This thread is for anyone due to start chemotherapy in February 2019. Others will be here soon but please come on here and introduce yourself and you can all help one another through this phase of your treatment. If you have any questions please post away on here and others in the community will watch over you whilst you are getting started. Once you are into it you’ll be pretty good at helping each other. You can also ask the nurses on this forum if you have any concerns. In the meantime, the top tip is always to stay well hydrated throughout chemo, aiming for 2 litres of water per day.
I finished my chemo over a year ago and doing very well again now. Here is my story which has some chemo tips on how I coped which were collectively shared from others who had gone through the same from this forum: lifeafterlola.com
Hi Everyone. I will be starting chemo in February I saw the oncologist yesterday. I thought it would be an intense discusion, but no he just said you have come to me for chemotherapy these are the drugs you will have and these are the side effects. I was only there about 10 minutes. As a nurse and nurse educator I am fairly well informed about the issues involved, however it’s very different when it’s a personal decision regarding such drastic treatment. My ONCO DX result was 27 and I had a positive lymph node ( had clearance and one more was positive) so I already felt certain that I would be having chemo. Thank goodness my BCN is fantastic and we have discussed everything in detail . Her advice to me yesterday was to stop reading. But I find it very difficult not to analyse everything about breast cancer, treatment and side effects. I hope to get to know you all soon and find a supportive group of strong women.
Hi , I am due to start chemo next week too and guess what, I’m a nurse too! I’ve found this site very useful so far but agree that reading too much can possibly further any anxiety… Not that I’m retaining very much these days and that’s without chemo! X
Hi all, my daughter is due to start chemo in the beginning of February. We already had an appointment with the oncologist and we know that she will have 6 treatments with FEC, one every 3 weeks.
We are absolutely terrified with the perspective of having neutropenic sepsis during chemo.
My daughter is 34 and she knows that she will lose her hair, so she decided to take back a bit of control and she will shave her head ahead of the 1st treatment.
We will do it together, because it is the only thing I can do with her and I cannot wipe out the impact of chemo.
I wish you all the most bland and harmless of treatments and let me say how amazing you all are.
Hi I’m starting the 1st of 6 chemo sessions Thursday 7th February. I’m constantly searching for hints and tips to get through it. I am very nervous after reading about, and being told by the onco about the many side effects, it’s a scary time so reading about the positive experiences have really helped. Together we can do this ???
Hello, I am starting chemotherapy on Valentine’s Day. I have had a lumpectomy, lymph node biopsy and a lymph node clearance. Daily exercise sorted out the cording which developed after the second operation. I am worried about lymphodema developing in my right arm. Apart from daily exercise and keeping the arm mobile is there anything else I should be doing?
Right, after many complications with a constant leak from her wound, my daughter is finally starting her FEC next week, on Thursday.
We are absolutely terrified and I look like an headless chicken.
I have ordered rosemary oil and almond oil for her scalp (she will have her hair shaved before starting), Bio oil to try to prevent eczemas, nail oil for daily treatment of her nails, special moisturising gloves to protect her hands and nails, face masks to protect from virus when we have to travel for chemo, loads of Purell and Dettol in all forms, including the one to do the laundry, small plastic spoons to be used when using creams, lotions or lip creams in order to avoid spreading bacteria, Simple shampoo, loads of disposable gloves and those disposable plastic shoes when entering the house until I can reach my indoors footwear, antibacterial socks to keep her feet confortable with mosturising cream, two thermometers, Bicabornate sodium, Difflan and Listerine to keep mouth ulcers far away, ginger cookies, trying to find pineapple ice lollies, if not, I am going to try do it and mints.
Am I forgetting something? Any advice about what is working for you, please, please, please?
I am keeping my poker face whilst completely panicking!!!
So I’ve gone from first breast clinic to chemo on Monday in the space of 6 weeks. I’ve dealt with everything in my stride until Thursday when I was told my scans showed something on my liver - dunno what. I’m triple negative and now I’m petrified as if that has spread then what hope is there? I absolutely couldn’t care less about the chemo now, doesn’t frighten me in the slightest now this is hanging over me. I know it could be nothing but I’ve had no good news except a clear bone scan and I can’t bring myself to be positive. I’m 39 btw - I’ve not seen a single young woman in the cancer centre and that gets me down too.
Everyone around me is being great although very few know about the scan result. My best friend has mental health issues and I can see the effect this is having on him - he’s crying daily at the thought of losing me and my sister with a small baby miles away is crushed without being aware of the scan stuff.
I don’t want to go into chemotherapy unprepared because of the other worries but getting poisoned by drip feels like a day out now!
Any positive stories to at least cheer me up gratefully received xx
Good luck to everyone starting today - I’ve felt sick and stressed and crampy stomach since yesterday so not sure if it will just continue like this! Just need to get on and hope I don’t feel too awful when I’ve got to drag myself to another scan some time soon.
Hello, hope you don’t mind me popping in from July starters. I am half way through FEC-T and just about to start T plus herceptin and Perjeta. Have just received a letter through the post from my breast surgeon to say that the FEC has not reduced the size of my tumour so disappointed. He does say that this is often the case and that the targeted drugs in the next 3 rounds of chemo are more likely to make a difference. I just wondered though if any of you had had this experience as well? Xx