Weekly Taxol group
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MsBromton, welcome to a great group! As for the chemo...I've pretty much become numb to the entire experience. Just trying to get through every Friday without anything unexpected. 6 more to go for me and I won't say it gets easier, but I get more accepting of the fact that I'm in that chair and trying to stay healthy! The nurses and volunteers, and some of the other patients are the bright side to my Fridays. I try to get excited that I get to see their smiling faces and it helps a little.
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StefLove, I applaud you for your great attitude. Since you're stuck going there anyway, might as well try and look for something positive or enjoyable. Makes things easier on you and others.
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MsBrompton: Glutamine to prevent neuropathy, too. I have taken 1x a day and only have minor tingling. I am one week PFC.
Princess: It's weird but my fishing line hairs seem to be gone now. Not sure why.
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Well I thought I'd be in the clear but just got my first bloody nose while at work. My nose has been really dry and the past few days I've seen bloody crusty boogers (yes, TMI I know) but havent had a full blown bloody nose until now. For the ladies that have had them, do they happen often? Anything I can do to try to avoid them? I'm going to try using a moisturizing saline nose spray when I get home to see if that helps.
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I was getting them about 1-2 times a week. I often got them after blowing my nose so do it gently. I just finished my last one last Tuesday so I want to see how long it takes to stop.
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I'm going to try acupuncture therapy the day before my first Taxol treatment to help minimize neuropathy. They offer it in a group setting at my cancer institute to keep the cost down. My insurance doesn't cover it. I'm hoping it's worth the $60/treatment. I'm also hoping it can help alleviate my headaches, stress, other aches and pains. Has anyone else been told about acupuncture for numbness and tingling?
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Steflove, I get multiple bloody noses every day. I am a week out from last Taxol. I thought I would make it through the day yesterday but had a couple in the evening. I've already had one today to. I'm hoping they ease soon. They do not last long, but they are annoying.
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J3enny4, "funny" you mention acupuncture. Yesterday I saw my MO's PA who knows that part of my foot became numb a few weeks PFC and she mentioned that I could try acupuncture. She said that there is no official proof that it is helping, but some people say that it helps them.
I'm still thinking about it, not sure yet if I will do it. I will be interested in your impression.
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Great news for all the ladies that are done with Taxol!!! I canceled my #9 last week because I thought it would kill me plus my neuropathy is really bad already. My MO never cut my Taxol he just said let me know if you start stumbling.......I decided to change my hospital and am getting #10 tomorrow and my new MO is cutting it 20%. I will also be closer to home and that should make it easier for me since I have to go through the winter for my Herceptin and Perjeta. The other change the new MO is making besides cutting the Taxol is instead of 13 Perjeta she will only be giving me 6. She said there is no study saying more than 6 is beneficial...............any opinions on this?
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I am 6 Taxols in and I have been waking up with a bloody nose just about every day for the past week or so...it doesn't bleed like a faucet or anything, but there are bloody crusties all over my nose and when I blow it I see blood. Pretty obnoxious!
On the topic of acupuncture, I have been getting it about every 2 weeks for the past few months. I did notice that on the weeks I get it my side effects seem less pronounced...could be the placebo effect, but I'll take it! Plus if nothing else it is very relaxing...my acupuncturist places the needles and then lets me lay in a quiet dark room with soothing music playing for about 20 minutes...sometimes I start to doze a bit
Anewbeginning, that is interesting about the Perjeta...I am doing Herceptin/Perjeta as well, I will have to see how long the Perjeta is scheduled for (I know the Herceptin is a year). I am doing it adjuvantly, which seems to be not as common.
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Welcome, MsBrompton! I started to take a B complex a couple of weeks ago as my neutrophil counts kept getting lower and lower. I was afraid that I would need to skip a week. The lowest mine got before the B vitamins was 1.7. Now it is slowly increasing at today was 1.85. Even though it's tenths of a percent, every small increment counts with us. So definitely keep taking it even if you are worried it may not work, you never know
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Finshed #9 taxol today. Feel like I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have surgery and radiation but focusing on getting at least chemo done. Luckily I have not had any neuropathy. My heart goes out to all of you who do. My liver numbers are not great but not enough that I have had to miss a chemo. My neck still hurts some because the blood clot has never totally dissolved. I could go back to giving myself shots but will stick with th exeralto pills for now. I hated giving myself the shots
Good luck to everyone!!!
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Hello there! I am heading into my 7th taxol treatment on Friday. I also get carboplatin every 3rd week along with the taxol.
Question...any of you have a red rash on your body- it isn't itchy. Also, have two red spots on the edge of an age spot- heading into see the dermatologist tomorrow. Not sure if it is part of the red rash and coincidence it is on edge of "mole" or what. Any of you hear of skin cancer along with breast cancer or more likely to develop skin cancer when under chemotherapy treatment?
Sorry lots of questions. !
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Batesburg
I have developed a red rash on both arms and the upper chest area. Not itchy but not very unattractive. It appeared about 3 weeks ago. MO said it was from the taxol.
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ANewBeg- great news about the new MO - I hope the new dose worked better for you!
I too have a rash - on the apples of my cheeks
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I also had a rash and still get one after treatment. Went to a dermatologist recommended by my MO, and she prescribed a cream. I think it's partly the steroids and partly the taxol and in my case perjeta.
Then you add in the mosquito bites of August.
One more thing....
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AJ: I am glad you switched MO's. There is no excuse for disregarding a symptom as serious as neuropathy. I encourage you to write a letter to the facility he/she was in explaining why. I also am switching MO's and I am deciding whether to write a letter. My issues are about 80% with the MO and the other 20% with the facility itself. The bureaucracy is completely frustrating and the staff is about a ratio of one helpful person to every three who try to make everything harder. I call up and sit and listen to the annoying hold music/sales pitch every time I call.
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Magnolia, does it hurt at all? - I'm talking about the acupuncture needles. How long does the whole session take?
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I tried acupuncture for insomnia and headaches a few years ago. The needles don't hurt at all going in. It is VERY relaxing - I almost felt a little drunk after! - but sadly it did nothing for my insomnia or headaches.
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Taxol #10 today....... Still feeling WAY over all this. Feel like I am just a zombie walking through the motions of my life at this point. 2 more.... 14 more days.............
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You are almost there, Leigh!! Hang in there!!
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Batesburg, have we talked about being on the same exact treatment plan and schedule? #7 for me too with fabulous carbo. Come onnnnn Sept 25th!!!!
As for the rash, I haven't had anything pop up yet but who knows.
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No way, StepLove!!! How about shortness of breath?? My MO switched around the C/T and AC...so, I have AC as a "seal and deal" thing- kick it to Pluto!
And, I am in neo-adjuvant therapy- looks like they did surgery first for you??Will have to PM you, too!
Off to dermatologist soon for this weird looking "mole".
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Batesburg, ahh ok so we're not EXACTLY the same but close!
I had surgery prior to chemo bc the biopsy only came back as DCIS originally and then we learned it was IDC. I also need to have another lumpectomy after chemo is over to try to remove a little more tissue in the area and remove the biopsy marker that the surgeon never took out... ugh. Shortness of breath comes and goes and I can definitely see how it correlates to my blood counts. I've had to have two blood transfusions already due to my hemoglobins and low counts. This week I'm iffy with breathing so I'm really hoping tomorrow my counts aren't too bad.
Good luck with the mole!!
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Hi StefLove and everyone!
Here is some excellent info from my dermatologist. (just went today and was skipping out of the appt!!) ....I have many seborrheic keratoses (SK) lesions all over my body- get them from the sun and aging. They do not turn into cancer but hear this: they CAN become reactive to chemotherapy drugs and form some pretty scary looking red spots around their edges to make you think it could be something more serious!!! They are all over my lower legs because I have SKs all over my lower legs!!! I was so relieved to hear it was totally benign and they gave me an RX for ointment to "calm them down"...... anyone else experiencing something similar? I am feeling good about the feedback.....two Docs looked at it and both confirmed....they even took pics to show their residents - want to "quiz them"!
About shortness of breath....my HGB was 10.4 last week and I was feeling pretty good then but this week I am not bouncing back quite so well- hope I am not too low tomorrow as well! Cheers to both of us getting the "all clear" for chemo! (also, my platelets might be a tad low- noticing I am bleeding a bit easier - got a paper cut just now and it bled but stopped right away.) Good sign- last week my platelets were 101.
Hopefully, I will get taxol at the very least. (even though it is a carbo/taxol day)
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I had my last Abraxane yesterday! It seems very surreal to have the chemo done - for a while it felt unending. Now onto to imaging, surgery and rads.
Leigh - you're almost there! I also feel like a zombie, so I'm just going with it!
Barb
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BBwithBC...the acupuncture needles are super thin and flexible, almost like thin springy wire. To me it really doesn't hurt...its the tiniest little pinch when they go in, nothing like getting a shot or anything. Thewhole thing takes about 30 min where I go, but the first session was about an hour because the acupuncturist did a whole evaluation thing and showed me the needles and all that before we got started. It's worth it to try it once to see if it's for you, in my opinion
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Thank you, Magnolia
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Got a little good news yesterday... beside #10 being DONE.... Got my deportation date .... Tues Sept 8!!!! WOO HOO can't wait for that sucker to come out!
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I have been off the boards for a bit because I moved but I went in for my treatment today(#5) and I was told my nuetrophils were too low and I cant do treatments today. This is the second time treatment was delayed. I have horrible nueropathy to the point that I can only stand for about 15 mins. So, I broke down and started crying asking if I had to do this anymore. I was with the NP so she went and spoke to my MO and they came back with the offer of Taxotere. This means 2 more treatments and I will be done a month earlier! I don't know 8 more treatments and 9 weeks or 2 treatments and 4 weeks. No Brainer!!! Has anyone else done Taxotere? Been offered the same plan??
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