Docetaxel - Experience’s

Thank you worriedwife.  Yes I will keep you posted on what steps they may have to take next.  I am sure they have some good ideas.  I hope you are doing ok. 

Cheers

Michael 

Good morning everyone.  After some debate with the team yesterday my chemo number 5 went ahead.  I had an infection on my elbow but it was fairly localised and they decided it was safe to carry on.  It all went according to plan although I had a massive nose bleed at the end of it.  They didn’t seem too bothered by it so I decided not to panic about it either.  Was a little sick overnight and very tired as usual.  I think whether my next chemo will go ahead is going to depend on the outcome of my CT scan on Saturday coming.  As I may have said already I had a bone scan 2 weeks ago and that showed the cancer is progressing rapidly in the bones.  PSA way up to over 1000.  I think they will be worried it has moved to soft tissue so finger crossed it hasn’t.  I will keep you all posted on progress.  Interestingly I haven’t lost my hair, not that I had much, but it doesn’t really grow now.  So I am one of those who hasn’t had hair loss on chemo.  Hope you are all well. 

Best wishes 

M 

Hello Morton, It sounds as if you didn’t feel quite so poorly after round 5? I hope that is the case.  How many more cycles? Sorry to read about the PSA and bone scan results and really hope the CT an results are more encouraging for you. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, too

Hi Morton 

You are truly inspirational! You’ve been through so much and still find time to do your blog and keep us all informed, bless you

Heres praying that nothing is going on in the soft tissue and the chemo sorts it all out

Thinking of you . Big love to you and yours 

Thank you worried wife for the crossed finger and best wishes.  I’m not quite so bad after 5 as the others so far.  One thing that is worse than has been usual for me is the loss of taste.  Usually it is a rotten taste for the first wee week or so but in this case it has been an almost complete loss of taste so far….very odd what this stuff does to us.  I will let you know re scan results.  I also have an X-ray of pelvis and hips on Thursday as they are worried about fractures so that will be good to get done and out the way. 

Thank you so much Mistymoon.  Thanks for the prayers and love to me and mine. It is much appreciated.  I will let people know what happens with the scan and now X-rays.  I asked for a face to face before next chemo which they have agreed to, seems like a good idea as we are half way and a good review point I feel.  I will keep updating. 

Best wishes

M x x

Hello Morton, when things begin to go wrong with our body we seem to enter a new world consisting of many many medical appointments. I think this is what you are experiencing right now? I once spoke with a patient who told me her illness alone felt like a full time job with lots of overtime!  I really hope things start to go in the right direction for you - you are long overdue a break!  Yes, please, do let us know how things go! Take good care of yourself x

I honestly couldn’t agree more with your former patient it really does feel like a full time job.  Since last Monday I  will have had 9 separate appointments in 13 days at 8 different places come Saturday, most of them at least 25 miles away, all cancer related.  No wonder it is tiring at times, that doesn’t include managing prescriptions etc etc.  It occupies your mind in so many ways.  Thank you and I will let you all know. 

M x 

That's a good analogy WW, I fully agree.

Good evening all.  I thought I would give you an update.  I met my oncologist on Friday and unfortunately the long and short of it is that, for me, Docetaxel has not worked at all.  My PSA still runs out of control 2337 at the last measured bloods and the progression is carrying on in bones with now some suspicion of mets in lung although not confirmed.  So what is to be done with chemo.  The choice was really left with me about having number 6, as the oncologist said this would complete a more usual treatment cycle.  I agreed to this, just in case and then the final 4 will be cancelled now.  Of course this now means the 2 big guns of treatment hormones and chemo are exhausted and I am not suitable for immunotherapy based on current generic testing.  Really all we have is Radium or a clinical trial. So fingers crossed for each or one of them.  I will still come back and let you know my own personal response to chemo 6 in terms of side effects etc as I still hope this is useful.  Thank you to all of you who have read and offered support over the past couple of months it has been much appreciated. 

Best wishes

Michael