Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Hi rosemary,
You have to remember no one here has experienced every se there is. It's no walk in the park but chemo is doable. It is hard to submit to all these drugs when one doesn't feel ill except for the surgery. So many have continued to work throughout tx and have barely missed a beat. The poison that is chemo was to me the lesser evil when compared to the poison that is breast cancer. I wanted to fight it with everything available. My first line of defense was prayer, knowing God was there with me all the way. I also use a small dose of Ativan to help me sleep at night. It seems to lessen the hot flashes I can never get rid of. I found comparing notes with others at the same stage of tx as myself made me feel more normal - I was never the only one.
Not an easy decision or an easy road but so many have gone before us and have come out on the other side better for having endured. Prayers for you as you make your decision and I like to pray for the medical staff caring for me also.
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Sandy, et al . . . I think this (taxotere and cytoxan) will likely be my regime for the next several months. . . just curious (for scheduling reasons) if there is anything resembling a chart that can assist with best / worst days for work scheduling (I have seen a lot of fluxuation among our members as to what are worst days and what s/e's are most prominent when. Obviously, we may be able to go to work (or perform work at home) with some, but not so much with others???
Just curious on cycles, so that I might plan mine accordingly. Muchas Gracias, 'Rick
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dcgirl--this is a question my dh and I have discussed on several occasions. I had a lumpectomy with clear margins and 0/2 nodes--and all the docs have used the "cure" word in regard to my treatment, so we feel I had bc and now we're mopping up and making sure it doesn't come back. We try to do as Gina does and use the words "I was dx with bc in May..." but we find it's kind of hard to make other people understand that, especially once baldness set in because now I look like a cancer patient.
rosemaryap--glad you're posting! I'm sorry you're having to join this club, but a huge {{{hug}}} in welcome! I, too, was terrified, and the week prior to that first tx was the probably the hardest, the fear of the unknown! Ultimately, I had to come to terms and peace with what Sandy wrote--chemo is the lesser of the two evils. But trust us when we say that this is DOABLE. Just know you're not alone, we're here for you!!
Sandy--"It is hard to submit to all these drugs when doesn't feel ill except for the surgery...." couldn't have said it better.
Blessings to all,
Sherri
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Rosemaryap - Welcome to this support group. I'm sure you will find tons of valuable information here and steady companions through your journey. I try very hard not to use or think of the term "poison" when I am speaking about chemo. I visualize it as "adjuvent" treatment - increasing the effect of the surgery by going that one step further in killing off any stray cancer cells. I imagine it as putting in a local warrior to do battle with cells too small to see. I even think that, who knows, maybe there was some other kind of cancer cells starting up somewhere that might not have shown up for another 5 years or so, and I'm knocking those off too. I would suggest the major reassurance that most of us have is that we are doing EVERYTHING possible and available to us to deal with the risk now.
When it comes to the actual chemo, fear of the unknown is probably the worst thing. Reading some of these posts (mine included) sets us up to worry about the "other shoe dropping", to mentally get ready for many side effects we will or will not have. It's funny how we visualize an antibiotic as "working" and we are glad to take it when we have an infection. Anitbiotics are also a form of chemical or chemo therapy and have a lot of negative effects on the body also, but we tend to see them more positively.
But as others have said, chemo turns out to be doable and worth it. Time goes by so quickly, and it's important for us to value everyday - even the days we're not feeling so good. As you read the posts, most of us continue on with our lives - taking care of children, going on holidays, going to work, keeping up with exercise, housework, etc. throughout this journey. We often have a few days out of each chemo cycle when we're not feeling very good and we come on line and share our symptoms and solutions. But all in all, we'll probably (hopefully) look back at this time as a blip in the road - one that made us aware of our vulnerability and made us appreciate all the things we are alive for.
Hang in there Rosemaryap, we're with you!
Gina
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Hi to everybody, especially the newcomers!
I finished my 4th and last course of Taxotere/Cytoxan on June 4. Three weeks later, I started on an AI (Arimidex), which I've been taking faithfully ever since. I've tested all the words and phrases to describe my BC experience, and most of them don't fit at all.
As much as I'd like to say I'm "cured", that implies the BC is totally gone and will not come back. Even though my BC was "only" Stage I, my tumor was ER+, so there is a chance it will recur for, well, forever (they say at least 15 years).
I don't like "survived" or "survivor". Literally, it means I am still alive--it doesn't mean the BC is gone. Women who have Stage IV BC and mets everywhere are "survivors". To me, "survivor" is not a comfortable word at all. It just says I had BC and I'm still here. We are all survivors of one thing or another.
For me, "in remission" is the most accurate phrase. That's the one they use for leukemia and other types of cancer where they can't be sure they've knocked out all the stray cancer cells. I had BC, and I'm in remission. Or, I could say there's "no evidence of disease" (NED), which I guess is the phrase some oncos use. "In remission" does make me uneasy, and I'm sure it would make other people (those on the "outside") quite uncomfortable. "In remission" implies that the cancer is under control, and possibly gone, but nobody knows for sure. NED. I'd be glad to embrace a better word, if someone can come up with one.
Mostly, I don't like to think about it very much. I'm done with chemo, on an AI, and moving on with my life. My "normal" life--not that sorry excuse they call "the new normal."
Rosemary, you just have to do it. You know, like the Nike commercial? DO IT. The sooner you get started with chemo, the sooner you'll realize it is do-able. Then, one day, you'll get up in the morning and realize you're done. When I first heard I'd need chemo and was told it would be 4 treatments, 3 weeks apart, I remember thinking, "Huh? That's IT?" (I didn't know how miserable I would feel on some of the days in between those treatments!)
Anyway, we're all here to help you through this. It isn't what any of us wanted, or where we planned to be, but we can all make it through.
Hugs...
otter
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Rosemary, I'm one of those with the more severe SEs, but I still intend to finish my course and work with my doctors to minimize the SEs. Like several of our sisters have said, I decided to do chemo because I wanted to minimize my chances of metastatic cancer. So I embrace it as my decision.
Rick, if you get good antinausea meds, and steroids for a few days after your infusion, then the worst days will be after the steroids. Some people don't really have a hard time. I do, and I'm pretty useless for at least four days (days 5-8). Your experience will probably fall somewhere in between. If you can negotiate reduced work hours, and ideally a flexible schedule where you can work more on your good days, that would probably be best. Good luck!
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Rosemaryap - you said: "Any suggestions for calming down and changing my attitude?" First let me say that one of the worst SE's of chemo is the monster we create in our mind before starting chemo. The fear we imagine is so much worse then the chemo itself. Good news is that SE disappears once we start. Call your onco and ask for Ambien. I had worked myself up so bad before starting that I would wake up with nightmares about chemo that I couldn't sleep. Ambien worked for me. Two weeks after my first treatment I didn't need it anymore except for the three days that I had to take Decadron for each treatment.
Rickster- I would get my infusions on Wednesdays. Thursdays & Fridays I felt pretty good. By Saturday & Sundays my muscles in legs would be achy at night but once I got up and walked about they felt better. Sometimes my knees felt very week during this time. I was very tired over the 1st weekend after treatments and also very depressed. By Mondays I was still a little out of it but starting to feel better and did go to work. If you can try to get your infusions on Wednesdays. It seems to work out best for a lot of people on T/C.
Enjoy the day, Karin
Had to edit because I got my drugs mixed up and said Ativan instead of Ambien. Good thing I'm not your pharmacist.
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rosemaryap--Your feelings entirely parallel my own prior to chemo. I was so angry and so reluctant to do the chemo. I kept looking for loopholes--and also delayed starting for a couple months. A lot of this anger and fear dissipated once I went for the first session and got it over with. It hasn't been entirely pleasant, but it hasn't been that terrible either, and I've gotten pretty good at living one day at a time. I think you will have a lot less anxiety once you get started. Good luck with it.
dcgirl--I'm still doing the chemo (last one Thurs), so I tend to think of myself as "under treatment for bc" though initially I really had trouble thinking or defining myself as a "cancer patient". That's why it's so hard to lose one's hair since it marks you as such. I think a month past the last infusion (say around the beginning of October) I will start referring to myself as a "survivor," and hopefully will start thinking of myself as a normal healthy person again with bc a part of my past. Yeah!!!!!
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Hi all,
I start taxotere and cytoxen tomorrow (8/27/08 and get a Neulasta 24 hours later on 8/28/08. I am very nervous about starting. I was suppose to start 2 weeks ago but still had some wound healing issues with one of my flaps on my bilateral mastectomies/reconstructions done 7/23/08. So each of the last two week I have anticipated and worried about starting then had it postponed by the doctor. Today my plastic surgeon gave me the OK to start chemo so tomorrow is the big day. I will take ativan tonight, last week after taking the decadron as a premedication I was up all night. I do have a question about the neulasta injection. I saw a lymphedema specialist and she recommended that I try no to get injections in my arms if possible. I looked up Neulasta and it can be injected into your abdomen or thighs-anybody else had it injected there and was one site better than the other. Take care Agnes
Dx 6/23/08 invasive lobular cancer 3.8 cm with another small area of ILC and LCIS, with some isloated cancer cells seen in 1 node, ER+/PR+/Her2-
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Agnes,
Without you having to read through all of the posts on this thread let me just tell you that a lot of woman here and on other threads have opted to get the injection in their abdomen. They also said it was less painful. Not that I consider the injection in the back of my arm to have been painful but some do.
Enjoy the day, Karin
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Just returned from the Chemo Center Treatment #2, the half way mark! Everything went smoothly and those blood counts again were perfect, so as with the 1st treatment no "Big N' shot tomorrow. I was asked to consider being involved in a study for bone density loss in post menopausal women having chemo. Told them I would think about it and let them know.
I consider myself being treated for BC. My bilateral mastectomy resulted in no remaining cancer in the left breast and none in the right breast. 4 nodes out of 14 were positive. But I could not see not doing chemo as a precaution to destroy whatever cancer cells may be lurking. We discussed radiation today and I will be meeting with the Radiation Onc shortly. It looks like 4 weeks of rads and then tamoxafine until March when my new insurance kicks in then I will be put on AR. My present insurance does not cover prescriptions and I can get Tamoxifine at WalMart Pharmacy for $8.00 and AR for $300 so for the time being tamoxafine wins.
Everyone has to do what they feel is best for them. My decision is to fight this with any ammunition they will give me to use. I take one day at a time and move one with my regukar schedule as much as possible. It keeps me going and my mind off my treatments and the cancer.
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MariaG: Congratulations on the half-way mark! I am scheduled to start treatment on next Wednesday, the 3rd. I can't say that I'm looking forward to it......just want to get it over with.
Rosemaryap: I am very nervous too. I am sometimes consumed with fear, but not as much as I fear the cancer coming back. Sometimes I think if I were just a little more of a laid-back person, I would make my life a whole lot easier! Since diagnosis, I have a whole new understanding of what I don't have control over and am learning to accept that. I know that I can control my reactions to this situation, I can control my medical decisions to a degree, but I don't have ultimate control over this cancer and I think we are all just doing what is within our power to beat it.
Otter: I like your take on "the new normal". I have heard that phrase, and I have to admit that it seemed accurate to me. When I was first diagnosed I felt like I would never be able to live my life the same way. I still feel this way to a lesser degree. I hope that after chemo I will come around to your view. Right now I still have a lot of difficulty with concentrating, especially at work. I find myself thinking about cancer so much. I know this will get better with time but it's just hard for me to imagine that things will ever feel really "right" again.
-Sherrie
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Hi Ms Karin, how are you doing? Are you going to be doing Rads soon? Do you feel like you are almost back to normal yet? Well, I will be doing my 3rd x tommorrow morning. They will try Abraxane, since I had a bad reaction to Taxotere. I'll let you know how that goes. I hear that the infusion is only 30 min. so that's good. Glad to see you back on the thread.
Take care,
Audrey
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Rickster,
I see that you are a Seattlelite as well. I am in Seattle and am doing the same thing as you, TC (I am done with 3 of 4) and am working full time. Everyone is definitely different, but thought I would share my "schedule". I have my chemo on Wednesday. I can totally work on Thursday and Friday is usually pretty good as well. Saturday and Sunday are generally the worst days of the week. Monday I am feeling better, but don't generally work. Tuesday and Wednesday I work from home and by Thursday I could go in and work a full day (or work from home).
I hope this helps. Also, there is a thread for Seattleites that you might be interested called crazy, sexy, cancer in Seattle if you are interested in talking to others in the area.
Take care and best of luck.
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Hi girls,
Should caffeine be avoided while doing chemo? I only have a cup of coffee in the morning, but was wondering if I needed to give that up. Thanks!
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Hi, Sue. I was used to 4 cups a day of coffee before chemo. To avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches, I have a half cup coffee in the AM now. If my stomach is touchy, I just have some tea. Seems to work. --Lani
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Rosemaryap,
I'm one of the few-to-none-side-effects girls and one reason I don't post about this is frankly it seems too disrespectful to the ladies who are having problems to be crowing about how easy your experience is. But I have to tell you, it has been amazingly easy. Aside from about 2 days of low energy each cycle (I just had treatment #3 of TCH), I only had one real side effect which was an outbreak of shingles. I've needed no shots of Neulasta, run no fevers, had no nausea, sleep just fine (on the occasional night I'm awake I take an Ativan). I spoke with another woman on the same protocol and she had the exact same experience: few or no SE's. The only thing we have in common is we're in our 40s and get some exercise daily (she swims, I walk).
Like you, I was obsessed with the concept that chemo is poison. I'm extremely holistically minded and had planned to do the Gerson therapy as "insurance" following my surgical outcome which was basically, 'go forth and prosper, it's OVER, hooray.' I had great margins, small tumor (6mm), no nodes, mastectomy. Chemo was never in the program for me until the pathology came back HER2 - a situation akin to your triple negative BC. Suddenly there was a lot of nervous shifting of feet. Further, my oncotype score came back at a pretty ugly 51, which was a 33% chance of distant recurrence. As you know, those odds aren't inspiring.
When I got the HER2 news, I had to make a journey intellectually about just how valuable my life was to me, how much I'd stake in Western medicine, and how likely was I to take the steps, downwind, to minimize any risks I'd created with undergoing chemo (secondary cancers, etc). I decided in favor of science with an eye to also incorporating my holistic side.
I was absolutely terrified of chemo because it violated all my belief systems of building up the body in order to heal versus tearing it down. To get me to go against those views took a powerful motivator. But life is a pretty good one! Looking at the data, it was obvious that chemo - DESPITE the potential long term risks which were my main fear - gave me a far better chance at never having to deal with this nonsense again.
Is chemo poison? I use the analogy of a controlled burn of a forest. The goal is the ultimate renewal of the forest. Even though it gets there via destruction. Your cells will grow back, the eco-system will normalize afterward, especially if you move your lifestyle in a healthier direction. With triple negative bc, you need that chemo - it's your best weapon. Just promise yourself you'll spend the rest of your life building your body's defenses back up.
You can totally do this thing. I promise you. I wish you such good luck Thursday. Along with complete total healing and peace with your decision. You can get there. (I did)
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Sandra, I just wanted to let you know my 4th and final tx is on 9-2. Thanks again for keeping track. We are almost there!!!
Good luck to all those just starting. As everyone else pointed out everyone is different. Don't be afraid of things you've read because chances are it won't happen. And if it does, you are well informed because you are on here and you will know what to do or not be so surprised.
Have a good day and feel well.
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Hi Mbutterfly, that is wonderful you had very few side effects. I started that way with the 1x but the second one didn't do me right at all, I was wore out for almost 2 weeks. then I broke out in severe hives. I just got my 3 tx today. they gave me another chemo called Abraxane, they say it has fewer side effects than taxotere., I usually like to do this the natural way too, but I didn't want to take any chances....I did try to walk everyday at least 20 min. but treatment #2 couldn't do it. Can you give me some tips of what you incorporated holistically. I would appreciate it.
Thank you,
Audrey
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Karen,
Thanks for your advice about the neulasta injection being OK in the stomach.. I just got home from my first chemo with Taxatore and Cytoxin regiment today and it was OK. I did get very cold and chills each time they tried to bump up the Taxotere rate to 100 ml so they had to shut it off, give me a normal saline bolus than restart first at 25 ml then 50, at 100 I develop same coldness. and chills so they administered at 50 ml hour.They felt that I was having the beginning of a hypersensitiy rx but really handled it fast so nothing progressed beyound the coldness and chills.. I had no problem with the Cytoxan. I was there from 8 a.m. until after 5 p.m.I like how my chemo office handed my chills - they immediately responded. Next time they will premeditate me with IV bendryl. I did feel that I was in very safe hands there.
Agnes
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mbutterfly, that was a very good message. Thank you for deciding to post it. I think it's helpful when women let us know that they've had few or no SE's from chemo. Otherwise, newcomers read about all the awful things that can happen, and chemo sounds way more terrifying than it really is.
I also like your analogy about the controlled burn. (I live in the southeastern U.S., where controlled burns have been a standard part of forest management for many years.) Just a few days ago, there was a post on another thread from someone who expected that she would need chemo but couldn't accept the idea of putting "poison" in her body. It is a mind game we have to play, to allow ourselves to stay calm and to accept what's happening.
Thank you.
otter
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Tkone - Thanks for the info on your cycle of ups and downs . . .the more I know the better I can plan! And I will try to join in with the Seattle area locals as you suggested.
Ms Karin and Lani . . Thanks for your sharing your experiences as well. I am going to try to find an excercise / walking buddy in the local area to keep me on track (usually I go to aerobic / conditioning classes several times per week, but have fallen away from that since my dx in early July) . . . .
All the best to everyone out there - your knowledge and support have helped so much!!
xoxoxo, Rick
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mbutterfly--I like the analogy of the controlled burn, too
I am very much into natural, holistic healing as well, (which made the dx of bc all the more difficult--I kept thinking, "who, me? I eat/live healthier than just about anyone I know!") but in the final analysis, I chose chemo and radiation because they have the "numbers" behind them...so it's chemo now, radiation starting in Oct, which will hopefully be done by Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter, and then I can start the re-forestation in earnest :-)
But, I have to admit, coming out of tx 3 and a week of feeling completely "in-toxin-ated", I am reminded that the fire of a controlled burn is still fire.......0 -
Thank you everyone for your supportive comments. After a few sleepless nights, I took the Nike plunge as Otter recommended and "Just Did It". My firest treatment was today and I am utterly shocked at the lack of SEs. Other than fatigue from the Ativan, I have had no SEs whatsoever. (This seems too good to be true- I'm wondering if the other shoe is going to drop when I get my Neulasta shot in the morning?) I also got a Lupron Depot shot today. It is still rather experimental in BC patients but has been shown to help protect the ovaries and lower the risk of infertility for pre-menopausal patients like me. So far, no SEs from that either. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
And to echo otter, yes, thank you mbutterfly for your positive comments. It does help to know that some women do have an easier time of it re: side effects than others. I think sharing everyone sharing their experiences is great; I just got quite overwhelmed by all of the things that *could" go wrong.
Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement.
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Hello Ladies,
Congratulations to the chemo grads this week! I'm getting ready to join you in a few hours.
As far as defining how I view myself, it's been a process of emotions. Like Sandra, right now I've been thinking of myself as under treatment for BC. I've felt very healthy all along and even though I warned my kids (they're older 20-22) that I may have side effects or look 'sick', that it's just part of the process of making sure that the beast is killed and not to think or worry that I'm sick. But, I have to admit with the baldness, that's hard to do. It's a constant reminder that something happened.
As for the SEs, I think the baldness has been the worst of it for me. Never thought I'd say that, but it's mainly due to my sensitive scalp and I'm allergic to the wig fibers, so I can only wear the thing for a couple of hours at a time. So, I bought these lovely BeaBeaus and even though they're very chic, you can tell I'm bald. I noticed my husband who was very upbeat about me started getting depressed and referring to me as 'sick'. So now I try to suck it up and put the wig on right before he gets home from work, then I take it off after the couple of hours. All is well with the world, then. lol
Like you, MButterfly, I was adamanty against putting that poison in my body, especially when I was supposed early-stage, node neg. Of course the OncoDx came back 21 in the intermediate range making my arguments feel weak. After a couple of weeks of much debate between me, the docs, my family I decided to go for it. Funny thing, about 3-4 months prior to my BC, I really started upping the antioxidant regimen and bought the pH kit and did find that my body was getting into the 'danger zone' a lot. pH Acidity is supposed to be a breeding ground for cancer cells. So, I keep tabs on my pH too.
RosemaryGap, like everyone said, this is do-able. I too have had minimal side effects. The only problem I have had is the nausea and heartburn. It's just annoying, like early pregnancy. I've kept my excercise schedule of walking 4-5 miles a day 5-7 times a week. I'm convinced that helped tremendously. And the endorphins are pretty good too.
Back to the defining ourselves now. Before this happened, this was my biggest fear. I lost several friends to BC. I lost my mother, both grandparents, my FIL and most recently my father to some form of cancer - all within the last 10 years. I remember going with my mom to the Oncologist and Chemo treatments looking around the room thinking to myself, "How can these people get thru this? How can they just sit there calmly?" I was freaking out inside - always fighting back tears for their suffering. Now, my SIL is battling metastatic non-small cell lung cancer & is having her chemos simultaneously with mine. It's really hard watching her losing her battle and doesn't help my fear factor. Sorry for the long-winded post... (Steroid high I suppose.) A friend of mine sent me a quote that helped me walk thru those doors and I look at it every day. I thought I'd post it. You may know it already, but thought it would be good for all of us .
YOU GAIN STRENGTH, COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE
BY EVERY EXPERIENCE IN WHICH YOU REALLY
STOP TO LOOK FEAR IN THE FACE....
DO THE THING YOU THINK YOU CANNOT DO. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
Love to all!
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Nice post, chloekat. I had no idea you have already gone through this with so many of your family members, and lost so many of your loved ones to one version or another of this terrible disease. Your own situation sounds very positive, but it must be very difficult going through chemo at the same time as your sil, who has a much worse prognosis. I lost my best friend to lung cancer a year ago April, and she was so brave facing such a hopeless prognosis, and here I was sniveling like a baby with highly treatable early stage breast cancer. My memories of her bravery helped me get my act together and find my own courage for what lie ahead. And I do think I have grown up a bit and learned a few things during the past year. If nothing else, I think I can be there better for people if they need me.
I'm still jacked up on steroids and feeling good Day 2, Tx 4. Hope everyone else is doing well.
Regards,
Sandra
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Hi everyone - especially Bonnielee and SherriM Thank you for your advice.
We had a great anniversary dinner two nights ago and I am so glad we
went then. I am actually Susan's husband - believe it or not I am a primary care doc
now facing this disease from the patient side of things. I have learned so much and felt so comforted by all of your sharing. Susan had her first Tx today. We were there over 5 hours.
Just before the end she had itching scalp and metallic taste in her mouth. I was
glad I knew to expect that. She did well until a couple of hours ago when she
got severe back pain and some swelling in her legs. I asked about Neulasta. They
said only if her wbc count drops but don't test until just B4 her next tx. I know some of
you have it right after the first Tx. We are both positive and yet it was a little daunting to have
women to our right and left who had initial chemo and then bone mets 2-3 years later.
Anyway- I'm Vince and Susan approves of this message. Thank you to everyone. You
are teaching me more than I ever learned in medical school.
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Hi Vince,
I too had a good first go on the taxanes (after 3 rounds of FEC ), then crashed after a couple of days..broken spine, shins, hands, feet, hips! And the fluid retention..what a thing that is! .I couldn't believe it. Then I started taking a simple anti-inflammatory and reminding myself that people who suffer from arthritis have this kind of pain 24/7 forever. At least ours will come good!
I don't understand about the Neulasta..in Australia we get it the next day as a matter of course. Everyone's WBC drops, and doesn't come right up again. I did read somewhere though that it is very expensive, and there's a lot of chemo going around!
Vince, it doesn't pay to look around in the chemo wards. The mind just runs away on you! Instead, go to another ward and check out the old girls..(the ones who had their mastectomies 23 years ago, and made their own breast forms from a stocking and a cup of bird-seed) who are visiting their other old mates who are in for a hip replacement. Then picture you and your wife in THAT scenario. Much better!
Take care of your girl, and good luck!0 -
Hey Vince--I'm glad Susan is past her first round and is doing okay (except for pain/swelling), thanks for keeping us posted! I am a Home Health Nurse (RN), and I seldom admit it on these boards cause I've never worked oncology and know little about it, plus, even if I did, it is so very different from the 'patient' perspective, from being a bc pt or family member! I keep telling my dh that I'm learning so much about illness that I never knew or understood...it's hard to explain what I mean by that...
I'll be thinking of Susan this weekend...I'm glad you're there for her....we're all here for you both!
Sherri
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Hi Vince, and welcome! I didn't have Neulasta after my first treatment; ended up with a neutropenic fever on day 12 after my first treatment, then on antibiotics. My neutrophils were VERY low (<0.1), but it was not the right time for Neulasta. Anyway, day before Tx2, my bloodwork showed very good rebound of WCB (8,800, with 5,500 neutrophils) WITHOUT any Nuelasta. Starting with treatment 2, I now get Neulasta the day after the chemo; interestingly, the bloodwork the day before tx3 indicated a lower white cell count than the day before tx2 (without Neulasta), so who knows if it was really necessary. Up to me, I'd avoid it if I could - too many drugs in my body these days anyway!
Gina
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