Advice on caring for my wife, 1st round of AC chemo.
My Wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She has a large tumor in chest and one small bone met at the base of her skull. The doctors are still treating with intent to cure though since she is young and only has the one spot of metastasis. Starting with 8 rounds of chemo, the surgery, then radiation.
She had her 1st AC chemo 3 days ago. First 2 days she didn't feel too bad, but today I can't get her to eat and she is miserable. She had a pancake this morning and a few bites of jello tonight, that's it. Will she be ok if she barely eats for a day or 2? I've kindly been asking if I can get her something to eat, but she says she's too sick to eat. She's only drank about 22 ounces of water all day as well.
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12 years ago I too had breast cancer - Stage IIa. I had 4 rounds of A/C and 12 rounds of Taxotere. During my Taxotere rounds I was completely unable to eat. Nothing whatsoever. My oncologist was not pleased but said it was far more important to hydrate than eat. I cannot remember exactly what my goal number of ounces was then. I bought a cup with markings on the side to help me keep track of my input. Sometimes I had to force myself to drink but I did it. Usually I just drank water but sometimes I could manage apple juice or Gatorade. Popsicles made from fruit juice were OK too. That lasted for at least a MONTH. So if your wife cannot eat for a day or two then she is doing really well. I hope this hurdle is the least of her issues. I wish you both all the best.
IRENE
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I just finished chemo three weeks ago. What your wife is going through is what I went through too. I felt okay the day after but the second day I was too sick to eat and had to force myself to drink. My cancer book said when you couldn't eat, drink. I found some plant based protein shakes on Amazon called Evolve that I was able to tolerate. I couldn't do dairy at all. She will probably get better the farther out from her treatment. That's my experience. Your cancer center I'm sure has a nutritionist on staff who can give her a list of foods that might appeal to her and be good for her. Wishing you both all the best!
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Hi Jessiesmom1, How long were you on taxotere ? Did they switch you to a different chemo ? I have been on taxotere since September 2021. I have lost 6 pounds and my oncologist has been urging me to eat more, even though I have no appetite and my stomach feels full. Did you experience weakness and breathlessness with Taxotere ? Thank you in advance.
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I had 12 rounds of Taxotere after having had the 4 rounds of Adriamycin/Cytoxan. The Taxotere rounds were every other week. Those were the ONLY chemo drugs I ever received. I was certainly fatigued but I was not breathless. The Taxotere caused permanent damage to the puncta of both my eyes. This STILL causes my eyes to tear except when I am sleeping. This was confirmed by an oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. This is an unusual but not unheard of side effect. Apparently my oncologist wasn't aware of this side effect and did not take the appropriate measures to protect my eyes. I cannot urge you more than strongly to keep hydrating yourself. That is far more important than eating. Of course, it was good that I had a few extra pounds to begin with. Probably the only time in my ife I've ever said that.
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Hello Sunny5, I am a new member, Metastatic Breast Cancer ER+ PR+ and have been on Taxotere since September 2021. Have you had a one on one session with anyone else with MBC ? I am finding it very difficult to cope, lately, and have been suffering from extreme depression and anxiety. I'd love to find any survivors out there and talk with them. Thank you in advance :-)
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Thank you for your quick response ! My eyes also tear a lot, but luckily, not all day long. Do you also experience any diarrhea or bloating issues ? Thank you for your suggestions and encouragemen :-)
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Sorry for not responding before. Not sure why, but I wasn't notified of any responses until today.
My wife has now had 3 of the AC treatments. Every time she gets really sick on day 3 and the Compazine anti nausea med doesn't help her. Day 4 she's allowed to take Zofran and that helps a lot for the nausea. She's able to start eating small things and drinks more. Day 5 she still takes the Zofran, but is able to eat about normal and starts to get her strength back, etc. By the 2nd week she's pretty much back to her normal self, besides some little annoying side effects like dry mouth, taste being off on some things, etc.
One more AC treatment June 6th, then she will get 4 biweekly treatments of Taxol. We have read that most people don't get nausea from it, but other side effects like pain, fatigue, and neuropathy seem to be common?
One positive thing is that her tumor has greatly shrunk so the chemo seems to be working.
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I'm so glad it's working! I had the AC treatment as well. I was fortunate not to have too much nausea, but diarrhea and terrible cramps. I had four treatments of that, and then three of Taxol. The Taxol caused my bones to hurt something terrible for a few days after treatment. It has also given me neuropathy in my fingers and toes. If she starts to feel ANY neuropathy tell her to report it right away. My dr. stopped the chemo. I was supposed to have four treatments but he stopped it at three. I had my last treatment April 5th and still have neuropathy that interferes with doing some things. And it can be permanent. That's why they say to report it at the first sign. I'm sorry she is having so much nausea. I haven't had any at all with Taxol. I still have to have radiation, to make sure there are no microscopic cells left that they didn't see. When they did my surgery the chemo had done its work, and there was almost no tumor left. Prayers and best wishes to you and your wife!
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All of my cancer treatment was nearly 12 years ago so the medication has long since left my system. The only long term side effect I have from the chemo is the excessively watery eyes. In all that I said in this post I think that the two most important words were "12 years." There is a lot to look forward to.
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jessiesmom1, Did you have Metastatic Breast Cancer ? Are you cancer free 12 years later ? I apologize for so many questions- I’m a little confused. My oncologist says I will always be on chemo :-(
Thanks again. Kindest regards- I really appreciate your time.
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Glad to hear the tumor is shrinking
what type of cancer is it ? I have same trouble with Taxotere- day one not bad - next several days I have no appetite, dry sore throat, and very weak and fatigued. Take care for now
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Hormone positive and her2 negative. Her oncologist was surprised the tumor has shrunk that much already.
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I did NOT have Metastatic (Stage 4) breast cancer. My triple negative breast cancer was diagnosed as Stage 2A. After surgery and chemo (no radiation) I have been completely cancer free also known as No Evidence of Disease (NED). The treatment of tnbc and mbc are very different. A cancer diagnosis of any kind forces upon you an education you never wished that you would need, doesn't it?
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I am glad to hear you did not have Metastatic Breast Cancer and that you and in "remission". Keep up the good work !
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Hello, I was diagnosed with MBC almost two years ago. I was originally diagnosed with stg 2 in 2016 but it came back right before my 5 year mark. They had found a tumor in my lung. I am currently on Lynparza . This is my 2nd med. The first one worked for about 7 months before the cancer came back. But I’ve been on Lynparza for a year plus now. And I pray I can be on this for a while cause the side effects aren’t bad. When it comes to depression, I have experienced it too. But my doctor put me on Venaflaxin and it helps with the mood swings and depression. I remember once I ran out and I couldn’t stop crying. So coming off it is horrible. I’m just glad I don’t need to come off it. I think the worse part of everything for me is chemo brain. I just can’t multitask or focus.
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I had the same treatment plan as your wife and completed my last round of Taxol 2 weeks ago.. Thankfully, in my experience, Taxol is better when it comes to digestive side effects and issues with the mouth! Taxol can cause neuropathy, changes in your nails and skin. I would suggest she wear ice packs on her hands and feet 15 minutes before and after the Taxol treatment to help neuropathy. I have minimal issues in my fingers and toes, which will hopefully go away soon. I wish your wife the best of luck and continued success in her treatment!
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