I’m due to start chemo in April - date tbc but probably week after Easter. Grade 3 tumour, no lymph node involvement. Initially thought to be tnbc but then my progesterone result came back positive (ER and HER2 both negative). This is highly unusual apparently so now on a different chemo regime to the one I was expecting! EC 3 times, every 3 weeks followed by docetaxel 3 x 3 weeks. Really hoping it shrinks the tumour so I can then have surgery. Would be particularly good to hear from anyone in East Anglia - I’m near Norwich. Good luck everyone!
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I had my hair cut really short in preparation yesterday. I always have quite a long fringe but my hairdresser suggested I go short and spikey and I have 10 days to get used to it. She wouldn’t take payment, and there were lots of tears. I’m going to cold cap but this was a precaution as have been told only 50% success rate with cold cap
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I’ve asked to cold cap but hospital says there are none available and I would have to wait weeks, so trying to come to terms with losing my hair. It’s so hard! I don’t even have nice hair, I just don’t want to be bald
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That’s so tough. The nurse has to check that there would be cold cap available for my first session, and fortunately there was. I have bought some scarves to experiment with as I really don’t want a wig, and I’m a runner so also it’s usually for me to be in baseball caps x
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Anyone else just feeling overwhelmed by all of this? Apart from the constant stress and worry of having cancer, I’m also really anxious about just how long it’s all going to take - months of chemo, surgery, radiation etc. I’m stressed about whether I can carry on working at all (I love my job) and I’m worried about the impact on my youngest child who’s just about to start his GCSEs. I feel as though I have to write the whole year off to be ill and it makes me so sad.
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I think the not knowing in all this is so hard- I want dates of what’s happening when, I want to know how I’ll react to chemo, I want to know if I’ll lose my hair. And that’s just with the chemo, without considering surgery, radiotherapy and the herceptin that continues. I so get where you’re coming from xxxx
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I think we can all relate to these feelings, most of us are used to being reasonably in control of our lives and now the control has been taken away. We are in the hands of the experts and need to accept that for a while. Someone said to me recently that it feels like such a long time at the moment but in the scheme of our lives it will, one day, be “that year” . I’m trying to focus on that thought, especially when there’s so many uncertainties in my life right now.
We will get through this!
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Hi, altoan. I went through chemo spring/summer last year and was very nervous initially. Staff were so good, tho, which I’m sure you’ll find too. 
I’d recommend, as others have, having a ready-filled chemo bag for each session. Socks, lip-salve, wipes in case of loo visits, tissues, water, sweets/snacks (tho free sandwiches/biscuits/hot drinks were often brought round - amazing, didn’t expect that!), phone-charger, pen, handcream (for after all that sanitising!), lap blanket if having coldcap as it does chill you. I found I couldn’t concentrate enough for a decent book, so either napped (chemo process isn’t painful but does make you tired!) or did a few puzzles. I had 1 nasty reaction to Paclitaxel which I’m mentioning, not to scare you as that’s very unlikely, but just to say again how brilliant staff were in sorting me out really quickly and calmly. So be confident your infusion will go well. It’s side-effects afterwards which are more challenging - but that’s another topic! Lots of luck.
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So I’ve got my bag packed ready for an early first session in the morning. Good luck tomorrow to @pollyanna1 @altoan, hope everything goes smoothly xx. 1 down…
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I’m the same, bag packed to be at Hosiptal for 10am. Good luck @steph1969, @altoan. Will ge thinking of you both. Take care😍
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@clarissa1 Thank you - I read your messages yesterday and took to heart what you said…firstly that today isn’t necessarily the hardest bit which helped me to stop dwelling on my fears and secondly about the staff…. These guys are in charge right 
I just have to turn up and trust the process. Also, I’m very good at napping 
@steph1969 @pollyanna1 Wishing you well, one step at a time and today is a very big step.
Here we go….
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And…I got a last minute call to have my PICC line fitted yesterday so that was good to get done 
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@steph1969 @pollyanna1 I hope that today went well for you both?
My session was ok, everyone friendly and kind as always. The first 15 minutes of the cold cap was awful, but as the Nurse promised, after that it was tolerable.
I was cold, esp during and after the EC transfusion and my brain didn’t work well enough to tell me to take out the lovely arm warmers and scarf that I had brought for exactly that reason! 
Now, I’m a bit tired, bit woozy and bit headachy. Might take a paracetamol when I take my evening medication to help later on. Otherwise I’m currently grateful to feel ok.
Cycle 1
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I also got a call on Monday afternoon to have chemo on Tuesday! They fitted a picc line in the morning and then I spent a long time on the chemo unit, mainly due to the cold cap which added on quite a long time! They told me the steroids would keep me up all night but I slept for 9 hours straight and had a nap today. Felt OK all day but fully prepared for a crash at the weekend when I come off the steroids.
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I’m getting cold cap at the Western. Take a couple of paracetamol about an hour beforehand - nurse at Maggies advised this. I was told it might feel like ‘ice cream head’ for the first twenty minutes or so but for me it wasn’t as bad as that and not for as long. Everyone has an electric heated pad to wrap round arm/hand cannula’s in and a blanket. Cannula goes in back of hand so a long sleeved jumper fine. After infusion and flush is finished the cold cap is on for another ninety minutes.
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@altoan @steph1969 @ivy-cat hope your all doing ok. Know one mentioned a PICC line to me. The nurse set with me for 2 hours and syringed it in through cannula. ( probably wrong terms lol, all so new this stuff lol) was at hospital for 7 hours didn’t expect to be so long, think 1st day so much to go through.as everyone said staff are amazing and so grateful for them all. . I slept for 3 hours like you headache and woozy and I’m a bit achy. Just wondering any of you other lovely ladies know is it normal for your teeth and gums to be sore so soon. Just had a slice of toast and taste is sour, oh and the lovely red pee. Hopefully I’ll get another few hrs sleep, think steroids have kicked in. @altoan as you say 1st one done and staying postive, keep well everyone xxxx sorry for the long rant everyone I’m blaming the steroids lol xxxxx
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@pollyanna1 Ooh that is a long time 
My EC took around 30 minutes for the nurse to push through. Maybe ask if a PICC line (or a Port) is possible in the future? It isn’t great having it dangling from my arm and a constant reminder etc but I hadn’t also realised the infusion time difference.
Nothing different in my taste/mouth yet, but I’m not on steroids (I think 
) so maybe it’s them? Red pee clearing…I drank LOTS of water yesterday 
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I must ask about picc line or port, I’ve lots of allergies so maybe this is why or maybe I just don’t have a clue:joy: just feeling tired this morning as hardly slept but on a positive I’m really cold which is a positive from menopause hot flushes and heat. Been drinking loads of water,red pee clearing. ( never dreamt I’d be talking about colour of pee on a forum lol) very grateful for this forum Day 2 here we go. 
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Still doing okay today, feels like I’m waiting for the sickness to kick in. My PICC line is still a bit sore but im hoping it’ll settle down soon. Got training on how to inject myself tomorrow, another experience. Can i ask, why the red pee and why don’t i have it? Curious. Glad you guys are also doing well.
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Hi @steph1969 glad to hear your doing well and no sickness, I feel more nauseous just.red pee is to do with chemo. doxorubicin (Adriamycin) My district nurse didn’t come to 8 pm tonight to give injection, there was a mix up. Oncologist phoned at 5 today to tell me that my chest X-ray 4 weeks ago they thought was fluid from a seroma in breast now think it’s an abcess and chemo shouldn’t have started yesterday but it’s too late. Have to go to hospital in the morning to get it checked. I’m trying to stay positive and think this is just another complication of surgery and things can change throughout it. I suppose these things happen. Take care xx
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