Well I dont know if I have been lulled into a false sense of security or not, but I had my first Epi on Friday and still just mild indigestion and a sore neck.
I wore my travel bands for 3 days but haven;t taken any of the anti nausea stuff yet as I dont want to take any steroids if avoidable. So far so good. Anyone think I will feel like I have been hit by a bus next week?! The nurses at the unit were great, found a vein no probs and i didn;t feel a thing. Good luck to everyone else with their first chemos
Hi Dyzee!
I am starting to get neck ache like sore glands! Hope I didn;t count my chickens…I have a whole heap of year 11 mock exams to mark before tomorrow so i would like to stay slightly focused. Mind you, half the time, a clear head does you a disservice when trying to work out what they mean!
Hi Ruth
First one done - well done. My first epi wasn’t too bad either and I was shifting furniture and all sorts for a few days after!
With my second I had a few more side effects and so on. Wednesday I have my last CMF. I have found some Tx have been hard and some more difficult. Just take each day as it comes and listen to what your body is telling you.
It is amazng how quick the Tx goes - the last 28 weeks for me have flown by and I am so proud of myself for getting through, as you will be too.
All the very best to all of you just starting chemo - stay strong and positive, get lots of sleep and pampering!! and remember, any problems just post on here because someone will be able to help.
I started on Epi and the first one was the easiest… I think if you’ve got this far without any nasty side-effects, you’ll be fine this time around In fact, who’s to say that you won’t be fine for all the rest… some have it easier than others and I hope you’re one of them!!
Yes I am having 6 cycles of Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide, followed by Rads, Tamoxifen and Arimidex. (Arrrghhhh)
Good luck on Wednesday - I will be one week behind you. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we don’t have to much of a rough ride.
Please let me know how it goes.
Are you still feeling ok Ruth? Year 11 - OMG. Good Luck!!!
I think the first one is a good guide as to how well you will cope with it all. I had four lots of Epi and the side-effects from each one were pretty similar. There was a bit of a build-up of tiredness and feeling a bit more washed out each time but the later ones weren’t significantly worse or anything. You get the same dose each time. So good luck with the others but remember to get plenty of rest and be kind to your body.
interested to read you are opting out of steroids. I have just posted a question about whether that is possible or not. I should be starting 6 cycles of FEC next week altho have been told the hospital is very busy at the moment. Good luck with the rest of your treatment and to everyone else
I didn’t get any steroids for Nausea. I had 4x Adriblastine (red stuff, similar to what you guys are getting, generating strong nausea), and for that I was given Zofran, Emend and Primperan. Note that I took minimal doses, because I didn’t suffer much from nausea - or rather, not at all. . After the first cycle, I told the doc to stop the Zofran, as it was giving me “the runs”… it is an intestinal accelerator (nice way to put it).
Then I just finished 4x Taxol, and for that they gave me steroids intravenously, to block risks of allergies.
Many thanks for your comments - what a great support you all are.
Well I woke up today (day4) and was promptly sick so put my travel bands back on. I then made my husbands packed lunch and breakfast and mucked out the horses and was sick again. On the muck heap which I thought was quite impressive! I took two of the steroid tablets and one ‘don perignon’ tablet and am ok again now. I managed to eat a bacon butty and a ginger biscuit and I must say lucozade made me feel better. Yesterday’s aches and pains have subsided too, so you never know! I am hoping to take each day as it comes but have to admit I may have been a bit optimistic about going back to work after xmas. Did anyone else get a fuzzy head (I have only now I have taken the steroid anti nauseas)?
I also got the fuzzy head - felt a little like a hangover-only way I can describe it really, felt like you do before flu kicks in, feels like you’re only half-here, vacant type of feeling. Or maybe thats just me and my chemo brain. Why are you all so against the steroids, its quite a come down after them, but they do make you feel better
What are you doing mucking out horses when you feel sick? You did make me laugh about the muck heap though.
Hope the sickness isn’t to bad, have you taken anymore anti sickness medication?
Please take care, and don’t overdo it!!!
I havent felt too bad or sick today. I dont want to take the steroids as I really dont want to put weight on. I reckon the two kilos I lost recently was the weight of the boob removed! PLus when I had two tablets I got a horrendous headache. I’ve had a good day today - the frosty sunny morning helped and I went to m and s and stocked up on tasty food. Ive also lost 2 kilos more since Friday which i put down to lack of appetite and a craving for fruit, salad and smoothies! Normally I’m a burger and chips type but the nurse did say I would like different foods! Lets hope it continues!
Haven’t seen any posts from you for while and was thinking of you.
How are you feeling? I hope the sickness has stopped and you aren’t suffering to many side effects.
Are you back on the burger and chips?
Had my first chemo yesterday (epi) - the onc wasn’t wrong when he said I’d need to write off the whole day! Arrived 10 minutes early for a 10.20 appointment but it was 2 hours before I saw the doctor (although I had had blood taken and been weighed). Then another 2 hours before I was called into the chemo suite. They apologised for the wait - said they were busy and short-staffed so hope it’s not quite so bad next time! The nurse went through all the side effects and then went through the anti-sickness drugs, mouth-wash etc that I was taking home with me and explained when/how often to take them. He then left me with a heat pad on my hand to make the veins come up. After a few minutes he came back and put the cannula in with no problems. Then took about 45 minutes to push all the drugs through - anti-sickness, steroids and then 4 syringes full of the red epirubicin. Finally left at 4.45!
A couple of hours later the nausea started to come on so I went to bed early. Woke a couple of times and felt really ill though wasn’t sick - bad nausea and stomach pains - but fortunately I managed to sleep though most of it as when I woke in the morning it had passed. Have just felt a bit “yuk” all day but managed to do a couple of short walks round the block. Have mostly just taken it easy. It was my birthday today and my friend gave me the DVD of Miss Potter so I watched that and it was the perfect I-don’t-feel-very-well-this-afternoon film!
Anyway, I’m aware that something else could kick in at any time but at the moment I don’t feel too bad - hope it lasts!
Good luck Dyzee with your first one next week (I have to go back next Wednesday as it was my first one, just so they can check I’m okay and take blood again, so I’ll be thinking of you).
Crikey, what a long day you had!!! I bet you were fed up. Let’s hope it was a one off and things will be better next time.
Sorry to hear about the nausea, will they be able to adjust your medication to prevent that in future?
What a shame you felt so yukky on your birthday. Glad to hear you have been taking it easy and the DVD sounds perfect. I haven’t seen it - so i’ll note it for next week.
I must be honest, the nearer it gets to Wednesday the more I dread it.
I actually feel good! Today I went to the wig shop and had my hair cut off in advance. My hair is normally short and very dark brown and I got a mid length blonde bob! It looks fab. My husband actually said ‘that’s an improvement!’ I also haven;t had stomach pains today and though I have started my period, finally feel like my guts are normal! I was expecting to feel dodgy the second week due to poor antibodies, but I have felt better as the days have gone on. Maybe It will be awful next time but so far I feel quite lucky. I hope you two will be similarly untroubled.
Glad you’re feeling better - it’s good to know. I was quite pleased with how I felt the day after the chemo but have felt a bit nauseous yesterday and today. Nothing too bad but just stops me doing anything (a good thing, maybe!) I’m dying to have some fruit to take the nasty taste from my mouth (more to do with the mouthwash than the chemo I think) but the steroids have sent my blood sugar sky high (I’m diabetic) so I daren’t. Hoping it will start to come down tomorrow now I’m off the steroids till next time.
The wig sounds great - it’s great to have a morale booster, isn’t it? I’ve had my hair dyed a reddish colour the last couple of years but for my wig have gone back to nearer my original brunette with kind of goldy highlights. It’s short but comes down around my face and is quite flattering to my “chipmunk-cheeks”! So I think I’ll probably wear it - though with some trepidation at first no doubt - although I have bought lots of hats and scarves so will be spoilt for choice.
In fact, who’s to say that you won’t be fine for all the rest… some have it easier than others and I hope you’re one of them!!
. After the first cycle, I told the doc to stop the Zofran, as it was giving me “the runs”… it is an intestinal accelerator (nice way to put it).