Have had 3rd FEC chemo and feel terrible today. All I’ve done is drag myself from sofa to kitchen and bathroom - had so many plans for today too as hubby’s day off work! Having felt so physically bad (fatigue/pains in veins/headache/sickness) - mentally I’ve been thinking about my prognosis. Every time I see oncologist i get more doom news, I have been told i have node involvement, er/pr + and her2+ and will have herceptin for 1 year every 3 wks. Now, I know herceptin is good to have and am grateful, but today, the way I’ve been feeling it seems like I’m climbing mount everest. Haven’t had op yet as they are trying to shrink the tumour first, then will have rads and herceptin after.
Sorry to moan, but had to let it out, been trying to be normal around kids and hubby all day! Also I’ve stopped looking in mirrors, it just depresses me more - fat, bald and, excuse the expression, p***** off.
The third chemo session seems to be a real wipe out. It took longer for me to bounce back from and I was totally fed up and threatening not to have any more chemo. However, I did bounce back and although not looking forward to number 4, I can handle it. I assume you need 6 sessions - in which case you are half way through. I posted here to say how wiped out I was, and a number of girls posted back to say they found No. 3 particularly bad and the worse session out of the lot. I know we are suppose to concentrate on little steps, but with chemo, I focus on the end date and am doing as much as I can to ensure that my chemo finishes on schedule on 31st August.
P****ed off, I completely understand. I am amazed at how I have handled hair loss and not being able to go to work. However, what I really can’t handle is the total lack of energy and wipe out for 8 days after chemo…It stilnks, but think ahead.
You sound perfectly normal to me, just like the rest of us, trying to get through it as best we can.
I’ve got the whole shebang as well, nodes, hormones, HER2+ but I’m the other way round from you, I had my surgery on 11th June and I have just started chemo. Yes we should be grateful that they are chucking every thing at it they can but it’s only natural that we feel down about it as well, you’d have to be pretty unusual not to.
You’re not alone Morgaina (what a beautiful name by the way) we’re all with you, keep going.
I’m another one who found chemo no.3 particularly hard work. Had no.4 on Tuesday (with a HUGE lack of enthusiasm!), and have felt much better than last time. I hope the same proves true for you, girls.
I was just going to come on and say how much worse I feel this time 3rd TAC last thursday when I read all your posts. Sorry you are all suffering but glad I am not alone (misery loves company). Have decided to spend Fri 13th. in my armchair watching DVDs and playing card games on my laptop and not feel guilty.
val
I have had 2nd FEC on Tuesday and feel much worse than with the first so am really looking forward to next time (not)! I have to have the works too and I also feel really fed up today. I was diagnosed on Friday 13th April, not having been remotely superstitious before! As well as being Friday 13th again today it is pouring with rain here so have also been watching DVDs and even resorted to daytime TV. I know things are bad when that happens. Oh well, we can at least moan to each other and we do know from experience that we will feel better before the next time. I am going to a “look good, feel good” session at the oncology centre next week so have that to look forward to. Hope you all have a better weekend.
SI had 2nd EC over a week ago and only just recovering everything about it was rotten, it took ages to find a vein and felt dreadful all the way through it. I was dx 23rd April, 10 days after my Friday 13th Wedding and will be having everything thrown at me chemo,rads,tamoxifen,herceptin (already had mastectomy). Not superstitious my youngest daughter was born Friday 13th .
The past weekend i felt completely wiped out and extremely down and struggled to be positive with hubby and children, Its so hard to keep smiling, everyone keeps telling me how well i look and how well i am coping, i know they mean well, but i wish they could see in my head. I actually cried infront of the children this weekend and the more they told me they loved me the more i cried( i told them i cried cos i felt sick).
Sorry to go on but just had a rough few days when the end of treatment seems such a long way off, i know you are the only ones who can understand how i truely feel.
Thanks Rachel
HI Ladies. Im really sorry you are feeling bad today. I am quite new to the forums, was diagnosed 3 weeks ago, had lumpectomy and due to start chemo,rads and tamoxifen very soon. Although my treatment has not yet started I just wanted to say I hope you all feel better very soon, thinking of you all.
Love Jillianxx
I have posted this message on behalf of new user Ann
Kind regards
Sam
Forum Host
Breast Cancer Care
Dear Morgaina,
I loved your description of how you are feeling, it made me smile.
I have just finished rads after chemo and mastectomy…and I still feel p****d off ! Like you, I dont look in the mirror, bath with my eyes closed, and try to ignore the weight that chemo ‘makes’ you put on. I have the pleasure of my hair growing back now - albeit grey & fluffy (hmm nice), still too short to reveal, so it is nice and sweaty under my wig !! Radiation burns were unexpected - I seem to remember the oncologist describing it as “you’ll be a bit red and sore” - hmmmm - just like childbirth, no one tells you how much it is really gonna hurt ! It has turned almost black now, blistered, weeping and peeling - “quite normal”, I am now told !
So take heart, knowing we are all probably feeling the same at one or another (or all!) of the treatment stages, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to have my moan…feel better already!!!
Take care,
Ann
judging by the responses you’ve had so far I think its safe to say that we all totally understand where you are coming from and can totally relate to how you are feeling right now. Like you I am also hormone and HER2+, so like so many others will be having Herceptin for a year once I’ve had my rads. I had my mastectomy first and now I am mid-way through chemo. The light at the end of the tunnel for me was the fact that I may be HER2- but my results came through a couple of weeks ago and that glimmer of hope was rapidly and cruely taken away from me! I was gutted to be honest, there just seemed to be no good news for me and no light at the end of the tunnel. I was hoping to have all the ‘nasty’ stuff over by Christmas, so to find out I would be going to the hosp every 3 weeks for a year for Herceptin came as a real blow. I know I should be grateful as many women campaigned tirelessly for this ‘wonder drug’ to be available to all who need it. I am very grateful now and feel ‘lucky’ that it is my ‘insurance policy’.
As with yourself and many other ladies (and chaps) I really struggled with chemo No3 (I’m on E-CMF). Just started the CMF part 2 days ago but Epi No3 really floored me! I felt horrendous for well over a week and it felt as though I had very little ‘good’ time before I was going for No4! I am very pleased to say that No4 proved to be much better tolerated and I felt great for at least 10 days out of the 14. I hope your next session is equally as good as mine was.
Take care of yourself and let us know how you are doing,