First cycle of EC done and feeling good!

Hi everyone, wanted to share my experience with first chemo cycle of EC. It was overall much easier than expected. I didn’t have any big side effect apart from some tiredness in the first 5 days after chemo. Also some headache for a couple of days and a bit of fever that went down quickly after a paracetamol. So after one week I felt back to myself and have been having a normal life, working and having normal routine. I also used the cold cap and it was totally bearable to me. So no major hair loss so far. Now it’s been two weeks from first cycle and getting ready for second one next week. Hoping it will be the same or even easier than first one!

Also I wanted to share that I’ve been complementing my treatment with a more holistic approach than just the chemo and I believe that’s one of the reasons why I have felt so good. I’m eating a more alkaline diet ( lots of veggies, fruits, low sugar and basically vegan ) , supplements ( spirulina, chorella, flaxseed, wheatgrass and other mushroom supplements ) and also weekly acupuncture and daily meditation. I believe all those things are helping my mind and my immune system to react to the drugs and let them do only what they are supposed to do: fight the tumour.

Hope I continue this way and will continue posting in the next cycles. Best wishes and lots of hugs to all sisters in treatment.

You have a great positive attitude Kath. I pretty much felt like you after my 1st chemo of 4 plus cold cap. I did start shedding hair after about 12 days. It was long and in the end never totally went, but shedded in some places more than others. I eventually cut it to the length of my regrowth from tinting. I now have a happy fuzz in the very thin areas. Everyone is different to how they react with the shedding. After about day 5 of chemo I started to get back my energy. The third chemo took a little longer to recover. My oncologist said it was cumulative. The fourth and last took longer to recover again and my hair shredded for a lot longer and why I cut it. I realised it was cumulative. On the whole I would have to say it could have been worse but it wasn’t. I think eating well, doing what helps in any way and having that positive outlook especially, works wonders. My radiotherapy was delayed a couple of weeks but that gave me a chance to pick up, from the chemo. I finished radiotherapy over a week ago without tiredness thank goodness Good luck with the rest of your treatment.

Thanks for this info Kath,

I’m due to start 4x EC (fortnightly) at the start of June so nice to read that it’s not too harsh.

Sallt