Breast Cancer Support

Ok so i had my last dose of Taxol on September 25th, and still have pain in my fingers and legs!!  Is this going to be a forever thing?  Its like an achiness, not pleasant!!  I was warned about permenant side effects, and had a very hard time with the bone pain during treatment.  Also chemo brain, is that when you cant remember anything?  My short term memory is fine, but long term is shot!!!  Course I'm still taking alot of vicodin!!!  What do you think?  Get my first herceptin 2-morrow, never thought I'd be excited to get an iv!!!

Hope all is good with you!

Laura

Hey, Laura! Another milestone! Good for you!

I didn't do Taxol, but am still struggling with chemo brain. I had my last class of the semester last night and as the instructor kept saying "I told you about this on such-and-such" and "This material was in the handout from five weeks ago" and it was like I had never heard of those before. I hope those effects fade.

I've done Herceptin for three months now and will probably have to have another heart test before too long. I see my oncologist on Friday and have some "new "symptoms to report. I've been getting light-headed in my sessions with the trainer of late. I don't know if that's because I've bumped up the cardio sessions I do before then or if it's a sign of heart trouble caused by the Herceptin. I also have these funny blood spots on my left arm only that appeared during chemo and as soon as one set fades another appears (but never until the first set has almost faded). Sigh. Cancer is the "gift that keeps on giving" in the worst way.

I hope you're feeling better and those pains fade!
Ramona

Thanks Ramona, I have my first Herceptin today!!!  I'm a little nervous going back in that chemo room!!!  I dont know how your going to school with chemo brain, i cant remember what I did yesterday half the time- of course I'm still taking vicodin for the pain from my surgery, still kills!!  Let me know what your Dr says!!  Take care,

Laura

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but my last Taxol was 1/19/07 and I still get numbness and tingling in my feet and hands and I still have pain in my legs at times.  But, it is much better than it used to be.  I used to be on medication for neuropathy but I don't take it anymore.  It can be permanent but I think eventually we just get used to it and it seems to be either gone or diminished.

I also still have issues with chemo-brain.  I have ADD and I find it hard to remember things sometimes.  If I get interrupted, I sometimes forget to back to what I was doing.  I can only do one thing at a time now and I used to be a big multi-tasker.  I hope that it gets better in time.  It is better than when I was going through chemo but I am not anywhere close to where I was mentally before all of this.

Good luck with the Herceptin!  It is a piece of cake.  I had no side effects at all from it.