Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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Welcome Zizibella!!! Glad you found this thread. If you have questions about this chemo regimen, do not hesitate to ask!!!
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hey lespring...I just had my 5th TAC and last one will be on June 2...I think the Claritin works...I take it a few days before and the next week after shot...I asked doc if I could try taking an extra half ( the night of shot and the next few days) he said I could try to see if it helps..I think it did as bone pain was not as intense...I also take Tylenol that week after the shot...this 5 th round didn't seem as bad with being tired...but I tried to concentrate on eating more foods with iron as I am not a big red meat eater...maybe that helped!! Just a few things I noticed with me...but who knows what tomorrow will bring! I go stir crazy by the 6 th day after chemo if I haven't gotten out in my car! I do try to stay busy with little pittling hobbies...plants, making jewelry, cooking if I am not too tired...good luck with it all!! Drinking a lot before during and after chemo helps as well !! Rosie
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hi everyone! To all who are new I am finished with ct been since the first of April. I never had a port just did iv every three weeks. With my hair I cut it short it was past my shoulders. Once it fell out pretty badly I shaved it and its now coming back in. I just had my followup on the first and I am on tamoxifen. I have noticed my hot flashes are up. Found out chemo brain will stay for four months. I go back every three months for the next two years. I am in the process of moving so I haven't done my next surgery. Keep you posted!
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Hi all, I'm from Malaysia and contemplating chemo.. it'd be this combo: doxetacel+cychlophosmide if i do it concurrently with Herceptin.. so will be reading this page now and then to see how everyone is doing on this regime. Anyone with really scary side effects (i've been reading the side effects and unfortunately always get terrified when i read the rare but possible side effects)? or without much side effects at all? Am also concern with steroids, which the doctor says will pump me up with to prevent adverse reaction to it... i can't imagine taking steroid tablets and having it injected in too for a few days prior and after the chemo infusion every 3 weeks..
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Yensmiles, I just finished this chemo protocol and for me, it was very doable. Lost all my hair but hopefully it'll all grow back. Had some tingling in my hands and feet but it's gone away. Other than that I had the typical side effects: bad tastebuds, fatigue, some digestive issues but no real nausea. Good luck with your decision. I'm still tired but recovering.
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I second what AKJ has to say! I just had my last chemo Thursday. It IS doable...you will have some off days, but overall, it was not as bad as I feared at the beginning. Please come here and ask any questions you may have! We will all help you through it!!!
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yensmiles- Welcome..... glad you found this thread and hope that it helps you with info and support. To answer your question about the steroids. Your reaction to the possibility to taking those is not unusual. I know that the possibility of taking those may not be what you want to do right now. Hopefully when that time comes to take them, you will understand the purpose behind taking them. I took the steroid Decadron. I was familiar with that drug before I was diagnosed because I had been given a Decadron injection whenever I had a really bad sinus infection. I took Decadron the day before my chemo and the day of my chemo and then the next day after I had chemo. That was it. Yes, I did have it in my prechemo IV cocktail the day of the actual infusion. The Decadron can really pep one up and may make getting to sleep a little difficult. However, there is a tradeoff here..... Decadron is given as an anti- nausea medication and fortunately, in my case it worked. I would rather have the wired feeling than have nausea. As for the sleeping, one can always take a benedryl at night to help make one drowsy. While I was in chemoland, I decided not to get upset or anxious about not sleeping at night. I would get up and watch some mindless tv and felt that as long as I was resting and not upsetting myself, I was helping my body get through the chemo. As far as the side effects, I'm sure you have read the list of every side effect known with this chemo regimen. I would venture to say that most women do not get every single side effect. I experienced some of them but not all of them As everyone has said, yes.... chemo is doable. What helps is to know how to help yourself throughout chemo with preventing or minimizing the side effects.
Since your doctor has told you that you are having Herceptin, that infusion will last over a year's time. You will have it everytime you have your chemo regimen. Once you finish chemo, you will have more Herceptin Infusions. With that being said, your doctor will probably monitor your heart function over the next year with echocardiograms or a MUGA scan. If you have questions about the Herceptin, please ask. I had Herceptin via a clinical trial and had minimal side effects.
So please, ask any questions that you may have. We are here to help you give you a little boost of confidence and ease your fears a little.
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ccduke79...my last chemo is June 2! Woopwoop...so does hair grow back fast? I also shaved mine and am twins with my cue ball hubby!! Just wondering about when you start to notice real hair growing back....so excited to be almost done...set with my decision about lumpectomy which is such a relief and ready to get back in the game of life!! Rosie
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I am most interested in possible side effects. I know about the hair. I am going Sinead O'Connor this weekend. I have been told to ice my hands and feet before chemo to help combat numbness in fingers and toes. I play guitar so that will annoy me. Any other suggestions from anyone who has been, or is going through this is appreciated. I hear that acupuncture helps with side effects. I want to be able to continue taking Tai Chi and working a part-time job. Will this be possible?
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I will be taking Cytoxan Taxotere 4 times, three weeks apart. Forgot to mention that.
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Zizabelle, I am working full time....ok not every day but working when I can. Everyone is different but part time can be doable if you don't suffer other health related issues and doctor is ok.
I have been successful with acupuncture for other issues but haven't tried it yet for chemo SEs but am contemplating it. Good luck. You will get through it!
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zizabelle- I can give you an idea of how I felt after a chemo round. It may help you figure out when you can work and how you might feel. I had my chemo rounds on Tuesdays which meant on Mondays, i would hydrate well and take my Decadron. I had the chemo on Tuesday plus Decadron. I felt fine on Wednesday and Thursday. I took Decadron on Wednesday as well as Zofran ( anti-nausea drug for 3 days-- Wednesday thru Friday). Friday i would start to feel the downhill slide which means I just needed to rest. I would rest on Saturday and Sunday and was ready to go on Monday. I did continue to hydrate after the chemo round to help flush the chemo through and also ate small meals 5-6 times a day. I also kept a calendar so I could keep track of how I felt for the days after having chemo so I could get an idea of how I might be after the next round. I also kept a food diary and drug diary so I could remember what foods worked okay for me and so i wouldn't forget things ( like take what drugs on the right day and the right amount.) It is these little things that can help keep one on track. When you are working.... just be smart about hand shaking and co workers wanting to give you a friendly hug. Elbow bumps and hand washing will go a very long way in helping you minimize exposure to infection and germs. BTW... I did not start receiving the Neulasta shot ( the white blood cell booster) until after my 3rd round of chemo. I developed a high spiking fever and chills during the 3rd week after my round of chemo which was treated with antibotics. I knew once I had that incident, that I would be receiving the Neulasta shot after that and for every remaining round of chemo.
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it helps to have an idea of what to expect...my chemo was on Mondays....steroids kept me up and active...neulesta shot on Tuesdays took Claritin a few days before shot...then an extra 1/2 for 4 days after shot..usually by Wednesday evening I started getting tired...took nausea meds that night and was real tired and achy Thursday - Saturday...this past chemo treatment I felt the best as far as being tired...I concentrated on eating iron rich foods thru the week ( my appetite was good)...I think that really helped his time with energy level...all in all my TAC chemo made me achy and fluey feeling for about 4 of the days ....drinking a lot ...100oz...a few days before chemo, during treatment and a few days after helps a lot! Good luck!
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thank you For sharing your experiences! Am glad that it is doable for you jmg58 and AKJ. melrosemelrose, thank you too for providing details of your treatment and food journal sounds fabulous! Am feeling better just hearing that side effects aren't that bad!
Right now, am in a hospital again, to get opinion from yet another oncologist! The fear is just so real at the moment, one minute I think it's okay, I'll risk the chemo effects, next I think I'm crazy for even considering chemo...
You gals monitoring and supporting this thread are really brilliant! *hugs*
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I was doing pretty good after #4 until today (had it Thurs), Racing
heart and almost passed out twice. Can't get to my hospital without a
ride (an hour away) so I either have to go to local ER and suffer
through all that just for blood test/fluids or wait it out and see what
happens. I have no one to drive me and am getting a bit worried so will
call MO tomorrow. The lightheaded/tunnel vision is a new SE. Been eating a lot of protein and someone made me
spinach lasagne-thought that would help as well as veggies. .I think
it's too early for RBC to be low? I'm also drinking water like crazy. I was SO happy this time----it seemed too good to be true; I guess it was. Until today, I had almost no SE at all, which was pretty remarkable for me.
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jmg...sorry about this but I know exactly how you feel! Had my 5th TAC last Monday...kept saying how great I felt compared to other times...ate more iron rich foods and thought that was why I had more energy...then BAM! Chills and fever yesterday...called doc when it was 99.2...had Tylenol for aches but didn't know I had a temp...then my temp was 100.6... Started to get scared and this was the first time in all these months that I really got scared because of my cancer...when it's actually the chemo and chance of infection...doc put me on strong antibiotic and have been praying all night for temp to stay below 101....so far it's ok.. Between 99- 100.2....but to be so close to being done and almost having to be in the hospital is scary! Iron rich foods absorbed better with vit c...spinach salad with dried apricots, almonds mandarin orange pieces...fortified cereal...raisin bran....of course red meats and chicken...my rbc was just below normal but not enough to postpone treatment...so I really concentrated on getting more iron through diet this past week...hoping you are better...so sucky!!
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jmg58- I am so sorry to hear you are faced with this dilemma of having to go through chemo and not being close to the hospital and having someone to help you drive you there if you need to go. It is possible that your RBC is low. I know that you are trying to eat the right foods but sometimes the pro -active eating may not be enough. Keep us posted on what your doctor says.
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Ugh. I felt so lightheaded and sweaty while walking in the hallway to get my neulasta shot yesterday. I grabbed some candy at the front desk and felt better within minutes. I'm guessing mine was low sugar. Sucks not knowing how chemo will affect you. One minute you're fine, the next not so much. I had #2 on friday and decided to be proactive with the ativan, claritan and ibuprofen before all the crappy SEs have a chance to kick in. At least this time I know it WILL get better. The first round I thought for sure I was dying a slow death....lol.
One day, if not hour, at a time. We will get through this. I wish you all minimal SEs and quick recoveries!
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Breathing was really bad after a big dinner tonight of pizza (totally my fault for being an idiot and eating too much); took a xanax and now at least my heartbeat is slowed while sitting. Got a ride (YAY!!) from an old friend to hospital tomorrow for fluids and to see MO. Yes! SO NICE of her; it will use up about 7 hours of her day since it will take her 45 minutes just to get here and then an hour to the hospital & back. God bless good people like that.
I noticed this last treatment, no SE except for breathing/heartbeat. No nausea, no one pain (hardly ever had that), no fever! NOW THAT"S A FIRST! Every time I had a fever and worried about it for days. This time -- just saying in case it had ANYTHING to do with it -- the night before chemo I had really healthy food: sweet potatoes, spinach, really hydrated. After chemo ate organic broccoli, brown rice, organic carrots and cauliflower. I don't know if it made a difference, but it was WONDERFUL not to have that fever and flushed feeling. DO STILL HAVE chemo brain though. Called and charged the pizza/delivery. Then gave the guy the price of the pizza + tip in cash! ($27). The loser took it and didn't say anything.
. I'll be glad when my mind is back with me.0 -
Hugs jmg58, hope you'll be feeling better real soon! Just one more round of chemo and you'd be done right?
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yensmiles,THANK YOU!--I'm actually done with chemo! Going to doctor today to find out what's next. And don't let my comments from above disturb you...it's still all doable! (Just irritating!)
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jmg58- I am hoping you hear good news today !!! Keep us posted!!!!
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hey jmg58, glad to hear that!!! That's a celebration! Are you celebrating each mini milestone?!? I think you should (but probably not with pizza!). hmm MelroseMelrose, why is yours a 6 cycle? Is it stage dependent or doctor or other factors?
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yensmiles- There were many factors in what determined the number of rounds of chemo I had. I know it has to do with the pathologist report, the size of what was removed, nodes, the fact that I was participating in a Herceptin clinical trial etc. The tumor that was removed is a rare form of cancer( intracystic- tumor/tumors contained in cystic structure). which only occurs in about 1-2% of all breast cancers. I met with my oncologist a week after I had my lumpectomy. At that time, the full pathology report had been released but a preliminary one was available. She told me that my treatment plan would be this kind of chemo regimen and 6 rounds. I was also told that I would probably have radiation therapy too; however that didn't happen. My case was reviewed several times before a hospital tumor board and the outcome of all those discussions was 6 rounds of chemo and no radiation. I did not find out that I would not be receiving radiation until my 5th round of chemo. I have never questioned why 6 and not 4; I just understood that the tumor board and my oncologist knew what was the best course of action for me.
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thanks for the explanation Melrosemelrose!
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Okay so I feel like I'm monopolizing the boards because I'm talking so much here, so I will keep it short. Went to doc; heartbeat was 130 sitting; couldn't stand for more than 3 minutes, got fluids; feel better, going back for more fluids on Friday then an appt. on Wed. to see what's next. She really wouldn't tell me today. Honestly, I got pretty pissed because I asked her when I go on the arimidex and is it as horrible as I've read (here) with bone pain, SE. She told me (after I waited an extra 1 1/2 hours to see her) that she thought I was wanting to hear bad things. MAN did that make me angry. I told her, no, I only want to know the facts and not be surprised. She's a good doctor but also told me I'd have no discernable SE from chemo and would be back to work on Monday after each chemo Thurs. Right. By Mondays I couldn't even get out of bed and have only been able to work a total of 1 week out of the 12. I really get so disgusted with doctors blowing people off. When I first started feeling ill in the fall, the best medical brains around here told me my symptoms were from stress and all in my head until I went to the Mayo and they finally LISTENED and found the cancer. Really really sick of the condescending attitude and lack of empathyl. ITS MY FREAKING LIFE!! I think I'm entitled to ask any questions and get any info I need, especially since I went to doctors for 4 months and kept telling them something was wrong and they blew me off with the same attitude I got today. Why would I blindly believe anything they say now without asking questions and knowing all I can about my diagnosis and situation as they see it? If I hadn't been my OWN advocate and gone to the Mayo I might be really in horrible shape by now. Just saying, I'm really pissed. GLAD the treatments are over!! Soon I'll be moving to Texas and will have to find a new oncologist there. Hopefully, it'll be one that listens and doesn't think they know everything and the patient should just blindly follow along without even knowing why they're doing it. Okay, done venting. Thanks.
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jmg58- You just vent away!!! This is the place to do that and you are not monopolizing this thread at all !!! No one can predict with accuracy exactly how you would feel after your chemo rounds. Yes..... thank goodness you are strong enough to push forward and get the kind of medical care that you need and not get brushed off by a doctor. Hope the fluids help and you start feeling better. Hmmm... moving to Texas..... do you know where in Texas you are moving to?
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Thanks, melrosemelrose. I will be moving to Texas in a about three months if all goes well....my sweetie and I have been apart for six years because I couldn't sell my home here!!! I will be in the country outside Killeen, about an hour from Austin. A BIG change from my Chicago city life. The idea of scorpions, snakes and tarantulas is not that appealing, but I am 55, never married and finally found the love of my life who has flown in for every one of my treatments to take care of me here. I cannot wait until we're together. I hope we are able to have many happy years together. It'll be really scary to just have the two of us down there with the fear of recurrence and a new doctor, etc. But I'm going for it! I don't know how practical MD Anderson is from there...not sure how far it is.
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You will find that Killeen is a growing community and so are Austin and other cities along IH 35 ( San Marcos, New Braunfels and San Antonio). Just want to warn you that there is a lot of road construction going on IH 35 where you are heading to. As for heading to Houston to go to MD Anderson..... you want to head east to pick up I 45 and head south towards Houston. Driving on IH 35 and then cutting across later on to head to Houston may take longer because of the road construction.
FYI: As for new doctors, I know you may be wondering what to do. If you opt to come to Houston, just remember MD Anderson is only one of several places to have continued checkups. I was treated at a different place than MD Anderson. Yes, I had a choice and opted to go to another hospital in the same Medical Center area. If you want more info, just private message me. Happy to help you and welcome you to Texas.
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Melrosemelrose, thank you for the advice about hydration. They were able to get my vein pretty easy this time around. My doctor tweaked my medicine abit so my side effects would be a little lighter since she said by the 4th time around I could have a real bad time if she did not. So I appreciateed that for sure. Walking won't happen till the third week this time either becasue even though she messed with my meds I still feel tough.
Headeast, I hope you are doing well and feeling better. Glad your surgery went well.
Hugs to all.....
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