Hi Inshock,
I finally bit the bullet and rang the BCN to see if she could give me any news regarding the scan. I was right to think the radiographer seemed uncomfortable. Apparently, he thinks the nodes may have reduced in size, but the tumour has continued to grow. So, it’s unlikely that FEC did much for me apart from giving me SEs including tinnitus. My shrinkage must just be down to the inflammation I had from all those biopsies they did. Just hope the TAX works its magic. At least my first two days have been ok. I had no SEs during the infusion, and don’t feel nauseous - so it’s preferable to the FEC thus far. Now all I need is for the joint pains to stay at bay, and for the tumour to start shrinking instead of growing. I always knew it was an Aggressive Bugger. Waiting for another CT scan to see if there has been any response to the chemo.
Hoping your tumour is more compliant than mine.
Margaret x
I’m also having chemo before surgery. I don’t know whether the chemo has been effective so far and have an ultrasound on Thursday to check. My tumour is very strongly E positive so am not expecting miracles with chemo.
Margaret, I have read that tax can be more effective than FEC and good luck with it
Thanks. If it helps, my tumour is PR-, Her2-, and only 50% of the tumour is only weakly ER+. It seemed to come from nowhere and appeared to grow quickly, so don’t let my experience put you off. There’s every reason to think your treatment may be more successful than mine. Fingers crossed!
I’m having pre-surgery chemo too. After 2 FEC doses I had an MRI that showed The Lump (original name, huh!) had shrunk ‘a little’ and was ‘less active’. I have no idea how they tell activity from an MRI, but there you go.
I’ll have another MRI after FEC no 4, and may then switch drugs depending how things are going. I hope I can stay with FEC as my SEs are very mild (touch wood) apart from hair loss, which doesn’t really bother me.
Peg
Really sorry to hear the FEC hasn’t done it’s job on the tumour Margaret. I guess for those of us having post-op chemo there’s no way of knowing if it’s working or not, or even necessary.
I’m having docetaxel rather than taxotere next. Not sure what the difference is. They still seem to call the regime FEC-T. Anyone else having docetaxel? I’ll be having herceptin with mine too, although not with this one because they haven’t done a recent MUGA scan and it’s all booked up until next week.
Keyfeatures,
On the info sheet my Oncologist gave me Docetaxel and Taxotere are the same thing. The second name is the registered trade name.
It is odd though as I was told in the official letter I would be having T/C, but now they write it D/Carbo on my appointment card! I think there is another C drug, so it makes sense to make it clear.
I sure hope someone knows which drugs these letters are supposed to represent 
Hi Keyfeatures, just popping in from August.
Docetaxell and taxotere are the same thing. One is just the trade name.
For those of you embarking on your first Tax, good luck.
im having my 4th Tax tomorrow. I had one FEC before that, which I had a bad reaction to and was taken off it.
For me, FEC was harder than tax!
I could list a dozen side effects I have with Tax, some worse than others. Individually the would be fairly easy to cope with, but concurrently they aren’t nice. But like I say, much better than FEC, for me.
I also, my first and third doses hit me quite hard, but the second was a walk in the park.
We are so individual when it comes to this disease. I think it’s best to grit your teeth and see how you react to it. Its different for each of us and even different for us individually through each cycle.
It IS doable, and we will get through it.
Good luck ladies xxxx
Hi June, you beat me to it.
I’m having TC, its Taxotere and Cyclophosphomide, its sooooooo confusing isn’t it!
Thanks for clearing up my confusion. They sent me a load of info about my chemo back in August but it’s been a while now since I read it. Have had my extra steroids in prep for tomorrow and about to drive off to visit a friend so hoping they don’t make me feel too unusual.
Just popped in to check forum - what a wonderful group name!
Just thought I’d report back after my scan results. Looks like my tumour is an Aggressive Bugger too. Although it hasn’t grown any more it has only shrunk by a few mm which my onc said was ‘worrying’ - you’re telling me!
Trying to focus on the positives and hope that the four rounds of Taxotere I’m starting at the end of the month will have more success. First one more dose of EC to go tomorrow - my onc said that it was still worth doing despite it’s minimal effects.
Good luck to all of you undergoing more chemo this week.
Sx
Oh dear, InShock! So sorry yours is also an Aggressive Bugger. At least it hasn’t grown. Fingers crossed the Taxotere works for us. 51 hours post transfusion, and so far the tax has been kind to me.
Thank you Fizog, and love to margaret and sdfmeg, Margaret. im glad you didnt have to wait 2long and you seemed quite matter of fact to what the outcome could have been, doesnt make it any easier, but maybe you were a bit prepared. my brother keeps using the analogy from finding nemo, JUST KEEP SWIMMING. we dont have much choice and the support as always is so good to dip into. i feel so different to last week, and this is when my blood count should be low, bit more upbeat, the books so far, havent been great, ‘even the eyebrows’ was just chapters of somones journey, not tips for the crap days which is what im after, but havent given up for the right thing, this forum is just enough
much love to you all
anne xx
Hi September Sapphires, I like the name especially as I’m a September birthday aswell. Hope everyone is OK and coping with all our various stages and different treatments. Had a CT scan yesterday to check out some mysterious nodule on one of my lungs, I am putting it to the back of my mind for the time being, what will be will be. Had a fairly low few days, felt very groggy and tired Sunday to Tuesday and now I have the sore throat/mouth, burnt on hot liquid type feeling plus the foulest taste, constantly brushing my teeth. Also today I managed to fall over in the garden going to let my chickens out and slipped over on the decking and ended up on the bottom of 2 steps, filthy and thinking I may have broken something as I had a really weird pain in my shin, luckily just a rather large lump and a very sore calf muscle, what a plonker! I couldn’t get up, fortunately OH and my daugther were at home and came to my rescue. Good luck to everyone having treatments this week, keep sparkling! X
InShock - feel very upset for you that the FEC hasn’t made more of an impact. However, like Margaret said, at least it hasn’t grown and is going in the right direction.
Anne - shame the books haven’t been great. I tend to seek stuff that isn’t directly about cancer but nonetheless makes you feel uplifted. Sorry to bang on about Silas Marner but I got a lot from it. Silas has a really tough hand dealt him after being badly betrayed by his best friend and as a result of events has to leave his hometown. He throws himself into his work (weaving) and becomes a recluse and miser, obsessed with his gold. But one day his gold is stolen. I won’t spoil the rest of the story incase you read it but it has a happy ending. Had a lot of resonance for me because I felt cancer had, in a way, stolen my gold (career, social life, financial situation). But the story shows how you can come out the other side and even find a better. more meaningful life.
Nicola x
Inshock/Margaret. I did a naughty thing and googled. Found out that the majority of people respond at least partially after the full 6-8 chemo’s but only a minority after 3 cycles with regards to Neoadjuvant Chemo (I specifically looked at FEC-T).
Niknak-sorry you’ve had a bad time. I can really relate to hot liquid type feeling. I also developed severely inflamed gums-rang the onc SHO who told me that chemo doesn’t cause gum problems-oh yeah?
Nicola, like you I avoid cancer specific books now. I’m reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell-its set in 1982 and is making me all nostalgic. Silas Marner sounds interesting so I’ll take a look at it as I’m an avid reader. I know what you mean about having your gold stolen. Although I’m still at work I really feel out of the loop now. I also can’t even think about going out at night as I think I’ve lost confidence as well as all my energy.
Anyway I read somewhere that sometimes you have to lose sight of the shore to discover new land. Best wishes to all the sapphires x
I think taxotere is the big hitter from what I’ve read. I have an ultrasound tomorrow and am dreading it-I hate the way that they know what they are seeing but can’t/won’t tell you. Although the doctor who did my initial assessment did hint rather heavily that she thought I had cancer as she biopsied me and I appreciated her honesty.
Initially I had all the doctors involved with me disagreeing about the size of my tumour-on ultrasound 2.3cm and then onc stated that the lump was 6cm and that clinical examination was the most accurate. I then had MRI which estimated 3cm. Who knows? I suppose what I’m getting at is that its all a very imperfect science!
Thanks for the tips about dental stuff
Thats strange-I replied to your post Margaret then it disappeared!
sukiem - the sailor in me loves that analogy.
Today is tax1 day - trying to downplay the nerves and stay calm - I’m also getting my portacath checked out, which means I won’t get to my usual pre-chemo yoga this time. Met a lady who had a port fitted on Friday and hers has no bruising whatsoever, so a bit concerned as to why mine still looks so bad, and is still tender. I guess people react differently and I had massive bruising all down my side following lumpectomy, so maybe this is how my body is.
I found this useful website and thought I’d share it with the Sapphires. Anne, if the books aren’t doing the job, this might be a good thing to dip into. There are inspirational stories as well as beauty tips etc. http://www.greatinspiration.net/beautytips.html
Nicola x
Morning Nicola-its by Christopher Colombus and it stuck in my mind. I hope it goes well today x