Weekly Taxol group
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upper arm also but pretty high up towards axilla as that's only place they could find a decent vein
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GlasgowGirl - Ouch! My first chemo was delayed a few days after several painful attempts. Once the port-a-cath was inserted, I was able to get chemo the same day. My arm was bruised for several weeks. Hope you can get a PICC line or port soon.
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SerenitySTAT - I am hoping the portacath will be inserted a week from Thursday. Their list is full this week! Sooner the better and hopefully everything will be straightforward from then 😊. Can I ask if anyone suffered from restless legs/aches in joints? Mine has been very bad at night especially since last night. Finding it hard to sleep already 😱
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GlasgowGirl - Yes, I had achy joints (hips mostly) and my legs felt like lead about 48 hours post treatment. It lasted about 2 days and walking helped. I also took Extra Strength Tylenol.
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Thanks Bravepoint! Have been doing as much walking as I can so hopefully it will settle. I wasn't expecting the SE to start immediately!! How silly of me 🙈🙈. Of course they will 😣
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GlasgowGirl - I got the achiness every week after treatment but it got better after a day or so each time. It was no worse after 1 treatment than after 12 for me.
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Yikes, GlasgowGirl! My port was supposed to be put in on the right / non-surgical side, but I woke up to find it on my left. The surgeon said the vein was too small so I can relate somewhat to your experience. The darned thing wouldn't work, looped around and a CT scan showed that it had retracted 3 cm from its initial position. Fortunately, an interventional radiologist removed that por & the replacement worked perfectly for the remainder of my chemo treatments. The port really is much more convenient then a PICC line, but, as I mentioned it is the procedure is a bit more invasive.
Sorry to hear about the aches and pains. Anticipating that issue, my oncologist ordered pain pills just before my first Taxol. They really helped. Good luck!
Lyn
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I'm happy with my port. Had my cardiac cath the same day as port placement. My veins are hard to find and I'm glad to not have that on my anxiety list each time I go. I do have my port on the right side - surgery on left. And I have perception for a year. I've known women who don't take them out - just go in for a flush regularly. I'm not making the decision now however.
What I miss more than my hair, is my eyebrows and I got new ones today. I should have done it before chemo but there wasn't much time between the decision for chemo and starting chemo.
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thanks everyone for your comments. So good to hear your experiences! I was surprised to hear about your port being placed on left side VLH. I would expect it to go on non surgical side! My arm has been very painful today but painkillers are helping. Bravepoint I am glad to hear your achiness did not worsen as treatment progressed. Taco 1946 I am actually dreading losing my eyebrows more than my hair. And as I never wear make up I won't even manage to pencil them in!
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GlasgowGirl. I also thought I wouldn't be able to draw in my eyebrows. I had very light ones to begin with, so I bought a light colored pencil and started "practicing" while they were still there. After 4 rounds of AC and 3 of Taxol, I have a few left and very few lashes. I use what's left as a guide and it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be to draw something on
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Hi Glasgow girl
The achy legs are a v common side effect! I also get nettle rash feeling and twitchy muscles. I take Naproxen for it also have Epsom salt baths.
Anyone else on here been offered an oopherectomy? I am in the odd position of being BRcA1 and 2 negative but my mother and sister have both had BC. I don't like the sound of oopherectomy because we have dementia and heart disease in the family and it increases risk of those. Don't know how I'm going to make that decision.
On a more positive note, 2 more chemos and I AM DONE!
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ps Port-a-cath is great! No stress about veins and very little pain.
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Thanks Bmac16. Perhaps I should invest in a pencil now and start practising! That seems to be a very good idea!! Hurray tinker-bell- you are almost at the finish line! Fantastic 👍🏻😊🤗. I am in tomorrow morning for 2nd Taxol and hoping they will have a date for my port-a-cath. I will try the Epsom salts and ask about Naproxen or whatever the equivalent is here in Ireland.
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Hello Everyone,
Hope everyone is doing well this week. I just finished Taxol #5. Can't believe I am almost halfway. So far SE have been mainly GI issues, headache, fatigue. I try to walk a couple miles a day and I think that helps tremendously especially with my mood. Sometimes I feel out of it or down and the walk always clears my head. I also drink tons of water which seems to help with the drying affects of Taxol. Was getting little bone pain at first, but that seems to have gone away. SE seem milder, but last for more days now. Seems like I'm finally feeling good and then it's treatment day.
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#4 today and I have a little vent. When I had my chemo ed session, the nurse who did it looked at my hair and said don't shave your head, you're not going to lose your hair and skipped that part of the packet. I had AC and Taxotere 13 years ago and I knew about hair loss so I really didn't need the education part of it. She assumed my hair is thick because the hair that grew back after chemo is frizzy and curly and has the appearance of volume, but it is the fine hair I had pre chemo. When I askedwhy she was so certain she told me that about my hair being thick and said I'm sure your hair grew back during taxotere. (it did not) She said at most I'd only lose 70% and that would not make a difference. I dropped it because she said she has years of experience and knows what she is talking about.
This week I'm having a lot of hair loss. My hair is thinner, has that droop to it, and my scalp is tender. But I can't get past her admonition to not shave my head for some reason. Like if I shaved it and only 60% fell out, I'd be some kind of loser. Of course I don't wish to lose my hair but my hands covered in hair when I wash it and hair stuck to my clothes and dropping in my food is annoying. I'm a middle child rule follower and am having a hard time doing something I was told not to.
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My last A/C treatment was on March 10, 2017. On March 24, I began my weekly 12 Taxol treatments (I also began receiving Herceptin weekly) . I was able to complete 4 consecutive treatments. By the 5th treatment, my white blood count was too low to be treated. I ended up having my 5th treatment the following week on April 28. That was my last Taxol/Herceptin treatment. The reason is because the following 3 weeks, my white blood count was too low to be treated (so basically is couldn't get treated on May 5, May 12, and May 19). My last doctor's appt. was May 23, and during this appt., my oncologist decided that I would no longer be receiving Taxol treatments, as she did not want to do any long term damage to my bone marrow, but I would continue to get Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year. I'm in total agreement with preserving my bone marrow, but I would like to know if anyone else's oncologist decided to stop treatment halfway through. It's concerning because I don't want the cancer to come back as a result of not finishing all my treatments.
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Yeah, they told me my hair would only thin. After treatment #4, I had my teenage son give me a buzz. My hair had thinned to the point that I had bald patches, so I started wearing scarves. But the scarves pulled on my tender scalp and the thinning hair was everywhere. I'm very glad I buzzed it, although it's all gray now. Sigh. I guess I already knew that would be the case. I've got 7 down now; 5 to go. I look forward to when I can eat something other than bland simple carbs again.
bnh1010, I tried to talk my oncologist into just herceptin, but since it wasn't a standard treatment method, he wouldn't do it. I have heard of others who only had a few Taxol treatments before going just to herceptin. They seemed to be just fine. I would love to take that route, but my blood counts are staying okay, so he wants me to continue. I'd take the herceptin and run with it!
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taxol #2 today. Got date for Port-a-cath insertion. Next Thursday morning with Taxol #3 afterwards. I am looking forward to getting the portacath as everyone's saying it is so much easier with it in. Didn't have too much of a problem finding vein today so stressing beforehand was unnecessary 😣🙈. Waiting patiently now for SE to kick in 😫 The waiting and wondering , with my imagination in overdrive, is the worst 😐. Any tips/hints/advice on relaxing and allowing what's going to happen , happen?
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GlasgowGirl, my only advice after having five Taxol so far, is to take advantage of the "steroid high" for the 48 hours or so after infusion. My experience is that I can get in some good exercise sessions on those days and then deal with the crash that comes when steroids wear off. If you have fluid retention, also time to really pay attention to your diet, sodium intake, etc..
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GlasgowGirl - My advice is to just carry on living your life as normal as you can. Listen to your body. If you are tired, lie down and close your eyes for half an hour. drink lots of water or herbal tea and eat well.You can do this!!
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Thanks for the advice everyone. I feel I must be going through a "why me?" period at the moment because although the sun is shining (not so common here in Ireland!) I am very down. Hopefully a walk will cheer me up and a BBQ this evening before heavy rain tomorrow ☀️☔️
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bnh1010 - I stopped the Taxol after 8 sessions. I had terrible neuropathy. Blood counts stayed fine. No other chemo. My hair all fell out about week 4 and is coming back VERY slowly. But I miss my eyebrows more than my head hair. I've been comfortable with scarves. Still getting herceptin every 3 weeks as well as anastrozole orally. I'm 71, small tumor, but triple +. My second echo was better than my baseline. I'm having some joint and muscle pain from the anastrozole but it seems to be getting better. I do take claritin and went back to the daily nexium.
BS said bilateral mammogram at 6 months but MO and RO said only the effected breast. What are the rest of you hearing?
Hope you are well enough to enjoy the weekend.
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#6 is done! Woohoo! Six to go. I talked onc into reducing the steroids another notch, down to 7 mg. My most frustrating and annoying SE has been swollen legs and feet after the steroid crash, about 48-72 hours after infusion. Onc thinks this is steroid-related, not the Taxol or Herceptin.It makes exercising difficult, but I still do it. No added salt, lots of foods and drinks that are recommended for fluid retention. I have done everything that I can do. Oh, I also got her to agree to no Benadryl, which makes me nuts. So I'll be taking Claritin instead, which I will bring to treatment center each time. Small steps...
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hi glasgowgirl hope you feel better soon. We've all been there. I was taking lorazepam for anxiety before each dose and had a panic attack the day before, now I am calm and chat to the nurse, don't need the meds! My tip is to ice hands and feet if you can (lots of info on this) I am also using Evonail nail polish (worked so far!). I am taking vitamin b12 too and b (always check first). And using headspace app to meditate. I find an audiobook helps during chemo if I don't fall asleep (I wear ice cap so it's a looong time if I'm awake).
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#4 done. I told the onc that the benedryl was really affecting me and she reduced it by half. I did not fall asleep immediately when it hit my system, but even the half dose made me fall asleep. It wasn't like the full dose, though, and I woke up easier. Still don't think I would be able to drive. Thank goodness my hubby can take me. I was worried there might be some weird reaction without the full dose but there was not.
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I am always amazed by how much info you all have on your chemo. All I am told when I get mine is I am getting anti histamine, steroid and something for the sickness then my Taxol. Haven't a clue how much of anything I am receiving and the oncology nurses don't surrender a lot of info. I have been in good form since Taxol#2 on Thursday. Today my lumpectomy scar decided to start leaking again. Anyone else have this happen? I don't want the chemo to stop this early in treatment. Am so worried and feel like I have taken a giant step backwards. 😔😔0
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So what's the purpose of scheduling 12 weekly Taxol treatments if the oncologist decides to abruptly stop the treatments for whatever reason (low blood count, neuropathy)? She chose to do 12 for a reason. I'm 35 years old and typically cancer is more aggressive and has a better chance of coming back to someone my age. I'm worried because i still had 7 more treatments to go. But at the same time, i don't want to damage my bone marrow.
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Taco1946 when you say you got new eyebrows, what do you mean? Any suggestions to share?
Glasgow girl. I'm originally from England now living in California. In my experience the medics over here share a lot more information than in England and I suspect Ireland is like England. My advice is to let them know any SE you are concerned about and make them give you an answer! Don't be afraid to speak up! It's your health and your treatment
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Bmac16 I think you're right when you say Ireland is more like England than the US!! And because the oncology day ward is so busy in my local hospital the nurses are usually run off their feet going from one patient to another changing chemo bags and other meds! (Although I am also not the loudest when it comes to getting their attention.) I think (and hope) the "leak" from my wound has stopped again. Nothing on gauze before bed tonight. Fingers crossed all will be ok for port-a-cath on Thursday and Taxol #3!! Will be 1/4 of the way through then 🤞🏻. Haven't had the greatest of weekends but it's early days and I'm still getting used to the idea of chemo. No hair loss yet and minimal nausea. Tiredness is the worst so far. And i find myself losing my patience with my family (hubby and 2 daughters aged 19 and 17) a lot quicker than usual!! My mother also lives with me so that is an added stress 🙈🙈0
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Bmac - it's a "mild" form of a tattoo. I've done it before. You local spa or saloon will advertise it as permanent makeup. Wish I'd done it before chemo started but I had only a short window between when I was told chemo was required and it started. My head hair is finally started to grow back but no hair anywhere else.
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