Hi Everyone
I’m day 4 today and feeling tired! No nausea or aches and pains but I just feel a bit spaced out!!
Didn’t sleep much last night so could be that too. Feeling lightheaded and not much energy so I’m having a sofa day with the dog.
Tried to get out for usual walk with the dog but had to turn back as just didn’t feel up to it!
This may be the start of my down days - hoping I bounce back soon 
xx.
It can vary when it falls out during chemo but from personal experience it was around day 13/14 on first fec, I then shaved it to grade 1 and after 2nd fec it was gone. Docetaxol say off brows lashes, but some do start to get head hair back on docetaxol, everyones experience can differ 
Shi xx
Hi @sammybp,
I’m starting chemo next week and this week a group of us 9 patients attended a pre treatment seminar with oncology nurses, specialist dietitians etc We were given a cancer diet booklet, told we must keep our weight stable and not to lose weight as it affects treatment side effects. Perhaps you could ask to see the dietitians for advice? Good luck x
I’ve been lurking until now, had my first round of EC on 16 Feb and it’s been mostly pretty uneventful until now (aside from a night in hospital after getting a virus but I’m on the mend now). I’m cold capping and so far haven’t had any shedding of head hair/lashes/eyebrows but I just went to the bathroom and noticed that my body hair has started shedding like mad and its sent me into a bit of a tailspin. It’s not like I’m particularly attached to my body hair (especially not now - ha!) but I guess it’s just because I can’t really ignore that this is all really happening. Anyone else start the shed yet? If so, how are you coping?
@kartoffel I hear you. I know I will be in a tailspin too, much as I try to prepare myself. My first EC was 22nd Feb and my next is due 7th March. I’m probably just days behind you on this. When I was waiting for the results of all my scans (there were some red flags but it turned out it hadn’t) I would have bitten your hand off to be told that it was just going to be in 2 lymph nodes and I would lose all my hair. Now that is actually the case, I find it’s all relative. Of course it’s a worry. Hair is a big deal to lots of women. Bless my mother, but last night she gave me a 30 year old white plastic cowboy hat for when it happens. 
I’m just waiting in the waiting room to meet with the hair clinic lady and your mother’s gift made me proper crack up. I’m just picturing someone dancing around like one of the village people during the infusion… 
bless your mum!
Has anyone else had migraines since starting chemo xx
I’ve had mild headaches I think it’s since starting the filgastrim injections but not had a full blown migraine. Feeling achy again today and out of sorts but hopefully will be on the up again soon.
Hope you’re ok x
Well, I suppose it IS distracting…
Which blood cells have dropped, white cells (neutrophils) you have no control over, same with platelets.
If it’s red blood cells (haemoglobin) something like Spatone might help. I take it to improve my haemoglobin and ferritin (iron stores), it’s over the counter and a lot kinder to your stomach than prescription iron tablets.
Xx
Hi everyone
My sore throat is getting worse, so much so that it’s woke me up at this hour!! Really red raw at the back where tonsils should be (had mine took out years ago) and I have white patches on my tongue which look a bit like ulcers but they aren’t sore???
My temperature is still normal so I assume I will speak to my oncology unit when they open at nine today?
I’m not sure if this may be oral thrush - which I believe can be a common side effect with chemo? Any advice much appreciated xx
I’m 10 days into round 2 of EC and hair, eyebrows and lashes are still intact. I’m cold capping too. But about 5 days after round 2 there was definitely a shedding of the pubes. I actually appreciated it as round 1 of EC had been uneventful on the side-effects and I wasn’t complaining but did joke that maybe I’d been given a placebo so the pubes shedding was a good reminder that I was having chemo and wouldn’t always feel great.
I’ve also read so many hilarious stories about how despite all other hair shedding that 1 chin hair (or hairs) always seem to survive chemo. I’ve had 1 chin hair for about 5 years but I haven’t seen it in a few months so I’m wondering if it will grow rather than survive during chemo and I know that will make me laugh so much.
I have a dark sense of humour so that’s how I cope I guess. I also use a silk sleep cap to sleep in and I’m oiling and moisturising my scalp when I remember.
Kitty you need to ring your team and get antibiotics for this asap, hopefully they give you fluconzole tablets and not the drops, use your rapid response number do let us know how you get on Shi xx
Hi Shi thanks for reply.
I rang 111 last night and they have prescribed me the gel not tablets. The doctor said it was up to my team to decide if tablets were needed so I might ring them this morning.
My temperature is creeping up compared to last night but still under 37.5 at the moment.
Xx
Kitty take temp regularly and ring your rapid response number. If you go to a&E show them your rapid response card or if you don’t have one tell them you are in chemo, any antibiotics or anything should be administered within an hour if anyone’s wee starts to burn with no temp rapid response it too, it’ll probably be a uti and require antibiotics (not just diy cyctem or similar) keep safe everyone your doing great being vigilant and don’t ever think you don’t want to bother your teams, it’s what they are there for to get you safely through and you bring vigilant helps them Shi xx
Thanks Shi, I’ll keep checking my temp it seems to have regulated now and is much closer to what it was yesterday - probably took it a bit early this morning having been wrapped in duvet all night 
.
I’ll call my oncology team now as the out of hours line is there until 12 lunchtime and see if they might give me tablets instead of gel/drops.
Xx
I have managed to get the tablets prescribed @Shi 
been on the phone for an hour and a half!!
Hopefully get those started and they will make a difference.
Looks like another lounging day with the dog for me - hope you all enjoy your weekend xx
Great you’ve got tablets kitty ask for them when you see your onc next time before your next chemo, do you can start on them as soon as it starts next round if it does 
I made sure they were in my goody bag of antisickness and steroids each round after getting that and a uti after my first round of chemo you do settle into a bit of a routine with it, I kept charts of temp and everything, but that was just so I could keep proper check on everything and not think oh what was my temp an hour ago 
think it was one of my coping mechanisms but it worked for me Shi xx
