Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013
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I've been catching up on everyone's posts over the weekend. I hope each of you felt a little lift in your mood this evening as I read your posts and sent warm thoughts your way!
I have a small question, at least it's a question about a small, but annoying SE. The skin on my fingertips, especially my thumbs, has thickened after each of my 3 (of 6) TC infusions -- it feels like I have dried paint coating the top of each thumb. The dead top layer of skin on both thumbs peeled back from the nail bed about 1/2 inch down after chemo2; and my right thumb peeled back again yesterday and is now quite tender. The rest of my fingertips are also affected, but not so severely. Weird. Anyone else have anything like this happen to them?
My other SEs have not been nearly as bad as many of you are experiencing -- just pretty constant upper body muscle aches that leave me physically exhausted by the end of the day -- but nothing unmanageable (so far).
I hope you all have a respite from whatever SEs are affecting you this week -- wouldn't that be a wonderful holiday gift?!
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thanks for the hand rash advice and support! I'm sorry to hear I'm not the only one dealing with this.
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Bluegh, I had something similar but not as bad as you describe. My hands are dry, extremely dry and peeling.
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Bluegrass-
Yep, my hands are doing the same, peeling at tips by nail...and dry as a bone also my heels are like cement and they are usually soft...I am using lotion like crazy but they seem to want to continue anyway...
HAS to be our lovely concoctions!
Wishing you all Merry Christmas- hoping to enjoy today and tomorrow without side effects or weariness, hOPING...and then the chair Thursday....wahhhh...
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bluegrass my MO mentioned that as an SE of the taxotere. I have been icing my fingers and toes during the taxotere portion of the chemo to possibly prevent it.
Ask your MO what to do to keep it from getting worse mine said it could get very sore and uncomfortable.
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I think I may be feeling some of the numb thumb feeling too. Feels kind of like I had burned the end of my thumb and now it is healing; no peeling right now...could that be neuropathy?
audra, I will be in the BGC on Thursday, too. I hope yours goes well! You are one ahead of me.
Right now, I have sprigs of hair left on my head. Wondering how long it will last!
I hope you all have a safe and very Merry Christmas!
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hi all. I am slowly reading everyone's posts. I am sorry I have kind of faded out & withdrawn for awhile. Wishing all of you a lovely Christmas. Here we have the Chinese dinner and movie family ritual. Love, Amy
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My experience w/Taxotere was icing for all 6 tx to prevent damage to fingernails, and for the most part it worked. Sounds like that's the nail problem Bluegrass is describing. I never had any problems w/the extra dry skin w/taxotere.
Now that I'm on Cytoxan my fingers are sore & cracking & splitting open no matter how much I lube them. Several times I've had to resort to Neosporin & bandaids for a day or two.
KeeptheFaith - The numbness might be neuropathy. My fingers often feel like trying to cure frostbite when they're not numb. Neuropathy wouldn't cause peeling or chapped skin.
Oops - meant to say Happy Holidays to all of you.
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Quirkygirl and others with dry hands -- my MO recommended any kind of hand cream that has urea (!) as one of the first 2-3 ingredients. I've been using Eucerin Professional Repair but there are other brands. It hasn't really helped the thickened peeling skin problem I'm having on my thumbs, but it has helped a lot with the dry peeling areas on the rest of my hands.
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Keep the faith-
Hoping no side effects for you today and for me too, hoping we breeze right through this!
I am DREADING it and had trouble sleeping ...
PatAlameda, Virginia, Paulette, I know you are on same day too, thinking of you all...
I wish I could be with all of you in the same infusion room- one of those that some of you have that are private or pretty or nice feeling...
I hate mine, and the OLDOLDOLD people in there freak me out -- I LOVE when a younger than 60 person is actually in there with me, have never had a breast cancer person...weird..
Praying for us all and thank God for you all!
Happy day!
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audra67, I dread my treatment room too. I am an "Oldie" - 65 - but don't feel old or sickly. I can imagine you wanting to meet peers your own age though. Locally, i believe Gilda's Club has support for young people. Do you have that there? What scares me the most is that the other patients seem to be very defeated & bleak. My friend who had chemo at an urban teaching hospital met people she became close to. At my local center,that hasn't happened yet, but tomorrow my be different.
I am afraid too, but this second time, feel more prepared to meet the enemy.
Thank you all, Amy
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Hi ladies,
I hope you had a great Christmas to all those that celebrate. Mine was fine and the kids and hubby were happy.
Keep the faith I hope it went well today.
In the last week I have developed back pain. I am having difficulty walking. I went to see my MO and he ordered an MRI. He also gave me Vicodin for the pain because Motrin and Tylenol did not work. I only take it at night because it knocks me out.
So..,. My MRI is Saturday and I am afraid it might be bone mets..... The chances are so slim but my chance of getting BC at 44 was 1.82%.
I need to be talked off the ledge......
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SchoolCounselor, waiting for test results is hell & so easy to think the worst. Trust me, i would too. SC , my back pain was so horrible, I could only compare it to labor. Nothing helped but screaming. Remind me , are you getting Neulasta shots? Between that & Taxotere, my MO said he has seen this often. Keep posting. We are here.
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Hi mom.
I am getting the neulasta shot and did get some leg pain previously, but my last shot was December 10th, would the pain appear so late and last this long? The worrying is quite awful.
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momat- Please forgive me the 60 cutoff , no offense meant at all, we have a lot of old men that choke and cough and I mainly meant them...so sorry. I just appreciated having 2 actual breast cancer girls today with no hair like me...that was intent of what I wrote...
School counselor- Get off the ledge! Lots of back pain, chest pain, all over pain...I was discussing it today with my MO, telling him I didn't want nuelasta as I had chest pain and thought heart attack the whole week, and I had spasms under my sternum and head pain leg pain everywhere...He said that is all normal - par for the course...and to be expected...
Do not worry about metastasis and try to use your energy in a positive way....when I had the 'new lump' last week I freaked out and lost all rational thought and all it did was drain my body of energy to heal. Plus made me feel horribly guilty for my disbelief in God and HIs being in control. Also got a sore throat and now uti....I just made my resistance lower...
You had small tumors with no lymph node involvement...the chances are slim to none it did not spread.
My best advice was from our plastic surgeon friend and he said 'do not waste your energy on worry, use it to heal'...
My counselor advises the same and praying....
God is the ultimate healer....read the bible, tons of healing verses...pray with your husband for your complete healing....learn some visualization to use when getting your MRI done so you don't flip out....and take your meds...do you have Ativan? or something calming...?
Matthew 6:28,--look up Dodie Osteen cancer verses...I also bought her book....she has written all of the verses from bible and used them daily to help her stage IV liver cancer be cured...she says them and proclaims them daily...and I have the last few days as well..
We all have worry and can take it too far...what is it going to solve? Try to get a grip. Pray. Give it to God...He loves you and wants to heal you.!
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Oh and the Dr said the younger you are the worse the pains are in your bones...!!! Interesting....and you look young.
Have faith...you will be O.K
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SC, the pain was worst the week after the shot. Having said that though, just this week, three weeks from shot, I felt as though my legs and arms were hard to move but not really pain. I wish I knew more for you. My MO did say that he has clinically noticed that a very high white blood count is often preceded by extreme back pain. My count was almost too high after the pain I assume MO did blood work ? I know how easy it is to goggle back pain and cancer and feel like you just want to sleep till Sat. Keep posting. Saturday is very soon. I pray you will not have worst case scenario. Btw, SC, when i am really deeply stressed, i get back pain or stomach issues. I recall you suffered a recent death of a student. It is my hope that the back pain is a pure emotional stress response, not cancer. & oddly , my MO called me young & healthy so I can only assume he bases it less on age and more on general robustness and attitude & other numbers. That would echo what audra's dr and mine said. Check your most recent white count.
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Hi ladies, my Tx yesterday went well. Neulasta shot today. A bit of hair still hanging on. I wore my wig for the first time to Christmas dinner at my DD's and everyone loved it. I need to get a gripper; it slipped a bit. Anyone know where to get one? Did not sleep at all last night...steroids and going to the bathroom, even though I took two Ambien. I guess I may add Ativan tonight!:) Today is last day on steroids, so I'm sure I will get some sleep soon enough. My MO suggested probiotics for my possible thrush and yeast issue, so I am trying that. My infusion rooms is generally filled with positive out-going folks and my friend and DD went with me yesterday, so it really went by quickly, even though it was almost 4 hrs long. And the nurses are great, too!
I hope that you all do well with your upcoming and current TX's. We've got this!!!
SC, praying that all goes well with your MRI. I understand your concern...I think with our emotions already at a high, it just makes it worse. Take some anxiety meds, if you need to. Try to stay busy, walk, etc. Like Audra said, I'm sure the chances are very slim that it is bone mets. We are with you! Cast your cares...
((HUGS))
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keepthefaith, TLC sells them I believe
They have a website. Momat927
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by the way, zero sleep even with Ambien. Hoping you get some soon. Will try 2 Benadryl tonight. Momat927
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i am going in for TC #2 today. I wish all of you an easy ride. SC, i agree with chances being slim. You are in my thoughts. Ok here we go. Momat927
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SC, i am sorry you having that awful pain. I am glad your MO is addressing it with an MRI. It seems I can have pain for weeks, and he just says to keep an eye on it. I am sorry you have the pain and added stress and worry, but hopefully soon you will have the reassurance that it is just these nasty drugs causing it, and you can be less stressed. (((HUGS))). This is so very stressful. In a week, I think it is, you will have your final treatment. there is a light at the end of this tunnel. It might be a train, but once that final train passes, the light will be sunshine. let us know how the mRI turns out. I hope your pain has eased.
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Just had chemo 3 yesterday and feeling OK so far, had headache after infusion all last night and even had them slow Cytoxan to 1.5 hours hoping to prevent it...? Getting the darn nuelasta shot I didn't want to get today at 230! BARF!! GAve me tachycardia and chest pain ....but MO said chest is muscle and all muscles/bones can be affected...not to worry....easy for him to say....will take the Claritin today and hope it helps...I've heard someone say the aches pains diminish with each injection?? could it be???
My wbc were on 3.4 yesterday, I thought they would be higher since the neulasta last time/ what's up with that?
SC- I hope you are feeling better and not so anxious....try not to worry, it won't help just drain you, I KNOW from experience..I was/am a first class worrier...and trying to change all of that through this 'restful, wonderful journey'.....ha!
Praying for negative MRI!
Hang in there! We CAN DO THIS AND WE WILL PREVAIL!!!
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Hugs and much love to you SC - it IS so hard not to go to the "dark place" when you have over the top or unusual pain. Like the others have said it's perfectly natural. And, as ,any others have said, this whole "journey" wreaks havoc on our usually rational brains. My first go round, I had horrible pains in my upper back - I remember sitting on my fathers couch and sobbing while my brother massaged my back (I was convinced I had bone mets too) - turns out it was just a strained muscle from riding roller coasters at Hershey Park.
Glad you are having the MRI for peace of mind. Please keep us posted.
Again, wishing you peace and strength and many warm hugs!!!
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Audra - I've had 9 neulasta shots the day after chemo infusions now. In my opinion, it gets better. I just lay in the bed & cried the first couple of times. I've had virtually no pain the last 2 or 3 times. That said - I always take Claritin starting the day of the infusion (day before Neulasta) and continue it for at least 5 days.
School - I agree with most of the posts - we will always tend to worry it's more cancer or cancer again now that we've been "exposed" and discovered we weren't immune. (cancer really destroyed my super-woman image). Hope the tests go well & you don't have to wait too long for the results.
KBee - like the train image.
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I love you ladies!!!!! The support and love and bible verses have strengthened me. You are all so wonderful and yes we will prevail. My MRI is at 1 pm tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!
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SC, Audra and others have excellent advice for backing off the ledge.
I, too, have muscle and joint pains that ebb and flow with what seems like no rhyme or reason. In fact, I saw my primary care doctor right before Christmas for what turned out to be a rotator cuff issue. When I originally talked to my MO about the extra pain in my right shoulder, she assured me that it was highly unlikely to be related to my BC, which freaked me out in retrospect because I had never even considered that as a possibility. I can't remember any injury to my right shoulder, but my PC doctor helped me see that I'm now much less active during the day, and comfortable sleeping in only a few positions due to my blankety-blank annoying port and lumpectomy site, so she's sure that's the cause of the rotator cuff soreness.
It's pretty sh#%ty to have EXTRA pain during chemo not related to BC, but I'd bet the farm that's what it is for you, too. And remember, you have a network of strong women here who will be sending confident positive thoughts your way over the next few days -- please use our positive thoughts to beat those random fearful thoughts right out of your mind!
I have chemo4 (of 6) on Monday -- I am so NOT looking forward to the middle and end of next week!
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Keepthefaith -- You might try the Bigelow tea, Lemon-Ginger herbal tea with probiotics. It was one of my go to liquids, both hot and iced -- tasted good the first 4 or 5 days after infusion.
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Thanks Teamkim, I did in fact, get some and love it!
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SC, thinking of you. Sometimes I say to myself. "How will my worrying help the problem?" Sometimes it works. Sometimes nothing can keep me from the dark. We are all here for you. momat927
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