I am also on day 2 like you Tina. Although mine is EC. And so far am fine, I’m amazed as was already bad now last time. Did have sore throat and slight cold, I think it was the original one that hadn’t quite gone.
Can’t imagine how you cope with a toddler Laura. Apart from feeling exhausted I also found I had a very short temper.
Wishing everyone well xx
Marina
Thanks for the reports, ladies! I am due FEC 2 on Thursday. Apart from a lose first evening, I think I got off pretty lightly first time round, so I’m trying not to be expecting it to be exactly the same!
The sleep issues seem to be common but I don’t seem to remember it being mentioned much when the list of side effects gets reeled off! Vivid dreams and frequent waking and with the dry mouth and drinking, comes the trips to the loo!
Still, it has to be done, we have to give it everything the medics want to throw at it!
Love and hugs to everyone, especially anyone who’s managing on their own!
Amanda x
i was thinking the same as you as like you due my second lot on Thursday. so far i have had a bad skin in infection, raw throat / oesophagus for four days swallowing felt like glass, dry raw mouth but no thrush. expectational tired. hoping the second lot is better or the same but not worse… can i ask how many red injections you are all having please? x
I had three red (Epirubicin) two were full and one was about ¾ full.
One thing I did was to drink two litres of water the day before, on the chemo day and the day after. Then keep up the drinking and have water to sip next to your bed too.
Amanda x
Hi ladies. Just a quick report in. Feeling rubbish. It hit around 4:45pm on Friday. Wasn’t sick this time due to change of anti sickness to emend. Felt very sick though all Friday night until 9am the next day. Very disturbed sleep, feeling cold and hot and sweaty. Temp was actually low at 35.5°c. Adviced to wrap up warm as fiancé made me call unit as he was so worried about me. He too said I looked very pale. Very tired, partly meds, partly disturbed sleep from meds. Hair still here but got some small patches now dp moved parting to cover. Been putting what comes out in a bag so I can gauge how much gone. About 30-35% lost so far we think. Hair feels very thin where was super thick. Feel very washed out and climbing stair to toilet feels like a mountain.
Hugs to you all xx
Hi Tina
I felt like this on my second one, actually contemplated not going back, I realised I was being completely selfish but the though if it filled me with dread! I’m now day 11 and today I feel brilliant. Managed a 2 mile walk today and everything.
Try and stay positive, I’ve heard the second one can hit you quite hard but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I cried for about 3 days this time around and thought that the se would never stop, but they have apart from the awful hairspray like taste in my mouth, which I keep on top of by eating sweets starburst are really doing it for me!
All I keep thinking about is that the next one is the half way point for me. Then it’s onto docetaxel for 3, and for the chemo part I’ll be done!
Keep strong x x x x
Hi Tina, I’m also on day 3 of second round (no memory so think thats same for you)and although SE haven’t kicked in like last time apart from nausea which meds deal with, but feeling really down. Have read so much negative stuff about chemo.
Off to heat up some soup to see if mood improves.
Xx
Sorry to hear some of you are feeling rotten, we do expect it but it’s still really difficult to deal with when your feeling the full force of the side effects!
Tina, for the bad taste, try pineapple in what ever form you choose. Cheese snacks, cheddars TUC, Ritz and the like. Ginger ale and ginger biscuits, ginger anything really, to help with nausea. You may find biscuits, toast, bread (starchy type of snacks) better at helping with nausea than healthier food, now is not the time to worry about feeling fat or anything like that, just eat anything that makes you feel better!
I was also told by my BCN that FEC 2 is tough, but don’t give up! Chemotherapy is powerful stuff and it is likely to successfully treat you…no one can be guaranteed a total cure but if you didn’t have it…wouldn’t you be more afraid?
If you are finding it hard to manage the side effects, phone your help line, they may change you medication. It much be very hard to deal with all this when you are on your own, remember it will soon lessen and pass and you are a third of the way through now.
Big hugs!
Amanda x
Hi Ann just thought you might like this site. fairyhairs.com/10-tips-to-stimulate-hair-growth-after-chemo/. Most of ours has started regrowing on taxol, if you are having FEC-T, & it’s a very cheering sight. All the best. xx
Really sorry to hear(and a little petrified) that the 2nd cycle is proving harder. Hopefully it isn’t for much longer and that you have more good days that bad xx
Thinking of you all xx
Not feeling bad at all today on day 4. Yesterday nausea and very negative and down, wasn’t coping. Today feeling good but taking it all v easy, staying in bed. Being a slob!!! Last time I tried too hard.
Hi all. I sometimes get around forgetting whats here by reading and making notes. Just a thought to help you feel more sane/in control.
Tina I feel for you hun. Do you still have anyone there for support? Don’t read too much and scare yourself. I am a bit scared of t after but from what the ladies say we may get some hair regrowth once fec over and t starts. Hoping the sickness isn’t worse. My fiancé boss went through same cycle and she said her bones ached on t but that’s the worst I have heard so hopefully not too bad.
I am day 5 now. Not back to work yet as went for a stroll to get bread and electricity on the key, only less than half a mile there and back, but came home felt cold wrapped a fleace blanket around me sat on the sofa and next thing I know it’s 45mins later and the boys are coming through the door.
Not getting any nausea from day 4 after the emend stopped day 3 so that’s good. Finding mouth very dry. Crumpets with loads of butter and a mug of tea works well for breakfast I find as easy to chew with a dryer mouth.
My hair is coming out a fair bit now. Think about 50% gone. Got weird wide bald patches along my parting. Can’t work out if to go thinner hair and a bandana to cover it or my wig when I go back to work. Really want to get back but don’t want to push myself too fast. Although they said I can stagger back and do a few hours if it helps. Will have to see.
I am thinking bandanas will probably work better when it warms up a little bit. How is everyone else doing with what to wear when? I haven’t even put my wig on myself at home yet so that will be something to do today. Practice that and maybe work out how to style it. I thought it looked maybe a bit thick in the shop so maybe some clips to pin it down a bit. Don’t want a Dolly Parton big hair look at 35.
Thanks for the link bibi I am sure we will all find that useful.
I thought I would share this with you all. It is a song from my favourite artist Newton Faulkners new album. The album is called human love. The song gone makes me feel energised and hopeful for the future and I hope if you want to listen it will do the same for you.
metro.co.uk/2015/11/18/listen-to-our-exclusive-album-stream-of-newton-faulkners-human-love-5509778/
This is a link to the whole album which is great. Gone is song number 9. I know it is really about things other than chemo but feel the chorus brings hope and the 2nd verse makes me think of you all. Hope you like it. Much love ladies. We can get through this together. Vicky xx
Glad you are sleeping a bit better. As for your temp it depends what is normal for you. Mine in ear or under arm is usually 36.4. On the first Friday it went down to 35 point something. Can’t remember what now.
I can’t hear my hair falling out but can feel it coming out when I turn over on the pillow. Mine too feels tingly, itchy and warm. I am constantly finding stray hairs on clothes and everywhere luckily not too many in one go. The wig shop should help you out with what to put under it. I have a like tights type cap thing for under it. I’m worried that indoors I will be too hot in it, especially in a school setting where things tend to be hot anyway, but that bandanas will look silly while winter. Definitely a good idea to have a look at wigs at least. I felt better once I had my back up. Just got to work out when/how to use it now.
I am so glad you have some company for now at least. Hopefully before they go you will feel more like yourself.
Hugs xxxx
Have to admit I am feeling fine. No energy to do anything but I think that is mental laziness. Can’t be bothered. Just relaxing. Nothing like the first time where one day I actually thought I’d rather die!!!
I have changed my diet completely. No meat/fish, no prepared foods, no sugar, no alcohol. At the moment home made veggie soups, veggie hot pots, lots of fruit. And have to say I feel better for it.
Have been reading so much re our diet and how it affects cancer and just about everything else. Hope I can keep it up.
Xx
Random question…and yey to knowing Red Robins name! (Hi Vicki xx) but is anyone shaving their legs? I’m waiting on the leg hair to come out but getting a bit fed up. Armpit hair and the lady garden is disappearing fast but leg hair is solid.I know it’s a silly thing to ask…but want to wear a dress!
I’ve just recently ordered 2 cancer cook books, which let know which foods are good to eat at what stage during and after chemo, as well to the type of cancer you have. Locking forward to reading them.
Don’t worry Tina, they say you should eat what you want to eat as your body knows what it needs. I near had a massive fight with my mum as I was eating mini snickers during the beginning of first chemo. And I loved pasta, literally hoovered it at dinner time. Yes the bloat is depressing though and did anyone else have the ‘chemo farts’?! Starting to dread cycle 2 now!
I’ve been pulling at the underarm hair…it’s short so hard to grasp, but it comes out very easily.I just did that around the scar, so I’m hair free for sure there.
Oh and sorry vicky, phone changed your name to end with an ‘i’ !
My leg hair is not moving either, just where it would be useful! They recommend you use a ladyshave (electric razor) if you need to shave. Nose hair has thinned and under arm a bit but still hanging on, lady garden is shedding a little too.
My my husband does the cooking and six nights a week we have something out of a slimming world book (we don’t go to meetings, never have) but I won’t be able to get the family to drop meat! Breakfast is usually home made bircher and lunch sandwich and lots of fruit. I think if I get nauseous next time, I’ll eat what ever helps, got to get through chemo, any dieting will have to wait! For my first FEC I haven’t had any horrible tastes or anything like that…how it well be after FEC 2 on Thursday, I don’t know!
Nadz, I have had random wind here and there, I surprised myself today, luckily everyone was out of earshot! When are you haveing FEC 2?
Amanda x
Amanda, my next one is this Friday. Have bloods tomorrow and a look at some wigs, then Thursday it’s chat with Dr, Friday I have an apt with bcn before chemo as I have bruising developing at lumpectomy site and it has radiated down my stomach. So very busy! Are you set for Thursday
Nadz im on cycle 4 i still have leg hair, some underarm hair and some lady garden and randomly the chick fluff that stopped on my head which was shaved with no guide so not to the bone but less than a number 1 is now 1/4 of an inch long! Im still visibly bald from a distance as less hair than scalp. My leg hair etc stil grows I just ladyshave it I did buy the ladyshave to avoid razor knicks.
Amanda eat what you want if you arent managing 3 meals a day on “healthy” food just get something in you. I eat what I want for my 3 meals but I dont snack, when I was having 6 smaller meals at the start I ate what I wanted but didnt eat any snacks I havent put weight on so the calories are sorting themselves out somewhere
Love to all
Jen xx
Shaving my legs then! Thanks jen. I normally use the Venus blades that have the moistursing and shaving gel bar, find it shaves very close with a super soft finish, have never nicked myself. So will keep with them!gutted I have to shave though was looking forward to this ‘benefit’