Hey
I started my first cycle of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide on Friday (11th June)
Friday and Saturday went fine and quite unremarkable. As for Sunday and today…wow. I feel like I’ve either partied too hard or been hit by a bus!
Please tell me this phase passes after a couple of days… I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to let this dictate to me ?? 
Hi boxerclaire
My heart goes out to you - I remember it well! There are no clear rules - we all react differently. Personally, after my first EC, I thought WOW. I had five days of amazing energy and felt better than I had in ages. Then the steroids stopped and I was slammed down into fatigue which made me feel one of Harry Potter’s Dementors was having a go at me. After that, various side effects sneaked in and that was that. Mouth ulcers, food tasting like soap, loss of appetite, weight loss…I was so sure I would be one who would carry on driving, doing my tai chi etc. Then I had a car accident because I was more woolly headed than I thought and that was that, It was months before I got my independence back. BUT I’ve known many on here who’ve even carried on working so obviously we’re all different.
Don’t worry about letting this dictate to you. It’s worth losing that sense of control if the outcome is good health. And is it loss of control or is it a positive choice to hand over one aspect of you to the oncologists to cure your cancer?
Hoping you don’t join the Dementored and that fatigue is short-lived.
Jan x
it is better not to promise yourself too much. None of us know how chemo is going to affect us. I was one of the luckier ones, it wiped me out physically and I had joint pain but no other serious side effects.
You have to be kind to yourself and make all the allowances needed there is NO right or wrong with this treatment just go with what your body tells you.
It was said to me that the first couple of sessions are the gentlest as the drugs build up in your system - so drink plenty of water to flush them out by stage 3 I was feeling the strain more - come the last few days before the next session my energy levels got better, then off you go again for the next round and back to square one.
You will get there just do not expect too much and sleep, eat, do whatever when your body allows you. Try to fight it you will make yourself feel a lot worse, plus it sort of brings you down when you realise you cannot do the things you thought you could.
The one bonus was one of the chemo nurses telling me (eat as much ice cream as you want, if that is all you can face)
Best of Luck
Poppy xx
Hi Boxerclaire
I’m sorry to hear you’re starting to feel the full effect of your treatment. I read your post with interest because I have also been told that I’m getting EC for duration of 9 weeks so one injection every three weeks. Is yours the same?
If you don’t mind, can you explain how the first day went? Did you feel anything while you were being given the drug? Have you had the port? I’m told that’s what I’m going to get instead of normal injection through arm.
When you are able, please keep sharing your experience. I’m absolutely terrified of chemo
Thanks
Hi there I had my first cycle on the 5th August felt fine until that night I couldn’t sleep only got 4 hours the next day I felt very tired no energy sickness and up set stomach. Later that evening I went to hospital as I felt really bad heart pollutions and shortness of breath. All was good in the end I was sent home they said it was normal I think I was just having a panic attack. I’m know on day 7 and I still feel tired no energy and my mouth is very dry sore. I hope i don’t feel like this everytime I have treatment. It seems that everyone experience is different. We just need to tell are self we’ve got this.
Take care
Tcook87