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Michelle:
I've been thinking of you - and because you're from Canada - I'm wondering if you are getting the supporting medications you should be receiving.
A year ago at exactly this time, I was where you are now. Absolutely miserable, on a drug one nurse told me would be a "piece of cake" compared to my first three rounds on FEC. They had just changed my drug protocol to six rounds of FEC & Taxotere about two weeks before I was to start treatment. I think it was in response to some studies that came out of San Antonio but I was happy to hear it would be six rounds instead of eight. I thought "I can do this". Ha!
I don't know if it their surprised reaction to my symptoms was because they didn't have enough anecdotal reports on Taxotere or what. Even when you read info on side effects, there's not too much about the severe reactions many of us had. I too had the godawful rash and a pain in my skull that was unbelievable. My blood count had dropped through the floor and I was also getting injections of Epo.
And just like you - I posted a note here describing those hellish symptoms and asking for advice.
You didn't say whether or not you were given medication prior to these rounds. If you weren't, you should have been. The standard here is several doses of dexamethasone and ondansetron two days prior to treatment and one day following. I was also given a prescription for proclorperazine to treat nausea.
Because I was on steroids, I had to deal with constipation and by the time I moved to the second dose of taxotere I decided to be proactive. I didn't wait to take Tylenol 3 for the pain, I took it before. I didn't bother with stool softeners, I took a laxative after the second day. (Although I realize your situtation is the opposite).
The final two treatments were easier but did cause me to write this poem...
"It's on day four
When chemo takes its toll
And Alice falls down
The rabbit hole."
Oh - the nurse who told me it would be a piece of cake? I saw her recently and she admitted she has a friend on the drug now who is going through hell. She was not my main chemo nurse. Luckily I had a very good supportive one who, by the way didn't hesitate to consult another oncologist if mine was away.
Hang in there and as everyone says, insist on medications to help you manage these symptoms. After that, it really is one day at a time
Last spring, I saw a woman receiving one of her last Herceptin treatments. She looked wonderful, nicely made up and well dressed with a smart short haircut. The thought of bald, pale, sick me getting to where she was seemed impossible at the time.
But I'm her now, and you will be too.
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