Thanks ladies…its great that there are a lot of you out there doingor have done OK on chemo… . great inspiration for the newbies…
Becky, wow about you getting married… what lovely news… …i also have been eating like crazy…lol…im going to try and calm my eating down. btw becky,what date did you start your chemo? it sounds like you started yours a day before mine.
Quinny, please try not to be too scared…i was scared too and i understand why you are but once you have your first one you’ll know what to expect. i was really nervous even though they went through it with you with my pre assesment.
I had 3 Tax with Herceptin first then 3 FEC and I honestly didn’t have many side effects with Tax. In fact for the first 2 I carried on as normal then began to feel tired. After 1st FEC I, too, had a craving for cheese and chocolate and then crisps and any junk food I could cram in despite having had a very healthy diet before!
A retired GP told me that the first 2 don’t usually give you many side effects because your body doesn’t know what has hit it. Sometimes it’s the 3rd when side effects kick in - and I had an allergic reaction to Piriton the 3rd time I was given it in the drip.
Hi I’ve had 3 tax and first of 3 fec and so far only side effect is stained teeth!! Which so far I have not heard of anyone else getting. I have been eating like a horse, which I am surprised at, as so many people told me I would lose my appetite, I don’t mind putting a bit of weight on though as Im hoping it will help me work through the chemo.
Tax was not as bad as I thought it would be, yes I did have an allergic reaction on my 2nd dose, which is apparently common. But the nurses handled it well. Only advise I would give, is drink plenty of water, eat often (I found it stopped me feeling sick) take things easy, just maintain general cleanliness.
I also drink a glass of guiness a day when going through my low point, as it helps build my bloods up. Also eat lots of green veg, watercress, anything with lots of iron content.
I also do this for a couple of days before getting my pre chemo bloods done.
Thank you Liz, yes i am wondering whether chemo number 2 might hit me but i will soon see but if i walk in smiling like i did when i had my first chemo, my body will cope well…they do say if you have a positive attitude then your body will work better…if that makes any sense…if you go in thinking negative then your body wont cope as well…sorry if im talking rubbish…LOL…
Thank you Katsteer, So sorry about your teeth.maybe when you go toi the dentist they might be able to whiten them or something. i think Tax affects teeth and gums tbh…thank you for you advise too. i dont do guiness but i might just start drinking it…lol…
I was given 7 days worth of booster injections that i had to inject in my stomach i believe that they boost your immune system up. Has anyone else had to take these?
Yes, i have had a hooooouuuge appetite for sweet stuff and i do not have a sweet tooth…lol…i think its the steroids that cause this. My nurse did say that i will want to eat more and she was right…lol…
Yeah I’m also having e injections as I ended up neutropenic after first lot of chemo. I just do all e guiness and iron rich food to make sure my bloods are ok for the next round of chemo, I’d hate to have it put off, just want to get them all over and done with as quickly as possible. Also I find the guiness is the only thing that doesn’t taste disgusting and the mo which is weird as I never used to like it! So guess I’m getting the shot taste bud side effects.
A update on my chemo. i had my second dose today and i had a allergic reaction to the anti sickness drug that they pumped in my arm , my arm swelled up and there was no blood in the needle or something so they gave me a different anti sickness drug which is apparently a more expensive. They had to inject me further up my arm so now i have got a very big purple bruise on my arm. Anyway, i so far, so good, i feel ok although i have got a slight headache…hopefully fingers crossed i will not get too many side effects with this dose…hopefully i will sail through it like i did chemo number 1…sooooh 2 down 4 to go…lol…
Good luck to ladies who are starting out with their chemo…
That’s great KB,
I have my pre assessment in about an hours time, hopefully strtung chemo next week. I hope my SE’s are as minimal as yours bring it on indeed!
X hannah
Well, good luck with your pre assesment.
Best thing to do is try to not worry about SE’s. i know you hear so many horrible bad stories about it, but as you can see there are many of us ladies who are doing ok…i feel just the same as what i did before i got bc…fingers crossed it will remain this way, all the way through. Have they told you what chemo you are having?
hi kb i had my pre assestment today i start chemo 29th and i have been told today i need a picc line im so scared to have it xx so glad u have minimal se it shows its not all bad xx
Hi KB, Ihave had two FEC so far…the plan is one more FEC then 3 TAX. I asked my chemo nurse if it was working as my side effects didnt seem too bad and he reply was that means they are getting the dosage right, they take our weight and height to try give us the right dosage and if someone is getting severe side effects then they try change the dosage for the next time so it seems it is working for us! she also told me that its TAX that affects most people and like you I am dreading that! I can handle it if i know it will be the same everytime but will have to see wont we xx
Quinny, hey… good luck with your first chemo on the 29th.which one are you having?Please don’t be scared.i know it is scary at first but once youve had your first treatment you’ll be fine.It is all daunting.
When i went for my pre assesment they told me that i’d have to have a hickman line put in my chest so that it would stay in there all the time until after i’d finished had all my treatments, so basically it would make it easier for the nurses to inject chemo into it rather than having to find a vein everytime. They told me that my veins were rubbish. Anyway, when i had my first chemo session the nurse found a vein straight away and she said i’d got good veins…lol.i wish they’d make their minds up! and also with the second dosage of chemo they found a vein. So i have refused to have a hickman line. You also can refuse to have the picc line if you wanted, they cant make you have one…it’s your body at the end of the day. There is no way im having a tube stuck through my chest.
Hobo, Fantastic news that you have also been lucky that you’ve had no side effects. I am day 3 after my second chemo and still no side effects at all…apart from my hair falling out. I was also really worried that the chemo wasnt working… I must admit you have put my mind at ease, so thank you very much for that.I wasn’t aware it was getting the dosage right.You learn something new every day.lol…
I have heard stories about Tax too but i’m trying not to get too stressed over it. .Everyone is different and we all react differently.
What’s making you feel ill? do you mean the thought of a picc line? If you don’t want one then you have every right to refuse it. I was told by the chemo nurse yesterday that i wont have to have a hickman line anyway. I’m sure at the pre assesment they just say these things just so that they dont have to mess about finding veins. They were wrong with me and made their minds up i was having a hickman line but when it came to me havimg my first chemo they found a vein with ease. I have refused point blank to have a HL, it’s meant to be quite an invasive procedure and im not prepared to go through with it.I’ve had enough stress as it is…
thats what i mean we have gone thro so much already .it just seems to get worse everytime i go to appt i get bad news and yes its the thought of that to …ive made appt to see my onc on monday because i no ppl who have had the canuella in the hand and i have veins in me hand i dont understand its took me nearlly 4 weeks to get used to the fact im having chemo nxt week and gonna lose me hair etc xxthank you 4 your time to talk to me xx donna xx
Hiya Donna,
no probs at all about chatting to you. Afetr all we are all in this together and we are going to beat the f???r.
I am not an expert on all this bc stuff because i have also been recently beind diagnosed, but i just say it as it is. I felt the same as you…i constanly felt that every appointment i attended just seemed like bad news. It is a horrible roller coaster but it does get better as time goes by. I think you defo feel better once you start your treatment plan. You’ll be OK and try and be strong…
Hi K,
Same here, I had my 1st chemo on 20th May and 2nd next Tuesday 10th June, I’ve been treated at the RM in Sutton. My treatment is 6 chemo 3 x FEC and 3 x T (Docetaxol), have to say that it hasn’t been that bad after my 1st session, just spend part of the evening having an intimate time with my toilet…I think my tummy didn’t like the nuts I hate that day! Felt a bit sorry for myself the day after and then got better day by day. Today is day 13 after chemo…start losing a few hair, well might find some more tomorrow morning on my pillow…who knows J Maybe I should stand outside in the wind and see what happen haha.
Seriously, I’m just please with the way my body is reacting…just a bit concerned with the food, I don’t know you but I seems to be hungry all the time at the moment…losing weight with chemo!!! Yeah right!
Take care
A x
. great inspiration for the newbies…
bring it on indeed!
xx so glad u have minimal se it shows its not all bad xx