Hi Dae,well it’s just us two I think at the moment! Where is everyone?! Hope everyone is ok.Anyway, you poor thing. Blimey, 8 days in hospital, you must be feeling so in need of your wkend at home in your own bed! I think it’s for the best your next cycle has been delayed cos you will need time to get over this.hope they get your temp sorted. I won’t bother complaining bout my baldy eyelashes as I think I’ve been getting off lightly with the SE’s!good luck this week and hope you are back home again soon.Deborah x
Just to say I always read this thread but only post if I have something useful to offer.My taxotere finished May 2007 and I had a rotten time with the se’s including a short hospital stay with neutropenia.However it does pass and slowly but surely the side effects go.I am unfortunate in still having some peripheral neuropathy and no eyebrows!Just wanted to say that I am thinking of you and wishing you well.
Love Valxx
Hi all
Been off the radar a bit, I had No 7 Tax last Monday and have one to go. Aches and pains don’t seem as bad this time, but have picked up a cold and feeling very sorry for myself. Dae - hope you are feeling brighter and they get you sorted - thinkin of you.
I have the most horrendous spots on face and chest, look like a spotty teenager, I always get them on TAX. Use tea tree oil and hope I pray that they dry up. Got some fuuny looks today, looks like I have something really horrid!
Take care all
xx
Hi, I dont want to tempt fate, i had my 2nd tax on wednesday and 2 to go. I thought the 1st tax was down right nasty, but that said, this 2nd one has been not as bad. In fact its been very bearable. Still the same side effects but they dont seem anywhere near as intense. Yay i can do this! I aint had the spots, but then thats good cos i would sit there squeezing them!
good luck everyone
anna
Hi, nice to hear from you all, so we’re not on our own Deborah! Fianlly discharged from hospital yesterday, my temp eventually stayed stable. Hey Val, I was also neutropenic (white blood cell count dangerously low). Feel very weak and tired so unlikely to have the usual “good” days before next Wed chemo but I want to go ahead with it if poss as each delay only prolongs things. Advised to get swine flu jab, have any of you had it? any problems? not sure what to do.
Janey, hope your cold is improving, make sure you take your temperature if you don’t feel well, I didn’t realise what an important indicator that is. If its 38 you must ring your doc or the hospital.
Take care everyone,
Dae x
Dae - Glad you are out and are feeling okish - rest up now.
The cold wasn’t getting any better and the spots weren’t either (apparently its the steroids). On top of that, blisters in mouth and on tongue and really sore throat. Phoned the chemo unit and they wanted to see me to check the bloods (which were low 0.4 neuts but they would be as this is my low week). So ONC thought it was an underlying infection, although had no temp and generally felt ok. Gave me a GCSF injection and had another one today, 5 days of antibox and have to go back tomorrow for them to re-check. He did say that if I had a temp, they would have kept me in. Let’s hope these injections have nipped anything nasty in the bud and the bloods pick up a bit. Really annoyed as only have 1 chemo to go!
The pains from the injections are horrid, but this is normal apparently! Be glad when this is over now! Sorry for the moan! Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
love to all
xx
Hi, everyone sorry to butt in. Saw the post on spots. I had last tax at end of August after a really bad time (hand/foot syndrome, neutropenic - IV antibiotics etc), onc cancelled last planned treatment as said likely to lead to permanent damage. Neutrophils on their slow journey to recovery climbing from 0.0 to now 1.5. Handy having bloods done before herceptin as wouldn’t know.
I had itchy spots (on face, chest and back) with both FEC and Tax. Eventually diagnosed as folliculitus (spelling?) and responded well to oral antibiotics. It took ages for anyone to really know what it was as I asked everyone on the back of other contact/treatment - GP, A&E doctors, doctors on cancer ward. It came back every cycle and only went when new onc in clinic prescribed antibiotics. None of my chemo buddies had it. Might be completely different type of spots though, but I didn’t look very pretty…
Alice x
hi Jayney, sorry to hear you having such a bad time! And them pains are nasty, a hot water bottle helps. Its my 3rd time having the injection and it wasnt as bad this time, hopefully next time it wont be so bad for you?
take care
anna
Hi everyone, so sorry we are all having such a rubbish time at the moment.some of you are really going through it .glad you’re out now Dae but take it easy. Really interesting about the ‘spot’ thing as I had terrible itchy spots all over my neck, chest and a bit on my face after my 1st tax and my ONC didn’t know what it was but gave me Piriton which seemed to help.walking round with runny eyes (look like I’m permanently upset!). It may be cos all my lashes are now gone.is anyone else going thru this?last TAX on wed, can’t believe it! Still got rads and tamoxifen to go but at least I might just get thru this chemo lark!!! Love to you all Deborah x
Hi Deborah & all,
Re watery, red, sore eyes, i get them every time, about last week of cycle, got drops for them from doc which give relief. I’ve managed to hang onto most of my eyelashes so far so it’s not that, just another of the many side effects! Haven’t had the spots. Just been out of the house for the first time in over 4 weeks (apart from to and fro the hospital), only went to a shop (husband drove) and now feel like I need a nap!
Deborah, I have my second last TAC next Wed, same day as your last one, then I will be able to say “one to go”. Then rads, but I won’t be having tamoxifen as i am triple negative so won’t help me. Hope all goes well for you.
Take care all of you
Dae x
Hi,
Dae, i have my 2nd to last one a week after you, it feels so good to be almost there doesnt it? I will be having surgery though and the oncologist said to wait till after surgery to discuss next treatment, i am also triple negative. Fingers crossed for us all.
take care
anna
Hi all
Yesterday was my worst day ever - 2 GCSF injections (one on Wed and one yesterday) and I was in absolute agony - the pain was taking my breath away. I have never had pain like it. 6 tramadol later and it started to ease a bit. Anway, bloods have shot up today so they did the trick, but I think the hosp was being over cautious. Told ONC that I am NEVER, yes NEVER having those injections again. They are worse than the chemo! How have you guys coped that have had to have them all the way through??? You are so brave. It was a truly horrendous experience.
Thanks for the advice re the spots, ONC seems to think it is the steroids so has reduced my dose for my last chemo - let’s see what happens. He also said that the Herceptin increases the toxicity of the chemo so more nasties to deal with, hence more spots - great eh!The blisters on my tongue are not blisters but inflamed taste glands - yuk!!! Cold is still loitering but thank god I am not in any pain!
Hope you are all doing ok, take it easy girls.
Have nice weekends
xxx
Hi Jayney, i am so sorry to hear that you are having such a bad time, did you get my side effects? I really think you got a double share, mine werent nearly as bad this time around.
Them injections are soooooo nasty, i agree, worse than the chemo, but worth it to stay out of hospital.
i hope things improve for you
anna
Hiya
These GCSF injections, are they the same as the ones I get for 6 days in the stomach, every 3 weeks, to boost the immune system, the ones I get are called Granocyte. Sometimes I hardly feel them at all, other times they are a bit painful but nothing too terrible. My daughter who is a nurse mostly does mine and she is great at them, though the worst time was when my dog got nosy, wondering what my daughter was doing to me, and nudged her just as she was injecting me, that wasn’t pleasant!! Maybe you are talking about something different? I also got injections in the stomach when I was in hospital but they were to stop blood clots because I was lying in bed most of the time, they didn’t hurt when they were done but did hurt for a while afterwards!
Can’t believe I’m having chemo again in 4 days time and I still feel so weak and tired, I dread how I will feel after it this time! Just got to get it all over with, wish I could hibernate for the next few weeks and have it all happen while I was asleep!
Have a good weekend everyone, Dae x
yes Dae, the same ones - the injection itself wasn’t painful, but the pain to boost the bone marrow was unbearable. Like nothing on earth. Only had to have 2 and that was a precautionary measure. Thank god! Hope your chemo goes well this week and you don’t have any probs.
x
HEY ladies
I finished taxotere 2.5 weeks ago and still feel like I’m walking through treacle in concrete boots.
Jayney the effects from the bone marrpow boosting injections are horrendous, i was popping tramadol and then in hospital was given morphine, the doc said that in some patients the pain can be as you (and I ) described it. My Gp though it was a marvcelous effect cos it mneasnt that the bone marrow was responding well!
My eyes run constantly and i have about 3 stubby lashes to each eye so i look like peppa pig LOL. Anyone else had nose bleeds?
My st davids nurse (the welsh macmillan equivalent) said the effectsof the tax will probably last up to christmas. Then i will become more awake - yippeeeeeeee
anyway girls for those of you about to finish - really well done and keep the chin up - sending you all lots of love and positive vibes xxxx
Hi, welldone everyone finishing their chemo, i still have 2 to go, but nearly there, 6 down. I was lucky enough not to suffer too much last cycle but can totally agree the pain from them injections is dreadful, on cycle 5 i was thinking no way am i having any more of them. As i say though, better on cycle 6, dont know why. Hope you are feeling better Jayney, sounds like you have really suffered.
take care all
anna
Hi, well I count myself as being VERY lucky in that i haven’t had the horrendous pain some of you are describing when you have the injections. I wondered why the doc keeps asking if I have any problems with them, he never elaborates but now I know. I’m now slightly concerned as I will be getting them again from Friday for 6 days, but presumably because I’ve not had the pain the last 4 cycles, I’ll be OK this time too, hopefully!!! I really feel for those of you who get it. No. 5 chemo tomorrow (TAC), one more to go after that, the end is in sight. Have got an appointment in 2 weeks time for CT scan and “marking up” for radiotherapy. Got the talk yesterday about all possible side effects, short and long term! Because it is my left breast, the radiation could apparently cause damage to my heart as well as my lung! However, the risks are (apparently)outweighed by the benefits, I just have to trust them I suppose!
Because of being so ill after last cycle I’ve hardly been out of the house except to and fro the hospial (luckily only 10 minutes away - i can see it from my back window!), however hubby took me out for lunch today, my last supper!, which was lovely, nice restaurant overlooking Plymouths Barbican. No wine as started steroids today, may sneak a little one in tonight - is that bad, no, of course not!!?
We’re getting there girls, got to keep looking forward, roll on 2010, hopefully we will all see the end of it then and get back to normal lives again.
Dae x
Hi Dae, hope you are feeling better now. Interesting what you said about radiotherapy on the left side, i did wonder that as mine is on the left too. My oncologist wont discuss further treatment till after surgery but i am pressuming the next step will be rads. Did they say what the chances of damage are? I would hate not to be able to get fit again, well id be devastated.
We are nearly there, 6 down and 2 to go for me!
take care
anna
Thank god it wasn’t just me Rach - feelin much better, had a good weekend and hopefully this week will be good before my last chemo on Monday. Can’t believe the end of chemo is nearly here. When I started 16th Nov seemed ages away. Still have to have Herceptin for a year, and all the other bits, but hopefully will tolerate that ok. Feel quite emotional about the last chemo…
Thinkin of you all on swamp juice this week, keep going, we’re nearly there.
x