Thank you Wendy for your kind and encouraging words I’m just finding it really hard to not be so scared and doom and gloom about it all.
Don’t get me wrong my family are amazing and love me so much but as you said it’s hard for them to understand.
Joanne xxx
Hi there re your hair shaved I had mine done to a number 1 like a skinhead over 3 wks ago and non has fallen out still got all my body hair as well.i have had 2 fec up 2 now maybe it will come out later does anyone know why.sheila
Hi everyone, I started my chemo on Tues this week. I have had one good day but since then I’m really tired and low on energy. I am hoping to be back to normal soon.
When I’m up to it, I will read all the posts on here for tips and hints.
Hi cath, thank you for replying, I don’t no what I would do without this, think it’s the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.
Hope you are well.
Joanne xxx
Hi laurelle, thank you for your support, It’s really difficult feeling so alienated from everyone else. I am doing my best to get into a good mind set to kick a## hope that happens soon.
Good luck with your next session.
Joanne xxx
Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum and looking for a bit of support having started chemo on Tuesday and Wednesday!
I’m feeling a bit rough and sorry for myself today, although had been feeling fine until Friday evening.
I’m on 6 cycles of docetaxel, herceptin, perjeta and zometa (for bone mets) and due to have a mastectomy at the end of the 6 cycles.
Interested to hear if anyone else is on the same regime as me- I’m getting quite a lot of bone pain which I think is from the Zometa 
You wonderful ladies are all so strong and brave, need some of that to rub off on me too please!
Lots of love
Hi Rachagogo
Sorry to hear you have to join us here, but believe me you will be better for it. I have also started chemo last week, 3 doses of Fec-d and 3 of Tax which will see me through to Nov. no question is too daft so if there is anything worrying you post it on here, we will do our best to see you through it. xx
Hey Cath, I will get my second dose of chemo on 22 July, I get it every 3 weeks. I’ve been having good days and bad days, bad days are when I’m really tired and low on energy, but the good days outweigh the bad ones. Have you been having some crazy dreams on chemo? I swear last night I had the most weirdest dream which seemed to last all night, crazy stuff lol x
Hi cath, I’m ok thanx still up and down, I have my heart scan tomorrow so feeling nervous about that. Hope your goes ok.
Joanne xxx
Hi good luck tomorrow cath hope all goes well,
I have meeting on Wednesday and prob be starting the following week.
Also good luck to ev1 else xxx
Also just to say to all I have just had a night of having my long blonde hair cut to a short bob and back to my own colour of brown, I cried and cried and my poor best friend manged to keep her cool along with my sister and mum, I then felt so guilty for putting them through this and after so many weeks of feeling numb and thinking I would never feel like me again realised that I am still me, the person that has always put family and friends before myself, and that I have been to wrapped up with being scared and trying to keep it all to myself, that this has not helped me or the people that love me, I just came home and my three sons and step daughter looked at me and said wow you look great, I then broke down with my two older boys 20 and have realised that they want me to be the same emotional open mum I’ve always been, even though I feel that if I try keep it all to myself that it’s better for them I now realise that just having a cuddle and a cry toghether made me feel more like the mum I have always been. I am just hoping that when I wake up tomorrow I have turned that corner and have that positive fighting mind that so many of you seem to have.
Lots of love Joanne xxx
Morning everyone, as I’ve started my chemo last week I’ve got a few tips for those dreaded s/e. When low on energy, rest, but don’t sleep too much through the day if possible. Your body needs you to rest to repair itself, but if you sleep a lot throughout the day this will effect the quality of your sleep at night, and as we all know there are few things worse than insomnia. Try to keep to your normal sleep pattern at night and that will help.
Another tip is to make time for friends, even having a coffee and if possible talk about something other than your cancer, catch up on gossip, soaps etc and this will remind you of how things were prior to your diagnosis, take control of the things you like to do, remember you have cancer, cancer doesn’t have you!
It’s a long journey for all of us but together we will get there. Hope these help.
I’m off to the local park today with friend and a squad of kids, have a great day everyone xx
Cath
I too had anti-sickness and steroid tablets, watch out for the steroids as they make you hungry, my appetite has increased hugely. I swear I was looking at my daughter the other day and thought she would taste good with some sweet chilli sauce lol.
I’m on day 8 and having a low-energy day, I was told day 7-10 your energy often dips as your immune system is at it’s lowest, so today is a duvet day with a good book. Hopefully feel a bit better tomorrow x
Hi everyone,
Hope you are all well, I am feeling low today and wondering how I’m going to get through this and how to be strong ?
Had my heart scan yesterday and chemo meeting today, it’s all just hitting me so hard now and just feel I need to no that this will work and that I’m going to be ok after.
Sorry for my depressing post after sounding positive the other day.
You are all an inspiration and I only hope that I can get to be as strong and supportive as yous.
Hope you all are having a good day.
Joanne xxx
Hi Cath wanted to wish you luck on Monday but was up in pre assessment myself etc. Gosh what a lot of time spent in hospital and travelling now. Glad it all went well. X x
Hi Joanne . The pre assessment for me was daunting. Left the hosp with a headache and head spinning. Today I started my first cycle tc plus herceptin. Also using cold cap. So far going well.
Was internally nervous though so my veins went intp hiding 
But once treatment starts it makes much more sense.
Hi everyone,
I’m due to start my chemo next Thursday and I’m extremely anxious. Already had BC in 2009 but only had a mastectomy. Then had a reoccurrence this January in the breast skin. Had surgery and radio only to find out in May I had grade 3 in the other breast. Since then they’ve removed the breast and put in an implant but after two further ops the skin wouldn’t hold it so Ive had to have everything removed yesterday and they’ll reconstruct once chemo and radio has finished. I feel like my world is falling apart and now so scared what to expect with chemo. It’s been really helpful to see people’s comments and suggestions to help. Has anyone used the cold cap? They’ve offered it to me and any advice would be great. Any other helpful tips would be great too.
Hi I’m due to start my chemotherapy on 18th July am truly terrified don’t really know what to expect . Has any one had experience of having fec and also being at new cross hospital in Wolverhampton
Using cold cap rigjt now Dellan. It is fine. The first 15 mins is the coldest but the good tips about keeping a warm drink in the mouth helped immensely. After that I didn’t feel it.
It makes the process longer but for me 70% chance of keeping my hair is important.
Fingers crossed
Hi everyone! Looks like everyone is getting going now which is great news.
CathC - glad to hear your first session went well, like most things the reality is nothing compared with your imagination is it! Hope you continue to feel well. I was given steroids and anti sickness and advised to just take them regularly for 3 days after. I didn’t have any sickness so can’t be sure if it is the meds or absence of SE but figure they can’t be doing too much harm!
In terms of not stressing over every little ache and pain, my bcn gave me a red chemotherapy record book (not sure if this is standard issue or not?!) which I’ve found really helpful - it lists all the common SE and then colour codes the severity in traffic lights so you know what to do. According to my husband I was a hyperchondriac before BC so I think this is the only way to stop that getting worse 
Hbunny - glad to hear your wig is going down well! I’m hoping to shop for one tomorrow and am a bit nervous but it is a must. I’ve sadly got my dad’s funeral on Tuesday (he passed away at the end of June after a 2 year long battle with bowel cancer) and am terrified that my hair will start to fall out before then - I really don’t want to wear a scarf as that is basically an advertisement for ‘I’ve got cancer!’ and really just want to be able to concentrate on saying goodbye…
Laurelle - Joanne - the clichés are all true aren’t they and however much we want to protect our children the best thing is always to be open and honest. I’m just learning this as I have a beautiful 3 year old daughter that I want to protect from this horrible disease.but I think the best thing I can do is to equip her as much as possible to understand what is going on and help her to make sense of things. It’s interesting seeing things from her perspective - the concept of medicine that a) doesn’t taste like Strawberry syrup is pretty alien to start with but when you add in b) that it makes you feel poorly before you get better, well?!!
Joanne - I’ve found that there is nothing like the emotional rollercoaster of BC - one minute I’m strong, confident and that fighter we all hear we have to be, and the next I’m whimpering in my bed because I just don’t believe it will all be ok. I’m not sure I can tell you anything practical to do about it other than I find that letting it out makes it easier somehow, and I hope the low days will get less - I’m sure yours will too and I think once you’ve started treatment you’ll be a bit brighter, after all, at least you have started the good fight then
In less deep and meaningful news, had anyone had any spots as a side effect? My face and chest are covered and I look like an acne ridden teenager (not the years of my life I’d like to relive either thank you!). I feel so shallow for saying so but they’ve really put me on a downer and am thinking of becoming a hermit - hoping this is going to be a one off and not something that I’ve got to go through for the remaining 5 cycles! Please tell me I’m not the only one!!!
Love hugs and positive thoughts to ask you beautiful ladies, you’re such an inspiration xxx
Hi Dellan,
Welcome to the group - I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a tough time, I hope we can all offer you some support through this.
Do you know what chemo regime you’ll be on? Re the cold cap, my oncologist told me it was an option but remember to ask the nurses when you go in for your first session of chemo. I forgot to ask (think I was so nervous it just went completely out of my head) and they didn’t offer it to me, when I remembered at the end they told me it was too late and that if you don’t start from the first time then there isn’t any point after that. So if you think you’ll want to try it, do something to make sure you remember (of course it’s quite possible that your brain is still fully functional unlike mine )
If I can offer any other help, just ask x