Weekly Taxol group
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Had no. 10 yesterday and the pumped me full of premeds due to last weeks reaction and I am not having my normal good thursday, oh well only 2 more. I have booked in to have my port taken out a week after my last one due to it sitting in my heart with the blood clot. I am on clexane will I have to come off that before hand?
Karen
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Karen, I was on blood thinners for the same reason. My heart doctor had me go off them 1.5 days before having the port removed. You should consult with your cardiologist. My surgeon required him to sign off before he would pull it out.
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Tesla-We are close in treatment process, my surgery was Oct 6, I start Taxol Dec-7. We are also both triple pos! I would also like to know the timing.
Jodi
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Jodes001, yup, I'm getting my port 12/1 and start Taxol #1 on 12/3. I'm nervous!! U??!!
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Hello newbies. Weekly taxol is OK. I finished five weeks ago. No major side effects at all. Worst minor side effect was constant low-grade headache (more like a 'thick head') and loss of taste. Plus felt really tired in weeks 10-12 (but was still at work!). Did not get neuropathy, nails stayed healthy (except one toenail). People tend to post when they get problems so I'm just posting this to warn you that you MAY get through the whole thing without any.
Hang in there, it won't last forever.
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What a wonderful day yesterday was! I've finally completed my chemo adventure! Whoop whoop!! Happy dance!
At the end of 12 taxol infusions, I am dealing with neuropathy, joint pain and fatigue. But I have faith that it'll go away soon enough. Will be hanging out in surgery threads now, I'm heading for my bmx in Jan, then radio therapy in Feb.
Hang in there girls! See you at the finishing line!!0 -
Tesla, please don't worry about Taxol, just like MsBromton said you might not have any side effects. Anyway it's doable. I did 6 out of 12 . The biggest complain I'm always tired.
About putting the port. It's an easy procedure. It might hurt for a couple of days, but soon you will get used to it and you will forget you have this port.
Good luck you!!!!
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Aw 27heart, those are SUCH great pictures! Congratulations and God bless you for the recovery :-)
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Tesla- Im only nervous because I havent scheduled my port install, and haven't ordered my penguin caps!! I just married off my baby on Nov 21st, so it has been ALL wedding...but now it's going to be ALL chemo!!
Hopefully I'll get caught up on Monday. I have no worries about the chemo....I'm taking off work for awhile, and using cold caps to save my hair, so hopefully it will go ok.
Good luck, talk soon!!
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Jodes001 and Tesla, I am not far behind you. I have my last AC this week and then start Taxol December 15th. Will either of you be icing?
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After AC, the thing that makesme the most nervous about taxol is the chance of allergic reaction. Did any of you have reactions and what did it feel like and what did they do when you did? Do they panic or is it just a common thing. The first of any new chemo is always the scariest!
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homeschool4us- if icing means cold capping, yes I am.
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I have my last AC on Thursday then I will start 12 weekly Taxol. I've had very few side affects on AC and I still have a full head of hair (cold capping)so I think fear of the unknown is what scares me the most
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Jodes001, I meant any kind, cold capping (although I'm already bald from AC so I won't be), or icing your hands and feet.
LRFTexan, we NE on the exact same schedule! Will you start Taxol 2 weeks from Thursday? I start in a Tuesday, but switch back to Thursdays after the holidays. That's amazing that you kept all.of your hair!
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I don't know if we are going to wait 2 weeks or 3 weeks to start Taxol. Kinda bummed that falls ChristmasEve and NYE so I am thinking about hanging days from Thursday but it's the most convenient in case of side effects bc I am working full time. I am very blessed where my hair is concerned I haven't even had major shedding. I keep waiting and it hasn't ever happened. I just pray it continues! I am having a hard time wrapping my head around icing head, hands and toes. I had a pretty good breakdown chemo 3 so I am just hoping I can stay mentally strong.
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I did too this round (3)!! I am heaing that is pretty common to have a tough round 3 of AC.
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AC round 3 hit me so hard that I even wanted to quit chemo, I wanted to tell my MO I want to skip round 4. Of course I didn't quit . But surprisingly round 4 was easear. Have no explanation why.
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Homeschool4us, the allergic reaction to Taxol (or, actually, the solvent it's in) is pretty rare. They watch you carefully for the first 15 minutes of the first two infusions, because that's when it will happen if it's going to. But if you're like most people, it just means you'll have a nice chat with the chemo nurse and that's that. I've read here that when you get the reaction, it's pretty obvious, and they'll shoot you full of Benadryl and stop the infusion for a while.
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I was petrified when they first started the Taxol because I had heard of the dreaded allergic reaction. Had no reaction at all except my eyes were rolling back in my head because of the Benedryl dose. I don't even think the nurse stayed in the room when the Taxol started up, so I am guessing it doesn't happen all that often.
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Thanks. That makes me feel better. Anyone else have taxol with herceptin? I read that the allergic reaction rate for herceptin is over 50% with the first dose. Wondering if that holds true.
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homeschool4us - 50% is the figure for herceptin reactions if you forget to take the anti-allergy cocktail :-). Much less in the real world!
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Ms Brompton, so that number is based on not taking the pre meds? They give you those through iv right?
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27Heart: beautiful pics!! I'm also Asian!! You look amazing what a beautiful smile! Do you mind if I ask you what's your nationality?
Ruska: I'm nervous about my taxol chemo. I guess it's the unknown that scares me. I'm a nurse anesthetist and work in the OR. I have seen and provide anesthesia to patients undergo mastectomies, breast biopsy, port placement, plastic surgeries...etc. I did well when I had my mastectomies with direct implants since I knew my surgeons, anesthesia team, nurses pretty well and I felt like I still had some control of my care. My chemo is coming this Thursday!! Not gonna lie, my fiancé and I felt like it was hard to predict what's gonna happen (side effects, chemo good days/bad days, and the hair loss). With surgery, when you wake up, you know you are gonna get better each day.With chemo, I felt like it's getting harder each round
I know I will make it just like all of the strong ladies here!! Wish me luck!! I'm looking forward to get to the finishing line!! 0 -
Thank you everyone!! Tesla, I'm from Singapore.
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Tesla, don't be scared!!! It's not as bad as you think. Hair loss ... May be you want to try cold capping? I personally didn't . The hair will be back after chemo anyway. So all this is temporary. Chemo itself is not painful at all, you are not going to feel anything. Bad days after chemo for me are day 3 and 4. Tired, muscle pain ,... But nothing major. I wish you the best of luck!!!!
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I had the dreaded allergic reaction. It happens very quickly, about ten minutes in. I won't describe it because it is very rare. The team knows just what to look for, just what to do,and while frightening it doesn't last long. The only reason I had a second reaction is because my MO was trying to wean me off the steroids I was taking. In the end, if you have a reaction, abraxane is an excellent alternative. I finished my treatments with that.
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homeschool4us - yes I think so but am no expert. I attended 12 sessions and at each session there were several of us having taxol, and I never saw anyone have a bad allergic reaction. What I do know is that at the beginning I was terrified I would die. Actually, the doctors and nurses are all totally tuned into this allergy thing, and as someone else has just posted, IF it happens they know exactly what to do. You don't die, you just get a bit of a fuss around your cubicle and a few extra drugs. That's as bad as it gets.
Good luck, be strong, believe in yourself. And look at the amazing photos in this thread from 27heart. What a lady!
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I had an allergic reaction with taxol #4 - it was hugely fast - I barely uttered the words "I don't feel good..." and I was RED RED and my chest hurt - but this is why onc nurses run when they are needed - they were in and flushing the taxol line SUPER FAST. They dumped some benedryl into the port, we flushed for 15 mins then restarted taxol slowly. I was able to continue w/taxol to finish though - they just up the allergy prep beforehand.
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27heart you are such a sweetie!! I love that sign. Thanks for thinking of your Taxol Twinsie on your big day. We're DONE!!!! I'm as happy for you as a I am for me!!!
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Homeschool: I had Taxol and Herceptin. The first Herceptin dose was run slowly.... 90 minutes. I didn't have any reactions. Since I was also getting Taxol, I had the premeds of steroids and benedryl. Now that I'm finished with Taxol, I have no premeds and the Herceptin infusion lasts only 30 minutes.
27Heart: Congratulations!! Your pictures are great!
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