Starting Chemo May 2018

Hi everyone! I had infusion #2 on Friday...thankfully, it was only a repeat of the first side effects. My MO did reduce my Taxotere a tad because I had chemo rash and symptoms of neuropathy. On the plus side, my mass shrank from over 5 cm to 1 cm!! Talk about wanting to dance in the doc's office!

Clare-I've had a crazy runny nose! I thought it was a side effect of the Herceptin, but my MO said it may be just dryness. She suggested a humidifier.

InnaB-I'm 42 and working through chemo (I work from home). I only get infused every 3 weeks and I have a couple days of fatigue so extreme that my husband says he's glad breathing is involuntary. I've only missed 3 days so far...we'll see as it goes farther. I'm afraid it's beginner's luck! I'm pushing to work as much as possible knowing I still have surgery and radiation to go. I work for a company that won't blink an eye at letting me go if I reach 12 weeks of FMLA leave.

Ingerp-love the puppies! I have 2 miniature aussies and they are family. They insist on staying in the room with me during my fatigue days that put me to bed.

Congrats Wlo002, it does call for a dance. How do you know about the changes, did you get a scan? I am just asking because my MO said I will not be having any scans until i finish chemo in August. Infact it is my BS who wants to schedule the scan before I go into surgery after chemo

wlo, congrats on the scan! Too bad you can’t have a glass of wine to celebrate the news 😜.

Frog, I am a tech lead, so you know exactly what I am facing at my job! I hope my MO just wanted me to relax. My company will have to cover almost all of my disability at 100% of my salary, plus I’ll add a few of vacation weeks at the end, so I guess i’ll Just stay put. Good to hear that your Taxol infusions are uneventful. Hope mine will be too.

Both AC and T parts of my treatment are dose dense, so I will get infused every two weeks for 4 months.

Cccmc2, feel better!

InnaB2018-My MO told me to work if I could. I have been getting infusions on Tuesday. Yesterday was my second. I am on TCHP every 3 weeks. I feel ok.

My normal work schedule before BC was 10-5, M-F. I work for a small law firm where my husband is a partner. I have been there for 17 years and I am the finance department manager (head bean counter). We have had other people try to work through cancer and other serious illnesses. Some can do it, others have trouble. The partners are flexible with employees who have health issues so accommodations are not being made just because I am the partner's wife (although it helps).

Last infusion was on Tues and I took off W-Fri. I did work from home for a few hours each day. Mostly I just answered emails and asked my assistant to handle a few things for me. Last cycle I worked the last two weeks of the cycle. I left the office between 4-5 depending on how tired I was. Today I am going in to the office around 10. I probably won't work a full day but I am going to go in to the office.

My onc was ok with working. She says I should do what I feel that I can do (except running). I think that having a desk job and private office makes it easier to work. I also live very close to the office so I don't have a long commute. I have been able to walk every day for about half an hour with two women in my office. I has been HOT HOT HOT here (south FL) but I am trying to avoid the germy gym.

If you feel you can work maybe you should ask your onc. Now that you have some experience with SE maybe you can work. I find that I welcomed going into the office. It beat the heck out of waiting for SE to kick in. My biggest SE is fatigue. I did have some constipation, followed by loose bowel movements (not really diarrhea just loose). I also had a UTI but I didn't miss work because of it. I went to ER after work and worked the next day.

BigPeaches, so sorry! Does Imodium help?

Proud Patriot, I think I just might cut my disability short after the AC, if my MO agrees and I won't feel that bad. The problem with what I do is that I can't work half days and have to be very alert and attentive all the time. I just don't want to let the team down if they depend on me andI won't be able to deliver. If I won't get a chemo brain and will be able to stay awake from 8 to 5, I don't see why I can't work. Time will tell, I guess!

Has anyone had issues with low blood pressure? Yesterday I was sitting at the table trying to eat something and I passed out. My husband called the hospital and the onc who was on call thought it sounded like I was having a low blood pressure issue. My blood pressure was 90/70 when I took it but by then I was feeling better.

Proud Patriot, I’m jumping in from the April chemo group. After my first T/C, my blood pressure dropped very low, about 85/55. I had such severe bone pain, headaches, and heartburn/nausea that I became way too dehydrated. The doc also hadn’t told me to cut back on my routine blood pressure meds. Once I started getting more fluids, , along with adjusting the BP meds, the blood pressure stabilized. Hope you’re doing much better

Good morning ladies! I honestly can't remember if it was here or on the Weekly Taxol thread that I was "talking" to someone about telling a parent about our dx. I finally had the conversation with my mom yesterday (turning 90 on Tuesday!). I just mentioned partway through a phone conversation that when I see her next weekend, I'm going to have really short hair. Then told her I'd been having "some treatment" and that I had another "breast thing". She was very calm, said they were all supporting me, asked a few questions, but really it was NBD. I told her it was one step up from last time, but that I'd be fine once I got through tx.

After the Friday night hair buzz and then going out to dinner, we went over to some friends' house last night, plus I happened to run into one of my best friends yesterday morning. I feel a need to normalize my new look, and woke up thinking about having a Fourth of July party. We're going to the big Pig Roast next weekend, and the following weekend is when my youngest (who graduated from college in May and is now in Europe) will be home for the first time in two years, so there will be some what-not going on. Anyway--I'm still not used to what I see when I catch a glimpse of myself, but several people who were at the dinner last night and did not know I'm in tx said it just looked like a cute summer haircut. ;-)

does your hair grow back during taxol treatments, or just the opposite? Or is it different for everyone? Just wondering what to expect. My hair is pretty much gone since second AC treatment. I still have my eyebrows and lashes and was hoping to keep them. I have one more AC treatment then 4 taxol . The plan is to be done after that! Fingers crossed!!

Thanks

I will have a total of 4 taxol administered every other week.

Right, Inna. Good you have it out there. Your parents might ask some questions or be satisfied knowing as much as they do but at least you don’t have to worry about keeping the secret any more.

ClareCo, I heard that people are using Hibiclense ( same wash you had to use before the surgery) on those bumps. Good luck to you

ClareCo, I go for the infusion tomorrow as well. My second AC. Oh, yes, I wish these 16 weeks were over soon. Counting days, literally.

This week I've added yet another appt to my routine...this time physical therapy. I only had 1 node removed for sentinel node biopsy, but I've developed cording in my right arm. It's been a painful experience! The therapist was able to break a couple cords today which has improved my range of motion thankfully, but I'm a little worried since I haven't had breast surgery yet and that can cause even bigger issues. Anyone else have experience and advice?

ClareCo-I had a horrible rash on my face and scalp with my first infusion. Within a couple days, both began peeling almost like I'd had a chemical peel. My MO said it was related to Taxotere. Because of the skin issues and tingling in my hands, she reduced my dosage a little and the next infusion was better. I do notice that the break out on my scalp now seems to be follicles that still have hair and they fall out shortly after the rash. Almost like ingrown hair, I guess.

Proud Patriot-I have low BP issues around days 4 and 5. That's also when my fatigue hits. I almost passed out a few times with my first infusion, but it improved with the second.

Frog on the lily pad - sorry for the late response...my mass is in the RUQ of a severley deflated breast and I'm just lucky that it can easily be felt. I can't wait to have scans in August to see what they show!