Starting Chemo February 2015

Hi everyone! So glad I found this group! I finished my chemo on April 7 (Taxotere/Cytoxan-3 rounds, Adriamycin/Cytoxan-1 round due to a reaction from Taxotere). I have been experiencing a lot of muscle and joint pain. I feel like I have arthritis! I am only 45 yrs old but when I get up out of a chair I feel about 80! It started after chemo finished. Does anyone else experience this? I haven't mentioned it to the doctor yet. I have been walking daily but that hasn't helped.

speech mom, I had terrible muscle/bone/joint pain after my last chemo treatment. I had 4 rounds of cytoxan/taxotere. It was terrible and exhausting. It has gotten much better in the last couple of weeks. My last chemo was March 31. I am exercising pretty regularly and I think that has definitely helped.

Chloesmom, that pain sounds just like what I had from Neulasta. I was fine while I was moving, and fine while I was staying still, but when I would transition from one to the other, either getting up after a rest or stopping after moving, everything would just start to spasm for a minute. It passed relatively quickly for me when it did happen, but for a minute there I couldn't do anything else except stay still, breathe and wait for it to pass. Are you still on the Neulasta or is this a different thing? Sorry about the nails, but for what it's worth they look clean...

now that I'm done with chemo, I thought I was stiff from my runners' knee, although still have it, it's NOWHERE like it was. Must've been the toxic-tere! Rads next ugh. Have my sim tmw.

Well - I'm in shock. Last Taxol (4/4 DD) last Thursday and so far practically no side effects at all. No joint pain, almost no stomach pain... can't believe it! ONC reduced my dose a little more because of concern about neuropathy - now I'm thinking "Did I get enough?" Lol - like I feel cheated that they didn't poison me enough this time! Anyway, whatever, if it carries on like this I'll be happy. Even did a Pilates class today. Feel pretty tired tonight, maybe slightly woozy in my head, but compared to the other sessions.... NOTHING! One more Neulasta to go, although I don't think that's what's caused the pain on previous occasions.

Agree on eyebrows and lashes - the WORST bit. Feel like a white Avatar. Have ordered something called Wunderbrow from Amazon but can't get it till I get to London at the end of the month. You girls seem to get care packages? Luckee! Nothing like that where I live.

tests are back, no kidney stones at present. Must have passed it. No lower eyelashes, just looked, guess that is why the runny eyes and gunk. You would think they would warn u of a possibility, would that be a big deal? No nose hairs either, thus the drippy nose. Ridges on finger nail, but they r not loose, thank u God. Hang in there gals it's almost over. 2 for me..".

hi. On my last chemo dd taxol today. Dr reduced my dose by 25% due to neurothropy in right foot . I was concerned about reducing it and having less protection so I let her make the choice. She said I had enough in my system otherwise that I was good. I should be happy and celebrating but instead I'm blue. Not really sure why just think its everything compiling. No neulasta this time and she said I'll feel better just have to be careful to wash my hands a lot.

Dromedary and live deliciously,
I just had my last DD taxol today and like both of you, my oncologist reduced my dose due to neuropathy. Too early to see how the SE are and I still need to get my neulasta shot. I'm getting a reduced dose of that too due to bone pain last time. But regardless how bad the SE are, at least I'm done and have three weeks off before surgery.

Congratulations to both of you! I don't post often, but I did see that you were on a schedule like mine and have followed your posts.

chemo 5 tomorrow, seeing MO, blood work and I control my racing heart with, abdominal yoga breathing, brings its right down. Still going to remind him of that and numbness in fingers and toes and I think my tongue too, just the tip, but since I have had so many issues with mouth not sure. Be well all and catch up when I can.

Live deliciously,

I have surgery scheduled in three weeks so maybe I need a little extra help with the neulasta. It's only half dose this time.

Yes, the slight variations are interesting. I was given Benadryl, Decadron (steroid) and Pepcid at the time of the infusion and nothing else, so I've always been surprised at the talk of the steroid regimen.

I think also darumama is almost done too?

Congratulations on finishing Darumama! That's so great -- I remember thinking What the heck, I can take anything this time as long as it's the LAST time... I am 6 weeks PFC and have a nice layer of fuzz on top of my head. My eyebrows fell out after the last infusion but have started to grow back, my eyelashes were always thin and are still thin, though I have some, and my problem toenail has pretty much fallen off except I've got it anchored in place by a bandaid. But hey, it's great to feel normal again.

I went in for my last fill on the TE's today and tried to schedule surgery for reconstruction. I was told I have to have a physical with my GP first and she is not available until July 9th! That puts everything way too late for me. I can't really go back to work until all this is finished. I am going to try to call and harass them and see if I can get something else...

Happy days to all -- hang in those of you who are still working through all this!

Not much to add - haven't checked in for a couple of days but great to hear about those finishing or finished with chemo. Rossileo, hope your last one is as easy as mine was and you too livedeliciously. Have continued to not have any major SE from the last Taxol a week ago - just a slightly woozy feeling in my head, but I think I've pretty much had that since day 1 of AC. Does anyone else feel like they smell of chemicals? I feel like they're coming out of my pores and I can smell it. Trying to drink lots of liquid to flush it through but...

Love the way we're all counting our peach fuzzes and eyelashes! Couple of lashes on either eye, top and bottom, but they're ones that didn't fall, rather than new ones. Ditto eyebrows, with right side having several more than left. Go figure! I think my hair may be growing... but not all follicles, so it looks gappy. Seems like no one is going to make this easy on us - just have to laugh it off, but I do feel really UGLY at the moment. I've been trying to reduce food intake this week, get some of this steroid/comfort eating weight off. Did fine until this evening and then I wolfed half a bar of chocolate. Oops. Oh well...

Wonder how long it will be before I wake up in the morning and think about something other than the whole BC process. Seems like there's been nothing else really happening for six months - and I know a lot of you have been at it for longer.