The Devil You Don't Know...

So today was the first round of Taxol. Taxol is another chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat breast cancer. The last time I went in for chemo, my nurse said that Taxol was generally milder, so I got really excited. Then I did some research and got a little scared. Then my cousin, Noreen, who just went through breast cancer treatment (hi Noreen! Hope you don't mind me mentioning you...) said that Taxol was worse for her.

So, I'll admit, I was a little nervous. Mr. Wizard asked me how I was doing and I said "pretty good", and he remembered that last time I said "great". So he asked why the downgrade?

"Well, my energy is a little down."

He asked me if I was still exercising (sadly, not as much as I feel I should), but I explained that the heat has been slowing me down (kind of a lame excuse, but he did tell me not to run in the heat and there were something like 5 days of 90+ degree heat).

He told me it was okay to take it easy and listen to my body. "And besides, you're such a fireball that your 100% is more like 130% for everyone else, so you just know how the rest of us feel now" :-) I think he typically sees me in a particularly excited state because I tend to have a rush of adrenaline on chemo days.

Then I told him about my concerns about Taxol. I did some research, and the worst side-effects are lumped under the term "neuropathy". From what I read, that one word doesn't do these side-effects any justice. I think most side-effects are felt in the hands, feet, and legs. Patients feel enduring "pins and needles" (oh, that's just mean - I can't even handle pins and needles for 30 seconds), pain in the legs, and pain on the bottom of the feet (are you kidding me? that's just cruel).

Mr. Wizard discussed the potential problems and the likelihood of me experiencing these side-effects, as well as what is our course of action if I do have a big problem. One of the major concerns with these side-effects is that they can actually get worse for months after the last dose is given. So, if I have severe problems with the first treatment, they are likely to get worse with the second treatment. If they get too bad, we will likely switch to a different taxotere drug or stop treatments altogether. He told me I was not allowed to minimize the symptoms, and he would ask me questions about picking up small objects and my handwriting.

We agreed that since I don't actually write with my hands very often, we'd use typing speed :-) I type really fast - I think i take over my mom for that.

So, onto the drip... We were there pretty early because it takes longer to administer Taxol, so we had our pick of the rooms. Phew. Then it took forever for the nurse to show up. Unfortunately, my usual nurse had the day off. How dare she take a day off on my chemo day? Just kidding. I missed her and I will let her know at my next treatment.

First, they gave me Benadryl (you know that stuff you take to stop itching) because the Taxol can cause redness and itching. Well, the Benadryl can cause drowsiness. That knocked me out. I was so tired I fell asleep. Weird.

The whole process, from the time I got there until the time I left, lasted 7 hours!! That's kind of like a job. Usually, we're there for 3-4 hours.

That's pretty much it. At this point I feel significantly better than I would after a round of AC. I have no nausea or ookeyness. For awhile I felt a bit like my head was in the clouds, but that's gone. Rusty and I even went out to dinner tonight, which is a total rarity on chemo.

So, if I've learned one thing, it's that chemo side-effects are like the weather in Massachusetts - wait a minute and it'll change. I'm hoping my body does react well to Taxol because I would like to live like a real human being again for a change, instead of half a human being. We shall see, and I promise to keep you "posted".