Dose-dense (dd) AC chemo + paclitaxel: How to prepare?

it's a confronting time for you . i went thru chemo treatment for 6 months . red devil and paclitaxil last year . you will get thru it easier than you think . the not knowing is the worst . i'm in my 60s. i slept a lot ! . still ate quite well . was given a medication like speed first 4 days of treatment , which made me very hungry and awake . i had this every time i had treatment . had anti nausea tablets but didn't overuse them . but any slight feeling of nausa took them . so that wasn't a big problem . and never had to worry about it . doctors can regulate it very well . i went to dentist to get teeth checked . that's good idea. mouth hygiene is important during treatment . i always gargled , with baking soda in water . during treatment and never got any mouth ulcers , thank god . mouth ulcers can be very painful so that's important . i drove myself to treatment and back it's the 3 /4 day xou feel most tired . at hospital was given sandwich tea etc . which was great . if not provided i'd take some .

i made up batches of bone broth which was good to have . eggs were good too . i was needing a high protein diet .

mentally try focus on something else , get a tv series you can lose yourself in , yellowstone, suits, breaking bad, anything you can switch off too . it helps to not let it consume you . i didn't google stuff as that's a rabbit hole you don't want to go down . that can be for another time . keep positive and don't dwell on it , move your mind to other things . your doing the hard work , already., no point worrying , i had the best sleep . . try get outside and walk for a bit , or sit under a tree . a pet is a great help . really try and spoil yourself , flowers , books , food you like . your body is working overtime so try rest sleep and indulge yourself in what you like .

easy said for older woman , but i noticed the younger ones had busy lives , with children , work house to care for too . so if that's the case rely and ask for help . try not do too much , try step back from as much as you can . and just really think about yourself .

it was the first time in my life i didn't have to worry about someone else . so that was a bonus .

the time will go quicker than you think . try and protect yourself from covid or flues . even well after treatment .

all the best . your stronger than you can imagine and so is your body . before you know it , you will have finished treatment . !

Hello,
Thank you so much for the pep talk and the tips!
I’m really hoping I can drive myself, it will be a long day for someone else if not. Yellowstone & Suits 2 of my favs, I plan on taking enough things to keep me busy. I do love to be outside, I walk and do the garden thing, have access to a pool and swim, which is nice (not sure about sun though), will have to check.
Did you have any neuropathy or lymphedema? I’m a little concerned about that and read that compression sleeves might work. Will check with my oncologist.
Thanks again, anything else you can think of let me know!
All the best to you as well.
MJ

hi , yes had some neuropathy at end , tingling in toes and under feet . but nothing serious . doctor cut down last dose slightly becauce of this . Had extensive lymph nodes removed so have problem with lymphodema. but managing it .no big arm or anything but hardness under arm pit that needs to be massaged . the compressive bandage managed the arm very well . massage from your wrist down to your upper arm . definitely get pressure bandage . it helps a lot .cant be bothered to wear it half the time but it helps a lot . don't wear while your asleep tho . but even from your elbow to your upper arm just massaging it back from your elbow is very good . a physio is good to massage for you . it's a gentle massage and they can give you some tips. but you may not get it , they can check with machine to see if there is any enlargement . i was hungry and this happens some times with treatment , you don't lose weight .

i lay in the sun outdoors a few times and felt great . i don't think you could stay long tho . with sensitive skin . so many people were shocked how good my skin looked , i said i'm getting a chemical peel ! i thought losing the hair would be traumatic , but it wasn't . was surprised how easy you adjust . bought hugely expensive wig and never wore it . just used a soft bucket hat .
Driving was no problem . But hospital only 20 mins away in county area .. i cooked my own meals . cleaner did bathroom and bedroom every week . i had radiation after , and unfortunately got covid at xmas , even tho was extremely careful . got the antivirals but still have quite a lot of fatigue . any exercise now is like a massive dopamine hit , feel good after , mainly swimming in pool, the body saying do more of that ! and it gives you more energy.

but the tiredness is a problem . i think we all want a quick fix but you really have to rest too .
In Australia all treatment was free , so that was less stressful . and lots of follow ups

i just thought this chemo is killing off the cancer cells and is helping me . so go for it . there is nothing you can do about it , so why worry. it's the worry that will harm you more . the unknown is the worst , but once you start it will feel a normal process to do to get rid of the bad cells. you've got this . !!!

.

More great info, thanks. I start chemo next week. It is what it is! 🥴

Hello there! Regarding the neuropathy, I got some from the taxol. Just be sure to pay really really close attention to your feet and fingers and if you start to feel anything, anything, let your doctor know immediately. I had to stop short of my 12 treatments at 10. But it's important to stop in time, because if it goes on too long it can tend to take longer to go away, and maybe not at all. So I'm just saying, don't try to ignore it or be too strong, speak up!

I had 4 rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxan and 12 weeks of Taxol. Many people have successfully used cold packs on hands and feet to prevent neuropathy. At least keep your hands and feet elevated as much as possible and DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. You want to flush the drugs out of your system ASAP. I started drinking as soon as I got hooked up. If you are on the A/C drugs (above), you'll probably be given Neulasta to build your numbers. Ask above taking Claritin the day of and the day after to prevent bone pain. Anti-nausea drugs worked great for me, but timing is everything. I took them too soon (I thought I was preventing it), but that caused serious constipation. Wait until you feel queasy, but before you become seriously nauseated. I ended up using them a couple days a week and not at all during Taxol. That could be different for you depending on what other drugs the doctor prescribes in the IV bags preceeding the chemo drugs. Talk to your infusion nurses. They are your best friends, will answer all your questions, and act as a liason with your doctor. I had a chronic bloody nose which a helpful nurse solved by suggesting vaseline applied with a q-tip. Keep a journal. I started one and got bored and stopped. I regret it to this day. Rest a lot but get as much exercise as you can to keep up your energy levels. Fatigue got me in the end, but I never had problems driving myself. Towards the end that hospital entrance looked miles away from the car, but putting one foot in front of the other worked everytime. Last, come back here for support and more answers. Best of Luck. P.S. If hair loss is a concern, (I covered my mirrors at home) the best remedy I found was I purchased a baseball hat with hair attached in a color and length close to my own. Having hair was literally as quick as throwing on the hat. Even my sister was stunned at how it looked like my own. And cooler than a wig. If you want a different style hat, you can purchase a halo which is hair attached to a circle of elastic allowing you to wear it under any hat.

Thank you for that tip! Like we aren’t going through enough with everything else! If I can somewhat prevent neuropathy, I’ll do whatever works. Still looking at icing or pressure sleeves as well. Anyone have suggestions on those two options?

I use the ice booties and mitts. I think I should have used them for longer amounts of time, starting earlier before the infusion and keeping them on a good hour or more afterwards. I did not always do that.