Hi ladies and gents - I am looking for inspirational stories for those who had fec and then tax. i have had 3 fec and my first tax of 3 starts tomorrow. have read alot of stories, which glad i am prepared but still scared stiff!!! I have my purple nail varnish ready, frozen peas for fingers and toes, pineaple - fresh, plus juice, pain relief,sorbet and ice cream (taste was vile on fec3 and the chemical smell of my!!) Have been advised not so sick on tax and se’s dont come till day 3 or 4… even that if bad fec tax is better. tho on fec never had the sore mouth or thrush, my nails long and strong, weight fell off not put on the only bad fec se is the tiredenss, such fatigue i could hardly move, plus very sick, the anti sickness made me sicker so had to stop taking them. my immune took a hammering, but tho plummeted to 0.1, it would suddenly after a course of injections shoot up to 3.7 and thats the n’phils not the white blood count which was 5 something or other…
Just looking for some tips and advice really, got advised to keep hands/feet moisturised with aloe vera as better than the aqueous cream if nail bed gets infected…
Shar xxxxxxxxxx
i was so worried about starting tax but it was ok not entirely se free but for me was better than fec cos no sickness hope you are the same take care love rachel x
Tax was ok ish. Only a bit of numbness and tiredness. No sickness. Nails are fine.
x sarah
thank u both, so better than fec? did u paint ur nails or do the frozen peas thing, is that why they ok or did u just go for it? xxx how may tax have u had? have heard the nails go bad after a few sessions? i dont know. i know we are all different, i have the pain killers ready and took the steriods today. hope i dont put weight on, not over weight but lost a stone of fec and like being this weight Shar x
Hope things go well for you tomorrow Shar and that your SEs are minimal - it does seem to depend on individuals so much; you sound very prepared so hope it’s like taking the umbrella in case of rain and that you don’t need most of these preparations.
Hi Shar
I hope all goes well tomorrow and Tax is kinder to you than Fec. i now have a start date for my chemo CMF 31st May dreading it!), i must go and buy myself a tent and pitch it up outside the dark wood.
take care
Terri
Thanks Francesw and Teri52 xxxxxx see u in the woods Terri when u join us good luck and look forward to next shropshire meet!! x im def ready, nails painted, sorbet in freezer, got peas for feet and hands, got painkillers, and got postive thoughts from fam friends website and my gorgeous other half xxxxxxxxx thanks to everyone, tho rogue cells for re tax, i cant believe and any rogue cells must surely be gone after 3 fec xxxxxxxxxxx
Hi
I also had FEC and Taxotere.Was really sick on FEC but found Tax much easier to cope with.Didn’t have any nausea and my hair even started to grow back.Worst thing was probably just tiredness and losing eyebrows and eyelashes,quite a few times.Painted nails dark purple and kept them in icy cold water during infusions and apart from a couple of split nails they were fine.
Hope you get on OK with it.
Tracy
Thanks Tracy, so glad there are some people who have good things (as good as it can be i mean lol) about tax, u say ur about yr eyebrows and lashes, did they fall out then grow back and then go again. Done my nails purple, got my frozen peas ready to pad around toes and hand but may ask them for bowls of cold water too if they can xxxx
Well time to go to catch the tax truck, didnt sleep tho have not slept well for a while since chemo began, got a headache, i know i will be fine, its just the thought, had 3 fec and now feel im starting again not knowing what to expect, will i have allergice reaction like someone did that i know.i feel quite calm just sickly and headache… catch you all later, thanks again for your support Shar xxx
Good luck Shar x
Hi Shar
Yes the lashes and brows fell out after first tax and came back and fell out again 3 times.Have now got all lashes and brows back and finished chemo Sept last year.Wished my hair would grow as quick, but then I am on Herceptin so it is supposed to slow hair growth.Prob be about 3 inches long now but v curly and v dark.Had a few hair extensions put in to make a fringe.
Hope it went well today?
Tracy
Hi Shar
I agree with the people who found tax better. I had 6 FEC and was very sick and nauseous (I hate throwing up more than anything, I think!). Severeal years later had 6 tax - I was dreading it but it WAS better than the FEC - not sick at all but did get some back pain. If you get pain then take painkillers straight away (panadeine was good) and don’t let it take hold. Good luck
Mo
Hi everyone, thanks for your messages, yes went well today though thought may not have it cos bloods had gone down to borderline after yest blood tests so had to have another test this morn and then had to wait for results so that added on 2 hours- lots of hot flushes but like Choccie Muffin said thats the steriods,was dreading having allergic reaction but didnt so all was well just at the end when they took the cannula out the bruising came fast and it swelled up! anyway, im antipating side effects, tho the hospt say they have a gooed record of no mess with nails no losing nails just maybe brittle but not any of the black nails, i have painted purple and went with frozen peas for my nails hand and toes, just hope the pain killers work if i need them think someone said 24 -48 hrs for side effects to kick in—no sickness sor far, dont know if that willcome. someone suggested Talika products for eyebrows and lashes, has anyone heard of this? Shar xxx
Thank you Mo - i have ibuprofen and parcetamol/co codamol 500/30 which i had after my lumpetomy. do i take before hand as preventative measure of wait till pain to just start? also re tablets they gave me to antibiotics to take on day 5 after chemo to prevent infection, along side the immume injections of which i have 9 this time and wbc plumets and then goes sky high!!!Shar xxx
Bad taste help! on Fec 3 had awful chemical metal taste and smell, then on tax 1 had sore tongue now better but replaced by the most awful bad taste i can not get rid of no matter what, please help!!
Shar xx
Hi Shar
I’ve just had my last Tax and everything tastes of salt!!I keep using my mouthwash but thats not getting rid of it,also my mouth and tongue are really sore.
Helen x
I was the same on tax everything tasted of metal. Now I am finished everything tases of salt. Ive been eating bland foods like chicken and rice and not putting salt in anything. My lips always taste salty.
Only thing not affected is chocolate which I never used to eat. Now I can happily munch away all day
I found FEC easy to cope with, although the third dose made me very fatigued for about 5 days. Tax was a different story for me as I suffered the side effects at the extreme end of the scale and was pretty much in bed for most of each cycle; also in isoaltion for a week at the end. My onc told me they sometimes found that those who are OK on FEC have a hard time on Tax and vice versa. However, once they got a handle on the side effects it wasn’t so bad, mot fatigue than anything. My OH took me for the treatments and after every one would say “right, well done,that’s another one done, only x more to go”. This really helped me.
I’d also say that despite the problems I had it was worth it as I’m almost 5 years down the line from diagnosis. Just hang in there and if it’s horrible use any kind of diversion therapy you can, I learned to meditate. I’m also lucky enough to live by the sea and even on colder days my OH would take me to look at the water. If it was cold I sat in the car, but it was very calming.