Chemo June 2010

grneyd5600  I start Taxol this afternoon.  Yesterday at 10pm I took 20 milligrams of steroids.  Then at 6 am I took it again.  If I can remember my preinfusion meds I'll post them later.  I know they told me this will be a long infusion as I will need premeds and they start it slow. 

New tshirt HI HO !  HI HO!  TO CHEMO NOW I GO!

grneyd- I get the steroids in pre-infusion IV, so I do not take anything at home.

I started my weekly taxol last Wednesday and have my second treatment today.  I don't take any premeds the day before.  They just pump me up with them in my iv.  The only reaction I had for the first was i got very blotchy thank god.  Other than that was fine.  I have felt fine ever since that treatment other than being very tired by Friday night.  My taste buds totally suck and nothing tastes as it should.  I do have a couple mouth sores, which is interesting since I didn't get them with ac.  Good luck to all starting their taxol treatments!!  I pray for no reactions and that we get through this with flying colors!!   Can't wait for Halloween this year hahaha!!!

Morning Ladies!  Well I had a bit of a rough night, temp wanted to spike again, but I kept it at bay with Advil.  Just like last time, it started to spike 24 hours after the Taxotere.  I got to 100.1, but no higher, but today I'm exhausted as I woke up about every hour last night.  Still, I'm down to 98.3 this am (usually 97 in the morning), so a little high for me, but normal range.  Today i get to call and make an appt for rads measurements!  Light at the end of the tunnel I guess!

Julia

Talking of cosmetics, anyone using DHC products?  OMG they are fab!  I am not much of a make-up person, rarely wore it b4 cancer, but once you're bald you have to do something to improve your looks, right :-)  Anyhow, the DHC skincare products i've tried are just awesome, particularly the Velvet Skin Coat, which makes your skin feel amazing.  I also love the Extra Nighttime Moisture.  It's all mail order off the web, and you can request samples of other products when you order, so that' pretty cool too.

Julia 

Hi All,

 I just finished my last FEC yesterday so I am now halfway there. Onwards to three treatments of Docetaxol. I will have each treatment three weeks apart. I heard Docetaxol to be less harsh and the main concerns are neuralgia of the hands and feet, allergic reaction and bone pain. For those of you who have started how have you found it? I have done well with FEC and was able to keep exercising at a high level.I want to be able to do this with Docetaxol and would love for you to share Some of you must be getting Paxitaxol instead. I have Dexamethasone to take two times a day for the day before, the day of and the day after.... it is important for the allergic response not to occur. I will also be getting ice mits to my hands and feet for 15 min prior to and after the infusion. I have heard people find the taxols less harsh with the SE that the FEC or AC

On another note have you all had surgery or is anyone out there having chemo first and surgery later? if I have a Deip I only have enough for one side and will have radiation then a Deip. If I decide on bioth sides then I will have implants with radiation later. What have you guys had? Anyone with a Deip out there?

Thanks,

Trusting

So something weird happened today.  I went to see my PCP to update her on all the goings-on since I last saw her.  i was chatting away with the nurse, and I guess i was distracted, but I just went ahead and gave her my at-risk arm and let her take my blood pressure.  I didn't even realize what i'd done until after she left the room.  I feel a little freaked, I only had 1 node removed, and I have a hard time imagining one little squeeze is going to give me lymphedema, but then again could it?  Lymphedema was my big fear pre-surgery, that was before chemo became my big fear :-)  I guess this just brings home to me that I am not in Kansas anymore and life is forever changed, and I get to live with this forever and have to be vigilant all the time.  i think I'll take an anti-depressant now.      

Julia

Thanks Isla, this is such a crazy emotional rollercoaster!  I know when I'm being irrational, but that doesn't mean I can make it stop :-)  Hearing the voice of reason really helps!

Julia

Tmarina- They didn't talk to me about weekly vs. every other week, but I will ask my onc tomorrow when I go.  Others who asked - I am taking a big dose of steroids the night before - dexa - something.- it's called.  They also gave me Ambien for sleep because the Ativan doesn't really do it for me (I'm a serious insomniac).  Here's to a night without SEs.

Hi SKD and Northern Girl,

 I am glad that your experience with Docetaxol has been better. I just wanted to hear that positive reinforcement. I found the FEC nauseating, tiring and made me light headed. I feel that way for about 3 days and then I gradually bounce back...I am very much into fitness and made myself keep going. By the third week I feel pretty much normal. I hope Docetaxol feels the same. I have heard it not to be as bad with the SE as FEC and not as hard on the vein. My oncologist told me the biggest side effect is allergic reaction and that Paxitaxol causes more bone pain than Docetaxol. I have steroids and will get ice meits just like you SKD. I think we are all Canadian. Keep me posted. Have either of you had reconstruction yet? I am debating between a one sided Diep or having both sides with implants. I only have cancer on the one side and the other side looks fine.

 Thanks,

Trusting

Hi Northern Girl,

There are no options to the Dexamethasone (steroid). They help with the swelling and prevent the allergic reaction the Docetaxol makes you at risk for. I do not need Herceptin but I heard it not to be bad. Best of luck to you on Thursday and Friday. Let me know about your side effects with the Docetaxol. Stay positive "Cancer is a word not a sentence"

Take care, 

Trusting

Trusting: I was just like you on FEC..the nausea, dizzyness etc... hopefully you will have the minimal side effects (or none at all..wishful thinking) on Docetaxel. Just make sure you take all the meds they give you, they help you out! The steroids were great because they actually gave me energy. On Monday, I was off the steriods and could definitly feel my energy level dropping significantly. BU tif you do have side effects, they have tons of meds you can take to help them. I had bad back spasms todays and got a prescrption for a strong codene medicine and my back pain is completely gone as well as my aches (sort of felt like i was getting the flu)!! I also have been having bad heart burn and am taking pantoprazole and it helps as well. I am sooo not a presciption drug person butI figure if it helps and makes this process more bearable, then bring em on!

I have my reconstuction consultation this month but looking into getting both done so they look the same... any one have advice on this?? I know up in Canada it takes awhile for reconstuction... like I probably won't get it done until March 2011.

Kittycat, the glutamine supposedly helps with neuropathy.  I got the pill form, hopefully it works.  I asked my oncologist if it was okay to take it, he said fine.  I also got tea trea oil to rub on my nails.  People have said it helps so that they don't fall off.  Hopefully!!  I had my second taxol yesterday, uneventful.  It is sooooo much better than the ac.  I have to have my overies out as well.  I am having my gyno and ps coordinate together when I am done with chemo to do the excchange and hysterectomy at the same time.  Kill two birds with one stone. 

Hi  ladies.  Just a Taxol update.  Had my first yesterday.  Was told if there was any swelling or rash to take 50 mg of benedryl and call them.  Energy good no pain.  I was also told to take Zofran if I felt nausea.  Since I don't want to feel nausea I plan on taking it as a prventative.  Other than that in a great mood and a little light headed. 

Treatment #5 of Taxol and Carboplatin was yesterday.  And my precious onc gave me the most wonderful news!  When he came in he told me he had been reading through my records because I was a mystery to him and he was trying to figure me out.  We talked for a while about everything and then he said that since I had completed one tx of the A/C before we switched to my current regimen, that the dosage of Cytoxin I received that first time was the equivalent of 3 Taxol txs. And therefore, he was cutting down my treatments.  Instead of having 7 Taxol txs left after yesterday, I only have four.  I did the happy dance! ! !  I also asked him if I HAD to have the Benedryl infusion with my Taxol because I am hardly able to walk out after my tx.  My husband has to drag me to the car.  Good thing he is strong and I'm not very big because my feet are barely touching the ground and I'm not moving them.  He just scoops me up as much as he can under his arm and we schlump out to the car!!!  Plus it makes me want to sleep the rest of the day and night and the next morning I feel hungover.  So, he said I didn't have to take the Benedryl - another happy dance. 

Of course the nurses were not happy to hear that in the tx room.  They were still as sweet and nice as they always are but concerned.  They gave me a little bell and explained what side effects to look for.  I still got the Zofran and Decadron infusion before the other. I'm happy to report I had no reactions to the Taxol and I had the best time for the first time in the tx room that day.  Husband brought chinese food for lunch which I gobbled up!  I also drank a WHOLE can of Mountain Dew.  It tasted so good.  Prior to that I have only been able to take a couple of sips of any liquid at a time and I probably consume the equivalent of a can of pop (12 oz) over 3 or 4 days  We picked up our two granddaughters (5 & 8) from my Mom's and brought them home and I played with them all afternoon until my son-in-law picked them up after work.  I cooked supper, washed some clothes and had a long talk with my middle son.  It was a great day.  This morning as I type this I am feeling good.  I've taken my anti-nausea regimen of 4 pills and am planning on getting out after while to do a little grocery shopping.  What a difference not having that Benedryl made!