Hi Alsopt,
Lots of good advice from the ladies here- ask questions of your medical oncologist and make decision with them. If you don't see your Medical Oncologist before your next cycle of taxol then let the chemo nurses know because it is their role to ensure it is safe to administer your chemo and they can contact the doctor on your behalf.
I'm just one week behind you with same treatment and the Medical Oncologist warned me to look out for pins and needles/ numbness and tingling (peripheral neuropathy) with the taxol. She said that if function was affected for example: unable to do up buttons then that is when she would manage with dose delay/ modification, or of that didn't work stop the taxol. She explained that benefit of the treatment needs to be balanced with risk. She reassured me that the 12 weeks of taxol is an arbitrary number and that i may not be disadvantaged by stopping earlier. Their bigger concern is that i would be left with a permanent neuropathy which could affect my ongoing quality of life.
I've had increased numbness/ tingling/ pins and needles in hands and feet over the past few days. Feet felt all spongy when i was caught in the rain and tried to make a dash for shelter. When i went in for my taxol yesterday and told the nurses they talked to the Med. Onc who came in to see me and review. She felt it was ok to continue for the moment but will review again next week. She did tell me to take some magnesium tablets and said that there are other medications that can be given for this type of nerve pain. Of course they also have side effects so it is back to the risk and benefit thing again! It is frustrating. I have to keep reminding myself of the thing that is often mentioned on these pages- to take things day by day.
Hang in there.
