Taxotere/Cytoxan starting February 2012.

Hi Ladies, Just need to vent a little.  I went to see a 2nd MO today for another opinion, I have already decided that chemo is what I need to do but I wanted to see if there was agreement for what "cocktail" should be prescribed.  Well, I have to say for the first time since I was diagnosed I was in floods of tears.  I cannot even begin to think what this Dr or office was thinking.  First off, this was the MO that my BS and her office recommended.  I had my surgery on dec 22 so it is about 5 weeks ago.  I walk in today and nobody, including the MO has looked at my files.  the oncotype test that was supposed to be ordered 3 weeks ago was never ordered.  The MO starts talking about the incredibly warm weather while she is giving me a breast exam.  As she is feeling the right breast she suddenly says"""Oh I dont like that"""  I almost jumped out of my skin...she laughs and says she was just trying to say she doesn't like the warm weather in January ......WTF, are you crazy...I have breast cancer.  Dont say that while you are looking at my boobs.  

Next she mentions that maybe I want to consider have my ovaries removed and then birth control won't be an issue and then I also wont have to worry that this breast cancer or ovarian cancer won't get me.  HELLO, now you are talking about ovarian cancer.  Did I miss something??

Anyway , rough day.....I will be using the first MO I met with and starting my TC chemo treatments on Feb 16th.  

Thanks for listening, I just needed to vent!! 

Hi Kevlia - I have been lurking on the forums for awhile now and one thing I know for sure is that answer can be found.  If you go to the search feature at the top and then type in metallic taste you will gets lots of hits.  I know that I have read about using plastic utensils, and rinsing your mouth with olive oil, and there is also some type of cocktail but I haven;t made any notes yet so I can't say for sure.  I do know that the "chemo - before, during and after" has the top 10 forums and almost all of them have tips for side effects.  Start there.  Hope this helps.

Hi, everyone:

I hope today is a good day for us all.

I'm two weeks past my first TC TX -- it was on January 19 -- so I thought I'd report my experience so far. Although the meds for SEs made me feel sleepy the first two days, I've done fairly well. Others had warned about constipation from the anti-nausea meds, so I took stool softeners as well as drinking plenty of fluids. That problem resolved itself in a big way (along with some cramping) by day 5, and I've had no problems since (I usually eat high fiber, so haven't taken any other "aids.") Days 5-7 I felt a wee bit of heartburn, but Pepcid took care of it easily -- those seem to be the days my GI track was feeling the impact. Day 9, during my blood count nadir, I had a fever spike of 101.5 after getting home from work -- felt chills and little achy like the flu. Since I had no other symptoms -- no diarrhea or nausea -- the doctor called in an antibiotic RX rather than making me come into the emergency room (thank goodness). Fever was gone after 3-4 hours and I felt fine the next day. Now, day 13, I'm starting to shed hair in a big way, so it probably will be gone very soon -- I had my hair cut in a pixie the day before the first treatment.

I have a fairly quiet desk job in a small office and can control my contact with the public pretty well, so I've been back at work since day 5 (a Monday). I've also had enough gas in the tank to cook supper most nights for my family and to take 30-60 minute walks. The exercise has helped me more than anything, I think. Everyone will have a slightly different experience, but mine has been more bearable than I hoped. So far so good, but I also know the SEs can accumulate as I go through the other treatments. For background, I'm 56, am very active physically (I'm a hard core, year round kitchen gardener), have been into healthy eating for years, and have no weight or health issues other than the BC. I know those factors are helping.

Best wishes to everyone!

Silviazara, good luck tomorrow! I will be thinking about you!

Let me know how it went.

@Mom2JJ - I had eight cycles of Taxotere/Cytoxan. I was extremely anxious about having treatment, because I chemo is pretty toxic stuff. On the day of my first treatment, I had one of the Chaplains meet me on the chemo floor. For my first treatment (about four hours), I watched TV and drifted in and out of sleep and ate my lunch. I followed the doctor's orders to the letter and took herbal supplements and treatments along with the drugs and bone shot (Neulasta).

 I trust you are hanging in there, it does get better.

Good morning Mom2JJ - thinking of you today and sending positive vibes your way.  Keep us posted!!  Think of it this way...you are one step closer to the end.

((((Hugs)))) 

Hello ladies! I just wanted to pop in and give you the encouragement that others before me have passed on to me. I just had my last TCx4 on Jan 31. I started the December TC group. I can hardly believe I've reached this milestone. You think it will never get here, but it does.

I have been very fortunate to avoid the Neulasta shot, and have managed pretty well for the most part. Advice for those without a port, use heat on your injection sites after infusion days to avoid phlebitis. I got a bad case with fever after my first injection and had to take antibiotics. Afterwards, I've used a heating pad and avoided any further issues.

For the most part SE's hit on days 3-10, with your low white blood counts around day 10-11. I found exercise to be very helpful in compating fatigue. Just a simple walk will do the trick. It re-oxgenates your red blood cells that will help fight off fatigue. 

The worst part about chemo is waiting for it to begin. I think the fear can be overwhelming. The unknown is very frightening, plus going through today's chemo regime is very different from years past. Most days I felt close to 100%. I had no nausea. My biggest issues have been mouth/taste issues. 

I used the Penguin Cold Caps and have been very happy with the results. I'm sorry to disagree Siliazara, but it's just not medically true that cold caps cause higher occurrences of brain tumors. I think your Dr. probably mentioned scalp mets, not brain tumors. These caps have been used in Europe for the past 15 years and they have a lot of evidence to the contrary. You can find a summary of these studies at the Penguin cold cap website for anyone interested. You have a .25% chance of developing a scalp met from breast cancer. You have a 2% chance of developing leukemia from taking Taxotere and Cytoxan. Certainly its a consideration each woman must make, if its the right choice for them, but I hate to see incorrect information being thrown out. Its just that not all Oncologists are up to date on the stats and research. If anyone is interested in information about cold caps, please send me a PM, I'm am more than happy to share my experience with you.

Hang in there ladies, as it's been said often on these boards, chemo is doable. I've found that keeping a positive attitude and making it a daily choice to find the joy in your day the most effective tool for getting through the coming weeks.

take care!
Lisa

Thanks Leesa! Very helpful to read about your TC experience!

And the Cold caps... Did they work for you?

I did not know about the 2 % risk for leukemia. So to decrease my risk for Ca coming back by ~ 10 % when I get chemo I get the 2 % risk for leukemia. What a bargain!

Ok here is what is making me sad today...just wondering if anyone else is thinking the same way.  So I have accepted that I will lose my hair, I would never delude myself into thinking that my hair will stay.  I had long hair and every 3 weeks since my lumpectomy I have been cutting it shorter and shorter.  So as I am driving to work I realized that in 1 month it will be gone and I will be bald.  So how do I just appear in front of people.  How do I allow all those I love to see me that way.  At that exact moment, the first time those we love see us, there is no hiding that we are sick.  I HATE CANCER and I hate that it is taking so much from me.  

Sorry if I sound like such a baby....it is just starting to wear me down.  I wish my chemo would just start, the sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over.  Not to mention I hate the sad looks people give me and how they look so shocked when they say.."Oh you look wonderful".

Okay thats it for now.  Going to watch that show wipeout, at least I'll laugh for awhile.  

Sorry again to be such a downer, just a bad day for me I guess.

D 

mthrdee   I understand what you are feeling.  I don't think you are being a baby at all.  I have been in denial that my hair was going to fall out and last night my scalp started being really being painful and I had trouble sleeping all night because it was so sore.  Sure enough the hair is starting to come out.  I have been crying on and off all day.  I don't think  it is so much the hair itself, it is the fact that everyone will know I have cancer.  I too wish I could crawl into bed and get out in about a year when all of this treatment and side effects will be over.  Hang in there.  We will get through this and come out stronger on the other side.

Gayle

Hi Kelly!

I maybe starting on Feb 17th or the 20th...

Will let you know.

Great Joan! Glad it went well. What anti side effects meds do u have? I have not started my treatment yet... I have 3 scripts for nausea and one for a steroid. Do I need more?

JoanQuilts    Glad you had an easy time.  Hope your side effects are minimal.

Thanks Joan!

Hoping for no SE for you and a good rest...

Hopefully this will give everyone a little laugh this morning.....it is 4:30am and I can't sleep.  I woke up and it was the nerves in my left armpit tingling that woke me.  Of course I can't get back to sleep so downstairs I went...into the freezer and in 2 seconds I had 2 bags of frozen peas shoved under my arm.  AAAAHHHHHH the relief!!!  Now any normal person would go back to sleep, not me....I'm awake let's cook something for the superbowl party.  

So here is the picture for the morning.....large woman, wearing a very unattractive pink, white and black checked fleece robe (which can best be described as looking like a muumuu) with 2 bags of peas under her armpit standing over a pot at 4:30 in the morning making buffalo wing sauce.  My son (22) just woke up, heard me and came downstairs.  He stood in the doorway for a few minutes just shaking his head and looking at me.  

Ok ladies, one last stir of the pot, and then a new bag of peas and back to bed for me.  I can't even imagine after the chemo starts,.... peas where the incision nerves are regenerating, heating pad for where my veins got poked from the IUV, no hair, heartburn meds, diarrehea or constipation meds, claritan and mouth sores.  Wow, I am going to be one beautiful picture of happiness.  Sorry, I find sometimes, that I have to laugh to get thru some of the rough stuff, I know it sounds weird but I find that laughter and being able to laugh at myself has always helped me get thru hard times.  .  

So good morning to all....hope everyone has a great day and enjoys the Super Bowl.  Me, not much of a football fan, so I meet up with this great group of girls and we watch chick flicks and the half-time show and eat the most fabulous food.