Struggling through Chemo

Hey Coastiejas, great to hear from you and great to hear you are coping well with Paclitaxel.
The light at the end of the tunnel is near!! I only have 2 rounds to go and someone is getting excited 😊.
The aches get me too and the fatigue, the fatigue is far greater now than AC but I’ll take that over nausea!! I am having a Dense dose so that may contribute.
mI know what you mean about the tastebuds thing Katie 😩, my mouth is so dry too.
Ive noticed a lot more hand tingling this round but I’ll take it 😂.
Does a mouth wash help with that taste? I’m still taking a probiotic everyday along with Pantoprazol for heartburn.
Are you ladies having your 3rd dose today? 

Hi Ladies 
@Katie46 glad to hear you are going OK. I'm finding this round a bit better, mainly fatigue and a few slight aches. My oncologist did say there could be finger nail issues and suggested dipping your fingertips in vinegar if that happened. @Rona I hope you are going well..

Hi @Coastiejas, good to hear you are doing ok on paclitaxel. This week had been ok for me, little bit tired, mouth is a bit odd, but mouth washes seem to be keeping that under control, no nausea, taste is hanging in there but a bit deminished, sleeping better and no muscle aches this week. My finger nails are a little bit tender, I'm seeing the oncologist today so will let him know.

@Rona hope you are feeling ok after your last treatment.

Hi @Rona and @Katie46
Rona great your scan was normal! Katie good you're feeling OK too!
I had my 2nd paclitaxel today....I am also tolerating it better. Virtually no nausea! I had some muscle and joint aches but they were temporary and eased with panadol and movement.  I'm able to do much more andam trying to build up my strength and energy. I'm finding qigong helpful.... I  did some sessions online with look good feel better. Rona the probiotic yoghurt is working too! Starting to see the light at the end and hopefully you are too!!

It's so strange how differently chemo affects people, I have more energy than AC, but maybe that's because of the lower dose.

That’s great you are feeling up to work Katie, it’s great to get some sort of normality back.
I work in aged care so masks are still mandatory where I am, I have to rat every 3 days too.
Just look after yourself and do what feels right.
I work with about 200 people, we have Residents with Covid atm and I haven’t so much as sneezed.
I train people for infection control and washing/sanitising your hands often is the key 😊.
Ive just walked a flight of stairs to get to my treatment (after an hour and a half of driving 😩) and it really took it out of me, I have very little energy compared to AC but it beats the nausea!

Good luck today Rona, the nurse assured me if I had a reaction they'd be on to it quickly, and generally resume the treatment at a lower speed if they can. I'm going to go back to work for a few days a week while I'm feeling ok. I can work from home, but would quite like to go into the office, I'm only a 5 minute drive so no public transport needed, my husband can drop me in. Too hot to walk at the moment. Do you just wear a mask? I'm concerned about covid more than anything else, there is only 3 of us there most days so I think the risk is minimal. 

Hey Katie, that is great news! I too have had more aches with the Paclitaxel but still prefer it way over AC! I’m still working full time but have to say the fatigue is far greater but I am having a dense dose. 

2nd round paclitaxel done, no reactions during treatment 🥳 still finding this easier, mild muscle aches which panadol sorted, more noticeable at night, the usual insomnia which improved as the week went on and some hot flushes 🥵 all manageable. I have more energy, and much less fatigue, only one tired day, but only a bit tired, not the severe fatigue like AC, I could still potter about and do things. Long may it last.

Great to hear you are feeling ok @Coastiejas, and good luck with your scan @Rona. I'm still feeling much better than on the AC, a few mild muscle aches, but I can take panadol for that if I want to. My sense of taste is the same as on AC, diminished a bit, but still hanging on in there. No metalic taste or anything like that yet.