Good luck everyone having their next cycles. We are strong and we got this.
Reading the recent posts regarding work issues etc, I think you are all amazing to try and carry on. I took early retirement 3 years ago so don’t have those pressures. Just a demanding cocker spaniel and a husband who is looking after me very well. I am blessed.
Have a good weekend everyone xx
Good morning to you all xxxx
Day 12 and I’m finally feeling like I may be up on my feet over the weekend.
I have managed to stay off the loo for 12 hours!
Unfortunately no medication was working and needed to starve my bowel of anything but water.
I have not done anything for 12 days work wise or in the house. I have not even managed to have a shower since Tuesday. Iv never used so many flannels!! But feel I am strong enough today to brave the shower and hair wash.
I am a manager and I have a great team of staff who have made me a hamper full of goodies, my manager purchased me some healthy meals and another colleague came and done my hoovering. This was so tough for me to accept as I am always the strong and capable one.
I have found the fact the my partner has been working 5am- 10pm every day really difficult, although he owns his own business and is so busy, I feel as though he doesn’t want to be around me. I have spent most of this week alone. With the occasional visitor.
No one can tell you how you feel or how you should be feeling. There is no right or wrong with this.
I feel in our situation we must be kind to ourselves, have empathy for what we are going through, take time to really take care of our mind and our bodies and forgive ourselves for anything that we feel we may have done better.
I am having counselling and would seriously recommend this to everyone. It’s a time for you to have with someone who is non judgmental about everything. I cry and laugh in my sessions and every time I leave I feel reassured that I’m doing my best.
Does anyone have a MacMillan nurse Iv heard we should be offered one but I haven’t so far?
I hope everyone gets on well with their next round today. Sending big hugs and a huge well done to you all 
xx
@lilly123 I am so glad you are feeling brighter today. Hopefully you can enjoy your weekend a bit more. Is your next chemo on the 13th like me?
Hope everyone having chemo today is feeling okay. X
Feeling ok so far after second EC today, administered after a bit of a delay due to an overnight UTI development!
Hello everyone,
I had my first chemo treatment on the 28th and after a rush to A&E on Tuesday I’m only just starting to feel like I’m having some improvement.
Diagnosed back in June/July so the last few months have been terrifying and dreadful.
Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma HER2+ before a mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes in the new year, followed by radiotherapy.
Started 18 weeks of Docetaxel-Carboplatin-Pertuzumab-Trastuzumab 3 weekly (with cold cap) and I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get to December.
First day after I was a little bruised but okay and it’s all been downhill since then. Dodgy gut, nausea (no vomiting luckily) and suspected colitis earlier this week (although they think it was probably just a stomach bug). While in A&E my specialist decided to tell me the CT scan I’d had the week prior showed more things needing investigating in my kidneys and ovaries (but I just heard “you have secondary cancer now”).
I’ve barely eaten in the last few days (yesterday I literally had one piece of toast with jam and a protein shake) for fear I’ll end up in hospital again (never been in my life prior to this year).
I was prepared for getting a picc line but they’ve not offered me one as they say my veins look healthy (now?!) and the sites where my chemo cannula was and they put the injection in my thigh (trying to get someone to confirm what was put there hasn’t been successful yet) were/are very bruised (I already bruise like a peach).
Is anyone else just wondering what state they’re going to be in by the time they actually have their surgery? I’m already a broken wreck.
Is anyone else on the same cocktail?
Hi @sez I’m on the same cocktail only difference is I’ve had my mastectomy and reconstruction. My first round was on 22nd August and I’m due six rounds then radiotherapy, phsego will carry on for a year.
I think the hardest thing for me has been the filgrasim injections for 7 days, as soon as they stopped I started to feel much better (apart from a cold and conjunctivitis). I’m not cold capping so had to brave the shave today. I had long thick hair and it would wait no longer. I still have a bad bruise on my hand as they said the same to me, no pic line but a canular. I’m hoping it’s healed for round two next Thursday. I hope your journey is as smooth as possible. Key for me next round is to get some nystan as my mouth was very dry and had a burning tongue
Best wishes to all you warriors xx.
Hi @sez, it’s a lot to take in isn’t it? I am
On the same cocktail as you and same diagnosis and treatment plan- along with the phesgo ( Pertuzumab-Trastuzumab bit) in my thigh.
I find it helps me not to think too far ahead to December and instead about the smaller chunks, day by day if needed- but also next Weds I have my second infusion so that’s 2/6 done!
Sorry to hear that you ended up in A+E and that you’re finding it such a struggle right now 🩷 please seek help from your team for any side effects, usually there’s something you can be given to help with most things, to make things a bit easier.
I have been told repeatedly by people taking my blood over the years that I have terrible veins, really flat and hidden so I was amazed that they got the cannula in no problem cycle 1 and the bruising I had is now gone. I’m hoping it’s the same each time as actually having a PICC line has its downsides, having to get it flushed regularly, having it on your arm all the time. But I guess if they say I need it, then so be it.
Best wishes, you can do this 
🩷
To all the fantastic strong people in this group, keep it up, you got this:muscle: Not all days are kind some are nasty, but remember this is just a chapter in your sory it does not define who you are, you are a fighter that will see this till the end. And as for those nasty day? Well thats where this group, friends and family cone in they all got you even if it doesn’t feel it at times, remember that.
As for me, well yesterday was a tought day my 3rd EC with the cold cap… knocked the energy right out of me…but today I’m feeling much much better, had breakfast put the washing in and now time for a bit og crochet until the family wakes up… crochet keeps my sanity because while I’m counting stitches I’m not thinking nonsense…
Wishing everyone a good day and those going through side effects and unforseen issues… we are here for you, even if its just to lend an ear and shoulder… that’s why we have 2 of each right?
You’re foing great @dhmb. How many EC before you do a taxane? I’m 3EC then 3 docetaxal.
@sez sorry you had such a rough start. Hopefully things will continue much more easily for you. You can get to December…focus on Christmas and how you will be past chemo. I’m having more surgery and radio in new year too. One step at a time.
Anyone else on EC getting acne? It’s really sore. Started with tiny pimples around lips and now I have big, deep lumps under skin on cheeks.
@bluesatsuma i got the little sore pimples round the mouth and nose with round one. I’m hoping it doesn’t get worse for round two xx
I had a bit of an outburst of achne around my lips and a bit scattered around my chin and cheeks with some on my chest on my 1st EC but not the 2nd one…3rd is yet to be seen, but i still have a few lingering around my face.
@bluesatsuma I’m have 12 weekly treatments of texil which i will finish around Christmas if there is no delays 
after that a mastectomy and a full node clearance on my left side followed by radiotherapy… so yeah a long road ahead, but I’m not focused on that, just the next step so bring on EC no 4… and them we’ll go from there, simple right??
Hi @sez and welcome to our group. So sorry you’ve had so many problems already but hopefully now things will settle down 
. I’m on a different regime (fortnightly paclitaxel) and have found side effects follow a pattern so can be managed better later on. Re the cannular, I have apparently quite good veins and have a cannular but in my fore arm and it’s been fine (must say I hate having one in my hand - before my two ops had to keep reminding them not to use hand!). Could you ask them to use a vein in your arm? Good luck! 
This is awful, have you tried you BC nurse directly or emailed them, I got sent back to hospital the first night as I couldn’t stop vomiting, I didn’t need antibiotics but the IV’ed them into me anyway. So I think you probably need them. Take care
@dhmb. you seem to be coping well. 
re the crochet to concentrate on something else.
I had my third paclitaxel yesterday which was fine but was exhausted afterwards. Ok now again and still on steroids so will be buzzing!
Must say am a bit worried about starting 4 cycles of ec in 4 weeks time. Symptoms seem to be worse from what I’ve read but one week at a time I guess!
To all those having surgery afterwards, it must be really daunting, but I actually found the surgery the easiest bit. The total node removal took a bit longer to heal but is fine now. Admittedly I hadn’t been ground down by chemo first so I can see it feels like a long haul. I just have radiotherapy and the dreaded endocrine treatment pills but will cope with that later!
Take care everyone, you’re doing great!
I have a history of acne but my skin only usually flares up these days under stress, so I’m having another flare up this week. I feel like my body is conspiring against me (to be honest I always have). I finished my last period thr day before my chemo and I started spotting two days ago, I’m kind of hoping (as I have suspected endometriosis) that my body is hopefully going to start menopause early and do me a favour for once. I’m only 44 but I think getting it now and not having to deal with painful periods along with whatever chemo is going to do to me will be a bonus.
I wish my skin would behave though. It’s completely broken out and crevices are extremely sore (not ideal when I’m already about to have to undergo the indignity of an internal ultrasound).
I have great veins, I think that’s the problem (was a blood donor for decades, something I’m really going to miss), while my veins look good they don’t seem so concerned about the bruising.
I will be asking them about not using my hand next time. They’re trying to push forward my next oncologist consultation as I’ve had so many side effects.
@sez I have missed donating blood too. I have a picc line. Its a nuisance as i have to have a rubbish dressing on it because I’m allergic to the good ones. Plus the tube comes up my arm and jabs me in my armpit. I’m 47 and perimenopausal. No period since i started chemo.
@dhmb hope my skin settles like yours has too.
Hope everyone has a good day. I’m watching kids judo lessons, riding lessons and then laying a path in my garden. Keeping busy definitely helps.
@anne3 it’s funny how we get used to something and worry about what’s to come next isn’t it. As I’m the opposite way round to you, I’ve worked out my EC side effects so now I’m worrying about going onto palictaxol!
I’ve one more EC to come on 18th of sept then I move to fortnightly T!
Honestly, I’ve found EC side effects totally manageable, today is usually my worst day as I feel all my glands come up and my body just hurts for a day! So fingers crossed you do too! Though I totally get we all react differently and we only have to read through the thread to see that 
.
I mean, I say I manage, I am, my liver is disagreeing slightly and one of my liver blood results is telling us chemo is irritating it!! I’m so hoping it behaves and no delays as I’m trying to plan things in for the good weeks!
One step at a time.
Hope everyone manages a good weekend xx
