Calling all TNs

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this site go so quiet for so long. Guess everyone is recovering from the holidays, eh? Just hope everyone is dealing with tx and SEs well and that the new year brings good fortune to all!

Doreen 

Hello everyone. I hope all had a wonderful holiday season. Unfortunately, all I could do was lay on the couch and watch everyone celebrate on TV New Year's Eve -- next year I will have to make up for it!

Liv-, I can't answer your specific question, but I do know that even if BC comes back in the breast, the next time it might not be TN, or a person who was not TN the first time might be on a recurrance, so all this is confusing -- a good question for your ONC.

I have a question for anyone who has gone through every 2 week AC and had a hard time with it, then went to weekly Taxol -- did you also have issues with Taxol? I go through 7-8 days of just feeling really sick then a few days of somewhat bad (mostly headache, dizziness and weakness), and just a 3-4 days of feeling ok before I have my next treatment. And I live for those few days. I can't image weekly treatments and am really getting worried about them. I have one more AC to do on Thursday (10th), then I think they will give me two weeks before starting the Taxol for 12 weeks.

Our insurance offers a free second opinion from Cleveland Clinic -- they gather all your records from everywhere and have one of their oncologists review them and then give you a written report on their findings and recommendations. They did recommend AC, followed by T, but they said they only do 4 rounds of the Taxol every 2 weeks (instead of the 12 weekly that my doctor is planning). I am going to discuss with him on Thursday, but wondered if anyone else had this particular treatment?

5th sib - I too had AC followed by 12 weeks of Taxol.  I had virtually NO side effects to Taxol.  With both regimens (4 or 12) you get the same overall dose, but when you do it over 12 weeks, your weekly dose is lower (since it is spread over 12 weeks instead of 4 treatments), so the likelihood of side effects are less.  Good luck.

5thsib...

I had biweekly AC and the 12 weekly taxol. For the AC I actually felt pretty good. Maybe a day or two of fatigue and some about 2 days after tx. Then I did have some dizziness and lightheadedness on and off. I never had nausea and stayed on top of meds for that reason. So it was ok for me. For the weekly taxol I never even took the anti nausea meds which my mo said I wouldn't need. She was right. I felt pretty much normal thru taxol. My mo said that the weekly taxol is actually easier because the dose is smaller. She had found that it is much less se than 4 bi weekly. The only side effects I had from taxol were minor neuropathy at the last 4 treatments but it never lasted long. And my nails hurt during the last two and after I was done for about 4 weeks. Most of my nails lifted and I lost one but irbid already growing back. That was my biggest se from taxol. So it is in my experience much easier. Hope you do we'll with it too :-)

Melissa

Hope - it is still breast cancer when it spreads to the liver or anywhere else. Metastatic breast cancer. Liver cancer would start in the liver.

LNBCA - yes this is common with eyelashes. Normally they fall out on a cycle to you don't notice. Now, they all grew back at the same time and so all fall out more or less at the same time. As time goes on things will return to normal.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I'm not dreading the Taxol treatments as much now.

Hi I'm new to this group.  I start chemo next week.  My understanding is it will be 4 rounds of AC every 3 weeks (I'm not sure DD, but I'd guess it is - I'll have to ask), and then either Taxol or Taxotere (is there a big differnce) every week for 6 weeks.  My doctor gave me a bunch of choices and said it's a crap shoot, and they all should work.  What am I in for?  I'm still waiting for the results of the BRCA test.  Thanks!  Lauren

Lauren - if you're having AC every three weeks, then it's not dose dense.  It would be the "normal" (haha) protocol.  Find the discussion here with women who are doing chemo in January so you'll have some company along  your way.  It's a good way to learn what to expect and share experiences and helpful hints.  Here's the link:

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/797712

Yes, surgery after chemo.  Does anyone know the difference of taxol and taxotere?  I wonder why all the different protocols when we all have very similar cancers.

Navymom- I can only imagine how much you miss your boy. Hugs

Lauren, if you're doing a taxane every week, then my guess is it will be Taxol.  I haven't heard of anyone doing Taxotere every week (I think it's usually every 3 weeks) but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.  From the chemo board that I am on, it seems that most people find Taxol every week slightly easier that Taxotere every three weeks, although there are exceptions of course.

Navy, a big hug to you.

OBXK, how are you doing?

Bak, I only just finished chemo in November, but I've started to get some weird side effects since finishing that I never had during treatment.  I have some numbness in two of my fingers in my non-cancer side but never experienced any neuropathy when I was on the Taxotere.  Occasionally I get some tightness in my chest and shoulders too, and am working hard to convince myself that it's stress/residual side effects from chemo and nothing more sinister.  If it persists or gets worse, I will get it checked.

I started rads last week.  Two down, eighteen to go...  All fairly straightforward so far.

And I went for red (and it was definitely a man who first said that vanity feels no pain!).

Where is CS?  Still caravaning?

Lauren...I'm so sorry about your son. It must be very difficult for you. I can't imagine what you are going through. I'm praying for you!!

I have an irregular heart beat as well. They did an echo and everything is fine. Mine only happens at night so I take an Ativan when needed and that seems to calm it down.



OBXK..I've been thinking of you and wondering where you are. Hope all is well!



Navy: Hugs to you!



EnglishRose: Glad your rads are going well so far....and glad you wore the red shoes!

Bak - Chemo left me with joint pain. My hips, most notably. I forget, and almost fall out of my SUV.

I had a scan to see if my gemzar/carbo is working last Wed. Still awaiting results. Onco has promised to email as soon as he knows. I have chemo Wed. - if all goes well with the scans.

Hope everyone has a good week ahead.

Oh wow NavyMom - I love to hear from people that keep positive and keep moving forward after having such devastating curve balls that life throws at us.  There is nothing worse than losing a child, and I'm sure you know that BC is a hurdle we can handle!!!  I pray that your son who is currently in the service has a wonderful guardian angel who will bring him home to you.  This board is wonderful.  It's a group hug, which you can't get too much of!!!!  I'm going to ask my doctor why he's not putting them all together.

It does help talking about him like he isn't really gone or forgotten about.  I even had his name tattooed on my wrist.  It keeps him close to me always!  Does this sound funny, but at the moment I'm not sure I'm in denial about the BC, but I'm so calm and going with the flow.  I think if I got a bad prognosis, it would shock me, because I'm really thinking of it like another hurdle to jump and no worse than having knee surgery and less than going deaf or blind.  I don't see it as a death sentence at all unless I'm being ignorant.  If I'm being ignorant, than ignorance is bliss!