First Blog
I am 57 and was diagnosed with DCIS grade 3 and invasive in April this year.Thank god it didn't get into the nodes.I have had 2 lumpectomies and 3months of chemo and am upto my 3rd week of Taxol. I am finding I am getting very tired with the Taxol and am considering not continueing with it.I still have 6 weeks of radiation to look forward to once the chemo is finished.I have been very positive and strong up until now and I wonder if there is anyone that could let me know about their experiences with Taxol.
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I had my 4th Taxol last Friday and spent most of yesterday in bed, I could not stay awake. It has been like this from the 1st one, I seem to have 2 days where I am very tired, so I'm thinking this is the way it's going to be until number 12. I had AC for 4 rounds and really the fatigue on Taxol seems to be the same as AC. It can start to get you down, but as each week goes by it means you are closer to the end. I have 5 weeks of radiation after this as well.
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HI nellsbell
Welcome to the site and I'm sure you will find all the wonderfully strong ladies here a huge support. i certainly have.
After a mastectomy and 4 lymph nodes removes in May, I am also part way through my chemo before 6 weeks of radiation and then hormone therapy. My first 3 chemo treatments were FEC and then last one I changed to Docetaxel, which is a taxane, as is toxol. I am still coming to terms with the incredible difference - I have been very strong and positive up until now but this one stopped me in my tracks. I haven't been able to do much at all and it is only now, 10 days on that I'm managing to do a few basic things without sitting down for a rest part way through. The fatigue has really hit me.
I'm just hanging on to the fact that I only have 2 more of these to go and that radiation isn't nearly as bad on the body. I know and expect fatigue may hit again particularly towards the last couple of weeks but I'm sure it won't be as much.
I hope you manage to work out a plan of attack that works for you and keep thinking of that end of the chemo point when you can say well the fatigue was worth it to get this cancer out of my body.
Take care, Dette xxx
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Hi Dette,
Thank you for replying to my blog. Your experience sounds very much like mine . I handled the first 3 months of chemo really well and I have only had 2 doses of Taxol with another 10 to go and already I am finding the fatigue hard to handle as I am a very active person and don't like asking for help. I don't know if I will have the courage or strength to continue it. This morning I had a nose bleed which scared the heck out of me so I rang my care nurse and she told me it was very common to have nose bleeds. Great !
This is the first time I have ever posted a blog so I hope I am doing it right.
Thanks again , Nellsbell
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Hi Daina, Thanks for replying to my blog and for the information on the Help section, I am sure I will be making use of it as I go through my treatment.
Tale Care , Nellsbell
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Hi Lutte,
Thanks for replying to my blog. I did well on the first 3 months of chemo and was told that I would have more energy on the Taxol. Thay got that wrong ! I have read that if you do some light excersie it helps with the fatigue but how do you get enough energy to exercise when every day chores make you so tired? I have put on 5 kilos which is very upsetting as I have been able to keep my weight in check in the past. I am always sooo hungry and tend to eat to try and pick up my energy levels.
Take Care, Nellsbell
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Hi Nellsbell, i had 4 AC chemos then 12 Taxols and 33 radiation treatments and still doing herceptin 3 weekly.
It is a hard slog but you can do it you will find strength from within to continue.Like you i was very fit and active i am only 40 and it knocked me around.I found i had to ask for help and that was the hardest thing to do.I stopped working which was probably the hardest thing to deal with.But if it all works then it is worth it to try and continue.
The fatigue aches and pain really messes with you and i had nose bleeds as well and still have the occasional one now.Your body needs rest and water. I likened it to being pregnant and went with what my body needed.If i craved something i ate it if i needed to sleep i did. when people mention fatigue i thought oh ok i will be a bit tired.But i never expected it to be like it was sleep didnt fix it and i didnt have the energy to exercise or walk.I felt like an old lady.
But i survived it and it was a shocking time.However im glad i did continue with it even though i wanted to just give up.I found a strength i didnt know i had and i respect and am in awe of every person that has to go through cancer its a tough as battle.
I can happily say i am back at work, i still get fatigued but its managable.I still have aches and pains but i think thats the hormone drug i am on and hope that settles down.And i am getting married in 2 weeks!!!
You have the strength and the courage we all find it some how.I hope you have a network of people you can rely on.If it was someone you knew going through you would want to help tham as im sure there are people in your life who want to help you.Please dont be afraid to ask for help.
Good luck Nellsbellxxx
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Hi Annie2, Thank you for replying to my blog I am very new to this. I was taking HRT for about 5 years and stopped in April so I think that I will be suffering menopause symptons as well as the symptoms from the Taxol. That's going to very hard as I had a very difficult time going through menopause so I had to go on HRT to keep sane. I suppose I may as well get it all over and done with at the same time. Today I have number 3 of the Taxol and no steroids thank goodness as I think that contributes with the weight gain.
That's a lot of radiation you have to have. One of my relatives was having radiation and was told to take deep sea shark liver oil as it helps to protect the skin and it worked and everyone he knows that has taken it didn't burn. I have mine ready to start taking a week before starting.
Take Care xx
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Yes Nellsbell, you are doing it right (and well) and You sound very much like you will have the strength to get through this despite the challenge. I suspect that the closeness of your Taxol treatments might have an impact - I now know I need the 3 weeks between each Docetaxel.
The blood noses - I started 2 days after my first chemo and have at least a couple a day! I have had a couple of days' break around treatment time each cycle!! Not pretty if you've 'dashed out quickly' minus hanky or tissue!!
Take care, Dette xxoo
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Three weeks of Taxol down and 9 to go. I managed to do a 30 minute walk on my treadmill yesterday followed by some streatching and it felt good as I havn't been able to do anything for months. I am a bit tired today so am not going to push myself. It takes alot to make me cry but my beautiful daughter brought a tear to my eye yesterday as I was going to take myself to the hospital for my treatment as I don't like to put anybody out and she insisted that she take me which meant alot to me as it is nice to have some one with you. Have you suffered from hot burning soles of your feet ? I have to tie cold packs to my feet so I can go to sleep.
Question - When I reply to your message can it be read by other bloggers ? I don't mind but as I said I am new to this .
Staying strong , Nellsbell xxoo
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Well done you! I know that I get very antsy if I don't get out for my walk each day! i cope with 1 day but that's about it - mind you on the very tries days just after chemo they are very short and flat! Today was lovely though as I was feeling good, the weather agreed and I got to take my granddaughter in her pram for almost an hour.
I don't have the burning soles of my feet but my toes! In fact I have blisters on every one of them and several on the big toes! This is making walking less comfortable and I whip the shoes and socks off very quickly - thank goodness the weather has improved enough that I'm not frezzing in thongs. The oncologist and nurses have stressed to keep using sorbelene or similar in lashings and it does seem to be helping (as does hanging my feet out the side of the bed at night!!).
What a wonderful gesture by your daughter - they tend to have the uncanny knack of break our steely reserve sometimes don't they? Both one of my sons and my daughter came from the other end of the state (4hours) to take be for my last treatment - huge treat!!
Yes I think when we actually reply to a message others can read but they don't get a message notification.
Hugs and as much strong vibes as possible coming your way.
Dette xxoo
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Yes,Taxotere is very hard on you.At least that was my experience last year.After the first round I ended up in isolation ward with no white cells-very ill. I made the decision not to continue chemo and my doctor was ok with it.I had had a mastectomy and no node or body involvement.He said Tamoxifen would help me more anyway as my cancer was eostrogen +ve.I had radiation back in 2003 for my first bout of cancer and I can tell you that it's alot easier on your body than chemo.Don't worry too much about exercising unless you feel up to it.Cut yourself some slack and eat what you feel like -don't go crazy though! Most of us put on some weight but it will come off when you are in the right headspace.Yeh those hot flushes are a night mare.I'm 56yrs old and it's been going on for 9yrs.Just when they were improving Tamoxifen crancked them up.Anyway I now take a very low dose antidepressant(endep 10mg)and it helps keep them to a minimum.
Tonya
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I have had my next weeks Taxol dose cancelled because the oncologist is worried about peripheral neuropathy which can lead to permanant nerve damage. The doctor will decide what to do after my appointment with him next Thursday so he will weather to cut back on the dose or stop it altogether. I have to admit I won't be unhappy if he stops it and then I can move on to radiation. The chemo was mainly preventitive as there was none in the nodes.
How special are the grandchildren, just their love and hugs can make you feel sooo much better !
Hugs back
Nellsbell xx oo
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