I'm almost halfway through my taxol cycle and so OVER it. Day 4, yesterday...I borrowed my SILs hedge trimmer and pruned some of the overgrowth from around the house - had a break halfway so didn't push myself hard. Went for a walk in the forest with the family - 3km but over 15 minutes per km so a gentle stroll, really. Came back and had lunch, then spent about 15 minutes raking the morning's prunings into rough piles, making sure I didn't push myself too much. Spent most of the rest of the day laying down because sitting or standing was just too hard and made me feel so crook. I ended up going to bed (as opposed to draping myself decoratively over the couch) at 8:30pm! Bah Humbug!

I’m really struggling too @Sister. I’ve got four more Paclitaxel to go and am finding the lack of energy, breathlessness and now peripheral neuropathy all too much at the moment. So over it and I have 30 doses of radiation to look forward to! Feeling very sorry for myself at the moment but it’s difficult to stay upbeat and positive when you are feeling this way. Unless you have been through it, you just don’t get it!

Thanks @Eastmum And I look to those who have already gone through it and try to see the light at the end!

My mum keeps telling me how well she kept going through chemo (1986), how quickly she recovered and how few problems she had. It's driving me potty. She asks me how I am, I answer (pretty generically now) and then I get ten minutes on how she just got on with it, and how she breezed through recovery. It makes me feel unacknowledged, inadequate and a failure. Bizarre how mums can still get to us, no matter how old we are!

Yes my Dad kept telling me a friend of his breezed through too and couldnt understand how sick i was. Frustrating it made me feel worthless. So i acknowledge everyone some are lucky but most are not due to how our genetics are not because we're weak!

Hey love it’s shitty isn’t it. Im hearing you love. So you have 6 more to go? Let’s count them down and we will climb up this shit covered mountain together. Listen to your body love. You’ve done so well even though you might not feel that way. Hang in there big hug. Margie xx

Chemo still sucks on taxol | BCNA Online Network

kezmusc
Member
7 years ago
He @Sister,

I haven't read the full post but it sounds like you are having a really tough time. Keep your eye on that goal post. You're nearly there lovely. I kept a calendar in my car so as soon as I walked out I could put a big red cross through another week, It's hard to believe when you are going through all this, but time flies and before you know it you'll be a year down the track. xoxo

Wholly shit @melclarity that certainly a rough trot to say the least. So glad you are feeling good now. What a lot of hard work to you had get back there though. xoxox

@Matt It's just another one of those things nobody knows. You might get through without too much trouble.

It's so strange how differently everyone responds to different treatments. I had next to no problems with Paclitaxel, but am getting an absolute flogging on the HT. Fingers crossed for you.
Sister
Member
7 years ago
@Matt Sorry to have alarmed you. You will get there - it's just a real drag. I actually feel better (mentally) for knowing what is going on with my body. The onc telling me that what I'm feeling is par for the course because I'm not having a chance to repair before the next dose and that the extreme fatigue is because I'm so low on red blood cells (and it will be treated if it gets too bad) makes me think that I can get through it. I'm still emotionally low, but this is halfway through so next treatment I'll be on the other side of the hump.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
Hang in there @Matt, some people do better than others, on pretty much all the drugs it seems. You might be lucky. I hope so! K xox
melclarity
Member
7 years ago
@Matt just make sure you convey absolutely everything to your Team each week you go in, as they keep a record of everything. If you handled AC pretty well, you may just be ok with Taxol, you'll only know as you go along. Fingers crossed for you. M
Matt
Member
7 years ago
wow I wish I didn't read this post @Sister :-) I start my first T tomorrow, weekly for 12 weeks after seeing the onc today she warned me it will be different from the ac which I handled well, but what bugs me at the moment, I have to give blood on a weekly basis, I think i'm running out of the red stuff
Sister
Member
7 years ago
I'm sure that won't be "necessary" @Eastmum!
Eastmum
Member
7 years ago
Well @sister I just googled mecassarn - I wanted to know what that was, in case I get it too! hahahahahahaha
Sister
Member
7 years ago
I'm sure my phone does the opposite of autocorrect after I've hit post comment.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
Good. I hate being 'handled'. I much prefer the straightforward telling it like it is approach.
Sister
Member
7 years ago
Just saw my oncology and he said that how I'm geefeel is very normal but that I'm doing well. Extreme tiredness is due to suppression of bone marrow and if bloods show it's mecessarn down the track, I will have a transfusion. He also said that I can expect it to get worse as I go along. Really happy with the honesty even if it doesn't change the outcome.