Starting Taxotere/Cytoxan in August 2012

FernMF

Hey. I'm new to the site, and beginning Taxotere/Cytoxan on July 31 - first of four rounds, 3 weeks apart. I am interested in your experiences, loving suggestions, prayer. Thanks.

1.3 IDC, triple negative, .8 micrometastases in sentinel, bi-lateral mastectomy, 5/7/2012.

salls41

Sorry you need to ask
Sorry you need to ask this, but for helpful information, this is the right place to be.
I had 6 rounds of Taxotere,adriamyocin,and cytoxan (TAC) 3 weeks apart, then a bi lateral mastectomy. No Lymphnode involvement. I also 3x negative.
Please keep in mind that everyone is different, and we all experience our chemo differently, although we share many of the same experiences. Some had little side effects and others have had pretty serious side effects but the majority of us are middle of the road. For me, I was able to keep my nausea under control with medication, but had little appetite. Nothing tasted as it should. I could not stand the smell of any fragrances. The best thing I can tell you is that you will need to drink ALOT of fluid. Rest when you feel tired. Take care of yourself first. Housework can wait. Do you have a good support system in place? Friends, family? Ask for help when you need it. Try to use plastic ware instead of silverware, it helps some with the taste of food changing. I drank a bottle of water on the way to my infusion appointment and another on the way home, that helped me wuith my hydration. I am sure others here will have alot more advice for you!
Prayers and positive thoughts for you!
Sandy

Penny67

salls41 said:

Sorry you need to ask
Sorry you need to ask this, but for helpful information, this is the right place to be.
I had 6 rounds of Taxotere,adriamyocin,and cytoxan (TAC) 3 weeks apart, then a bi lateral mastectomy. No Lymphnode involvement. I also 3x negative.
Please keep in mind that everyone is different, and we all experience our chemo differently, although we share many of the same experiences. Some had little side effects and others have had pretty serious side effects but the majority of us are middle of the road. For me, I was able to keep my nausea under control with medication, but had little appetite. Nothing tasted as it should. I could not stand the smell of any fragrances. The best thing I can tell you is that you will need to drink ALOT of fluid. Rest when you feel tired. Take care of yourself first. Housework can wait. Do you have a good support system in place? Friends, family? Ask for help when you need it. Try to use plastic ware instead of silverware, it helps some with the taste of food changing. I drank a bottle of water on the way to my infusion appointment and another on the way home, that helped me wuith my hydration. I am sure others here will have alot more advice for you!
Prayers and positive thoughts for you!
Sandy

My experience with chemo
You have definitely come to the right place. I was diagnosed last July with IDC, Stage 2 Grade 1, er/pr+, HER2-. I had a bilateral mastectomy, followed by 5 rounds of taxotere and cytoxan (3 weeks apart), then one month later I had 33 rounds of radiation to the left side. I just had my reconstruction with implants on June 18.

Looking back on my chemo experience, probably 2 of the most important things that I did was drink a ton of water during treatments to make things easier on your kidneys and help flush your system and also gargle with salt water 3-4 times a day to keep mouth sores away. I was pretty fanatical about these 2 things and took really good care of my teeth because I had heard stories about people losing teeth after chemo and I didn't want to be one of those people.

I always ate breakfast the morning of treatment which consisted of eggs and toast and brought along some snacks to eat during chemo. I never lost my sense of taste and really only went easy on the food the first day or two and then just tried to eat very healthy and nothing too spicy. I took the anti nausea drugs around the clock for the first 3-4 days because I did not want to feel any nausea. They gave me compazine and lorazepan. I used the compazine for the first 2 days and then switched to the lorazepan which is an anti-anxiety drug but helps with the nausea and helps you sleep at night. One thing I had issues with were the steroids. I took dexamethazone the day before, during and the day after chemo. I believe it was 4 mg twice a day. The steroids made me gain weight and prevented me from sleeping for the first few nights I was on them. They also caused me to break out in an acne like rash on my neck, jaw line and scalp. I got my doctor to let me cut my dose in half for the final chemo treatment.

I had a fever after the first infusion and had a low white blood count. After I received a Neulasta shot to boost my count, it skyrocketed up and eventually leveled off. I never had a problem getting my red blood count back to normal. After my last infusion I developed a fever and ended up with an infection and was hospitalized for 4 days and pumped full of fluids and antibiotics. I did not work during treatment because I am an elementary teacher and my doctor felt it was best not to be around all the germs. You will probably received a shot called Neulasta the day after your chemo infusion. This is to help your white blood count get back to normal because the chemo really can wipe it out. If the nurses don't tell you, make sure you take a regular Claritin allergy pill the day before, the day of and the day after your Neulasta shot. They have found that this will greatly lesson the bone pain from the Neulasta shot. Since the shot stimulates your marrow to produce white blood cells, it also causes your body to ache and the aches can make you feel like you got run over by a truck. The Claritin helps immensely!

Rest whenever your feel tired and even if you don't. I usually felt good the first day or two and then the fatigue hit pretty hard. It was the kind of fatigue that makes you feel like your whole body is weighted down. With 3 kids at home needing my attention it was hard to rest when I needed to without feeling guilty but they learned to let me sleep. I also had a rule that when they came home from school, the first thing they did was wash their hands. Aside from the mystery infection I had in my body at one point, I was never sick with a cold, cough or the flu the entire time I was going through treatment and by the grace of God my family also remained healthy during that time.

Make sure you take your temperature during chemo and call your doctor if you have a fever. My doctor wanted me to call if my fever was 101 or higher. I made the mistake of waiting when I had a fever on a Sunday thinking I would wait it out and call first thing Monday morning. Well by Monday morning my fever was 102.5 when I got into the doctor and he put me straight into the hospital. I think my white blood count was 1 at that point. I think it is hard to realize the severity of a fever when normally we would just take a tylenol, wait it out and be fine in a few days.

My hair started to come out exactly 14 days after I started chemo. I got it cut chin length at the beginning of chemo so it would be less traumatic when it started to come out. When it started to come out in pretty large amounts, I went in and had my hair shaved but left it about an inch long. I wore a wig when I was out in public, but at home I just wore a soft cotton cap because my head got cold especially at night. As far as the eyebrows and eyelashes, I didn't start to lose them until after my chemo was done and I never lost all of them. They just got very sparse. My last chemo treatment was December 12 and I stopped wearing a wig in public the middle of March. My hair came back in very thick, a little coarse, with a bit of a wave to it. Before chemo my hair was very fine and silky. I actually had to have my hair thinned at my last haircut which gave me a good laugh.

I wish you luck in your journey with cancer. Chemo definitely wasn't fun, but it was doable.

Penny

Gabe N Abby Mom

I did 6 rounds TAC Aug-Dec
I did 6 rounds TAC Aug-Dec 2010, then bilateral, followed by rads...all for triple neg inflammatory breast cancer. You've received some excellent advice that I won't bother to repeat.

I will add that you need to know how and who to contact after hours if you have an issue. I had the numbers in my cell phone. Know what warrants a trip to the ER, and what can just be a call to the advice nurse. What are your doc's/treatment center guidelines on those kinds of calls?

Be sure to talk with the nurses, docs, and us about your side effects. We'll all you help you find ways to deal with them. You don't have to be tough and suffer through side effects, there are ways to ease them.

I will repeat the advice about lots of fluids. I focused on hydration two days before and 3 days after infusions. I liked icy cold Smart Water during treatments because it has electrolytes. Some like to add flavor with a little juice or crystal light, but I preferred it plain. I drank vitamin water when I wanted flavor.

Best wishes to you. Please come back and let us know how you do.

Hugs,

Linda

New Flower

Gabe N Abby Mom said:

I did 6 rounds TAC Aug-Dec
I did 6 rounds TAC Aug-Dec 2010, then bilateral, followed by rads...all for triple neg inflammatory breast cancer. You've received some excellent advice that I won't bother to repeat.

I will add that you need to know how and who to contact after hours if you have an issue. I had the numbers in my cell phone. Know what warrants a trip to the ER, and what can just be a call to the advice nurse. What are your doc's/treatment center guidelines on those kinds of calls?

Be sure to talk with the nurses, docs, and us about your side effects. We'll all you help you find ways to deal with them. You don't have to be tough and suffer through side effects, there are ways to ease them.

I will repeat the advice about lots of fluids. I focused on hydration two days before and 3 days after infusions. I liked icy cold Smart Water during treatments because it has electrolytes. Some like to add flavor with a little juice or crystal light, but I preferred it plain. I drank vitamin water when I wanted flavor.

Best wishes to you. Please come back and let us know how you do.

Hugs,

Linda

Taxotere Cytoxan
I had Taxotere with Cytoxan total of 6 infusions. Constipation was initial side effect for me. Some people have diarrhea, however no one can predict what side effects will occur. I would buy both Imodium and colace in advance to have it handy. I did learn how my body reacted as I undergone this Chemo. Another one was stomach pain. They usually give you Pepcid with infusion, which helped for first 2 days. Then I was taking Prevacid on regularly. As far as work I did not work during my first time around. It was tough regiment for me.
Wishing you minimal side effects and easy time
Hugs

lesjay72

Taxotere/carboplatin/Herceptin
Hey I have my port placed on July 30th with sentinel biopsy. I do not start chemo til August 3rd. My issue is I am a nurse and I need to figure out when to start short term disability but my MD says we have to just play it by ear. I am such a control freak!!

Her2 triple positive. 3.2mm tumor. mastectomy after chemo./Herceptin for 1 year.

Double Whammy

lesjay72 said:

Taxotere/carboplatin/Herceptin
Hey I have my port placed on July 30th with sentinel biopsy. I do not start chemo til August 3rd. My issue is I am a nurse and I need to figure out when to start short term disability but my MD says we have to just play it by ear. I am such a control freak!!

Her2 triple positive. 3.2mm tumor. mastectomy after chemo./Herceptin for 1 year.

See my post
on the thread "Any Advice on Taxotere"
Suzanne

Noel

salls41 said:

Sorry you need to ask
Sorry you need to ask this, but for helpful information, this is the right place to be.
I had 6 rounds of Taxotere,adriamyocin,and cytoxan (TAC) 3 weeks apart, then a bi lateral mastectomy. No Lymphnode involvement. I also 3x negative.
Please keep in mind that everyone is different, and we all experience our chemo differently, although we share many of the same experiences. Some had little side effects and others have had pretty serious side effects but the majority of us are middle of the road. For me, I was able to keep my nausea under control with medication, but had little appetite. Nothing tasted as it should. I could not stand the smell of any fragrances. The best thing I can tell you is that you will need to drink ALOT of fluid. Rest when you feel tired. Take care of yourself first. Housework can wait. Do you have a good support system in place? Friends, family? Ask for help when you need it. Try to use plastic ware instead of silverware, it helps some with the taste of food changing. I drank a bottle of water on the way to my infusion appointment and another on the way home, that helped me wuith my hydration. I am sure others here will have alot more advice for you!
Prayers and positive thoughts for you!
Sandy

Wishing you good luck!

Wishing you good luck!

DianeBC

New Flower said:

Taxotere Cytoxan
I had Taxotere with Cytoxan total of 6 infusions. Constipation was initial side effect for me. Some people have diarrhea, however no one can predict what side effects will occur. I would buy both Imodium and colace in advance to have it handy. I did learn how my body reacted as I undergone this Chemo. Another one was stomach pain. They usually give you Pepcid with infusion, which helped for first 2 days. Then I was taking Prevacid on regularly. As far as work I did not work during my first time around. It was tough regiment for me.
Wishing you minimal side effects and easy time
Hugs

Hoping your 1st chemo went
Hoping your 1st chemo went well for you and that you have no side effects!


Hugs, Diane

DebbyM

lesjay72 said:

Taxotere/carboplatin/Herceptin
Hey I have my port placed on July 30th with sentinel biopsy. I do not start chemo til August 3rd. My issue is I am a nurse and I need to figure out when to start short term disability but my MD says we have to just play it by ear. I am such a control freak!!

Her2 triple positive. 3.2mm tumor. mastectomy after chemo./Herceptin for 1 year.

Good luck and sending lots
Good luck and sending lots of cyber hugs to you!


Hugs, Debby

Alexis F

lesjay72 said:

Taxotere/carboplatin/Herceptin
Hey I have my port placed on July 30th with sentinel biopsy. I do not start chemo til August 3rd. My issue is I am a nurse and I need to figure out when to start short term disability but my MD says we have to just play it by ear. I am such a control freak!!

Her2 triple positive. 3.2mm tumor. mastectomy after chemo./Herceptin for 1 year.

Fern, I was very fortunate
Fern, I was very fortunate in the fact that I didn't have to do chemo, just rads. I am sending you the best luck, lots of support, strength and encouragement to get you through your chemo.

Keep us posted on how you are doing,


Lex

lynn1950

Fern, how are you doing?
Fern, how are you doing? xoxoxo Lynn

survivorbc09

lynn1950 said:

Fern, how are you doing?
Fern, how are you doing? xoxoxo Lynn

Wondering also how you are
Wondering also how you are doing Fern. I pray you are doing well.


Hugs, Jan