Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Susan, I think I lost a little more hair with each tx (after #1 of course), but only a very little. I'm pretty sure I have almost as much left now, at the end, as I did 2 treatments ago. And, the hair that was left continued to grow! OTOH, I haven't seen any evidence that the missing hair is coming back, yet. I figure it's just a matter of time.
I will be seeing my step-son, daughter-in-law, and 2-year-old granddaughter in 2 weeks. I haven't seen them since Christmas (before my dx), so this will be interesting. My DIL is kind of into heavy makeup and formal hairstyles, so my baldness may bother her more than it bothers me. I don't own a wig--scarves and ball caps will have to do. I'm not too worried about my granddaughter--she goes to daycare so she sees lots of different people. I'm hoping she thinks my fuzzy head is funny
It's great to hear from everyone. Tigwin, you and RJ62 and Senora are up for tomorrow. Have a calm trip!
Note added in edit: Senora's tx was changed from 6/26 to 6/30.
otter
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Thanks for the info about your nephew. It helps. Keep us posted on what your doctor says.
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Thanks Otter for the info. You are all probably right about my granddaughter. I am pretty sure she would be all right and that it is really my problem....... This makes us all a little goofy doesn't it? I doubt that it would have mattered to me if someone I loved had or didn't have hair. My husband is really terrific about it and I must remember that.
Talk to you all soon.
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Hi everyone! I have not written for a while. Had tx#3 last Thursday. All went well. Hardly any symptoms so far. #2 was the same...just some mild mouth activity. We will see how low my white cell count drops this Friday. I have not had to take the Neulasta shot yet. Will have #4 7/10 and after that I will go into hormone therapy...
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Good evening or early morning to all. I finished tx 4 - the LAST today about 2:15. All went well. I actually think the bendryl hit me more than normal because I slept most of the time. Then again, I did this one alone and didn't had dh to entertain me. His dd is visiting from CA and since she came in yesterday and will be leaving on Friday, I felt it was more important that he be with her. He met with the onco with me and then picked her up. lunched, shopped, and picked me up. My blood counts were all very good. I start rads on July 7 if the counts are good for 33 sessions. I seen the onoc again in 7 1/2 weeks to talk about the hormone therapy.
I'm not sure if I had talked about it here or someplace else, but I ended up having a lumpectomy and 16 nodes removed. Just before the surgery, I had pretty much made up my mind that I really wanted a mast, but since the appointment was so close to the surgery date, I wasn't able to set it up. I told my surgeon I wanted to keep the option open for a later date. I met with him on Tuesday and have a consult with the ps. I want to go on with rads because I don't want to do this surgery until Nov. I've been out of school since March and mentally and emotionally need to start the school year. I also feel like I need to take some time to really think about all of this before I made a decision. One minute I feel like the mast will make me feel better about chances of reoccurance (I know the numbers don't necessarily support my emotional reasoning, the next I wonder if I really want more surgery. I know this is my decision, but I sure would like to have some input for you. I trust all of you so much.
One of the side effects I have that I haven't been about to control was the extreme headache that began on day 2 and lasted through day 4. I'm talking a headache where I can hear the blood moving through me head. I decided (and asked) if the could be the zofran. Yes was the answer, Since I have had no problems with nausea or queasiness and take Emend, I'm going to try going with that alone and adding compazine if need it and use the zofran as the backup. Wish me luck.
I hope everyone has a good night, and those with treatments with week, be least amount of se's possible.
Lee
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Otter, thanks for thinking about me. Actually, my chemo was changed to 6/30 due to problems at our hosptial because of the flooding we had a couple of weeks ago. I had my bloodwork done this morning, so hopefully it is fine and I can get this last tx completed. I will let you know. I hope everyone is doing well and having minimal se's. Take care.
Senora
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Wow Lee - That's a rough decision about the mast - I know that my surgeon and oncologist told me that a lumpectomy plus radiation is completely equivalent to the results from a mast and discouraged me from having one. I will be interested to see what your docs say. I would hate to see you have to go through another surgery, but if it is your peace of mind do what you need to to keep yourself sane. NOt sure about the headache. I get aloxi in my pre-meds which controls nausea for 3 plus days so I haven't had to take anything else. Just a couple of zofran first round but no nausea the other rounds. I know what you mean about getting back to school - I am in the same situation (last treatment yesterday too). When is your first day? We start Aug. 25.
Let me know what your doc says.
Karen
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Karen - I didn't know about the Aloxi. I take emend for the first 3 days, and I do get the Aloxi. I'm going to skip the compazine today since we want to go out in the boat and it says to avoid all sun exposure. I'll take it and if I need it, I'll take it and go into the cabin. My surgeon is discouraging the surgery as well as my dh, but... I've never been sick and this has .. I guess made me angry as much as anything and I know that I do not every want to repeat it and having everything gone in my mind has to make my chances better. Oh, well, I have until November to actually make the decision. Our first day is Aug. 25 also, with the kids starting the day after labor day,
Thanks for the help.
Lee
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Rosario and Senora, thanks for the updates. Senora, I've changed your date on the schedule. Someone mentioned their hospital was closed because of flooding; maybe that was you?
Beachmom/Lee, I'm glad to hear you're all finished...with the tx's, at least. See, even I momentarily forgot that we're not "finished" with chemo just because the last tx is finished. It's the SE's that are the pain in the butt.
I know what you mean about the decision between having a mast and having a lumpectomy/rads. I had decided a long time ago that, if I ever needed to choose between mast and lumpectomy, I would just go with the mast. But when I actually developed BC and had to make that choice, it got more complicated. I still wanted the mast, but my surgeon and my dh were against it. My surgeon really thought it was an extreme choice--she gave me all the pro and con arguments for both choices, but it was obvious she thought I should save my breast. My dh just didn't like surgery, and to him, the least surgery, the better.
I whined on these boards about it as I tried to make up my mind--actually, I was trying to justify the choice I'd already made. Lots of wise women here reminded me that it was my breast, my cancer, and my choice (as well as my life). My surgeon said I could think about it right up to the morning of the surgery (!). I chose a "modified radical mast" without recon, and I have no regrets at all. But, it would be hard to think about going back through surgery again, after all the healing was done and the time had passed.
I got Zofran in my premed i.v., and although it didn't give me a headache, it made me really dizzy. That was the only anti-nausea med I had regularly, besides the Decadron. I had a script for Phenergan which I filled, but I think I only used them 2 or 3 times on "queasy" days (generally the day after the TC infusion). Other than those queasy days, I never had any nausea even though I wasn't taking Emend or Zofran or anything else besides the Decadron.
I have to sign off. I'm having lunch with a woman from the department where I used to work. She has stage IV BC but is so upbeat that you would never know it. Because of a recent progression, they've started her on Taxotere every 3 wks. She read one of my emails and called me to say she thought we should celebrate my "end of chemo". Two bald women, each with one boob missing... I wonder which restaurant we should patronize?
otter
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Otter - Pick the fanciest restaurant in town and go topless! How are you feeling 3 weeks out? I am anticipating it with hope. How are the taste bud, energy level, etc? Karen also - my fingernail beds are turning back, did yours? The nurse said that I might lost them. Yukk!
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Ladies & Wayne -
Here's another sign that hair will come back ... Eight weeks out from my last chemo tx and I had to have my eyebrows waxed. I was actually a bit concerned that any tugging would make the ones that stayed through everything fall out but they are still in place. Yeah!
There truly is life and hair! after chemo. Hang in there.
Wishing only easy SEs for everyone.
Joan
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Speaking of "out of sorts", does anyone else feel super-depressed, down, etc. for the first couple of days after tx? I can't figure out if it's the Compazine or the TC....but I had #2 yesterday and, like last time, am taking Compazine every 6 hours. No nausea, for which I'm grateful, but I feel SO BLAH. Not interested in anything at all, not even comfortable sitting around or reading etc. I hate this.
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Kfalls, we had a great lunch. We went to Ruby Tuesday and the food was good--a broccoli & cheese quiche and a "house salad" with Parmesan dressing. It was so nice, to not have to worry about what I was eating. Everything tasted good, and all the flavors were just right. I'm hungry all over again, just thinking about it.
My friend has quite a bit more hair than I have, but she has only had one tx of Taxotere so far. (Her previous chemos were several years ago.) She wore a short scarf. I wore my favorite blue ball cap and some new hoop earrings. It was fun. I'm sure we looked like quite a pair.
I did have to touch up my eyebrows a bit, because the ends seem to have disappeared. They're still thick in the middle, though. It was funny how many of my former co-workers told me how "good" I looked. I didn't find that offensive or awkward, because it wasn't as if they were expecting me to look bad. (Oh, OK, maybe they were. They know I've been on chemo for the past 12 wks.) I think the hoop earrings and ball-cap look is a little more "jaunty" than a wig or a scarf. I can do this!
otter
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Thanks for all the help with the decision about the surgery. I'm not going to make any decision until after I talk to the ps. I have an appointment next Wed., but am going to change it since I also have a dental appointment that. Onoc said it was ok, so long as I wasn't haven't root canal. I had already changed it once and getting appointments with this guy takes forever. I'm still taking thoughts on the surgery
I get aloxi and decadron pre iv. That's the only time I take the decadron. I took only the emend today. I was going with the compazine, but dh's daughter was here and we wanted to go sailing (hey, I have to use cheap labor when I can; seems I can't get promoted past first mate) and the comp. said no sun. I had no problems, so I'm staying with just the emend through tomorrow. If I have to add compazine then, I will. So far, no headache, so I"m sure it was the zofran.
I hope everyone has a great night. We're having another family dinner, followed by cold stone, so I need to finish my share of the cooking,
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Had my first T-C infusion treatment this morning: 0.25 mg Aloxi, 10 mg Decadron, 120 mg Taxotere, 900 mg Cytoxan plus saline drip. It went very well and the veins in my hand seem to be cooperating (a big relief that). So far so good, but of course I'm very hyped on the Decadron and feeling well for now because of the Aloxi bolus. I'm ready to take on the world. We'll see where I am by Day 3 when the fun stuff starts. I met some very nice people, both patients and staff and actually felt very relaxed and interested in what was happening. It's just a relief to finally be starting. Tomorrow I have to have a shot of Neulestra. I'm going to see if she will do it in my stomach, as has been recommended on this or one of the other threads.I'm all provisioned with $85 worth of OTC chemo supplies from Walgreens to have on hand in case of nausea, headache, reflux, mouth sores, constipation, diarrhea, dry eye, hand sanitizer, etc. I also have the requisite prescriptions for Zofran and Compazine. You name the SE, and. like a Boy Scout, I am prepared. Control, control, control!!!
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Hi All,
Checking in! Today was day 16 since my first tx and for the first time more hair came out than normal when I took a shower......so this is how it starts!!!! I was hoping to beat Catlover and make it past day 19!
I go to see my PS tomorrow for a fill...hoping that my "prunelike" post rad breast will fill out a bit more! It is funny to be excited about a fill but since it has been 3 weeks since my last one I am actually really looking forward to it.
slortiz - so funny with the boy scout reference....I too bought everything they suggested and luckily to date have used almost none of it. The only thing I have used is the saline nasal spray.
Question - many of you mention the shot you get a couple of days after your tx, is this standard or is it something decided if your blood work indicates the need? I get blood work done immediately before my tx so wanted to see if I needed to follow up on this!
Thanks for the help and wishing you all a great night!
Valerie
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Hi everyone. Just had tx4 today...2 more to go. Feel ok. The decrodon is keeping me going. I do not get it in an IV but I take orally the day before and the morning of. Just waiting for the door to slam shut by Saturday.
VBG for the shot it depends on your dr. Mine will not give it unless my counts do not come back up. Others get it automatically. I have not had the shot as my counts are normal for chemo. Low but nothing to worry about. I get blood work done every week.
I can't wait for the taste buds to be normal. I am done in August and I am planning to go out for dinner in Sept. to a good steak house. Yumm can't wait.
This tx today my face got really red...still is. I have awful heartburn and hiccups.... Could this be a reaction? I can handle the red face and hiccups but the heartburn is bad. Should I ask for Zantac next time?? I have always gotten the red face but the hiccups started last time..the heartburn is new. Just wondering if things will get worse with tx # 5 and 6.
Catlover44 I have the depressed, don't want to do anything feeling about 4-5 days after tx. I get Zofran in my IV before the chemo and I don't take any nausea drugs after ... Don't need them. So it might be the compazine and the chemo together. I too can't get comfortable and not interested in anything. Just plain BLAH.... Normal I think .
Otter thank you so much for keeping track of everybody. Your are wealth of knowledge,
Well gotta go do something the decadron buzz is still going before I crash. Take care everybody.
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Hi ladies and Wayne
I have never gotten nausea with chemo. I have had IV Aloxi, but mostly oral Kytril on the day of chemo and that's it. I get oral Decadron on the day before, the day of, and the day after the treatments. I have had IV Decadron but not with the last treatment and I did fine. Tomorrow I get treatment # 5, so I started my Decadron this morning and have been buzzing around at work and at home- all full of energy and in fast forward mode. I have a feeling I will get more worn down with treatments 5 and 6.
I have not gotten Neulasta shots and have done well. Luckily I haven't gotten hiccups or headaches. I don't get heartburn because I already take Protonix twice a day. I have not had constipation or diarrhea (except when I took antibiotics for a urinary tract infection.) The taste buds are a different story, they get really messed up but improve as I get into the third week. I have gotten depressed (even though I already take an antidepressant) 3-5 days after treatments along with severe fatigue. I also tire easily and need to have rest periods after work. I have myalgia in my upper back on a daily basis requiring pain meds twice a day. I get numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes for a few days after treatments and then it stops. Not looking forward to what might happen to my fingernails. I've been keeping them a little shorter and that helps with the nail pain. Probably will get bruising per my pharmacist. Have not had skin problems except for some redness on my neck after treatments that lasts for about a week.
So these are my side effects, everyone is different. What I am looking forward to most is having my hair grow back (like everyone else) and having energy like before cancer and chemo. My flower beds are full of weeds, I don't feel like exercising or even going out of the house. That's not like me.
Minimal side effects and love to everyone.
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Catlover44 and VBG - Thanks for the website (head coverings) info. I need some energy to get motivated and start shopping.
deecsw and LizC - So sorry about the scary reactions. This sure isn't any fun to begin with. You don't need added angst.
This is day #3 of TX#4 - last one. At my infusion center, all the nurses gather around, blow bubbles and present you with a certificate for Courage. I'm a crier and I did. I'm certainly happy to have the tx's behind me but too tired to really enjoy it yet. I thought I'd be more excited. The tx went well - only 1 stick this time. When I went back the next day for my Neulasta, I brought cookies (bakery) and a card. My nurse called today to thank me again and said she cried when she opened the card. I had placed a couple of pictures of my family (dh, children and grandchildren) inside with the message I wanted them to see who we were doing this for. The nurses work so hard. She said it was a big encouragement to her.
otter and SusanDL123 - My 2 year old grandson who doesn't miss a thing barely looked at my almost bald head the first time he saw me. The 4 year olds were curious. I saw them with hair one week and the wig the next week. I explained the wig wasn't my real hair and they could pull it off if they wanted. They both passed so I asked if I should do it and they were excited. My granddaughter who is very girly and into hair wasn't ruffled at all. My grandson didn't say too much but when I tucked him into bed, he asked if the next time we saw each other, would my hair be back? I told him it would take quite a while and he was fine with that - "Oh, OK, Nana". We've seen each other weekly and no more questions, or second looks.
Congratulations to TN-Michele, beachmom and Kfalls on the last of their tx's. Now when do we start feeling well?
beachmom13 - I wish I could advise you concerning mast. It was the right decision for me but probably made easier by the fact there wasn't much left of either side after several surgeries and the fact that I'm 60 years old. I'm very happy with the outcome although I can't wait to get rid of the tissue expanders. I haven't looked this good in clothes since before I nursed my kids! My dd is jealous. I told her she can have the mastectomy bras and prostheses after I know my exchange surgery is successful.
Have a comfortable evening all.
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Yes Sandy - I am ready to start feeling well.
Can you guys tell me how long you take decadron? I get it in my iv the day of chemo and then take it the night of chemo, two days after, and the next morning. In all I take it for 3 1/2 days and it is awful. I just can't sleep. It seems like most of you take it for a shorter time.
Just wondering if I could quit sooner.
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Kfalls - I take the decadron (well not the same name exactly so I must have a generic) the morning of chemo, that night and the next morning.
RJ62 - I got a red face with my first treatment. No one at work knew I was having chemo so I was off that day and when I went back the next day everyone thought I spent my day off at the beach and got too much sun. LOL
Sounds like a lot of you bring goodies to chemo - nice idea - I think I will bake next week and bring it with me for the nurses.
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Hi all,
I am sick and tired of hot flashes. They are driving me crazy. Sorry, I'm on day 4 so I'm not in a good mood about how I'm feeling. Fans are my best friends these days.
catlover, I feel blah, depressed, and crummy days 3-6. I don't want to do anything but I don't want to sit/sleep either. It's a yucky, mixed-up feeling and I'm glad when it's gone. I've passed the kids on to friends during these days; they're great kids and are putting up with a very different mom this summer.
slortiz, sounds like you're very ready for any se! I liked getting the shot in the stomach; I didn't feel a thing and had very little discomfort afterwards.
RJ62, I'm right there with you waiting for the taste buds to return to enjoy a steak. My brother has been wanting to treat me since tx1 but I'm not going til I can taste everything.
Valerie, my neulasta shot was given standard procedure after each tx.
Karen, I only took the decadron the night before chemo, in my iv, and then the night of chemo.
Today I started wondering about how to incorporate more veggies in my daily diet. Do onion rings count?
Michele
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Karen - I get Decadron starting the day before chemo, the day of and the day after, twice daily. Last time (#3) I forgot several doses and wonder if that was the reason I developed some peripheral edema about a week after the treatment.
Sandym - congrats on a good finish!
RNKaren - do you see any lines or discolorations with your nails? I've been fortunate, no nail pain. One of my toenails was funky for a long time before chemo, I am hoping since the chemo kills so many cells, good and bad, it will kill whatever is making my toenail so ugly.
RJ62 - my face gets red and stays red for 3-4 days. The steroids cause flushing but I think mine is related to the Taxotere as I've had others symptoms of an allergic reaction.
VBG - my onco only gives neulasta if the white count drops to an unacceptable level. My did not so I've been one of the lucky ones! After treatment #1 my CBC was checked and since it was satisfactory the labs are now done a day or two before chemo. I'm just fine with that.
beachmom - hurray for being done!
rosario and senora - good to hear from you
I noticed today my eyebrows looking sparse - I tried some pencil to fill in but thought they looked worse. My lashes are hanging in there. My head has a lot of white stubble that has been growing since the initial fallout and I have shaved it twice because I didn't like the way it looked. Today I noticed my scalp being tender like the first time so I wonder if it's a precursor to more instense baldness.
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Sandra - just like you, I prepared for all the side effects and expected them. I used tums and a laxative (that I might not have needed, but felt better safe than sorry) and baking soda/salt/water mixture. Se's were pretty much gone by day 5 or 6, except for taste, which sometimes took up to 9-10 days, but it always came back. Off course there is the hair thing, but...there's nothing you can do there.
Karen - nothing has happened to my nails. They've actually grown more than they ever had.
Valerie - I had my blood check on day 8 of my first tx. My blood was low, so I got neulasta after each tx. I did ask the nurse about getting it earlier this time (like earlier the day after) and she said it had to be at least 22 hours after the end of tx or it counteracted the chemo.
Sandy - what a great way for the nurses to send you off after your last tx. It must have made you feel great. At 56, I feel like you do about the mast. I've never had a great body - first way to skinny, then much heavier than I would like to be, and in all the wrong places. Part of this is I think its time for me to feel like I look good. Maybe that's not the best way to look at it, but I feel like I've been through a lot and I deserve something positive from all of this.
I wish the best for all of you tonight.
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Michele, I craved veggies during chemo. Sometimes that was all I would eat. I would bake a sweet potato in the microwave until it was really soft, and then scoop it out and put on sugar and cinnamon. I also ate a lot of boiled (fresh) carrots, baked squash, and boiled frozen sweet corn and mixed veggies. I have always liked veggies, but this was something different--some days, I skipped the meat and starch, and just ate soft-cooked veggies. They had to be soft, so they would be OK even with a tender mouth. I guess there could have been worse things to crave, right?
I don't know if onion rings count.
Oh, one other thing I discovered that I really liked was low-sodium V8 vegetable juice. I think that counts as a veggie, doesn't it?otter
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Susan, I have a 3year old grand nephew who I spend a great deal of time with. The first time he saw me was in a scarf. He looked right at it and asked me why do I have that on my head. I told him my hair was very short and that I just put to scarf on till it grows more. I asked him if he liked it and he stated "NO". Kids are very smart they know when something is up. The good news is Idid not have to show him my bald head I just keep my scarf on. The second time I saw him he never even asked or mentioned it. I think If i was with him for more then a day I would have to take the scarf off because of the heat. I live in Southern California and we have been having a heat wave. Good luck and have faith that all will be okay
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Beachmom...I am going to have a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive Diep Tram surgery at City of Hope in August. I am happy to share with you my results and how I feel about the surgery. It truly is your decsion. I am single so it is only me that I have to worry about which makes it a bit easier. Both of my oncologists wanted me to do the surgery due to that fact that I had a different cancer 19 years ago. We felt it would be much safer for my future, this fact made it a much easier decision for me. Just be gentle on yourself and do what is going to make you feel safe. You will make the right decision. Get informed and you will be fine. Let me know if you want to talk about it over the phone I am happy to phone you. I know this is a hard decsion. Good Luck.
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Tigwin - Thanks so much. I would very much like to talk with you about the results. What you are doing is what I am thinking of. One of my concerns is the recovery time, complications, etc. Let me know how things go and we'll talk about it. Thanks so very much.
Lee
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Kfalls - my decadron schedule changed with each tx as long as I didn't have reactions plus I received it iv before tx. I never took any post tx except when I had the eye inflammation.
tx#1 - day before, am- 2 pills, pm-2 pills, day of tx - 2 pills
tx#2 - day before, am -2 pills, pm -1 pill, day of tx - 2 pills
tx#3 - day before, am - 2 pills, day of tx - 2 pills
tx#4 - day of tx - 2 pills
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Correction to Decadron schedule - Tx #4 - day before, not day of, am - 2 pills
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