Haha Pauline, love it 
Kim x
FEC CYCLE 1 - Day 21
Hello lovely ladies!
I havenāt posted on here for a while because I keep using my tablet to write posts and then they just disappear and then I give up, it is driving me crazy! Anyway, I am on my laptop now, just so I can upload a photo of myself, which I hope I can do shortly.
About 2 weeks in chemo my hair was looking amazingly thick which it never does!. However last Sunday it started to fall out and my head got so sore I kept waking up in the night. On Tuesday even the wind blowing in it was hurting my head so I had it all clippered to about an inch long. It was still sore if touched, but not half as bad. I was actually really liking my cropped do but of course it didnāt last long and continued to fall out. Today it has all gone apart from a little border over my forehead!
I have never really wanted a wig so bought a few hats and scarves and I am happy to go out in them. Iām going to put on here a pic of me in one of them, later. I still have a prescription for a wig should I change my mind at some point.
Also, strangely my nails are growing really well and strong, I canāt usually grow them. Does this mean the type of chemo I am on doesnāt affect them?
Its lovely seeing all the new pictures of you all I am loving the new hairdos and wigs and scarves 
I hope the SEs are at a minimum, I know a few of you are having a bit of a rough time at the mo.
Tomorrow is chemo 2. I have to have bloods done at 7am, then in theory chemo at 8am, so early start!
In the afternoon I am having a smear test because the nurse said that the day of chemo is the only day we know my immunity is good enough, because apparently smear tests are classed as clean but not sterile and there is a risk she could introduce an infection.
I had a sub-total hysterectomy in Jan because of a large fibroid (they thought it might be cancerous but it wasnāt), but they left the cervix - so still gotta have smear tests grrrr.
So tomorrow is going to be a double joy!! 
Quick question while I think of it, is everyone having steroids after chemo? I wasnāt given anything apart from anti-nausea tablets? I donāt know if its a Belgium thing, of if it depends on the type of chemo you are having dictates whether or not you need steroids? Iām not complaining, I just wonderedā¦
love to you all
SG
xxxxxxx
You made me giggle pauline!
Mel x
Hi Angels,
EC cycle 1, day 18
Been a busy day for me. My birthday so all the family round at one time or another. Need to put my feet up and rest. Thanks for the poem, Pauline. It made me smile. I think the only time I can ever remember having a gentle, non-hurting mammogram was the one they did the day of my appointment at the breast clinic. They just slammed me with a diagnosis instead! Also, Ive been on the SpaceNK website to have a look at the Talika range. Think I will be going up to Leeds to buy some. Good price and good reviews so worth a try.
Well good to see such a variety of wigs, scarfs and shaved heads! Am I the only one sporting real hair? My profile photo was taken this morning. When my s/es were very mild I was getting a bit paranoid about whether my chemo was only a placebo but luckily a few feathery bits have started to shed mostly around my neck and ears so maybe they just need to up my dose! Anyway, treated myself to a set of clippers in Boots, yesterday so now that the birthday is over I can join the rest of you - except mine will be silver stubble!
Mel, Iāve also been looking at eyelineHerBlog which is why I bought the false eyelashes. Mine are still ok but Iāve learnt one lesson - donāt use waterproof mascara on your own lashes cos when you try to take it off, your eyelashes come with it!
Have a peaceful Sunday evening everyone,
Moira xxx
Fec-T cycle 2 date 13
Evening Girls,
Happy Birthday Moira, hope you had a good day
Spudgirl, good luck for tomorrow round 2 and Kim for you on Tuesday
Kate, I have crazy food fads as well it does feel like a pregnancy thing lol, goes with the bloated tummy. Anybody else get this?
Pauline, glad your s/e are not bad so far hopefully stays likat that and you donāt get a nasty cold again. I got some of the Talika Lipocils a few days ago so will see if it helps. Read the poem on the Marchies, hilarious. Have you read Kath from the Valentines poem on Fec? Sheās amazing churns them out on almost a daily basis.
Kim & Judy, know what you mean about the makeup defo look better with some and Iāve started wearing earrings again. Weāll end up looking like gypsies yet!
Thanks for all the tips for the furry mouth itās much better. Iam a bit gutted tonight, have run out of Soleros the world has come to an end!
Hugs to all and minimal s/e xx
Off for 2nd round of FEC in the morning, but wonāt know till after bloods taken if I can have it as neutrophils were only .53 on Friday. Loved the poem, so true! My brother in Oz is a scientist and is currently in R&D developing an X-ray for soft tissue, mainly to detect cancers without the pain. Fortunetly his team are working twice as hard since I was diagnosed. Good luck to all for tomorrow xx
Ecmf cycle 1 day17
Hi all
Spudgirl - the steroids I have do say they are for sickness in info. they were called mexa something. are you sure none of your tablets are steroids?good luck for tomorrow .
Judy your crop looks great! .mineās rapidly dropping out.
Angiepops- I live in Birmingham, what about you?
Iāve been wearing scarves yesterday and today to go out, and felt ok ish. wore the wig to go out today, was bit hot and itchy, couldnāt wait to get it off. I felt much more self concious in the wig than in the scarves, strangely. I think because I keep having to take my reading glasses on and off and have to fiddle about to get them round the sides of wig. I bought some really nice (but pricey) scarves from suburban turban and have been tying them turban style. I think it might be more me than the wig. I also am wearing more makeup and big earings- no oneās approached me for fortune telling yet!!
mel x
Good luck for tomorrow, Philomena x
Happy birthday Moira. Thanks for the tip about waterproof mascara. I put some make-up on today too and felt tons better. We went to Blackpool for the day, which did me the world of good. As an added bonus I picked up a lovely big scarf and tied it
in the way the girl on EyelineHerBlog did it. I definitely felt it was more of a āmeā look. .
Good luck to those having chemo tomorrow. Hope it goes well with minimal SEs.
FEC-T cycle 1 day 17
hello ladies,
Ended up at the hospital yesterday with a urine infection, I have been running to the loo non stop for 24hours prior to going to the hospital, yet as soon as I needed to give a urine sample, I couldnāt go!! Anyway I came away with some antibiotics and was right as rain within a few hours.
i must say, Iām loving the cropped hair, especially with the warmer weather. Iāve been going out with my scarfs on but as soon as we get home, I prefer to go around bald. itās a bit drafty in bed though, I wore a hat last night and that was much better.
Amber & Mel , Iām wearing bigger earrings too. i like wearing neck scarfs around my neck anyway, but with the makeup, bald scarf, neck scarf and earrings, I feel quite exotic looking. poor you Amber, hope you can stock up on soleros tomorrow. Iām eating loads of boiled sweets at the moment, i think its cos I packed in smoking, itās a good job Iām using loads of mouthwash as the sweets with be playing havoc with my teeth.
Philomena good luck tomorrow, hope everything goes as planned And the s/e are kept to a minimum.
Moira , you are doing well for day 18 keeping your hair, is your scalp itching at all? Oh and happy Birthday, glad youāve had a nice day.
Spudgirl , good luck tomorrow, you look really glamorous with your scarf.
Mel A the eyeliner blog was really goohow sheās also done one with how to put false lashes on, Iāve never worn them so that was useful to know.
Angie I donāt know how your doing it, working while on chemo, Iām not so much tired, and Iām still doing all the things I would normally do, but my head is like cotton wool, I canāt concentrate.
Found this video on YouTube about making a tshirt head wrap from a tshirt so I gave it a go this afternoon and it didnāt look that bad, it might be fine for sleeping inā¦
youtu.be/tNOY4cS_k7A
This is another scarf/cap sewing pattern that i found, I donāt think I would wear it outside but it might be fine for bed
Evening everyone
had a lovely evening out with family and friends, this was the first proper outing for the wig, felt a bit self-conscious at first but that soon passed (maybe due to amount of g&tās consumed :))
Good luck for tomorrow Philomena and spudgirl hope it goes to plan and the SEās are minimal.
Moira - happy birthday, glad you had a good day. Good luck with the clippers tomorrow, btw my stubble is silver as well thanks for the tip about the waterproof mascara.
Judy - glad you got the urine infection sorted so quickly. I love your scarf. Iām with you on the new look. I think I will be spending most of my time in scarvesā¦or baldā¦will have to get some more earrings though!
kathryn one of my many nieces (I have 12 nieces and 11 nephews!) is coming tomorrow to show me how to put false eyelashes on and use liquid eyeliner, apparently rimmel is the best , Iāll let you know how I get on. The eyeliner blog was great, iāve tried tying a scarf like she does and it looks really good, so will be giving it a try more often.
Hope you all sleep well
Kim x
For anyone on E-CMF especially Maisiecake, You posted on Januaryās thread asking if anyone is on E-CMF. We are a rarity it appears. Iām posting this on Aprils thread because I think more people will read it and hopefully help them.
I found a lump in my left breast last October. Mastectomy November .The tumour was 4-5 cm . Triple Negative. I had a lymph biopsy but it hadnāt spread to my nodes and the margins where clear. Being TN Iām not eligible for the hormone treatments. . was due to start chemo December but my op wound refused to heal properly, serious seroma and had to have a vacuum dressing/drain/pump attached for nearly 3 weeks.
So I eventually stared Chemo on January 31<sup>st</sup>.
So far Iāve had 3 rounds of E (epirubicin) the red stuff, and then due to a cockup (administrative error) was given CMF for round 4. Iāll get the other dose of E next cycle.
CMF gave me the same side effects as the Epi. the usual nausea, indigestion , fuzzy head , steroid high, anti-sickness constipation ,hardly any sleep etc. No more and no less severe .
Iām really sorry to tell you this, we get a ādouble whammyā of drugs 8 days apart and it was not good mainly because it ruined 2 consecutive weekends. The low immunity period lasts a bit longer too.
I was hospitalised twice during round 2 of Epi once for a pulmonary embolus (blood clot on the lung) then a week later with pneumonia so I am very cautious about getting another infection.
If you go to the Macmillan web site and look up CMF youāll find it can be given in 4 different schedules. Iām on schedule A . Apparently this is the best one for me. Ask your oncologist if you can get the CMF on another schedule if possible. hope the link below works.
The Methotrexate and fluoroacil is given as an injection into the back of my hand, not an infusion, plus the usual anti-nausea and steroids , which only took about 10 minutes. Out of the door within half an hour !
I then have to take the Cyclophosphamide as tablets 4 a day for 14 days. As well as the steroids and anti-nausea pills. The timing of pill taking was a challenge my addled chemo brain could only just manage.
I have my chemo on a Wednesday morning and the side effects kick in on Saturday evening. This was the same as with the Epi. The Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were the really crap days.
Then just as I started to feel a little bit human I got a repeat dose of M & F on day 8 , the next Wednesday. So repeating the whole side effects cycle for the next weekend.
On day 15 , no more pills to take and it was like a switch had been turned off. I felt human again. Itās now Monday day 20 post-CMF and the good is continuing .
The really good news is the CMF is a 4 week cycle so I get 2 weeks of feeling good, hopefully !
Iām sorry this information is disconcerting but please donāt be disheartened at the end of all this treatment we will be better , it is all well worth a few weeks of discomfort for the knowledge that we will have kicked the butt of those nasty cancer cells.
A small note to everyone , chlorosyl mouth wash stains your teeth ! it says so on the label
Thank you all for the good luck wishesā¦ It worked. What is it with this chemo dementia! Wobbly eyes and concentration of a gnat.
hope you all enjoy the bank holiday xx
FEC T Cycle 2, day 4
Hello ladies, day 4 and feeling great!! Bit of thrush but thatās about it - feel a bit guilty saying I feel great considering some of the problems some of you are having ( patm - glad you are getting to your good weeks!)
Amber - my lashes are growing, have also been using on my brows (did you get the little sample with the padded brush? i.e. not a mascara wand? this is good for applying to the brows - if not maybe another shopping trip is on the cards!) - so far no brow hair loss either
Philomena - glad today went well
Kim - Iām with you, much prefer hats and scarves. My mum and brother seen me in my wig for the 1st time today and both gave me strange looks!
Planning to ramp up on the work front this week as bored stiff now - was supposed to be going on holidy on Friday and had to cancel due to treatment so need to keep myself distracted!!! Away to order my Indian takeaway (need a strong taste in my mouth) and mandatory glass of vino - it is a bank holiday after all 
Hope you are all feeling well and s/eās are minimal
love Pauline xx
Pauline, glad itās going well. I have had Aprepitant today and feel sooooooo much better than last time? I have been very lucky particularly with taste and lack of mouth ulcers! Wonder if this has anything to do with the DURAPHATE 5000 toothpaste prescribed by my dentist specifically for the chemo, certainly worth a try, and is free if prescribed. X
FEC-T cycle 1 day 18
Hello ladies
Pauline , Iām pleased to hear you are doing well with your second cycle, fingers crossed it continues for you. Enjoy your takeaway at and the wine.o
Kim , ive been wearing my scarf today, but after a few hours it was driving me insane with the stubble falling out. when we got back we shaved it off with the clippers with no blade, then the electric razor, then the wet razor so I am now completely bald, it is so much better than having the stubble falling down the back of my neck. I do have a very white looking head though! I bought some ore scarfs today in a few different colours so I can mix and match with different outfits. I have also ordered more earrings, I bought a few dangly ones rather than hoops as I did feel a bit like a gypsy with the hooped earrings.
philomena glad you are also doing wekeep hope the s/e stay away for you.
Pat your s/e sound awful, with only a few days in between to get over it before the next one, you seem to be having a real tough time of it, best wishes to you.
I hope you all have a good evening ladies, take care judy x
Judy, I am with you on the hair, we are shaving it all ofF tomorrow even though only about 5mm long itās moulting everywhere. I wore the wig on Saturday and it drove me mad. So now just wearing a little black hat or bandana, and with family, friends and neighbours au naturale. I know people have said many times that it is liberating, I can honestly say it is. Of course I wish I hadnāt lost it, but I wear / expose it now as a mark of pride. Part of an amazing army of people fighting this BC in its many forms.
Philomena x
Looks like hair or lack of is a focus for most at the moment . Mum has hair coming out in clumps . She considered shaving it today but decided to try and hang on to it for a few more days . She did go out in racquel though just to try it out .and she looked great.
Her temperature shot upbto 37.7 yesterday but thankfully didnt hit the magic number so she managed to avoid hospital. So far her side effects have been really minimal so thats good
So sorry pat that you are having bad s/e , i really hope they ease soon.
Really glad others are not having too bad a/time . Good luck withbanyone who has anither cycle coming up soon . Mums 2nd cycle is next thursday so hoepfully , apart from the hair loss , it ll be a triuble free week x
Just a/note - i had to call the help line again on saturday to getvsome advice and once again they were fabulous . They couldnt have been any more informative helpful or kind . I really do not know what Iād have done without this forum n the help line . They , you ve , been great!
Big hugs for a good week xx keely xx
Morning Angels,
Well, I did it! Woke yesterday morning, and took off the Ena Shaples hairnet to see lots of silver and gold strands cascading round my shoulders. So by eight oāclock the front, sides and top had gone which only left the back for DH to sort out. Had to tell him several times it was a set of clippers, not a hover mower! Anyway, what with power shower, full make-up, then photos, then wig, then parade around friends and neighbours, then off to garden centre (bank holiday queue to get in) and home for lunchtime, didnāt have time to worry about what I looked like - in fact I felt great. It really does feel empowering having a 0.5 cm cut (albeit hidden by wig). Yes it was a bit stubbly in bed last night and head has been a bit sore but using OHās TGel to wash scalp and smothering on double strength aloe vera. Went out for big birthday celebration with daughters, husbands, and grandchildren at teatime. Had happy birthday sang to me, in italian, by several lovely waiters. Very enjoyable even though a day late!
Best of luck for today, Kim. Thereāll be a few more of us this week. Feels less daunting second time round. Less fear of the unknown. My hospital chemo suite doesnāt even do its own blood testing. I was given the choice of going to my own GP or the main hospital blood dept. Iāve chosen to to go to GP but only appt I could get is for eight oāclock tomorrow morning and Iāve just got used to all these long lie ins!
Ah well, onwards and offwards!
Moira xxx