Good luck on EC number 3 @salbert Is that your last EC?
I’ve got one more EC next Thursday and then I switch to Docetaxel. I’m getting so impatient.
I picked up my wig today and managed to coordinate that with seeing my oncologist. I wore the wig to the appointment and he asked if I was going to pick up my wig afterward our appointment. It made me happy that it “passed” for normal enough that he didn’t think I was wearing a wig. Result!
Also my lump is getting smaller. 
Also, I’m keeping everything crossed for you @kitty77 that you don’t have any issues with the docetaxel
Steroids are brilliant at damping down any reaction. They are a good chemo friend. I’m sure you know but Doxcetal is a taxane not an Anthracycline. A bit like if you can’t have pencillin but you can have nitrofurantoin. Xx
Hi @kitty77 , hope you are ok, i had a horrible reaction to my 2nd chemo too. It was awful and very scary. But the nurses were amazing.
I wasn’t able to continue with that particular chemo but i saw my oncologist yesterday and he’s swapped me to one called Abraxane, which is well tolerated apparently?
It’s very frustrating isn’t it , i should be coming up to my 3rd round soon but because of all this iv still only had the 1.
Hope everything goes smoothly for us all from now on
xxx
Hi @jcovi
It is so frustrating but this journey takes its twists and turns for all of us doesn’t it.
Here’s hoping we get through our remaining rounds of chemo as straightforwardly as possible.
Hope your next session goes well with the alternative drug 
.
@newbie1 thanks again for all the info I’m hopeful (but still nervous) that the next round will be ok.
It’s so good to be able to get all of this off my chest and get so much advice and support from you all who are also going through this unpredictable time yourselves - I really appreciate everyone keeping in touch on this forum.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend - can’t believe we are heading into Easter next week, time is flying over 
xxx
It seems like time is simultaneously flying by and yet going so slowly 
I’ve just recently signed up for a trial membership from https://www.getmeback.uk/ It’s specifically designed for people with cancer/recovering from cancer treatment. I’ve always been pretty physically fit and I didn’t want to lose that whilst going through chemo, but I’ve been struggling to figure out the best way to do it. I had a quick intro call with Sarah (the trainer) the other day and she seems quite knowledgeable about all things fitness and cancer. Just thought I’d share my experience in case there are others in the same boat.
Hello lovelies
EC no. 3 done. It’s strange to go from feeling perfectly well to rubbish in 1 hour but that’s par for the course. I’m working from bed today but now I only take a small dose of steroids on the day and then no more, I can honestly say I feel much better. I could crash and have to spend the weekend on the sofa though so I’m under no illusions, just hopeful. I have been told by my Clinical Geneticist and my Oncologist that I am tolerating the chemo really well (it was just the steroids that didn’t agree with me) which just goes to show that we are all different and there are no rule books for how we will all respond to what drug. I have one more EC to go in two weeks time and then I’m onto Paclitaxel. For all of you that are having trouble with your chemo, I have just said a prayer for you all that you find a way forward with your treatments and with minimal side effects.
Thanks @kartoffel for the fitness link. I was wondering what would be possible fitness wise after this and am keen to continue as I’ve always been physically active too. LOVE that your oncologist asked about picking up your wig. It must look really good. I don’t suppose you could post a pic, could you? If you don’t want to show your face you could put a piece of paper in front of it! 
I really am interested to see what is achievable and how natural they can look. Hoorah that your lump is shrinking!!
@kitty77 It’s great to have this forum, isn’t it. I’m reading Ticking Off Breast Cancer and am up to the part where she says how lonely she was and I was thinking that I wasn’t because I found this forum early on and have never felt alone because of it. What a wonderful place this is.
Have a lovely weekend all.
Sal
x
@salbert I was well impressed when I put it on. It’s synthetic, so if you touch it you can feel that it’s obviously not real hair but I think it’s more than passable for most other scenarios where I might want to avoid looking sick. I wore it home from the hospital & it really made me feel more confident and normal for a little bit.
@kartoffel Oh my goodness! It looks absolutely fantastic. Please tell us where you got it. I need to get one.
Aww that is fantastic, I’m a hairdresser and you wouldn’t know at all it’s a wig , you will feel a little more like yourself now …the way it’s all layered is just perfect, best of luck on your journey x
Hey so I was swapped on to Abraxane myself after my reaction on week 3 and 5.
It’s a very expensive drug and much better tolerated. I did ask why Is it not more widely used…onco doc said because only 1 and 10 women would have a reaction and it’s very very expensive! Still doesn’t make sense to me but hey am glad I got given it and my side effects were less bad if you know what I mean…I did get very bad shivering from it, which strangely seems to increase around teh evening and often before dinner time or in stressful situation.
The Ab stands for albumin I was told, which means the drugs latches on to the proteins in your body and so apparently doesn’t go “everywhere” but is more targeted. Am no doctor so please do get it explained by them and come back to us w your information! That’s how my brain translated their jargon!
Hope you get on ok w it, you should be and all the best w it all. You should still cold cap if you were before 
The time sensation, you’re absolutely spot on. On weekly chemo I felt that I could not wait to get over those 3 days mark, yet felt it was taking so long to get there -probably cause I was awake at night or most it!!
- and was finding myself starring into the abyss of the garden watching squirrels. It was a bit like the sand timer, at the beginning it goes very slow and towards the end it feels like the sand drops faster!
I was physically fit, use to ride about 10 to 12h a week plus reformer and weight training. Am not going to lie after 13 rounds of chemo and one surgery, I lost a lot of muscle mass and weight. But I managed to ride throughout chemo when I could, on my good weeks, or train (the steroids helped lol) but would do shorter sessions 15 20 min and a lot less intense.
Hope you find your rhythm 
You look amazing 
Thanks 
You all are very kind.
@salbert this was the wig that I got from the hair clinic at my hospital but it’s by a brand called Hair World. It was so helpful to be able to go in and actually try some wigs on. A couple of the ones I thought would look good, definitely did not when I got them on my head. Once I found the style, the hair clinic ordered 2 colours of this one for me to try and when I put this one on my head it was immediately clear that this one was the winner. My oncologist referred me to the clinic, so maybe your trust has something similar? Or you can try to get a referral to this one? It’s at the RBH in Reading. I think you mentioned London before so Reading might be accessible.
@kartoffel Thanks for that info. I’m in Surrey and based on what you say, it really makes sense to go and try them on. My appointment is not until 18th April, by which time I may have no hair left at all! However, on the LGFB Wigs, Brows and Lashes workshop this week, (which was absolutely excellent, by the way, - highly recommended and online, so easy to attend) Jasmin, who runs Cancerhaircare.com, showed us some hats with hair so I may get one of those to tide me over. Yours looks really excellent and it’s really good to see what is achievable.
@pinklilli3s I have one more EC left and then will start my 12 x weekly Paclitaxel. I’m told you don’t get such highs and lows as weekly is more steady. Is that what you found? I’ve been managing to go walking every day so far but I’d like to get my bike out again and get cycling. You think that’s possible? I’m 53 and since November my fitness levels have definitely gone downhill.
Hi,
Anyone experiencing watery stingy eyes whilst on EC ?
I noticed it’s listed under the side effects 
Currently wearing sunglasses 
any remedies gratefully received xxx
Hello @Vibby YES! I mentioned it to my oncologist on Thursday who told me to get Viscotears Liquid Gel. It was about £2.55 from my local pharmacy and it works.
