Hi ladies,
well I did originally post on another thread but you seem to be in the same place as me, so I think this is more suitable. Two weeks past first tax of 6, had the aching legs on day 5 as predicted, bad tasting mouth, and hey, a new one for me, last Thursday I was diagnosed with parotitis by my GP. This is the swelling of the gland which is the same as your mumps in front of your ears, so it was very uncomfortable and just had to wait for it to subside and take ibuprofen. Hope this doesnt happen after the 2nd one, theres enough already!!
Fran - noticed you had a sore backside, mine has been the same (sorry), but is improving this week. Hope you are feeling better now.
Reeb - good luck with your first dose tomorrow, you will feel better once you are home.
I have bought myself some aloe vera juice and biotene toothpaste to be going on with and hope the second tax doesnt hit as hard. Heres hoping!! Trying to get out this week whilst I am feeling better.
Annabelle xxx
Im Sarah, age 38, also on 6 x c-tax. I’m having my 4th next Tuesday. I must admit my first tax was the worst, 2nd was very kind to me and 3rd as well. I also have very swollen glands around my ears and also under my chin didn’t think to go the docs and just presumed it was the chemo taking effect…
Does anyone else have that horrible throbbing pain around day 5-6 when you’ve been lying down and then stand up? I great pains as the blood rushing into my bone and joints, especially lower back and hips?
Hi
Sarah - thanks for your message re the swollen glands, hope it doesnt come back after my number 2 tax. Are you having problems with your fingers and feet, and what have you been able to do to combat it? I have read a few threads where the side effects have resulted in the numbness in the fingers and feet not coming back. I have had a few tingles so am worried it may get worse as the treatment goes on. Always something to worry about, eh?
Hatty, hope the feet improve, it must be driving you crazy!
Oh, and hair on pillow this morning and filling comb as well, looks like it’s coming off!!
Hi everyone,
After lurking on this site for quite a while, this is my first post. I’m due to start 4 three weekly sessions of cyclophosphamide and Docetaxel on Friday and am not looking forward to it. Thanks to all the lovely ladies on this site, I feel as well prepared as I can be, have the chemo caddy ready, have had the hair cut short, am going to try the cold cap but have bought two fabulous wigs just in case. The purple nail varnish is at the ready but could someone tell me the theory behind this please? Do I just wear it while the drugs are being administered or all the time?
Also mentioned frozen peas for hands and feet to onc nurse but she knew nothing about it. Are they for nail protection or to help prevent neuropathy?
I, too, have had severe pain in the tops of my legs when I get up, and they feel really heavy till I walk it out. Didn’t start until after the 4th treatment. Tax again?
The taste thing for me was awful after the first treatment, but it was never as bad after that, although I’ve gone off some things. For instance, I just don’t seem to enjoy a cuppa like I used to. So I’ve switched to green tea. I still don’t look forward to it as much, but at least it’s better for me.
I shaved my hair off when I started getting really bad bald patches. The hair that was left has continued growing a bit, probably from 1/8 inch to 3/4 inch now. Wish I’d done it as soon as it started falling out since where the bald patches were hasn’t grown at all.
My hospital doesn’t offer anything for the itchy feet. My feet are just covered in scabs and split heels. They recommend buying Udderley Smooth cream. Does anyone know whether it’s better than Diprobase?
Hi, I’ve been following this thread as Docetaxol is the chemo I will most probably be starting some time this year. I’m currently on Xeloda and for chris23…I have been using Udderly but had some awful heel cracks and a friend (also on Xeloda) recommended Flexitol Heel Balm…it’s helped me enormously, it’s made such a difference and I can now walk without pain.
Had my first tax yesterday and so far so good but they warned me it’s likely to be the weekend when things start to go down hill once I’ve finished the steroids.
Lots happening on this thread!! I’m doing ok with side-effects apart for the scalp discomfort that has now become more of pain that’s worrying me so am off to the GP today. It’s my new attitude - don’t worry too much get advice early on…
Hi Loula - my understanding is that the frozen peas will help with nails (I did a google search and found some sites that indicated that this could help - same sort of principle as cold cap and reducing capilliary action in these parts of body to restrict Tax getting to the nails…). My chemo nurse knew nothing either but was happy for me to use the peas after the cannula was inserted.
I think the dark coloured nails is to restict sunlight and therefore chemical reactions - I’ve also had a bc nurse suggest using Nail Shield to keep nails strong as some patients she knew found this helped. It’s not cheap to buy in Boots but I’m trying that as well as the nail polish (and I’m definitely not ususally a nail polish person so taking time to pamper myself in this way is a real new experience for me but it’s also helping psychologically like having my toe nails done in the summer did - so bc does have some positive impacts!!)
Anabelle - hope the glands are going down now; doesn’t this chemo work so differently on each of us!!!
I’m feeling encouraged that many posters say the first dose is the worst - I’ve 5 more to go… but energy levels are now better than pre dosing so I’m taking that as a positive and am enjoying eating again
take care all
Fran
re nails lady i use sally Hansen diamond strength nail hardner and have used it from the beginning and although my nails soften and split as long as i keep them short they keep growing. I wear dark nail varnish to prevent the sunlight getting to them. I tend to re do this twice a week. Also use acetone free remover none of it cheap but worth it. so far so good. This is 3 months into chemo.
As for the frozen peas i was advised against this as it would prevent the chemo working fully in the areas that you are using it and i want it to work so I don’t use them i dont want the risk of one rogue cell escaping. Apparently you need the warmth for the circulation. Now that maybe rubbish but that’s what the nurse told me.
HAEMAROIDS am I ever suffering! suffered before but this is getting unbearable. If I have any fellow sufferers would welcome to know what you use as ive tried most things.
hi
After 6 x FEC my nails were getting very yukky, and now I am on weekly tax so nails are getting more of a hammering. I have invested in having a nail treatment which uses uv light to set the polish so it is dry staight away. Also, it lasts for 3 weeks. It has to be remooved proffessionally too, but that is not a problem. I have had 2 treatments so far and just about to make a booking for my next one. It isn’t cheap, but it appears to be doing the trick and making my nails less likely to split.
x sarah
Oooh, Crabbie, that sounds like the biosculpture gel. I won a treatment in a school raffle, so had that done as my treat while I was waiting for my surgery. They came adrift from the nail and started to peel off after 12 days but looked absolutely perfect until then, but I did hammer them a bit with some unaccustomed housework. Nail varnish on me usually lasts no longer than half an hour before I’ve chipped it, so I reckon it’d be worth the money compared to the hassle of painting nails or forgetting to or just feeling to sick to. Did you find much growth that you have to fill in with ordinary polish? That would be my worry as it’d be the nail bed that would be exposed to light.
hadn’t thought about that nail bed exposure bit, but there wasn’t too much of a gap. I know that I would be poo at keeping my nails done at all otherwise so this is good. yes it is gel nails, I have booked in for tomorrow, and have reflexology first. A fantastic mornings entertainment.
I will be very very chilled tomorrow.
x sarah
Hi there. Can you explain a bit about the nail bed exposure thing. Had one out of four docetaxels. Nails looking ok at the moment. What can I expect. I am rubbish at caring for my nails. It’s something I’ve never done. I have a drawer full of unused lovely nail varnishes. Your advice/experience would be great
hi norah2
On FEC my nails developed ridges and rings of calcium deposits and generally looked hideous, so I put varnish on them just to make them look nicer. However, on Tax nails can split, drop off etc. It doesn’t happen to everyone though. the nurses just advise to to wear dark nail varnish to minimise the risk, so you are literally keeping your nails covered.
x sarah
Hi , just had my first TAX. Used the peas - it’s in the hope of reducing long lasting neuropathy and nail problems. In the US they give you ice mitts and boots and in afew places in th UK. There is a study done using mitts and boots where people used them on left side and not the right (or vice versa) and study showed there were no or reduced effects on the cold side.
I asked my onc about it - he was very sceptical, but said it was up to me. They all had a good laugh on the suite.
I am rubbish at nail varnish too, get it all over the skin around and it chips off in no time - not a good look in deep purple! just patched up the chips and dropped the brush on the keyboard and carpet!
Hi Reeb - how’s it going? I haven’t posted for a while but I know we follow exactly the same timings - had my first Tax (or Docetaxel) yesterday as well. So far so good BUT dreading doing injection tonight to boost the old white cells. During FEC I was injecting daily for 5 days starting on day 5 and felt soooo bad immediately afterwards for a few days with severe achy bones all over! Because of this my ONC changed me to this one-off but stronger injection to do tonight and I just don’t want to do it! Oh well. got to be done I s’pose. Let me know how you get on over next few days anyway - hopefully not too many bad se’s.
Hatty - you’re not alone with the haemmeroids! I’d never had them before but they are shocking - talk about painful! All I’m using is Anusol cream at the moment which helps a bit (not much) but let me know if you find anything else better. I’m alternating from one extreme to another on the ‘bowel scale’ at the moment and Movicol is now my new best friend!
Best go put another coat of purple varnish on my nails I suppose and syke myself up for this injection later on.
Hatty - my OH has had haemorrhoids for years and finds Anusol suppositories very helpful. Hope I don’t have to share them with him - yet another new thing to have to learn how to do!
Not looking forward to doing the white blood cell booster injections either - will be having my instructions tomorrow.
Not quite sure what I’m doing wrong but keep submitting post which don’t appear. Sent one earlier to thank you all for nail info, am applying lovely magenta colour but not sure it looks so good on “mature mitts”. Want to try to hang onto nails as after I turned 50 they started to grow very strongly and fast so I rely on them to look good while the rest of me wrinkles and gravitates southwards.
Am high on steroids - mix up at hospital so had to take first dose at 2pm and second at 5pm so looking forward to a sleepless night.
Sleep well everyone else.
loula
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