E-CMF cycle 1 day 3
Hi Debra,
I’m so sorry the cold cap didn’t work for you. I’ve decided not to bother as it seemed like more discomfort than it was worth. I’m planning to have my hair cut short and then shave it when it drops out, all the angels who’ve been shaving are so inspirational! I don’t have a wig yet, although I did go and try some- just couldn’t quite do it yet. I also bought some headwear from Annabandana, and it’s ok.
Your smoothies sound a great way to go and I definitely need fruit and veg.
The steroids I have are called dexamethasone. they are for sickness and I’ve only got them for 3 days. I think the difference between E-CMF and FEC is just that it is a different combination of drugs which the oncologist thinks is best for the particular cancer we have. Apparently there are loads of different chemo drugs.
Being depressed is a perfectly reasonable response to what we’re going through- I can’t imagine anyone gets through this without some very low times, but hang on in there and take all the help and support you can get.
Hope everyone sleeps well tonight- I’m wide awake at 12 40am!! I’m turning back into a teenager, up all night.
love Mel xx
Morning Angels,
Just got to tell you something hilarious that happened on Sat,
OH and I are bikers and have a lovely circle of friends that we have known for years and meet up around twice a month. New to our group was a solicitor and her husband about 7 years ago and we both married our long term partners at Gretna Green a year and a half ago on the same day.
So on Sat when dropping kids of in nearby village I thought I’d just pop in as Marianne’s lovely house was only a couple of doors away. I rang the doorbell…(no answer). I slowly opened the door and Marianne’s teenage daughter (only ever met her twice) was just coming down the stairs. With just my head peering round a half opened door I grinned and shouted “coeee anyone dying of any bugs in here if so I can’t come in”. She just looked at me blankly and “sorry but we don’t sell books from the door I’ll just get my mum”. With my pixie hair she had no idea who this mad women was randomly opening their door. Later sat in their sunny garden she said “sorry sandy i just didnt reconise you”. OH now has me me electronically tagged. Te He.
Im sorry your feeling low Debra but you have done so well and no 3 cycle is definatly moving on. Tell your GP how your feeling. I was in a bad place for two weeks after being told. I was given tablets which helped me through the greiving period (that’s what my GP called it) so I think Mel is right. Im not on them now and feel fine. Demand all you need to fight it sweetie. Lv n Hugs Sandy.x
Fec-t cycle 2 -1
Bloods ok so it’s round 2 tomorrow. Asked the nurse if there is anything we can do to help neuts as we don’t know until the day before if levels are ok to go ahead with chemo. She just said to eat healthy and try and stay as germ free as is possible.
Went to the supermarket to stock up on my chemo goodies and a few extras. one of my friends is comming to sit with me tomorrow as oh away then my daughter will look after me.
Linda - love the name, Colin the doodle so cute. Hope you’re still ok and staying away from hospital
Debra - I have my daily smoothies also, full of goodness, hope you’re doing ok
Primrosehill - your story made me laugh!
Everyone else, have a good evening and keep s/e minimal
take care xxxx
EC cycle 1 day 5
First day without any meds and it’s staring to bite. Think I was on a high from the steroids - cleaning, singing, tidying the garden, popping round to see friends and family to show how well I’m coping…now I have stomach cramps and I can’t get warm!!! My temp is fine, taste buds hanging on in there and I still haven’t really felt sick. Sounds silly but I’m pleased to have some s/es (so long as they stay mild). Paranoia had started to tell me that my chemo wasn’t for real, hadn’t worked, was maybe a placebo. Think those thoughts are from coming off the steroids! Wanted to write a long witty post but my head’s not working. Fish, chips and mushy peas from the chippy tonight - this is Yorkshire after all! Spent half an hour or so looking at the Benchline thread, yesterday. Anyone feeling a bit low should take a look right from the start. It really helps with perspective on all this sh*t.
FEC-T Cycle 1, day 15
Hi ladies, hope you are all well. I’m feeliong quite good, nothing more than tiredness to speak about now in terms of s/e’s - long may it continue as going away this weekend for a wee break with hubby and friends.
Was at LGFB today, it was good and the goody bag was great. I would say however, that if you have ever had a makeover at one of the beauty counters then you will already know all the tips - still good to go for the goody bag and meeting other people in same situation within local area.
I also had a blockage in my hickman line which meant the district nurse who comes every monday to flush it couldn’t do anything so I had to go to hospital to get an x-ray and a special solution to unblock it. Bit of a hassle but worth noting that this can happpen if you have a line in!
Off to get ready to watch the final episode of Broadchurch - it’s been dragging on a bit but still have no clue who the murderer is (if you are watching you’ll know what I mean!!)
hope you all have a sleep filled night and minimal s/e’s
Shona - good luck for tomorrow
Pauline xx
EC cycle 1 day 7
feeling so much better today as my doctor has prescribed omeprazole for my reflux and heartburn, which seems to really work. I feel more or less normal, although my hair seems to have got coarser and started too fall out, I may ring muhairdresser in the next couple if days and ask her to shave it all off.
Moira - I know what you mean about SE’s. I wonder if our regime of EC isn’t as potent as FEC ?
Take care everyone
Kim x
Hi Awesome April Angels
I havenot been on this site since my diagnosis on 28th February, but I have read through quite a lot of your posts tonight. May I join you please I have my next Oncology appointment on Wednesday at Weston Park Sheffield and I already have my date for the Chemo it starts this Friday 26th April.
I have had a right side mastectomy removing a 52mm HER2+ Grade 3 agressive tumour. I don’t have lymph nodes on that side anyway because in June 2010 I had a lumpectomy with2 smaller HER2+ lumps removed and 4 cancerous lymphnodes out of 11. I read lots of posts last time but did not feel confident enough to post . Even though I have done it once it will be different chemo this time and I would be grateful for the company of you wonderful ladies.
I do not find out until Wednesday what my chemo is to be made up of. I can offer you all one tip though I have started writing a journal chronicling my journey I did this last time and it helped me to work out which days were likely to be good days and bad days in the cycle. I also kept a note of my temperature each morning.
Good luck girls. It can be done
Alex x
FEC-T cycle 1 day 5
hello ladies, it’s my first day without meds today too moasiecat, I’m not looking forward to it, don’t really know what to expect, but ill be on the phone to oncology if I feel at all sick, I can’t do with the nausea, but fingers crossed, I will be fine. I’m awake again for the second time this morning, even though I had nytol befor I went to bed. But I’m still nodding on and off through the day, so that isn’t going to help me at night.
its encouraging to read Pauline that by day 15 your feeling well, roll on day 15, and I’m pleased your feeling much better Kim on day 7, I may have to ask for the Omeprazole, as the heartburn tablets I’m taking arnt working.
Good luck Amber, hope you get through cycle 2 with as few s/e as possible.
Primrosehill, your story made me giggle, x
take are everyone, hope your day goes well xx
Fec T Cycle 1, day 16
Feeling good again today ladies and feel quite lucky that my first cycle is nearly 4 weeks due to a delay at start of cycle 1 so essentially have between now and 3rd May to enjoy ‘normal’ life - hope I continue to feel good until then 
Judy - hopefully you wil be ok, I was fine in terms of nausea, when i came off tabs it was just the bloody cold that got me!
Alex - so sorry you find yourself on this rollercoaster again, it’s so unfair. There are never too many Angels to help and support so welcome aboard thanks for the tips, I have been keeping notes, as you say, this will really help with planning etc for future cycles
Hope everyone else is doing well
Take care, Pauline xx
EC 60 cycle 1 day 6
Woken up this morning feeling soooooo much better. Had the best night’s sleep since day 1 - a whole 6 1/2 hours!
Judy, you are through the worst of week 1. Like you I’m looking forward to day 15.
Pauline, a few glasses of vino on day 12 - I salute you!
Kim, since you are one day ahead, I keep checking to see how I’m going to feel the following day. If we can get by now on just a daily antacid I’ll be delighted!
Well done Linda on escaping - hope everything is settling down nicely for you x
Kate, I too am an NT member and Nymans sounds perfect - one of these days…
Angie, did you make it to work? It would be lovely to think someone was able to get back to a normal life so soon.
Amber, best of luck for today - a great big 21 day cross on your calendar!
Mel and Debra, my chemo nurse said that although the steroids help with sickness, their main purpose was to help push the chemo drugs through your body, to enhance their action. Ok, so they keep you buzzing and not sleeping well and give you heartburn but if they help then I’ll take them. By the way, my juice of choice is V8 - love the celery hit at the end.
Bobbiesgirl, sorry you’ve had to join us but you’ve come to the right place. Hope all goes well on Wednesday.
Everyone else - may your s/es be minimal
Moira xxx
AC cycle 1 day 7
Morning all,
hope today has brought you some sunshine, we have a gloriously sunny day here in Sussex and I’m off out for lunch…I feel like a fraud for not being at work as I feel fine again today! Yesterday I did sleep quite a bit to get over the hectic weekend but didn’t have any other SE’s…I’m having chemo every 2 weeks so I am expecting it to get worse cycle by cycle but in the meantime am looking forward to a busy week with lots planned while I can!
have a good day
kate
x
hi all,
hope you are all as well as you can be and ready for the southern summer - unfortunately i’m up north…
feeling quite normal since yesterday, i was so surprised i rang the nurse to check i was ok! 
i was supposed to go to work on monday but i rang in on the sunday, then when i realised i was ok i rang again and im starting back on wednesday, being very careful of course, packed lunch and a thermometer!
made the call to the hairdresser today - 6pm on friday being sheared baaaa 
baking cakes and sausage rolls just now, might have to test one, check my taste buds are still recovered.
what you all got planned, dont we have to stay out of the sun? or is that rads?
anyway, enjoy your day,
angie xx
EC Cycle 1 day 8
Well I can definitely recommend the omaprazole, heartburn totally gone. Last night I slept right through until 7 am !! That’s the first full night’s sleep since I was diagnosed. I feel great today, although I’m sure the good weather helps. I’ve been food shopping and hung out the washing. I’ve even baked some Yorkshire Parkin, purely to cope with any sickness/nausea you understand lol.
Moira - had a call from the hospital today to let me know that all my paperwork for my wig has been sent through to the wig supplier, so I should receive ‘Danni’ in the next couple of days. You should get a call in the next couple of days.
angie - Good luck with the return to work tomorrow. Try not to do too much. I asked about returning to work but was to ld it was a big no no as I work in a hospital and there too much risk of infection, so looks like I’ll be going back after my last chemo. So I’m planning on baking cakes, brushing up on my icing skills and learning to bread bread. Bought PAul Hollywood’s bread book from amazon so planning on baking a white bloomer tomorrow.
Alex - welcome aboard and hope everything goes Ok tomorrow .
Pauline make the most of your ‘normal’ time.
Hope everyone else’s SE’s are minimal
Kim x
Great news you are feeling okay again Angiepops, long may it continue!
Yes we do have to be careful in the sun with both chemo and rads - I went and bought factor 50 suncream this morning and its had its first use so I could sit in the garden at my friends for lunch! We have 20 degrees and sunny here today so it makes everything seem so much better and more relaxed!
Hope your sausage rolls and cakes are tasty - I seem to have got a desire for sausage sandwiches which my OH thinks is great as he doesn’t normally get them as I’m not normally partial! He’s finding all sorts of benefits in my changing desires!
Hope everyone has had a good day
Kate
x
wow kim - yorkshire parkin yum, ive not had that for years, i’m working in a hotel, but i have to stay away from guests so we’ll see how that goes! cant wait to go back, i’m bored now.
kate - i had a few sausage sandwiches too - dont usually. maybe they have magical properties, like pineapple.
angie xx
Hi everyone, hope you are all coping well with whatever s/e you have!
fec-t cycle 1 day 21
i have reached the end of my 1st cycle and have managed to cope with the s/e i’ve had so far. Overall it hasn’t been too bad the 1st week is def the worst then i found it slowly got better. Pills for nausea, pills for heartburn and after all the steroids i feel like im rattling! Lol
went to hosp yesterday and got my bloods taken for cycle 2 tomorrow, iv’e had no phone call so that means treatment is going ahead as planned. After speaking to my oncology nurse i have adopted the attitude that a positive attitude definately helps get patients through chemo, even though sometimes when you feel rotten its hard to see the positive side. I always try to remind myself that this is only temporary and by the end of the year i will be well on the way to recovery.
Amber - hope all went well today, was thinking of you.
kate & angie - i dont know what it is about sausages etc, i craved greasy foods after my chemo, up in aberdeenshire we have whats called butteries and i dont eat them often as they are made with lard and are high fat but are a bit like a magic cure for feeling rough, bit like a bacon sandwich for a hangover!
Keep your chins up ladies, enjoy your good days and don’t feel guilty about having pyjama days on the not so good days
christine
Fec-t cycle 2 day 1
Moira, Pauline, Christine & Judy, thanks for the good wishes
Alex, welcome to the AAA’s
Chemo went well this morning, had a snooze in the afternoon and feel fine.
Christine, good luck for tomorrow and to all AAA’s hope you’re all well and s/e not too bad
2/3 Fec 1/3 of chemo done, tick that box !
take care xxx
Chemo brain,
Got a lovely bouquet of flowers from my hubby since he’s not here for this treatment, what a sweetheart
xx
Second post of the day!
What a wonderful selection of positive posts we’ve had today. Let’s hope there are many more like them. There seems to be lots of food talk at the moment. I was a rebel today: pork pie straight from the bakers followed by Haribo Tangfastics and a bottle of Lucozade. Tomorrow I’ll eat sackcloth and ashes xx
Hi Keely93
I have just joined this group yesterday and have been going through the old threads that I have missed. I am rather concerned that your mum’s registrar has said her cancer will be back in 24 months. I had a lumpectomy in 2010 had 2 lumps removed one at 22mm and one smaller underneath. Her2+ aggressive cancer Grade 3 both lumps. I also had 4 out of 11 lymph nodes infected. After 6 cycles of TAC,5 weeks of radio and 18 cycles of Herceptin I am still here.
Yes my cancer is back within 3 years BUT no one has told me that I cannot beat this and my new cancer was 52mm again Grade 3 HER2+. No one can say what is going to happen especially if it has not travelled. I think that for a professional to say that at such an early stage is outrageous. If that’s the case I must only have a few months life left in me.
Please please do not lose heart or faith. I am not saying it is easy but it can be done. Hugs and love to your family
Alex xx