I had my first FEC 7 days ago now & would say don’t put up with the indigestion if it continues.
My onc nurse called me on day 4 to see how I was & got me some indigestion meds. What she had said is that with some people the indigestion can make the nausea worse or last longer and there’s no reason to suffer it. I have one tablet to take in the morning along with my anti sickness & it’s been fab.
I still have underlying nausea a bit like morning sickness, which is horrible, but bearable. I’m hoping it doesn’t last for my full 8 cycles of chemo tho!
Like you, I really struggle with fluids & have a ridiculous phobia about being sick! I’m trying everything I can think of to drink, but can only manage small amounts of skimmed Milk…nothing else! I really am beginning to think that I’m pregnant rather than having BC!! It’s identical to my middle pregnancy! LOL
I’m going to make a load of different flavoured jellies to stick in the fridge today, as they too are classed as fluids (onc suggestion!)and I’m trying to have soups for lunch (again classed as fluids) Not sure if any of this will help you also, but it’s worth a try!
I barely drunk anything for the first few days & had the most awful dry mouth & furry tongue. I’m glad to say it’s eased up a bit with my daily bowls of tomato soup! LOL
Thanks for your comments. I have just rung the team - the doc said the steroids could be giving me indigestion and they have suggested omeprazole and possibly some gaviscon. I am just waiting for my GP to ring so that he can prescribe it. Good idea re the soup - my husband made some yesterday so will try that (although his cooking skills are not his forte!!). I also stocked up the cupboards with everything ginger and the thought of drinking ginger tea or ginger cordial or ginger beer makes me feel nauseous thinking about it - it’s strange as it seems to work for most people. The only thing ginger I have succeeded with is ginger biscuits.
get the omeprazole - it’s like a wonder drug for indigestion - solved my problem and you just take it once a day for as long as you need.
Have you tried ice cubes? Or ice pops. I bought some ice pops designed for pregnancy sickness from lillipops.com, they are sugar free and don’t contain any nasties like those you get in supermarkets and are yummy, if a bit small and expensive. They are an easy way to take fluids and help with sore mouth too. They have ginger flavour which might help with sickness too. Or try freezing fruit juice. My chemo nurse said to force liquids down even if you really don’t feel like it as it helps with sickness and flushing out the chemicals - she was right and I will really try to do that the next time round, even if I am constantly going to the loo!
Otherwise I found ginger beer good if a bit fizzy - try ginger or elderflower cordial with lightly sparkling bottled water - very good. The fizz makes you burp which helps to alleviate sickness, albeit a bit anti-socially! I am also drinking soup every day - butternut and red pepper is lovely and smooth and sweetish which helps if you have altered tastes - I make a batch every few days and eat it whenever I want - it’s low fat and almost zero calories, plus several of your five a day!
Hello everyone
I love the soup idea Helen - had lost 2 and a half stone last year and was feeling better than for years before all this, the thought of putting loads of weight on has me peeved off - don’t want to finish treatment just to start a blooming diet!
am going to make up some batches before next chemo… I have a recipe for sauerkraut and bacon soup - that will kill a few birds with the same stone - especially the constipation bird!
I found mini milk lollies great but love my fluids and espec. herbal teas so was always on the loo, but that was my only exercise for first few days, so it was probably good on 2 counts.
Hope it keeps going OK for everyone
love, Monica
Thanks - I took the omeprazole as soon as I got it today which helped, the soup was good too, but all fluids are still a bit of a mystery. I will try the ice pops. I am managing max 1 litre of lemon squash per day in the last 2 days. Even the thought of all the ginger drinks I have bought makes me feel nauseuos! Thanks for all your comments I shall plod on!
Lynn x
Hi everyone, I am so pleased to have found this discussion! I start FEX x 6 on the 12th of October after being dx on the 24th of July. I had a lumpectomy on the 12th of August and am now waiting for the chemo to start. Has been delayed by about a week or 10 days as we had a holiday already booked and we both feel that we need to get away for a few days before the chemo starts. I have been very interested to see how you are all coping with the SE etc as I have been getting increasingly worried about it all. Will be glad to get on with it if I am honest - but only after 10 days in Lanzarote!
I went for my first visit today, slightly early as they did originally have me down to start on Monday, despite them not being able to do my MUGA scan before the 6th of October anyway! Glad I went though, it made me feel a bit better, I am lucky in this area as I get free car parking during my treatment, and 6 free complimentary therapy treatments too so that was a nice surprise!
Am going to take my daughter to the wig place tomorrow so we can have a laugh and see what is available, I have opted to try the cold cap, but want a wig in the cupboard just in case the cold cap does not do its job. I have shoulder length hair at the moment, which I thought I would get cut short after my holidays just to get me used to a different style, but we will see.
I think with all of this it is so difficult to anticipate how you feel about things from one day to another, so I think to have the wig and hats and scarves in place it just means that what ever happens I will be able to try something at least. I am very fond of my hair - I know baldness will be short lived in the long scheme of things, but it is still a sh**ty thing to have to deal with! I am almost certain I will not be a Sinaed O’Conner and will not suit the bald look! But who knows, I may just love it and it could be my look for the future!
Good luck to all of those either in treatment of about to start. pLease keep this updated so that we can follow you all!
Glad you got the indigestion sorted out! It’s Omperazole I was given too & cleared it up almost immediately…pity it can’t help with the lack of fluid problem too!
I’m still struggling hugely with fluids & like I said I would I made 6 huge bowls of different flavoured jelly this afternoon & between me & the 3 kids it’s almost all gone! LOL…as tho has my furry tongue (almost)…YAY!!
I’m gonna be a sugar-free jelly monster for the rest of my Chemo! It means I can eat as much as I like as often as I like to both ease my nausea & also to get more fluids…but not put on a heap of weight! I think I may have found my solution…a diet of homemade soup & lots of jelly! :o)
I’m gonna try the ice pole suggestion too…will need to hide them in the back of the freezer from the kids tho!
I’m off to download some nice new tasty soup recipes to try…you all talking about your soups are making my veggie & lentil soup seem very boring (although very tasty!) and I’m not the biggest fan of tins!
I am starting 6 x Fec on Tuesday and have my appt with Headstrong this afternoon so they can advise me on how to make the best of the hair loss situation.
Enjoy your holiday I went away for a week after they told me I had to have Chemo and I did manage to forget all about it and just relax which really helped.
I find this site really helpful when you can talk to others going through the same thing. Please feel free to PM me if you need a chemo buddy.
Will get hubby to add sugar free jelly to the shopping list today - I’ll give that a go to as I have the furry tongue this morning! A little improvement on the nausea front (day 3) - thank goodness. I think I am going to be with you on the diet of soup and jelly - really like the soup.
Lynn x
ps good luck Dena with your forthcoming treatment.
Hi Monica - are you up for chemo tomorrow? Hope your bloods are alright this week - good luck.
I’m feeling great and not looking forward to my next session on Thurs, but not half as scared as 3 weeks ago - I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.
Hello everyone
Yep, Helen, bloods are in good fettle so I can have chemo tomorrow - lucky me, eh?
Hello Dena - I sorted out a longer wig than my own hair which is very glam and I am told takes years off me! I do spend most of my time in a scarf though and am really comfortable with that.
wondering if the things I wanted to eat last time are the same this time, or if there’s a difference - but can’t remember exactly what I went for last time. I definitely have chemo brain…
hope you are all well
take care
Monica xx
I seem to have a problem in that this site does not seem to let me PM anyone at the moment, probably me, and I cant even blame Chemo brain yet either!
I went to see the wig lady last week and felt very deflated afterwards, she was a bit unhelpful and I felt as though I was being a nuiscance wanting to try different styles. I have ordered one for when I need it but it felt so final really just looking at them all! I have to say though that they all looked much nicer than my real hair! I was so glad that Bethan came with me as she cheered me up no end!
I woud love a buddy so can you please PM me Lorraine so that I can get you on my list of friends, I agree that to talk with someone doing the same sort of thing at the same time will be great!
Hope everyone is feeling as good as they can at this present time, and if you arent then I send very positive thoughts to you all
I am i week post WLE and despite clean excision and clear lymph nodes I found out yesterday that Chemo is likely to be recommended.
Just wanted to say hi, it is great to have some contact with people who understand, and thank you for all the information - even if plenty of it scares me. I certainly am not prepared to feel unwell and determined that I will take all the good advice about keeping the weight off and eating jelly!
I’m 39 and my diagnosis came in early September - just as I was in the middle of a health kick (running, diet, personal trainer the lot!)
Am I mad to think this treatment is all just the most effective route to getting back to full health and back in the gym?..hope not.
Looking forward to staying with you all through the treatment - keep up the excellent comments.
Badgie XX.
P.S. Off out for fish and chips before I lose my tastebuds.
Hi all
Am really looking for anyone with a similar experience to me.
I started my chemo on Sept 11th felt a little woozy went home and over the next 2 hours eyes swelled, face swelled rang for advise and was told to dial 999 and get to hospital as having allergic reaction couldn’t walk as so dizzy. A&E were awful didn’t seem to know what to do eventually gave me antihistamine tablet helpful as I told them I was feeling sick. None of my treatment team has ever come across a reaction like this.
Would love to hear from anyone!
Angie
you are in a similar situation to me. Had WLE for diagnosis followed by second WLE to get clear margins plus SNB which gave clear nodes, grade 2. I was given the choice of chemo or not - no recommendation either way although they said I didn’t have to have it. My hospital has a policy of offering everyone under 55 chemo if they want it - and they have a very high success rate maybe because of it. I decided to go for chemo as an extra insurance policy so hope it will be worth it in the long run.
Chemo is the pits, but it is a finite process and the end is not so far away. Some of us also post on another thread called ‘First chemo tomorrow’ or something similar - we’re all laughing about our chemo brain moments at the moment.
I too was feeling very fit and healthy, although I have been to the gym today am feeling a bit of a slouch, and gutted to be missing my snowboarding holiday early next year. Still, there’s always the next year, which of course I will be able to do because I have done the chemo to make sure those nasty little cells don’t come back.
Hi All
I start chemo on wed 6xFec not looking forward to it but hey ho has to be done, radiotherapy after but not worrying about that yet, going to get chemo out the way first.
hi C Me,
I’m starting FECx3 on Wednesday too! ( 21st?). i was diagnosed on 26/8 and had a mx and diep flap reconstruction on 10/9. I would love to compare SE with you if that’s ok. It’s good to know that someone else will be starting at the same time.
I’m a bit nervous, but it’s a fear of the unknown and I just want to get it started so I can get it finished. I have 3xT to go after this, and so it’ll be 6 months of fun!! My parents, friends and family are amazing. My dad (who’s not the youngest man alive) is ferrying me backwards and forwards to various hospital and doctors appointments. I feel like a teenager again. “Dad, can I have a lift; dad will you come and get me?” lorks a lumy! I’ll be able to drive once my operation scars are properly healed which will be a relief! will be thinking of you on Wednesday! - here we go!
hi sheena here,like you waiting to start chemo delayed due to infection,go mon with hope of starting midweek,have been suffering with a lot of nerve pain surgeon says had to cut main nerve to get to tumour,anyone any ideas what helps,been prescribed amitriptoline took one couldn,t function next day.wish you all well
hi all,
So I WAS going to start chemo today, but like others it was defered due to a surgical wound not healing completly. A bit disappointing but never mind. A bit more thumb twiddleing needed.
just thought post on how i got on getting my picc line in NO PROBLEMS!! felt nothing really pleased jungle juice tomorrow!might not be such a breeze he,rs hoping luv and best wishes to you all sheena x sorry your delayed ses hope you get started soon x
