Can I talk to the ladies who are doing the TAC chemotherapy

Nancy2581

I will be starting this July 22nd. (Taxotere, Adriymycin, Cytoxan ) Yes I am terrified.  Can those of you that have gone through this treatment or are going through it tell me how it went for you?

Thanks,

Nancy

kitkatmo

Nancy, I am starting the same on the 17th. Looks like we'll be in it together. I am ready to get started, but more than a little scared about what to expect. Good luck to you. I'll try to keep in touch! I joined a thread for starting chemo July 2014. There are several women active on that thread.

jenjenl

i did TAC, 6 rounds.  I was dehydrated a lot so had fluids the day of chemo and daily for 4 days.  It's definitely cumulative so by round 4 my body really felt it. Chemo infusion took about 6- 8 hours.  Listen to your body, rest when you can, be active when you can and eat what you can.  Be kind to yourself.  I always said i can do 6 and had a count down board. xo

jenjenl

i did TAC, 6 rounds.  I was dehydrated a lot so had fluids the day of chemo and daily for 4 days.  It's definitely cumulative so by round 4 my body really felt it. Chemo infusion took about 6- 8 hours.  Listen to your body, rest when you can, be active when you can and eat what you can.  Be kind to yourself.  I always said i can do 6 and had a count down board. xo

jbdayton

I did TAC last year.  6 cycles every three weeks.  I finished the last week of June 2013.  In fact, I went Thursday got my hair colored and cut.  I feel like I am a new woman.  

I am still going through reconstruction.

Not sure what questions you would like to ask but I will be happy to help anyway I can.  I did all 3 drugs at once, I only met about 3 ladies doing TAC x 6.  

I know you are anxious, I was too but I did go into treatment #1 prepared.

I took a full cup of shaved ice to eat during treatment to try to ease mouth soreness.  After a couple of days mouth got very sore anyways.  I used lemon drops to suck on which helped but not enough, talked to MO and he suggested a mouth wash.  1 part children's bendrylll, 1 part children's Advil, 1 part Maalox and a few drops of prescription lydocaine for numbing.  Hopefully you will not have this side effect, it really limited what I could eat.  My tongue got very raw.  But healed by the start of week 3 each treatment.

I did not use frozen peas for fingers and toes.  I don't know if it would have helped but I did get minor neuropathy in my fingers and toes and still have tingling and minor numbness in toes and fingers to this day.  The MO says it can still take a while to go away.  I did lose both big toenails a couple of weeks after last treatment.  They have both grown back in completely.  Several nails lifted but I did not lose them.  Keep a clear coat on your nails for strength but clear so you can see what is happening underneath.

I did have the Neulasta shot on day after treatment.  First one I took a Claritin day of then for 5 days after.  I had pretty severe bone pain in my thighs.  The rest of the treatments I took the Claritin for 2 days before and 7 days after and had very mild pain.  

As far as general health and stamina I did really well.  Days 3 through 5 were my hardest but perked up beginning day 7.  The more I walked the better I felt.  After treatment 3 on day 8 I walked a 5k walk with my team.  On day 5 following my last treatment I went out of town and attended my grandsons rehearsal dinner and wedding the following day and did remarkably well.

This my be more than you want to hear, but I wanted to know these items before I started so I could be prepared.  

Not everyone will have all the SE's but some will.  I don't want to scare anyone, I would do this again in a heartbeat.  

Three weeks after my first treatment my tumor had shrunk by at least 40%.  At time of surgery only a couple of mm were left but not active; an almost complete pathological response.  

That is the most important part.  Cancer free.  

Good luck and feel free to ask me anything.

purrrrana99

Hi,

I just did my second round of TACx6 on Thursday and noticed that no one else is doing all 3 at once on my board (August 2014) wanted to know how you were doing now that you are probably done with 3.

Nancy2581

I actually got switched after my first treatment of TAC.  I didn't handle it well and my WBC dropped to .7 even with neulasta.  I am now doing AC+T (taxol) which has been easier for me. One more AC then weekly taxol. Everyone is different though ( I guess I am a wimp).  I had a friend who did TAC 10 years ago and she tolerated it well.

madeditor

I did AC four times, every two weeks. Super exhausted. Diarrhea. But it ends. Have had two of 12 weekly taxol treatments. So easy compared to the others.

madeditor

I did AC four times, every two weeks. Super exhausted. Diarrhea. But it ends. Have had two of 12 weekly taxol treatments. So easy compared to the others.