Taxotere and Cytoxan sde effects

Balentine said:

Hang in there and stay positive
Hi Susie,
The biggest thing to remember is that the side effects are different for everyone. I had one treatment so far of cytoxan and taxotere and had no reactions and no bad side effects other than yucky mouth and a few head sores that both went away within 8 days after the first treatment. I am back to my normal self halfway through the 2nd week after first treatment. The doctors and nurses will be monitoring your reactions to the chemo and will change it if they feel it is not right for you. Stay positive, pray and trust God to get you through this.
Lorrie

I agree with Balentine.  Positive, positive, positive!!!   I just finished my chemo... while the side effects have been very interesting, I have not experienced the depression that many of you have talked about on this post.  I am not usually the most positive person in the world, but after the first extreme shock of diagnosis I went into my little turtle shell and hid for a couple of days.  I prayed and talked to the Lord a lot!  I decided that I would go through anything He set before me without complaint IF He would give me situations where I can help other people and that He would get all the glory.  While all of this has been exhausting and has drained my usually boundless energy, I have not been depressed (thank you Lord).  I also enlisted the aid of friends who are normally upbeat and positive, and they have bombarded me with silly clips, fun stories, and things to make me laugh hysterically.  There have been times when I thought chemo would never end, and I am still facing the radiation part, but I have been so thankful that He has allowed me to maintain my regular schedule, for the most part.  I teach 165 high school students and have not had to go part time.  In fact, I was able to take on an additional class because our numbers swelled, and I was the only one with a planning period.  I maintain a rescue farm with 54 critters that we take care of. My husband is self-employed and I also maintain his books.  I REALLY don't want anyone to look at this as bragging on myself... IT IS NOT!  I am just trying to help someone understand the level to which the Lord has helped me through all this. Through all of this, He has made me glad, placed people in my path who are dealing with the same cancer and I have been able to help them.  He has helped me with perspective as well.  This is NOT the most devastating thing I have had to go through, and I have to always place it on the measurement scale with other things that have been horribly devastating, and while this is scary and hard, and yukky, and I hate feeling sick all the time.... in perspective... this isn't the worst.   I can do this!! And this, too, shall pass!   I hope this helps someone. Many Blessings.... 

Rosie Posie said:

Taxotere & Cytoxan

I had taxotere and cytoxan and am one of the many who did not get her hair back afterwards.  I would give anything to have been warned about this risk before.  (See aheadofourtime.org)

There are other cocktails that are just as effective, just not as well marketed to the oncologists as tax and cyt. are.  It's devastating, to say the least, to be bald at 42 yrs. old. 

I'm so sorry Rosie, I just finished chemo three months ago and my hair is trying to slowly grow back.  I too had both drugs and lost all body hair before I started round two.  I'm 45 and feel your pain, it's bad enough all we have to go through to treat this awful cancer just to have the drugs that save us, rob us of what makes us feel like ourselves.... Or in my case, just three months later be diagnosed with another cancer, SCC, and be told it was due to my immune system being down from the chemo that it was able to run wild.  Hugs to you!