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Hello everyone. I thought that anyone about to embarke their chemo journey with the above drug should know the up to date info. This has happend to me and others. It is possible that Taxotere can leave you permantley bald. It doesnt happen to many, thankfully, but if it can happen to me and others then...... I have written about my story and will shortly add the letter i have recieved from Sanofi Aventis admitting that it can happen. If you would like more info please read my blog. I only started it yesterday so in the early stages. http://taxoterehairloss.blogspot.com/ I hope we are allowed relevent links onto our pages admin? Thank you for reading my thread.

hay there i am twenty seven years old and was diagnoised with colo-rectal cancer last september, it was compleatly out of the blue, there was no symptoms or discomfort and was lucky that it was picked up by colonoscopy. To say the least its been a crazy few months, chimo and radio and an opp in janurary. the only way i can discribe how i feel is that i feel confused, everything is new, i am doing good, living day to day, healing surely but SLOWLY, and realising that it can always be worse, its just .... well confusing just wondering if there was anyone else who is just bemused by the whole thing. wishing everyone here all the very very best, andi

My dad is dying of tongue cancer and it's horrible to watch. I've seen an independent, intelligent, kind, caring, happy and strong man crumble to someone to a frail and distant version of himself. Dad had a wonderful life and had an extremely was an extremely successful chef and entrepreneur. A man who's life revolved around food now has to rely on a tube for nourishment. A man who enjoyed going for country walks and rambles with his children and the dog can now walk little further than to the front door and it kills me. He is the kindest most genuine human being I have ever met and has the biggest heart in the world for both humans and animals. I have always admired him and grown up so close to him. He was my rock and now the closest person in the world to me is dying. I can't accept it and I don't know how to deal with it. I find I just can't open up to my friends or family properly. I can't open up to anyone. The worst part is that I seem to be removing myself from Dad. I try and get out of the house every evening or go up to my room and on the weekends I make sure I have plans to go out so as not to be at home. It's like I'm pushing myself away from him but I don't know why. This time is precious and I do know that I have little time with him but I think it's almost a coping mechanism or something. I love my Dad so so much and I know he wants me around more. I find myself snappy at times and at other times just convulsively crying in my room. I live at home with my Dad and my mum but I don't, nor have I ever gotten on so well with my mum. We fight all the time and I can barely stand to be in the same room with her for a period of time. What makes me hate her so much I think is that she treats Dad like a patient - she's a nurse! She coddles him and is often uses condescending gestures and words to him and he hates it, especially as such a formerly independent and proud man. But he feels he owes it to her for her care and is too weak for an argument over it. My half-sister, whom i love dearly is a doctor but my mother will not listen to anything she has to say. My mother, being a nurse thinks she knows best. However, she managed to miss a near-fatal infection dad had a few months ago that was only brought to the fore when my sister came home after I rang her to say Dad was terrible. I don't know if anyone will read this or indeed understand my situation but it would be nice to know that someone might be listening. I think I really need someone professional to talk to but I can't afford it myself and I don't want to ask my mother for the money. I'm afraid of how im pushing dad away and I just don't know how I will cope when i loose him. The thought of him dying makes me feel that my life is not worth living once he's gone. I can't cope.

Hello! I've been lurking on this site for a little while now and have read a lot of your incredible stories and battles. What brave women you all are. This month has been a bit crazy, as I'm in the middle of a few different doctor assessments. One is for heart related problems I've been having, and the other is for a lump I found in my left breast about a month and a half ago. I gotta say, the heart thing hasn't been all that scary, but the lump issue has been my undoing. I'm 31 and a mother of two young children. I came across the hard lump myself about a month and half ago, but waited to see if it changed with my cycle. It didn't. So I casually mentioned it to the GP while I was having my 3 year cervical check done. They ordered blood tests for me (because of issues I'm having with my periods) and a referral for me to the Breast Clinic in Beaumont. I got the appointment today - but it's not until the 1st of March!! For the past week, I've had a lot of internal emotional highs and lows (one minute I've got myself dead and buried....the next minute "I'll be grand!") I've avoided telling anyone except my very nearest family so as not to make a big deal of it. But inside I feel a bit panicked. And I'm wondering how I'm gonna be able to push it out of my mind for another 5 weeks!! Did any of you have to wait that long? How did you manage to not go mad with the waiting game? Whatever the results are, I can deal with them. It's the not knowing that's driving me crazy!

I'm only home went to Blackrock with my friend. Well..... Jane is not happy with the margins and wants to go back in Monday week to take out another bit. I was disappointed but once I didn't have to have more chemo I didn't mind that much. I'm a bit confused and my husband was giving out and saying 'why did they not take it all when they were in there' . He didn't ask when we were in there though!!! She said there were small tumours left but still when I asked her would I be cancer free when she takes out the rest if the margin she said 'oh yes but technically I think you're cancer free now and we are taking the extra bit just to be sure it doesn't come back' still she mentioned tumours. I'm confused. I've left a message for the cancer nurse to ring me to ask her.

Hi girls I'm desperate for advice. Had a double mastectomy end of Nov, had expanders put in to stretch out the skin to be replaced with implants at a later date. I found the expanders extremely uncomfortable so had to reduce the volume he put in last week. Due for another expansion tomorrow and he called this evening to say that radiation has to start in a few weeks and he won't be finished in time, (ie to put in the volume they removed in surgery). So even though he is only half way through he has to quit. Radiation is pushing this "guidelines" crap (rads have to start 12 wks after surgery) and cosmetics has to come second. But I really can't stop half way through, I really need plastics to finish before rads can start. I am absolutely deviated. I need to push radiation back, I need mores time. Anyone else ever come up against the different departments before and gone against guidelines? I feel like they are always working against me..no one is on my side. Cosmetics are important too what difference will a few weeks really make????? Really?

Hair gone!!! Went and got it shaved, but was brave and at least its done...

Hi am on tamoxifen now nearly 5 months and side effects getting worse . I really thought I was losing it, forgetting simple things , even every day words .just could not think what items were called. Repeating full sentences 10 min later forgetting I had just said the exact thing. Along with terrible joint pain and hot flushes every 1 1/2 hours during the night. No sleep at all unless I take a sleeping tablet. Went for first check up today and yes memory fog is a side effect in 1%. Lucky me !!!!! They now decided to get me to stop the tamoxifen or 3 weeks to clear my system and see if any or all side effects go. Then start back on half a tablet for 2months then the full tablet. Also only a few still have boob pain after lumpectomy and guess again who the lucky girl is. They did a mammogram also and it seemed fine, but the pain ,because boob still tender was unreal. Still results good, except for side effects. Must go back in 6 months for checkup. Also did you know in order to get eyes lasered you have to be on tamoxifen for a year and finished rads for 6 months. never ending.

Hi Girls Five chemo treatments under my belt so far AC x 4 and Taxol by 1. Monday I did an MRI and Wednesday did Mamo and Ultrasound. Met surgeon yesterday and he was pleased with my progress he said there had been a partial response to the chemo which is the best they hoped for there are four responses a) it gets bigger b) it stays the same c) partial response and d) full response - we had never expected a full response. He seemed really positive and he said that after my Mascetomy in April that I would be Cancer Free and I made him repeat it twice;-) I was sort of really shocked when he said - not sure what I was expecting as that was always the goal. Was fecking delighted. He was nearly thinking of cancelling the next three chemos but Onc said she was "very happy" with my progress and that we should continue on with it - I too think I should continue as found in the last three weeks I can actually feel it shrinking myself. We discussed immediate recon (which I really want) he said he would be happy to go ahead with that but have to see the plastics doc to see if she agrees with it. I am a big boobed girl at around DD/E cup he said that recon would prob only go to a C cup so other one would have to be reduced (dont have a problem with that). So all in all girls great day, chemo working, tumour shrinking and possible immediate recon and of course CANCER FREE in April.....even the nurse repeated it - I thought to be honest it was quite a big statment for them to make?? Wanted to share my news with you all as you have all been great its great we have each other on here. I hope we get more good news from other girls as well - we need good news on here to keep us all soldiering on. Going to a Fancy Dress tonight as Sinead O'Connor as a priest - woohoo and I am sure gonna celebrate and have loads of drinks