I just thought i’d post some good news and say I’m having my 5th tax (out of 6) next Tuesday and the first one for me was definitley the worst. No’s 2,3 and 4 have been “realitivley” kind to me and i’ve still be able to run on weeks 2 and 3. I’ve just come back from a 3mile run and although i’m not able to run as far as i could i still feel like exercising which has been great for me. I do feel pants on day 4 - 5 (maybe 6) but seem to pick up very quickly after that. I need to work off those extra pounds i gain on week 1!!! ;-))))
I had my first tax out of 6 last thursday and feel like I could die, the se are awful, thought that this would pass after a couple of days but its worse apart from the tiredness is slightly better, I ache so much, now being put on morphine based pain killers, please tell me this gets better!!!
I had my first Tax Thursday week and totally feel what you are going through, I did’nt think I could make it through, I could and you will too!
I was a total wreck for about 8 days though it may be shorter for you. I do hope so. I now feel like my old self and started to feel better on Saturday.
Be kind to yourself and most importantly keep a record of how you feel, on your next appointment with the Oncologist or even before (get on the phone if you need too)go armed with everything you feel and ask for them to make it better! I have a huge list for tomorrow.
This is something we have no choice but to do, it is going to make us bettter but we do not have to suffer unneccessarily.
Stay strong and arm yourself with whatever you need to make life easier for you.
Hi Jill,
Yes it does get better - After first v-Tax I felt just like you from day 3 - 6, then suddenly felt much more energetic. Had cystitis symptoms from day 7-10 but have been fine since then.
Do ring hospital, GP for advice and as has already been said tell onc. Adjustments can be made.
Hang on in there - it WILL pass.
Am due 2nd dose on Friday, waiting to see if symptoms are the same.
loula
Hi again,
Claire, I had dreadful aches and pains plus a high temperature after the Neulasta jab and was hospitalised for a night. Conclusion was that I’d had an over strong reaction to the Neulasta and a very rapid rise of white blood cells. So next time, the onc is giving me 5 separate jabs instead of the one, as a “more gentle approach”. I’ll let you know if it works next week!
loula
Sorry to hear so many of you have been experiencing the se’s of tax. I’m just coming out the otherside of my 2nd and have to say that after the hellishness of the 1st one, being armed with the right painkillers (for me), codeine and morphine made the world of difference.
I still felt as if I’d temporarily entered hell and really struggled middle of last week. The constipation I thought was unbearable, but I’m back in my own home (I’ve been staying at a relatives) and feel much more human today and was able to cook and eat my first meal in a week.
Hang in there, even if the se’s are as bad, knowing what to expect helped and learning how to manage them.
My nails are turning interesting tones of red and yellow and as for peeling feet, I hadn’t read about that…
I have my last tax next Friday, I can’t wait. Take care everyone.
Hi All,
My symapathies to those having awful SEs on tax. Like Sarah, the first tax was the hardest but second was easier. I’m due the last one on Friday and whilst I am exhausted from nearly 4 months of FEc and Tax I’m looking forward to getting this last one over. I do admire you running 3 miles Sarah. I can’t run for the bus!
It will get better. My bad days were 3- 6. By 8 I felt fairly normal and could do the school run easily. Cycle 2 I was walking my son to school from day 6. I have managed to work weeks 2&3 of each cycle, on reduced hours.
Do note your side effects and ask the chemo ward what your GP should prescribe if you see him/her before oncologist. This was a big help when I had mucositis and needed flucanozole and difflam. Also I popped ibruprofen and paracetemol on a schedule and this helped to control the pain. My oncologist keeps insisting that I am tolerating it all ’ really very well.’ It doesn’t feel like it sometimes.
I hope your 5 jabs are more pleasant that the single one Loula.
Has anyone else had odd twitches? My eyes have been twitchy, one at a time, for two weeks now. They are sore and watery so this may be part of the side effects.
Sue
Thank goodness…I thought I was imagining side effects…my eyes water but don’t run and my eyes twitch a lot…keep looking in mirror to see if anyone notices !!
Also my eyesight had got awful…am i alone with that?
My eyesight has got worse since I started chemotherapy also but I put it down to tiredness. During week 1 I find it hard to focus and will not drive as I don’t think my sight is good enough. By day 8 it is better but I will not embark on a long drive until I feel normal again. I wonder how long that will take once I have the last tax?
Sue
morning all, life is so much better today 6 days after tax one thing that would make a big difference is warmth and sunshine. Hope everyone else is starting to feel better.
I noted someone said about fainting with low neutros has anyone else experienced that as i thought i was going to pass out 3 days ago and had to go and lay down.
I did pass out on docetaxol in a bed shop funny thing is my mum thought I was just testing the beds, I was very aneamic though and felt poorly, a week later I was in hosp with neutropenia and a v low red cell count.
if in doubt take your temp and ring hosp for advice I know i did and they were always happy to help.
I had neutropenia twice both times I felt very weak and ill I had a raised temp and started to feel sick also sore throat.
avenue sue,
i also noticed my eye sight got really bad as did my hearing but I have recently had an eye test 2 years after last chemo and have twenty twenty vision.
thanks kernowdaisy, yep i took temp and it was fine, i think i do get very low bloods but my body recovers very well im lucky. I go one day for bloods and neutros are very low the next day they are recovered. Thanks for all the good advise.
I’ve got my 2nd Docetaxel tomorrow afternoon and am dreading it! Didn’t have a good experience after 1st, was in bed for 8 days, terrible aches in feet and legs, pain in all my bones, nose bleeds then got thrush down throat and didn’t eat anything for days. GP sorted it out thank God with Nystatin. Everything tastes like ‘lard’ though! Tastebuds are a bit better now so enjoyed a chinese (naughty I know) tonight, knowing that it’ll be back to polystyrene for next couple of weeks! The above, coupled with having the extreme 'run’s (where I think I lost all my inner organs as well), the onc weighed me and I had lost 11 lbs in 2.5 weeks! I need to lose weight so loved seeing the needle going down on the scales but even I would agree, it was a little extreme!
Anyway, unfortunately the needle has been going up rapidly on the scales in past week as all I could drink was copious amount of lemonade (which I never previously liked) - packed with sugar! I’m now on sparkling spring water with lime and it’s lovely (no sugar). Try sorbet as well, really refreshed the mouth.
I think my platelets went low as one day nearly fainted (whilst sitting down) and had a couple of bruises come up on legs (onc said probably low platelets also because of nose bleeds). Trouble is, when I was ill with thrush, by the time the nurses came to take some bloods (2 days later) I could feel my energy levels coming back so results probably literally had changed overnight. Bloods showed high white cells (due to infection), low potassium levels but platelets normal - onc not too concerned with these but is lowering the dose by 5mg tomorrow. Felt like screaming “you should have seen me 3 days ago - looked (and probably felt) like Uncle Fester!”
Reeb - Just want to wish you well for tomorrow (think you are on same days as me)
Also hi to LiF - yes, my eyesight has definately gone skewy since starting chemo (already short-sighted and wear glasses but everything seems so much more fuzzier now).
Finally, all the best to everyone suffering these awlful s.e.'s - at least we know the drug is doing something, I’d be more worried if I didn’t feel anything. The good thing is, we can support each other on here and can REALLY understand how each one of us is feeling.
Good luck for your 2nd Tax today Debbie and to everyone else who may be getting Tax’d today. Don’t be afraid to ask for a stronger painkiller Debbie for the bone aches. I got some of my Onc yesterday and Nystatin also.
Take hope all day 7 today and feeling quite good. Every day is getting better, the worst tax was deffo the first, this second one im coming through faster and less side effects. Chin up folks have a good day and hope the SE are few and far between.