So glad you got first one out of the way Julie , that will be the worse one gone, I felt a bit wobbly too and no inclination to eat, felt better today, have managed so far not to throw up… Bonus!! Once you get your line in it will be much easier, haven’t heard from kat yet, but I’m sure she will be relieved to get first one out of the as well . Lynda
Thank you Lynda, i dont feel sick at all at the moment, did you?? xx
Not really sick, little queasy when I smelt my daughter cooking dinner in fact any food smell isn’t good at mo , but no don’t think I am going to, don’t know if its the tablets but really is so far so good, hope it carries on like that for you xx
Evening ladies,
Just popping in from the February Valentines group with a message to Chezzap about portacaths.
I had mine fitted automatically before chemo started as I am also on Herceptin. This is done for all Herceptin people at my hospital. It is my best friend. The procedure to fit it isn’t particularly pleasant, but is sometimes given under general anaesthetic. I had a local anaesthetic and was offered a tranquiliser which I turned down. There was no pain at all, but you could “feel” some pushing and pulling as they manouver it into place. You are surounded by nurses and kind people holding your hand and chatting and it is all over in 30 minutes or less. After a short rest you can go home. You will have 2 wounds, one with 3 stitches in on your neck, and one with 5 stitches in just below the collar bone. Both scars are small and will fade. The whole contraption is buried beneath the skin so much less risk of infection than a PICC line or even a cannula. You can shower, bathe, swim, and so forth. I had some tenderness for a few days but no real pain, could sleep on it comfortably, and didn’t need any painkillers.
Each chemo session and blood letting sessions have been painless, with no hunt the vein problems. They only need flushing out once every 4 weeks so are done at the same time as your chemo. PICC lines need to be done every week, so that is a bind. Also, portacaths can stay in place over a year whereas PICC lines can’t. To me, a portacath was a no-brainer. I hope they offer you one. xxx
Glad you are feeling ok(ish), hope its the same for me, just taken my 1st 2 sicky tablets xx
Hi all, I have had a real s**t day today, it seems to have finally hit me and have spent most of the day close to tears.
my visit o the onc went ok, he took the time to explain all the possible side effects I may have then said ‘Is that all ok’ I wanted to say ’ Actually could I have mine without side effects’ but resisted the temptation.
I totally see where your coming from Naz, I dont live with my husband anymore, we seperated 18 months ago after being together for best part of 30 years, but see him nearly everyday, I really wanted him to WANT to support me through this but I dont feel he does, he offers to go with me to appouintments if I dont have anyone else to go with me but I want him to want to take me if that makes sense. It is such a wierd situation and although he will come by the house and do odd jobs I feel he does these things out of habit and because these were the things that he classed as his jobs. I asked him if he would take me on Thursday for my first treatment and he said he would but he has to be back as he has a man coming round to his place to look some repairs that needs seeing to.
On the flip side my kids and 2 of my friends have all been great, they all chipped in together to decorate my bedroom for me whilst I was on holiday last week, it was a complete suprise but it is so lovely now it has all been done. It is hard sometimes to understand the reaction of some people to you once you have an illness like this and it seems that sometimes the ones you expect to be there for you are the ones who find it the hardest to, am I rambling on now?
no you are not rambling at all, bad days will happen, its a shitty thing we have been dealt with but the support on here is amazing, i had my 1st chemo session today, good luck with your 1st appt xxxx
No Marion your not, I can see exactly where your at, you can see thie theme over and over again on the posts of recently diagnosed ladies , some people just don’t know how to handle people with the "C " word it seems, I hope I have never been and never will be that insensitive , always remember when I was very young about 17 my absolute favourite auntie was diagnosed ŵith lung cancer, I’m afraid I avoided her for quite a few months, was so scared to see her ill, but eventually plucked up the nerve to visit, and was so glad I did although it upset me greatly, if I hadn’t I don’t think I would ever have forgiven myself, and I think that taught me a big lesson I vowed never to do that again. And you sound blessed with good friends and kids, so try to focus on that x
Hi, I had my first cycle of EC chemotherapy start on 1st July, and my second cycle started yesterday - so different from first. I had Zometa bone infusion on 14th June and had terrible bone pain the following day, yesterday I had my second bone infusion and no pain at all today. I can’t help but wonder why I have such differing responses to exactly the same drugs and dosage. My biggest problem that I am facing now is hair loss because I couldn’t tolerate the cooling cap therfore hair loss became inevitable; but so soon! and so quickly with so much thinning that I feel I will have nothing left by this time next week when I see the ‘wig clinic lady’. Has the rapid hair loss been the same with others on EC chemo? I must admit I have found this to be the hardest to face and deal with, and became very tearful this morning; I’m feeling that I am moulting as a dog would do!
Sorry, I sound miserable, I’m not usually like this but am feeling a bit ‘down’ right now.
Hattie x
Aww hattie sorry your feeling so down, I’m on FEC-T so slightly different and I know how you feel about hair loss the thought is shattering, but most ladies here say once its almost gone you do begin to feel stronger, the very worse time is when it starts to shed, I have only had one session and although I did stick to the cold cap, I’m not sure it will work because it really didn’t feel as intense as others have described so not sure it worked properly, so I’m likely to be in same boat as you in a week or so, if it is going to happen will just have to deal with it I suppose ( that’s not saying I won’t be in a crumpled heap on bathroom floor) but we will find it in us to deal with it I know hope tomorrow finds you more positive ,sending you big hugs . Lynda
Hi Piggysytrotter, thx for checking in with the “California Girl” Been a tough week but getting better now. Have been to hospital ER once (fever high) and several horizontal days, with headache, nausea, etc. The numbness that started with the first infusion hasn’t gone away, so it looks like i will be taken off Taxotere/docetaxel. Best to all and congratulations on the great news of your royal baby. My best friend from my second year at school, was born in Middlesex, ans she died two years ago. I remember her telling me how all the school childen in England, when the Queen was coronated and she showed me a special porcelin mug each one was given. She died two years ago, but her birthday was 22.7 and she would have been so happy the new royal baby was born on her birthday. Made me cry…
Hi pironm. You may be the other side of the world but you’re not forgotten!!! Bad about the rubbish week but very glad you are feeling better now. Any ideas what they will give you if they take you off T? Yes, the baby is good - and I don’t see myself as a royalist! ANY new baby is good. But I did spend a huge amount of time looking at a door yesterday, mainly because every time I turned the tele on that’s all there was to see 
.
Welcome to the Junkies, Hattie. You and Kat are well on the way now (were you done yesterday Kat? Do hope so!) If you look back through other threads like June Jewels you will see that the bit before the hair finally goes is the worst bit and I think we are all dreading it. It is completely normal for the hair to start going at the time you have described. Have you got any scarves to use before you see the wiggy lady? There are some good sites - Annabandana, the scarfhut, hats4heads and another one I can’t remember at the moment - I’ll let you know. And as Lynda said, you are really among friends here. Rant and rave and moan - we will all have felt the same so we will understand and we won’t mind.
And Marion09, no I don’t think you were rambling all, but putting it very well indeed. My OH has been better so far this time around but he came out with some crackers last time including ‘I don’t like hospitals’. I felt like saying ‘well, neither do I, but I don’t have any choice in the matter’. But once he’d said that I knew that he didn’t really want to be at any of my appointments, so I ended up going on my own even though I really wanted him there. Wise words from Lynda again - concentrate on the good people in your life.
Results for me today. I’m pretty calm because I don’t think they can get any worse at the moment. I’ve had the scans so I know I’m clear elsewhere and I’ve been warned about the possibility of a fourth operation. Now if they were to tell me that there was NED - well I would be happy! Fingers crossed
xx
Morning my ladies,
saw the onc today, she didn’t seem unduly worried about my 21 out of 21 lymph node “full house”, she just said that’s why they throw everything at it if its got as far as the lymphatic system. I’ll be on FEC - T and because of my situation I’m having 8 cycles, they think as I’m young and fit I can cope with it. She said I will have to inject myself in the stomach for 5 days every cycle, at which point I burst into tears, but I know others are doing this. Can anyone tell me how they are coping and give me any tips. I’m sure once I’ve mastered it i’ll be fine, it’s just the thought…
Also, do you all take a friend or OH to the sessions? I can’t see the point of my husband hanging around for hours, I told him to just leave me there and pick me up after, does it help having someone sitting with you??
I’m starting in 3 weeks but hope I can stay with team JJ, I know there’s a few of us dragging our heels but we’re a team now
benedictus let us know how you got on today and good luck to everyone with an imminent visit…
xxx
Well i feel like when I was a little girl and hid under the bed to try and get out of going to the dentist. FEC#2 at 12.30 today as my bloods are now OK. They are going to try new meds to stop the SE, but I felt crap for 10 days and it is so nice to have my life back.
Naz I can only reirerate what all the wise Junkies have said, and it must be sad that your BF is not playing things the way you would.
Tamsin good luck today. I started this journey down the snake in March too, you def need to throw a 6 and move on.
Pironm nice to have you back but so sorry you have been in hosp and had probs.
Glad Juliemb and pollyanne are not feeling too bad. I might ask for a PICC line as my one little arm is getting like a pin cushion and it is only early days.
Piggsy thinking of you on your hosp days and glad you found the real you.
chezzap you glow girl and enjoy a kids free evening.
Hattie, my hair came out in shed loads end of first cycle. I was not brave enough to shave it off because vanity got the better of me, and then my scalp was to sore. I now have a “baby orangutan” look!!! I haven’t worn my wig as it is too hot, but I have a couple of Yoga wellness hats from Trendco which are made of cotton, very comfy. Wore one down the pub with the girls last night, def need ear rings and a bit of lippy and a scarf as neck gets cold !! but everyone said good things and no strange looks. I also keep a towel by the front door to wrap around so as not to scare the post man.
Marion09 what lovely friends and kids you have, such a lovely personal gesture just for you.
Well I’m drinking like a fish, have to go in an hour early so they can load me with new anti sickness meds. Daughter going to her friends to watch Les Mis (again) they do have a bit of an Eddie Redmayne thing. Son has FB me he is kayaking in shark infested waters, how to keep me calm !!!???
Love to all Kat xx
Hi Tasha, I have been injecting myself since my white count dropped and I know i will continue to do so every cycle now. It is OK and not at all painful when you are in control, I did have the big headache after the first one which is usual and I can feel my bones in my spine and shoulders but that is normal and your bone marrow doing its thing. I took paracetamol the once and nothing since.
Kat xx
Kat: Metaphoric hand holding going on here. And they’ve taken on board about your se’s and are trying new stuff. GOOD! Mega positive vibes winging their way to you xx
Tasha: I agree with Kat. If you’re in control it’s fine. I had to give myself a stern talking to before I did mine, but was astonished that the actual injection did not hurt at all. Good luck. And so far as chemo is concerned, everyone is different. I was like you and was OK to go on my own despite having lots of offers from others, because I didn’t want to waste their time as well as mine. Used to take a book/mags/ipod.
Just to got a phone call! NED! HURRAY! My BCN is a complete star. She’s got the MDT this morning but has taken the trouble to phone me with the results. Bless her heart. So I’m back to clinic next week to get this show on the road, which means I will definitely be an honorary Junkie, if that’s OK.
OOH! Is it too early for a celebratory G&T?
Tamsin xxx
So glad you checked in kat, was thinking about you last night, you sound upbeat which is good , your furthest along of the junkies I believe? I too have to do the injections mine start Friday, will let you know how it goes. Marion, hattie and pironm, hope you are feeling better today. And Julie hope you had a good night and minimal SE. Tamsin you could well be having to thread into 3 different months the way your speaking, hope your typing fingers are good lol. Tash I did send you a pm as an " Essex girl" not sure if you found it or not. Well had another good nights sleep only thing that might prove a bother so far is the dreaded constipation but not a prob YET lol. In fact I keep waiting for the cricket bat round the back of the head, cos so far really feel quite well, hope I’m not tempting fate there! ( keep wondering if that was Ribena they pumped in lol) love to you all? Lynda
Tamsin, brilliant news. Have a G&T now, the onc said absolutely NO alcohol during treatment to me, so do it now while you can.
thanks ladies for the injection tips, it was just the thought of sticking a needle in my own stomach made me a bit emotional. If a nurse shows me how then i’ll just get on with it.
love to all xxx
That’s odd, Tasha - I was told there was no reason to avoid alcohol during chemo treatment, not FEC T anyway.
Do different HA’s give different advice? 