Starting Taxotere

Thanks for all the info everyone.

I already pain and nausea pills (no anxiety ones though!). I have been stage 4 metastatic for 5 years now (originally diagnosed in 2005, stage 1), so treatment is old hat for me, though this will only be my second iv chemo (I was on Doxil for the past 3 months). I was never given booties or gloves then. I have an appointment with the PA tomorrow, and will ask about them and the cap. They are having me take 2 Decadron pills twice a day, the day before, the day of, and the day after to prevent the swelling though. I had to double my blood pressure med when I was on Doxil, the days I started the steroids, until my blood pressure went back below 120 (usually a few days after chemo), so I will continue to do that. It was giving me an awful headache before I did that. I was told I would lose my hair, so I cut my waist length hair yesterday (kept the braid to stick in a baseball hat and have it out the back hole), to my shoulders and dyed it for the first time (I'm 55) in my life. I was light brown with grey highlights before, now I'm blonde with pink highlights. Hopefully, I won't lose it for good, although, being on treatment the rest of my life, I feel that the remaining chemos will probably do the same thing and I'll never have much hair anyhow. Looking into a wig tomorrow. Found out our insurance won't pay for wigs. We'll see how much they cost. I heard American Cancer Society gives free ones out. I'll check with them too.

Again, thank you all!

Yesterday, I woke up to my hands and feet in extreme pain. They were swollen and red on the palms and soles (hands are worse, I'm wearing gloves and socks). Also my bottom is worse. I've called the oncology office and talked to the nurse. Now she's sending the info to the PA. Waiting for the call back. She said she might want to see me. UGH! I've been wearing nightgowns for 3 days now, I'd have to put clothes on! I hope there is something they can do. I'm still in pain (not as bad) after taking oxycodone. The nurse said it usually happens with Doxil. I was fine on Doxil.

Well, later on Sat, I developed a fever 101. I took a shower which brought it down for an hour then went back up to 102. I called the onlcology office, knowing what they would say. Yup, go to the ER. One good thing is, they call ahead, and have a room with a door ready and waiting for me (although they clean it right before with some awful smelling cleaner, I have to take a compazine to not hurl). They did blood work and chest xrays, and I was told I would be staying the night because my white cells were so low. It was only 8 days after my chemo, and the oncologist had said I probably would not stay. I've only had to go to the ER once on doxil for a fever. It ended up being a kidney infection (I had a pain on my side), and was sent home with meds. Only times I've every stayed in the hospital was when my 4 children were born and when I had my complete hysterectomy 12 years ago (when I was first diagnosed stage 1 ER & PR +, and wanted to get rid of those estrogen ovaries at a premenopausal 43). I ended up having to stay 2 nights, because my blood work the next morning was worse than the ER's. They had me on iv fluids with a half hour antibiotic every 6 hours, while I was there. Finally, my counts came up yesterday, so I could come home. I slept 12 hours (with a few trips to the bathroom) last night.

My hands entered the peeling stage, and didn't hurt as badly on Sunday. My feet starting hurting worse, and I can't walk to far on them. They haven't started peeling yet, maybe once that happens they'll start hurting less too. I've been using Udderly Smooth Cream and Aquafor at night. I as told to get some cortisone cream for the itching too. I'm still taking my Oxycodone every 4 hours for the pain too. It helps some but as soon as I put my feet on the floor OUCH! I need to find some thick cushy slippers to walk around in. I have all laminate or hardwood floors, no cushion there. I've received a few as gifts, but as I never usually wear them, who knows where they may be.

I've already started getting the neuropathy in my hands and feet too. It's worse if my arms are down, so I usually have them across me and my feet up on a stool.

My hair is coming out a little more on the brush and shampooing. I cut it from waist length and dyed it for the first time (at 55), a week before my first treatment. I went from brown with grey highlights, to blonde with pink highlights and cut it to my shoulders. I kept the braid so I can tape it to the inside of a baseball hat and stick it out the hole, so it will look like I still have hair. The pink highlights have faded to light blonde. My head has been itchy for about a week now. I'm going to have to call her to see what I can use to stop the itch. I may be cutting it shorter, sooner than later. I was hoping to get to after the next cycle, which would be the three week mark. Then I have to go back (once it's gone) to get my wig styled.

I haven't ever had a counselor. I just think once I do that, I'll be crying everytime I go. Right now, I do it when nobody is home. Not everyday, but every once in awhile. This week was one of the roughest so far though. I keep telling my husband to go. I'm sure he doesn't talk about my stuff to anyone else, while I talk to my close friends and my Mom, but I try to give her too much info. She worries a lot, like all us Mom's do.

Thanks for responding, I figured, eventually someone would! Hope things are going better for everyone!

No chemo this Friday. I'm kind of glad. We are going away for the weekend and I can enjoy it now (I HATE having my chemo on Fridays, it ruins the weekend). The oncologist said my hand and foot reaction was 3rd degree, and would have to heal before we could continue on the treatment. Of course I still have to go in for blood work and so they can look at my hands and feet. I got a prescription of Urea 2% to use twice a day. I only got it yesterday, after my husband dropped of the prescription Friday. They had to order it. I haven't noticed anything yet. My hands are just about done peeling and itchy, and my feet have just started peeling. My hands hurt a little bit, my feet are still hurting to walk, but they seem to be a tiny bit better. They said that they would lower the dose and give me more steroids to take as well as more iv steroids before the taxotere. I hope it works. I don't want to go back to the hospital or get the awful reaction with my hands and feet. I hope I can eventually wear shoes again, instead of slippers, because my feet are so swollen.

My hair is still thinning daily. My scalp is showing now, and I wear a baseball hat in public. I still have some left at the bottom, so that is out of my hat. I'm getting my wig fitted and styled on Friday. I'm not sure how often I'll be wearing that. I noticed my head getting cold at night (with my husband having the a/c on). I think I'll have to get a cotton slip on hat, to keep it warm, but it can also breathe.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Ok, I just got a call from my oncology office, saying that I had 2 new appointments. They were for injections. I asked what kind of injections? I am having my 3rd taxotere infusion Thursday, and have never had any injections. She said they were for Nuelesta. I said that my Dr had not mentioned anything at my appointment with her of Fri. I said I would like to talk to her, if you could have her call me back. I am now waiting to see what they heck is going on. They want me to go to the hospital on Sunday for the injection. I already have plans from 8am-5pm, and they scheduled it for 10am. Not happening! She said my white cells were a little low, but I would be fine for the chemo this week, that was it. Nothing at all about injections. What the heck?!

Has anyone had these injections before? What kind of side effects did you have?

I also have my scans next week, and can not go to the radiology at the place I have been going to for 5 years (an office of the hospital, only a mile and 3 lights from home), no openings. Now I have to go to the hospital to have them done (about 5 miles, 12 lights, and not much parking! GRRR!). I was informed of this yesterday!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Thanks for your reply 7of9, I just had my 3rd treatment yesterday. I lost most of my hair week 2 after my first treatment. I can still make a tiny ponytail, and usually wear a bandana or a scarf. I do have a wig, but have only worn it the day i had it fitted and styled, and for my aunt's funeral last weekend (I took it off at her house and put on a scarf, too hot!). I will be having my bone and ct scans done (every 3 treatments I have it done) to see if this treatment is working, and whether I will stay on it or move on to the next one. The last two treatments, I had to change after the first scans, since they did not work. I've been at this for 5 years now (since being stage 1 in 2005, and having it return in my spine and lungs in 2012, now also the liver and other bones). I was on the first treatment for 1 1/2 years before is stopped working, and on my first chemo (a pill, Xeloda) for 2 1/2 years. Other than that, the others did not work for long. Treatment the remainder of my life. Not sure what the next one will be. Hopefully, my hair comes back, unless the next will also have the side effect of losing hair too.

Thanks for the info!

Lynne

I too am getting it every 3 weeks. I'm usually there around 2-3 hrs (luckily, they have juice, water, snacks, popsicles etc). The taxotere infusion lasts an hour, and before it I have a steroid infusion that lasts a half hour and then they wait another half hour to start the chemo. Before all this I have the iv put in the port (I hope they gave you a lidocaine cream to put on an hour before) and the take blood from it to test. Then I wait until the Physician assistant can see me. Then I go back to the infusion area, then they start the steroid. Sorry I did that backwards. I also get a Zometa infusion (a bone builder) every 3 months (It used to be every month until 2 years (3 years ago), now its every 3 months. That takes 15 min.

Lynne

Hi Wilma,

I had my Taxotere today. My appointment was at 9:45. They accessed the port and did the blood work. Then I finally go to the exam room at 10:30 (when I was supposed to start my steroids). The PA finally came in 20 minutes later. I started my steroid infusion at 11:10. Waited the half hour, then started the Taxotere at noon, it's a one hour infusion (the first one was 1 1/2 hrs, but the dropped the dose after the reaction). I take 4 dexamethasone pills for 3 days before chemo, 3 days after chemo, and she added 2 more days with 2 pills. I told her as soon as I stop the pills, I start having diarrhea, so she said maybe if we wean you off. 9 days of hardly any sleep (usually 4 hrs or even less), but I guess if it stops the reaction... Waiting for the thrush, mouth sores, and yeast infection to start from the steroids too. UGH!

I hope you don't have any reactions from the chemo, and all goes well!

Lynne

My reaction was the swelling of my hands and feet. I hurt so much to do anything, and there was nothing they could give me. I also ended up in the hospital the following weekend because my white cells dropped. She never gave me the Nuelasta. I was put on iv antibiotics for 2 days, till my counts went up. Lowering the dose and adding the steriods have helped. Still not getting Neulasta (she didn't realize she had forgotten to give me it until my 4th treatment), my counts have been fine (probably because of the lower dose), so she said we could skip it.

The leaves are changing, and beautiful as always. This long weekend is the big weekend. Lots of tourists. It's going to be in the 60s to low 70s this weekend. Some sun, some rain (Monday we are supposed to get the remnants of the hurricane, just as a tropical depression by the time it gets up here). We need the rain though, it's been dry lately. I've never been to California, but I'm sure you must have some trees that change. It's the maples that make it so beautiful here.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope you remain, side effect free!