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Weekly Taxol group

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Comments

  • ladyhumps
    ladyhumps Member Posts: 56
    edited April 2016

    teach6 I didn't think the Claritin helped my bone pain. Congrats on finishing chemo and I hope you sail through radiation!

    Jodi Hope that blister is healing up.

    SmileHad my last Taxol yesterday!!! Radiation probably starting in about 2 weeks.

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016

    Teach & LadyHumps..congrats on finishing chemo and moving onto radiation!!! I just finished week 6 of 12 weekly Taxol and 4 months of chemo overall. These last 6 weeks seem tiring and a long road but know almost there:)) My radiation oncologist (who I liked a lot) passed away at 47 with a young family and best in class practice this past weekend. .....the oncology center very sad today...he saved so many lives but his got taken so early:(( Your reminded how important and precious each day is.

  • Deaconlady
    Deaconlady Member Posts: 86
    edited April 2016

    #9 done!! I feel pretty good. Ready for bed soon though.

    DFWFLYGIRL, so sad about your RO. Very young.

    I should have last Taxol 1st week of May. I'm hoping to finish rads by end of June since my deductibile will start over and out of pocket as well. I can do without that extra expense.

  • Ddaisy
    Ddaisy Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2016

    ladies congrats!! Its a tough and long journey and you did it. :)

    DFWFLYGIRL sorry to hear about ur RO, its very sad. And yes each day is very important we have to remind ourselves sometimes. Wish u the very best for the remaining 6 weeks.

    I had #2 Taxol on Monday. I started to take 20g LGlutamine and 100mg B6 daily and so far it helps a lot. I had muscle and joint pain on d3 and d4 but its almost nothing compared to last week. I have energy can do a lot and didnt have to be in bed. I know its just the beginning and still havev10 weeks. So will see :)

    Girls re dry itchy skin here the radiologyst offered E45 cream I dont know if you've heard about it. I have friends who had radio already and this cream helped them. Just an idea:)


  • ladyhumps
    ladyhumps Member Posts: 56
    edited April 2016

    DFWFLYGIRL Hang in there!! You've had a long journey so far. Sorry to hear about your RO, so young and with a family.

    Deaconlady Have you had a consult with RO yet? I had my scan for rad planning on Wed. I was told RO needed probably a week and 1/2 for planning. If I start at the beginning of May that'll put me in the middle of June for finishing 7 weeks of rads for me.

    Ddaisy Good luck with the Taxol and thanks for the cream rec. Seems like I've heard of that brand.

    I appreciate all the support here and reading about different experiences. I'll be back to check in on you all!

  • Deaconlady
    Deaconlady Member Posts: 86
    edited April 2016

    Hi ladyhumps. I met with my RO before the MO. I was going to start radiation, but my MO and I decided to do chemo as well. Thanks for the info!



  • kymberly
    kymberly Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2016

    @ladyhumps YES Chemo messes with my Diabetes. My Endocrinologist gave me an extra med to add starting the day before chemo and I usually continue to take until the day after. My readings are still high but not scary high. I eat much less on the day of Chemo and that helps keep my numbers down. Its hard though because I am ravenous after chemo - must be the steroids. Well I am off in about 15 minutes to #7 of 12. Have a great day ladies!

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016

    DDaisy-Glad to hear the supplements working for you. They have helped mitigate almost all the pain for me as well...good news for us both!

    Thanks ladies for all the support..so great to use each other'a experiences to help March is thru!

  • blamoms
    blamoms Member Posts: 86
    edited April 2016

    I had met first taxol treatment today. No allergic reactions thank goodness. I had a nap this afternoon. So far so good no side effects but I'm sure they are coming

  • Praline
    Praline Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2016

    Hello... I had Taxol # 9 this past Monday. I have not had any serious SE except for tired...NO energy! I take a shower get dressed and I'm exhausted. No appetite either... Hair all gone, had my head shaved this week. Just wanted to touch base with everyone.

  • Ddaisy
    Ddaisy Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2016

    DFWFLYGIRL thanks yes it works. :) this week was way easier.

    Blamoms good luck with Taxol its very good that the 1st was ok. For me d3 and d4 are the most difficult but with LGlutamine and B6 it was easy now. Let us know how it goes for you.

    Praline sorry to hear about ur hair. I lost mine with AC (two weeks after my 1st AC) but now it started to grow back. Wierd.. I dont think its a good idea to keep it as I still need 10 taxols..

    Does anybody have the same experience?

    Thanks for the support Ladies it means a lot <3

  • Deaconlady
    Deaconlady Member Posts: 86
    edited April 2016

    I still have my hair after #9. MO says it could still go. I really need a haircut but I feel like I should wait.

  • LiLNutmeg
    LiLNutmeg Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2016

    Taxol #11 is on Monday;  Just 2 more ... 2 more ... I can do this ... I can do this ....  Infusions 8-10 were the worst .. debilitating bone pain, headache, neuropathy, eye strain .. I don't have any hair .. and yet it even seemed to hurt!    MO tried me on a series of stuff ... none of which worked .. so he is trying me on an old antidepressant that is also been helpful for bone pain ... I dunno .... made me more upset I think he feels I'm depressed .... I don't feel that I am .. I have soldiered through FEC an Taxol working full time, taking care of kids etc  ..just sometimes ... the pain overwhelms you.

    Come on #11 .... I'll crawl there if I have to ... bring it on!

  • kymberly
    kymberly Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2016

    As for the hair:

    Just had #7 and my hair is very thin now. It was originally below my shoulder blades and I cut it ala Kris Kardashian at week 5 when I noticed that hand fulls had started coming out. That was easier for a while but I just told my husband last night that it's time to get his shaver out. Not so much because of the hair thinning but because of the shedding. I'm sure I will still shed but these longer hairs are a pain! I have to also admit that I am very interested to see what my gray hair looks like. The color as you can see from the pic is lightening from the darker brown that it was and my gray is growing in underneath - so we shall see!! I would be so happy if I didn't have to mess with hair color anymore. There are some interesting opportunities to loosing your hair! Different cuts and colors. Take advantage of it ladies!! Nothing but more hair to lose and it will grow back!

    image 4 months before diagnosis

    image Ala Kris Kardashian at week 5

    image Today after #7 and feeling tired at this point

  • Ddaisy
    Ddaisy Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2016

    Lilnutmeg dear you are so strong and you almost there. Only 2 left of course you can do that. We all know how hard is it and we r with u. sometimes I could cry when Im thinking about that I still have 10 weeks Yaaaaay... but I can do that, we all can coz we r stronger than anybody else!!!

    Kimberly lovely pics and yes loosing ur hair has other opportunities. I was so sad and cried when I lost mine. My 1st thought was to run and buy a wig. But then I said to myself: i have to accept myself as it is. This is also me. It happened 3 months ago and I still dont have wig and I dont mind at all. I have nice scarves. :) but I decided to shave my hair ( well I wouldnt call it hair hehe ) until I finish Taxol.

  • Maya15
    Maya15 Member Posts: 112
    edited April 2016

    LilNutmeg wishing you strength for the sprint to the finish! You can count the days down now, it's not far.

    Weekly Taxol has been a killer for me and after #6 I just couldn't keep going. My blood counts dropped and they were making me go to the hospital twice a week for neupogen injections on top of the chemo. I just didn't have the energy and my insurance didn't approve getting the shots to do at home, so my MO switched me to higher dose taxol every 3 weeks, so now there's only 2 more rounds to go.

  • kymberly
    kymberly Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2016

    Lilnutmeg - you can do it!!!! Rounding third headed to home for the win!!

  • Praline
    Praline Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2016

    ????? What day is is? (lol) Came back from chemo treatment around 1:30 this afternoon. My sister and her husband stopped by on their way home from California. After they left, it was not even 3:30, I went in the bedroom to get something(?)and lay down on my bed. The first thing I know, the house phone is ring off the hook. I opened my eyes, ... is it morning? is it night? It's dark .. has to be night. And all this time the answering machine on my phone is going yak! yak! yak! I finally figured out is was Monday evening at 8:30. I slept for 5 hours!

    Had #10 chemo treatment today. Two more to go.I have been pretty good except no hair...and not just on my head...just thin eyebrows and eyelashes left. I should invest in stocks in the Kleenex company .Nose constantly running! And I feel like I am 150 years old. No energy , I take a shower and get dressed and it it time to rest. And no appetite either, nothing looks good.
    Time to go put the dog's bed in the dryer.

  • Ddaisy
    Ddaisy Member Posts: 18
    edited April 2016

    Ladies sending you the power! You are almost there! so for sure you can do that.

    I had #3 yesterday. It went well so far I am feeling fine thanks to the steroids LOL.

    Girls has any of you had air travel during taxol? Is it possible?


  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 42
    edited April 2016

    DDaisy....another one done for you..that is great! I did travel one week several weeks ago for work however my counts have been low so doc prefers me to not to travel until I finish Taxol and counts come back to normal.

    Same for you? There are several ladies on here who have traveled for work and fun so I think like everything depends on chemo regimen, well being, counts and doctor's willingness



  • LiLNutmeg
    LiLNutmeg Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2016

    Thanks for your encouragement everyone ... I had Taxol #11  on Monday.... one more to go!!   Am feeling pretty good this week  , the new pills seem to be helping with the bone pain.

     

    I've been keeping myself busy planning my Chemo Graduation Day party next week ;   I've ordered 200 custom iced cookies for the  Blood Lab, Pharmacy and Chemo Suite staff  as well making up 4-5 gift buckets for my favourite nurses  with treats, lotions, bath balms, and gift certificates for movies, Timmies coffee (It's a Canadian thing)   and dinner for two at nice local restaurants

     

    Got my surgery date for May 18th for the aux dissection . hoping it's not as bad as the BMX


    Looking forward to ring the heck out of the bell next Monday.    Hang in there everyone ... We're almost there!    Love n hugs to all  / Nutmeg

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited April 2016

    Ladies - I am the one that was in the cryotherapy study for Preventing neuropathy with Taxol - she hasn't published but the results are so promising she is doing 2 things:

    1. having ALL her taxol patients do it now.

    2. creating a new study to use ice bags instead of the elastic-gel gloves/boots to see if that also works well as it's much easier for patients to do.

    SO! PLEASE ICE IF YOU CAN - I had ALMOST Neuropathy by the end of my taxol and I have literallly no lingering neuropathy. My fingernails did not lift/turn black/fall off - they just got a tiny bit tan.

    Good luck!

  • Maya15
    Maya15 Member Posts: 112
    edited April 2016

    Thanks for the post ThePrincess! I am icing with ice bags which was recommended by my NP and people on this discussion board. But I was wondering how effective it is because my chemo nurse says I am her only patient who does it, and having hands and feet in ice for an hour is not pleasant to say the least. I'm on #7 and so far no neuropathy and no black/lifting nails. I intend to continue with the ice, but I am curious what the results are for those who ice compared to those who don't.

  • NattyB
    NattyB Member Posts: 34
    edited April 2016

    Quick question about the icing - is it the whole hand and whole foot or just the fingers and toes

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited April 2016

    My dr supplied the study participants with these gloves/socks: http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-gel-Hypothermia-Mitts...=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1461196014&sr=8-1&keywords=ice+gloves+chemotherapy

    37 of 38 had NO neuropathy or super limited neuropathy in the study. 100% of her patients at the same time period that were NOT in the study had medium to severe neuropathy.

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 526
    edited April 2016

    What is your doctors name, please?

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 526
    edited April 2016

    LilNutmeg, what pills are you taking for bone pain

  • princesstina
    princesstina Member Posts: 129
    edited April 2016

    LoveMyV.. it's Dr. Wilkinson- she's awesome - she's very much into research studies and staying on top of what other people are researching.

  • veronica31
    veronica31 Member Posts: 25
    edited April 2016

    Maya15: I am not icing at all. I also just finished Taxol #7. I don't have any neuropathy or nail issues yet, but we can compare when we are done! Happy

  • Gabby56b
    Gabby56b Member Posts: 32
    edited April 2016

    Last Day Of CHEMO !!!! It's Done. All in all - AC was the pits, taxol not so much. Iced my hands - so very little neuropathy. Now I am on to radiation. My teaching apt is on May 12. Should have this all behind me by July 4th weekend.....

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