Breast Cancer Now Forum

That should read docitaxol number 2 🙂 ... View more

Hello ladies! I'm five days post docitaxel number 5. My first docitaxel was definitely worse for throat, mouth ulcers and bone pain, although the bone pain is ramping up now. The mouth ulcers were horrendous for me on the first docetaxol but barely errupted on this one. However, my throat feels more "coated" and taste is not what it was. The fluey symptoms have been worse for me this cycle, although the positive is that they kicked in on day 4 rather than day 3! But the fatigue...oh my goodness, completely whacked all the time. Spending a lot of time horizontal as the smallest things are tiring me out...even walking to the post office earlier I found myself having to remind myself to put one foot in front of the other! It's a long tough journey, but each cycle is one step closer to the end, and my last cycle is due on 20th August. Suddenly, the end is in sight, whereas when the chemo was all marked out and planned way back in April thd finish line seemed such a long way off! Second planning appointment at Radiography on Monday, which is also another step forward. Keep positive, ladies. Sarah xx ... View more

Hello!   Having completed 5 out of 6 chemos following two operations I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and have my planning appointment for radiotheraphy on Monday.   I'm a left breaster, so will be doing the breath holding technique. Originally it was going to be 15 sessions, but I have had an extra week of boosters added on to the end, so 20 sessions altogether.   Sarah x   ... View more

@Hets67 I was given fluconazole steroids for a really sore ulcer filled mouth while on Fec. I didn't use them at the time as I wanted to see if they would resolve themselves with just Difflam, and they did. However, my mouth and throat were so bad on docetaxol that I took the whole 5 day course and they really did work xx ... View more

Thank you so much for the replies and reassurance. I was so pre occupied with getting through and googling all things chemo that radiology just seems to have crept up quietly and very quickly! I have read a few posts about wearing a snorkel and a peg on the nose??? Sarah x ... View more

Hi, JemPD! I can sympathise with the bone pain and am sending you a virtual hug. It will pass. For me, the side effects kicked in on day 3 with horrendous mouth ulcers and a sore throat. The next day the bone pain started, with the worse days being 5 and 6. But by day 8 all side effects had subsided, except for the night sweats and fatigue, which seem to have continued all cycle. I have my second docetaxol - and 5th of 6 chemos - on Monday. Hope you feel better soon, Sarah x ... View more

@Hets67 I think I may be first over the chemo finish line, barring hiccups, as my last chemo should be 20th August. And then a three week break before 20 rads sessions - it was supposed to be 15, but at the radiology appointment on Monday they'd added a fourth ''booster'' week, which threw me a bit as I had a finish date in mind. xx ... View more

@JacB - so sorry your liver reading was wonky, delays must be so frustrating!   Has anyone found the crashing fatigue worse the more sessions we have? I'm on course for my 5th of 6 on Monday - docetaxol - but this week I'm stuggling big time with fatigue!   Sarah x ... View more

Hello! Hoping everyone is having minimal side effects and enjoying the sun. For the first time I can see the homeward straight, after my first radiology appointment this afternoon. I have my 5th of 6 chemo sessions on Monday, and am being measured up and tattooed ready for radiology on the 6th August. It's all coming around quite fast now! The only negative was that the original 3 weeks radiation has been extended to 4 weeks, as the doctor said it was "a particularly nasty cancer" which threw me a bit. But I can do an extra week! Sarah xx ... View more

Oh my! @TraceyMac hope it goes well at the dentist and there's no delays. xx ... View more

@Tanya...hope you feel better soon. It does pass quite quickly, although that's no comfort at the time. For me it passed on day 7, yesterday. But by far the worse days for me were days 5 and 6. I cried with the sheer pain and lack of sleep on Saturday night, was an emotional wreck all day Sunday, but then Monday rolled around and I woke up feeling quite human again, except for the mouth ulcers. Those have been excruciating this time around, and my tongue turned yellow and furty overnight. But the flucozole steroids are doing their job on those. Sarah xx ... View more

Hi Tanya! Hope you're still feeling okay. I'm a few days ahead of you on the dreaded T, docetaxol. Just be prepared for the crash on day 3, after the steroids stop. So different to FEC, after having next to no symptoms for the first two days after, except steroid induced lack of sleep, I woke up on day three with bone pain, mouth ulcers, a burning throat and have now, on day 5, developed a particularly grimy looking furry yellow tongue! I've resorted to paracetemol every 6 hours or so, worse at night, and hoping it passes after a week or so. I also have a bruised feeling in my thumbs, which makes peeling celotape difficult. Sarah xx ... View more

@leanne17 I can't remember the vein whisperer's name but he's really good and all the nurses turn to him when they come across iffy veins. He's the only male nurse I've seen at the unit and he's always worn green when I've seen him. Definitely worth asking for him. The scorching is pretty awful, it's felt bruised to the touch aswell as when stretchjng my arm all cycle. I was advised to use an ipuprofen gel, which is soothing, and to keep an eye out for swelling in my hand incase of a blood clot, but my hand is fine. Hope you're enjoying your holiday! Sarah x ... View more

Hello! I haven't been on for a while, distracted by the sun 🙂 Yesterday was my fourth session, where I swapped over to docitaxol after three FECS. To say I was apprehensive is an understatement, as it's the step into the unknown sude effect wise. Plus, I haven't really heard anything positive about docitaxol. Veins were an issue this time around. I have plebitus in one vein, rendering it unuseable and tight when I stretch my arm sideways. The doctor said it was probably scorched from the FEC. However, luckily there was a vein whisperer on site who managed to get a vein to play ball after the nurse had one failed attempt! So, one day later and buzzing from the steroids I have yet to feel any side effects at all, as opposed to FEC, which sent me crashing into wooziness and fatigue after just a couple of hours. Although I am fully expecting a crash tomorrow when I stop the steroids tonight. Sending a big hug to all you lovely ladies and hoping side effects are minimal. Sarah xx ... View more

Hello Ladies! Apologies for being silent all week, found this third cycle very tough emotionally. I didn't want to post while I was feeling so wiped out, but today....hopefully...I feel I'vd turned a corner. It's a funny thing, being half way through. I'd expected to feel upbeat, so the shock of feeling so emotionally fragile instead came as a shock. Apparently it's quite common to have third cycle blues! I'd woken up with a headache, hadn't slept properly...noisy new neighbours...plus chemo was delayed by nearly two hours, so that didn't help. I also had vein issues for the first time...bruising up the arm and a bit of "scorching" whichh is common with a buildup of fec cycles. But by far the worse this cycle has been the continuous feeling of crashing fatigue and just wiped out. I have had to rest every couple of hours! The second day I must have slept 20 hours! Very disconcerting. Plus, my arm is bruised and a bit sore up various parts of the veins, which doesn't bode well for the next bout. And the next bout is docitaxel, with a huge amount of steroids and different side effects, so apprehensive about that. Sending a big hug to everyone, Sarah xx ... View more

@joanandbasilthedog I can recomment the Seasalt headbands. They're tubular when stretched out and cover the whole head effortless, with no need to fiddle with ties. I bought quite a lot of head coverings, but these are by far my favourites as they're so versatile, airy, light and come in so many different styles. Sarah xx ... View more

Hello, ladies! Hoping side effects have been minimal. I've just finished my third bout of fec...halfway through!!!...docitaxol next. I thought I'd feel positive and upbeat at reaching the halfway stage, but I appear to have spent most of the day bursting into tears quite randomly. Wasn't prepared at all for the massive emotional swings today. Sarah xx ... View more

@TraceyMac - I also found the symptoms more intense on the second cycle. For me they lasted one day longer than the first and then settled.   Re:hair - I'm not coldcapping, but as my hair seemed to be gradually thinning all over I initially planned to let it all go naturally. However, a week after the second cycle it seemed to be stuck on 30% and a combover where my parting had widened considerably, so I had it all shaved off and was much happier.   With hindsight I left it a week too long,  as for the last three days before the shave I couldn't bare to look in the mirror, whereas now I'm happy to rock bald with a headband 🙂   If you are waivering, the apprehension and fear of the shave is much worse than the reality. Or - if you follow the pattern I did - it seems to stop shedding after the first week of the second cycle. I don't seem to have lost any more hair since the shave - a number one crew cut - although when it sheds naturally it probably won't regrow until the end of chemo. How much hair do you think you've lost?   Sarah x ... View more

Hi, Linda!   I'm shaving them as normal in the bath, but being extra careful and it seems fine xx ... View more