Hi
Had WLE at the end on March and starting chemo on Tues 11th. 3xFEC and 3x Docetaxel + Herceptin + Tamoxifen! Just gearing up to get started and wondered if anyone else is at a similar stage. It’s been really useful reading threads by others who are already underway, but can get scary thinking ahead too much and anticipating complications which may not even happen! So I’m trying to take it all one stage at a time…
I am sorry you that you find your self here, but I am sure you will be fine. I remember only to clearly my 1st chemo, I was so scared. I was close to tears walking into the hospital, I walked into the day treatment centre, saw all the poeple having chemo and thought" I don’t belong here I am not one of these sick people!"
But I was and you know they are all people just like you and I, all fighting, all scared but all knowing how you are feeling.
The staff will care for you, you will chat, laugh and get through it the best way you can. I wont tell you its a breeze it aint, but it’s something you will get through, one day at a time. You will have good and bad days, if you have bad side effects don’t suffer in silence, tell the doctor or nurse. There are great drugs available to help aleviate the symptoms. The anti sickness drugs are great.
Listen you your body, sleep when you are tired, drink plenty of water and just go with the flow. Cry when you want to and laugh as much as you can. Your emotions will be all over the place, let them flow. It is really difficult to stay positve, so if you feel down and angry come here and tell us all about it, we don’t expect you to be up beat all the time and understand the fear, anger and anxiety you will be feeling.
Good luck, you will be OK xxx
Hi
I am having my first chemo on the 21st May 3xFEC then 3 docetaxel. It is so scary when you are told of all the side effects you might have, but like you I am going to take each day as it comes.
It is always good to read what others have to say but will be glad when the first one is over, have to see the wig lady on the 17th another thing I am dreading.
Would be good to hear how you get on. Good Luck and take Care xxx
Hi scoobs and emily, it is very scary when you are first diagnosed and then theres the waiting on treatment to begin…I was diagnosed in February they decided to start chemo with me first to try shrink the lump, at the point of diagnosis i was ER ++/pr++ they didnt have my her2 status available at that time (have since found out im pos) They knew there was at least one node pos so started on 19th march with FEC, I have felt ok with that and not many side effects worst one being heartburn but went to docs and she gave me omeprazole and it done the trick. Ive had three FEC up till now next time they are changing to taxotere so dont know how i will feel with that…chemo 5 and 6 they will introduce the herceptin, will be on herceptin for a year if my heart can tolerate it.Also will be on femara (tabs)for five years…
Its a long slog but you can do it, I have returned to work three weeks ago and its the best thing i did, my family were dead against me going back, but now they can see im not dwelling on bc all the time and feel much happier in myself. You will get there and time flies by once the treatment starts, hope you are ok and not too many side effects from the chemo…
Anne x
HI SCOOBS AND EMILY i had my first chemo on thursday 6th may and was absolutely petrified to the extend i could have run a mile and had to screaming abdabs to my hubby saying i didnt want to have it and go through it ( stupid i know but just fear ) It was nothing as scarey as i thought the nurses were lovely reassuring and explained everything i took some sherbert lemons for the taste and drank loads water before and after treatment took all th anti-sickness meds they gave me and so far so good i went out with my girlie friends on friday night as usual and had a wine and lemonade and been fine since im just hoping it cont’s iam not nearly so frightened now so just remember everyone is different and dont go frightneing yourself with everything you read heres hoping you’ll be fine also and sending love and hugs ( by the way iam having 6x FEC 1 down 5 to go ) xx julie
p.s emily i have just got my wig and put it on the other day and my daughter, dad and husband and even my sister thought id been to hairdressers and had my hair done its lovely i love it and nobody noticed ha ha so feel i can face the world with that it so matched to my own style and colour x
Hi Anne it was good to hear you didnt have many side effects from FEC and that you have been able to go to work.
I have had two operations one in March and my second in April and have managed to go to work for a few days in between operations and again now before my chemo, so hopefully I should be able to continue. I found it was the best thing ever to get out of the house and to do something ‘normal’.
Were you not worried about getting an infection when you went back to work? The chemo nurse made me feel quite uneasy about going between the 7-14 day of chemo or am I worrying too much?
Emily xxx
Hi Julie thats just how I feel, will get some sherbet lemons as the nurse didn’t mention anything about taste.
Lets hope my wig gets the same response as yours.
Feeling less scared now, thanks.
Emily xx
Hi Emily and Julie
I chose my wig on Tuesday but annoyingly couldn’t bring it home - they’re sending it. The appointment was fine, much better than expected, but now I keep wondering if I chose the right one! Made the mistake of showing my family the picture on the website and they were all very rude… if it was the actual wig they’d have had to be more positive! Also bought a Buff (and a little beanie for bed) and I think it’ll be very useful. So am fully equipped as i’ve decided not to do the cold cap.
As I’m a secondary teacher and I missed the first week of term, my classes have been taken over as it would be too disruptive for my sets to have me popping in and out. So I’ve been semi-working - just popping in to do some preparation and admin. I’ve hated it as I feel such a spare part and people kseem to expect me to be iller. But it is gloomy not being as busy as usual. Maybe it’ll be better once the chemo has started and can feel legitimate about skiving! Tricky times…
Scoobs (Sue)
Hi Emily, yes its true you are more open to infection between day 10 and 14 thats when your white cells plummet then gradually they pick up again, but i would just stay away from anyone with a cold etc. ive been fine so far… I take a spoonful of manuka honey in the morn and at nite, that seems to be doing the trick.
Anne x
Hi Scoobs,
I’m having the same chemo as you, also starting 11th May. I’m having a portacath put in on Monday and on Tuesday I’ve got to be there at 8 am.
So we will have plenty of notes to compare.
Love Maria
PS you can read my story so far on my profile
I have posted this on behalf of new user Linda
Hi
I should have had my first chemo last wed … cannula in situ then told cannot go ahead as dodgy ecg!!! Have had 2 WLE and now feel gutted. I now having angiogram on Monday @8am and hopefully if all ok can start my chemo asap. Regards to you hope all goes well
take care linda
Hope everything goes ok so you can get started on your treatment will be thinking of you xx as if you didnt have enough to cope with just now lots of love and hugs for monday xx julie
Hello to all,
I am also on this journey and have found these forums of immense comfort through the rocky journey of BC. I have Invasive Lobular cancer with a 7.5cm thickening!!! removed with good margins. had a skin sparing mastectomy with expander implant then a auxillary node clearance total of 2from19 infected (felt this was a good result) I start chemo 13th (next Thursday) 3 x FEC then 3 X Taxotere i am ER+ and PR+ but HER2 - it is very surreal but thanks to these forums I am actually really positive I am 40 years old with 2 smallish kids (8 & 10) I am looking forward to getting on with Chemo then Rads and moving on.
It is nice to meet you all and I do hope we will all be friends for amny many years.
Nicky
Good to meet you all too!
I’m off into work this morning and see if I can have a normal sort of day before starting chemo tomorrow. How very odd the whole thing is!
Will be in touch…
Sue
Hi Nicky, I also have Invasive Lobular Cancer (multifocal) and DCIS and had a radical mx in Feb, just had my 2nd FEC out of 6. My kids are the same age as yours and have done very well with mummy in hospital and now with no hair. It’s amazing to see how resilient they are really.
The forums are a great place for support, and for me it’s one place where everyone understands what’s going on with me!
Like you, I want it all over and done with and move on!
Warm hugs, Tinaxxxx
Hi everyone,
i am just ahead, having had my first fec at end of april. Just wanted to post that my consultant prescribed lorazepan ( spelt wrong no doubt) and definitely took the edge off my anxiety for my first chemo day. You just take one tablet an hour beforehand. I would recommend that to anyone getting very nervous as it certainly helped me cope. I would also say take a cuddly warm cardy if you are having the cold cap, and take water bottles with a sports cap as its hard to unscrew them when you have a cannula in one arm.
As far as wigs go, i just had mine trimmed at trevor sorbie under their “my new hair” scheme and its looked good before but totally fab afterwards, i cannot praise it enough. Sixty quid but was well worth it. Private room, lovely hairdresser who wasnt at all fazed. Was great.
HI EVERYONE i just wanted to say that my wig was fitted trimmed at hot hair in metro centre and the girls were great private room and very understanding i dont know if it varies from arean to area but i chose £195 wig( i didnt know that till i saw the price tag at home on the box) and it didn’t cost me a penny with my NHS voucher i could have had any one i wanted because the girl said it was a voucher to supply trim and fit x 1 wig regardless of cost .Salons should not be charging you for fitting and cutting one of our recommended salons has been removed from the scheme for doing this.xx
Hi all
Just had first FEC and luckily no dramas. So am drinking lots and hoping for minimal side effects…
Suex
Me too
Hi All
I am a new user with my first chemo (FEC) starting on 17 May. I am in at 9:00 am to have a PICC Line inserted with chemo following on immediately. Do any of you veterens have any advice I could follow. I have no idea what to expect.
Daisy