More choices and second guessing

Nadi, I understand your reluctance to stop chemo. Can you take a week or two break and see if the breathing improves? Gotta say I had a few weeks where all I did was stay in bed. My breathlessness came on with activity, so I did no activity. Give it some time, then make your decisions when you are feeling stronger. You're not a drama queen, it's really scary. The way you feel now will not last, this will pass, you will be stronger and life will only get better. Hang in there xXx

Hi Tracey, breathing problems come and go but are so bad now they are saying I can't have my final chemo which is due next Tuesday. Don't know about the Herceptin yet. They want to repeat heart tests and have me see a cardiologist. I am reading the same thing as you about many other women having the same side effect on Docetaxel! Why don't they acknowledge this???? Makes me so frustrated because I DON'T want them to stop me from having the next chemo as I know I will worry about the cancer coming back. I had my worst attack of breathlessness yesterday. I was hypotensive with really low blood pressure for about an hour during the attack. I know my dr had said to go to hospital if it happened again but she already calls me 'complicated' and 'a frequent flyer' which makes me feel like a drama queen and then when they don't find anything seriously wrong with me at hospital, it makes me even more reluctant to ever go back. It means a lot that you and Linda remind me that I will get through this because it certainly doesn't feel that way at the moment when i can barely get out of bed. 

So glad you are home Nadine. Docs talked about steroids or diuretics for my breathing problems. Sent to cardiologist & Resp specialist. They did lung function tests which were on low side. As I had just finished chemo they decided against steroids & I literally did nothing for weeks till breathing came good. Seriously, just brushing my teeth left me struggling, so I planned my day with lots of rest. It is scary at the time, but does improve. Wonder if your Onc will give you extra steroids or Phenergan to get you through that last dose of chemo? My docs weren't prepared to reduce chemo dose but did give me an extra week to regain strength before my last dose.

on the good side, while I was warned that this made me more at risk of lung problems with radiation, because of their careful CT planning I had it lying face down and lungs didn't get any radiation at all. YAY!

take it easy, get everyone else to pitch in, now is the time for them to look after you. You will make it through this Nadine ??

Thanks Linda. Other than breast cancer I had to have a lot of CTs for  very bad accident I had last June but they are all adding up. Like I said to Tracey it's reassuring to know that the breathing problem may just be a side effect from the Docetaxal. After chemo I am having 30 sessions of radiation. Really hoping that my lungs aren't affected during that. So far I have been hospitalised for each round of chemo - only 1 more to go and then 13 rounds of Herceptin. Maybe I just have to take it easy until chemo finishes.

Take care, Nadine

Hi Tracey, while I am sorry you had this problem too it is reassuring to know that it isn't just me. I have just had my third round of Docetaxal and only one more to go so I am really hoping I can hang in there. I am also having a further 14 rounds of Herceptin but I haven't heard anything about breathing problems with that. You mentioned your breathing came good after a while. Did you have to take any other drugs? I came home from hospital tonight and even just making dinner I am breathless. 

I know how that feels! I had shortness of breath. Could just about have a shower then get all puffed out. Ct scan, initially to check for blood clots, came back that I had inflammation of the lungs caused by the chemo. Up to that point I had had 3 TAC treatments. I was put on steroids which definitely helped but then it took me months to come off of them. Now currently undergoing 25 radiation treatments and have been warned that this could affect the lungs again. I only remember having a couple of ct scans but then again it could have been more. In the end you are having so much done, you forget exactly what you did have. Chemo brain!

i had 6 chemo treatments in all and was hospitalised for 5 of them. I cAme to dread needles as it was a constant barrage of meds and bloods needed. 

Hang in there, you have done well so far and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I just have 15 more radiations to go. Not that I'm counting or anything!!

linda xx

Hi Nadine, so sorry to hear you are in hospital again. How much more chemo do you have to go? I had breathing problems after Docetaxal and like you had another 2 CTs to check for clots. The docs said they couldn't explain my breathing & heart problems, but in my thinking it was directly related to the chemo. When I read online, a lot of women have had the same problems after Taxal type chemo, so I don't understand why the docs don't see the same connection. You've had such a wrotten time with temps & viral infections, what a bummer your breathing has been affected. Mine took about 4-6 weeks to slowly improve after my last chemo. Hopefully yours will come good soon. Think I've had about 8 CTs in last six months, really sick of them but grateful there's been no bad news from them. The planning CTs for radiation are important, they use them for commuter planning your treatment angles and penetration. I figure between the radioactive injection for sentinel node biopsy, another one for  bone scans,  then 30 radiation treatments, I'm going to glow in the dark anyway. What's another CT scan? Hope you are on the mend soon, hang in there, Tracey??