Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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Klanders - I am so sorry you are going through this. Cancer sucks. I feel like every time I take one step forward, it is followed by two steps backward. How awful you have to deal with all of this.
I am still trying to get to the bottom of radiation vs. no radiation. My radiation oncologists recommends it (wasn't too surprised with that). I am getting a second opinion from another oncologist.
My latest news is that my oncologist wants me to get another mastectomy in 2016. No rush but suggest it be done as a preventive measure. He brought my case to a conference and 20 doctors weighed in. All agreed that I should have another mastectomy.
Two steps backwards. I just can't seem to shake this thing.
Just a quick background on me. I had my annual mammo 1 year and 1 day later than last year's. Mammo was clear. Sono found a 8 mm mass that was biopsied and cancer. Lumpectomy margins were littered with DCIS cells which led me to a mastectomy 2 weeks later. My whole breast had them but luckily he was able to get clear margins.
At the time I wasn't even thinking about a bilateral mastectomy. I was just trying to process losing one! The whole thing happened so fast (which was my choice - I wanted it done sooner than later) but it has been a whirlwind. It could be worse. But I went from no cancer to Stage 2a in a matter of minutes.
I keep trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel and the light keeps getting farther away. I will get through this but it seems endless. I just have to take it one day at a time. If I think too far ahead, I get overwhelmed.
Thank you all for the warm welcome. Strength in numbers!
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saw another MO today who suggested TC but I've read horror stories of permanent hair loss up to 6% of the time ... Is this for real
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CatsRus thank you for the encouragement. The fast has been a breeze, it will end today at 4pm (a total of 88 hrs). I do have a unique situation as I have celiacs so I already do not eat most grains. I pretty much eat low carb , just high quality meats, fish, poulty, eggs, cheese etc. Mega quantities of homegrown organic veggies and berries. Healthy fats, butter, olive oil, coconut oil. When I was diagnosed I decided to go into nutritional ketoses as a preparation for chemo fasting. My body runs on ketones which being a little overweight I have plenty of stored fat to keep me going :-)
Curious to see if my n-1 experiment of Dr. Valter Longo's will fulfill the promise of severely reduced side effects and a quick immune system rebound. So here is to the next few days. I understand the SE's usually start to get bad between days 3-6 after infusion?
My oncologist asked me to write a journal. Love this doctor!
Thunder7
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Wow, Thunder! Yes, keep us informed. I have to eat! I am weak even with eating! I hope it works for you, but I bet very few of us could do this
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4pink - a possible side effect of Taxotere is permanent hair loss, but I've only heard of one person on these boards who thought that might be happening. I had taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin & perjeta, then after surgery I had to do adriamycin & cytoxan. Yes I lost my hair and yes the herceptin for a year kept the growth slow, but everything's back now.
Check out the 'hair,hair,hair' threads for moans & groans about color & curls and lot of positive feedback & pictures as everyone's hair comes back in.
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Thanks for all your encouragement. I am finally finding some energy today and went out to do a little grocery shopping with DH. First time out in a week but now I need a nap :-)
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suzanne50: at times I feel the same way. I will be glad when 2015 is finished and I can look forward to not making plans around all the cancer/chemo stuff. I did the bil mastectomy up front and glad I did since I ended up with cancer in both breast. I had immediate recon with DIEPprocedure. I really like my results. Now I just need to get through my chemo.
Just taking it one day at a time. Got my hair buzzed off yesterday. Today went to the mall to walk and decide not to wear my wig or head wraps. Just went without anything.
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8 days post final treatment. At least I can stay awake and walk around the house, but still so weak and really can't do much. Is this normal? Not as much bone pain this time, which is weird, considering I had a lot after treatment 2 and 3. Just have no energy and feel like crap. I hate to complain, but am soooooo tired of being sick. Before surgery back in April, I really felt great. Since then, awful. However, with all this said, I need to remember all this surgery and treatment has gotten rid of this Cancer. I sure hope so! Now, I will worry that the treatment enough. Do you think this? Ohhhhh, I am ranting.
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I felt exactly the same way yesterday, MySunshine, but today was a new day and I felt much better. Not back to 'normal' by any means but definitely can see light at the end of the tunnel now. Hang it there, it will get better. But rant away if you need to
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my sunshine: I wonder too if my chemo will get rid of any cancer cells floating around my body. I think about it a lot now during my treatment. I hope after I finish chemo I can get on with my life and not always be thinking about cancer.
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Hello ladies, Had my first TC 7/22, I feel great no side effects whatsoever. Can anyone tell me when they are supposed to hit? With my fasting protocol I am hoping to avoid most of them - I know the hair loss is a given :-(
Hope everyone is coping and being gentle with themselves.
Love,
Thunder7
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mysunshine4.....I worry every day as well. It's always in the back of my mind. I just keep saying to myself I am going to be okay. I had one node positive so it's a struggle to stay positive. I am on Fermara for the past five months and can only hope it's doing what it is supposed to. I am just starting to move on and do things ....life goes on and I want to make the most of it and enjoy everyday.
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Thunder, Glad you are feeling well. The SE hit me days 3-6, with nausea being the biggest issue. I am prone to motion sickness, have problems with anesthesia and so on, so we knew nausea would be the biggest SE for me. Some of the ladies on met on this site, did well all through chemo. They worked regular hours, played with their kids, played sports or ran... Everyone is different.
Mysunshine, I'm sick of feeling like this, too. Before my diagnosis, I had a knee injury that kept me down for months. Then the BC diagnosis. I haven't felt good since November 2013! The thing the helps the most is that I did everything I could to beat cancer. There is nothing else I could have done. Right now, I'm working on feeling better, regaining strength and so on. I hope to not think about cancer every day.
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Thank you PoppyK. Things still going well, a little tired but that is about all.
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Hi all, not quite 2 weeks out from last treatment. No more bone pain, but still weak and tired. I basically sit in my recliner most of the day. Soooooo tired of feeling sick. I walk around the house as much as I can. Still have the weak legs. It has ruined four days straight, and I mean all the time, so no chance of going for a walk outside. I was asked if I wanted to go walk around a mall, but don't think I am ready for that. Does this seem normal to you or am I being a wimp? Good thoughts going out to all of you.
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Keep stretching Mysunshine! It worked for me to try to workout, walk or stretch in the morning before I felt lousy! The caffeine from 12 ounces of coffee 15 min before is thought to dull some pain and improve work outs (for the next 5 hours). No more than that is recommended. I think the weakness is neurological from the chemo and the tightness will persist so keep fighting it off - yoga, pilates, just hamstring and calf stretches. Hang in there!!!!! We are all with you.0 -
Two weeks out from last treatment and now I am waking up dizzy. Ohhhhhh, it is always something. Anyone ever feel dizzy? I want to get stronger
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Waking up dizzy happened to me even before chemo. You can always call your MO, but you've been through a lot. It took me a long time to recover my strength.... something I'm still working on. Could the dizziness be from low blood sugar?
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Mysunshine,
I have had some dizzyness. Checked my blood pressure and it was low. Chemo induced?
Stretching seemed to pump me back up.
Thunder7
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Also two weeks out from last chemo and I'm doing okay. My blood pressure was low after chemo, especially the last one. It seems to have normalized now. My energy level is good but not back to where it was. I've been tackling some household chores that were neglected during treatment (so I'm also getting some motivation back too!) but I have to take frequent breaks and just sit so everything takes a while. It's hot out which normally I would enjoy immensely but I find the heat saps my energy very quickly so sadly I haven't spent too much time outdoors, I'm enjoying the air-con! My mouth is still a little on the dry side but much better than it was. Taste is returning although lettuce and some other vegetables still take very bitter. I gained 5lbs while on chemo, mostly I'm sure due to the junk food I ate as it seemed to be only thing I could taste and enjoy. I'm anxious to get back to salads and vegetables. My digestive system was "off" during chemo (maybe the sudden influx of junk food!) - neither one thing or the other, just "off" - but that too seems to be returning to normal. My nails seem to be doing okay. I have two definite bands in them, one close to the cuticle and the over a little above that, it doesn't look like I'm going to lose any of them. I used Sally Hansen Nail Hardener all through chemo and wore cold mitts for the Taxotere infusion. My feet are doing fine and I do not seem to have any neuropathy. Too early for hair returning yet, I believe. I have what I think someone described as kiwi fuzz on my head. I still have my eyelashes. My eyebrows were always sparse and may have gone slightly sparser but not gone completely. My legs have a few hairs. I haven't shaved in over three months so definitely nothing has been growing.
I started Letrozole (generic Femara) last night so I am wondering what that will bring.
As I said at the beginning. I think I'm doing okay. Yes, I still worry about "it" returning but I try not to let it dominate me. I'm making plans for next year - my niece is getting married in the UK and I plan to be there. And I'm determined to be laying on a beach with a drink in my hand (complete with umbrella and fruit) before the year is out. I'd like it to be sooner rather than later but am waiting for my "out of country" travel insurance to be valid again following this adventure. They say I'm supposed to be stable on new medication and out of treatment for three months....ugh.... I'm going to investigate and see if there is any coverage I can buy that will allow me to travel sooner (the one that wants the 3 month period is part of my retirement package so I don't have to pay for that!).
Feel better soon, Mysunshine.
Hugs to Klanders - I've been thinking about you.
Good wishes go out to everyone else wherever you are in treatment.
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Cats, It sounds like you are doing well.... all things considered. Took me a while to regain energy. I huffed and puffed on stairs for a while. I had those white lines on my nails, too. Never lost a nail, but when growing out they did break on those lines. I lost my eyelashes after chemo was over, which surprised me. My eyebrows thinned, too. It took a bit for my head fuzz to turn into something I would call hair. Now it's about 3 inches long and curly! Hope your insurance and travel plans work out for you!
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Be sure to hydrate if you're dizzy. Lack of water can easily cause dizziness, especially in the heat or summer.
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Thanks PoppyK. I knew someone said their eyelashes fell out after chemo but I couldn't remember who. I'll keep my fingers crossed that mine don't but know it's a possibility.
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hi all
Is there anyone who got taxol with cytoxen insteadof taxotere
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Does anyone know what doses that got each time with taxotere and cytoxan? Is there a set amount for each time or its based on each person/weight, etc?
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ThinkingPositive, I think it'a based on weight. I had gained weight and when the nurse weighed me she said I was still 'within the range' for my dosage. I don't know if it related to one orboth though.
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I had Taxotere, but here's link to info on Taxol vs Taxotere. http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/recur_metast/treat_metast/chemo
I also think dosage is based on weight.
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Thank you, Cats! I am starting to feel better. Baby steps. I am doing little things too, but, like you, I have to sit down a lot. Dizziness is much better. I also think drugs are given according to your weight.
Cats, why did your MO put you on Femara instead of something else. I do not understand the criteria for the three main choices for us post-menopausal women? Can anyone help explain? I meet with my MO on Thursday, but would like to have a lot of information. I have looked up each and really do not know. I would like to know what other MO's say. Thank you!
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Hi ladies - I have been reading this thread for a few weeks to prepare myself for what lies ahead. You are all brave and beautiful women! Thank you for all your posts. They are very encouraging! I just got back from my first treatment. Everything went smoothly. I came home and took a walk since I have been told it makes the toxins get out sooner and you feel better. Plus I am an avid exerciser and hate to be stationary. I was at the infusion site for a long time. I am trying the Penguin caps in hope to preserve my hair. My place actually offers them at no charge on a first come first serve basis. So no one else needed them on my day so I got them. They are the worst part of the day. I had major brain freeze for the first 10 minutes and then it subsides. But you have to change the caps every 30 minutes.
All worth it if my hair stays but if it falls out anyway, I am prepared. Hoping to feel good over the next few days. At least today wasn't horrible. My appetite is off but I can deal with that.
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Mysunshine, not sure why Femara. It is what I was expecting as my friend was on it. Feel kind of dumb now for not asking that question!
Suzanne, glad the infusion went well and I hope your side effects are minimal. Are you doing 4, 3 weeks apart? If you are then you are a quarter way through! Good luck to you.
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