Weekly Taxol for Stage 4
Comments
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Benjnate, You should get a medal!!! That is so hard to deal with! Send someone else with a camera app and stay home where its probably cooler. There. Permission granted, in case that was standing in your way!
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Benjinate,
I hope you survived the heat last night and hopefully watch your son's side win his football game.
I had some low blood counts but only haemoglobin and lymphocytes. They have never worried about the lymphocytes but I did have to have a blood transfusion a few weeks back because my Hb was low. Major fatigue. The Hb didn't fall off dramatically but gradually over the time I was having treatment.
I have recently developed lymphedema in my leg, probably caused by the radiotherapy I had back in April. I haven't noticed any increase in swelling from my IV but my leg develops a flush for a couple days after treatment which is similiar to the face and chest flush I get from steroids.
Shazza, Has your household shaken off the flu yet? It seems to be doing the rounds here. My usual chemo nurse phoned in sick the morning of my treatment.
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Shazza - hope you are remaining flu free! You don't need that on top of everything else!!
Moving on to doxil on Monday
, not in favor of it for many reasons. However, my question is how many of you have been dealing with lower extremity swelling from taxol? Especially my feet/toes; seems the longer I'm away from it, the worse it gets. Heard somewhere it takes awhile to regress - from capillary leakage of chemo. The swelling does make its way up the calf as well.0 -
hello taxol peeps
I have only had 7 taxols to this point and haven't had any fluid retention or swelling in my legs or feet. I do however swell a little around my node area under my arm where I have occasional scant fluid. When I was having kidney issues my ankles had a little edema but that has also cleared up.
My blood counts are actually improving then how they were when I started. My red and HB were very low because the cancer was affecting my kidneys. I was 8.9 on Hemogloblin but now up to almost 11. My whites took a dive after 3 infusions but I haven't needed any shots for that. My counts do drop but so far haven't had to cx any weekly infusions. 👍
I walk every day. 30 minutes. I try to do a long walk on Saturday. 40 mins. It helps me to move my body and keeps my legs strong.
Srymom can you wear compression socks for the swelling? Elevate and cool compresses? Did they give you any ideas so you can be more comfortable? Well hope the doxil works for you. Kill cancer. Yep.
Everyone take good care. Shazza hope no flu for you !
Liz. How are you doing?
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I just posted this on my Facebook page. I am shaking but I am becoming so aware that we are the silent few. We need publicity.
If you get a chance go to "The Balancing Act" website and search for their program on Metavivors or Metastatic Breast Cancer. It opened my eyes.Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and right now there are many volunteer opportunities.
I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2010 and went through the usual treatments. Last year my cancer advanced to Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer. I have gone back and forth as to who to tell and not tell as it is very important to me to lead a normal life as long as I can.
I decided to make this statement today because 150,000 American men and women are living with the diagnosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer. 40,000 of them will die this year. The chance of breast cancer advancing to this stage is 1 in 3. The expected life span from diagnosis is two years and though there are success stories of longer survival rates, the arsenal of weapons is limited.
In spite of these numbers only 5% of the monies raised for research are spent on this phase. That needs to change and only public awareness and pressure can achieve that.
Please help get the word out. You will be helping your neighbors, young and old, mothers and daughters - - and fathers and sons.
Thanks
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brigadoon
thanks for the info on website. i am on it*
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Very dramatic sky tonight -
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Brigadoon what beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.
SyrMom good luck on Monday starting doxil. It's always scary starting a new treatment.
I've been down the line visiting my father who has dementia. It's quite harrowing knowing how bad things have got with him. On Saturday when I got there he was in a terrible mood and didn't believe I was his daughter, he hated where he was and didn't want to talk to me. I went again today and he was a completely different man, still didn't quite understand where I fitted in but was happy to chat and happy to be where he was, but he really is away with the fairies. At least I was reassured that he is in a fabulous place with caring, loving staff. He seems to have developed a lovely friendship with another of the patients, who admittedly he thinks is my step mother, but they sit holding hands and enjoying each other's company.
I'm still coughing and spluttering but so far it hasn't developed into full blown flu. The rest of the family seem to be on the mend so hopefully I will be soon.
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Dear Shazza,
I went thru the same thing with my father. Finally I came to appreciate that if he's happy, I'm happy. Sometimes, he knew me, but mostly not as his daughter.
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Shazza,
I went through this with my mother. It's tough, it's stressful and it's upsetting. I saw a lot of her anger and survived it by reminding myself that it wasn't her, it was her dementia. At least you know that your Dad is somewhere safe and being well looked after.
SyrMom, Good luck with the doxil. I hope it works well for you.
Brigadoon, that sunset is amazing!
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I forgot to say, I got my MRI results and it showed that my bone mets are stable. My current discomfort is caused by degenerative disc disease so just age related aches and pains. That I can I deal with.
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Hello All - I survived the humidity last Friday evening until 3rd quarter, it started cooling off and a nice breeze through the night. But thanks for the permission, MamaMe - I'm taking a rain check on that for making dinner when it's humid!
Brigadoon, I just love the photos, eerily beautiful. And Shazza - I was thinking about you over the weekend...you have tolerated Taxol so well, no low counts at all and a flu/cold to boot. You seem to have really good stamina; I think that's a good thing to have in this. And you work full time, sheesh. I wish I could say I could handle all that if I had to, but I doubt it. My WBC are still low and that's bugging me for some reason, something else I can't 'control' I guess...
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Shazza,
Congratulations for the MRI results! Stable is good :-)
Christina
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Shazza, congratulations on the stable MRI, that's awesome!! Sorry to hear about your father, but as others have said he's in a safe place, thank goodness.
Started doxil today & am here to tell about it. They make the infusion much longer the first time to make sure you can tolerate it. The anti nausea medication wears off in 3 days, so will see what happens then. Having lots of lower leg/foot edema & I can't take diuretics as my BP runs low and it makes me weak and dizzy. Anyone know anything "natural" to take?
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syrmom
Google natural diuretics. And there are meds that doctor can offer. (Meds for edema.). I had a friend with same edema issue. They gave her something i don't think affected blood pressure. Hope doxil works and no sickness. Keep us posted.
Shazza stable scan. Woot. Good news.
Loved the pictures brigadoon.
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Shazza, Big smiles for the stable bone mets.
I have my MRI and CT on Fri. Getting the usual anxiety now. Results next week.
SyrMom, I hope you can get some relief from your edema. I am seeing a lymphedema nurse later today. I have swelling in one leg only, not both so I don't think it is related to my taxol treatment. I suspect it was caused by the radiotherapy I had to my femur earlier this year which damaged the lymph glands in that leg.
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Shazza, you're my hero. You're about 10 weeks and treatments ahead of me, and I have my quarterly scans next week. Praying for continued stable bones .SyrMom, please be watchful of your extremeties. 3 months ago I only had LE in one thigh, now it's everywhere. Rough summer?
Love across the miles ,
Anita
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I had no 49 yesterday. Uneventful but slower than usual as I had a nurse new to oncology and it took awhile to get my port access etc. I've told the staff there I'm always happy to be used for training purposes. I'm fairly straight forward treatment wise, can't feel a thing in my port area and I'm mostly feeling pretty good. The ideal candidate to unleash the new girl on.
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Thanks, Ladies. It's frustrating cause I have no solutions right now for the edema; add the stress fx in one of the feet to that & I'm miserable!! Tried a cane over the weekend to see if it would help and ended up messing up my cervical area. The doxil can cause hand/foot syndrome on top of everything else - I had that real bad when on Xeloda!! Ugh!
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SyrMom,
I don't know what to suggest for your oedema, if you cannot take traditional diuretics. Have you tried some support stockings or pantihose? They may relieve the discomfort. Or maybe the lymphedema specialist at you hospital can suggest something which compresses your legs a bit more.
I saw the lymphedema nurse yesterday. I have to wear a stocking, have MLD, and use something called farrow wraps. The stockings and wraps are on order and I start MLD on Friday. Twice a week for up to 6 months. Same day as my scans but the appts are too far apart to make it worth while hanging around the hospital, so I will go home for a bit. It's a 20 to 30 minute drive depending on the traffic.
Shazza, I am beginning to feel like an old hand with my IV's, too. Last week my nurse joked that I could probably do it myself. Apart from sticking the needle in my port, I probably could.
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Springwatch, what does MLD stand for? Also, I googled 'farrow wraps', that is a brand name for sleeves,etc., correct?
In reference to lymphedema, I'm really starting to see a connection with the amount of steroids I receive and my arm swelling. My onc again lowered my steroid dose prior to Taxol when he saw how puffy my face was and my Occupational Therapist said my arm size decreased significantly this week. I am in 3 layers of heavy bandages from fingertips to armpit and it's driving me crazy. Hopefully I'm going into a sleeve in a week or two. My arm has never been so bad but I've never been on steroids either - just a thought for some of you ladies to look into.
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I react the exact opposite to steroids - they actually must reduce the inflammation because the swelling goes down and I also start voiding as if I took a diuretic! Very strange, but then again, I often react differently to meds.
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Benjnate, MLD is manual lymphatic drainage. Farrow Wraps are a branded compression wrap worn over the stocking. I am going to get one wrap for my foot, another for my lower leg and another for my thigh. Also, getting a sort of foot glove to squeeze the fluid out of my toes. This has all come up in the last 4 to 6 weeks. I am hoping that it is just the radiotherapy that has caused this. Worse case scenario is that the cancer in my femur is worse and affecting the lymph drainage. I will know more after my scans on Friday.
I haven't noticed a difference after my steroids but I will pay more attention now that you have mentioned it. I have noticed that my leg develops the same steroid flush I get on my face and neck after treatment, so there might be a connection.
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Hi Weekly Taxol Ladies.
My port has been extremely black and blue and since it is used every week, it doesn't have time to heal. Anybody else experience this? Any suggestions?
I also got some good news last week. After 16 straight weeks of Taxol, I am NED!! The plan is Taxol until the end of November (a total of 6 months), then I can just continue with the targeted therapies every 3 weeks. Yay!
Hope everyone is having a good day and is feeling well!
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Yay for NED Becs you must be so pleased.
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becs. Ya hoo on NED.
I get my port accessed 2x a week. They can leave the needle in if you come in the next day. Cool dry compress may help I the bruising.
Taxol appears to be working for me too. Today was number 7 and my kidney function has improved significantly since I started. Bye bye nasty cancer cells.
Hope everyone is doing well on their tx.
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Hurrah for Becs and NED. May this be the first of many NED meetings.
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Becs,
YAY for NED!
My port looks bruised all the time but it has taken a while for me to work out that it is the purple colour of the port itself showing through the skin. It only feels tender for 24 hrs after they have accessed it.
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I need to get caught up reading but wanted to post this to make sure everyone sees it and can sign up if you are in the area. There are good links to last years meeting also -
http://www.dana-farber.org/Adult-Care/Treatment-and-Support/Treatment-Centers-and-Clinical-Services/Breast-Cancer-Treatment-Center/Metastatic-Breast-Cancer-Forum.aspx
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So, I spent last night at the hospital. I had very bad pain in the lower left side of my abdomen, I could barely walk, and was running a significant fever. They are not sure exactly what it is but it could possibly be diverticulitis. They spotted diverticula on my MRI scans back in March but so far I have been asymptomatic with it. My scans were on Friday and they may reveal something when we get the results back.
I am feeling a bit better this morning. Only a slight temperature and the pain is better but not gone. They are going to call me with the results of my blood cultures when they get them through.
On the brighter side, the doctor who examined me asked about by menstrual cycle. I had to laugh. I will be 60 next birthday, look older and am very definitely post menopausal. Maybe just rocking the bald head and head scarf look.
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