This is great advice, as I’ve learnt today. I think it’s more I didn’t want to bother them but they said better to contact them with any new symptoms as it’s easier for them to control as chemo masks do much other stuff xxx
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Well done, you’re nearly there. 
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@swk1981 this sounds terrifying! So glad you are now getting treatment but can fully imagine the absolute fear that you currently have. The doctor absolutely hammered home to me yesterday about phoning them straight away if I have the slightest high temperature. She said that the side effects of docetaxel often feel flu like and can mask a serious condition such as sepsis. I really hope you recover quickly and can get home soon, thinking of you, Emma x
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@pollyanna1 - I think you have had the worst time of all of us! Sending you lots of hugs and really hoping that is the end of all the awful side-effects for you. Such good advice to contact the hospital straight away, I think we all feel reluctant to bother such busy staff but it is so important when you’re having chemo. Sending lots of love, Emma
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Just read all the posts. @pollyanna1 and @swk1981 I hope you both feel better soon. Sending hugs Helen x
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@swk1981 so sorry to hear this, I hope that the antibiotics kick in quickly and you can get home soon xx
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Oh @pollyanna1 what a terrible thing to happen. I hope things ease for you and you have a more settled day at home xx
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@swk1981 oh my goodness this upset me to hear this this morning. I’m so pleased you listened to your body and they are now treating this properly. It must’ve been so frightening at the time but a big relief now the antibiotics are flowing and you’re being monitored.
It’s a reminder, if we needed one, how this treatment is doing one exceptional thing but so many bad things while it’s at it.
It’s so hard when everything is hurting and horrible to know what is bad enough to ring/go in for.
Big hugs to you xxx
Despite this horror - it is still one day closer to the end of this!!
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@pollyanna1 what a terrifying day. As horrible as it must’ve been, you must be so relieved to have been checked over thoroughly, and they’ve figured out what was causing your jaw pain and have given you something to help. Hang on in there!
I can’t remember if this is your last or second to last round (so many of us on this group and my memory is pants!), but you are so nearly over the finish line. You are doing brilliantly.
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Catching up on chat after first round of paclitaxel.
So sorry to read what’s happened @swk1981 amd @pollyanna1 sending you lots of healing hugs!! Hope you both pick up soon.
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I’m just catching up with everyone, OMG @swk1981 and @pollyanna1 i just can’t get my head round it, really hope you are both ok and starting to feel better 
I thought I was having a rough couple of days until I’ve read your posts and realise mines been nothing compared to what you are both dealing with, thank god you both realised that it wasn’t general side effects and you got the help you needed, sending lots of hugs and love 
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Thank you so much, 1 more to go on the 12th of June 
. I’ve my planning appointment for radiotherapy tomorrow so that’s making me stay positive the end is in sight. As much as I hate chemo I can’t wait to get the last one done and put it behind me. Drs were amazing, I’m now on Ondansetron for sickness which is really helping and tablets for neuralgia in my face. Hope you’re keeping well x
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Thanks so much, everyone’s side effects are horrible for them. I hope you’re feeling better.
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Hi everyone my daughter just sent me this offer. The perfume shop are doing this box of products for £50 all proceeds going to look good feel better. I’ve ordered a few for birthday presents as my daughters both use the Elemis cleanser and normally pay over £30 for it alone.
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@pollyanna1 ondansetron a dream for nausea- but be careful it causes severe constipation as I found out to my cost 
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It really easy a dream for nausea.
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I took Ondansetron for my nausea too, Im not sure why but I preferred the 4mg 3 x a day than the 8mg twice a day, but I did suffer constipation with it too,
My bowels have definitely changed since dox, but so far have managed to avoid an upset tummy, I’m taking that as a small win xx
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Hey everyone,
It’s 4am on Thursday and it’s the first time since Monday evening that I’ve been able to even sit upright.
It all went downhill so so fast and I’ve never been so unwell or in so much pain as I have been in hospital.
Docetaxel causes so many side effects (for me, insane mucosal irritation in mouth, joint pain (especially in head and neck), muscle and joint pain in legs, weakness, diarrhoea) and we’re told that all of these things are normal side effects. Annoyingly, they’re also all the indicators of neutropenia.
When I arrived at hospital (thinking it was a standard check and in no way truly necessary), my temp had stopped going up and was 36.9. No one here thought I was neutropenic, despite the other side effects. As a result, no one administered any antibiotics and no one thought much of infection control (a story for another day on tapping flush syringes on a sharps bin and then reconnecting to my PICC).
It took 15 hours for them to move me away from the man with diarrhoea dribbling down his leg and now I’m in complete isolation in a private room with bathroom with no visitors and masks galore on medical staff.
Last night my temp still kept going up to 38.7 continuously and taking on fluids has been the worst thing ever because of my mouth which I alternate hourly between Difflam and and Nystan as it looks like I’m infected with bacteria and fungae. There was one nice one which tastes of sambuca too which helped loads.
I haven’t eaten anything since Monday morning because of the diarrhoea. I tried toast yesterday and woke up covered in diarrhoea. It’s literally diarrhoea half hourly from fluids without adding any water into the equation. The nurses had to literally shower me and then I rang my husband and told him I couldn’t do this anymore and that I wanted to die. The neutropenia makes the peripheral neuropathy pain and joint pain feel 100 x worse and the only way I switched off was to take 6mg of diazepam last night that I had in my bag for anxiety. I had to mentally escape this hell or I was going to physically disconnect all the things saving my life. Ironically, the blinding headache probably saved me from actually doing that.
My poor husband feels like he failed me as he thought it was a routine check at A&E and it blindsided him how much danger I was actually in. He’s right. It’s terrifying how much it looked like nothing. I nearly self discharged to get away from diarrhoea guy. Not one medical professional thought it was sepsis.
I’m now so scared of my 2nd round because Docetaxel mimics neutropenia identically. I wonder if they can maybe routinely check my FBC for signs in advance if I do this again? And head this off perhaps?
I certainly won’t even leave the house after administration. The staff here say how common this is to happen. I hate to say it but I prefer EC.
My advice for Docetaxel would be:
Eat so so healthily while you can (even without any taste)
Drink drink and more drink because I’m surviving on IV fluids alone right now.
Difflam every two - three hours when awake to prevent infection as it is so easy to get.
Ask for Nystan at the first sign of white in your mouth.
Take temp three times a day
Sleep sleep and sleep, even when you feel it’s excessive as our bodies are fighting so very hard with Docetaxel. It seems to hurt our whole body more than EC did.
Unlikely that I’ll be out of here for a few days as it takes a while for neutrophils to come back. My poor Dad arrived from France on Tuesday and isn’t allowed to see me and they want me kept away from everyone for as long as possible so I may not see him before he leaves. So scary for him.
I’ve never felt as in pain, sad, questioning everything, vulnerable, helpless or unwell in my whole life as I have this week and I wish I had known how to head this off earlier and had not even worried about ‘bothering anyone’.
@pollyanna1 I’m so sorry you have been so very poorly. I found the heart trace very scary, the thought that permanent damage had been inflicted so it must have been so scary for you. I’m so pleased you’re home now and getting better.
Xxx
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@swk1981 thank you for posting this, what a terrible situation for you. There’s very little I can say apart from encouraging you to find some tiny bit of positivity and hang on to it, this will get better. Even though it sounds like some big mistakes have been made, you took the correct action and are getting the help you need now. Wishing you a good recovery and hoping that you get to see your Dad before he returns.
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