Hi Sadie & Wannee,
Hope you are both ok. My kids are similar in age to yours Wannee, a boy of 12 & a girl of 7. They certainly keep you going every day & help keep me grounded when things sometimes get too much! My daughter keeps telling me I look beautiful in my new wig, which certainly helps when I feel pathetic!!!
Wannee your holiday sounds amazing!! Hope you managed to relax & enjoy lots of sunshine! It’s somewhere I’d love to go sometime. We went to St Lucia a couple of years ago & it was fabulous!
Have been up to my Mum’s for the weekend & the change of scenery did me good. Also saw one of my sister’s whilst there, and her family. Wish I lived closer though 
Right, must tidy up & organise kids for school tomorrow. Sadie, good luck with your scan & Wannee I have everything crossed for your results.
Penny x
Well, I have only good things to say about “Maintenance taxol” as my scan results are looking good, the small spots on the liver have disappeared already leaving one slightly larger one which is getting smaller. My bones look like they are improving the Onc said, so I gave her a big hug and probably left a big black mascara mark on her top as I did shed a tear or two. Hubby has gone out to get the champagne. Only had my chemo yesterday so after a glass or 2 of that tonight things might get interesting (eg me falling asleep much to hubby’s disgust no doubt!!!). Anyway, I have had taxol number 9, and Onc said the usual is about 12 or 14 and sometimes 18 but thats quite rare - so Sadie you are a rarity!! Right, need to sign off and get the tea on. Wish this wind would go as I’m living in fear of wig flying off and getting stuck in a tree!!! Joanne xxx
Joanne,
What fantastic news!!! And really encouraging for all us Taxol ladies. You must be very relieved to know it’s working! And makes you not mind having to go through the next ones! I’ve been told I’m doing 18 like Sadie with a scan midway, so fingers crossed I have the same great news as you.
Enjoy your champers - you deserve it!
Penny x
Hi Joanne and Penny!!
Joanne - That is wonderful and fantastic! Delighted for you. My results are on Monday! Crossing everything!
The wigs in these high winds have a mind of their own!! I watched 6 hours of netball on saturday with my hood on!! Everyone kept telling me it was not raining and the sun was out, but I explained it was toooooo risky!! The thought of my wig flying across the tournament was too much!
Gosh - I feel even more pleased with myself knowing that 18 is rare. I am a bit confused though. My Nurse said I was on Treatment levels of chemo Taxol at 90mg per meter squared and the maintinance dose is 25mg per meter squared. Do you know what dose you are on?? I will carry on posting here and sharing info -
Holidays and even short breaks away can do you so much good - best start researching another holiday. Been two weeks since my last one (Devon!!)
Love to both - and anyone else reading this.
Sadie Xx Xx
Hello all,
Hope everyone’s ok & enjoying this lovely autumn sunshine! Much better than those terrible winds! Sadie you are so right with your comments about wigs & wind! What a terrible combination! I only started wearing mine last week & what a week to start - it felt like a baptism of fire at times!
Sadie - just a comment about dosage, I’m on 160mg of Taxol (according to my little chemo book!). Apart from that I don’t know any more, so can’t help with your query about the maintenance dosage. Perhaps you’ll find out more at your appointment on Monday.
Have you started looking into holidays yet?! We’ve booked a couple of days at half-term, over Gloucestershire way. Not far from us, but still far enough to feel like a break!!
Joanne - how did you get on with your Champagne? Hope you managed at least a couple of glasses before falling asleep!
I’ve been on my first week off from Taxol this week, which has been nice. However feeling quite down in the dumps today I think I’ve probably overdone it a bit & am now feeling quite tired & also my hair is coming out in handfuls which has upset me. Although I feel much better prepared for it this time & had it cut very short on Monday it’s still so depressing looking at this awful person in the mirror & being reminded all the time about this dreadful disease we have. So I’m having a quiet day at home, by myself, resting & doing some Internet shopping to cheer myself up!!
Love & hugs,
Penny x
Greetings one and all. Totally understand about watching childrens sporting activies with hood on, my son is a footballer and I watch the matches with hood up and buttoned up around my neck so nothing can get hold of my wig. I do get some funny looks from the kids but the looks would be even funnier if aforementioned wig flew off!! I am on 138 mg of taxol (strange amount??!!), strange how we’re all on different. Know how you feel Penny about the hair thing getting you down, I got my hubby to shave all mine off and I felt better about that once it was done. Now my eyelashes are starting to drop out and my eyebrows have almost disappeared but thank heavens for eye pencils and sunglasses! it is v depressing looking in the mirror, but just think of the good the chemo is doing. I would stay forever on the chemo and put up with looking like this if I knew it was working. Internet shopping is a brilliant form of therapy isn’t it? The champers was good too, had about 3 glasses and felt a bit rough the next day bit it was worth it!! Good luck with scan results Sadie, keeping everything crossed. May the force be with you xxxxxxx
Hello,
Just wanted to say good luck Sadie with your results on Monday - will be thinking of you & hoping it’s good news. Do let us know how you get on.
Have a good weekend,
Dugsy x
Hi - Just a quick update…
My scan results were mixed!! No new disease (phew) but the Taxol / Avastin is no longer controling the nodes in my lungs - so its not working any more. I was in pieces yesterday nd still feel delicate today. Im delighted it is no where else, but wanted it to still be working but the tumours are now growing!!! Anyway - I start carboplatin on Monday - not much of a break from chemo, but I might as well get on with it!!
Hugs to both and I hope the Taxol works for you both for a LOT LOT longer!
Sadie Xx Xx
Ah Sadie…how disappointing for you. But yes you must look on the positive side - its nowhere else and the carboplatin will be a new form of attack. I’ve heard lots of stories of people with lots of tumours in their lungs that are now free from them. Is this also an IV form of chemo? I bet you are fed up. Does this mean you will be leaving our Maintenance Taxol link???
Tons of massive great big hugs, Joanne xx
Hi Joanne, That is great to hear some ladies are now free of lung mets, gives us hope!! I will pop on here nd see how people are!! The carboplatin is IV too. Would like a break as solid treatment for 12 months now - but also, want to get on with it!!
Hope you are ok!! It is hard!!
Hugs to all…
Sadie Xx Xx
Hi Sadie,
Really sorry to hear your news - I had seen your post on the TN thread. Just to reinforce what Joanne has said, the fact there is no further spread is good news, although you must feel that’s a bit lost with the news of your lung mets. Another thing to focus on is that there are still treatments on offer & they are still offering them to you. One of them could just be the thing that finds the chink in your cancer’s armour & once it does things WILL start to improve. It’s just the chopping & changing of treatments that’s mentally draining, and the build up of hope each time we wait for scan news.
I know exactly how you must feel as it’s happened a couple of times to me. Halfway scans were positive & next one mixed like yours. I felt like I didn’t know if I was coming or going each time - getting used to regimes & SEs, only to be told you need to change to something different. Tends to knock the wind out of your sails for a while.
However you will pick yourself back up again once the new treatment starts & you know how you are coping with it. I have no experience of carboplatin, so can’t help there, but my onc has suggested it for the future for me too.
Please pop in occasionally & let us know how you are & I will hopefully read your posts on the TN thread as well.
Sending a big hug & a big smile :o)
Penny xxxx
Hi - anyone out there? Wondering if you’re there Penny? Just to say I’ve done number 12 and still going…getting a bit more tired out but other than that bearing up quite well. Good news is my eyelashes have started to grow back but thats about it. Need to get rid of the bits of hair on my head that have dropped out but are still growing! I look pretty scary without the wig!! Just wondering how anyone else is doing??? Love to all Joanne xx
Hi!! Just dropping you a quick line!!! I started my Carboplatin 10 days ago nd the first week was HORRID! But it is such a refreshing change to be in a three week cycle. Two clear weeks!! Sorry, i do not mean to upset you, but it really makes me realise how hard weekly chemo is. So, take care, hang on in there and look after yourselves!!
Hugs,
Sadie Xx Xx
Hello!
Sorry haven’t posted here for a while - I’ve been posting on the ‘Paclitaxol/Taxol’ thread instead. Not sure if you were aware of it Joanne, take a look next time you are logged in.
Joanne - well done getting to number 12! How many are you having in total? The tiredness is a pain isn’t it? Wipes me out for about 3 days normally. That’s good news about your eyelashes! Have you still got your eyebrows? I haven’t lost eyelashes or brows so far, and bizarrely my hair seems to be growing again, albeit greyish!!!
Sadie - sorry to hear the Carboplatin was so yukky. I hope you are feeling better now & enjoying your chemo free weeks. You deserve a break! I hope the next one is more bearable 
I’m on my week off this week, after doing number 6 last week. Usual tiredness, yukky taste in mouth & first nosebleed last week as well, but feeling much better now & looking forward to my Mum coming down tomorrow for a few days. Lots of retail therapy planned & meals out! We went up to Mum’s at the weekend as my sister was running her first marathon in Chester. She finished in 3 hours 55 mins!!! And raised over £1200 for Breast Cancer Care - we were all SO proud of her!
Take care ladies & big hugs,
Penny x
Hi Penny, have had a look around the site and can’t find “paclitaxel/taxol” thread, can you direct me? Wonderful news about your sister, how fab is that? What a star she is!! Think I’m having about 16 doses, get a CT on 17th then see Onc on 2nd November for results and the way forward e.g what do we do next…I reacted badly to the capecitabine (had a heart spasm!!!)which is why they put me on the taxol so I need something long term again that is going to work??? I’ve got no eyebrows so am drawing them on with a brow pencil. Was half asleep the other morning and used eyeliner instead by mistake. My 7 yr old came in the bedroom, took one look and said “er…ahem.” and pointed to her own eyebrows, which made me look at mine - they were horrific so had to start again.
Sadie-nice to hear from you, you have my sympathies about the carboplatin, the things we have to go through eh? Keep positive and keep fighting and reading all the inspirational stories from other women on here.
Love and hugs to all, Joanne xx
Hi Joanne,
If you go to the ‘Living with secondary cancer’ section & then click on ‘Living with secondary cancer’ you should see the ‘Paclitaxol/taxol’ thread listed there.
How have you been this week? I’ve been enjoying my week off & having my Mum down. So lots of shopping has been done & a lovely meal out, with hubby & kids too. I’ve also now got a freezer full of food ready for next week!!
Hope your eyebrows are looking good again! Have you ever been on one of the Looking Good workshops that are run at quite a few hospitals? I went to one last week. It was really good as they advised on techniques to help with losing lashes & eyebrows. And you come away with a goody bag full of gorgeous stuff!
Love & hugs,
Penny x