Only one chemo treatment left!!
I'm now ten days past my third round of Taxotere, and I wanted to give an update on side effects and general health. I try to keep a list of things that happen as the days go by, so I can remember later and discuss with the doctor if needed. Here's my list for this round:
Round #3 Taxotere Dec 27
Fasted for 36 hours before and 24 hours after
Day 1:
hiccups- I don't know why, but I get the hiccups with every chemo
heartburn- oh my, the heartburn
swishy brain- my brain is sloshing around inside my head, and my eyes take a while to catch up
sensitive mouth- like acid on my gums
Day 4:
heartburn
dizziness
sensitive mouth
by evening had intense muscle and bone pain
tension headache
sore throat
Day 5 (the day I posted about the New Year):
extreme muscle and bone pain- I could hardly move
weak, no energy
dizzy
extreme heartburn- all the way into my ears
Day 6:
throwing up all night- I spent the night on the floor of the bathroom shaking and throwing up
freezing cold- body temp 97.0
weak
skin hurts to touch
coughing
runny nose
major stomach issues
And I have to say this, there were moments this day that I have never experienced in my life. And I actually wondered at the time if I was dying. I kept saying to myself, "Is this what dying feels like?", and I have to admit I was panicking a little.
Day 8:
awoke at 4am with fever of 101.5- call the dr about 4:30am, and he explained that Taxotere is a beast and this is all normal. He called in antibiotics to the 24hr pharmacy
severe chills
joint pain- I couldn't be still for more than 30 seconds without excruciating pain
hand numbness
skin so painful
Day 9:
joint pain
hole in stomach feeling- doubled me over and took my breath a few times
kidney pain
skin sensitivity and pain
dry skin- feels like it's going to split open
tooth pain- in all of them!
deep chest cough
Day 10 (today):
down 8lbs- but.....
fever gone
more energy
walked .66 miles on treadmill
joint pain gone- I think the walking helped with that
Although this chemo has been SO hard on me, and I don't know how I'll make it through another round, I think the fasting has helped tremendously. If I had not fasted, I would have had neuropathy in my hands and feet from day 1, and I would have had mouth bleeding the entire time. I didn't have any of that, so I know it helped. I can't even imagine how bad this round would have been had I NOT fasted.
But I'm over the hump! I'm starting to feel a little better. All I have to do now is stay hydrated and wait for my blood counts to come back up. Can I make it one more round??!! I'm really scared, but I'm going to fight like hell!