Taxotere/Cytoxan starting February 2012.

Good morning all

 AEM47 & mthrdee good luck today

Bonnie wow I guess she really told you    The treatment your friend is getting sounds brutal hope she will do OK ,but having you by her side I am sure will give her some strength. Have never heard of Argan Oil Morocon for hair growth but I am now going to look into it.

Brittle sorry you have been so uncomfortable all you guys talking about shortness of breath are starting to scare me. I significantly notice it during exercise this time around and keep waiting for it to improve before next TX but has not yet happened.But I am under the impression this is not the same and not a sign of things to come.They don't think the eye issues are permanent do they? Just wondering as you are going to the Optometrist.

Good day to all 

Myleftboob  - Good luck tomorrow.   Yes I agree, this hair thing really sucks but mine is starting to grow a bit so there is some hope.

Gayle

Melrosemom - I was told the taxotere might do this..but other's probably know better.  I took Biotin throughout and it was my understanding that this would help.  I didn't ice, since I was too busy surfing the net during treatments....lol.  I had some "loosening" feeling in the nails after the third treatment and one night the nails really hurt.  I made sure I kept the nails short and took nail polish off over few days to look at them and made sure my hands did not get too dried out.   My thumb nails each have 2 horizontal lines where the cuticle is - I think they may have lifted a bit (probably that painful night) but have re-attached and look very normal.  I'm hoping the recovery from this last treatment doesn't do anything different.  Alot of people have iced, they can give you more info.

Melrosemom: I iced during only the taxotere every infusion. Monday I will be 3 weeks out since infusion 4/4 and my nails are just as they have always been, they've been growing alot slower than usual throughout treatment, that's about the only difference I've noticed on the nail front. I've kept them long and they've been fine. 

Thanks everyone for your responses!!!!  My oncologist told me to ice and also paint my nails with Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Clear polish.  I think I've figured a way to keep ice on my hands and still be able to hold my cup of ice/ cold water that I'm supposed to have during the infusion---- I have pretty small hands more like a little kid's hands.  I bought some pot holders that I can slip my entire hand  in and also have neoprene one side so I can still grip things.  I've tested them out and found i can get an ice bag where the nails are.   I also found some other pot holders that my little feet fit into with a bag of ice!!!  I know I'll be quite a sight in the infusion room but i will hopefully have my nails when I'm done   Thanks again for your help!!!!

Melrosemelrose I also do it through both but I believe it is the Taxotere that is the culprit.I just use a couple of small storage bags to put my fingers in and have one of the cloth ice bags you fill with ice sit with my legs bent and just lay this across both feet.I also take my hands out from time to time to eat or what ever and has not had any effect.My nails are perfect and actually growing faster and stronger than before.May also be to the change of seasons as they get better in the warmer weather.So definitely worth a try.Some people do ask questions but usuallly followed by I  wish someone had mentioned that to me.Also have a cup of ice to chew on for mouth sores I also do this and have had no mouth problems but yucky taste.

Thanks for all the great icing tips.  I figured it would be easier to just ask questions about the practical side of chemo ( like icing and eating ice during the fusion) than just sit here being confused.  I knew to ice but wasn't quite sure how to do it.  I think part of my brain was also removed when I had my UMX!!!!

Done!  I finished 8 days ago actually, but then dealt with a rough SE weekend and then my husband had knee surgery this week, so my first time to check back in.  Glad to begin counting my "PFC" days!

Fatigue, nausea, and bone pain were the worst they've been since tx#1, which surprised me.  Numbers 2 and 3 were pretty easy, relatively speaking.

I have some peach fuzz -- my hair actually started growing back a little after tx #3, it's about an 1/8 of an inch long and very light (my hair was almost black before), but I've got a few dark hairs scattered in!  I've heard this is a tedious process - waiting for regrowth! 

I start my rads on Monday and don't meet with my MO again for another couple of weeks... I'm assuming that's when we'll discuss Tamoxifen?  Has anyone heard when they are going to be starting that (for the hormone positive among us)?

NikkEliz - that sounds wonderful!  Congrats on finishing treatment and having a start date to rads!  Ruthie - WOOHOO to you on the last chemo!  I'm so looking forward to being done, but I have to wait till July.!

 Keep us posted on the hair growth!

Thanks for the well wishes ladies.  Rads is now officially off the table too after my meeting with a SR. MO yesterday.  Not warranted in my situation which I thought anyway really.  Very happy about this!

So now onto Herceptin and Tamox.  2 ladies where there getting H yesterday, both were in and out within the hour and they had hair!!!

Speaking of hair Bonnie, mine has been growing.  Its white but its about 1/3 inch. I kept thinking it would fall out after TX#3 and it didn't, so it will be interesting to see if it stays.  I really hope I don't lose whats there for eyebrows and lashes, Its not much but I can work with it. I've read though that they can still go after.  I've been using my regular moisturizer though out and its fine.  Its Cetaphil and I use coconut oil after a shower. 

Shera- ditto on all you said. That's exactly how I felt after my 4th chemo last week. Unfortunately I have 2 more to go. Not looking forward to it, but trying to stay positive like you. Hang in there!

Shera Unfortunate you still suffer from the Se's so much but hang in there you are almost finished with this part of the journey.I was also worried about the icing as I have Reynard's Syndrome(SP?) but figured WTH if I can't do it I will stop.Ironically my fingers only got cold and red not the usual white and numb they turn in cold or damp conditions.Maybe it is something to do with the drug entering my system but it has worked so now glad i did it.Also doing the same with the head gear off,on constantly.But I do find the first week after TX is the worst and seems to get a little less as the time goes by.

Anntop great to hear you are doing so well I use all of you before me as a blueprint for my future.Can't wait for the taste buds to get back to normal,though it doesn't stop me from eating.Also seems to be some hope for the lashes,I have never stopped using the generic Latisse in fact I have some  on its way in the mail.I wasn't really expecting that it would work to save what I have but maybe there is some hope.I think they may be a little thinner but not bad so far though they seem to go after PFC.So time will tell.Keep us posted on how you are doing on the Tomoxifen as this is also in some of our futures.I didn't realize that this was actually good for the bones,good to know.

Made an appointment with my RO for the 9th to try to get that rolling.I am hoping to get that also under my belt so I can get back to work in July.Though not looking forward to that I have been following some of the threads on this and It seems again everyone is different so hoping I will also handle this well.At least it is my right side away from my heart,but I am thin and where the tumor was is close to my ribs.At my consult and mapping I will present my concerns,though they are fully aware.I tried to do the internal and had the port put in at surgery but when I went back to have all checked they wouldn't do it because of this.Of course I knew this going in so was not a surprise.One time in my life that some extra fat would have paid off go figure.Understand what you say about feeling abandoned,but right now I can't wait.So sick of seeing doctors.

Great day to all  

onvaction I have to admit I never asked I just did it.I know MYBAD. I have never been one to follow the rules and other than this have been a very good girl.I had been using it for 2 years though before chemo I was down to the maintenance stage and increased back up before chemo.I use a very small brush and never get it in my eyes and never had any adverse reactions so just kept with it.I also started using it on my brows.I think after using it and abruptly stopping there would have been no doubt I would have lost them. But I am curious at what your MO tells you

silviazara how lucky for you to have held on to so much of your hair.I never lost it all though do have a couple of bald areas but I still have one more treatment next week so we will see.One thing I find kind of strange  (at least for me) is I lost it everywhere but not any on the arms except the under arms.Why is that? Anyone else? Oh and the tops of my big toe that I still have to shave.I just think this is weird.Good luck with the rads and please do stay on this site to post how that goes for you.That is the next step for some of us and any insight would be welcome.

Question on the tats for Rads.Do they just mark where the tumor was or is there more to it then that?I only had the one tumor and have an appointment on the 9th need to know what to expect. 

Onvacation - I also use Latisse and never bothered to ask either - I personally would have used it regardless...lol  I started loosing lashes and my brows were thining right after the 2nd treatment and I FREAKED....the freakin hair was enough.  My MO of course told me it would be "notable"...whatever that means, if I lost my brows and lashes.  Of all things, my lashes are the one thing that makes me look like me.   I used to actually have to trim them before chemo and totally cut down the outer corners because they would intertwine.  The latisse seemed to immediately stop the loss and with a magnifying mirror I can see black dots where new ones will be growing.  They definitely have gotten longer and there are a couple that have actually grown in.   The eyebrows are still thining, but I use Rogaine on them and there are new hairs growing in, but I am still dropping them and the color has faded.  I started using both right around the second week in March.  I'm really hoping that the lashes will hold, or at least the growth on the lashes and brows are so scattered that there's always enough.