Hi. I am now 18 days after my 3rd and last Docetaxel treatment and feel like the bottom has fallen out of my world. Rather than feeling better, every day I seem to just feel worse. I ache all over, my legs are so heavy, my eyesight is dreadful, I have strong heartburn, my bones and joints ache so much and I find myself feeling so depressed even though its Christmas. I had expected to have my 10 days of being bed bound and then an improvement as per the two previous treatments, but oh no. I feel like a disabled person - it is such a major effort even getting up in the morning and I struggle to even manage my own stairs.
I start Radiotherapy in about a week and have to say for the first time am wallowing in self pity and a feeling that I cant cope anymore - all of which is new to me.
Has anyone else found this "going backwards feeling"to be the case? Any tips on how to get through it and start to make progress?
Welcome to the BCC discussion forums, I’m sure your fellow forum users will be along soon with some much needed support. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to give our helpline team a call, they’re here to support you through this. Calls are free, 0808 800 6000 lines open at 9am today through to 5pm (weekdays) and 10-2 Saturdays (Helpline will be closed on New Years’ Day though).
Hi Lindsey.
I’m 21 days after my last Docetaxel (same regime as you) and I’m exactly the same. I was in bed by 9pm last night aching from head to foot, barely able to walk and feet throbbing. Like you, I expected to be well and truly on the up by now. I think it is made worse because psychologically I think it’s all over and done with now so I’m trying to do more… and that just knocks it out of me and makes the aches and pains worse than if I had rested up more. Like you, the stairs are real killers too. I have to decide how much I really want to use the toilet before I venture up to the bathroom. Must be good for the pelvic floor muscles. I go to the supermarket and am conscious that I’m shuffling around like an old woman.
I think other people expect you to be ok now that chemo has ended too. My onc did say that it could be several weeks before I started to feel better… but she failed to mention that I could feel worse first.
Hopefully some veterans will be along soon to give us some idea of when we can expect to start feeling better.