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Maxene_36's avatar
Maxene_36
Member
14 years ago

Treatment Stage 2

Hi all, hope you are all travelling well!

So I have now finished my 4 rounds of AC, and had my first round (of 4) Docetaxel and Herceptin last week.  It was a hard round, for a few reasons.

It took 3 chemo nurses many attempts to access my port, so it took a while and well... ouch.  Then they couldn't draw blood from it because the line was suctioning onto a blood vessel, so to my arm we went (...this is not a good look for me - the world's biggest needle-phobe...)  finally we were there!

I felt really sorry for them - they felt very bad about the whole thing, but the truth of the matter is my port is deep, it takes a 1.5 inch needle to get into it, it is what it is.

So off home ... waiting to see what effects would surface.  I actually felt not too bad.  Joint pain was different to the AC, nails are sore, but overall, do-able... until day 3....

Woke up on day 3 with a very sore right arm (masect & ax clearance on left side) - called clinic, and yep, time for me to visit, so off we go.

Ended up sitting in Emergency for 7 hours!!!  Then admitted with a very large blood clot sitting in my neck near my collar bone on the right side.  Bugger. 

More bad news to come for this little needle-phobe... 2 Clexane jabs a day into my tummy to thin my blood.  4 days later they finally let me out (yay) on the condition that I learnt how to do the daily jab-jab ... for the next 3 months!!!!!  

Has anyone else been on this drug?  Any advice??

Like I haven't had to be super mentally tough lately, now I have to find a way to concour one of my biggest fobias!!!    

On a more postive note, I only have 3 more rounds of the 'hard stuff' before I go to radiation, then the 13 months of Herceptin. 

I'm having a 'function review' of my port in the next week - I'm scared they will want to take it out - especially since I have so much more intravenous chemo to go  (like 16 rounds?) - any thoughts????

Also, has anyone else lost weight while on Docetaxel? I lost 3 kilos in 4 days, and still going.  Main effects, sore mouth and tounge, sore nails, acute joint and bone pain (although less now), sweats, yucky bowel (constant runs), fatigue etc.

Oh well, as each day / treatment passes we come closer to where we need to be. 

Am sending much love to all of my beautiful pink sisters, and look forward to chatting!

xoxox Maxene xoxox 

  

  

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  • Maxene_36's avatar
    Maxene_36
    Member
    14 years ago

    Thanks for your message.  Sounds like we're on the same treatment path.  How many rounds will you be on the Docetaxel?  My oncol said that if I don't manage well with the side effects he will reduce the dosage, but that means instead of having 3 rounds left; I will have to have weekly treatments for 9 rounds... no thanks!! Would rather crawl on broken glass!!!!! I'll get through it - it's actually not nearly as bad as the AC.  Apparently there's no steriods when I go to straight Herceptin, so I'm happy about that.  I think my weightloss is because I have had absolutely no appetite - it's slowly returning tho.  Mouth not too bad today either.

    Whereabouts are you having your treatment?  I don't have a breast care nurse, just my oncologist's rooms & chemo nurses.  But they're great ladies.  What was the problem they had in putting a port in?  Do you have a PICC line now, or do they just go to vein each time?  Is it a normal needle? (he he he - sorry, but I did say that I am a complete needle-phobe!!).  BTW, Rasberry leaf tea and ripe pears seem to help with being bunged-up. 

    Hope you're travelling well!  

    Maxene xoxxo 

  • strawberryk's avatar
    strawberryk
    Member
    14 years ago

    Not good news, hope they find the problem with the port, i am on the Docetaxel also and the sore joints, tongue, mouth  and runs seem to be common, as i have had all those, but am now severly constipated, so taking stuff to undo that, have you spoken to your breast nurse or surgeon about the weight loss? i have put on alot of weight, as i also have lypheodema from my 1st diagnoses, so fluid is always a problem.Like you i have ended up in emergency twice since starting treatment, they treid to get a port in, but mine would not work, so will have to put up with my herceptin for the next 17 rounds with constent jabs. How are you going with your appetite, i am always asking the lovely breast care nurses for advice when uncertain, they have been great, thinking of you with alot of hugs, Kerri