Hi Sue
DIdn’t have FEC but wish you well
Stay positive
Mary
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Hi Sue
Wishing you well,
Love
Nikki
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Hi all, and good luck to everyone. Nikki, I was just thinking myself that smoking is not discussed here - and was glad to see your message. I can understand why not - it’s the guilt thing if we do & the ‘you must be mad’ thing if we don’t. I’m about a half-pack a day smoker & gave up after diagnosis but it was hard and I really felt it. However, both oncs I have seen had the decency to say that while no one should smoke (yeah, yeah, yeah), now was probably not the best time to give up if it was upsetting me. Good-oh, I said, and started again. Trying to keep it to five a day, but not angsting - especially since the scans declared my lungs clear (at this stage, haha). I can pass on the wine during chemo, in case of added pressure on the liver, but a fag every now and then lightens a moment in the day.
And I have another question about this steroids thing. For Tax, but not apparently planned for later Fec treatment, I was prescribed 6 x 7.5 mg of a cortizone drug called Dexamethason, which started the night before my first session on 24.04. I understood it was aimed at preventing allergic reaction to the Tax, particularly during its administering, so not something to play around with. I had the start of a ‘shock’ reaction when the nurse upped the speed of dosage in the early stage & the first thing she asked me, before switching me onto saline for a few minutes, was whether I had remembered to take the first two lots of pills. Is this the same thing as the steroids people talk about? And therefore, usually prescribed for Fec as well? Have to say, they make me feel pretty spaced-out - I just spent half an hour in bed trying to read but can’t lie still. I forgot them & took them too late this evening.
The fun doesn’t let up.
Love to all, M-L
Hi M-L
I’m at present 10 a day smoker, but my Onc did ask me to try and stop, although surgeon and BCN said so long as I stopped before surgery. will try again over the weekend, see if I can manage it, we have a caravan in the highlands so have came up here away from everything to chill before chemo on Monday.
Hows things going with you?
Nikki
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Hi Nikki,
The caravan in the highlands sounds wonderful - have a great weekend and don’t let worry about first treatment on Monday spoil it. The actual administering is just like having a normal drip, though in the case of Fec I understand that it is red, which must be a bit offputting. I’ve started on Tax, myself, with Fec to follow, though when I asked my onc nurse in Finland why the order is different here to the usual order in the UK I didn’t understand her explanation. Shame really, but there we are. She’d done 16 months at a London University hosp (forget the name) so she probably knew, but it lost me.
Shelley & baglady on the Fec/cold cap 24th April thread started Fec on Thursday, same day I started Tax, and their descriptions might be of interest. It was harder on one than the other, but they are wonderful, funny, brave women, same as everyone here - and we’ll all get through this together.
Hope the sun shines or the caravan is a lovely warm haven in the rain - whichever happens to turn up. Everything has its good points if that’s what you’re looking for.
Love & courage to you, and everyone here, M-L
HI all,
M-L- dexamethasone is the steroid I’m on during and after each FEC. It’s brilliant. Gives you loads of energy and turns you into a domestic goddess! However, DO NOT TAKE AT NIGHT - I take mine first thing in the morning and lunchtime. If you take it at night you will be ironing until 4am - believe me! It also gives you quite a healthy colour (although red feet can be alarming to members of the family!).
Have fully recovered from 2nd chemo - think have decided to have the Hickman line - I can’t believe how stressful it was last Thursday, looking at all these chemicals thinking “they have got to get these into me, but my vein is shot already”. I don’t want anything to mess up my once in a lifetime summer holiday! I want NO delays before August thank you very much.
Nikki - Hope you had a wonderful weekend in the Highlands and that the weather was kind to you. We got low cloud and rain most of the day yesterday, but today looks like being a cracker. Be kind to yourself tomorrow, try not to worry too much. Hopefully you will have got a lot of insight from using this forum and you will feel more prepared than some. Do let us know asap how you get on - we are thinking of you.
Och well, away to shoot (more like miss) more clays. This will be the first time I’ve shot since the lumpectomy and lymph node removal (left side), so am hoping I’m fit to shoot. If not, I’ll be fit to chat up the blokes!!! What the hey - husband’s away crashing my livestock trailer at the moment (don’t ask!) and I’ll probably be left with the insurance hassles to deal with on top of everything else!
Take care you all, and have a wonderful day
Sue xx
Hi Ladies
Back from the sunny highlands, have actually got sunburn on my arms it was so hot…and not a midgie in site.
Well trying to chill out tonight before tomorrow have cleaned th house top to bottom and wondering what I will do with the rest of the time before 8.00am tomorrow…long night me thinks
Thanks to everyone who has helped me not to be sooooo scared, I truly have no fear for tomorrow now, but its just the waiting game before the dreaded first one is chalked of the treatment board.
Hi M-L how are you doing?
Hi Sue golad to hear you are doing ok after your second.
Hope everyone else is ok and thanks, will let you know how tomorrrow goes, have to go for a bone density scan before chemo tomorrow, as doing options trail.
Nikki
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hi All,
M-L - how you doing now?
Nikki - really hope you are ok and look forward to seeing you on here again.
{{{{Cyber hug}}}
Sue xx
Hi Ladies
Well had my first of 6, so only 5 left.
With all the help and advice I have had from the ladies here I felt ok going this morning, all went well Bone density scan first results good no problem with my bones.
The FEC looks scary when you look at all 9 syringes lying there but honestly was ok the nurse was really good and we chatted away so much that when I next looked at the clock 2 hours had passed and I hadn’t noticed. Feeling at bit sicky tonight been and had a lie down the after, so all ok at the moment.
Thanks Sue for the Hug, how are you doing?
M-L how’s things going in Finland?
Will see how things go over next few days, and thanks everyone for caring it does help
Hope everyone else is doing ok
Nikki
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Hey Nikki - Lovely to see you back! Keep taking the anti emitics - especially the one before bed. Keep the steroids & anti sickness stuff by your bed tonight and load up again as soon as you wake up!
I’m fine. Wig had first outing at work, and even in front of clients. Glad to have my bandana on now tho, curled up in front of the fire with my revels & diet coke!
Take care, take it easy, keep in touch!
Sue xx
Hi LAdies
Having my can’t sleep night today, 4am and wide awake not good, have slppe well until tonight but, hey ho, it had to come sometime I expect, all other symptoms preety much as every one explained to me, no supprises so many thanks for all you words of advice and support, has made this whole thing so much easier,
How is everyone else getting on at their various stages.
Hope to catch up with you all and hear how you are all doing.
Cheer
Nikki
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Hi NikkiK
I’m glad to hear you’re not too bad with the side effects and that the nurses made things comfy for you. I too was terrified when I when in for my first dose.
I was so bad that they had to pull the privacy curtains round as I was sat there weeping for the entire duration. I think i felt it was a terrible invasion having these poisonous chemicals put inside me. Awful way to look at it I know.
The nurses were so kind, they helped a great a deal and the on the 2nd dose I didn’t need the curtain pulled round. Then I decided I couldn’t wait to get it over and done with and began to look forward to the appointments.!
Keep well and look after yourself.
To all of you going through this - take care.
ang xx
Hi Nikki,
Nice to be over the first hurdle, isn’t it? I’m over the first week after the first hurdle, today (she says, boastfully). I barely slept the first three nights, and have now moved up to about 5 hours at night, an hour in the afternoon, and lots of fatly lying around, so it does get better.
We’ve been through this stuff elsewhere, but a recap of my past week’s symptoms since first tax is: 1st 3 days: sandy eyes and the effects of the cortizone (no sleep, sort of tired buzzing around), build-up of sensation in mouth like you’ve rinsed it with a numbing acid (i.e burnt, swollen but numb), nothing tastes right or even pleasant, powerful heartburn/indigestion but no nausea or bowel upset of any kind. I found that Rennies helped more than the prescription stuff. Day 4 - lot of bone/joint/muscle pain, aches and shooting neuralgia-type - keeping gently on the move all day eased it for me. Fatigue. Nasty mouth. Eyes better. Day 5 - less bone etc. pain. More fatigue. Very nasty mouth. Day 6: v. little pain, some fatigue, mouth a bit better - pretty good really. Same improvement again today. It’s a public holiday here in Finland today - May 1st - I’ve got a couple of ribs of limousine beef to roast for dinner &, dammit, I’m going to have a glass of red to celebrate one week down.
Just like a bout of flu, really. A doddle. The fatigue is a constant, but we expected that, didn’t we? And what a marvellous excuse to do what I like doing best - nothing!
Get out your favorite DVDs for these long nights - or a book, whatever does it for you. Trying and failing to sleep is just the worst.
So all the best - M-L x
Hi M-L
Glad to hear from you and that you are doing ok, all these symptons seem beter when talked about in the passed tense I think. Just had a look at my post during the night.spelling really says how I was feeling them and i have been into work for 2 hours back home for some R & R, until this afternoon, then I will go back out for another hour or so.
Don’t know how you can think about drinking wine, you really have such a bright ourlook on all of this and you amaze me completely
Thanks Ang, I know what you mean I think if we all sat and thought about what our bodies are going through we would all be the same as you, I just am trying not to think about what they put in the syringe, and just this is the prosess that I have to do to get the tumour shrunk and removed and thats it…but I have to agree with you about the nurses they are really amazing group of ladies that do have a specail gift.
Hope everyone else is doing ok
Nikki
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HI Nikki, M-L, Ang and everybody else!
Things aren’t going brilliantly for me at the moment. I now have phlebitis in BOTH veins in my arm. So I have to have a Hickman line put in next week. Terrible that my veins can each only take one session, and I still have another 6 to go! Husband not happy about flushing the line weekly. He can’t see why a nurse can’t do it - which is a point! My GP’s nurse isn’t qualified - like we are?!?!?! I may manage to get a district nurse to help, will have to see. My chemo nurse even suggested my best friend (who happens to be a nurse) could flush it for me - but that’s pushing the bounds of friendship too far as far as I’m concerned.
On the plus side, had a great night at the pub last night, the local band was playing. I took along all my wigs (5) and the girls all wore them! We had a really good laugh. On the minus side, I’ve picked up a tummy bug and am hitting my nadir so have little resistance. I don’t want to phone the hospital, so will see how I go being gentle to myself. And NO - it’s not the alcohol - I was driving and drinking diet cokes!
On another plus note, I can’t do the ironing because of my phlebitis, so I just took it all to the laundrette and they did it all for me - that’s a major job (15 shirts per week not counting MY clothes!).
Am learning how to be a lazy bum, or is it prioritising?! lol
Hope you are all well
Sue xx
Hi Ladies
So sorry to hear things have not been to good for you Sue, sounds like you did enjoy your wiggy night out with the girlies though. are you having 4 fec & 4 tax? when you say 6 left?
enjoy being a lazy bum, plenty of shirts for you to iron next year.
I have had a bad couple of days feeling unwell, not really able to say what, but suppose it had to come. I had to shave the head yesterday, my scalp was sooooooooooo sore, so hubby clippered it and although not 100% attractive does feel better, had began to feel like I had it in bunches, that kind of sensitive feeling, anyone else had this??
going out for some cardboard lunch, with some metalic coke…
Hope everione else is doing ok, we should start to pick up this week,hopefully
Nikki
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Emelle - how you doing love? You’re on Tax first aren’t you?
Ang - how is your chemo doing?
Nikki - you ok?
We had a good gang of people at about the same stage…and we’ve all gone into hiding…!
Hi Ladies,
Hope everyone one is doing OK. I don’t know where the time is going at the moment -
10 days waiting for MRI and CT a bit daunting BUT great news all clear (Yipee!!). Spent the time sorting out the house prior to FEC 2.
Had FEC 2, 4 days ago and am functioning OK today. Wasn’t looking forward to this session (new what to expect!), but as others have said the nurses have been great, I had the same nurse as FEC 1 so we just continued our disscussion on house moves was she had moved the week before (amazing how time can pass) 1 hour later I was done.
I then effectively took myself to bed for 2 days as was hosting a family celebration on Sunday- everyone had a fabulous time and I was back in bed my early evening – a good day around.
As we are moving in 10 days ( a couple of days before FEC 3), I’m busy sorting out what I can - making sure I sleep/nap during the day - and take those meds before 4pm. We are moving from Oxfordshire to Shropshire so was up there 2 days before FEC 2, to meet new Onc so their ready for me on the 29th May. Life is hectic at the moment but it is popping (although not posting) on to this site that keeps me sane.
Once again hoping you are all doing well…catch up with you soon
Catherine.
Oh my Catherine, you know how to risk biting off more than you can chew! I hope everything continues to go as smoothly for you as the family celebration did. Best of luck with transition to new onc for 3rd FEC.
My 3rd is hopefully 15th May; but I’m booked into hospital to get a Hickman line fitted first thing in the morning, and the chemo in the afternoon! I thought I was very busy organising things - but you put me in the shade (which is just as well, sun & chemo not a good combo!)
Look forward to hearing how you managed all this once it’s done and I do hope the move is a breeze and the change of health boards a whizz.
Sue
Hi Ladies
Sue is quite right we all have been sooooooooo quiet of late, just thought I see how you all are
Mary you must be about to start you Rads, hope all is going well for you,
Ang, I had the opposite than you with Chocolate, it did and unfortunaltely still does taste very unpleasant, hope it eases off before next chemo on the 19th so I can have a little pig out session, have always been such a choc o holic, and good luck for Thursday.
Hope Hazel, lizzzie, Mel, M-L, Liz and Sophie are doing well, drop bye and let us know your ok.
Catherine, hope you are doing ok you should have just had your 2nd, and good luck with you move, just what you need right know,
Sue good luck for Thursday, both with Hickman and Chemo.
I am doing ok this week feel totally back to normal, and in for 2nd FEC on Monday, so hoping to sail through again with not to many effects, hair has came out, did shave it to No1 as so painful. and bit of a war going on in boob at the mo, think its a good guy bad guy fight here’s hoping good guys winning, anyone else who has chemo first had this feeling of pain??? its most strange.
Well everyone enjoy looking at the sunshine, and to the secret smokers enjoy.
Take care
Nikki
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