Anyone starting Taxotere soon?

Hi All,

Just to add to the diahorrea conversation. I had it really badly after my 3rd tax. By the sounds of it a very common side effect.

On another topic started yoga yesterday, mostly relaxtion. Guess what, I fell asleep. Had to be woken up at the end of the class, how embarrassing!

Snoogle
x

Hi Girls,

Day 10 and feeling good. Temp behaving itself. spiked a bit last night but has came down nicely by this morning…

Well Tax doesn’t seem to give me diahorea… opposite in fact…I’m on constant lactulose, suffer from bad bleeding piles ( oh what Joy!!) and of course they aren’t healing at all due to chemo…eating hi fibre, but I think my GI tract isn’t speaking to me full stop!!!

Period due last weekend… no show!! yeeehaa. hope they never come back!!!

It’s great being a woman!!!

Well Cyber hugs to all, hope you day 3 girls have a nice rest…

Fiona xxxx

Fiona - I’m hoping that my probs have been due to near constant high doses of antibiotics for the hickman line infection and then starting the cipro which is routine for the tax so the onc says - overload big time…hope so then I mightn’t dread the next lot so much! mary x

Hello ladies, mind if I join you? I’m on day 10 of my first of 6 x TAC, the T part being Taxotere so was very nervous about the SE after reading probably too much beforehand! This is the first day I’ve felt normal…what a relief, had awful mouth ulcers for a few days and didn’t eat so at least may have dropped a few pounds! Had loo problems both ways…couldn’t go then couldn’t stop. Lovely. Di x

Good Morning All, Welcome Piper, of course you can join us, no need to ask!

Dropped my daughter off at camp yesterday, huge (muddy)field in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain. Didn’t realise they were expecting nearly 1000 scouts, guides, etc. to be camping. Had to leave her at a drop off point and watch her struggle to carry all her bags to the field of tents. Hope weather dries up today as they have loads of activites planned. Got told off for the way we had packed her bedding, but I didn’t know any different!

I think the yoga has helped with the sleep problems. People said I looked better yesterday. I will go again next week and hope that I manage to keep awake!

Day 11 after 3rd taxotere and other drugs, still having to rush to the toilet first thing in the morning, but seems to be settling as the day goes on.

I haven’t been prescribed any antibiotics during treatment. I have the neulasta injection and loads of anti-sickness pills (one for each chemo drug) and voltarol and paracetamol. Sounds like everyone else has antibiotics?

Snoogle x

Hi all,

I am on the granocyte (see other thread) really playing up today.
My legs are aching like mad amd i havent even had the second injection.

This is not going to be a good day I’m afraid.

Linda

Morning, I have the same as you by the sounds Snoogle - no antibiotics but I did the Neualasta injection (shot half of it up the bathroom wall!) - had very bad bone pain for 24 hours afterwards, did you have any reaction to it?

Guide camp and bedding rolls takes me back…yes there is a definite art to packing the bedding:-) Wouldn’t be Guide camp unless it rained though!

Sorry you’re having a painful time Linda, feet up and lots of pampering for you today. Di x

Hi All
Just read with interest all the different drugs everyone seems to be taking, I don’t take any (other than the chemo drugs of course!). I have the chemo (tax and cyclophosphamide) and a couple of days anti sickness drugs, lanzoprozole for my stomach which I had prior to treatment, and thats it.
I am feeling a little less tired today but my mouth feels awful. Tried a glass of wine last night, it looked so nice but tasted so bad, think I’ll wait til my mouth returns before I try again.
Well, hope everyone receives the tlc they deserve and need over the bad days.
Good vibes to all
Kirsten
xx

Hi girls,

Day 11 for me too, feeling really good, mouth all better( no thrush) taste still awful, but bearable. I’m not on any drugs either, I’m on same as Kirsten. Got 1 more TAX and herceptin to go then it’s onto FEC. Hope it’s kind to me! I’m looking forward to having a week of being normal, birthday on Thursday so hopefuly going out for loads of grub!!!

Hope you all have a nice weekend

Love

Fiona xxxx

I’m on my 2nd FEC at the moment Fiona and haven’t found it too bad. Most of the side effects are from the other drugs - anti sickness then the marrow booster. First 3 days constipation then the anti sickness drugs stop and diarrhoea kicks in. Doesn’t last long though. After that the bone pain from the marrow booster. That doesn’t last long either.

I still have the Tax and Herceptin to go then mastectomy and rads. Long way to go.

Snoogles Yoga class sounds good. I could do with something to make me sleep. I also have the duracell bunny effect from the anti sickness steroids!!!

Jan

Hi,

Well its definitely been raining here, I will have the hot water switched on and ready for her to have a bath when she gets home and the washing machine ready for her clothes. If she enjoys this camp I will definitely learn how to do a proper bedding roll.

Piper, regarding the neulasta. I had been getting extremely bad bone pain, doesn’t hit for a couple of days but so bad after the 2nd shot I was in tears. The onc prescribed diclofenac (a controlled release), that did help a bit with the pain but I am not sure if it contributed to my constipation/diahorrea problem given that I had the extra chemo drug last time.

Still trying to decide whether or not to shave my hair or just get it cut even shorter. It is so hot under the wig and is starting to look very patchy.

Have almost decided to have a cleaner. I have a lot of encouragement to do so from friends and my husband, but feel like I would be letting go of one of my responsibilities. However, I do have to admit I am not keeping up with the housework at the moment. I will probably give it a try. I have been given the number of a lady who runs a local firm who quite a number of my (working) friends use, so it does come recommended.

Hope you all have an enjoyable and peaceful Sunday.

Snoogle x

Hi all,

Piper/Snoogle/jan, The granocyte which is similar to to neulasta is causing me real problems this weekend. Its five injections and oh is
about to give me no.3 but i am dreading it. I was in agony yesterday, my shins in particular ached with a vengeance. I havent taken any pain killers because i hate constipation and it seems i am a bit anyway, so dont want to make it worse. FEC/TAX i can stand but marrow booster is just the pits!!

I know what you mean about a cleaner. I hate cleaning and it has been difficult whilst i have had less energy. The steroids helped the other day when i did have a mad clearing up day. My sister does some for me when she can but she is quite busy.

I hope i am a bit more mobile today.

All the best
Linda

hi all
well had my last tax on thursday [yippee] and not feeling to bad . this is definetly easier than fec . my hair is just starting to grow back and its true what they say about it being like babies hair . i call it me bum fluff lol

regarding the diarhea i had really bad case and when i told my oncologist they reduced my next lot of tax and things were alot better , so it may be wise to mention it , especially if it helps.

i have to say this thread is brilliant , although things may seem scary when your reading through what people are going through everyone is different and everyone deals with there symptoms differently.i have to say i think i have been one of the lucky ones with reagrds to the side effects or maybe its just all the medication i got helping to deal with them all lol

anyway wishing all you guys the best
love n hugs melissa
xx

Hi all,

feeling a lot better now and even going to have a little trip to the gym this afternonn (just for a short walk on the treadmill and perhaps some light weights). Went with hubby the other day but only to sit in the cafe with a smoothie whilst he did all the hard work!

Re the neulasta. I only had one jab but was told it was a slow release one and would last the full seven days. Didnt seem to have too many ill effects, but then again felt so lousy for the first few days it was hard to work out what was what.

Finding my relaxation tape that I got from onc health really helpful. I try and do it in the afternoon, usually followed by half an hour snooze which then stops me falling asleep early evening and not being able to sleep at bedtime.

Snoogle…don’t feel guilty about the cleaner! They can’t do everything so if you do have the energy to do something yourself you can always find something to do, if not you know the basics are covered. You have enough going on as it is so if you can ease some burdons it makes sense to do so.

Love to everyone.

Julie

Hi, I don’t think I would be able to reduce the tax as I am on 3/4 dose as it is.

I will call the owner of the cleaning company tomorrow and arrange a meeting with her.

By the way my daughter came home from camp, very wet and muddy, but despite the rain she’d had a good time. She has been rock climbing and ridden a bucking bronco, amongst other things. Hopefully these things will help to boost her self-confidence. So now I will have to learn how to do a bedding roll!

Snoogle x

Hi all, I have the owner of the cleaning company coming around this evening to discuss our cleaning needs. I have to admit that I have really fallen behind with the housework and that it would be good to have someone come in and take off the pressure of always feeling behind.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Snoogle x

Hi Snoogle

Good for you. i feel the same and as i have stated before, i dont like it anyway. Floors need a good scrub round my house. Hopefully my sister will help me with that one.

I am fed up with my house, spending so much time in it am looking at what i want to get done. I am thinking decorating etc but not by me or OH for that matter (He has the same aptitude for diy that i have - none). I have been trying to decide where to start. Hate my kitchen with a vengeance but would have to think about a loan for that…

Slowly bone aches subsiding. Marrow booster finishes tomorrow so should be back on the road to ??? not normality but apre chemo normality.

Lets hope the weather picks up for half term. My two are off for different adventure weeks soon (not the same time) One to Newquay in my chemo week and the other the week after to Stubbers at Upminster.

Should have a quiet house for a couple of weeks with only one around at a time.

All the best
Linda

Hi girls,

I’m with you all the way about the cleaner. I’ve been trying to keep it up myself - mainly to save money rather than out of any sense of guilt. I’m also losing the battle. I have a 2 year old retriever who is muck incarnate. He comes in the house and shakes despite all attempts to make him do it outside. Then I get mud and drool all over the walls!!! Wouldn’t consider getting rid of him though, he is my sanity at the moment. Keeping me company and forcing me to go walking when I don’t feel like it.

With your encouragement I think I’ll give in to the cleaner and b****r the money.

This is my marrow boost week. So far so good but I only had the 1st injection today. Last time the pain didn’t kick in until the 4th day. On another subject, the onc told me I could expect my periods to stop because of the chemo. So far, no luck on that score. At 48 I would be quite happy to see the back of them permanently!

Hi all,

I think we’ll be going ahead with the cleaner, but at £12 an hour it’s not a cheap option, but a good use of the DLA money. We will start with 3 hours a week and see how it goes. I just had to accept that I can’t keep up with the house by myself, so am now feeling a lot better about the decision. Now I need to find a reliable gardener and window cleaner!

Well I am off to bed, have to drop the kids off with a friend at 6.30 and get to the hospital by 7.10am for the CT Scan. Also going to the dentist later in the morning to have the molds taken for my crown and have a temporary crown fitted.

Best wishes to you all.

Snoogle x

Day 14 and feel so much better, trying to put next weeks dose out of my mind now and enjoy a normal week.

The cleaner sounds the right idea Snoggle, my Mum and sister came round a week or so ago and had a good clean all through, they were much more thorough than me, I was quite embarassed :-0 … who hoovers curtains anyway?!

Hope the marrow boost goes okay Jan, I must admit I’m dreading that as much as anything bit it helps knowing you guys have had SE pain with them too. I imagined it went straight to the spine for some reason but I suppose it goes into every bone which causes the pain??

I have a relaxation tape too Julie, my friend has just sent me some Susan Jeffers tapes too so I’ll have a listen to those later. Not that it takes a lot for me to drop off, I would just like to get rid of the continual ‘butterflies’ in my stomach, it’s a weird feeling.

Hope you’re all feeling well today, Di x