Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013

MN mom, Glad They are checking your levels. I hope you don't need Neupogen or Neulasta. I asked to have my levels checked, but my MO said we would just be looking for problems where there probably were none...and that hey would rebound fine before he next treatment. Well...that philosophy landed me in the hospital with a neutropenic fever, so I am glad your MO is more proactive. Mine will be handled differently from now on. Like you, I have worked really hard to get my kids to all of their activities, attend all of their events, etc. I want this to disrupt their lives as little as possible. DH works crazy long hours, so much of the running around of the kids falls on me...thank goodness for carpools to cut it in half!

VirginiaNJ, I took a nonconformist approach to my hair. I knew it would stress me out, and I did not want the stress, so a few guys from work said they would all go out to a bar with me, have a few drinks, and come back and we would all shave our heads. We did this a few days before chemo started. 24 of the, shaved their heads with me!!!!!! I thought it was going to be about 6! It was a blast, and turned something that was stressing me out into a really fun, memorable evening. My stubble remained strong until day 13. I lost about 75-80% of it first round. Second round...day 13... most of the other remaining stubble began to loosen up and fall out. I have maybe 1-3% stubble. Thankfully, I really like my wig, which is what I am wearing in my profile picture. I am not used to hair that stays in place and isn't frizzy and unruly. That being said, I look forward to having hair back in a few months...helmet over a wig does not work, and I have to wear a helmet at work!

I buzzed my head days before my first chemo. I figured if I was going to have to shave it..I wasn't going through the trama of it coming out in clumps..then to still have to shave. I started losing it at 17-19th days past the 1st chemo. I woke up one morning, and it was all over my sleep cap and shower..so I had my husband shave it. I was so irritated by having to clean it up..I thought I'd be ok....the minute the clippers came on I burst into tears. I had him shave it close but not bald...and other than some bald patches around ears and sparse on the top..it never came quite out. I can report that I looked like (and still do, though a bit more fuzzier) troll. My 4th treatment is when it took most of my eyebrows/lashes and more hair on top..luckily that was my last one...and hair is starting to come back now..going on 6 weeks now..however, brows nor lashes have.

I had 4 chemos..My oncologist said that since (after lumpectomy failed, then MX) I had clean margins and very small lymph involvement that 4 is generally recommended as mainly just a precaution. He must have been right on that ..for me...as all my scans at the end of chemo have come back negative. Honestly, I have met and read so many posts of ladies getting 4, 6, and 8..with basically same stats as mine, or better, that I have come to the conclusion that they really dont KNOW. Its like a crap shoot. You just have to do what you can and trust your Dr....BUT take a very very active part in your treatment.

My TC treatments start Nov 20th. The nurse told me I would be there from 9 a.m. until late afternoon. What would you recommend for breakfast?

Book called 'eating well through cancer' by Holly Clegg and an oncology DR.

Has good recipes and shakes supplemental if not eating, etc.

Virginia - yes TC = hair loss 90% of time from day 16 onwards. Sorry

Headeast: You're welcome. I understand that people w/severe eczema and even psoriasis put full strength original Head & Shoulders on their problem skin, let it sit 5 minutes, then wash it off. It seems to help most people I've read about.

VirginiaNJ - I lost most of my hair the first round, and shaved it after 2.5 weeks because I couldn't take it coming out all over the place. Sounds like you've been there, so are prepared. I still have a tiny bit of stubble on the top but not much.

FairyDogMother - I agree with the others, small meals are best, and tons of water throughout the day. I usually have a couple of scrambled eggs and a piece of toast, then just snack throughout the day.

Round #3 next Weds, good to get it going but I did get kinda bummed when I realized I had to start calling in all my refills already. Oh well. Best to get on with it I suppose.

Wishing everyone good weekends with no SEs!

sorry to hear mnmom - I consulted 2 med oncs and they both said I would def get the Neulasta shot the day after chemo. (Not having it wasn't even brought up). I had it the last time too.

Very boo-hooey today . Dreading chemo on Monday

annielane- Question...I have oncotype 21 also and doing chemo just to know I did everything I can too...I am premenopausal although and they weren't really sure how the oncotype deals with that as it was made for postmenopausal women on tamoxifen...so anyhow doing what I think is right for me..

I had my first treatment last Thursday, and wondering does each round get worse or is each the same? Does the chemo have a cumulative effect? So the 3rd and 4 are the worst or is everyone different? I am feeling like a flu almost, with sore throat, almost numb mouth and tongue and tired....wondering what to expect?

thanks for your input...

KBeee- thanks so much for your post! It is super encouraging!!! As I mentioned I tolerated the AC chemo really well, so I am going in with the mindset that I will tolerate the TC chemo just as well (unless my body says "what the heck....u already poisoned me in 07" lollll)

I feel like I am way more healthy this time around too - I have lost 50 plus pounds since Feb (on purpose). I used to go to a gym every day - but the gym is at my office and I am on short term disability so I can't go . But I have been walking 2.5 - 3 miles every day since 2 days post surgery. Thankfully it has been very unseasonably warm here in NJ. My onc said a Y not too far from my house gives free 12 week programs to cancer patients as well.

Audra- hope you are feeling better - I know you and I were both "boo hooey" yesterday.

Hope everyone else is hanging in there and having a nice Sunday....

Virginia

Audra -- my SEs were similar for tx 1 & 2, but I had Neulasta after the second tx, which changed things for me.

First tx my WBC count went very low and I was weak and sleepy. Really hard to climb stairs or to stand for more than 15 minutes or so. MO prescribed on shot of Neupogen on day 7 and a 7 day course of antibiotics, which helped a lot. Appetite was pretty good, but I had 6 days when I couldn't taste anything -- lived on potatoes of all kinds, which tasted good.

Second tx, Neulasta gave me fevers that I was able to control with Motrin, but they made me tired. Muscle weakness was not as bad for 2nd tx, but days 4-10 I was just tired... No zip at all. I only had one day of bone pain from the Neulasta, but I was taking Claritin, and the bone pain was not too bad. After the Neulasta shot, I wasn't hungry and had trouble finding anything that tasted good.

My MO says the fatigue is cumulative. I have a 4 tx schedule, and he said tx 3 will probably be worst for me. Final treatment, he says, is psychologically easier to get over because you know you are done (love the sound of that!) so you bounce back a bit sooner.

Audra, hope that helps... I am buckling my seatbelt for the 3rd tx this week -- then just one more to go -- eyes on the finish line!!!

Audra, everybody is different. My 3rd TC was the best one of all, almost no side effects. It might be in part because I have learned to eat certain things that help ky stomach and the protein shakes, bananas and Blood Builder I am taking.

I don't think the SEs are cummulative. I think it resets, lol! Goes back to 100% and lowers in each treatment. Try to be at a 100% when you start and you will be fine.

Kbeee, keep us posted. I am very curious about the outcome of your 6 or maybe 4.

Have a great week!

I'm definitely one who felt cumulative effects of SEs - increasing peripheral neuropathy in the last three cycles and muscle fatigue that has lasted continuously. My first two cycles, I got back to feeling normal before the next infusion. I actually had a good week! The last three cycles, muscle exhaustion and soreness has been a daily constant. I'm two weeks after the last infusion today and I'm hoping this doesn't last much more than another week! I have to say that cycle 3 was the worst for me - I was really knocked down for two weeks and didn't rebound well. After that one, I fasted 48 hours through chemo and it made me feel much better faster. As I went along, I did learn to manage my drugs better to alleviate symptoms like pain and constipation that I struggled with in the first two cycles.

My hair nearly all fell out before my second cycle - began about day 12 a little, but really started coming out between days 14-16. I finally had my boyfriend buzz it when I had maybe 1/3 of my hair left on day 16. I also used the lint roller on the remaining stubble to pick up loose bits, but most of it was coming out in the shower with a good scrub. I've been using the Brian Joseph's lash and brow conditioner and they've thinned, but are hanging in for the most part. My brows require only a little bit of pencil to fill in. Lashes have a few bare spots. I'm switching to some other less expensive lash and brow conditioners now that I'm done even though they recommend using it for 60 days after the last chemo. It's so pricey though! I'm hoping the cheaper ones will do the same trick. I'm two weeks away from starting an obsessive follicle watch to look for new growth on my head and in those lash and brow bare patches!

I'm starting radiation this afternoon - I'm anxious even though it's not going to make me feel as bad as the TC, but I'm not happy about assaulting my body again when I'm still feeling the effects of chemo in my muscles. I've also been going for lymphedema risk assessment and had a spike on my L-Dex reading so I now have to wear a compression garment for 4 weeks and get measured again to see if it's gone down. I'm hoping it's just from the Taxotere-induced fluid retention and it'll settle down in the next month now that I'm done, but I'm worried about the radiation treatments making it worse. If it's not one thing, it's another.