August 2024 chemo starters

Occasionally yes I think, but not badly. Never know whether these things are just me or due to treatment. I think chemo can affect your eyesight, hopefully only temporarily!

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@bluesatsuma Iā€™ve definitely had blurred vision. I wasnā€™t sure if it was menopause signs but seemed to have started after round one of chemo - the joys!!

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Yep, have definitely noticed a slight blurry effect. Doesnā€™t seem to last but finding myself having to put a lamp on to read the paper at times.

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Not just me thenā€¦thet is reassuring. It seems worst when Iā€™m tired (most of the time then!). Hopefully it will ease for us all. X

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Hello ladies,

Im joining very late on this thread. Iā€™ve read all the messages and you all seem so lovely and supportive to one another. I was diagnosed in March as I had breast pain, so they sent me for a mammogram. They thought it was DCIS but alot of it, so needed a mastectomy which I had May 1st with DIEP reconstruction. Unfortunately it was found in 2 of 9 nodes so itā€™s invasive cancer but the pathologist could not find it within the breast so im a bloomin mystery!! They cant even stage me properly :pensive: The cancer in the nodes is Er+pr+ Her2-
Ive had 4 x EC and just had my 1st of 4 paclitaxel so 3 to go, all 2 weekly. EC I found hard as had a very foggy brain and no energy. Paclitaxel, the bone pain has been horrendous and just feeling drained! I know Iā€™ve got to keep going but my god Iā€™ve hit a brick wall mentally! The thought of finishing chemo is wonderful but I still feel Iā€™ve got such a long way to go :woozy_face::cry: Thank you for listening xx

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Hi @nimble82 and welcome to our little group! Youā€™re right, itā€™s been lovely having others around us (virtually) who understand. I feel drained at the moment, feeling sick and dizzy with ec, but my treatment is the other way round. However most seem to be similar to yours. I also had lymph node involvement, 13 out of 19, but thatā€™s all gone now thankfully along with the original tumour, er+, her2-. It does seem a long haul, I think weā€™d all agree on that one! Not an experience we wanted or expected! Iā€™m sure weā€™ll get there together though. Look after yourself :two_hearts:

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Hi @nimble82 Iā€™m on a 3 week cycle and just had my third out of six, I could almost walk away the first week is so awful but but but, Iā€™m really hoping I can push through and by the time radiotherapy starts in January this horrible stuff will be a distant memory. Keep your chin up and rest when you need it.
Sending hugs x

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Itā€™s so nice to chat to people who understand. @anne3 I hope you feel better soon. @songbird1 I know what you mean, some days I could easily say thatā€™s it, but I know I never would, itā€™s just bloody tough.

Iā€™m loving all the Christmas bits in shops as it reminds me chemo will be over! I even watched Christmas chronicles yesterday :joy:

Kim xx

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I keep encouraging people to mention Christmas isnā€™t far away (makes me feel better knowing I finish mid-December before surgery and radiotherapy etc in the new year) but for once no-one has been biting.

Iā€™m watching lots of very seasonal stuff (Autumnal, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) to remind myself how close all four holidays are, as it makes the time feel like itā€™s going by quicker.

Tomorrow Iā€™ll be halfway through my treatment cycles (3/6), Iā€™m absolutely terrified Iā€™ll have another reaction but my oncologist reckons as the cold cap wasnā€™t the cause sheā€™s happy to talk to the nurses and find out why tomorrow (and she may try to convince them I can have it so there may be hope). Iā€™ve lost about 40-50% of my hair so itā€™s really thin but you can only really see the hair loss around the front (luckily I had a lot of hair beforehand, part gorilla I reckon), my niblings go back to Oz next week so I just want to hang onto it til they leave (so it doesnā€™t scare them to see me bald or anything) then it can fall out for all I care (Iā€™m so over being covered in hair every day).

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Hi @nimble82 and welcome. Itā€™s a long slog but you are over halfway! 11 weeks till xmas! Ive bern using the time off work to get xmas shopping online, plus my 3 kids have birthdays in November, December and januaryā€¦bad planning on my part there!

@sez hoping it goes smoothly tomorrow. Iā€™ll be thinking of you.

@anne3 EC gets easier. I was exhausted today but very little sleep last night. I will try and get a long walk in tomorrow to tire me out.

@songbird1 weā€™re at the same pointā€¦we can do it!

I just feel fat, red, tired and bald. But Iā€™m coming up to the turning point in my cycle where I start to feel brighter so hoping tomorrow is jazzier!

Xxx

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Hi and welcome !

I find it makes it easier conversing with people who are actually going through the same thing.
My timescale is similar. Found lump beginning of April. ER/PR + and HER2 +. Had surgery end of May, now halfway through chemo, 3 EC every 3 weeks done, move onto Docetaxel next Monday, again 3 every 3 weeks. Fingers crossed I will be done at the end of November.
Wishing you all the best and look forward to reading your posts. Xx

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All the best for tomorrow :+1:

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Hi all

Loving all your pics, you all look fabulous :blush:

Typically Iv been back in hospital with high glucose in my blood due to the steroids, although I had to discharge myself after no sleep for 36 hours after they kept me in a chair!

I was fortunately able to have my chemo yesterday.

For those who are going to be having docetaxal i have this and carboplatin.
I have steroids 4 x in morning and 4x in the afternoon for three days starting day before chemo, i was told to take them before 4pm so they donā€™t keep me awake.
Then I have 3 tablets in the morning for 3 days from day 4.

I have anti sickness through the drip before my chemo then 2 x anti sickness tablets twice a day for two days from day 2. Then given some other anti sickness tablets for after this and if I need them.
7 days filgrastim injections starting day 2.

I have had all the side effects at one point or another, I feel the filgrastim injections have the worse side effects for me in my legs and I take liquid morphine for this!

I am now on insulin 4 x day,
I also am low in magnesium and postassium so have
two sachets of magnesium x2 a day
2 Dissolvable potassium x2 a day

And thatā€™s without my normal tablets :joy:

I canā€™t keep up xx

Hi Lilly123

Gee that sounds awfulā€¦
I have been given a load of steroids to start before my first docetaxel on Mondayā€¦it is 28 in total, 12 of which I must take during the 12 hours before my infusion. I certainly wonā€™t be sleeping Sunday night. Oh well, just want to get it over with and move on to the next one.
Sending hugs xx

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@lilly123 hoping that once chemo is done your sugars, magnesium and potassium improve. Iā€™m sure itā€™ll be caused by all the stress on our bodies, and our poor livers.

@bigpickle Iā€™m dreading my docetaxel steroid intakeā€¦they mess me up for days. I need to check when to take mine as the box doesnt say. They did tell me at last chemo but it was so hectic. The box has more than the normal 9 i got for EC though, about 20 i reckon. Iā€™m going to embrace my lack of sleep with batch cooking!

X

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Definitely not jealous of those taking such huge amounts of steroids.
I went from 3 days x2 tablets twice a day) first cycle to 6 days after that and looks like itā€™s not changing, and that wrecks me.
Was up at 3pm this morning and several times after that and my treatment is at 10:30am so deffo didnā€™t need to be up so early.
Absolutely shattered and Iā€™m not even doing anything yet.

My throat is dry so my anxiety is through the roof, my bad reaction started last time with a dry cough, if I have one before they even start administering the stuff Iā€™m going to be on edge the whole way through.
I donā€™t care that itā€™s naughty, going to have a McDonaldā€™s on the way home after.

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@lilly123 I find the filgrastim brutal too. Iā€™m on day 7 and struggle to eat and sleep but have very little energy. Things did start to improve a little yesterday but I know I wonā€™t feel better until I finish the injections. It doesnā€™t help when we arenā€™t repairing through sleep. I hope things improve for you soon x

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@lilly123 do hope youā€™re improving a bit now. So exhausting having to spend time in hospital again. I know how you feel with the number of pills - unfortunately yesterday was pretty much my worst day so far with sickness etc but I also had a cardio appt. Seems I also have an issue with my heart muscle so a few more pills for that now! Good thing is that it wouldnā€™t have been found without the breast cancer ā€¦ ec can also harm the heart muscle so itā€™s a bit of a juggling act! Roll on Christmas!

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Hi everyone :wave:

Welcome to the bunch @nimble82 :smiling_face:

Iā€™ve been reeding all the messages and I just wanted to send a tight hug :people_hugging:It is a tough time thatā€™s for sure but did it reall have to be that challenging??? Isnā€™t haveing breast cancer enough??? :sweat:

Iā€™ve seen the oncologist today and definitely chemotherapy is to go ahead, pausing it is not an option after the incision from my lumpectomy ruptured and stuff came out. On antibiotics and waiting to be referred to my GP for a special kind of dressing to help it heal quickerā€¦ we hope ā€¦ oh the joys of bureaucracyā€¦

Feeling like the weather, totally sucks but a McDonaldā€™s def sounds good :relieved:

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@dhmb sounds horrendous! Weā€™ll look back on these times and wonā€™t believe how we managed. Definitely time to be kind to yourself xxx

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