Starting Taxotere

Wilma-Wow! Sounds like they finally have a plan for you though. I guess I'll be the only one on Taxotere here. I have scans the beginning of May, we'll see... I had a thoracentesis when I was first diagnosed stage 4. I was having difficulty breathing. The ultrasound showed only a little fluid, but they got almost a full bottle (liter?) out of me. After they do it, it takes a couple of days for your lung to fully inflate again, so you have little pains when you talk. I felt so much better though. I could breathe normal again. I have never had another one. Good luck! I too have had my end of planning done when I was first diagnosed stage 1. I paid for my cremation, plot, and am working on the stone. I will have a funeral at the church, but no wake. My husband can save the money for the wake, and use it for a big after party.

I've been with my oncologist for 13 years now. She hasn't changed at all. She's in her late 30's early 40's, I think. I don't think she's 5 feet tall. I never thought to take a pic with her. I should have done that before I lost my hair. My older daughter took a pic with her pediatric cardiologist (she was born with heart defects and has had 4 heart surgeries and 2 brain surgeries, due to her arteries in her brain being in bunches, she had 3 strokes as a toddler, she only remembers the last heart surgery, the rest were as a baby or toddler) in Boston, about 10 years ago, when she "graduated" from Children's to Brigham and Women's Hospital. She really preferred her first cardiologist to the new one. I told her if she is not happy with her to find another one. I am glad you are feeling better, I hope it continues and the new chemo side effects are minimal!

Lisa-3 days until Disney! YIKES! I bought some colored pencils and activity books for the 3 grand kids today. I got them at the dollar store. I also bought 9 rain ponchos (I checked the weather for next week, and half of it is rain!). That's all they had. There are 11 of us. Mom and I bought umbrellas there. My younger daughter bought umbrella strollers for the 2 boys (5 and 7). They have mickey ears on them and his red shorts are on the seat. I bet they use them mostly for bags! My capris still fit! Thank God for elastic waists! I haven't packed yet, but I do have my clothes on my cedar chest, at the end of my bed. I usually don't pack until the night before. You really can't pack medication and other stuff ,you are still using, until the end. My husband packed last night. I asked him if he packed an extra pair of shoes, like sandals. He said he would be wearing his sneakers all the time. Whatever. There are stores there. He just packs his clothes. I pack all the shampoo, meds (he's not on any prescriptions at 54, it makes me nuts!), bandages, toothpaste, etc. My bag will be checked, his is a carry-on. $25 for each checked bag on Delta. I haven't flown Delta in over 30 years. We usually use Jet Blue, when we go to the Carribean, that's our favorite. This one was much cheaper. We are also flying out of Boston, so we have to pay for a limo, and a bus service (because there are 11 of us) to get there. Even with paying for those, it was still cheaper than flying out of Manchester, and it's a direct flight (good for the 3 kids, and my 80 year old mother, we are getting together with my in-laws too. They winter in Bradenton FL, and got a timeshare week in Kissimee, the same we we are there. They are both 85.). I'll post pictures!

How are you doing on the Xeloda? Are you still having side effects. I know they slowly got better for me. I made sure I put the udderly smooth cream on in the morning (for my feet and hands) and aquafor at night (and wore socks and cotton gloves to bed). I also take 100mg of B6 for it too. It helps. I had to also get Urea cream once I started Taxotere, Although, my hands and feet are hardly peeling at all now. I haven't used the Urea cream in at least 6 months now.

I hope both of you are feeling well, and are having a good day!

Lynne (the last of the Taxotere girls!)

I'm sorry you are having a hard time on X, Lisa. I'm glad the fever was not neutropenic I hope it gets better!

We leave tomorrow morning. My mother (who has COPD) ended up seeing both her primary and her pulmonary drs this week. She's been wheezing and having a hard time breathing since Sunday. She told me today that she won't be coming with us to FL. She didn't want to end up in the hospital down there. My husband called Delta( I haven't flown on them in 35 years, hopefully they are good!), and they said that we could either change the name on the ticket (for someone else) or she could get a credit for her ticket, but it had to be used by her by September (when we bought the tickets). I first called my youngest sister Amy, to see if she wanted to go. She said she would, but she's broke, and was already on her 1 1/2 hr ride home from work. She would have had to turn around, and she only had a 1/2 hr to get home. It was mostly the money though. Then I called sister number 3 (there are 4 of us and I'm number 1). She said she was taking Mon and Tues off the following week (her birthday is next Sat), and she asked her boss. She has leftover tickets for Disney that she can use too. She's coming. My mother told her she could take her suitcase since it was already packed, and they are about the same size. LOL Mom is sad she can't come, but she really is having a hard time. Using the oxygen 24 hrs a day, instead of just at night. This happend in July too. She was suppose to come to a lake here for the week with us then. My husband said next vacation, he's not going to tell her until the day before, so she doesn't get sick. We are already booked for the last week of Aug through Labor Day, at a lake about an hour and a half from us, and she's suppose to go. I told her she better not get sick again! She's 80, and Dad passed 13 years ago, so we take her on most vacations with us. She's really regretting smoking for over 40 years. Both her older sisters passed away from COPD also. She knows what's coming for her. Hopefully, the antibiotics and predisone will kick in for her soon.

I think Allegiant is down in Boston. I'll look for it tomorrow. I've never flown with them. Jet Blue is our favorite.

I guess I should pack. We are leaving at 9 am tomorrow.

Wilma-I'm hoping your excess fluid is going away, and you are feeling better! Hugs!

I'mmmm back!

Lisa-I'm glad you are slowly losing the fluids. My lung didn't show hardly any fluid (on the ultrasound) when I had my thoracentisis either, and I nearly filled the bottle. I could breathe a lot easier after\wards too!

Wilma-Wouldn't you figure, the pubes before the top of the head hair! Just like when you lose weight, boobs go first! LOL I hope your hair comes back soon! I still have a tiny bit of fuzz on mine (after a year), but like you, I have bald spots. I saw a woman coming out of the "Haunted Mansion" sporting a chemo head. She had some hair though. I just thought "You go girl!". I wanted to take off my hat, and wave it at her, but didn't have the guts! I'm sure people noticed I had no hair, but I felt better keeping it covered, even in the car (by the end of the week, I took it off for the ride home, but would put it back on going from the car to the house). It also kept me from getting sunburned on my head!

Disney was great, but exhausting. The house rental was only a 15 min ride to most of the parks (the furthest was 20). Closest we ever been. The house had 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. The beds were very low to the floors though (I think they were previously waterbed frames). Our bedroom was on the first floor with it's own bathroom . Our youngest took the other bedroom on the first floor, the only one withouth it's own bedroom and tv (he traded with my sister, who took our Mom's place, so she could have her own bathroom). I told him he could use our bathroom (he ended up going upstairs, and using one of his sibling's). We told him he could use the living room tv, as much as he wanted. There was also a 1/2 bath on the first floor. The kitchen, living room area was open. There was a kitchen table, and an large dining room table, as well as a table outside under the overhang roof lanai. They made the garage into a game room. Foosball, ping-pong, pool table. The rest of the bedrooms and baths were upstairs. The pool was concrete with a hot tub at one end, that has a small waterfall into the pool. There were no railings to hang onto to get into the pool or hot tub. A little tough for me, though I managed to do it. The grand kids would start in the hot tub, and go down the 1 foot waterfall into the pool. They went in every night we got back (between 5 and 7, 8-10 hr days in the parks, and I was being pushed by my husband or one of the 2 sons, all the time!). There lanai, pool area is all screened in (alligators), and there were lounge chairs, a gas grill, an outside shower, and a "fence" (that could be taken down, we left it up for the kids) in front of the pool. The house really worked for us, the only things I can complain about, are those beds, and the maintenance of the house and pool. Lightbulbs didn't work, house was dirty when we got there, the floors and walls mostly, and the pool was turning green on Wed, due to us having it heated. We ate our meals there every night ($400 grocery bill on Sat, when we arrived). The kids had a ball!

Sunday, we went to Epcot that day. They were having there flower and garden festival. So it was very pretty. They had topiary characters and flowers everywhere (my son-in-law took pictures of them all, it was his first time going to Disney too!). We had brunch in Norway, with the princesses. They got to see Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) and Snow White (I found it strange that Elsa and Anna weren't in their own castle, the did wait in a 45 min line to see them later though, and we did the Frozen ride in Norway, right after brunch). It downpoured on those of us that did not want to ride the Tower of Terror (those of us who had been on it before, and our granddaughter Ryleigh). Luckily, I had an umbrella and some cheap $1 ponchos. Then we did a Beauty and the Beast show, and it became a thunderstorm. We left after that. They kids and grandkids went back, and did the Test Track ride. I couldn't believe our grandsons went on all those crazy rides, and liked them and wanted to do them again (Matthew was the only one who didn't like the Tower of Terror). They also got to see the night show. My sister Colleen and I stayed home, and enjoyed the quiet! I think my husband would have liked to stay home too, but he was the driver for the 2nd mini van (they could not all fit in one).

Monday, we did Hollywood Studios. We had lunch in the Drive-In Sci-Fi theater. We didn't get a care. They had no room for 11. We sat at 3 umbrella tables in the back and could still see the movies. Later, it downpoured (only day it rained all week!) on those of us that did not want to ride the Tower of Terror (those of us who had been on it before and didn't like it, and our granddaughter Ryleigh). Luckily, I had an umbrella and some cheap $1 ponchos. Then we did a Beauty and the Beast show, and it became a thunderstorm. We left after that. The kids and my husband again went back, for more rides and the night show.

Tuesday, we went to Animal Kingdom. Ryleigh, Colleen, and I did not go on Everest (a roller coaster) , and waited for the rest (they had fast passes) and were done pretty quick. I did make the mistake of going on the Dinosaur ride. I had gone on that one and the one in Universal years ago, and I know I disliked one. It was the Disney one. You are in a car, and are bounced and jolted around. My husband and I think we got whiplash. Our neck muscles were sore for the rest of the week, and my ribs still hurt, and my right side started hurting worse Sat night. I have a sharp pain if I move certain ways. The last 2 days have killed me getting in and out of beds, and forget sleeping on my side (I sleep on my left) and I have a temperpedic adjustable bed (I call it my hospital bed). I started my steroids today, so that means no sleep until Sunday night (chemo on Thursday this week). I will see the PA on Thursday, and tell her about it. I put a Lidocaine patch on my right ribs, took my marijuana, tylenol, and even took an oxycodone (you know the pain is bad when I resort to that!). I probably broke a rib. Nothing they can do about it anyhow. Our final ride of that day was the river rapids ride. We all got soaked, and went home.

Wednesday, we took the day off, while my sister and the rest went to Blizzard Beach (one of the Disney water parks). My in-laws had traded their timeshare for a condo in the same town as us (Kissimee), and they were 20 miles away! His father was having some hip issues (it look like sciatica) and we drove out to them. 4 tolls later, and we get to there condo. The condo is nice, but it is in an industrial area. They only restaurant they have is a Subway sub shop. We had them get in our car and we took them on the back roads, hoping to find someplace for lunch. We didn't find anything until we got to our area. We ate at an Outback, and then brought them to our house. My husband had dropped of half the kids to the water park (free parking there, instead of the $22 a day park parking), and about 15 min after we got there, they had called to pick them up. They all got to see their (great)grandparents, and of course the grandkids all hopped into the pool, after being wet all day! Then we drove them back to their condo and I gave him 6 of my Lidocaine patches to try on his back. We didn't get home until 7. Some day off!

Thursday & Friday, we did the Magic Kingdom. We did Fantasyland and Tomorrowland on Thursday. They got fastpasses for Space Mountain. Ryleigh and I went on Dumbo. She pushed me around the park. Good thing she is big for her age! Then they all went on the teacups, and my husband ended up pushing us for our fast pass to see the princesses. Her favorite is Rapunzel. We went straight in and there was only one girl in front of us. There was actually 2 princesses. The one from the Princess and the Frog movie (her name begins with an N, I always forget it) was also there. She was thrilled (as any 8 1/2 year old girl would be). We did lots of other rides and shows too We didn't get home until after 7 that night, nobody went back.. On Friday, we did Frontierland and Adventureland. They got fastpasses for, Thundermountain (a rollercoaster) and Splash Mountain (a flume ride). The longest wait in line we had was Pirates of the Carribean, over and hour. It was awful. A lot of the rides they let me in a different way and the other 11 could come too, but not that one. We all had to wait. We went home for supper (as usual) and they were heading back for their Splash Mountain pass, and our daughter wanted to get silhouettes of the 3 grandkids (we had done it for our 4 kids). My husband did not feel like driving back again, so they would need to squeeze 8 in a 7 passenger minivan. We suggested one of the 2 smallest (our older daughter or our sil) sit on the floor, between the 2 seats in the middle. Well my sil (who was pouting and being an ASS all week, I knew I should have not had him come) just stayed in his bedroom, while the rest were waiting outside for him. Our younger daughter went upstairs, and slammed the door as she left. I don't blame her for being mad. Well they never got to Splash Mountain, but did get their pictures, and saw the night show. They didn't get back until midnight. We left the house by 9 the next morning (our flight wasn't until 12pm). The only night show they didn't see was the Animal Kingdom one. I watched it this morning, on you tube, and thought it was ok (compared to the others, maybe you have to be there).

That was my week! Next vacation is local (at my favorite lake here, Newfound, it's an hour and half away) the last week of August, through Labor Day. Hopefully, Mom doesn't end up missing it (she ended up in the hospital for 2 nights while we were gone, they are now thinking it was her heart, not her COPD, she is seeing a cardiologist, even though her EKGS, and echo were normal).

I hope you 2 are feeling well! I will post pictures later! Time for supper!

Lynne

Hi guys!

I had my scans on Monday. The results are good. I stay on Taxotere for another 3 months until the next scans. I saw the oncologist today and had blood work. I'm a little neutropenic and a little anemic. I was suppose to go to my nephew/godchild's fiancee's wedding shower, but I'm not wearing a mask to it. I'll send the gifts with my daughter. We also are watching our 2 grandsons tomorrow. It's suppose to rain, so I was thinking of going to the movies. Now we'll probably rent a movie. My oncologist is lowering my dose again, because of the neuropathy. My hands and feet are in more pain at the end of the day, especially if I've been walking. Maybe it will help the other side effects too.

How is everyone doing on their new treatments?

How's the swelling, Wilma?

Hope everyone is feeling well!

Lynne

My white cells have gone up by chemo day (Thursday), except once, then I had to wait another week. I am meeting up with 2 women from the "My husband, my life, my love, etc" site on here. One I went to lunch with a month ago (she lives only a few miles from me, in the next town over). We are heading to the seacoast (80's today!), because the other women is coming from Maine, and it's halfway for each of us (an hour drive). My husband asked if I will wear my mask, and I said no. It shouldn't be too busy at lunchtime. It's been 4 days too, I'm sure the white cells are higher. I wish you two didn't live on the other side of the country!

I'm glad you are feeling so much better on the Xeloda than the Taxotere. I don't blame you for keeping the low dose. I can't remember my dosage, but I know the first dose made my feet and hands peel bad (I had a hard time walking) and she lowered the dose.

Yay for the tumor markers dropping! That's wonderful! I had mine done on Thursday, and haven't heard what they are yet. Mine have been going up and down a few points each time.

My husband wants to do one of those river cruises. Have you been on them before? We've been on 3 of the big cruises (2 royal carribean, and one Carnival) to the carribean and Alaska before, I don't really care for them. I hate the days at sea. The deck around the pool is always packed, we don't gamble, and the store prices are crazy.

I know what you mean about opposite sleeping habits. Although, I'm the one that stays up late (with the tv on, or reading) while he tries to sleep (he gets up at 4am, so he goes to bed early). I think once one of the remaining kids move out, he'll be moving into one of their rooms. Last night I was up until 11:30. I can sleep in in the morning, he has to work. He could sleep in until 6 and go to work for 7, but he gets up at 4 to read his emails for an hour, then goes to the gym for an hour, then showers there, then goes to work, a half hour away. Once in a great while, he'll skip the gym (he doesn't go on the weekends, and stays in bed until 6, although he wakes up at the usual time, never uses an alarm clock). Of course he's falling asleep watching tv around 8, sometimes earlier. I hate it!

Wilma-Please let us know how you are doing.

Well, I've got to draw in the eyebrows, and find something to wear on my head, for our lunch date!

Take care, and keep us updated! Enjoy your new found energy!

Lynne