Thank you so much to everybody for all your replies when i 1st posted, i start my 1st chemo on friday 6th, i am so nervous my lovely husband will be with me, my bcn has told me my hair will fall out ! how quickly can this happen ? am i better having something to eat (if i can !!) before my chemo ? please help me prepare for friday
galen x
Dear Galen
I had my first chemo just over a week ago and the anticipation was much worse than the actual event. My hospital provided sandwiches and fruit and I did eat before I had my chemo. I did take a lorazepam (tranquiliser) though, which was mild but helped greatly as I have a severe vomit phobia and it stops “anticipatory nausea”. The anti-emetics worked and I was not sick. I am having FEC chemo and using a cold cap but have been told it’s likely I’ll lose my hair. 2 of the drugs in this combination are likely to make hair fall out, one is less likely and the cap can work but not always.
I wish you the very best of luck, but you will be fine, I promise.
Cecelia . xx
hi galen
The first chemo is always the worst because you just dont know what to expect.
I had to wait for 8hours for my first shot because it was on Tuesday after bank holiday Monday and there were hundreds of people in the clinic. I was all worked up thinking they had forgotten me and i got quite tearful. However once i was called in the nurses were so nice and explained everything and even let my husband in (1st time only). Im due my 4th cycle tommorrow and have no worries.
My hair started falling out on day 17 and by day 20 i shaved it all as it just falls out everywhere. That wasnt so bad you know its going to grow back.
Hope that helps
Jackie
x
I had my second FEC last Thursday. I don’t know what regime you are on though!
Have they not given you any information about what to expect? I was told to eat before hand, and that it was perfectly OK to take refreshments of my own into the chemo unit. In my particular unit a relative or friend is welcome to stay with you whilst you have treatment, lunch is available if you are having your treatment over that period, and there are snack and drinks machines in the waiting area.
You will be weighed and measured each time you attend and also have blood tests to make sure your immune system is coping OK (I go the day before my chemo for this, and to see the oncologist for results of blood tests). When I arrive at the hospital, my particular cocktail of chemo is prepared for me, the dosage according to weight/height measurements taken the day before. I am fitted with a cannula through which the drugs are administered, and the nurse sits with me the whole time as she has to administer them slowly, through a syringe, into the cannula. There is also a saline drip set up as this helps to keep the chemo drugs moving through the veins.
When I leave (after about an hour), I am given anti sickness drugs to take for a few days. I find that the chemo makes me feel a little light-headed for a short while, so it is best to have someone with you to drive you home.
The anti sickness medication seems to work OK for me, but I do find that the day after the FEC and for the following few days, I feel very tired and sleep a lot. I also get a little heartburn and constipation. Everyone is different and so it is impossible to predict what (if any) side effects you may get!
My hair started to fall out about 12 days after the first FEC, and after a couple of days it was getting a real nuisance (itchy, tender scalp and hair everywhere), so my husband and daughter cut it off with scissors and then used clippers on it. After another couple of days my husband shaved it off completely. I was well prepared with hats, scarves and wigs, but it was still a shock to lose my hair. I have to sleep in a close fitting hat as my head gets cold, and the bristles are like velcro on my pillow! Buffs are good (Look on Google).
I was dreading chemo, but things have not been nearly as bad as I anticipated, and you will be surprised at how you will cope. We girls are made of tough stuff, and you will get a lot of support on here as you know!
Good luck
(PS I try and make sure the h/work and ironing is up-to-date and the cupboards well stocked with easy meals before each chemo)!
Hi Galen,
starting chemo is scary stuff indeed, I started e-cmf in may and remember my first one vividly. I was terrified and was all prepared to just turn round and say ‘I’m not going and thats that!’ on the morning of the first session. Luckily I’m not completely daft and obviously did go, albeit reluctantly, after being shoved out of the door by my boyfriend. I think it was largely a fear of the unkown that freaked me out the most. I was scared of side effects, scared of having a panic attack and losing it when the drugs went in, scared of everything really!
However, thankfully my fears were totally unfounded. The staff at the chemo day centre where I go were awesome. They could see I was terrified and put me at ease immediately. The place was very welcoming and there was an abundance of tea and sarnies being handed round! As it was my 1st session there was quite a lot of paperwork to get through, but I was still out of there in less than 1 1/2 hours. Nowadays the sessions are much quicker as there is not so much paperwork to get through.
They give you iv anti-sickness meds before and after the chemo and they should also send you home with loads too. One of them is a steroid which can cause sleeplessness and constipation. I always eat loads of fruit and all-bran type stuff on the days I have these and I’ve had no bowel troubles so far (hurrah!). I sky+ loads to help on the restless first few nights. Also, as justme says, I do tend to get all my housework and stuff up to date beforehand so I know its done and I get a couple of ‘ready meals’ in for OH. I got some ‘travel bands’ from Boots before I started to help with the nausea. They really do work and you can wear them at night too. Its ideal if, like me, you’re not overstruck on popping pills! Ginger biscuits and dry ginger ale have been a godsend too.
My hair fell out after Epi No2. My OH had already shaved it off for me but it was still a shock and it was painful. It happened v.quickly though and after the initial tears I’m totally used to my bald white head now. Have 2 gorgeous wigs but am personally much happier wearing my scarves.
Take care and hope this helps! Best of luck for Friday, let us know how you get on,
Kelly
-x-
Hi Galen
you’ve been given stacks of info so I won’t add anything else but i just want to say good luck, you’ll be great
HI Galen,
I echo the others’ views… the actuality of having the chemo wasn’t nearly as bad as the anticipation. I felt absolutely fine afterwards - not at all light-headed, but the strange feelings started about 11pm (chemo was about 4.30-ish)… I’d probably recommend only a light meal afterwards, just in case. I got off quite lightly with the first session, but was much sicker with the second one last week. That shouldn’t happen, if they get the anti-sickness drugs right, so don’t worry about it. I’ll be chasing them for different ones next time around!!! As someone else said, whether your hair is likely to come out, depends on a number of things… the cocktail of drugs, type of hair, cold cap or not… etc. I did cold cap, but it started coming out a bit on Day 16,… I’m now on Day 5 of the second cycle and still have a covering, albeit thinned and was going to get it shaved off today, but the lovely girl that sorted my wig was off sick… what an anti-climax, having built myself up for it.
It sounds as if the units vary a lot. When I had my second Epi last week and ended up literally taking off my own cold cap and seeing myself out! No-one to be seen in my section of the unit, so I just scarpered when my time was up!! No sandwiches and juice at the Beatson in Glasgow! It only opened a few weeks ago, so maybe they’re still getting their act together!
Best of luck on Friday… good that you’ve got support to go with you. I took someone first time, but the next went on my own, which was fine.
Will be thinking of you on Friday…
Alison
How come the sandwiches are getting handed around everywhere but Southampton???
mousy
Galen
You have had lots of information already so I will try to avoid repeating it all. I had my first FEC 2 weeks ago today and as the others say it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was anticipating. Sometimes I react really badly to medicines so I was nervous that there would be problems.
I felt a bit light headed and nauseous on the first evening but apart from that not bad at all. It does make you tired - I was ok while the steroids lasted but after they finished I felt as if I was over 100 for a few days! This weekend, I made the most of feeling much better and we had a couple of days out and next weekend are going to visit our daughter before the 2nd chemo next Tuesday.
I have still got my hair but it has been feeling itchy for a while so I keep expecting to start to lose it. I have bought a really nice wig, scarves and bandannas so feel as prepared as I can be, though I am sure I will be upset when it actually happens.
I hope all goes well for you on Friday.
Anne