Day One: Taxotere and Cytoxan Chemo Treatment - My Personal Journal
Today was my first day of chemo treatment for Breast Cancer. I have decided to create a daily journal of my side effects in order to help other people who will be going through this or are deciding whether or not they should do chemo. Because my Onco Type DX score was 20, I did not have to do the chemo. You can see my explanation here as to why I decided to go ahead with the treatment.
My appointment was for 8:40 AM. They called me in at 9:00 AM and took my blood pressure, weight and temperature. After that they directed me to a room where quite a few people were sitting in chairs. I was told to sit in an empty chair the corner of the room. The nurse put an IV in my hand and connected it to a bag of saline. Then she gave me a glass of water and and two steriod pills. After I took the pills she told me that she was going to hook up a small bag of Decadron.
What Decadron Is Used For:
- As an anti-inflammatory medication. Decadron relieves inflammation in various parts of the body. It is used specifically to decrease swelling (edema), associated with tumors of the spine and brain, and to treat eye inflammation.
- To treat or prevent allergic reactions.
- As treatment of certain kinds of autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, asthma and other lung conditions.
- As treatment for a variety of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
- To treat nausea and vomiting associated with some chemotherapy drugs.
- Used to stimulate appetite in cancer patients with severe appetite problems.
- Also used to replace steroids in conditions of adrenal insufficiency (low production of needed steroids produced by the adrenal glands).
After the bag of decadron was emptied she told me that I would have to wait a half hour to make sure I don't have a reaction to it. I though it was funny that it could be possible that I would have a reaction to a drug that was being given to me to prevent me from having a reaction to another drug. But luckily I had no reaction to any of them.
The second bag the connected to my IV was Cytoxan. The side effects are as follows:
- Low blood counts. Your white and red blood cells and platelets may temporarily decrease. This can put you at increased risk for infection, anemia and/or bleeding.
- Hair loss. Temporary - usually begins 3-6 weeks after the start of therapy. Hair will grow back after treatment is completed although the color and/or texture may be different.
- Nausea and vomiting, more common with larger doses, usually beginning 6-10 hours after therapy.
- Poor appetite
- Discoloration of the skin or nails (see skin reactions).
While the Cytoxan bag was still dripping a nurse came by and offered me a drink and a snack. I took a cranberry/raspberry juice box and some oreo cookies.
As soon as that was done they connected the Taxotere. These are the side effects:
- Low white blood cell count (this can increase your risk for infection)
- Low red blood cell count (anemia)
- Fluid retention with weight gain, swelling of the ankles or abdominal area.
- Peripheral neuropathy (numbness in your fingers and toes) may occur with repeated doses.
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Mouth sores
- Hair loss
- Fatigue and weakness
- Infection
- Nail changes (color changes to your fingernails or toenails may occur. In extreme, but rare, cases nails may fall off. After you have finished treatments, your nails will generally grow back.)
They normally use the Taxotere first, but since this was my first time they wanted to do it last in case I had any side effects. The nurse told me that most people get sinus symptons from Taxotere. I asked her how soon they get the reaction and she told me that some people get it while still connected to the IV. Luckily I did not have any sinus problems today.
After the Taxotere bag was empty the nurse flushed my system with the Saline. That just means that she speed up the drip. When that bag was finished she took out the IV and told asked me if Ihad any questions. I asked her if I could live my life as normal and eat as I normally do. She told me that I should eat now while I feel good because soon I will be too quesy and sick to eat. She also told me to stay away from sick people because my immune system would be lowered. She also told me to avoid physical contact with other people (like hugging or shaking hands) as much as possible and that I should wash my hands often. She also warned me to flush the toilet twice everytime I use the restroom so that I could be sure to flush all the chemicals.
The entire chemo process took 3 1/2 hours. The time went by very fast. The chairs recline and are comfortable.
After the treatment I went out to lunch and had some soup and a soda. Before and after my treatment I have be drinking a lot of water, because I have heard that chemo can make you very dehydrated.
It has been seven and a half hours since I finished my treatment and I feel good and energetic. I am having some symptons of acid reflux, but that is nothing new for me. I have a softball game in an hour and have decided to go ahead and play. I just won't be going out for pizza and beer after the game, like I usually do.
I will update this blog daily while I am going through chemo. If you subsribe by e-mail or RSS you will be updated with my entries. Hopefully I will be feeling this good tomorrow, I have a party to go to for my Nephew, who is finally home from Iraq.
I would really like to hear any comments or questions. Please feel free to add one below.
If you would like to talk to others or share your story, I have created a forum for discussion.
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Morning Weight: 130.5 Calories Consumed: 2207
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I created some Breast Cancer Shirts that I have for sale on my site at YouDeserveIt.com
I created these after being diagnosed with breast cancer. I tried to find shirts for sale on the internet and was shocked at the high prices. So I decided to make some myself. Your purchase of any of these shirts will help me in my battle of breast cancer. If you have a suggestion of a shirt I will try to make it. Please let me know what you think by submitting a comment.
$20.00 $23.00
$20.00 $18.00
the YouDeserveIt journal page was so well written it seemed published. I learned so so much. Your procedure for documenting everything may be helping you to accept the reality of the very medical thing that is happening. I can guess that this might help you to accept and even 'count as normal' your day at chemo. I especially liked reading about what you chose for snack. That made me feel like I was there in the room. I found your journal site by reading it on your twitter update. I can certainly pen pal you here if you like. That way we will not just have 140 characters. My name is janaree nore and I am fionalovely444 on twitter. I am 53, teach 2nd grade, writer, poet, artist mostly in pen & ink, collage. I am worse than a messy house cleaner. My two grown children don't live with me and I put things wherever I want. I don't put anything back. I wash dishes when I run out of spoons. Today I slept until eleven a.m. because I am on spring break and don't have to teach until next Monday. I drank coffee with Irish Creme Coffeemate while I opened messages from twitter and facebook. My (23yr) daughter made lunch for me, I went to her apartment for gourmet grilled cheese. We went antique-ing at the Aardvark Antique mall. We are on a mission to make a travel scrapbook with plans for odd and out of the way places to visit and take pictures on our June 9th car trip to Branson, Missouri with my elderly parents to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We found a 1944 Car and Motor magazine and some really old maps with Shell Station on the front with cars from the 50's. We talked about which illustrations were the goofiest. We laughed and laughed about a drawing of a lube logo man in a
swimsuit, muscles, and an over-sized aluminum can on his head for a hat. I had to hurry home and get slightly cleaned up at 4:30 to meet a childhood friend who lives in the same city as I do but we rarely get together. Since I had spring break, we planned dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (yay salad) and then we attended a locally-owned bookstore promo called "Book Club Book Blurb" night. They review books and give out advanced copies of books that get sent to them but they cannot sell. I came home with a whole bag of books. It was good to talk to Cate about her kids. Oldest daughter just broke up with serious boyfriend and is taking it well. Two other college age boys are doing OK in their colleges. Cate had just been to see her dad in Phoenix. I asked her how he was doing because my parents want to know. Her parents and my parents were friends that got together every week even though we lived in different small towns here in Nebraska. Cate's mom died suddenly a year ago from heart attack. I guess her dad is doing OK. I imagine you saying, "Why does this person go on and on?" Well, when a friend of mine spent weeks in the hospital with 7 year old son with Hodgkins she said she liked to hear all about the normal stuff. The world traveling around an orbit not called illness. fiona
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I am delighted to find your blog -- please keep writing it. I am just a month behind you! I get my onocotype score back on May 6th, but my ER positive is only 30-40%. I think I will take the chemo regardless of my score. Thank you for taking the time to document your experience so clearly. I can accumulate facts from many places, but it is tremendous to have the facts and info from a patient's point of view. Thank you again -- I'll be reading! -Peggy
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in process of starting cytoxan / taxotere therapy
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Hope your chemo went well for you and you are not feeling the side effects. I had my first one today.
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I am so glad to find a site that is up to date. I would love to be a part of it if possible. I started my first treatment of Cytoxant & Taxotere today. I had a mascetomy with lymph nodes negative PR and ER positive and HER2 negative, Which I though was the best case scerino. However, my Oncotype DX came back with a score of 19, which was a little over borderline. (Plus family history of cancer...dad died at 57 and mom died at 66) So my oncologist recommended 4 treatments one every 3 weeks. I was shocked Chemo was recommended and thought about not taking it. However, after the shock I realized there are some things in life we can control to have a longer life. So, it is considered an "insurance policy" and lowering the odds. Back to the treatment. It went very well. They started with vitals, blood work, a saline solution iV, then a nausea IV then the Cytoxant and the Taxotera. I feel fine now and no side effects. The nurse said the nausea medicine through the IV will last for about 2 days then I will feel like I am coming down with the flu. Body aches and nausea but should not have a temp. This should last about 3 days. A couple of friends dealing with the same thing also said on the 3rd day you start feeling like you have the flu. Also, fountain coke (like from McDonald's) is supposed to help with nausea opposed to bottled coke. Has anyone had the experience of their insurance company rejecting the claim to pay the Oncotype DX test. I have BC/BS Anthem and they rejected the bill. I am going to fight it I wonder if anyone has advise on that. One more thing I am getting a shot the next day after chemo Neulasta for the white blood cells. Hope this will help be a therapy for us in the special group who will be survivors!!
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My insurance also denied the test. You need to get a completelu broken down bill from Genomic Health and a letter of Medical Necessity from your physician. Most appeals can be one -- don't give up. Keep appealing the most likely way to win is to just keep doing it with more facts and figures
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Hi, same exact story for me, just had my 54 bday. I am starting this chemo treatment next week, how did your come out in the end, did it all work for you? What about the Neulasta? Thank you for your help.
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I did not have to use Neulasta. The treatment wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The worst side effect was the loss of my hair, which happened rather quickly. Buy a wig before you start and you will be fine. It's been a year since my last treatment and my hair has grown back nicely and is almost to my shoulders. Good luck to you!
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I just started cytoxan and taxotere
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Will be starting the same regimend on Friday..
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Due to get my Oncotype DX score back today. I have agreed to be in a clinical trial to measure the effectiveness of chemo on people whose score is between 11 - 26, now I'm thinking due to family history with breast cancer and other cancers I should opt for chemo regardless of my score. If taken I would be on the same Cytoxan/Taxotere treatment plan.
A couple of things, last night they had to reopen my right breast area due to an infection and put another drain in. So far this experience has NOT be painful, even the double mastectomy and they tell me the margins are clear despite finding two cancers and several wannabe's. I'm leaning towards chemo unless my score comes back under 10.
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I am trying to decide regarding this therapy and am very interested to hear about your experience! The first entry was very helpful!!!!
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I just wanted to express my gratitude to everybody who has anything to do with the creation of this resource.
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I am trying to decide regarding this therapy and am very interested to hear about your experience! The first entry was very helpful!!!!
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I agree with you. Thank you for sharing the update. It is interesting to have it discussed widely so that we can gain more objective opinions.
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