
Sherri: Congrats on finishing rads!!!
Catori: May 5 is less than a month away. You must be so excited about your upcoming exchange!
Psalm121: Thanks for the information about Biofreeze Oil.
Ladies, the letdown after chemo could also be the effect of deadly toxins going through our bodies. We are bombarded with these deadly chemicals and our bodies react to them by feeling sad, disappointed, let down, etc.
I finally have hair! The shine is gone. I will wait until after my exchange to start on Arimidex. Have a good day, ladies...
Brenda
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Hi Ladies - Stopping by to say hi. It's been a while. Best of luck to all of you who are just getting started. You'll be finished before you know it. Just hang in there.
Catori - I had to stop after TX 3, too. Most of the really bad SEs have gone away, but a few remain at 7 months PFC. This may make you feel a little better - I asked my onc if the benefits of chemo were cumulative, meaning that the 4th would do the most good in wiping out cancer cells. She assured me that it is the other way around - #1 does a whole lot, #2 a little less, and so on. She also told me that 3 rounds "was not an uncommon number in the clinical trials." I feel that we did a lot of good with those three rounds. So hang in there and repair. Better days are ahead, sister.
XO, Mary
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What my onc said was that each round "got" a percentage of the bad cells. So it's the same percentage of a smaller number each subsequent round. Unfortunately, it's never 100% of the total. Three rounds would get a good number.
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Good Evening Ladies:
I had a nice evening of watching DS play AAU basketball. Just a 30 minute ride to gym, but boy am I stiff and achy when getting out of the car. I feel like I have to slowly unfold myself to straighten up and there is no way I can hurry! I'm 3 1/2 months post-chemo....when does this stiffness/achiness get better?
Ladies, I'm so glad the Bio-Freeze Gel is helping you ....it has given me such relief that I want to share it with everyone. It also comes in a roll-on applicator, which is much more convenient.
Rest well and love and hugs to all!
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Psalm121 - Give it about three more months. Hopefully it will be better by then. One thing that really helped me was gel packs - you get them at the drug store, and they come in a pocket made of the same material they use for ace bandages. You can microwave them, then wrap them around your leg, hip, neck - whatever hurts.
My prescription for you is: Trashy TV, a nice warm gel pack, and the snack of your choice.
XO, Dr. Mary
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LOL! Thanks, Dr. Mary!
My DH is watching "Justified"...that pretty much takes care of trashy! I would rather be watching my DVRed "Young&Restless" episodes though! ....think I'll go get that snack now!!
Thanks, Dear!
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Today is my final T/C infusion, #6.
I wondered why I woke up at 5 a.m. but I guess it's the steroids
Hoping I'll have a couple of good days before the sickness that always comes kicks in but I'm doubtful as the last couple of rounds (post surgery) have been tougher than the earlier ones.
I'll be happy to move on to the rads portion of my treatment!
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Hello to all....Hope everyone is feeling better...Monday was my "blue" day...somtimes I think the mental part is the hardest thing. Got my exchange date today for the dreaded TE's...end of June...there is light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!!!!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!
Pslams121...I went to my DS AAU basketball games this past weekend as well...nice distraction. First time I had been in awhile, got a rock star greeting from the parents and kids...support is a wonderful thing!!!!
Thanks for the info regarding 3 vs 4....once I got over the allergic reaction from last Friday the se's have been manageable....just hate this stuff....and mine is all for extra insurance....hummm..did not have to do chemo....but....here I am making sure that I do everything I can now....
Thank you to those who are done and tell us that we can make it and that it does end!!!!!
Can't wait to really feel like myself again when this is all done!!!!
Blessings to all!
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Hi All!
Just found this thread today. I start CT on Friday...Round 1 of 4. Reading your posts makes me anxious but also confident that i will get through it? Any suggestions before I start? I heard NOT to have a big meal the night before...
Any other tips? THANK YOU AMAZING WOMEN!0 -
Jan - I will send you a private message with some tips.
Sherri
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I have finished Round 3 of 4 for CT. (Already had my life dosage of Adriamycin.)
Lower extremity pain was pretty severe first round - it began the 3rd night after treatment. How bad? The first night I sat on the stairs - too much pain to go down, too much to go back to bed, no point in waking up anyone else. I walked like Tim Conway's old man character for 2-3 days. Some might blame the Neulasta, but the lower extremity pain is most likely the Taxotere.
Here are the things that may be have helped me Round 2 & 3:
1) getting used to the drugs
2) taking pain meds BEFORE the pain started so I started taking extra strength acet. on Day 2 and KEPT it up. The first time, I took the pain meds 'as needed' so I feel like I never had it under control.
3) YOGA & Foot Massage - it felt great to stretch and relax - the pain led to tension in the rest of my body which just amplified the pain - the secondary stress pain reduced with YOGA & foot massage.
4) Acupuncture - My belief is that I had immediate relief. I had acupuncture 2x after Round II - one the day after and a "tune up" the next week. After the "tune up" the major pains were gone. With everything else going on, it is difficult to KNOW that this helped, but I believe it helped me. At very least - it is relaxing.
5) Kept moving. In my mind, if I moved, I was working the drugs out of my joints. My mental image was to work the pain out by moving as much as I could no matter how slowly. It killed my mother who kept wanting me to be still and let her do things for me. But - I believe - a body in motion stays in motion.
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Stomach relief = GINGER SOOTHER by the Ginger People. Can be enjoyed cold or hot. My acupuncturist gave me some licorice root to steep and add for the purpose of to 'cooling the ginger down.' Whatever that means - most importantly it was enjoyable to me with or without the licorice.
Other reliefs - immediate problem constipation from the steriods - Senocot S - 2 pills each night for 2 nights starting the day of chemo. Then after that the chemo effects kicked in and gave me Gas & diarhea.
For the gas & diarhea - chewing gum (Teaberry by Clarks or Beemans, if findable), diarrea I managed with diet - small meals, plain pasta & bread (even though I am moving to whole grains usually), Gas X - hoorah - instant relief. Also - rest after meals or drinks but otherwise to the extent possible keep moving - walking, exercising to the extent possible settled my stomach.
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Sherri - Congrats on your final infusion!!!! You did it! Hooray! Now relax and repair.
Jan - drink lots of water the day before your treatment. Take a pal if you can. It really helps to have another pair of ears, because there is just so much to remember. I remember calling my wingman the day after to remind me which meds to take and when. You are going to do well. We made it through, and so will you. We've got your back - write if you need help.
Hang in there, ladies. Life does get back to normal. Just get through it all one day at a time.
XO, Mary
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THANK YOU!!! Hugs!
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Just venting --
Found out my co-pay for Neulasta OMG! With all these copays, DH & I could have gone on a cruise or something.
Really would have preferred a cruise - - Maybe I'll bring lots of tropical pictures and a heat lamp to chemo. And wear a bathing suit and sarong
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Fotopet: I agree - the Neulasta shots are INCREDIBLY expensive. I can't even think about leaving my job because need to keep my insurance benefits. Isn't the cost of drugs just ridiculous?
I finished my last Taxotere treatment 3 weeks ago. But now my ankles are swollen with fluid. Doc said she'll take a look when I see her next in 10 days. I had an echo of my heart, and it is OK. Wonder what this is about?? I'm wearing flip-flops to work because my shoes are too tight. Know I need to watch my salt, and I'm drinking lots of water. Any thoughts or similar experience?
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SHerr-V- Hope you are doing well.
Arubajan05- Welcome,you found a great bunch of Sisters here.. They are filled with so much information. They helped me... On the 29th I will be having my last (4th) T/C treatment... They are not easy , but get better as you go along.... Any questions ask ahead...Make sure you take your claritan a few days before your treatment and Nuelasta shot..... Thats to help with the bone pain.... Read previous post and you will get all the info you need, or simply ask...
Good Luck, Courage and strength,
Donna
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Hi, I am new to this, have been reading a lot of posts, So much love and helpful advice. Due for my second TC April 29th Developed a fever this week and fatigue. After IV fluids given and no findings from blood or urine tests Onc. put me on amoxicillin and Cipro. did get slight rash but hopefully as others have said it is fromTC. Se first time the usual mentioned yucky taste dry mouth and constipation... tolerable but did not like burning feeling on outside of butt cheek, often would lie on my stomach thinking I was giving myself an ulcer. Am I weird. No one has mentioned this it is different from the bone pain. Oh and up until DX by ultra sound biopsy after questionable mamo considered myself a very healthy fairly active grandma of 63. Woke us this am feeling great and am looking forward to weekend with hubby kids and grands
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nanag: I get a rash from Cipro, so have to use something different if I have a UTI. Be sure your doc knows about your rash, just in case. Here's to an easy second round and lots of fun with those grandkids.
Re the neulasta costs--I have a friend who once said people without health insurance get better care than those with. Huh? When she called recently, I brought up the cost of the neulasta and the fact that some people don't get it because they can't afford it.
Donna: Almost done!
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