Thanks Nessp and TSR and everyone else, I’ve been following others on here through Chemo. (I’ve had my treatment plan changed twice so was expecting to start a couple of months ago, then had Mx+ANC first instead). It does seem that everyone reacts differently. I think I would worry that it wasn’t working if I didn’t get any se’s.
I think what’s really playing on my mind is that my Dad died January 18th 1988, he got an infection while on chemo for lung cancer.
Finally getting to January is a great releif, only 12 days to go. I think I’ll have a long hot bath today and get the MP3 out and start listening to some meditation tracks again…
Peachez, I’m sorry, that must be difficult. My dad died two years ago from a large tumour in his kidney. My friend’s dad died in the same week from lung cancer, and from the little I know, that is a different and harsher regime. I know it is difficult not to have these associations; hope the meditation helps. I found I felt much better when I’d had my first one, and I was ‘on the road’ so to speak…Just make sure you have a reliable thermometer at home, and take your temperature if you are at all concerned. I’m sure your BC nurse has told you all this anyway- sorry- but I find it quite reassuring to know I can at least make that check myself! Good luck- Tracey
Ps hot bath sounds nice, might have a cold glass of white wine in mine…
Hi
I would like to join your thread. I am starting FEC on 11th January (3 then 3 tax) and I am very anxious. I am anxious about infections and mouth problems.I also have fears as my Mum died 3 weeks before her 65th birthday and I am nearly at this time. I know it is irrational but I cannot help it. I hope that we can all help each other over the coming months and I look forward to your friendship and support and hope that I can give support also
Happy New Year
Janet
Hi Janet
We meet again. I know what you mean about your Mum and her age etc. When I reached 41 I was very aware that my Mum had died at that age and I breathed a great sigh of relief when I reached 42. Also when my children were 6 and 9 I was worried because that was how old my brother and I were when she died. She reacted very badly to her treatment and they had to cease it(it was over fifty years ago)so I’m wondering how I will do. Hang in there, it’s no good saying medicine and treatments have improved over the years because you will still worry but try not to “over” worry. I think as all the others say, once you have started you relax a little. I have a shopping list that will cost me a fortune but I want to cover all bases and be prepared for all the worst of the side effects I have read about on this forum. Sort of like an insurance policy that I won’t be too bad. I start Chemo on Jan 14th 3x FEC then 3x Tax all being well. I am booked for bone scans, cardiac checks and MRI before I start so I just hope none of those results will stop me I’m fed up with waiting and just want to get on with it.
Sending you positve vibes, hugs and love. Diana
I had 3xFEC and 3xTax this time last year and the best piece of advice I can give you is to drink loads and loads. It definately helps to reduce the impact of the side effects and helps with the taste issues resulting from FEC. Also eat little and often to help with any tummy issues and for the mouth my dental hygienist recommended Colgates Peroxyl. My hosp actually told me to use Corsodyl but the hygienist was horrified at that because of the amount of alcohol in it.
I craved carbs during the chemo but found that melon and buttered crumpets got me through most mornings which were always worse than the afternoons.
One other thing, I found that I needed to sleep a lot during the first couple of days after treatment - so give into it!
Best wishes for the new year
Hi I start chemo on the 6th. 4EC and 3Tax. Like you im anxious but now its a case of bring it on!! Im at the stage now where i need to know what im dealing with. Ive read so much about possible effects but need to know how i’ll feel. The sooner we start the sooner its over. Good luck.
Just wondered how many of you starting chemo in January have already had surgery, or are you doing it the other way round?? Also did you ask for a bone scan or is it normal to be offered one??
Happy new year everyone…bring on the spring when hopefully we will be well on the way to getting on with the rest of our lives!! Xxx
hI GIRLS IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY HAVE A LOOK AT STARTING MY PINK ROAD OF CHEMO PAGE 2 it has loads of chemo tips on that helped me and other ladies on here through it all . I finished all my treatment ( 6x Fec and 20 x rads) 1st Nov and it is suprising how quick it does go over although at the time you dont feel like it will iam going back to work on tuesday after 9 months off ( excited but scared) so good luck with youre treatment and let us know how you doing or message me if you need any advice or a rant xxx Julie
ps sherbet lemons, phili cheese and crackers , tonic water and ice-cream as well as curries strangely enough ( homemade though) were my saviours xx
I have had 2 ops, the WLE and sentinal node biopsy in October, and a lymph node clearance in November, because a few cells turned up in one node. So all of a sudden the whole thing became more serious, especially as I had had a DCIS in my other breast a couple of years ago. This was picked up in what was supposed to be a routine checkup and for a while the news just kept getting worse and worse. At least the remaining nodes were all clear, though.
I seem to have spent most of the last few months sitting around the hospital or waiting.
Sarah i had op in november. 3 out of 19 nodes affected but the only test they do routine is a chest x ray. No other tests done unless symptoms suggest there is need for them. Dont know what i think of this really. XX
Hi there
I had WLE and node removal at beginning of October, and at that time they were not sure whether I would be having chemo. Of all the things that worried me the most, chemo was it because of the nausea (I had 2 pregnancies where I felt sick for the whole time). In fact, I got myself into a right state about it. When they told me chemo was to be part of the deal, I went to pieces…
However, although it is not pleasant, and frankly I can think of better things to do on a Friday, once every three weeks, it is doable. Some of the se are controllable by medication, some by eating and drinking the right things, some by just grinning and bearing to be perfectly honest (fatigue and runny nose for example).
I have my third cycle on Friday and voila, I am half way through
For the vast majority of us, the anticipation is worse than the reality but you will hopefully find that when you start.
I had mx and immediate recon with tram flap surgery 7 weeks ago. And for some reason wasn’t nearly as stressed about it as I am the chemo. I guess I went from diagnosis to operation so quickly I didn’t have time to think about anything but moving to my parents, so they could take over looking after my boys as oh works away from home, and I turned into this mighty ‘She Ra’ warrior woman who could face anything… I was like ‘bring it on’… And even during my worst moments in hospital, (and I didn’t really have many of those), I stayed chirpy and positive. Maybe now cos of the waiting I don’t know, but I just don’t bloody well want to be strong and positive all the time…and if one more person says, ‘youre such an inspiration’ I shall more than likely wallop them!!
I had 4 nodes removed all clear, so no rads needed… Does that mean there isn’t much chance it can have spread anywhere else?
One more thing… I keep hearing about melon being really good after chemo, is there a particular reason??
Shall no doubt bore all to tears with endless questions, I’m the sort of person who has to know everything, was the same before my op.
Time for another milk tray me thinks! Have given up caffeine, dairy and am down toapprox 4 small glasses of red wine a week(medicinal purposes only of course, and it’s a far cry from the 3 glasses a night I used to drink) but I ain’t giving up chocolate!!
Hi Sarah,
Don’t beat yourself up so! We all get fed up with the ‘being brave’ tag. You don’t need to be brave all the time! Certainly not on here! The waiting sucks doesn’t it? Keep asking your questions, nothing wrong with that!
My goalposts were moved twice. I had WLE+SNB after which they thought I’d need Rads and pills only. But due to the size of the tumour (6cm Grade 3 rather than the 3cm Grade 2 they expected to find!) and 4/4 nodes it became Chemo then Mx…
Then they changed thier minds due to a lump in my tummy, so while waiting on Path on that they did the MX+ANC ( two more mini tumours and 5/29 nodes in the end).
Have recovered from the Op over Christmas and now gearing up for Fec-T and Rads.
I had pinned all my hopes on having clear nodes, I was devastated. I too think it is better generally for prognosis for it not to have got that far. But I think there seems to be no hard and fast rule about it. My Cons tried to put a positive slant on it that 5 out of 29 is a low percentage wise.
TSR, thanks for kind words. I am feeling a bit clamer this evening after a not too demanding day. (Walked the dog and cooked tea, that was it!)
i,m starting fec 7th jan and very much hope i can jump in on your thread. i was diagnosed with grade 3 metaplastic cancer in november and had mastectomy, 30 nodes removed along with the pec muscle. I,m 42, had cancer for all of nearly 5 weeks and am already fed up with this flipping disease. i feel very shallow because all i’m worried about is losing my hair (don’t know why - it’s not that great lol) I,m going to try and come on line each day as treatment starts just so that i can keep up with all the terrific advice your giving. I,m sure the support will make the treatment fly by.
I,ve just read that CHERYL and JANET are starting fec soon too. hopefully we can help each other along the way and compare notes.
best wishes to everyone
It’s useful reading about what it was like for people who are part way through or who have finished the same treatment as you, because that gives you a more realistic idea of what to expect, but it’s also really good to share with people at a similar stage.
One of the truly helpful things about internet forums is that you can post any time of the night or day and know that someone will pick up on it when they are awake.
Sarah - I hadn’t heard anything about melon being good! Some people may have found it gentle on their mouths (if sore), or it may have cut through the scummy mouth taste some regimens can give you - I certainly can’t see that there’s anything wrong with eating melon - but if you don’t like it, don’t make yourself start!!!
My chemo nurses told us that there was no such thing as a ‘bad’ food on chemo - eat what you like, when you like, even if what you want is jelly babies and chocolate. I know others on here have researched the pros and cons of caffeine and dairy etc, but for me, pah, I always feel that no sooner is something decreed good for you than another study shows it’s awful… so I’m just sticking to what I like - feel I have enough to cope with without depriving myself!!! Couldn’t give up coffee… no way. Are you taking a calcium supplement if you have given up dairy? (and I know calcium is found in other foods too, but…). Simply because chemo and hormone therapy can rush us into menopause (chemopause), and osteoporosis is a prob. post menopause… so make sure your calcium levels stay good, won’t you? xxx
On the negative nodes - yes, that is a good thing. Having cancer in the nodes is not necessarily awful - but on the statistics side of things, clear nodes is much better. (I had grade 3, 3cm tumour and one node affected… so it’s 3FEC3TAX for me, and poss. rads).
Forget the bravery thing - just go with how you feel xxx We’ll pull through together - and those that ‘finish’ sooner will stand at the finish line cheering us on.
Kaz- thanks for starting this thread looks like there will be many of us starting in January- I guess there are many starting each month but it’s nice to feel part of a group all at the same stage.
Maggie- thanks for the tip about the mouthwash- haven’t seen that one mentioned anywhere else. Will add it to my “insurance policy”.
SarahBeara and Peachez- you both expressed my sentiments exactly.
Kaz when do you start?
Cheryl-on the 5th
Deb - on the 6th
Maria-on the 7th
Janet on the 11th
Sarah on the 12th
Peachez on the 13th
I’m on the 14th, quite a cluster. Is anyone else going to the Marsden in London?
Sophie- I’m with you on the diet- as you say they keep changing the goal posts re what is OK and what is not. I plan to keep up the chocolate levels to keep myself sane.
I had a WLE and ANC on December 10th - result was 5 nodes of 26 were cancerous. Because I also have rheumatoid arthritis and a degree of heart block they want to establish a base line. Hence the reason I’m having the bone scan, MRI and Cardiac echo- also to check for any further spread I guess.
As Julie says the pink road to Chemo is a good thread to read.
Love and hugs to all.
Diana
Hi all, I’m at the QE in Brum. In a way, I’m not surprised so many of us are starting in January. When you think of hospital staff needing time off over the holiday period, I imagine they would only start emergency cases and continue people who were mid-treatment. But it’s good to have a group of us, isn’t it?
When I saw one of the chemo nurses last week, she looked at my right arm and said she wanted to talk to me later about putting in one of the more permanent lines some time after the first session. This seems to be partly because if you have had an axillary clearance, that arm can’t be used to administer the FEC and so there are only half as many veins to use. I can’t say I like the idea, but people in other threads have had these and mostly seem to tolerate them. So I guess I’ll have to be a big girl about it.
Looks like we’re all going to get to know each other quite a lot in the next few months, actually what a way to start a new year with new friends!! Hooray for that I say…
A bit like standing up on your first day at school and telling everyone else in the class summat about yourself, here’s a bit of useless info about me…
I am 39 yrs old, was a ballet dancer practically my whole life till I stopped 7 yrs ago to have the first of my 2 babies. I have 2 boys, aged 7 and nearly 5 and we moved to Cornwall 5 yrs ago, age old cliche, better life in the country, fresh air for the kids etc…absolutely live it down here, kids adore it, where else can you pick em up frm school at 3.30 and head to the beach for a body board on your way home!! I run aB&B and my oh works in london during the week. I’m very much a glass half full kind of person, I knew something was wrong even before I got my biopsy results, just felt it, and threw myself into getting better as quickly as possible… Ha ha… I hate that this has happened to me but really hope that at the end of it all I shall have learnt a valuable something out of it, and if I haven’t then so be it.
I’m not a health nut by any means, but have tried to modify my diet since being diagnosed, mostly alcohol consumption!!! Bit partial to a gin and tonic at 6 pm then wine with dinner… I’ll never know why I got BC, no family history etc, but if I can give myself a better chance of it not recurring then I will. I was pretty unhealthy as a a dancer, smoked too much, ate crap for too many years, time to look after myself now me thinks.
I’m a big one for positive sentiments… Here’s my latest favorite, ’ we are like teabags, not knowing our strength till we find ourselves in hot water’.
Have no idea where I heard bout the melon thing, might even have been on a forum here, but I have definitely read about it on more than one occasion.
Anyway, that’s me on a nutshell, might even get round to putting a photo up before my hair falls out, I went out today looking for warm beanie hats in the sale, ended up with a girls stripy one aged 5-9 yrs from fat face, it’s a snug fit that’s for sure!! LOL.
Lots of strength to you all, xxxxx
P.s. Anyone going to give the cold cap a go??
I said no to the idea when onc asked me if I was interested, why put yourself through more pain… But i’ve heard it can actually be worth it… Not sure what to do now.
