Docetaxel Chemo – the highs and the lows

User

Posted 07 Feb 2017 at 18:54

Infusion 5 Day 1

Working In A Coalmine lyrics - Lee Dorsey

Workin' in a coal mine

Goin' down down down

Workin' in a coal mine

Whop! about to slip down

My tune of the day.

The song worked, my PSA has dropped from 5.04 to 3.83 and all other bloods results were good.

Infusion 5 completed without any problems.

3 weeks to half time.

User

Posted 07 Feb 2017 at 18:58

Yeeeeee-hiiiiii!

Great news David. Keep on trucking.

User

Posted 07 Feb 2017 at 22:03

Great news David,

Great to see that your PSA is coming down.

I am slightly ahead of you.

I am on infusion 5 Day 14 and feeling fine. All my tiredness and bone aches gone. Chemo is fine for me

Last Chemo cycle, infusion 6 is a week today and I cannot wait.

I find your journey inspiring David, keep going strong.

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 07 Feb 2017 at 23:43

Brilliant news!

BFN

Julie X

NEVER LAUGH AT A LIVE DRAGON

User

Posted 07 Feb 2017 at 23:48

Well it has been pretty much a good news day all round :-)

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 08 Feb 2017 at 07:48

A quick query.

It is great to see David's Psa falling during his Chemo treatment. My Psa results are also following a similar fall, but what does it physically mean for those like myself with secondary mets?

Does it mean those tumours are receding or even going away or is that too much to wish for?

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 08 Feb 2017 at 12:21

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

It is great to see David's Psa falling during his Chemo treatment. My Psa results are also following a similar fall, but what does it physically mean for those like myself with secondary mets?

Does it mean those tumours are receding or even going away or is that too much to wish for?

An excellent question. I think they are receding. I don't think they are going away. They only way I'll know which of these is fact is if and when I'm next scanned.

User

Posted 08 Feb 2017 at 12:33

Not necessarily receding but being fatally wounded so that they cannot replicate, I think. If they cannot replicate then they don't produce PSA. Cancer cells that are being fatally wounded will try to fight back which sometimes means an increase in PSA but when the damaged cells multiply they are distorted.

That was my understanding anyway :-/

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 10 Feb 2017 at 11:11

Infusion 5 Day 4

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I am slightly ahead of you on the Chemo front. I am on infusion 5 day 7. Must say infusion 5 was the worst to date from a tiredness and bone ache perspective

Snap! I started feeling crappy on day 3, all previous infusions I didn't feel crappy till day 4. Today, I'm hobbling around like a right old git. On day 4 for the four previous infusions I still felt OK enough to go for a session in the gym, not today, I'm sat here wrapped up, keeping warm and riding it out.

Somehow though I suspect I will improve before long and fancy a cheeky real ale. Food still tastes good though and for tonight Mrs_C is cooking a loin of venison. You're not meant to have rare meat when you're on chemo but sod that for a game of soldiers, I'll compromise with medium rare and if that puts me in my box, I'll die well fed. http://community.prostatecanceruk.org/editors/tiny_mce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif

User

Posted 10 Feb 2017 at 15:14

David,

They noted from my blood tests that my vitamin D was very low so they gave me vitamin D supplements to ease the bone ache which helped considerably.

I was also feeling much better by day 8 to 10, after that 5th Chemo was a breeze.

My final 6th Chemo on Tuesday coming, I will keep you updated

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 13 Feb 2017 at 10:56

Infusion 5 Day 7

I'm pretty much restored now from the period of crappiness. 4 days in total this infusion. It's never been for more than 3 days before. There does seem to be some logic to this. I assume chemo has a cumulative toxic effect. If true, it is reasonable to assume that the length of time that you are off colour will increase. Anyway, 4 days out of 21 I can live with and, hey, if I can't, I remind myself what the alternative is. http://community.prostatecanceruk.org/editors/tiny_mce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif

I've decided to introduce a new measure of crappiness. It's called the crappiness half-life. Think radaioactive half-life. The half-life point is reached when I fancy a beer again. This time around I didn't fancy beer at all on day 3, nor on day 4, but by the evening of day 5 (hmmm Homer likes beer) the attraction returned and two pints were dutifully swallowed (for medicinal purposes only you do understand, don't you?). So the half-life for this infusion is 2.5 days.

Onwards and upwards.

Edited by member 13 Feb 2017 at 12:07 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 13 Feb 2017 at 11:04

Great to hear this David

The rest of this cycle should be easy ifmine was anything to go by

I sent you a PM to check on your progress, but your post here confims the good news.

I have my final Chemo (cycle 6) tomorrow.

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 13 Feb 2017 at 11:37

Col, you have been superb in keeping this thread updated. The crappiness half-life will probably live on forever in these forum pages! Enjoy those beers x

Edited by member 13 Feb 2017 at 11:38 | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 15 Feb 2017 at 04:39

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

David,

They noted from my blood tests that my vitamin D was very low so they gave me vitamin D supplements to ease the bone ache which helped considerably.

I was also feeling much better by day 8 to 10, after that 5th Chemo was a breeze.

My final 6th Chemo on Tuesday coming, I will keep you updated

Regards

Dave

David,

My final (for the time being) docataxel chemotherepy (Infusion 6) is now complete.

So far so good, absolutely no side effects so far, as before.

My Psa is now down to 0.3.

It is strange, but I look at my very powerful chemical friend (docataxel), with a semse of regret that he now leaves me to continue with my journey, having helped me so much.

I believe the next scan awaits to confirm how helpful the chemo has been.

How are you doing?

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 15 Feb 2017 at 07:50

Dave,

Excellent news about the PSA.

Re me, I have a simple measure of how I am, does beer taste good, if yes, I'm good, if no, hunker down and trust that by tomorrow it will taste good again.

Re leaving docetaxel behind. As I understand it we may not have seen the last of it. I asked my Onco at my last consultation whether docetaxel could be used again. Her answer was, providing the PCa remains under control for at least six months after a course of docetaxel finishes then they can use it again. Otherwise it's on to cabazitaxel or radium 223 or ........ or it's time to meet Old Nick (she didn't say the last bit).

I bet our Lyn knows more about possible reuse of docetaxel, what say you Lyn?

David

Edited by member 15 Feb 2017 at 07:53 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 15 Feb 2017 at 09:05

Nice one David,

Here is hoping that our meeting with 'Old Nick' is a while off yet

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"

User

Posted 23 Feb 2017 at 15:29

Infusion 5 Day 17

Update time. I'm glad to say there is little to say. Side effects haven't changed at all. Peripheral neuropathy and nail changes - no better or worse. Bum fluff still firmly attached to head. Weight gain firmly under control, I've only put on 4lbs since the start of chemo despite having to take steroids every day. It seems reasonable to assume that given that I've had 5 infusions that I won't now develop any further side effects. So far, it's been a walk in the park.

Next Tuesday sees infusion 6 of the 10 which means I will have topped the crest of the hill and commenced the trip down the other side. I know I should be careful what I wish for but I am looking forward to completing treatment and hopefully having some time treatment free (apart from 12 weekly Zoladex) before further treatment becomes necessary.

User

Posted 28 Feb 2017 at 20:50

Infusion 6 Day 1

Get Down lyrics - Gilbert O'Sullivan

Told you once before
And I won't tell you no more
Get down, get down, get down
You're a bad dog baby
But I still want you 'round

My tune of the day.

Once again the song worked, my PSA has dropped from 3.83 to 3.16 and all other bloods results were good.

Infusion 6 completed without any problems.

User

Posted 28 Feb 2017 at 22:06

Brilliant news. Rock on David!

User

Posted 01 Mar 2017 at 00:00

excellent

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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Docetaxel Chemo – the highs and the lows

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