Hi Ladies
This thread is for those ladies who are beginning their chemo journey in February.
If you have any questions, advice or generally need a rant, then this is the place for you!
I had my chemo in 2016, so please ask if you have any questions.
Hopefully you can all support each other along the way.
Best wishes
Sue x
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Morning !
Had mastectomy and Axillary node clearance 19th Dec and now ready for part 2 ! Starting chemo 2nd feb - 4 cycles EC. Had a portacath inserted last friday which wasn’t particularly pleasant but needs must and means I wont have to have cannulas at each visit. From all the info given, reading on here and on the Macmillan site its all a bit of an unknown quantity as far as side effects etc go so just going to go with the flow and deal with things as they occur - no point stressing out any more than I have to !!
Jude xx
Hi Jude51, I’ve just finished 6 cycles of FEC. My biggest bit of advice is don’t suffer in silence. If you struggle with sickness or nausea tell your team straight away. They usually start on the minimum anti sickness dose and medication because some people are much less affected than others. I actually found that the side effects became easier to deal with as each cycle went by because you learn how to deal with them and the fear of the unknown has gone.
There is loads of advice and support to be had in this site. There are useful lists at the beginning of a lot of the monthly threads. Feel free to pop into our October thread which is very active for any advice and reassurance x
Thanks Chaffinch and well done for completing chemo. Have you got rads now? Xx
Hi - I am due to start my first round of FEC on Thursday - starting with chemo for my treatment - feeling nervous but will be glad to get started.
Have been reading the January thread as wasn’t sure when I was starting so have picked up some useful tips and my fridge and freezer are stocked.
Thanks Sue xx
Thanks for the advice Chaffinch and Sue - always appreciated !
As for the hair i have decided to take control and get rid of it before it falls out ! Planned for 10th Feb along with a little getogether for some close friends. I have done a fair bit of fundraising through women only charity bike rides here and abroad and ironically one of the charities to benefit was Breast Cancer Care so seemed fitting to carry on that support. Set up a Just Giving page 36 hrs ago and everyone had blown me away - £645 so far !
Good luck for thursday Bibi !
Great fundraising well done. Right decision with your hair, make it an event filled with positivity. I got my OH to shave mine short a few days after second fec. Mine started growing back as fluff 4 weeks after FEC 5 and a week after last treatment it seems to be getting fluffier every day. You won’t be bald for that long x
Thanks Jude - and Wow amazing fundraising! I’m going to give the cold cap a go and see what happens but have had my haircut shorter as well.
Hi Sue - went well , feeling fine atm and drinking plenty. The cold cap wasn’t as bad as I was expecting so will keep trying it. The woman next to me was on her 5th round and had used cold cap and still had a full head if hair so that was inspiring.
On sofa with a cuppa and blanket now - thanks for asking x
Thanks Sue. All went well - so glad i went for the portacath, so easy. Apart from feeling like i’ve had a few too many pints (a bit ironic as i dont really drink !) i feel pretty good…early days yet i know.
Bibi - hope you are feeling ok too x
Morning
feeling much better today, first night felt like I’d been out on the tiles and didn’t sleep much. Yesterday was a bit woozy but OK as long as I didn’t move too much- hubby waited on me all day.
today I feel much better - had a bit of heartburn but sorted with Gaviscon, my cheeks are red today - wondering if it’s a side effect of something- just trying to work out what and if it will die down- any thoughts?
Ha ha - just the opposite here. My hubby was desperate to have a go but just watched me do it for the first time and he definitely doesn’t want to now ! Luckily I was a nurse many moons ago so doesn’t bother me - let’s hope the side effects are minimal.
Not such a good night- heartburn woke me up so a bit uncomfortable but Gaviscon helped.
Late sleep but a gorgeous day and had a little walk with the dog - good to be out in fresh air for half an hour ?
Feel pretty normal today which I’m pleased with - just wondering if this will be the case each cycle or whether there will be an accumilative effect ?
Hi all
I’ve come to join you here. Started chemo last Friday (2nd Feb) - Taxotere and Cyclophosphamide. I had FEC-T back 8 years ago so have some experience of this roller coaster, and ‘only’ 4 cycles instead of 8 this time, mainly so I can get the herceptin.
I felt fine on Saturday, but couldn’t sleep. Then on Sunday I couldn’t get comfortable with the bone pain from the lipegfilgrastim. I’ve mostly got that under control with paracetamol/ibuprofen now, but still ache a bit. Hoping to go back to work tomorrow, but think I might take just one more day to let the pain ease.
Wig appointment next Friday, and I got it cut short a couple of weeks ago. I’ve opted not to use the cold cap.
Hope you’re all doing OK. I am sure the local pharmacist gave me a funny look when I spent £20 there the other day for all my OTC just-in-case remedies, but so glad I stocked up!
Emma xxx
Thanks Sue
I decided not to go to work today and actually feel a bit of relief at having made that decision. Last time, I worked all the way through, but I did take the Monday & Tuesday after a Friday treatment off. It seems to be enough to get through the worst bits. I was hoping that I wouldn’t feel quite so bad after the first one, but forgot that it takes you a while to work out how to manage your side effects.
Jude, from last time, I remember feeling ‘dialled down’ for those few days after a treatment, but only ever needed those couple of days off work, so although it might be cumulative, it isn’t overly so.
Although lots of people are frightened of chemo and quite rightly take it very seriously, it’s almost more of a surprise when you feel OK on it. I don’t think people expect that! But we’re so well looked after now, that most of it can be well managed.
Afternoon ladies, glad to hear you are feeling oK Jude and welcome Emma.
I feel really quite normal today and it is a surprise - wasn’t sure how it would be so am feeling quite positive about coping now. Have had a bit of an issue with heartburn but got meds’ for that now and feel much better today. Doing bits and pieces round the house, can’t decide whether it’s too cold for a walk so might give that a miss, keeping busy but taking it steady.
hope you all have a good day x
Hello is there anyone due to start chemo on 12th feb 18 ? I will be having FEC-T and obviously nervous
regards
chrissy