4 AC down, 1 Taxol down, 11 to go...

[chromodoris]

Can't believe I'm now over half way through chemo! The fourth AC hit me more than the previous ones, but they're done now and I had my first Taxol last week. So far so good - vague sensation of jaw aching at times but not much else. Although I had a massive dose of steroids with the first infusion and think they hadn't quite worn off when I booked a villa in Mallorca for a week in May...giggle. Well, I figured I needed something to look forward to between chemo and radiotherapy!

I'm guessing the Taxol side effects will start kicking in after three or four weekly treatments. Is that about right?

[carolinenailsea]

Hi Chromodoris

4 down is a great achievement. There is light at the end of the tunnel - don't blame you for booking a treat. My 4th chemo was definitely the hardest, the consultant gave me extra tabs so the last two were not so bad. I found with all my chemo, the first few days I felt fine, the side effects kicked in for the second week and the third week I began to feel a little better.

Good luck with the rest of your treatment. Caroline xx

[Debster2016]

Hi chromodoris it certainly sounds like youre doing well all things considered. Absolutely with the villa - excellent work. So far this year we’ve been away once, I’ve 2 more trips booked and we’re planning another!

I had docetaxol in 3 weekly infusions and I had 3 of them. Is it the same drug? It made my eyelashes fall out and my eyebrows went sparse pretty much straight away. I had the most extraordinary pain hit my lower back on day 6 - luckily for me the pain relief advised by the hospital worked and so for each of th subsequent treatments I self administered pain relief days 4-8 pretty muchand didn’t get any more of that pain.

I have up with the dark nail polish. My hand nails went a yellow colour like a 40-a-day smoker but as there was no pain involved I didn’t really care.

Anyhoo I’m sorry I can’t give you a straight answer nor did I meet anyone who had weekly taxol to draw on there experience.

Nonethe less wishing you god luck with the rest of them!! Keep smiling, find the good things.

Deb x

[chromodoris in reply to Debster2016]

Hi Deb. Thanks for your reply. The chemo you had is slightly different to Taxol, but in the same class of drug. Yep, the nails are going off colour...But otherwise so far not too bad. Number 3 is on Tuesday.

My worry now is that I've just found a supraclavicular node which is definitely new... Will have to discuss it with the oncologist on Tuesday, but I already know the implications.

[Debster2016]

Oh wow how odd. I had my SCF sorry supraclavicular fosse (nodes?) radiated as they couldn’t get to them surgically - maybe you’ll have that too? I was always having them radiated as post surgery path showed it had travelled and burst out of my axillary lymph nodes. Hopefully that’s all you need done and it can be combined with any other rads. I had 3 different angles each time, I am grateful I had no major traumas with my radiotherapyhope it goes the same for you.

All the best x

[chromodoris in reply to Debster2016]

Yes, they will be irradiating the area but not until late May as chemo goes on until 01 May. Just not a happy bunny to find a new node despite ongoing chemo...Ho hum...