Weekly Taxol group

Congrats on being done Angie!

I have scaled back my expectations of going in the office to twice a week.  I am there for about 6 hours, and then I work the rest of the time from home.  

I don't know if it helps, but using a heating pad makes me feel better with the body aches--at least until I get a hot flash.  I also take hot baths for the pain.  I have been getting good sleep which helps my mental state.  I didn't experience the doom and gloom feeling this week.

No. 5 is tomorrow.  My conference starts on Sunday, so I am hoping to have the energy to pack up for the kids and I.  I am tired just thinking of it, but I am looking forward to some time at the beach.

I had the bone ache in both legs for several days after each Taxol. I found a heating pad helped

hi Yndorian. No date yet. Likely the second week in June.

Kber, that is pretty much time to recover of the SE. My MO said I have to had my surgery before 40 days after chemo. I don't know why that rush. I'm running to do all the pre surgery to present it in time because they want to have it in his hands to schedule the surgery. I'm in a public hospital so this is like a marathon. I'm glad you are ok and wish you good luck with your surgery. Hugs

I apologize for asking something that surely is asked and answered over and over. I'm wondering about the number of taxol treatments. I was prescribed TC and can't do it, as I keep reacting to the T taxotere. Likely I'll be switched to ACT with T as taxol. I see that most people have taxol x12. (Of course I might react to taxol, too, in which case I'd probably be switched to Abraxane.)

Have you had the discussion with MO about number of treatments? Is 12 a magic number? Is fewer a viable option? Is there research or links you can point me to?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Pommom...I have been post Taxol for a year. I still have bad neuropathy in my feet. I did 6 weeks of PT which really helped with balance. I was a wall hugger!! My onco put me on Cymbalta and Gabapentin. It has helped, but nowhere near gone. I use a cane when I'm out and about, but can manage pretty well on my own when I'm home. I know exactly what you're going through. I used a lot of Bio-Freeze and a Lidocaine cream. Good luck. I hope yours eases quickly...unlike mine.

Hope

It's now been 10 days since my last taxol. Why don't i feel better? When does this fatigue let up?

Margun, the body aches are a side effect yes. Erin--hugs. I wish you the best in your decision. There is not one right answer. I hope you can be at peace with whatever you decide. I have finished 5/12 treatments. The fatigue is worse than the beginning but not unbearable by any means. Plus, I've had trouble sleeping the last few nights more than usual. Congrats Angie on finishing ! Woo hoo. Thankfully I have not had a lot of other side effects--achiness is worst about day 4. A bit of tingling/numbness in thumbs and fingers on and off but not constant. I had to get another neupogen shot yesterday as my WBC was borderline on Wednesday again, treatment on Thursday. Am praying my count is good this next week because going out of town on Friday and want to leave in the morning, not wait till afternoon. First time out of town (except one all day college visit with my daughters, but that was not over night) since diagnosis so am excited for that.

So glad you’re starting to fell better, Angie! What’s next? Will you do radiation? Did you have surgery before chemo

Margun -

I had a lumpectomy with radiation in 2016 and my BC returned this January. At the time, I made a decision to do a lumpectomy only because I had DCIS. Fast forward 3 years and I wish I had gone ahead and done a mastectomy at that time! Get it over with and take care of the chances of it coming back. I had a mastectomy in March and found out in the path reports that my cancer type had changed to Her2 positive. All along it had been DCIS stage 0. I'm now having chemo because of that. Just my thoughts....

Hi all you taxol warriors. I started a new topic last night on using cold therapy to prevent peripheral neuropathy.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics/871625?page=1#idx_1

I'm looking for advice, tips, and ideas for using cold socks, mitts, and other solutions to prevent the nerve damage that taxanes can cause. If you have some thoughts on that, I'd be really grateful if you could drop them on that thread. While there likely is a lot of information spread throughout these pages in Weekly Taxol, it would be great to have a central topic so others can find it more easily.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

I figured out that the fatigue was coming from the Clonazepam and olanzapine i had been taking. Stopped both and feeling a lot better today. Some fatigue this morning but then i didn't sleep that well. I just came from a long walk with my mother.

I'm planning to stop at 8 taxol and will tell my MO this on Wednesday. I know some people (like the MO) will think I'm insane and if you do too honestly you should say so and I'll listen. But I've had a second opinion saying it's acceptable, my oncotype was 25, I'm ER+ and will be on the lupron and the AIs, and as far as anyone knows I only had 2 nodes positive. The last is my weakest argument, but I did have the pet scan. But also my mental health is such that I don't feel I can continue.

Maybe back to work Monday. Honestly other than my daughter back full time, I want nothing more. Put on a nice dress, shave my legs... Well maybe not the legs yet but soon right?

Erin- If you are sure about your decision go ahead! I wish you all the better

Erin, don't make such a decision until you are 100% sure. It may be one you will regret for the rest of your life. And your daughter for the rest of hers.

Erin- As a nurse I'm curious how long you were on the clonazepam?? Sometimes stopping cold Turkey, not sure if that's what you did, can result in negative effects....

In regards to the Taxol, you are so close. I know it's easy for me to say as I'm not in your shoes. I agree with Yndorian that 12 is better odds then 8. See if it's possible for the dosing to be reduced. If you have previously mentioned it was I apologize. I know you trust your family friend who is an oncologist but he's not your oncologist. A second opinion is great but I would recommend if you go that direction get it from a currently practicing oncologist. If the f-ing beast comes back down the road are you going to be able to handle it knowing you stopped early? I know we all sadly have an increased risk, and I don't know if yours would be increased. You have the support of everyone on this board!!

Thoughts to everyone!!

~Katie 💗