Hi Sue,
I cant help you with the first drug - the name doesnt ring a bell. But the second one you are going to have, Paclitaxel, is the one that I had for my second round of chemo. I found this drug to much 'nicer and kinder to the body' than the first course. Like you I had it weekly for 12 weeks.
My first drug which was 4 x 3 weekly was Ok until about treatment no. 2, then it started to knock me around. By the 4th treatment I felt like I had been run over by a truck! The treatment and the side effects do get easier (or maybe we just get used to it!).
I had a Port inserted into my good arm during my mastectomy, so I receive all my IV treatments, including Zometa bone strengthener, through this. Apparently these ports can stay in site for many years (talking to a lady during treatment the other day and she has had her chest port for 7 years!!!!!), and are a bit more gentle on your veins. However, whenever I have blood tests, (NOT through the port, as only oncology nurses can access the ports due to the risk of infection), the nurses always tell me my veins are small and awful to access. I dont know if this is from the chemo in general, or just my veins.
All the best with your next treatment and I hope it makes life easier for you!
Di
