Ranting

Pianolady, i cannot offer any advice only sympathy. I'm very sorry you had these two very traumatizing experiences, especially so close to each other. Perhaps a second opinion from another oncologist to either ease your mind or find another treatment that might work.

I'm a bit worried about your experience because I just started Taxol and will have three doses in a month. After scan in December or January, if it's not working, the last treatment for me is adriamycin. I have feared the Red Devil since my diagnosis in February, 2013.

Please keep us posted. I believe in the power of prayer so you will be remembered in my nightly prayers.

Amy

pianolady - having contended with the full strength red devil myself at early stage, I can COMPLETELY understand your reaction to having to revisit it even at a lower dose. The reaction of your MO was not compassionate whatsoever and your absolutely not to blame for your symptoms. Emend seemed to help better with nausea than Aloxi which they gave me on my 4th dense dose rather than Emend - I still needed to rotate the nausea meds tho, 30 mins after I was done each time I felt like I wanted to throw up but couldn't, awful. Try to get some electrolytes down if you can. Gatorade or Propel that helped on days i couldn't eat much, it helps keep you hydrated through the big D too and even helped lessen mine. I heard Pedialyte can help too. I would repeat what you said to us to your doctor. Sometimes doctors get so caught up on treatments/compliance etc and they forget the patient, a gentle reminder wouldn't hurt your MO. I'm so sorry your having a rough time and have had to visit an old foe. I hope the symptoms ease up and tho its been unkind symptom wise, its kicking cancer cell behind. All the best to you Are they giving you Emend with the infusion, any chance they could increase a bit, maybe give you Ativan as well preventatively? I hear for severe nausea there is a patch they can give you too.

Amy there is a lady here 50sgirl doing weeky low dose Adriamycin and doing well. The red devil has a split personality, its harsher to some than others. I'm hoping Taxol works wonders for you

pianolady, oh gosh how awful that's been for you
Does gravol make you sleepy by any chance? It was my go to 'extra' when on adriamycin (after they loaded me up with all the fancy RX meds) because then when I'd take a gravol it would make me doze off and I'd sleep through the worst of the nausea. I'd rather be sleeping/dozing and not retching than awake and miserable for a day.

I'm going to post a link to the BC Cancer agency protocol for nausea/vomiting. Adriamycin is the "HEC" category on the table on p.2. Just so you can see if you're getting all the things that are recommended. Then if that doesn't work, there are other things they can pile on top. Their goal is NO nausea/vomiting. There's a flow chart on p. 6 which goes through escalation of care. http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/chemotherapy-protocols-s...

I'm also surprised they a) didn't do a 2nd trial of taxol run much more slowly &/or with more premeds or b) switch to abraxane. Also did you have all the premeds? Steroid + benadryl + ranitidine.

As for the doctor - is this an ongoing thing? Can you ask to switch to someone else in the practice? I have to say I give MOs a lot of leeway because I think their jobs suck. They do all they can but so many of their patients are dying every day and I think that takes its toll. I know, I know, it's part of the job but everyone is extra stressed - with covid, with treatment delays, with PPE shortages, I just feel everyone is extra prickly and over tasked. I remember when I was in school people asking me if I wanted to go work in oncology given my brush with then early stage cancer & I was like ARE YOU MAD? I'D HATE IT. Nope. nope. nope. I'd sooner do hospice. There you know the outcome. Here you're still frantically trying & spinning a hundred plates.

But, as a patient, we always want to and deserve to be treated the best. You could write him a quick note. "Hey, I feel like you didn't give me your best that day, and blamed me for my body's reactions to the medicines. I know your job is hard and I know you also know my life and illness are hard. I hope our next appt is nicer for both of us."