April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

Tweetyb422

Lynda,



Welcome . I have not had surgery yet either, but I had dd a/c first, now on dd taxol, I have my third treatment next week....they are dfferent, but like others have said manageable. I had heard taxol was easier, I dont know if I would say that, just different. I was more tired on AC I napped where as I haven't on taxol, my stomache was more off on AC. But everyone is different. Good luck

PositivityRocks

Hi Ladies,

I'm trying to decide on Taxol or Taxotere... I am triple negative...

Any infor on SE expereinced or research already done would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks much! 

Stacie

Hi Lynda and bcbarbie10. Welcome to a really good place during a really bad time.

DorisMarie

PositivityRocks ...I'm on toxetere and carboplatin..2 down..4 to go..also triple neg...my se has been fatigue..two crash days..metalic taste about a week..nausea..phenegran controls from 2nd day after tx for 4 days..white cell count bounced back higher than before 1st tx..red count down slightly..(I need more steak..LOL)..I am grateful for such managable se's..and so few of them..no weight loss...think I have gained two or three lbs..I have to fight to keep weight up usually..the metalic taste week ..it is kinda tough finding something to eat..got some insure that I can just chug down when food doesn't appeal..I drink lots of water..I think that helps..

hope i have helped you..give that babe some sugar from me..

dancetrancer

hopeful - you can get it weekly or every 3 weeks - no definitive research shows one is better than another - that I know of.  I'm getting it weekly by choice (just feel my body can handle a smaller dose better).  My dose is 2 mg/kg (1/3 of the triweekly 6 mg/kg dose).  

nofear2012

Any of u biweekly taxol ladies experiencing the jitters the week after treatment. I had my treatment last Tuesday & I feel jittery/nervuos & I have not had this feeling & my last treatment in next weds.

RoulaG

I posted this on another thread, but I need to post here as well. This has just been an awful year. Not only am I going thru breast cancer and treatment but now my family has suffered another setback. My dad had a stroke last night. I spent the night at the hospital, I am so sad, scared and angry. Really enough already!

lisa2012

Sandik, I forgot how to get to the Facebook group. Anyone remember what it's called?

Also, how do you search for threads on here? Like if i want to see one about exchange surgery?

Melrosemelrose

lisa2012- Private message Sandik that you want to get on the Facebook group. 

If you want to research the threads, hit the search button on the upper left hand side of this page.  It should take you to search engine for the threads.  I think the exchange thread is on the surgery forum and maybe also help me get through this treatment.  Good luck!!!

nofear2012

Roulag - so sorry to hear. My thoughts & prayers are w u.

Melrosemelrose

RoulaG- Sending you and yours lots of encouraging (((HUGS))), and lot of positive, healing and calming prayers, thoughts and energy.  Sorry you and your family are going through such tough times.  Hope things get better soon!!!

Melrosemelrose

PositivityRocks- I'm on Cytoxan/Taxotere chemo regimen.  My taste buds are off but can't tell whether it's from the Cytoxan or Taxotere.  They go on vacation for about 10 days but return right before my next treatment.  I've used plastic eating utensils when I think that the metallic taste is not tolerable.  My treatments are every 3 weeks.  I am icing my nails during the Taxotere infusion only to help prevent nail damage/loss.  You need to check with your onco before doing the icing.  I have a little neuropathy in my fingers on occasion which is finger cramping.  I have some thinning of my eyebrows and lower eyelashes.  I've read on other threads that the eyebrows/eyelashes may fall out once I finish with my chemo.  I also know that one of the side effects of Taxotere is ankle swelling.  I haven't experienced any swelling since I'm on blood pressure meds which contain a diuretic.  Hope this helps.  Hugs to you and Baby Ethan and your family!!! 

luvBngGma

Hello, ladies. I have been so encouraged by all your posts, and have been 'lurking' for several weeks. I had my last FEC tx 2 weeks ago, and starting Taxotere next week. I still have dry mouth, had Nystatin, for thrush. Taste buds are still hiding. Spent Sunday night in ER, waiting for diagnosis for swollen, hard lump on side of jaw. Was infection in parotid gland. CT scan also showed enlarged lymph nodes and thyroid. Going for ultrasound today on thyroid. My mind goes where it shouldn't with every symptom. Haven't asked MO about the cancer antigen, and what it means, but it will be on my list of questions for next week.

Rose-hope your foot is better. I am envious. I have wanted a puppy, since we retired. DH is resisting, says after PFC :-) Our 4 yr old GD wants a puppy, so much. She asks every time we talk on phone, "Gramma, do you have a puppy? "

PositivityRocks-love the Warrior Activated!

May all of us be Warrior Activated for tx days, and following!

Thanks for all the support. What a great community of ladies , holding each other up, as only those of us going thru it can do.

lisa2012

Roulag, oh my, hope your dad has a good recovery. Gosh, you are dealing with a lot. Hugs to you and family.

Melrose, driving in my town yesterday, I saw a little cute street named Melrose I'd never noticed before and thought of you!

Melrosemelrose

To all of the Newbies- WELCOME TO OUR THREAD OF STRONG SUPPORTIVE GALS WHO ARE ALL MOVING FORWARD THROUGH CHEMOLAND AND READY TO GIVE YOU SUPPORT WHENEVER YOU NEED IT!!!!  Glad you have joined us since it doesn't matter when you start your chemo because we leave no one behind.  This is a great place to get support, practical questions answered and just a damn good place to rant, rave and whine.  As you will learn, we are all so much stronger together as we make our ways on our individual journeys.  Wish each of you easy times in the Big Girl Chair and minimal side effects.  That is a daily mantra here. 

Melrosemelrose

lisa2012- You are a sweetie to think of me when you are driving ..... no accidents, please!!! Lol  Hugs to you!!!

bcbarbie10

vballmom, comforting to know i will be sailing along with you in this. We have almost similar diagnoses and treatments, even our timelines seem to somehow match.

Stacie, melrosemelrose, and the other ladies here, we're all in this together.

dancetrancer

roula - so sorry to hear about your father!!  Hugs!

luvBngGma - wow you've had a lot going on - hope the tests come back all clear so your mind can be all clear.  I understand worrying - even though I fight it hard, it's tough to keep under wraps sometimes! 

Marcia1111

RoulaG - So sorry to hear about your dad.  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

SaturnRing

Welcome to the new comers, I myself just started posting only a few weeks back, but Like others said this is a lovely thread with wonderful and POSITIVE information, and good vibrations which I love



Hopeful123 - Thanks for charting out your side effects from taxol, it was helpful



roula - I am so sorry to hear about your dad, I will keep him in my prayers too (if you don't mind that is)



Positivity - I am triple negative too and I am doing taxol instead of taxotere, the decision was based on my doc's preference- she wanted me on 12 weekly doses and taxotere have not been extensively used on weekly trials, if choosing taxotere it had to be DD and my doc wanted to stretch it to 12 weekly treatments which means higher cumulative dose of taxol. Because of triple negative she wanted the most aggressive treatment.



She did give me a choice on DD taxol/taxotere, but when pressed she agreed 12 weekly taxol would be the most wise thing to do.

SaturnRing

On the BGC for first Taxol,



Funny that my WBC are higher than normal , but hemoglobin is low, so starting iron supplements to bring it back up.



Also wanted to share this with you ladies. There was a study that published that propanalol when taken in low dose combined with taxol weekly had a great tumor response.



I threw that at my doc and she agreed that I can use propanalol since my heart rate is always at 85+

my bp is normal though, so she is consulting with cardio in the hospital for dosage.



Excited about that.

vickilind61

Let me just say; Chemo sucks.  It totally kicked my butt this time. 

Hello to all of you lovely ladies.  Hope all is well.  Kind of skimmed over the four pages since my last visit.  Lots going on with all you. 

Stacie

Roulag-Prayers for your Dad so sorry you have another crisis on your plate.  BC is quite enough thank you.

I set up all day "girl" help next week for 4 days following the BGC.  I was so sick last time (#5 of 6) and my hubby and son worked so hard to take care of me.  But it wasn't the same as girl help where she just brings you food and meds instead of me explaining everything I need when I need it.  And neither my son or hubby are great at cooking healthy food that won't worsen my C train.  I have two adult twin daughters and a sis who are coming to help.  I hesitated because my daughters lost their Mom as girls and were orphaned all their lives until we adopted them a few years ago.  They have been living in lala land regarding how difficult chemo is.  I think to protect themselves.  One of them even posted on fb that I had a mild case...so sweet.  But time to put my care 1st and their denial second.  I need their help.  I thought my husband might be hurt that I thought he needed help caring for me, but when I told him he said "Okay" pretty darn quickly.  When I told him I was worried he'd be hurt he said, "I want you to be comfortable and I dont' care what that takes".

IndigoMont11

Roula, you are in my thoughts and prayers. Hoping your dad recovers soon! Big hugs to you!

IndigoMont11

Positivity, my MO didn't give me a choice, just prescribed the Taxotere at my first visit. He and the nurse practitioner I see both say that generally, the risk of SEs is higher with Taxol. However, as l know you've seen here, there are a lot of differences from person to person. I am not on a dose dense regiment either, and it seems to me that most people who are go with Taxol. Looks like you've gotten some great feedback from others. :-)

Stacie, I find it so hard to ask for help. I'm learning too! I have found that young people in my life, like your daughters, have the hardest time with this. It makes them feel vulnerable and they need to see it for what it is. I think having your daughters get more involved should be good for all of you! Hugs to you all!

Melrosemelrose

Stacie-Good for you for calling in the supplemental help to give your DH and DS a break.  I know that wasn't easy for you to decide to call upon your daughters and sister to help but glad you did.  Hope your next last chemo goes well with minimal side effects.  HUGS!!!!

Melrosemelrose

IndigoMont11-  Thinking of you and hope all went well today with the Taxotere infusion.  Wishing for minimal side effects for you!!!!  Sending you some of that special purple positive healing energy and hugs!!! 

IndigoMont11

Hi all! Back from the BGC and Taxotere #1 is done. I had no adverse reactions during the infusion and my blood work was all back to normal - WBC was 1.2 on 7/6 and today was 9.2. Dunno how much is because of the Marrow Plus herbal supplement I'm taking, but I like to think it's working. I know the extra week to rebound helps too since I'm on the regular regiment. I iced my nails also. I will say that would be a royal phain in the bee-hind without my son's help. I took four quart size ziploc bags, filled them with crushed ice at the chemo lounge, put two bags in a six-pack size cooler that I held on my lap, and put each one of the other two in a single insulated lunch bag, one for each foot. Iced for 15 minute intervals, starting 15 minutes before the infusion and took 15 minutes breaks in between. We thought just setting the bags on top of my fingers and toes wasn't quite cold enough so I opened the bags and got the ice on directly. I have to say it was hard to take at first but got easier after the first two "icings". We did watch the clock carefully. Only other problem was a little spill from ice melt. The nurse was great and brought towels. Next time I will ask for towels when I get there.



The extra steroid doses have made sleep pretty difficult, but so far that's been the worst this time around. I took am ambien last night but maybe slept 2 hours. Might break out the ativan that I got for the MRI back in March and never took.



Hugs and wishes for minimal SEs to us all, and to those of you feeling lousy today, sending a purple energy burst your way.

Melrosemelrose

IndigoMont- Yep, I agree that doing the icing is no fun but hopefully it will do what it's supposed to do!!!!  Glad the first Taxotere infusion went well and that you are fine.  The lack of sleep from the steroids is annoying but I just try not to fret about the lack of sleep and catch up when I can.  I know that you may not be able to nap whenever because you are working.  HUGS to you and extra HUGS for that wonderful DS of yours for helping and supporting you at the treatments!!!

RoulaG

Prayers are much appreciated, thank you everyone.



Vicki - my 3rd tx kicked my butt. My 4th was much easier. I hope you experience less SEs from now on!