Thanks Saz. I’m just worried as I’ve had a reconstruction and it’s looking lovely, don’t want to spoil it - but you’re right, I must throw everything at it. Luckily the hospital is 20 mins away.
Rachel.
Hi folks DAY 9 Post TAX3
my nails are all bumpy, my hair seems to be growing back a bit (head, down below and under my arms) - colour - not sure yet - keep hoping i can see colour but i think it may be white - please no, not at 45
feeling pretty achey and arms very heavy today,
has anyone elses got very bruised veins showing in the hand where the chemo is put in??
hugs to all
claire xx
Hi all,
Day 17 post third and final TAX. Feeling much more myself, more energy than last week but a long way from normal, still poor taste and bits of blood in my nose. Aches gone though - hooray.
My nails are bumpy too, Claire, and they are bending and splitting at the ends, but I know they could be much worse.
My hair is starting to grow again - same colour as before - ie mostly dark but grey at sides and random others - I am 58 though.
I’ve got a cm wide red patch about 4cm long along the vein in my hand where I had the last Tax. It appeared on about day 6 - showed to chemo people - it’s where some fluid leaked out. Told to go back if changed colour, was painful or skin started to break. Seems OK, but has been there 10days now, not getting better or worse.
Nice to know that as things improve there won’t be another chemo.
I’ve coped well with the hair loss - it didn’t really bother me when it fell out, but I think it will be harder to deal with in the half grown stage.
Hope no-one suffering too much.
Stella xx
Hello
I’m now day 20 post-3rd(& last tax!) and have finished my FEC-T regime (hurrah!) but I’m still feeling weak and bit nauseous with supressed appetite. I saw Onc on Friday and reported all these symptoms but he seemed unconcerned by them. I was on anti-biotics which I finished last Monday (for a tooth abscess - v painful) so I don’t know if that would have affected my recovery this time?? I’m especially feeling anxious about not being back to full strength as have OH’s daughters staying during the Easter Hols and want to be able to join in with them and not retreat to bed(which is where I’ve been for virtually the past 3 weeks :o( ).
If anyone has experienced the same or has any advice I would be really grateful to hear from you.
Many Thanks
Heather xxxx
Sorry you’re feeling so rotten Heather.
There’s still three weeks to go before Easter (two to the hols), so I’m sure you’ll gradually start to pick up. Try having a short walk each day, however rotten you feel - I’m sure it helped me. I shuffled round the block on the first few post tax days and have gradually increased distance. I’ve found that I am now getting a little faster too - still much too slow for my liking.
Best wishes Stella xx
Heather,I have had I V anti- biotics for nuetropenic sepsis this time and it took ages for my tummy to settle and feel really well. I think it is the ant bi’s that can make you feel rough. My onc said to eat activia or equivalent. I have recovered now and feel well 22 days ater TAX. I had a 4 day extension for a family wedding so reduced dose of TAX tomorrow for me. Hopefully the feeling will shift and you can have a great Easter hols. Well done you for finishing chemo!
Thanks Dancinggirl & Janipi for your advice… :o)
I did think the anti-bs must have had some effect on my recovery but it was just the lack of acknowledgement by my Onc that made me wonder…
Have just 1 week to feel better as girls are coming at start of Easter hols (they break up on 8th) so that’s why I’m more stressed about situation.
By 2 weeks post-previous chemos, I’ve been able to go for walks of quite some distance & felt great…frustrated that I don’t have the energy or motivation yet.
Another niggle at back of my mind is that the nauseau/supressed appetite feeling could be something to do with my liver?? (it took a hammering from pain-killers when my tooth abscess flared up, as well as anti-bs). I know it’s probably paranoia but I’ve read a few posts on the forum about things occuring whilst having Tax… (don’t mean to panic anyone) but I’m just wondering if I should have mentioned this worry to my Onc last Fri? or would that have been too alarmist?
Heather
xxx
I’ve also still got an unsettled tum after all the anti-b’s from the n/sepsis and was told by the hospital that it can take a while for your system to get back to normal.
I’m still exhausted after all last weeks ‘excitement’ and still sleeping away large amounts of each day as well as all night. I’ve only 3 days until TAX2 and after what happened with the first one I have to say that I’m dreading it.
My fingertips are very sore and my nails are looking pretty horrendous too, but then again they weren’t that special after 4 AC either! I’ve also got very dry skin with patches of eczema all over the place too. My GP gave me a cortisone cream for the eczema and just said to plaster on an unscented moisturiser as often as possible on the dry bits.
Hope all you mums are having a nice mother’s day! xx
I will ask my onc about liver and TAX tomorrow. I have taken painkillers for longer than I wanted just to get through. This TAX is lethal stuff. I plan to treat my body with lots of loving kindness after all tis is finished. Nails and mouth OK so I feel very fortunate about that. x
Thanks Janipi
It will be interesting to see what your Onc says…
I’m really upset about the tooth abscess I’ve got because x-rays show a piece of dental instrument left in my root canal filling from 7 years ago which probably caused the abscess - Tax knocked my immune system out and let the abscess rage!! Now I have the aggravation & costs of tooth extraction and implant replacement(on top of getting ready for radiotherapy)…plus am looking at legal route for possible negligence on behalf of dentist…Just so much hassle and stress I don’t need right now :o(
Heather xxx
Oh Heather I hate anything to do with dentistry. I had route canal a couple of weeks before having my MX and I was glad I’d got that out of the way. Hope you get it all sorted soon, you really don’t need this right now.
I would just like to share with you that I had my last tax today! I am on cloud nine - got a glass of champagne waiting in the fridge. Will enjoy next couple of days before SEs kick in to co-incide with school holidays (great!). I cannot believe that I started way back just before xmas and Easter seemed miles away - but it’s come round (not quick enough for me - but everyone else seems to say time has gone quickly for them!) So WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS HELPING EACH OTHER - thank goodness for this website!
Wondered where Triphazard got to - it was her last chemo today too and I haven’t seen her on this thread for a while.
Good luck for all taxing this week and hoping SEs are kind to us all.
Rachel.x
Hey Pinkrose… CONGRATULATIONS
Hey Pinkrose… CONGRATULATIONS you did it! Well done. Enjoy the well deserved champers.
Saz xx
Rachel… you call and I appear! Had a thought it was your last TAX and wanted to say WOOP WOOP etc etc. Yes, I had my last chemo today, was at the hospital for hours, as had bloods done and onc appointment all prior to chemo… and of course then had to wait an hour for pharmacy to sort out the poison once the bloods were okayed.
Know I ‘should’ feel elated, but am just vaguely nauseous at mo - really should eat something so I can take the meds, but BLECH!!! Will be all elated and cheerful happy three weeks from today… when I am NOT having chemo, lol.
xxxxxxxx
Hair on head growing back… better at sides than on top, but definitely dark, not all grey - so that is smile worthy 
Well done to Pinkrose and Trip!! Very jealous. I’m only on behind you. Tax today. Took 4 and half hours. The chemo unit were understaffed and pretty rubbish really.
Heather my onc said liver problems are very rare on TAX and the bloods they test goes to two labs, one to check for toxicity and the short test for neutrophyls,red blood cells etc. he said short term use of painkillers are not a problem and livers can be very forgiving and work very hard when they need to.
I’m buzzing around on the dexameth and enjoying the time before the TAX truck hits x
Hi ladies. Am on Day 15 of 2nd Cycle of Tax and arrived home a few hours ago following a week in hospital after a high temp (38.2) and infection caused, all the doctors think, by inflamed/aggravated diverticulitis brought on by the chemo. The IV antibees helped and I’m okay now.
But a similar thing happened after my first Cycle and the Oncologist has suggested I have hormone injections to stimulate the growth of the white blood cells after my third Cycle which is on Monday. I will have 5 or 6 (can’t remember exactly how many she said) and the health visitor will come out to do them.
I was wondering how other people got on with them? Did the injections stave off neutropenia? I remember reading (maybe here or somewhere else) about them causing bone pain? Sounds horrible but I need to be prepared the best way I can.
Well done Trip and Rachel. I know what you mean - chemo isn’t over 'til 3 weeks after, when you’ve got over the worst of the SEs etc. You don’t feel like celebrating when you feel rotten. I’m nearly there. Day 19 after last TAX. Rads planning tomorrow.
My hair is also starting to grow a little , like you good at sides and patchy at top and front - hope it doesn’t stay like that!
Hope the SEs are not too bad. My taste is still poor - would love to taste things properly again.
Stella xx
Flapjack - I had seven jabs, days three to ten post TAX - and I didn’t get neutropenia, so from that point of view they are definitely worthwhile. Bone pain… yes… make sure you are prescribed good pain killers, and don’t believe anyone who says paracetamol should be sufficient…lol. Again - everyone reacts differently, and you may find you have no problems with the jabs at all.
Do you think you could inject yourself? It would save you having to hang around for the district nurse, and it really isn’t difficult. I actually got my OH to do mine, but the needle is so fine, and its so painless that I could quite easily have done it on my own. Might be worth asking.
Fingers crossed that it does the trick, and keeps you out of hospital. Glad you’re back home safely now, take care
Sophie xx
Stella - you’re nearly to celebratory point then! Hope the taste buds come back soon… I’m sure it won’t be long now xxxx
dancing girl, trip and pinkrose - (from the other 15th nov thread mainly too) - weel done to all of you for passing the finishing line - it must feel good - enjoy that feeling
ive got one more TAX to go next thursday (hopefully)
flapjack - i have had one injection each cycle to boost cells and yes , i have been very achey and limbs felt “leaden” - as has been said get some painkillers. also, i have self injected in to my tummy (a good roll of fat there for me!!) and it was not a problem.
hugs to all
claire