Weekly Taxol group

VL22

Hi all! I've been reading but not writing - I know you all understand. Taxol is actually very easy for me so far, but still been in a funk. Went for a long walk with my dog this morning and ate a piece of cake and I am feeling good! I think sometimes we just have to make the decision to not let this crap get us down, which can be hard. Happy Halloween!

PauletteK

Susie - haven’t heard from you for awhile how are you doing?

Beauz and Hershey- how’s your blood count? Did it get back up so you can continue with your chemo?

I’m hanging in there and I will see my Mao this Thursday. Fingertips still numb as before didn’t get worse. However my hot flashes really acts up since yesterday, my head was hot then cold so I need to take off my hat all the time. Did it happen to you?

HersheyKiss

Hi Paulette,

My counts on Friday were just above the cutoffs, so my MO approved the infusuion. Nine down, three to go. Perhaps I'll be finished with Taxol by Thanksgiving. Now that is something to be thankful for!

T-Sue

Sending you hugs VL22! I know it's hard, keep getting through the treatments, days, hours. So glad you got out for a walk.

PauletteK

Hershey- that’s good news, you are in my thoughts.

beauz

PauletTeK- it's comforting to know you are with me. Had the blood test done yesterday. Guess what, got the phone call today…the infusion for tomorrow has been cancelled because of low wbc count. Oh well, at least I know chemo is busy killing my wbc. But i don't have much hot flashes, only had a few night sweat on my head so far.

HersheyKiss- good luck with your next blood count.

PauletteK

beauz- were you the one who is eating chicken livers? I heard about bone soup helps WBC, have you try that? So they won’t give you the wbc shot??

beauz

PauletTeK- thank you for your suggestion on bone soup. I will try to get bones and make the soup. I have been eating chicken livers and making meat soup regularly, just haven't thought of bone soup. The nurse said all my other counts were okay, only neutrophils low. They cancelled both my infusion and appointment with the oncologist for tomorrow. I am only going in there for picc line maintenance. It doesn't seem they want to give me any injection for wbc. I don't really care about if I get more infusions or not because I feel pretty numb on my feet anyway. I have got an appointment with the breast surgeon later this month and I hope to have the surgery done before Christmas. I just hope my blood counts will be good enough for the surgery. Best wishes for you.

PauletteK

Beauz - how many taxol did you do already? Maybe they can stop?

VL22

nosebleed today - out of both nostrils! Thankfully I was home when it happened.

I guess a humidifier might help?

Hope everyone is doing well

Cherry-sw

Nosebleeds for me too, I bought a spray that moisturizes and softens otherwise I am blowing crusts and then it keeps bleeding. And tired, so very tired, just sleeping through the days

msrobin58

I admit it, I’m enjoying my break! Did I want to move my finish line away? No. But it sure is nice to feel better. Eating is easier, and I’m sleeping SO much better! As for the neuropathy that caused the break, the verdict is still out. It’s slightly better, usually starts out well in the morning but worsens with a full day of activity. I’m not exactly sure what to say at treatment day tomorrow. I sure don’t want this to become permanent, but I don’t want more delays either. I’m just not sure if it’s actually improving or not.

As for the rashy stuff on my hands, they feel much better after a round of methylprednisolone. They don’t look any better however, because now the skin is peeling off. As it was happening, I told hubby that it felt like I was being burned from the inside, and it seems that’s pretty much what was going on.

At this point, I’m pretty sure there isn’t a single SE that I’ve missed.

It’s interesting to read how different MO’s feel about the blood count injections. With AC, I had one Neulasta shot the day after. With Taxol, I had none at first, but my blood counts dipped way too low. I believe my WBC went as low as 1.7, which is as low as AC levels! So he added two Granix injections weekly, and when that didn’t lift it quite high enough, added a third shot weekly. I don’t know a lot about Granix but it’s listed as human growth hormone. All I know is that it’s working for me, and my blood counts are back in the normal range.

PauletteK

Nosebleed.... I went to see ear nose specialist and he told me exactly what I am doing. I’m using humidifier in my bedroom, Arya nose gel at night and one during the day, then I use nose spray as often as you think you need. I do not blow my nose now, because it might cause nosebleed.

Msrobin - you have been in my mind, numbness usually better during the day for me also, night usually gets worse. I even soak hands and feet with epsom salt at night it didn’t help that much. I’m doing some hands exercise which my friend shared with me in Chinese, I don’t know it helps or not. Now I even added tree tea oil my my lotion and hoping it might help also. Good luck to your infusion and hope you have minimal SE this time. Let me know if you are interested in that hand exercise link.

ALLGOOD

HI all,

Thanks to Sisswdi who started the group...what a wonderful service :-) Thank you!

Was checking to get more info - done with AC reasonably well and now on way to 3/12 of Tax. Doing fairly ok so far except for some taste issues

Question is about CBC;Hemoglobin been kinda low this time..around 8 (all other counts good) and Doc suggesting good to do a transfusion before or after treatment.

Anyone else who had such issues and did anything natural, supplement, food wise to improve Hemoglobin levels (am a veggie) / suggestions will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance and Good Luck to all! God Bless

PauletteK

All - hemoglobin takes about 40days to replace so it might take a longer time. I suggested you eat more meat but you’re Veggie so you might need to eat beans?? My hemoglobin is getting better since I’m on taxol because my appetite is getting a little better than AC so I don’t think I need transfusion for now.

lara0729

Thanks everyone for posting your experiences. I just started weekly Taxol (+ Herceptin) today. I did not have any bad reactions and feel ok now, but understand that nausea and bone pain could be coming. 11 more to go

lara0729

one more thing - from reading about hair loss, it looks like I should expect this to start in two weeks. Did you cut your hair short ahead of time? Considering doing this.

Brightness456

Hi everyone. I’m officially done with taxol, having completed 6 treatments. It’s been 2 weeks since I stopped. My feet still have issue and my fingers go numb quickly if I hold them up for long (holding the phone to my ear for example), but the pain in my legs is almost resolved and my feet don’t hurt intensely like they did so I’m already feeling more like me again. All my doctors feel confident I got some benefit from the 6 I was able to complete so I’m moving on to radiation now, although I’ll still doing the herceptin every third week for a year.

My question is about eyebrows and lashes. I cold capped so I kept my hair, although I’m shedding more heavily now, but it’s still there so I can’t complain. I quit wearing mascara when I started chemo because I figured I didn’t want to do anything to put more pressure on my lashes. They and my brows are definitely thinner, but not gone. Can anyone tell me how long after stopping chemo my lashes and brows might continue to shed? I’d love to put mascara on when I go out, but I don’t want to risk them falling out.

And I want to thank everyone who has given me information and propped me up when I was down. Now I’m starting to read up on radiation more seriously and worrying about those SEs, and of course I’ll probably always worry about recurrence, but I’m trying to see this as a step toward normalcy again. My emotions have significantly changed since this dx and the support I’ve received here has been a life saver at times. You all understand the fears of BC. I wish we had a definitive cure so none of us had to be here, but I’m so thankful for all of you

beauz

msrobin- glad to hear you are making the most of your break. Thinking of you!

PauletTeK- heard about your number of taxol treatment has been cut down. Wow! you are nearly there. I have had 7 taxol done so far.

Brightness- I am glad that you have moved on from your taxol ordeal. I have no hairs, no eyebrows and no eyelashes. Best wishes for you.

msrobin58

Well ladies, I'm done with chemo! I went for my treatment today, and my MO decided to stop my treatments instead. WooHoo! Even after my break, the neuropathy was not really any better, and he said three more treatments could cripple me. Well we don't want that! He also said as long as you get 80% of the treatments, that's enough. I was frightened at first, citing my Oncotype Dx score of 66, which is my chance of recurrence without chemo. But he showed me my new recurrence rate, after chemo, which is 12%. I can live with that. That's practically the risk factor for the general public.

I went up to the infusion center to thank my favorite nurses, and to ring that darned bell. I rang it very hard, crying all the while! Next week I meet with the radiation oncologist, and will probably start in December. He wants me to start Arimidex right away. I'm not thrilled with this, but I knew it was coming. I'm also to start taking calcium, and had a bone density test today, since it leaches calcium from your bones. Chief side effect is an increase in hot flashes. This news made me laugh out loud, because I already have an abundance of hot flashes! Ugh.

Onward ho!

PauletteK

Beauz and Msrobin - yes I met with my MO and went over our treatment plan and he told me #9 taxol will be my last chemo then I move over to radiation. So I’m going for taxol #8 and next Friday will be my last chemo. YEAH!!! Cried for half and hour can’t believe what I heard. Yes we went through recurrence rate also.

I still could use more prayers for two weeks, and my suffering from chemo will end.

beauz

msrobin- oh what?! Wait a minute… YOU ARE DONE! Hooray!! So happy for you!

T-Sue

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone finishing or nearing the end of your chemo!

Brightness, Now that you are 2 weeks PFC, I hope you are starting to feel, well, less awful! My eyebrows and lashes slowly thinned in the month after chemo ended. I thought I would get away with keeping them, but they fell out like dried leaves by about week 5 PFC. Fortunately, I could see the new hair growing in the folicles, so I didn't go bare for long.

Lara, Welcome from another Colorado gal. Sorry you joined Planet Cancer, but glad you found this supportive space. You finished your first chemo - The anxiety about starting is over! Take care of yourself, you will make it through this! I started to shed my hair after week 4 of Taxol. It was fine under a hat for another month, but the shedding really sucked. In retrospect, I wish I had buzz cut about week 6. You will do what feels best for you, everyone handles it differently.

FarAwayToo

Lara, we are neighbors!

My hair started coming out after Taxol #4. I had it buzzed and shaved, but now, two weeks later, it's growing. I'm not sure if some of it is falling out while some of it is growing, but it was a mess to deal with, even though I cut it really short before chemo - hairs were everywhere. I will have AC after Taxol, so what's left will probably come out then.

HersheyKiss

I have a hair question. Around Taxol #7, my hair started coming in -- fine, feathery, and white. There is now some color returning (my head has that "5 o'clock shadow" look). At the chemo class in June, we were told that during Taxol treatment our hair would start to grow back but then break off. Was anyone else told this? I'd be thrilled if my hair was here to stay.

PauletteK

No hair growing from me and I’m going for my taxol 8 already 😐😐😐 I heard many people said their hair start growing . Hopefully mine will come soon.

Took my Ativan and ready for infusion.m

susie_2017

#8 Taxol was uneventful! I slept thru the whole thing! Feeling great. Hair is coming back, I have stubble and it's salt and pepper! Here is a pic of the top of my head! Very fine hair!

PauletteK

Dry nice Susie, I have no hair, just came back for u eventful infusion, so glad nothing happens I was really scared of reaction.

Taco1946

My stylist buzzed my hair about week 4 and my husband shaved the rest off about 2 weeks later. Mine was VERY slow coming in even after I finished 8 infusions. I don't remember my lashes but expect they were gone as EVERYTHING else was. I have had permanent make-up before and I wish I had gotten my brows done before I started chemo. Not having them seemed to bother me more than the head hair and I wasn't very good at penciling them in. I had gel manicures regularly and my fingers were fine - lost two toenails. I think the hair is like all the other SE's. Some of us have them worse than others. I stopped the taxol because of very painful neuropathy but seem to be doing OK with just herceptin and AI's. I also try to remind myself that I am a year older than when I started this journey.

beauz

hi taco, sorry you had tough time with taxol. I am doing it tough at the moment due to low neutrophils count and numbness in my feet. How many taxol have you done before you had to stop? Has your neuropathy improved since you stopped taxol? Best wishes.