So good to hear some of us at the finishing post! My last chemo is 4 April … I am getting a little fed up, like you littleangel, with people saying ‘only got one left then you’re done’. I’m 11 days post TAX 2 and still feeling achey with awfuly sore feet (very, very annoying)and the thought of having to do this one more time is making me miserable. It’s really hard for people to understand unless you’re going through it I suppose - but it’s still annoying isn’t it!
Hello all!
After just one TAX the thought of another 2 is making me shudder. I’m having a reduced dose next time. Has anyone had a reduced dose and noticed an improvement in SE’S? This is day 15 and I plan to go out today. In the afternoon I get waves of overwhelming tiredness and have to sleep. I could sleep for England at the moment. At least the sun is shining and I am enjoying a pain free day. Hope everyone is OK and SE’s are being kind. x
Claire - are you on dexaethasone steriod twice a day? I have mine first thing in am and the second never later than 3.30pm - then I sleep! My kids always ask are you on dex again when I’m on their case
I know what you mean re last dose. You’ve had the last chemo, well you’ve done it now phone calls last night, but really I’ve done 15 weeks (5 cycles) and I still have 3 weeks of rubbish se’s to go. I’ve lived like a hermit these past 15 weeks just my kids and hubby knows what its like, not even my sister or best friend knows how bad the se’s get although they know how confused I am on the phone.
Janipi - good luck going out. I did manage to go out day 17 of my last cycle and had lunch! So nice when you can taste proper food, then a curry on day 19! I’m already booking lunch for day 17 of this cycle in my head as a goal!
I’m still off milk though, no tea since November and I was a tea a holic! Hot black currant juice is my rescue to all this mega thirst with TAX.
hi everyone, I take dexaethasone steroids and always take the second one by 2pm but to be honest i cant sleep anyway the first week or so after tax. I havent resorted to sleeping tablets yet but have them ready if I want to take one. Day 8 post tax 2 and fingers and soles of my feet ache, and sorry to say this but blimey Im suffering with piles, is anyone else? Im taking magnesium hydroxide every evening to soften things but crikey I was in tears this morning. Can anyone recommend anything or shall I phone the BCN? sending big hugs to everyone having tax this week and to all with side effects. My first FEC was 2nd Dec so it seems to be taking forever. 2 more tax to go then surgery for me, then rads, its a long tunnel sometimes. love to everyone Ness xxxx
Janipi, my last tax was a reduced dose and it did help the se’s were less and no need for gcsf and last weeks appt they said my white blood cell count was back all by itself, hurray!
I’m now in to my 4th week after my last tax and had thought that I’d be leaping around like a spring lamb, but sadly not quite, not yet anyway! I’m slightly anaemic so a bit breathless when out walking and still have sore feet. But each day I’m getting better, so hang in there.
I found it really hard when people kept on telling me ‘only one more’, you still have to go through it…
I’m off to Madrid today for 5 days pre rads and am so excited but also rather nervous. I haven’t been away anywhere for over a year. Just seem to have lost some of my old confidence.
People seem to think my treatments over now too, and I hate it when I keep on saying, yes chemo is over, but I still have 5 weeks of rads everyday… and I don’t know what that’s like yet. They then tell me, but not as bad as chemo and I know they’re right… Sorry, it’s just been a hard 10 days with me feeling really weepy.
Anyway, no more crying for me as I know I’m lucky to be going away and I really will enjoy myself!
Take good care all of you. I’ll have a small drink to all our health. XX
Well i have to say ive come through tax and it aint been to bad for me at all, although tired i put that down to the battering of the body. Yeaaaaaaaaa end of chemo onto surgery now that does worry me far more than chemo and id have done a 100 tax opposed to surgery anyday.
Well done Puff! Hope you enjoy Madrid. Can’t wait to the end now.
Hatty I feel the opposite having had my mx. I had a real fear of hospitals and convinced myself I wouldn’t come out alive but it was all fine. Really nice surgeon, nurses, no pain, more discomfort and I was home cudding my new grandson within 48 hours. The staff soon made me realise that this was a normal everyday procedure to them and it was nothing to worry about. The surgeon said “this is my 5th mx this week, I’m getting warmed up now!”
Nessp. Don’t suffer any more, ring your GP. They like to help as the hospital takes over a bit when treatment starts. I didn’t have piles but have been on the phone discussing itchy lady bits etc. They were very helpful and soon got things sorted.
piles yes!! i just try to combat constipation by taking senna tablets from night before TAX until when i feel safe to leave them off (in other words when i get diarrheaa!!), i tak two at night and ive had TAX 3 today so i have had calafig too, hoping it works - it did last time - still got piles but not the acute pain and discomfort i got with constipation. used anusol cream all the while -soothing
sleeping tablets - yes got those to hand but only taking when desperate- usually after a couple of broken nights when i start craving sleep
yes i am taking the dextra whatever they are steroids and try to take them before 2 if i remember but yes i forget to take them to if i am preoccupied - then i know i am in trouble re sleep
this is all good stuff isnt it??
best wishes to those of you Taxing this week and those of you with SE
janipi, not really worried just dont want surgery im only having lymph node clearance level 1 and 2 as they cant find my primary im a cup cancer treated as breast. I dont want the weakness of the arm interfering with the quality of my life. I fought the SE effects of tax and won so now a new fight with my arm lol…l.
Little angle you can get xyloproct 5% from your GP and you have to keep it in the fridge but it is brilliant for piles while on chemo. It numbs and heals very quick. I suffer with them before chemo but couldnt sit down with the first tax never suffered again after using this cream. Good luck and you dont have to pay for it.
Hi all. Day 16 and my hands are shedding a layer of skin like a snake. I have some diprobase cream but it looks like all the skin is going to come off whatever. I went out and about yesterday but at 7pm SOOO tired I couldn’t move off the sofa. My new scarves from annabandana arrived yesterday so I’m spoiled for choice for headgear today. Too hot for the wig. Anybody got hair growing back on TAX? I’ve heard it can but I think I’m losing more. No eyelashes now and a just a few strands of a left eyebrow.
Day 1 Tax 2 making most of steroid high out for girlie lunch while still have taste buds! I seem to have teeny tiny eyebrow hairs peeping through, don’t know if they’ll survive the chemo though, appear to have 5 o clock shadow on head, and about 10 eyelashes on my top lids, must be playing 5 a side!
Last time through, fingers numbish but hands and feet not flaky, DD wants to take me to feet nibbling fish place, have been before and loved it but scared of poisoning the fish with chemo skin, anyone know if this is a problem?
Have the best day you can, sun is shining here bucks me up no end, Pat.
My skin is also starting to peel on my hands slightly - I keep putting on aqueaous cream as they are so dry. My feet still hurt too. I am disappointed as my hair started to grow after FEC but, like you it’s going again and really thinning out. I’m desperately trying to hang onto my eyelashes and eyebrows! I was hoping it would start growing as some people said it would … ho hum, never mind, afterall 4 April is my last tax so I know it will start after then …
Should thank myself lucky that I don’t suffer with piles …
thank you for advice on piles cream - will get some
had TAX 3 thursday and hair seems to be growing back and seems to have some colour in it too. oncologist couldnt say if hair would go again before or after my last TAX - hopingit continues to grow. no eyebrows or eyelashes but lady garden as it is politely phrased making an attempt to grow back too - must be spring!!
Hi ladies. Day 6 of second Tax and I’m feeling a bit hungover which is a shame as I haven’t had a proper drink in weeks lol. One thing I have had is the constipation and I got a couple of packets of orangey power sachets from the doctor which have helped enormously. No more discomfort. They’re called Laxido. I’ve also got the peeling skin on my hands which is being helped a bit by E45. I’m still taking my temp a couple of times a day as I’m paranoid about getting an infection again. I got a UTI during the first cycle and was in A&E for a day. I had similar pains a couple of days ago but my doctor has nipped it in the bud with strong anti-bees. Fingers crossed it works.
I had a dreadful scare yesterday while out with hubby. The sun was shining and we were off to lunch when I suddenly got a blinding headache, disturbed vision, went all clammy. He rushed me home and I nearly passed out on the sofa but it turns out my wig was probably too tight because, when I flung it off, it left big red wheals all around my head. So I’m thinking of sticking to the scarves and hats from now on.
hi everyone, hi flapjack, i was just reading your thread, do you know what day 6 of tax and your out having lunch good on you girl, i am now on day 10 of 4th tax and i carnt walk any further than the bedroom to the bathroom, in fact i was wondering whether any other ladies (or gents) on here are suffering with extreme side effects as i appear to be, my arms and legs feel as if i have got lead weights attached to them, i felt ok yesterday and today well thats another story, i feel really quite odd, no temperature, but not quite with it lol, any comments or advice would be gratefully received liz x
I experienced the same side effects as yours with Tax, arms and legs weighing a ton, and generally struggling to get up the stairs or even getting to the next room!!! Bad news: my last tax was 11th Feb and still my limbs are aching, plus I have now water retention which is slightly getting better. Good news: onc says it’s perfectly normal, many people experience this with Tax, and will eventually get back to normal although it could take a while…
hi lazycat, maybe i am expecting a bit too much from myself, i feel so vulnerable at the moment, i have a 12 year old daughter and 8 year old twins boy and girl, i am usually really active, and dont think about running around from morning til night, but this has knocked me off my feet, literally, i hate it, because it has shown me the things i usually take for granted, (like being able to get out of bed) LOL i have read a lot of the posts on here and it seems a fact that docetaxol is the hardest drug of them all, i dont know about you but my goodness i dont know whether i am here or there with it… i feel ok and then the next day i am back to square one, and feel worse than ever, could you share how you were with it and how many doses you were given i am on 6 having just received the 4th it would be great to hear from someone else who has experience of this drug, by the way i am 44 this is my second diagnosis first back in 2000,i have also just had a blood test for braca 1 and 2 so i have got quite a bit going on xx liz
Hi Liza, you are not expecting too much from yourself, it’s the Tax that sucks!! We are more or less the same age (I’m 43) and like yourself I was, up until the diagnosis, very active and fit!. In 20 years of work I have called in sick only twice and both times with flu… to feel like I feel now is pretty depressing to say the least! I feel like a 90 year old!I keep thinking to myself that it will get better, but feel like crying when I struggle to get up the stairs. I can immagine how difficult it is for you with children to look after! I’ve had 4 Tax infusions, 180 mg every 3 weeks. The dose was never reduced despite the ses due to blood tests coming back ok every time… The good news is my tastebuds have come back although I’m struggling with the hair side of things…no sign of anything sprouting anywhere… I am also undergoing radiotherapy at the moment, maybe this is contributing to my overall sense of feeling like cxxp! I think we have to focus on the fact that it will get better, we just have to be patient, something I’m not very good at… p.s. when you say second diagnosis, do you mean another primary? Deb xx
hi deb i got diagnosed in 2000 left breast, i had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiotherapy the chemo didnt have any side effects other than hair loss and the last 2 left me a bit tired i had epirubicin and carbophosphomide i think thats how you spell it. i was told i would be left infertile, but went on to have twins, because there is a family history and my young age to get it back again a totally new cancer, i was told i needed to get tested braca1 and 2 i am waiting for the results, so october 2010 i got diagnosed right side had a mx surgeon wouldnt do the left until a later date
Now 15 days post tax 2 and still feeling worn out, headachey and with sore feet. The sore feet are really starting to annoy me now - how long does this last anyone?? My big toe nail is also looking a lovely shade of grey and really sore.
Also, had a lovely rash on my face over the last few days … one bit of the rash looks like a smiley face which has entertained my kids all weekend! I haven’t, however, felt very smiley.
And the rest of my hair that had started to grow back after FEC3 has jumped ship.
Ho hum. It’s my last tax next Monday so was hoping to feel good this week for a bit of respite before I get back on the merry-go-round ride again.
