Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?

Hi Leta:

You pose a very valid question, but I didn't have Neulasta with my chemo regimen.  But it does seem like I have seen/heard somewhere that the body creating new white blood cells could create weakness and fatigue.  I constantly had low RBC count during chemo and my WBC count was always high?  So many questions, so few reassuring answers!!

Thank you ladies on all the well wishes for being FINISHED WITH CHEMO!! I finally feel like the poison is out of my body!!!! Goodbye TC!  started having rads on Mon other than having some breathing problems that may or may not be related to rads I am doing WELL!

Magister YOU ARE NOT A WUSS!  Everyones body reacts different you have no control over that! Taxotere can be a beast I'm just glad they controlled it for you. Hope it is getting easier.

Thanks Echosalvaje:

I am sooo glad to hear your neuropathy has improved.  This is wonderful very encouraging news to me because I must confess, I have been imagining the worst.  I have noticed that some days are better than others, so I'll try to be more patient and less fearful.  I have been walking, so I will also continue with exercise and just be more cautious so I don't trip over my own feet!  I've been noticing an increase in burning/tingling on my fingertips, too.  Did yours ever progress to legs and arms, or just stay with feet and hands.  I say just, like it's a minor thing....and obviously, it's not!  But, you know what I mean....

Good morning - did anyone see this on Good Morning America today, about Vitamin D and cancer ... http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/study-vitamin-kills-cancer-cells/story?id=9904415

The story noted that at least in laboratory animals, vitamin D acted much like Tamoxifen. It also said that a few minutes of sun exposure every day is all we really need. Unfortunately, that's hard to find during the New England winter.

My onc put me on 50,000 iu of Vit D for the duration of the chemo.  Also noting that the fosamex isn't improving my osteoporosis any..

Hello ladies.  It's been a while since I've been on here.  I was dealing with a nasty radiation burn (the bad news) but then my oldest daughter got engaged and they've decided to get married this summer before she starts a Masters program (the good news)!!  So the last few weeks have been a jumble of pain and wedding plans!!

My heart goes out to all of you, from those just starting their treatments to those of you who are through and still trying to put your lives back together.  I'm in that category myself.  I had a down day yesterday.  Oddly enough during the time I was diagnosed my body felt healthier and stronger than it had in years.  And now I can't seem to spend more than 15 minutes in a store without frantically searching for someplace to sit down.  

My muscle aches have diminished.  I have no words of wisdom except take something (I took Darvocet) when you hurt, and keep moving.  I'm dealing with lower back and knee pain right now.  But I fell on my knees and I walked like a hunch back for several weeks trying to keep my clothing away from the radiation burn on my breast.  

Lottie and anyone who does experience radiation burn.  My doctor had me using neosporin on it, but it just seemed to keep getting worse.  My cousin is a wound management nurse and told me to quit the neosporin and use bacitracin ointment (OTC at any pharmacy).   I guess many people are allergic to neosporin and it also becomes irritating when used long periods.  As soon as I started the bacitracin I began healing. I put on a telfa pad at night to keep my clothing from sticking to the wound.  I had to take 2 weeks off from treatment to heal, but this is now my last week of radiation.

Now I'm dealing with some emotional fallout.  I try not to think about it, but I'm scared as all getout that I'll get breast cancer again and have to do this all over again.  Any pain I experience I worry that it's cancer that has metastasized somewhere else.  Odd as it is, I think as long as I was taking chemo I felt protected.  Dumb, huh.

Anyway, I think about all the women on this forum often and am praying for you all.  Hang strong all of you, at whatever stage of the game you're in.

chynadollsmom, Sherri and everyone else - 

I agree that post-chemo pain and fatigue is depressing and frightening, and, although I'm not triple negative, I can understand the fear of being unprotected from recurrance. I'll be starting tamoxifen in a few weeks and I'm worried about side effects but grateful that my treatment continues in that way. I did not have raditation so I don't have the burns and fatigue from that to worry about, but, I just can't seem to sake this feet and muscle pain lingering from chemo. It gets better in fits and starts but then it recurrs and I'm down again.

I'm also experiencing some depression and anxiety related to returning to work in my office rather than working from home. Can't seem to put a postive spin on much of anything. With the depression also comes difficulty sleeping. I read it is very common for women like us to get depressed when "active" treatment ends. It's like you finally have an opportunity to stop and think about what's happened to you, and, it ain't fun.

Best to everyone and hang in there

Lottie

Ladies, when depression gets to be too much, there's always therapy and/or anti-depressants.  I don't know if I would have survived without either.

Chynadollsmom:  Fatigue is a common s/e of radiation.  5 years ago I don't remember having any burned skin from radiation.  I did have tenderness towards the end, but nothing that the Aloe plant and/or Aquaphor did not alleviate.  Don't wait to have a burn.  Slather whatever it is you use to help with burns before you have the burn.

My first Dx was TNBC.  I think I can actually call myself an almost 5 year survivor of TNBC.  That's because my new tumors were not TNBC.

BossyRenee:  Congrats on being almost finished!  I felt very good about being triple negative.  I loved the fact that I did not have to have Herceptin for a year nor did I have to have estrogen inhibitors.  I wanted my estrogen!  I am not looking forward to taking Arimidex!!!

So there's always a bright side.

Take care, sweet ladies...

Brenda 

bobcat - This is what I've taken for constipation so far: Maalox, milk of magnesia, prunes, prune juice, colace, apple juice, pears, so much water I can hear it sloshing around in me, miralax , mineral oil, and magnesium citrate. None of these have worked. I think I royally screwed my system up when I was younger because I would hold it and not use the restroom in public; would wait til I got home. The things we do when we're young!

Well; here we go just took my first  2 decadrons today.... Getting a hair cut and getting my stuff ready for tomorrow first treatment....... SCARED......I quess this too shall pass.... I hope quickly.

Donna

I do the same thing Michele, I take the 2 Senekot - S  the night before treatment and continue that  for the week. Also keep the prunes and apricots on the kitchen counter for snacking on. Drinking water is essential... and lots of it. I had the constipation from the chemo once and thought I was gonna die, it was sooooo painfully horrible, I made sure it never happened again throughout treatment. The Senekot really works well without being too harsh.

To all of you just starting out , my prayers are with you all that you have minimal SE's and that all goes smoothly. Hang in there and know you have alot of peole here for you cheering you on!

Peace and Blessings!

Donna! Great that you have one down! I don't know the answer to either question, but I do know that on my first treatment last week, they started me out very slowly on the Taxotere and wanted me to report ANY discomfort, even if it was as minor as not feeling like I could get comfortable in the chair. They explained to me that what happened to you can happen, and they do exactly as they did you, stop immediately, treat with benadryl, and then try to restart. In most cases it goes smoothly after that.

OMG! I'm SOOOO looking forward to having the ability to actually SLEEP during a treatment!

You GO, girl!

And congrats on being done!  ^.^

Hi all! Thanks for the warm welcome, wishes, and encouragments. I am a couple of days out from last tx and feeling ok except for a little general malaise. Basically just tired. Can't wait for the 6th and final tx in 3 weeks. Then on to rads...