Thanks for the answers about Neulasta. I was just curious to know whether it was standard.
I have had a couple of close calls with low white cells (I get tested the day before treatment) but both times when i was retested on the day the reading had shot up overnight and treatment went ahead. Funnily enough my BC nurse indicated that Tax was less liable to reduce white cells so it will be interesting to see what happens next time. Being a reluctant medicine taker I’m not keen to have anything that isn’t essential so I won’t be asking for Neulasta unless I get a big delay. I guess if that happens they may suggest using it.
As I’m not working it is relatively easy for me to avoid crowds and sick people (except my own family). Just use the good days to join the “ladies who lunch” which helps keep me sane.
I’m far too lazy to paint my nails and keep them neat. Plus I tend to find that my nails are far less healthy on the few occasions I have used nail polish - lack of oxygen maybe.
Sue, hope the feet problems resolve soon and you can look forward to replanning a visit to Bergen - just remember to take good rain gear as it is one of the wettest places in Norway. We even have a saying “Riktig Bergens vær” which means proper Bergen weather for when it’s bucketing rain. Good luck tomorrow.
Yes, I was signed off work so could avoid crowded places and picking up infections from other people. I became a bit of a hermit and also banished my husband to the spare room if he got a cold/cough. Like you I also took advantage of what I called my “good week” (3rd week after chemo) when I felt livelier and was less likely to be vulnerable to infection to become a ladies who lunched and that helped me keep sane too.
I’ve always been a reluctant medicine taker too. Never even resorted to paracetamol. Anyway, rightly or wrongly, when chemo came along I figured it’s so toxic that adding other medications to combat the side effects would be quite a minor impact compared to the chemo itself.
By the way, I’ve been to Bergen too, and Oslo, Voss and Moss
Very best of luck with the treatment. Hope you don’t have to travel too far for appointments.
I’m glad I’ve found this thread as I start tax on Thurs after 3 lots of FEC. I am just praying that I don’t get the severe nausea I had for 8 days after each FEC. I would rather have pain :(.
Had my first Tax on Tuesday and “touch wood” so far no nausea. Unfortunately I do have vile taste/coating in my mouth, achy body and am feeling much more tired than on FEC (had 4), most of which started on Thursday night/Friday morning. Ibuprofen is helping with pain management and sitting on sofa is dealing with fatigue.
Good luck with the tax, I had 3Fec/3Tax, and whilst I had some joint ache it wasnt overly severe, I found it very tiring towards the end of the treatment, but that is common to any chemo. Take plenty of rest when you can and look after yourselves. The tax might make you feel yuccy at times but your oncologist will have put you on it as its the best one for you and its kicking those cancer cells into oblivion
It’s good to hear so many people are having manageable SEs. My mum received her first dose of Taxotere on Tuesday and was in bed for 5 days with pain all over and extreme tiredness.
She has gone in today for tests.
I’m afraid I have to report that I’m not doing quite so well on Tax as I did on FEC.
First 3 days were great except for odd feeling in mouth, next 2-3 days I was exhausted and achy and mouth started to get a bit sore, then rash started to develop on various areas and mouth became really sore by day 8. Got xylocaine for rash (helped a bit) as I was starting to tear skin which is really scary when you know you’ve got a reduced immune system. Also Duseldorf Mixture which i think is magic mouthwash (good stuff). Next day I was worse. Felt like really bad flu, no appetite and couldn’t get out of bed. Temp started going up over 38. Told to take paracetamol and temp again after an hour. Call again if it went over 39. Glad to report it didn’t but over the next 4 days it went up and down like a yoyo especially in the evening. Was thoroughly miserable and useless. Glad to say OH stepped up to the bat and cooked, washed and ironed like a good-un.
However, glad to report they did know best and things seem to be getting back to some semblance of normal since yesterday (day 13). Rash is almost gone. Temp is around 36.5 which seems to be my norm. Mouth is much improved. Still completely exhausted but managing to shower and eat again. Unfortunately now the membranes in my nose seem to have peeled off and I’m getting lots of blood from my nose so don’t know how long that may last.
Lasting another 3 of these could take some doing. Just have to keep in mind that it will be worth it in the end.
Hi, I had 4 x EC followed by 4 x TAX last year. The skin on my feet and hands peeled off in sheets and the pains in my feet and joints made it very difficult to walk on some days. I remember crawling upstairs on my hands and knees then lying on the landing floor for ages trying to recover from the exertion. Tax took my eyelashes and eyebrows and eventually my finger nails. It also left me with numb fingertips and toes, which may, or, may not improve. I had the dose reduced after two sessions but I think that by then the damage had been done. It’s poison and one of the strongest chemo poisons available. Never underestimate what it is capable of doing to your body. Yes, it’s killing off the cancer, but it attacks the DNA and I was told there is no difference between the DNA of the cancerous cells and the healthy cells.
I am happy to be alive, and I am learning to live with the nerve damage that I have been left with. If I had to go through it all again I am not sure if I would agree to TAX again.
I didn’t need to be hospitalised thank goodness but it will be interesting to see whether they can go ahead with my next Tax on Tuesday. Can’t believe it’s nearly time for another one already.
Hi Supertrouper - sorry to hear about your nerve damage. My fingers don’t feel quite normal at the moment so I hope this is just temporary. However, as you say glad to be alive. My hands are looking very reptilian and unfortunately it doesn’t look as if they are going to recover before the next onslaught.
hsimps4 - I do hope your mum is OK. I think they reduce the dose don’t they if the side effects are so severe?
choccy - It’s so s*** isnt it? I am day 9 post first tax poisoning. In agony with back pain and feel like I have trapped all my fingers in a door they are sooo sore. I have swollen up loads too. My tongue feels burnt I keep hanging it out of my mouth - I look like a big fat toad!!! I have never known exhaustion like it either. I was advised to get udderly smooth for skin problems - it’s on amazon - I slap loads on my hands and feet then put plastic bags on top to stop it rubbing off or absorbing into socks/gloves. good luck tuesday I’m thinking of you xxx
Sam
Hi Sam - hope you are now feeling better and some of the SE’s have subsided.
My onc called yesterday morning before my treatment to ask if I was okay with changing to weekly treatments of Taxol as they felt my SEs on Taxotere were so extreme. From the sound of things they hadn’t seen anyone with such bad itching as I had.
So I am now on weekly Taxol and again so far so good. Went out to see some girls friends last night, managed a yoga class this morning and still waiting to see what happens. I’m still feeling very tired but much more able to do bits and pieces about the house as long as I allow myself to snooze in between.
Unfortunately, the weekly arrangement means I now have a further 8 treatments instead of 2 but if I avoid the SEs I’ll go with the flow. Luckily I have good veins so no problems getting the IV in.
