Is it normal to feel like you just cant lift any part of yourself up…?
For your stomach to puff up and bulge out and rumble away, demanding food at weird hours of the day or night?
For any bit of you that you lean on for too long, to start really aching painfully…? In fact, to be oh so achey and vague headed?
Or am I just being a complete and utter ninny?
Hiya,
Pass me the ninny sign up sheet!
You’ve got it just about spot on as far as I can tell. That’s pretty much exactly how I feel.
Joxx
Yes, yes, yes, yes and no!
finty x
Thanks for replying. So good to know I am not alone, but wouldnt wish it on anyone…
First TAX after FEC and it has come as a huge shock. Been doing alright so far, maybe was getting a bit complacent…
Can’t cope with it at all today…
I wonder how long it will last…
Cheers finty btw, your post made me smile. x
My onc told me if you find FEC isn’t too bad, then it is likely that Tax will be hard, and vice versa. I was ok on FEC, just felt like a hangover for a week or so. But the Tax hit me like a brick wall - there were days when I could barely move - I would go for a walk and take an hour to shuffle a hundred yards! But I think the first one was the worst, and it gradually got a bit better. It is tough though - all the mouth and taste problems can get you down. I think it’s easier if you just except it and retire to the sofa with some good DVD’s for a week!
Sorry you are feeling so rough, finty xx
OK now…any one know how long this is gonna last…? xxx
Hi Tree - I found the side effects took 4 or 5 days to kick in after each treatment and most (the tiredness especially) lasted a week, perhaps a little more. Unfortunately the mouth problems were the same all the way through treatment and took quite a while to wear off afterwards - and even now 6 months later my tongue still burns every time I brush my teeth, and spicy food still burns my mouth. Sorry - that’s probably not what you want to hear. I just had to keep reminding myself what a good chemo it is, and the worse the se’s the more it must be working.
It must seem like it’s lasting forever now - but hang on in there, in the great scheme of things it won’t be for long.
finty xx
Absolutely - I had that awful heavy heavy legs thing. I had 4 Taxotere and it got progressively worse after each one. I could hardly stand by the end of it. However, the good news is that it did fade after the treatments finished.
Now I am much stronger, and my legs are almost back to normal. I remember climbing a flight of stairs after the end of chemo and realising that I did not have to stop half way any more - and it got quickly better from there!
Good luck with yours
hugs
P
Hi Tree
I have just finished my chemo (11 days ago), I had TAC which means I have had 6 lots of TAX.
TAX is bloody hard, I haven’t suffered with any stomach probs since second TAX though. However, my energy levels has got worse everytime, I am back in bed most days especially if I have done something the day before like a bit of shopping. I am just so tired, I get puffed out walking up the stairs and my legs ache by the time I get to the top. Whilst out shopping I have to stop and rest sometimes. One of the things that got worse each time too was my taste buds too. At first they just dulled but by TAX 5 and 6 I couldn’t taste a thing for about 7/10 days. I have been told that it takes a good couple of months to get your energy back from TAX so I am not expecting miracles until after the new year. It is a good job I don’t have to go back to work yet! However, if it has done its job and killed any cancer cells I will cope with the aching and tiredness for a while.
Hope you are starting to feel better now.
Amanda xx
Hi Tree and everyone
I had 6x FEC in 2004 and 6x TAX in 2008 after a regional recurrence. I agree that long term the TAX was much worse than the FEC - had trouble staggering a couple of hundred yards to the shop at the end, and had terrible terrible backache - but at least I wasn’t sick, which I was on FEC! I felt a lot better within about a month of the end of the TAX - I think it varies so much.
Good luck
Mo
I take my hat off too all of us women who has experienced the not so nice TAX its the worst ever but we all get through it. It has to be so strong to kill cancer not sure what else will, its not easy take each day as it cums enjoy yr good days and sleep the bad