← Return to First chemo - carboplatin/taxol - what to expect - side effects?

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Profile picture for longevityride @longevityride

Your questions have been a learning experience for me. I wish provider's would view this site to get a bigger picture of patient experiences.
People here write about what to expect with chemo & carbo taxol. Something I've learned is that we need follow up for side effects from these drug regimens. Things you wouldn't expect, such as having you eyes checked because treatments can increase cataract formation. I've had this in one eye, my eyeglass RX adjusted for now to compensate. Talk to your doc's & nurses & get eye exam. I recommend the air puff test for glaucoma instead of other tool due to possible tissue damage from more dry or tender eyes also - safer bet. I've met another ga, who had this cataract issue as well & we're both told it's likely due to the steroid pretreatment. It would help to address this when you start chemo to see if mitigation is possible - certain eye drops, ect.
I've also learned bone .OSS can occur with chemo & radiation, so getting a DEXA bone density scan is important, & you may find out you're just fine or need supplements or weight training.
Some chemo affects hearing, causing tinnitus & that can lead to hearing loss. Cisplatin is known for this. I learned after treatment ended & I reported sudden tinnitus, but no heads up from medical team on this. In some regions it's protocol to screen tor tinnitus to mitigate hearing loss, but not where I live.
So eye exams, DEXA scans, hearing monitoring are all things eye can do to improve health & wellness. And I wish I had been armed with this before I started treatments.

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Replies to "Your questions have been a learning experience for me. I wish provider's would view this site..."

@longevityride I did not have chemotherapy for endometrial cancer but I did have radiation therapy. I had a list of questions to ask the radiation oncologist. He also covered possible symptoms and side effects I might experience during radiation therapy and afterwards. Based on his information I requested a bone density scan prior to starting radiation therapy. That was a good decision as I experienced a radiation-related fracture in my sacrum about one year after completing radiation therapy. Fortunately, the radiologist had my pre-radiation bone scan to review. Radiation therapy decreased my bone density in my lower spine, just as the radiation oncologist said.

One of my friends had chemotherapy at an academic medical center (UC San Francisco) and had many side effects during and after chemotherapy. She was furious that she received so little information from her oncologist or her cancer care team. Sometimes we don't know what questions to ask.

I agree that recommending Mayo Clinic Connect to cancer care providers is a good idea. I did that and I was often surprised at how many of them did not know about Connect. And this was at Mayo Clinic! So, I act as ambassador whenever I have the opportunity.