Hi
I get my 4th dose of taxotere on Wednesday and have went back to work yesterday - 24th.
I have a meeting with my manager today and hope that it goes well, if it doesn’t then I suppose it will be back on the sick but I’m fairly confident that he will be fine.
I also had a CT scan yesterday and find out how the taxotere is working on Tuesday. What a carry on to get the needle in my arm, that’s twice it’s been a nightmare so I’ve decided the next time I’m going to ask my BC Nurse if she can organise me to go to the chemo ward first because they have no problems.
Hope everybody is well.
Diane
Hope everything goes well Diane - I am thinking about going into work a couple of days next week - to try and get some normality back in my life. I’ve had my second Taxotere this week and feel like I’ve been run over by a bus with aches but hopefully things will improve over the weekend.
Best of luck with the scan results (I go to the chemo ward for all cannulations!) when do you get them?
Geraldine
HI Diane,
Congratulations on starting back at work, I hope it goes well for you.
I also have problems getting the needle in for scans and would suggest the same as you, go to the chemo suite and ask them to put in a cannula for you, then the CT nurses can get the contrast dye in OK. Make sure they know it is for a scan, as the needle size is different to that which is used to deliver chemo.
Good Luck with the scan results,
Jennyx
Hi All
I have that same dilemma about needs. It took the radiologist 6 attempts to get the needle in when I had my heart scan and I am now afraid of having them put in. I got a letter yesterday for another heart scan so when I go for my Herceptin on Monday I am going to ask the chemo nurses if they will put the cannula in on the date of the heart scan.
I am also getting my head round going back to work at the beginning of June on a phased return.
Lizxx
Hi Diane
congratulations on going back to work!
I have worked through taxotere and am still here at my desk, I dont know for how long, but it really is great for my sanity. my employer has been pretty good about things, I hope it gos well for you .
And lizzie as for needles - definitely your plan sounds good, I have found the chemo nurses about 10 X better than anyone else with needles, they really know what they are doing and do it well,
take care
Cathy
Going back to work was definately the right decision, just the social aspect of it has really lifted my spirits. I really has given me a sense of the ‘old me’ back and realised I’m still living and breathing. It’s just that I have to live with cancer now and find a new norm. I’m positive that work will do good for me and I hope that I can continue to work for a very long time.
I am pleased for you - have you gone back full time? Geraldine
Really pleased you have managed to get back to work and are enjoying it. It’s true - it does help you to feel normal for a few hours. On the needle thing - is there any chance of having a portocath? Mine made so much difference to the taxotere experience and because it can also be used for drawing blood it saves the veins for when you have a scan.
Barbara
Well done on getting back to work.
I was supposed to have 4 x tax (having had mastectomy, node clearance, 4 x fec and 20 rads - however,only managed 1 tax and onc has stopped it because the side effects were so severe. So I’m just had 2nd tax replaced with 5th fec -one more fec and that’s all I can have - then a year of herceptin. Given this news I am planning to go back to work when my current sick note expires at the beginning of June - just need the normality (or some sort of normaility!) back.
Nice to hear from someone else who’s coping
good luck with it
Margaret x
Hi Margaret
We have had contact on your other thread when you were starting Tax. What bad side effects did you get apart from the usual? A friend of mine couldn’t have Tax as within 30 seconds of having it she had collapsed so she carried on with the FEC.
I have my 3rd Herceptin on Monday and have had no side effects. I still have the aching joints but think thats the Herceptin and the Tax. I am looking at going back to work beginning of June on a phased return. I called in yesterday and is was great to feel “normal” as you say.
Liz xx
Hi Lizzie
Most of the details are on the No More Tax for me thread lol. I wasn’t allergic to it - managed to get it ok. Had it on Weds 2nd April, but within 2 days I was unable to walk due to severe pain in my feet, my hands went numb, and the skin started peeling off both of them. I was then extremely sick/diarrhoea/temp of 38.2 by friday and admitted to hospital with neutropenic sepsis - no white cells left at all and my body was attacking itself. My halth board protocol dictates tha after such a severe reaction there is too high a risk that I would be permanent disabled if I continued and therefore treatment had to stop. Hence I had fec last wednesday and one more to go.
Margaret
Gosh Margaret - what a reaction to it ! three of my toes on each foot went numb and I have just started to get the feeling back in them. No skin peeling though. I had temp after last Tax and kept putting off going to hospital but by 1 in the morning it hadn’t gone down so phoned the emergency doc who sent me into hospital. But sod’s law when I got there it had gone down !!
After my 2nd FEC my white cells were 0.something and had to have Neulasta after each chemo. Think this didn’t help the aches and pains you get from Tax.
So sorry you had to go through all this and one more to go. Are you for rads after chemo?
Liz xx
On answer to the question about whether or not I have went back full time. My work has been very flexible with me so basically I’m just going to see how it goews. if I’m tired in the afternoon I will go home etc. However I am hoping to be able to do most of my hours other than the week after i get my chemo because it knocks me for 6. My boss has said I can work form home sometimes as well.
I’m lucky that I have a desk job and am not marching up and down on my feet all day, that would have made it impossible.
Mine’s a desk job too Diane - so I’m hoping I will be able to cope. I work for the health board that are treating me lol - so hoping they will look favourably on working from home some days too.
Lizzie - I’ve already had my rads, 20, they were in the middle of my chemo’s - so one more fec then herceptin.
Margaret x
Gosh Magz how did you manage chemo and rads together ?? I had chemo and then 25 rads 2 months later. 3rd herceptin tomorrow.
Liz xx
They weren’t together Lizzie - just stuck in the middle lol. Did 4 x fec, then after the 3 wk recovery from fec started 20 rads, then 2 weeks after rads finished, started the tax - then finished that lol and started the fec again. How’s the herceptin going - i’m hoping to be back at work by the time my herceptin starts so would be interested re any side effects?
Margaret x
Hi,
How long were you off work? Getting treatment plan this week.(everything to look forward to) Working on a farm with a tied house, fairly physical work so I don’t know if I will be able to keep my job.
Sheila
Ah I see now !! No side effects really with Herceptin, except the obligatory runny nose so keep a tissue with you at all times !!!
I still have very achy and hurting joints which I think is side effect of the Tax but also think some could be the Herceptin. The Herceptin doesn’t stop you from doing anything. Just the horrible needle and the relief when the nurse gets it into the vein.
I have been off work since beginning of June last year. I did try to work up to going for surgery. I had mammogram on 19th March and didn’t get results that I had Grade 3 tumour until 3rd May. And that was after me phoning the local centre (it was routine mammo as I am 53) and asking what the results were. Was told they didn’t have them (4 weeks later) as they were short of consultants to read the scans!!! So my surgery was actually on 15th June - nearly 3 months later. Started chemo in August, rads in February and herceptin 17th March. A year on Thursday since diagnosed !!!
I am just sorting out my phased return and using my annual leave from last year plus I want my bank holidays included in that - do you think that a reasonable request?
Liz xx
I’d say it was a reasonable request. I don’t know how you stayed sain waiting that long for your results
Sheila
Thanks. It was a routine mammogram cos of age but I think I had an inkling something was there. I just put it to the back of my mind and went off to my friends in France for a week and there were 2 letters waiting for me when I got back to go for appointments and I sort of knew. But so much for saying you get results back quick. I do know that if there is nothing detected that you get that letter quickly !
Liz xx