Weekly Taxol group
Comments
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VL, Jen and I take L- glutamine powder and it works great on muscle pains (at least I think so ) and you can take Advil for the pains. Yes the steroid keeps me up, I took Ativan plus 3 mg melatonin and I able to sleep a few hours. I’m with you, I can’t wait till this over.
Jen - today I went for Korean lunch and I able to eat, gosh I feel so much better with some food. Good to know your wbc went Up I think our blood count should go up soon, because for red blood to replacement take 40 days, we have 5 weeks of taxol, that’s about 35 days so next week the RB replacement will be based on the taxol time frame. I think we able to eat better during taxol time, so hopefully our RB / WB counts will get better. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
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VL22, are you taking steroids, that's what's keeping most of us up? I'm generally tired enough to get to sleep, so I skip the Ativan, but if I wake up in the wee hours and can't seem to get back to sleep I'll take it then. I did wake up feeling a little less energetic, but that wore off pretty quick after I took my AM steroid.
Don't worry, we'll all be whining about radiation, I'm beginning to dread it, but it can't be as bad as chemo, right?
Paulette sounds like you're having a better day, I'm so glad. How was lunch?
CMackey, there's a good prescription, Lomotil that should nip it in the bud. Be sure to call and get it or whatever else they may suggest. You're doing all the right things with your diet. You can try clear Ensure, it has a good amount of protein and is the one to use for big D troubles. Hope that helps.
Tpralph, sorry about the aches, hopefully you'll wake up tomorrow and they'll have passed. I had #3 DD yesterday and my pains start Wednesday evening. So I'll know what's up this time tomorrow. Last infusion they were much less than #1, praying for the same.
Hugs and prayers,
Theresa
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Tesse and Paulette. Thanks for the responses. I will talk to my Onc tomorrow. And I didn't know there was clear ensue! Will be sending eh to the store for some. Paulette, your diagnosis and time frame is the same as mine, how are you doing?
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I don’t know we have clear ensure also.
MC - I’m hanging in there, my #5 taxol is going to be this Friday and I have some numbness on couple fingertips, I just hope my white / red blood counts are good so I can be strong enough to continue my infusion. Did you call your MO to stop your big D??
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Anyone who has done AC, what is your experience compared to Taxol? I can choose to replace three last doses of weekly Taxol with three doses of AC once in three weeks. I asked my oncologist to revise my treatment and she came up with this suggestion after she brought it up to the multidisciplinary conference. I tolerated Taxol well and in case I will switch I have only one more infusion to go but AC is a tough regimen and it will take another nine weeks.
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Paulette, MO will be running a full bloodwork panel tomorrow to decide if I need hydration, potassium, etc and will decide if I get #3 or postpone. Lomotil? Sp for diarrhea. I have big toe tingling and some foot pain since my 4th AC. Taking B supplements and l-glutamine hoping it will help. Also take my frozen peas for infusion. You are 2 weeks ahead of me, hope you continue to do ok! I found ensure clear on Amazon. Much cheaper than CVS
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cherry-sw... A/C was tough. I had four doses, every other week for eight weeks. If you're doing every three weeks, that may make a big difference.
For me, the first two infusions were ok. I had chemo on Wednesday, worked Thursday and half of Friday. Saturday and Sunday were definitely "down days" where I just stayed home and vegged in the recliner. By Sunday night, I was feeling better.
Infusions 3 and 4 were definitely rougher. The downtime started earlier on Friday, and I was pretty miserable Saturday and Sunday. I became much more anti-social, more emotional, felt spaced out a lot, etc.
ut, that third week could make a big difference. When I had 10 days off between A/C and Taxol, I felt like a new woman that third week.
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Thank you, JenRuns, of what you are describing I am not sure I want to try AC at all, this is a tough decision to make. Were you nauseause too? Could you eat or did it tasted bad
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I got a little naiuseated at the end- but compazine helped a lot. Unfortunately I ate quite a bit ... gained about 5 poi ds
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Cherry - I’m the one can’t eat during AC, second week I felt better appetite picked up some day 13 & 14 felt like normal person again but chemo is coming up. If you do every three weeks, then you have more days feel like a person again. As I said on other thread, white blood count will be low, you need the shot.
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Cm - yes lomotil should stop the Big D, good luck with you blood test, I’m hoping my red/ white blood counts are good for #5 this Friday! At least I had a good physical therapy day today, tried out the lymphoma pump it’s so much better to do it myself.
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Cherry, AC is definitely harder than Taxol. But I didn't handle it well from day one. Just know that there's generally more nausea, so make sure you take your meds for it. The good part is that the treatments are spaced further apart, so you do get a bit more normal time.
CMackay Have you discussed CDiff with your doctor at all, in regards to the big D? You'd have to provide a stool sample, but it's important to treat it properly. I don't really speak much about it, but I've been fighting it for almost four months. It's very hard to get rid of, and our low immunity makes us vulnerable. I was in the hospital, a risk factor, plus I've had several rounds of antibiotics this year, another risk factor. Please ask your doctor, just to be sure. It won't go away on its own, without treatment.
VL22 I have much less nausea on Taxol than AC, but aches are the trade off. It actually feels better to keep moving, especially yoga. They give you steroids for the nausea, that's what keeps you up at night. It's usually only the first night for me, then the next day I sleep like a log.
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This is my day 6 and supposed to be my good day, however, I got rash from afternoon and it is not going away. I put some lotion on my feet now I got rash on my feet also. I don’t know about taxol anymore.🙁🙁🙁
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Treatment 5 today. I really don't want to do this. I'm tired of feeling yucky nearly all the time. I'm a normally healthy, active, happy woman. I rarely get sick and I apparently don't make a good sick person because I'm miserable most of the time anymore. I was right at the point where they said maybe chemo is necessary, maybe not, so I can't stop wondering if I'm doing this for no good reason whatsoever.
I called my MO yesterday to ask about skipping a week. She relayed through her nurse that 12 is the standard recommended protocol. Duh, I know that lady. I feel like that's an answer meant to protect herself, not discuss what's best for me. How can there be no tests or studies on how a limited course (less than 12) of chemo affects cancer? And why do some people stop early because of SEs and that is apparently okay. Oh, and why did she tell me in her office a few weeks ago that I could stop at 10 rather than complete 12 because if 10 didn't kill the cancer, 12 wouldn't either? Hmm? What about that?
Sorry, I'm in a really foul mood this morning...
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Sorry brightness
Hang in there. I can completely sympathize with the frustration with being a normally healthy and active person, until this. The next 7 weeks will fly by ... 0 -
Brightness4, you go right ahead and scowl all you need. We have plenty of reasons for dismay, and I firmly believe that we should be allowed both positive and negative moods. The world so admires a cheerful cancer patient, but that’s their expectation and not our reality. Cancer sucks! We’re allowed to admit that.
Needless to say, I’m feeling the same way. I’m on my way to #7, and dreading it. The first few Taxols were fairly easy and I bounced in the cancer center ready to tick these suckers off. But this week was a turning point for me, once my first bit of nausea arrived. I thought I had left all that behind on AC, but here it is again. I’ve started to imagine 5 more doses piled on, and how lousy I’ll feel by the end. Ugh. I just want it over with!
The nurse practitioner last week mentioned the possibility of not doing all 12, and while that certainly holds appeal, I’ll push to finish all of them. You see, my OncotypeDx score was an astounding 66! So even though they never found anymore cancer other than my breast, I have to throw everything I can at that score so it doesn’t come back. I feel that it’s just lurking there waiting for me to let down my guard.
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msrobin58: I think it is because of the cumulative effect. I'm heading for #10 tomorrow and I can confirm that the feeling of fatigue has increased over time and its getting harder to bounce back from the steroid "crash". Also, I'm not one to normally sit around too long and feel depressed or sorry for myself or think too much about a situation where I have very little control over, but I definitely have been feeling a little low these few weeks. Yesterday, one of my caps broke while I was eating and I almost fell apart, knowing that I'd have to push dental work until I'm done with chemo. I had to pull myself together both physically and emotionally real quick since I'm working full-time through this thing and eyes were watching me, especially since we're in a busy part of the year. All in all, I'm putting it down as the cumulative effect. Sigh. Can't wait to get it over and done with!
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Salasila - hugs. I know how you feel, sometime I asked myself how much can we take at once? I kept telling myself this journey has an end and I will get there soon. I'm heading to #5 tomorrow and I wish both of us have an uneventful infusion day.
Brightness and Jen - keep our heads up our journey will end soon. Hope your chest pains go away fast.
Ms Robin - good luck on #7, I'll be happy if I can get to #9 that's how I told my MO. I don't know how much my body can take but I will keep going until I think my quality of life is going to affect permanently. I'm in my sixty so look at things a little different.
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finishing up my last round of Taxol tomorrow morning. I can't wait to ring that bell. I am going to give it 7 dings. For each of my family members and my myself who have died from or survived cancer. Next step will be Herceptin only every 3 weeks and surgery. Good luck to everyone and thank you to everyone on here who has shown me support and shared helpful information these past 12 weeks. A the beginning it seemed like an eternity but it really has gone by fast.
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congrats hhuey ... will be thinking of you and your family! Savor every one of those seven rings!
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hhuey - congrats 🎉🎉🎉 ring the bell!! So happy for you, good luck to your surgery so is Herceptin part of the chemo or just meds?? I hope my 8 taxol will go by fast also!
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Hang in there everyone! We know that the SEs suck! The fatigue is brutal. I really think the toughest part for me was the middle Taxols, it just seemed like it was never going to end! Hang in there, get to "good enough" with work and tasks. Try to get outside everyday at least to soak up some sunshine but also to move, even if you just head around the block. Then, let yourself lay on the couch and watch junk TV. We are here for you!
Hhuey, congratulations! The end is near! I am 7 weeks PFC and feel sooooooo much better every week and am thrilled to see a 5 o'clock shadow on my head and eyebrows. I'm also receiving herceptin and have had no side effects to it thus far.
Hugs to all!
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Thank you ladies..
Paulette Herceptin is immunotherapy basically for HER2 positive cancer. ..I will get it every 3 weeks for 9 more months..stay strong you can get through the 8..efore you know it you will be done too
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Hmmm, I could have sworn that I posted a second time today while at the center, but it seems to have disappeared. Maybe I never finished it and hit submit, which is highly likely while on Benadryl Brain. I was mistaken, that was Taxol #8 for me today, and yes, it was a go! Amazingly enough, my counts were all within normal range, shocking both the staff and me and hubby. Apparently upping my Granix injections to three times weekly has done the trick. Or my blood finally decided to get its act together and behave. LOL While I’m dreading the SE to come, I’m still glad to be moving forward. Only four more! I even counted forward to see if I’d be able to taste my thanksgiving dinner, and the answer is “a little”. I should be two weeks out from my last treatment, so I should have a bit of taste sensation. I’ll take it.
The last few weeks they’ve had issues accessing my port. I told them it’s because they’ve already taken all my blood! They take four or five good sized vials every week, and it always looks like so much. LOL I had to lay back, put my arms up, and cough, and finally it started. About 4 this afternoon, I started to be nauseous, which is distressing. I’m never nauseous on treatment day, especially with all those steroids. I took a compazine, and two hours later it’s not really working. Ugh. This doesn’t bode well for the week.
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Question: I got this rashes on my arms, they aren't itchy at all, just red. I put Benadryl cream and it disappeared next day, then it might pop up again. Am I having dry skin problem or this is one of the SE?
Ms Robin- you must feel good with #8 in your bag .... woot woot!!!
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Faraway, I had the same reaction my 1st taxol to the benadryl. Onc nurse said it was the steroids and gave me more benadryl😱 within 5 min my throat tightened up and my heart rate and pressure was crazy high. I ended up getting a shot of something to bring heart rate down fast which worked well. Finished the treatment but #2 just took Claritin per MO orders and did just fine, no issues. Had my 3rd today, no issues.
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hhuey I’m so happy for you that tomorrow will be your last chemo! Ring that bell with gusto girl!
T-Sue, I can’t wait to see five o’clock shadow on my eyebrows, I’m tired of drawing those puppies in. LOL They told me that we AC gals would probably see our hair begin to come back midway through Taxol, and they were exactly right. I have tiny white peach fuzz all over my head, and I can see a few tiny lashes and brows peeking out. Thanks for coming back to report in with all of us, it gives us hope that some day we’ll actually finish!
Paulette I’m 59, so we are nearly the same age. It was actually #8 for me today, I counted wrong. I don’t know anything about rashes, maybe you should call the office. My feet continue to peel, but I’m slathering them with foot lotion and bag balm.Can we make it to the finish line? Will we ever feel well again?
Salasila I sure agree with you. The first few weeks were pretty easy, but as these SE start to accumulate, it’s getting harder and harder. I’d be frustrated at the dental problem also. I actually can’t wait to get a cleaning after all this. With all my mouth problems, it always just feels a little gross in there. It is hard not to feel down, but I always say I have to trudge through the valleys before I can get to the peaks. I allow myself time to grieve, and it seems to make it easier to feel better again afterwards.
KB870-Thanks to you too for popping back in to give us encouragement!
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Paulette, was able to do #3 today! Went well, hoping big D stays under control. I was there an extra 2 hours for potassium as my level was in the toilet, literally!😵. I now have a script for potassium. Hope everything goes well for you tomorrow!
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CM - did they slow down on the dripping? That's what my OM said he is going to do, from 1 hour extends to 3 hours long. Keep my finger crossed for your Big D.
Ms Robin- I like to my my teeth clean soon also, my rashes disappeared will let them know tomorrow when I have my infusion. I do think we will see the end of the tunnel soon
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Pauleyte, no. 1 hour infusion. No problems although I see a lot of women do have to slow it down as they progress. I assume it's the cumulative effects?
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