January 2016 Chemo!
Comments
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Cathy too - bet that's the SE of the Dex:) I expect to have the same in 2 weeks. 4th AC done. Tired. Humpday, though:)
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I just had my third taxotete yesterday. I thought maybe I had the tiniest tingling in my fingers last week so I asked my oncologist about icing. She recommended it, so I held my fingers on a bag of frozen peas during the one hour of taxotere. No idea if it will help! But I'm also doing the cold cap which is the same idea and it's working well. And I chewed ice chips for the second round and had way less mouth sores than the first round. At this point what parts of my body am I not icing? Haha!
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Jen- like Cathytoo I have completed two rounds of taxotere and I am getting ready for round 3 on Tuesday. I have had limited SE's. No tingling but I am taking glutamine On days 2-5 and that is suppose to help. i dont ice my fingers or toes because I am cold capping and I couldn't stand anything else cold! I do get a red streak on my arm after each infusion that goes away. The nurse said that the taxotere is irritating the veins in my arm so I am actually scheduled to get a port tomorrow morning. I am so bummed and kinda scared. I was really hoping to avoid the port. I just didn't want one but since I don't have a choice oh well.Please let me know what to expect. I hope I am overreacting. Any advice you guys have is definitely appreciated.
Jill- let us know how your first round went.
Hugs to all
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Char, I thought the port placement was a piece of cake. I was awake for it, could feel pushing, pulling, etc. but no pain.
I'm halfway done with my AC. Third round tomorrow. My Neulasta shot is supposed to be delivered via FedEx tomorrow while we are gone to Seattle. Hopefully it is still cold when we home. Neighbor is going to keep an eye out for it.
Talked to the nurse today, she was excited that I have one left after tomorrow. I said, yes, but then 12 taxol! She said, oh, we need to have the taxol talk then. I told her I have questions now, so we are going to have the talk tomorrow. She is bringing a paper about glutamine too.
Happy Friday, everyone
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Jen: I just finished 8 weeks of AC "Red Devil" today and so grateful that part is done. Have a two week break and then start Taxol weekly for 12 weeks. I have read a lot about the neuropathy and freezing your hands and feet fduring infusions. Do you get those thru the same folks who do Cold Caps? I want to hear from anyone also that used them:))) Hope your doing well!
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Hi Char - port is good once it is in - the access is really easy. I didn't love my port insertion - they did it with a little sedation, and they put it on my left side because I had radiation on the right already ( backwards treatment plan!) and that is a bit trickier. I didn't have pain, but there is discomfort as they are pushing hard to get the line to go in close to your neck, so i think your protective reflexes kick in…
Before the procedure, I read a good portion of an engaging but light book. They made me show up at 7:30 or 8, but my time wasn't til 10:30 or so, and then they make you wait 3 hours or so for the drugs to wear off. After, I was uncomfortable and had a T3, and then the adrenaline wore off, and the meds were still there, and I was pretty groggy for a bit.
Lots of deep breathing, and then it is over. My neck was tight/sore for about a week. I didn't want to move certain ways or "crane" but it wasn't sore with everyday living, just things like backing up the car were a little uncomfortable. Not to mention the giant white bandage on my neck for 5 days. Hard to be subtle about that when you can't wear turtlenecks in case a sweat comes on and you have to strip your clothes off;)
Hope that helps.
BTW mine is about an inch and a bit in diameter and sits about 5 inches below my clavicle just about at the middle of a vertical line through my breast. All of my necklines cover it, even my workout tanks.
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JEN i just finished my third Taxotere and Cytoxan, (TC) and I started feeling tingling in the finger tips once I had my second infusion. I notice it gets worse when I am more tired.
I didn't use any ice packs etc, on my hands, toes or even cold capping.
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I used frozen mitts on my hands for all 4 of my Taxotere infusions and don't have any issues at all with my fingers. I tried to keep ice "bricks" on my toes for my last 2 infusions but it wasn't as successful as using properly fitted mitts. I have quite a bit of numbness in my toes and the balls of my feet and the burning is awful. The mitts were supplied at my chemo centre. I really recommend them. Also painting your nails a dark colour helps protect them.
Char1110 how many Taxotere infusions are you having? I only had 4 but every time was an ordeal trying to get a vein.
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Hello Ladies! Happy Friday!
Just peeping in to say hey. Congrats to all of those who have made it halfway or even a quarter through chemo with their AC/T or other regimens! We are almost there. Thanks for all of the support as well. I love this group.
@Jensgotsthis, I don't know if your still posting in this thread but I wanted to let you know that I prayed for you and your family while at church this past weekend. You have been on my mind. I pray that your doctor's take charge the way that they should and work it out the best way that they can. Big hugs to you!
All is well.I am scared of Taxol! Im getting treatment next Friday and have been looking up tips and reading on the boards. Its supposedly not as bad as AC but I got used to the side effects lol. My nails have become dark as well as my hand my feet. I also have some pigmentation on my tongue, like dark spots. I was told it was hyperpigmentation. If its not one thing it's another. I'll be spending this week looking for a solution.
Have a great weekend everyone!!
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For all the neuropathy peeps - someone on here at some point suggested Alpha Lipoeic Acid for that. I bought it. I don't take it every day, and I also take Magnesium, which I don't know if that has anything to do with it, and Glutamine occasionally, and no neuropathy, not even a tingle after 5 Taxols. In fact, it's been sorta cakey. I get a big dose of steroids before and that's my only pre-med. I'll be tired starting this afternoon, prolly through Monday-ish.
That's another one I haven't cleared through the MO - I see him week after next, so I'll ask him. But I figure if one dr recommended it, it can't be too bad.
And having the port is awesome, but I have teeney veins. Well, the port is awesome after it works. I inherited my mom's tricky tiny vascular system that refuses to cooperate with these things. Still, you can have blood drawn through, IVs done with it, I may keep it forever!!!! (not really, but...) I had mine put in during lymph node surgery, so I can't tell you about the placement. But having it is great.
I'm scared of the upcoming AC round, it's like 3 hours long every 3 weeks. But my boss was saying when he had chemo he would go in at 8 or 9am and not get home until late at night, so I guess I should be grateful for my little hourish Taxol and 3 hour AC. There might be a T with that, I need to look at my binder again. Yeah, I have a cancer binder.....
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thanks ladies! At the hospital now waiting and praying all goes well,
Smurfette26 I will start my third infusion on Tuesday. They have never had any trouble finding a vein but about a week after I get this red streak going down the back of my arm. It doesn't hurt but itches and goes away just in time for the next one. The nurse said it is definitely irritating my veins and I have been lucky so far. I wasalso the only patient without a port.😜
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Char1110 -- I love my port. Surgery was easy and the access is SO EASY. Make sure you get the lidocaine cream prescription. And I've had mine for 6 months and you really can hardly see the scar. It's amazing.
I had my third round of Taxotere on Wednesday. Fatigue is setting in today. We'll see if I make it a whole day at work today. At least it's Friday. Also, I'm sick and tired of water. I'm sure y'all can relate!
One more -- my husband wanted to touch my "boobs" last night. I told him he had to warn me first, because I can't feel it! Anyone else? Hahahaha!
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Icing hands and feet during Taxol and Taxotere really works (at least for everyone I have encouraged to try it!) I did not lose my nails or have any discoloration. My sister completed chemo in October 2015 and her nails are fine. I've suggested this to many other women as well who did it and had no nail problems.
My sister and I both put on lightweight gloves and socks and the chemo nurses got the ice in 2 small dish pans. We would pull them out of the ice periodically to avoid frozen fingers and toes! But that was the most economical way to do it.
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I still have that hole in my skin you can see the catheter through. My MO and surgeon conferred and I am to keep my port but I have to keep it covered and dry at all times (the hole, not the port) and watch for infection. Apparently this is due to being thin and the skin just got stretched too much to handle it. I also theorized that the weight of my tissue expanders may have contributed: only 280 cc apiece but who knows. Anyway, the port gets yanked as soon as I'm done in four weeks so I need to schedule that. I'm ready to get rid of it
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Hello All
Just finished final round of AC. Start Taxol dose dense 3/7. I"ve ordered the gloves and boots from amazon. I saw a few ladies at the infusion center, and they swear by them. IT's easier for me to do it that way, so I'll try it. I've also used OPI nail envy on nails and toes so far no issues.
I felt worse after both these last AC infustions, but not horrible. Just SE's right up till the next infusion. SE's all over the place. Headache, nauseau, then something else. Oh well glad that one is done.
Before we know it we will have all of this behind us.
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Valstim52: Congratulations!!! I just finished my last AC yesterday and amen is all I can say to that! I too thought they got harder as they went with SE's and such and as many mentioned before....longer recovery times. I have a two week break and then weekly Taxol starts for me. Wonder what the deciding factor is in dose dense verses weekly? I want to get the gloves and boots but not sure which ones. Are you ordering the Elastogel ones? Would love to hear which ones you order as I am looking as well.
First phase down!!!
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does anybody have a link to the gloves and the boots? I start March 8 and would like them
I didn't get the position at work
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JILL...sorry about the new position. Sometimes things happen for the best. Head up and move forward to the next adventure
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Happy Friday! I just finished my third cycle of Taxotere on Wednesday, 2/24. I used some advice I read earlier in the thread and this time I sucked on ice cubes and wrapped my fingers in an ice pack. No tingling in the fingers yet and not too much metallic taste. I can be happy with that. I usually feel the tingle in my fingers and lips by Monday. I actually left work early today. I'm anemic and feeling tired. I was caught up anyway. I can tell already I'll be spending the weekend on the couch watching movies. I expect I'll feel all the lovely side effects next week. I just need to rest right now and not think about it. And try to keep up with the water. I certainly can relate, DCS28!
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Well, drove down to Seattle, had my blood drawn, met with the MO, and that's where it stopped. My neutrophils are at .55 (1.8-7 scale). She doesn't want to risk me getting a big infection, so no 3rd round of AC for me today. Will try again on Thursday. This doesn't bode well for 12 weeks of taxol after two more possible rounds of AC. She said she might drop my AC dose again, and possibly skip the last one.
Does taxol drop your labs as much as the AC does? Anyone
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LoveMyVizsla I've had 8 Taxol so far along with Herceptin and Perjeta (getting AC after number 12) and blood work has been very steady. RBC dipped slightly between infusions #6 and #7, but they rebounded this week before round #8. In fact everything did. Not sure why or how, but they did. So fingers crossed once you get through the AC, you'll sail right through Taxol.
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Have you had to use neupogen or Neulasta
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Sorry your infusion didn't go ahead LoveMyVizsla
I had Taxotere not Taxol (both Taxanes) and my neutrophils bottomed out at 0.0 after my first chemo. I had Neulasta injections the day after my other infusions. Made a real difference.
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LoveMyVizsla I have not used Neulasta or anything.
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I've had nuelasta twice. The first time I did not have any bone pain. The second time I had some bad pain on the 2nd night. It kept me awake but it was gone the next night. I was told by the nurses to take Claritin on the day of the shot and for 3 days later. I took it for ten days the second time based on the suggestions in this thread.
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Those ladies who iced hands and feet - was it for the one hour Taxol or 3 hour Taxol infusions? I am trying to imagine icing my head for 8 hours and my fingers and toes for 3, and worrying at the same time about an anaphylactic reaction, and I am, too, feeling scared about the next infusion. Not to mention the megadose of steroids - I was up at 3am as it was!!
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also curious about the icing... I'm planning on taking a cooler with frozen socks and gloves for my next TCHP but I'm confused as to when and how long I need to wear them. Thanks
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Can any of our fellow Taxol or Taxotere ladies share links to where you got gloves and footie for icing and how tos?
Many Thanks
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Myra and DFW, I iced during the taxotere and carboplatin parts of my treatment. For feet, I put my socked feet into a shallow pan of ice water provided by my infusion nurse. I put them in as the nurse got my taxotere set up and leave them there as long as I could tolerate and then pull them out for a few minutes. The idea was to greatly reduce the temperature, but not to get frostbite. I kept it up until the very end of infusion. I have also since read that you should keep them cold for a few hours after treatment. That's tricky. For my hands, I held onto baggies of crushed ice. As they melted, my nurse would bring me a new one. I also sucked on ice cubes during infusion. The icing does make infusion much less relaxing and complicated...esp. running back and forth to the bathroom. The ice mitts probably make it much easier, but it can be done without them. I have no lasting neuropathy in my feet (had a little during treatment) and just some minor neuropathy in my hands.
I hope that helps. Best wishes with your treatments.
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There is a stickied post in the chemo section about TC. The poster recommends these cold gloves
http://www.amazon.com/Elasto-Gel-Chemotherapy-Hypo...
And these cold slippers
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