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← Return to Docetaxel (Taxotere)
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@jeffmarc Thanks for your reply. I'm ready to commit to 6 treatments, Iv every 3 weeks. How's life after and what about the hair issue?
Jerlaz
Replies to "@jeffmarc Thanks for your reply. I'm ready to commit to 6 treatments, Iv every 3 weeks...."
@jerlaz You will be mostly OK during treatment and then fine after it ends, and your cancer will likely be suppressed too. My husband had six infusions of docetaxel every three weeks some years ago. It worked very well to suppress the cancer for several years. The side effects follow a consistent pattern, so you can plan what you are able to do when and which days you will need to take it easy. My husband had no nausea, but the fatigue the first few days to a week after an infusion was strong. Then he felt better the second week, and the third week he felt pretty good--and then it was time for the next infusion. We just planned around the side effects and did short outings and day trips, and he worked in the yard and ran errands during the days when he felt decent. He did lose his hair on his head and upper and lower torsos, but had no problems with his nails. It was ten years ago, and the cancer center never mentioned or offered using cooling caps or gloves, but they are probably pretty common now. Good luck to you and keep us posted.
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@jerlaz
I attend nine online advanced prostate cancer meetings every month. I’ve done it for years and I hear from a lot of people that have had chemo. Most people can live with it and it doesn’t affect their life all the time but A few days after having the side effects it can be tough, have to rest and recuperate., Then things go back to normal, and then there’s the next treatment.
Chemo doesn’t work for everybody, but it does work pretty well for most people.
All right now, hair and nails. You will lose your hair and your fingernails will become very strange, but there is a solution. You can use a cold cap on your head and on your hands to prevent damage. Amazon sells them. Some places you have the chemo done have a cooler you can put on your head that will keep it cold the whole time but it cost about $300 per treatment. The cold cap and the Cold gloves can make a big difference. One Guitarist in a group I was in complained about how badly his fingernails got damaged and how he couldn’t play guitar anymore. He didn’t know about the cold gloves.