Taxotere is a nightmare

Christine,

I had lots of sternum and rib pain on the MX side with TE especially after treatment.....what I discovered was some "cording" on the trunk, though barely there, and it made me really sore...but I didn't "see" it until about the 4th treatment.  You may be developing cords, Mondor, or LE.

Have you asked to see a LE specialist?

Shooshoo----Lago and N3ybp said it before; there must be a way to work this out. Try requesting an appointment with the chairperson of your department and explain the situation. Also, talk to a financial aid counselor at your school or call the FAFSA's 800 number. This is an extraordinary situation; you were fighting for your life. There is a way out of it. I couldn't start my master's degree program last fall either.  I hope to return to school next fall.

Question: I had a very emotional day today. I still cry once a day every day. Does anyone have similar, post Taxotere side effects? Just wondering.....or maybe I am the only one.

survivorwoman - Yes I get that too, but me is not just crying its weird one day i could cry and cry and little things will make me cry, then out of no where, my husband will say good morning and that will just get me sooo mad!, last chemo i just cried and cried and cried..I just could not stop..my husband was so scared cause i could not stop crying...out of no where i was lying on the couch and just started crying....i though maybe a combo of steroids, my body just being tired and chemo-pause...I dont know...seem like you are going through a lot too is not easy going through cancer with the support i can only imagine how hard it is not having that support so that also must play a role with your depression...what im doing is writting a journal, write all your emotions in there and what you feel, i find it helps, also helps chatting here with ppl but sometimes we want to write something and just keep it to ourselves also, i dont know if you like painting but i just bought those painting by numbers also helps keep your mind busy and you accomplish something as well, sometimes when im having a bad day a grab a pillow and just punch it until im tired lol is another way to burn that steam off hehhehee it helps me a lot..

are you almost done chemo? i just want time to fly by and put this behind us all, i wish it was already the 5 yrs and we all say its completly gone no more cancer....but we need to keep positive and live our lives to the fullest! enjoy what we have here at the present time...i hope you feel better soon...I dont know where you are but think summer is coming and the sun will be shinning on our bald heads lol...(hopefully by then we all have some hair, i cannot wear a scarf or wig too hot)

Tracie - you are so right I wish this cancer was a one time thing, kk we had cancer and is over now,  but is not like that, we always have to worry about it..it sucks it really does suck...

Let's face it chemo sucks and then there are the side effects. But I have a role model, my DH has lived with heart disease since he was 51. Add bypass surgery, stroke and prostate cancer and you would think he would just give up. Nope last December he had to have a stent inserted. The doctor asked us if we wanted to sign a DNR. He is skinny as a rail but he is back, bought a truck, still driving, still haunting Wal Mart and feeding all the critters from the neighbourhood. He is 74, lives with spinal stenosis but just keeps going. And he told me he doesn't want to be left alone so I am fighting on but also trying to live. Whenever I want to do something outrageous I say it is on my bucket list. Best of luck to you in your treatment and may the hurdles be small.

Ok Ladies.. no getting down...and most of us WON'T be dealing with this forever... we will do what we have to do and then we WILL put it behind us... I am determined to have an end date... For me, I look at the first end date as end of chemo, then second end date as end of either rads or MX, and then last end date is the day of last hormone therapy... after that we monitor but we don't obcess. I know that everyone has a different diagnosis and different dates, but even stage IV ladies have to have dates to aim for... chin up.

Survivorwoman - where did you find that picture of me????

Bdavis -- you are soooo right, too. I should have end-dates. Those would help greatly.

Survivorwoman, thanks for the laugh today! I needed one!

I have taken xanax for anxiety, thought of it as my "alcohol in a pill" form since my MO said I should not drink.  I took it more often during the week before chemo, but have not taken any in over 6 weeks.  It seems that every med has SE of fatigue, depression, and headache, so I have been discontinuing all meds except ambien over the past few weeks and the foggy thinking has finally lifted.  Now I am just bored and depressed, but that is better with some mindfulness-based meditation rather than meds, and has much better SEs! But I keep the xanax as a "just in case I really need it" and most days am OK with the meditation approach. And I have decided quality of life demands an occasional margarita or glass of wine - total abstinence is just not worth it!

I have been on this cancer trip for 9 months, am a little tired of it, very bored with it, and wondering what to do now that I have met all my "end dates".  I did surgery and chemo, refused rads, tried tamoxifen but had to quit due to SEs, now am just left with the neuropathy, fatigue, and inabiltiy to get warm except during hot flashes that make me nearly pass out. I am looking forward to traveling as soon as the semester ends, hoping I am in good enough shape to do my solo road trips that I love.

As usual, too long.... just wanted to let you all know that I appreciate your comments, and that I am keeping you all in my heart and sending hugs to each of you.

By the way, here is a picture of me "Assuming Command" at the beginning of this stage of my live.  Sorry I could not get it to re-size smaller - am just learning to use some of this technology!

Mission: Survive to Enjoy Life