Hi Ladies,
I’m coming up for air after my 1st FEC T on Thursday.
Feel like I have been injected with a time bomb which could go off at any time with side effects, multiple times. Have had the go back for 2nd type of stronger nausea meds as cyclizine didn’t work on Friday. Have had last of the stronger ones just now, and steroids have now finished. So I’m wondering what part of the time bomb will go off first… it’s scary isn’t it?
Has anyone thought of giving up the chemo?.. I have to be honest I’m wondering, if the surgeon says “all the cancer has gone”, and then gives us this trauma (and I’ve only just started…) then why?..
Hi Ladies
Have to laugh at my post on friday. Literally an hour later massive nausea and cramps set it. I felt like my body was possessed. It was brutal. Took all the meds I could. I felt my body was just cramped all over with nausea a layer on the top.
Thankfully about 2am I could feel it ease off a bit. Come a bit later I could take my first steroids and more anti nausea pills and it all seemed a little bit under control.
Yesterday I was pretty miserable. I was totally questioning what I was doing Georgie Gee too. Before this started I was the fittest and felt the best I had in years and now Im consenting to basically putting poison in my veins.
Hopefully I’m not jinxing myself, but feel an improvement again today - its all realtive bc anything is better than friday night
Other good news is changed the portacath dressings for first time (told to leave for a couple of days) and the wounds are SO much better than Friday (only now I realise how worried Id been about how they were healing, how theyd look etc) so huge weight off mind.
Guess we each have to learn how our bodies rythms work with the chemo drugs. Pretty scared to do it again but hope to talk to nursing team and try some changes to meds and timings. Quite a few posts on the forum about fasting and nausea, though Im not sure Im cut out for that.
Streetfighter, hope tomorrow goes OK for you, sounds like you have already had a long journey.
Hi Ladies hope you are all coping ok
Street fighter - good luck with starting your trial tomorrow, hope it goes ok
Georgie Gee - the nausea is so debilitating, I found days 1-4 were the worse. I agree the thought of doing it again another 5 (for me) times willingly is very frightening
Multitasker - sorry to hear you suffered with the dreaded nausea & pleased your portacath is healing ok. I’ve read a lot on the fasting but I don’t think it’s for me.
The tiredness is hard work as well, every time I do something for 10-15minutes, I then have to lie down for half an hour!!
Take care all
Jude x
Yes, we are all aboard the ship aren’t we, with travel sickness pills too!! Might try the band things tomorrow, if I get up and feel ok to drive to the shops… it is comforting though to have one another isn’t it. I guess the next thing tonight is going to try to sleep… only 17 and a half weeks to go… night night all, thanks for listening
G G xx
Hello ladies, just popped it check your progress. Sorry to hear some of you are suffering with sickness, if is horrible. I found eating little and often helped, mostly salty things and try to drink lots, fizzy water or tonic water helped me. It doss get better after a few days though and you get used to it. Take the meds. I can fully understand the thought of why are we doing this when we felt so well, I still feel like that, j have 3 more T to go and it does seem like a long haul but we can and will get through it all. Also if you can and feel up to it go out for a walk ,(remember your factor 50) even just a short walk makes you feel better and helps with the chemo fuzzy brain. I also find that day 6 and 7 when I come off the steroids is a teary one, .lot of ladies feel the same, you just have to let it pass and you bounce back after, just be prepared. Take care all Kip. Xx
Don’t give up Georgie. You will get through it. My hospital says that I should ring if the nausea meds aren’t working and they will adjust. Please don’t suffer more than you have to.
Re steroids, I do feel better after about five days which coincides with the steroids wearing off. They make me grumpy and I snap at the family, which I hate. But we hug it out!!
Hugs to all Kxxx
Hi Ladies,
I haven’t had my first chemo session yet but reading all your ‘‘top tips’’ is great preparation! Also helps to know we are all in this together.
Multitasker - thanks, pre chemo assessment, bloods and heart scan all booked in tomorrow so I should be good to go on Friday
Street Fighter - well done on getting through first session
Georgie Gee - totally get how you feel, i’ve had the same thoughts - so much to go through isn’t it
Jude1962 - I feel like I’ve already got chemo brain and I haven’t even had my first session yet! 
Good luck for the next few days lovely ladies…every day we are one step closer…
Xxx
Hi GG
How did you get on with the travel sickness bands? I’d tried them but they didn’t help ?
Jude x
Morning ladies
hope you are all coping!
i am now day 6 following 1st FEC-t and got to say still feel pretty rough but managing. Trying to tell myself that anyhow!
nausea remains on and off, having loose stools, waking still at 3am, mouth becoming sore, appetite not so good and taste going, feel woozy and unsteady, trying to potter around house but becoming worn out very quickly.
hoping to pick up soon…please!!!
does it get easier ?
???
Amb67 it does get easier, the first week is usually toughest I find, take all medication you can, take something for the bowels if you need it and rest as much as you need. Try to drink j know you don’t always felt like it, try ice lollies or suckjng sweets. For the nasty mouth I have Biotene mouthwash (buy in boots or supersrug) it’s specially forc chemo and they also do a toothpaste too. I also use corsydl mouthwash which chemo unit said to try, it’s quite strong so you can water it down. Also cooled salt water is a great mouthwash and really helped with sore mouth too.
Keep a diary of symptoms every day and you can tell chemo unit now it went at your next appt plus you will see a pattern and can prepare for next time. It does get better so hang in there, you will have some good days again so plan something nice for them. Take care Kip
Morning AMB67
It does get easier - I’m a few days ahead of you on day 9 today & from day 7 particularly do feel loads better.
The nausea has receded to background noise ?, just mainly very tired although did have headache all day yesterday & woke up with it again this morning
Don’t think the warm weather helps any of us though!
You can do this
Jude x
Jude, I had a banging heachache each FEC cycle, take some paracetomal if you need it, but remember to take your temperature first though!
Thank you Kip and Jude!
Makes me feel better knowing I am possibly turning a corner ??
Yes I am on the same page Amb! Almost exactly… just off to the hospital for more sickness meds and I’m craving Calippo lollies!!
Feel as if I’m about 93 and hardly mobile…
Thanks for encouragement - I’m just sitting down to some salad. Everything on my plate tastes like cardboard! Normal?
I’m sorry to hear that you has a horrible time at the wig place in London but glad you had a much better experience in Ware.
I couldn’t get to the one in Ware - impossible for me to get to and too expensive - so I went to Raoul’s in Paddington and had a great experience, even came away with a couple of freebies, and found my perfect wig that was just the style I’d visualised before I went. I had a great time trying on a few different styles and it was done in a private room where I could take all the time I needed. I could’ve stayed all day if I hadn’t had to leave for work!
Although my hair is very patchy and the mess is awful, I haven’t gone for the shave. It just seems like an unnecessary expense, which I can’t afford anyway, and I don’t know anyone with clippers/shaver who can do it for me even if I did want to go down that route. I know it helps some people feel that they gain some control back and that’s great. I, however, don’t feel that I need that, I just feel bad for the cleaners (especially at work) as I moult everywhere I go! I clear up what I can see but I know I’m missing quite a bit.
Had a bit of a wobble this afternoon (1st one since initial diagnosis) and although I felt bad at the time, I now know it was much needed as it has clarified a few things I’ve been putting off.
Sorry for long post. I hope everyone is feeling good or on the way to feeling better.
Sam xx
The first week is the worst. Take it easy. Take the meds and drink loads. If you are having Filgrastim injections watch the bone ache after a couple of days. I needed to take codeine but it was fine after that. Weeks two and three you will feel fine so make the most of the time and do something nice. Not too late though! I am usually in bed by nine although I still wake in the early hours. I have now started to nap more in the day to catch up on sleep!
Good luck ladies. You’ve got this and the weather is getting cooler!! Lots of love Kxxx
Georgie, I have started putting yogurt and loads of lemon juice on everything!!! Kx
Georgie Gee, I read beforehand that this is quite common.
I lost my taste buds between days 8-13 and found it very weird and unsettling. Everything tasted like nothingness, I think I was as prepared as well as I could be for all the other SEs but I certainly didn’t really know what to do with the lack of taste. I lost my appetite, which wasn’t great before chemo, so had to keep setting reminders to eat.
I was advised to steer clear of my favourite foods/drinks as it can put you off them -great advice imho - and I know now that it passes (well, last time it did and fingers crossed that it does this time). Now could be the time to start new foodstuffs - I found that I actually like kiwi fruit as my taste buds started coming back - dietary needs permitting of course.
I hope you find something that works for you x