I’ve been a bit quiet of late. My latest chemo round ( my first on docetaxel) has been the worst for SE’s. Sore mouth, thrush, diarrhoea, bone pain and itchy rash on hands. They have mostly gone during this third week. I get another lot tomorrow. My oncologist is reducing the dose to 90%. Let’s hope it makes a difference.
I was given a mouthwash containing glycerin at the start of the chemo and that has been good for relieving the dry mouth. Nyastin got rid of the white tongue whilst daktacort cream, (which I was prescribed on a Monday after a horribly uncomfortable weekend of sore and itching down below), finally soothed my ladybits.
My tastebuds were really getting me down. I am a notorious comfort eater and became frustrated that I couldn’t get my fix. Thankfully my taste has returned a little so I’ve quite enjoyed my bag of chocolate peanuts just now.
Don’t think I’ll sleep to well tonight despite the amitriptyline. I’m full of dexamethasone. Take care everyone. It’s all in a good cause.
Heading out for Paclitaxol 5 tomorrow morning - and then I’ll be on the home straight with just 4 more to go. Am feeling a lot more tired this week, with bouts of queasiness so just hoping my bloods are ok after having fought off the infections that have plagued me this week. Really don’t want any delays to treatment as I hope to get back to work before end of Nov and ideally have radiotherapy before Christmas if possible.
My dad took me out to a wonderful classical concert tonight and I wore my wig for the first time and rather enjoyed it. Funny thing was Dad didn’t even notice it! I have been sporting an array of hats/easy tie scarves to date as the wig tickles me and my family laugh every time I try it on. They say they prefer me bald or hatted but guess that’s what they are used to. Got a friends 50th party on Saturday night so might just try it again but not sure it’ll last through the dancing - though guess I might not either! Not far to stagger home to bed thank goodness!
Dianabrew, sorry you’ve had a rough time in your first Docetaxol. It’s absolutely the pits this chemo lark!
You enjoy your chocolate peanuts!
Good luck for tomorrow and fingers crossed the slightly lower dose helps x
Oncewild, glad you had a lovely outing with your Dad… and he didn’t even notice your wig lol, bless him.
Enjoy your party at the weekend and sure might as well give the wig another outing. Can’t see me doing much partying lol ?
Good luck for tomorrow. X
Thanks Alex2016, the peanuts were scrummy. At least I could begin to taste them, I’m back to everything tasting of nothing since I had my second docetaxel yesterday. No side effects yet. Still full of steroids. One of the nurses recommended that I take co-codamol from day three to combat the bone pain and the loose stools, and get piriton for the itchy hands and to help me sleep.
Oncewild, Go girl! I hope you enjoy the party tonight. X
Hi Everyone - it is very interesting reading everyones comments on the Doxacetol (cant spell!) drug as this one has really wiped me out! As well as horrific bone pain, thrush I have been so tired this time! Dint feel that I have had a good day so far! It seems we are all suffering much the same with this one, I just would like to feel ok before next dose! My Oncologist reduced the drug by 20% wonder if he will reduce any more? I know it all in a good cause and we have to go through all this to get out the other end, but I feel this one drug is more potent than the FEC! Hugs to you all - Madhatter67 x
I’ve hopped over from the June 2016 starters discussion since I figured lots of you would be going through the joys of Docetaxel right around now. Just going to share three tips:
Clarityn for the joint pain. Get it over the counter, start taking it 2 days or so after chemo. It really helped for me (and lots of others).
If you’re taking codeine or cocodamol for the joint pain, remember to take laxatives as well. Codeine-induced constipation is no joke, as I learned after my mastectomy.
Mouth problems: the steroids all by themselves cause oral thrush, so can ask for Nystan or similar. For my last chemo they actually just gave it to me then and there, didn’t wait for it to get worse. I got thrush every single time on docetaxel, but the nystan made it go away within a few days.
The first docetaxel round was by far the worst for pain for me, which is not uncommon. The thing that gets worse is fatigue, though. Good luck to all of you,
I thought I’d let people know, particularly Madhatter and Alex who are due this week, that my second Docetaxol wasn’t as bad as the first. I still stayed in bed a lot this weekend and felt pretty woozy and useless for anything, but I didn’t have the bad heartburn or pain around the kidneys. I took the ‘Sainsbury’s own’ version of Clarityn. Not sure if that helped or whether it was just better this time anyway.
Yes girls, my 2nd one tomorrow. Fingers crossed. Have been absolutely exhausted, even today, so I just hope my bloods are ok. Never slept last night for worrying that it wouldn’t go ahead, as I’m soooo on the countdown now Have taken my steroids etc today, so ready to go!
Am actually only home, as was out for lovely tea with friend. No alcohol involved unfortunately ??
Taste buds still not normal. However, not quite as bad, but a lot of food still tastes yuck and water only starting to taste semi normal. Trying to drink my 2 litres today. Mouth issues are pretty dire/depressing aren’t they?
Suze, good that you weren’t quite as bad this time. I’ve read a few posts where people say, the first was the worst, so here’s hoping! I’m going to start Claritin from tomorrow. Have you one more session to go?
Yes Audrey, I’m with you on proactive! As I said going to take Claritin tomorrow, ahead of injection tomorrow. And start taking the co-codamol at the first sign of pains and take them more regularly. I’m a bit loathe to take too many as know they cause constipation, but the pain can be wild bad can’t it.
I’ll let you know how I get on.
x
hope you are all doing ok. I have just three more weekly doses to go and suddenly the end feels very near. I can’t wait to finish chemo but am not yet in the right mindset to go back to work in five weeks time. Hoping this will change over the next few weeks. Hoping also to fit radiotherapy and Herceptin injections around work but suspect this might be too big an ask. I have had such long waits for both bloods and treatment over the last few weeks I can’t imagine anything going to plan.
I have been pondering the concept of getting back to normal and wondering if it is ever possible. Ideally I’d like to make a big life change and make the most of every minute but, with children in critical years at school/college, we have to bide our time and stay put for now. So instead I am drooling over exciting holiday ideas, sadly most of which are unaffordable. Ah well, I can dream!
Mad hatter, sorry to hear yours didn’t go ahead. I’m sure you were all syched up for it, but as we know, there are no guarantees with all this and blips happen from time to time. I’ve had my fair share too lol.
I just had usual chemo taste in mouth, fuzzy head and general feeling of yuckiness. Finding it hard to eat/drink. Fatigue really bad. If anything like last session pains will kick in shortly unfortunately ?
However, Oncologist did say that loads of patients find the second dose slightly easier than the first, so fingers crossed! He was concerned about the pheripherial neuropathy on feet and fingers, but because it went away within the last week, was happy enough to carry on with full dose. Said we can see how this one goes before making decision on final dose.
Well all you can do is make the most of having this week to build yourself up for your next dose. Nite nite to you and everyone else on July thread. It’s pretty quiet of late (again) lol. x
Happy to be reading that we’re all coming to the end of things and have managed to get through it! Alex (and a few other I’m sure) only one more to go now!
I’ve still got 5 weekly taxol to go (possibly 6 if they tack the one I missed on to the end) but even I can see the end in sight. I’ve had problems with low neut count and am back on the gcsf injections, joy, two injection a day again as I’m still having to do the anticoagulant ones as well. Buuuut, I’m starting to get excited for the end.
The good thing about the weekly dose is that so far, I’ve only had one slightly rough day each time. I do get the joint and bone pain a bit, but none of the horrible SEs of FEC, like the nausea, the taste and the just not being able to move bit!
My thoughts are now turning to radiotherapy and reconstruction. Nobody has really spoken to me about this yet and Google has thrown up some conflicting info. I’ve read somewhere that you can’t have a reconstruction after radiotherapy but that can’t be true, right? Does anyone have any knowledge about this? Truthfully, I’m not even sure if I want to have a reconstruction anyway ( I was never blessed in the boob department, so I’m not really missing much and am not even too lopsided!), but I’d quite like to know the options.
Thanks girls and good luck for all remaining infusions! Xxxxx
Pookie, good to hear the weekly dose is a lot more manageable than 3 weekly. But poor you having 2 Injections a day!
I just had number 5 on Tuesday and both Friday and yesterday were horrendous with oral thrush, pains etc. Feel slightly better today, so holding on to that.
Yes, starting to see the end in sight. At last! Although yesterday, I felt like saying I couldn’t take any more ?
Onc Dr said when I’m getting my last chemo session,I will get appointment for Radiotherapy planning and this should be within 3-5 weeks. Start Tamoxifen then too and Herceptin once radiotherapy is finished. Just can’t wait to get chemo finished!
Sorry I can’t help with your queries over surgery. I had WLE and then ANC way back in May and June before I started chemo, so no more surgery for me. I hope!!!
Pookie, I know we both got the same Jon Reneau Julianne wig. Have you ever washed yours? I have only wore mine in total about 4 weeks, usually in my “good” week in chemo. Although of late, good isn’t how I would describe it lol. And even then, only for a few hours any day I am out and about.
I know once I finish Chemo, I will probably be wearing it a lot more often, so am thinking I need to give it a wash.
Did yours wash ok? Just a bit wary, in case I wash and it doesn’t look as good, or the lace cap would rip. Any advice?
Blue ash, thanks for posting!
Although, it says it takes few days to dry!!! Means I wouldn’t have one to wear then. I’m ok at minute as only wear scarf and sometimes fringe (on my better days lol) when in house, but once I finish chemo, I’ll need wig every day.
I might have to invest in another one. Although the one I have was expensive enough. The NGS wig I got was unsuitable, so just bought one myself.
I have washed my wig a couple of times. The advice Blueash gave was spot on and I’ve found that it really doesn’t take that long to dry. If you can do it on a day that you’re not going out, or, go out and do chores first thing in the morning then wash as soon as you get back in, you should find that it has dried in time for the following day. Blot as much as you can with a towel, gently, and then leave in a room pref with some central heating in it! I’ve found that the curl has loosend a tiny bit, but it still looks great. Don’t be alarmed if it feels really heavy when rinsing, you wont harm the lace, it’s pretty tough.
If I could figure out how to post photos, we could both do it and have a laugh : )))
Glad you’ve only got one more treatment to go and that you’re feeling a bit better now. Almost there! I have to say that although the weekly side effects aren’t nearly as dramatic, I do feel just slightly under the weather all the time and despite being able to be up and about, I don’t feel like I ever have enough time to recover before I get zapped with the next lot! Aah well, swings and roundabouts.
Pookie, thanks for advice. I’ll see about washing it in the next day or two, before I start venturing out again. Haven’t been out of the house since last Tuesday ?
I know what you mean about feeling slighter under the weather all the time. I asked my Onc the other day when I would feel normal, and she said give yourself at least 3 months after chemo! And you have young children too I think, so can’t be easy on you all. Mine are in their early 20’s and have been great throughout all this.
But the main thing is the end of chemo is in sight! Hugs x