Thank you all for this information!! I was dreading having all the SEs in the world, due to EC being so bad for me previously… Besides the tiredness and trots, I’m hoping I’m one of the lucky ones with TAX this time.
I’ve just done something quite spontaneous for me - I got a couple of gig tickets for SEPTEMBER for my hubby and I… planning over a month ahead is almost non-existent for me… Like I don’t want to jinx the nice things that can happen for me? Well, I got all empowered and thought Stuff It. The gig is 13 days post my 3rd TAX, so I’m hoping I’ll be fine by then.
So, yeah - thank you for starting this thread - it’s VERY reassuring!!
Right, good for you Poannie, stick fingers up at it. I still try and organise things but I always put a caveat on of “if I’m well because it’s close to when I could have SEs if it’s going to happen”.
My next and last (weeping with joy) chemo is on 2nd Aug, my cousins babies christening is on 13th Aug, in the danger zone potentially and it’s not around here. So I’ve said we’re coming BUT if I’m too ill then I’m really sorry. Figure anyone who begrudges you that when you’re dealing with chemo and cancer would be someone you wouldn’t want to be around anyway My cousin will be fine about it, I think it’s more buffet numbers to be honest.
We have a similar problem with my sister-in-law… My 3rd TAX is 3 days before my new nephew’s christening, and we’d need to travel by train from Manchester to Birmingham… not good at the best of times but with Tax Trots? Erm, nope… We’ve basically said that it’s looking like a no, but we’ll see…
It might not happen with the trots - it might. I would talk to your BCN about Imodium. It stopped it dead in its tracks for me. I haven’t “been” though since… eeek. But I’d rather one horrific constipation heavel than every 10 minutes heavel.
Urgh, glad when chemo is over. YOu know if I ever have a recurrence or anything then I’ll be having panic attacks over being given chemo again - I feel traumatised by the last few I really do. I know I react SE wise to them BIG TIME, one of those unlucky ones (why is that always me)
Thanks for the advice re Immodium - my hubby had the same thought tonight.
I’ve got another 2 TAX then they’re scanning me to see if it stabilising my mets. I’m a walking disaster! Had both breasts removed in 2007, then a few months later had a proximal femoral replacement on my right thigh as they found secondaries in my bones - fast forward to now and it’s in both sides of my pelvis (I need my left hand side completely replacing, plus femur too) left ribs, sternum, spine, skull and minor brain mets. Been on hormone therapies galore, Xeloda and EC… as all that (granted, the hormone therapies controlled it for 3 and a half years) didn’t work, they’re firing me with the ‘rolls royce’ of chemo in the vain hope the little buggers stop growing!!
I know that my situation could be far worse than it is - I keep saying that as long as my squishy scans come back clear, I can cope with my boney scans!!
Jesus H Poannie, that sounds like years of hell Poor you!
Thats a lot of stuff!
Medically I’ve only been going through a year of stuff before this happened, with a miscarriage, PCOS and fertility treatments which was no walk in the park and sent me loopy. When he told me “I’m afraid we found cancer cells” I first said “what???” and then looked in horror at my shocked OH and said “Oh noooooooo, now THIS??? SH*T” and then I said Eff, sorry, Oh Sh*t, sorry and then stunned silence and a “no waaaaaay”.
Gruelling stuff for a lot of people on here with other stuff that they’ve had pre cancer diag.
I totally dread this ever coming back I really do. It’s already robbed me of a potential family as well.
BTW I’ve also heard Taxotere is the Primo Chemo (as I like to call it) - so in some ways I’m very grateful for that, but in other ways (SEs for me) I’m not But if it keeps this away for good then it’s worth every agony and there are poor people out there in far worse situations.
Your initial reaction, Kat, reminds me a bit of mine. The doc came out with the “I’m sorry to have to tell you the news that noboby wants to hear, we found cancer”
I turned to OH, said just one word quietly, “F**k”. then turned back to doc and calmly said, “sorry about that, please carry on”.
One always wonders how on earth one would cope with hearing those words. I always thought that everyone would simply burst into tears and collapse.
I was strangely cool; kinda detached I guess, after having had very bad health diagnosis the year before, like you, I just felt that nothing else bad would come but it got worse on that day.
Just to add to the positive bit, I’ve found that I feel BETTER in the good week on Tax than I did on FEC… Doing loads this week and “almost” feeling “normal” (whatever that is!)
Wow just reading all of your comments re tax, tho i ended up in hospt due to low blood press and high temp i coped better than when on FEC, that was pure hell for me - tho tax was not easy and the injections and the pain they caused on top of the pain from tax in the bones felt 190 yrs old but not sick which godsend, I too heard its the primo of chemo, i hope so, cant go thru it again and yes it does take over ur life, becomes ur life, every time i want to do something i have to check my c word schedule, it seems so long since dx in December when my OH too said oh F%^K and then the consultant had to carry on when i started to breathe prop, i will never forget it or the wonderful people i have met on here who help u thr who really do totally “get it” re se’s, thank u to everyone, and love and positive thoughts to those still being poisoned. I start rads on Mon, 23 lots. 15 to whole breast and 8 to scar area.
Shar xxx
FEC I had heartburn/indigestion, a burning at the back of my throat, some tiredness, and chemo mouth.
TAX was a whole CAN of whoop ass for me, real intense pain and misery. One thing that’s not happened so far is throwing up, not done that once, I’ve had very bad nausea but no upchuck. Seems it’s “Other end” related
Could have wept with joy earlier today when I went to the loo “Normally”, no cramping, no tearing, no pile interference either, no hardness, no liquid, just normally healthy “there you are” experience.
One more Tax to go, 2nd Aug then I’m done with it. Rads next.
another Well done to El Katrano for starting this thread. I had FEC-T back in 2009 and read the forums before hand - I was petrified of the T part of FECT. My FEC wasn’t too bad - mainly a bit of sickness, controlled in cycle 2, constipation - controlled by cycle 3.
My T experience was awful but I had septicemia at the same time so don’t really know which caused me most problems, but the combination in terms of pain - morphine is my bestest friend - I remember crying out for it!! - and I only had 2 cycles as the oncologist decided cycle 3 would cause more potential problems in view of my state of health than the benefits it might bring.
If I have to I’ll do it again - I don’t relish the idea but I’ll do anything to get the better of this awful disease. At the time I cursed people who scared me with nails falling off and all the more extreme side effects for scaring me needlessly, but frankly had no strength to post and by the time I did - months later - I had other priorities - like getting a life back!! Problem is, I’m still trying - but that’s another story!!
I know posts don’t often get stickied here, but I’d like to see this one done so - in time it will drop and more people wil be scared like I was - if this is always at het top it gives a kind of ‘health warning’ to those who follow in our footsteps in years to come.
Just to say yes I’ve felt awful on Tax and have been in hospital for each cycle. (Only had 2)
I’m not going to go into the list of side effects I’ve had as this is meant to be a reassurance thread and they have been covered by others but I was given an ultrasound on Tuesday and my lump was previously 1.5 cm x 1.4 cm and after 2 cycles it has shrunk to 0.5 x 1.2 cm so as much as I’m not relishing the next dose I am so delighted to see it is working so well.
Hope its works well for you all too.
Key to remember as well that if it works then it’s all worth it, it’s hard to see that if you’re going through some horrendous times with it, but you know, my best mate died in childbirth, had to be resusitated, had a horrible time, years of backache afterwards etc, this was with her 1st child, she’s had 2 more since. WHY? it was so tough for her, but she really wanted a family!
And WE really want to LIVE, so we’d do it again if we had to, we’d just rather not have to suffer like h*ll with it if avoidable!
I could jusy jump in here with my size 8’s!!! I agree, well done EK original post, now some know but for those who don’t this is my second BC journey with 14 years in between, I had MX/recon, chemo then 6XCMF, I had thought I had done my time but cancer had other plans, I originally went to college whilst having my first lot of chemo…that said I was told by onc that this time the reccommended FEC/TAX I am now enduring was a lot stronger( this time had spread to lymphs)
yes Ive lost my hair but it will grow back, sad to have lost more than a few eyelashes,invested in falsies…if only I could put em on!!! with the FEC I was sick with 2nd & 3rd but with the 3rd I caught a s&D bug off the kids! My little girl (7) aptly described FEC as 1 week sick ( mostly a bit queezy) 1 week tired and one week back to normal, Tax… well the first one was a bit of a shock, I think I did too much … the day of TAX and the day after…( taking steroids) WOW what energy…I cleaned everywhere and then some… mistake for me, I was awful for the next 5 days…and then I welcomed the tax truck! however this time I learned a lesson from that and though I enjoyed the steroid up I was sensible, I got some good painkillers ( and whatever else needed to cope with se;s) of doc and apart from the taste thing all’s been well…I’m even full of cold and doing ok …so chin up to all who may be worrying… most of us survive fairly well with helpful medicines!!! I’ve done it…almost… Twice, Lots os love Jeanette
ps anticipate the pain and deal with it ahead, nails sensetive but ok
PPS after the first fight with BC (I was 34) and even though I was told would prob not have kids…I went on to marry and at the grand old age of 39 had a beautiful baby boy followed 20 months later by a gorgeous girl!! YOU see it IS all worth it!!!
yes it IS worth it and im living proof after ending up in hospt, dreading tax and finding it better than fec, everyone used to say its doable and it really is though tough, there is light at the end of the tunnel, someone once said that we are our own light. and tho tough we are all here for each other, and a few threads i started have helped others just like El Katrino has started this one, cyber hugs all around Shar xx
My cousin will be fine about it, I think it’s more buffet numbers to be honest.
Poor you!