LY - update

Visited LY at the hospice on Wednesday afternoon. She was sleeping when I got there and her sister was there keeping her company.

Her pudgy-looking left hand has gone down a bit. She still has no strength to move herself and her legs. But, at least she can still move her arms and feed herself. M, who was there earlier with HH, mentioned that her eyes looked yellow, and I recalled too that her eyes did appear slightly yellowish.

She could talk and thanked me several times for visiting her.

I still find it hard to believe that her condition has deteriorated so fast. On 29 Nov, 2008, we had attended a support group outing at the Hort Park, and had even gone for a walk on the bridges nearby (with a doctor keeping an eye on the whole group), and she had looked fine then. That was just barely 7 months ago, and now she is lying in bed, with the exception of her arms, she is practically immobile.

I did a search on the net and found the following :

Side effects (source : Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer)

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3405200156.html

"Suppression of bone marrow function is the principal adverse side effect associated with docetaxel treatment. Blood tests will allow a doctor to determine if there is adequate bone marrow function to begin or continue treatment. Hypersensitivity and fluid retention may also occur during treatment. Corticosteroids are administered prior to treatment to help alleviate these side effects. Ulceration of the mouth and surrounding areas is possible. Additional side effects, including fever , decrease in blood pressure, nausea and vomiting , diarrhea , pain, abnormal liver function, skin rash, nerve damage, and hair loss (alopecia) may occur. "

It says a side effect of docetaxel (taxotere) is nerve damage.

After two-thirds of the first dose :
I remembered squatting down to pick up a piece of paper near my hospital bed and couldn't stand up.
I had very bad back ache and had problem sleeping. I could not turn myself and had to grip the bedsheet and mattress to turn myself over.
My leg were like rubber and I had to pull myself up the stairs using the handrail. The muscles in my calves were gone.

What if LY is having a nerve problem instead of metastasis to her spine?
She is in no pain.
She is not giddy or groggy.
She can only move her arms and not her other parts of her body.
Since her onco can't do anything for her, could she be started on vitamin B complex + B12 at this moment?
She is just lying there on the bed and I really feared that we may be too late if the problem is nerve damage instead of mets to the spine.

I will be doing more search on the drugs and her condition.

I feel like a wimp always complaining about my tiredness and lethargy and my weak legs, now I suspect it could be due the drugs.