TAC #7 infusion and update Cavediver

cavediver
cavediver Member Posts: 607
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
After a long discussion of problems over the last 15 days, onc. lowered the dose of the Taxotere in my TAC mix (Tasxotera, Adriamycin,Cytoxan). So, we will see if the next two weeks are more tolerable. He also gave me two antibiotics to take every day throughout the duration of this and #8 cycle! When I showed him the Susan Korman chart for TAC being given only 6 times, and asked him why he has be down for eight...he said TAC is the most aggressive treatment and he would prefer to be as aggressive as possible with my cancer since the goal is to cure it. OK...I will go along with that.......whatever it takes... but glad the dosage on T has been reduced which should help with the intestinal issues and lack of white blood cells. He said my bone marrow is screaming also....... anyway I can deal with the usual stuff, lack of hair, nail discoloration/ridges, fatigue, dry eyes/blurred vision, lack of taste, etc etc. Sure want to avoid any infections and trips to hospital...don't want this train thrown off schedule.....I think I can see the light now and want to get there!!!! Oh, the chest x-ray showed no sign of pnemonia which he was concerned about. And, he schedule a PET SCAN in a couple of weeks (just before my 8th infusion). And on Thursday I go to the Lymphedema Center for evaluation and treatment...so I am pumped that that will finally be getting addressed also. So far so good.........will
keep you posted if anything changes.........I sure want to get through this...even if that means facing Rads then.........but out of the Chemo Tunnel sure sounds like a winnter to me!

Comments

  • pattimc
    pattimc Member Posts: 431
    Taxotere....
    It really took a toll on me, too. Fortunately I only had to have 4 treatments of T/C. If you are going to be on antibiotics you might want to eat Activia and/or take acidopholis. I get yeast infections really easy and my chemo nurse said this is what she's recommending to anyone with intestinal (the big D)issues. It will eat up any bad bacteria because your immune system won't be able to do it for you.

    Good luck!! Hope you stay on track!

    Take care,


    Patti
  • cookie97
    cookie97 Member Posts: 200
    Wow
    That does sound like an awful lot of chemo. My onc. took the A out of my TAC and i will only have 6 rounds of that and i had my second PET scan just before the 5th round with very promising results (as you read on my post). You are holding up remarkably well with great attitude and all. Sometimes unfortunatley the insurance companies dictate more than we know.
    I only have 1 more chemo for now, and it is scheduled the Friday before Labor Day. I have been there before during a holiday week end and was not happy. They don't have the A team there so it was long and arduous. Well this time i Tried to get it moved(being that it was the last). Long story short they told me that if I moved this one that any other treatment from now on would have to be scheduled on that day as well. This they said came from my insurance company. Perhaps that's the way your onc wrote the orders and now insurance is making him stick to it.
    I wish I had some other pearls of wisdom for you, but this will be over before you know it.
    I believe you and i both had this entire whirlwind with no time to catch pur breaths let alone make informed decisions.
    Big Hugs and Prayers coming your way,
    Edie
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
    Cavediver they lowered my
    Cavediver they lowered my Taxotere by 10% and it make a huge difference. I still had all the same side effects it just wasnt as bad, plus i wasnt sick constantly and my count wasnt so low. So im hopin it will have the same effects for you.
    Good luck on the PET Scan and with the lymphedema.
    I would of much rathered you were in the Bahamas somewhere exploring an underwater cave than dealing with this...I bet you do to...Awh life before BC (dont mind me i just had a flash back).
  • bjmom1
    bjmom1 Member Posts: 152
    advise
    Hi Cavediver,

    The only advise I could give you is try to drink plenty of fluid. This well help flush the chemo out of your body. Also I used eye drop for my eyes it kept my eyes from drying out. Get plenty of rest and listen to your body good luck on your next treatment.

    Barb
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    bjmom1 said:

    advise
    Hi Cavediver,

    The only advise I could give you is try to drink plenty of fluid. This well help flush the chemo out of your body. Also I used eye drop for my eyes it kept my eyes from drying out. Get plenty of rest and listen to your body good luck on your next treatment.

    Barb

    Wishing you good luck on the
    Wishing you good luck on the PET scan cavediver! Please let us know your results.

    You hang in there! Praying for you!


    Sue :)
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    Ritzy said:

    Wishing you good luck on the
    Wishing you good luck on the PET scan cavediver! Please let us know your results.

    You hang in there! Praying for you!


    Sue :)

    at first i thought you said
    at first i thought you said hot flash Jo Jo LOL. the light is there cavediver,I had an awful time on chemo , and radiation was so easy. good luck withyour Pet, and we will keep cheering you on!
  • ms.sunshine
    ms.sunshine Member Posts: 707 Member
    carkris said:

    at first i thought you said
    at first i thought you said hot flash Jo Jo LOL. the light is there cavediver,I had an awful time on chemo , and radiation was so easy. good luck withyour Pet, and we will keep cheering you on!

    Taxotere
    I wouldn't wish that drug on my enemy. That drug I swear almost took me out. I was thinking how can something that has me at deaths door be good for me. I had a severe reaction to taxotere.
    Yes the light at the end of your chemo tunnel is all of us with a big flood light.
  • smalldoggroomer
    smalldoggroomer Member Posts: 1,184
    I also Take taxotere with
    I also Take taxotere with carboplatin herceptin. It is a tough drug. Hope all works out well for you. Hang in there We are all with you. You are in my prayers Kay
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member

    I also Take taxotere with
    I also Take taxotere with carboplatin herceptin. It is a tough drug. Hope all works out well for you. Hang in there We are all with you. You are in my prayers Kay

    Hang in there--you're almost there.
    I had the TAC cocktail for 6 treatments, but if my onc. said we're going 8, I'd have gone 8. If you have faith in your doctors, they are the experts. Who am I to argue or second-guess. We do not want this beast trying to return. Best of luck and keep your head up as you see that light at the end of the tunnel getting bigger and bigger!

    Hugs, Renee
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    missrenee said:

    Hang in there--you're almost there.
    I had the TAC cocktail for 6 treatments, but if my onc. said we're going 8, I'd have gone 8. If you have faith in your doctors, they are the experts. Who am I to argue or second-guess. We do not want this beast trying to return. Best of luck and keep your head up as you see that light at the end of the tunnel getting bigger and bigger!

    Hugs, Renee

    TAC
    Cavediver, I also had TAC, but only six treatments. I can certanly sympathize with you, as it seemed that the further into treatment I went, the harder it was to make myself get up to go to the appointment. My problem was that over the time period of the first four treatments, I lost 25 pounds. However, they didn't lower the dosage of TAC (which is figured on your body weight). After my 4th treatment, I came down with walking pneumonia, couldn't make it across the living room with stopping to rest, and could hardly see because of blurred vision. After two rounds of antibiotics for the pneumonia, and my pleading with the onc to re-evaluate my dosage, they did lower it to match my then 85 pound body. The last two TAC treatments were somewhat easier to get through. Can't imagine what they would have done had they not been lowered. Eight treatments seems like a lot, but if that is what is going to help "cure" that is what we do. I am shining my flashlight tonight so you can see your way through the tunnel. Will be waiting there for you. Good luck on your last treatment. Hugs, Judy
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    pattimc said:

    Taxotere....
    It really took a toll on me, too. Fortunately I only had to have 4 treatments of T/C. If you are going to be on antibiotics you might want to eat Activia and/or take acidopholis. I get yeast infections really easy and my chemo nurse said this is what she's recommending to anyone with intestinal (the big D)issues. It will eat up any bad bacteria because your immune system won't be able to do it for you.

    Good luck!! Hope you stay on track!

    Take care,


    Patti

    activia on the menu
    Thanks Patti....I have Activia every morning....so hopefully that will help. I am trying to be optimistic that even though I do not expect a 'walk in the park' .... I am expecting not to be on my hands and knees like the previous 2 weeks! Hate it when you have a day starting to feel ok...and then it is time to be injected with the poisons again... Oh well, it hopefully will get me to the end of this tunnel. Last chemo is schduled 2 days prior to my birthday in September! What a nice gift. Hope I can stay on track.... I kind of feel like the challenge is on now
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    cookie97 said:

    Wow
    That does sound like an awful lot of chemo. My onc. took the A out of my TAC and i will only have 6 rounds of that and i had my second PET scan just before the 5th round with very promising results (as you read on my post). You are holding up remarkably well with great attitude and all. Sometimes unfortunatley the insurance companies dictate more than we know.
    I only have 1 more chemo for now, and it is scheduled the Friday before Labor Day. I have been there before during a holiday week end and was not happy. They don't have the A team there so it was long and arduous. Well this time i Tried to get it moved(being that it was the last). Long story short they told me that if I moved this one that any other treatment from now on would have to be scheduled on that day as well. This they said came from my insurance company. Perhaps that's the way your onc wrote the orders and now insurance is making him stick to it.
    I wish I had some other pearls of wisdom for you, but this will be over before you know it.
    I believe you and i both had this entire whirlwind with no time to catch pur breaths let alone make informed decisions.
    Big Hugs and Prayers coming your way,
    Edie

    whirlwind for sure
    Edie, you are right....total whirwind! Did not/was not given choices on chemo cocktails...I just went with the flow/rec. of onc...actually started chemo the same day he recommended it! So, it has been crazy. From what you say, since my last chemo is schedule the first working day AFTER Labor Day....I wonder if the A Team will be there hungover? Funny ;-) I am feeling good tonight....ready for the challenge and fight for this to be over. I hope the lower dosage of T and the double antibiotics help.... not a 'walk in the park' I am sure, but hoping to be at least not brought to my knees this time! Good luck to you and I am so glad you too are getting to the end of your tunnel!
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    Cavediver
    it sounds as if you got a lot resolved. I sure hope lowering the Taxotere will help with your last 2 rounds of treatment. You are almost there! I have just TC and so far tolerable. I had my blood drawn today and everything looks good. So, we're all here for you, cheering..... Hoping the PET scan is good too :-) I'm getting my 1st one next Monday.{{hugs}}
    Char
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    jo jo said:

    Cavediver they lowered my
    Cavediver they lowered my Taxotere by 10% and it make a huge difference. I still had all the same side effects it just wasnt as bad, plus i wasnt sick constantly and my count wasnt so low. So im hopin it will have the same effects for you.
    Good luck on the PET Scan and with the lymphedema.
    I would of much rathered you were in the Bahamas somewhere exploring an underwater cave than dealing with this...I bet you do to...Awh life before BC (dont mind me i just had a flash back).

    cave exploration in the tropics
    Oh JoJo, how I too wish I were in a beautiful warm cave...laying line where no man has gone before. But, that is the past and I have 19 years of memories........for now I feel I am on this new journey...also full of mental and physical challenges to overcome...much like cave diving. For the first time, I am believing it is a challenge that I can do and come out of intact...mostly...different, but intact. I may not run across the finish line, but I plan to cross it...hopefully walking rather than crawling! Will see what happens within 4-5 days..............glad to read your updates and hope you continue on the path!
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    cahjah75 said:

    Cavediver
    it sounds as if you got a lot resolved. I sure hope lowering the Taxotere will help with your last 2 rounds of treatment. You are almost there! I have just TC and so far tolerable. I had my blood drawn today and everything looks good. So, we're all here for you, cheering..... Hoping the PET scan is good too :-) I'm getting my 1st one next Monday.{{hugs}}
    Char

    Prayers are with you, Cavediver .. Taxotere beat me
    down ...no question about it! ...

    I am here cheering for you ...


    Vicki Sam