Hello!
I wondered if there are any ladies out there who are having their first chemo around the same time as me? I’m in on Wednesday 26th.
I’m having 6 x EC, and worried as I’ve not heard of many others having the same?
I just dont know what to expect, I’ve read way too much I think!
Emma xxx
Hi Emma
I’m also having 6 x EC, but started mine beginning of April, so I’ve had 3 so far.
So far doing okay, the first two didn’t seem too bad, but last week’s third knocked me out a bit more. Have been using the cold cap and so far managing to keep my hair, it is thinning a bit but everyone assures me it looks fine at the moment. Feel sick for the first day and then usually okay the next day. Had quite bad constipation the first time but the next two times drank plenty of water and ate lots of fresh fruit for the 48 hours before treatment and this worked fine. Dry mouth another side effect and also going off certain foods and drinks.
You may be totally different but just thought I’d let you know how I’d been.
Wishing you lots of luck for Wednesday.
Beverley xx
Thankyou very much Beverley, your side effects seem ok, so thats made me a bit more positive!
Can I ask, are you triple negative too? I am, and wondered why I am only having the EC and not FEC?
Emma x
Hi Emma
I am on my 4th chemo but just wanted to say hope it goes well tomorrow. The chemotherapy nurses are great and will help put you at ease.
Lots of love
Jayne xx
Hi Emma im having my 2nd FEC on thursday and i was petrified with my 1st but it wasnt anything as bad as i thought and havent been sick at all Just a bit delicate for a couple of days have gone off coffee and certain smells made me a bit icky but nothing really ( just felt like the early days of being pregnant ( ive even had the cravings ha ha )So hopefully ill feel the same this time ,must admit im still worried about next one incase i feel worse so just have to hope it follows the same pattern .A friend who has been through chemo and was fine ( no sickness etc) told me to drink plenty fluids before and after treatment ,take some sherbert lemons to suck for the metally taste ,and stick a couple of ordinary sticking plasters behind each ear(Just the end sticky bits.Its another pressure point and also works for travel sickness)also take all the anti sickness and medication they give you and use an ordinary alcohol free mouthwash,I have also been having a daily vit c to help boost immune system and so far fingers xxx its worked for me ,hope it cont,s good luck with yours love julie
Thanks Jayne, I only slept a couple of hours, my brain wouldn’t go to sleep!
I cant believe this is happening, it all doesnt seem real.
Good luck to you for your final two!
Lots of love xxx
If you’re not prescribed senokot automatically as I was, it might be worth taking a couple the night before (as long as there’s no contraindications for you to take it), as the anti-sickness meds can really bung you up, plus you probably won’t be eating normally for a few days. Continue to take them whilst you take the anti sickness meds.
Try not to worry too much you’ll get through it.
Thanks to you too Julie, and I’m glad yours seems to have been ‘kind’ to you!
I’ll remember to stick on the the plasters tomorrow, I got some travel bands from Superdrug aswell, they say to relieve nausea from chemotherapy on the box…so hopefully fingers xxx them and the plasters may do the trick!
I’ll buy some sherbert lemons this afty & check my mouthwash is alcohol free too!
I hope my cravings are for good food, I’ve been eating so many blueberries this past week, Im sure im getting a purple tinge to my skin! ha ha
xxx
Thanks Steph I’ll add that to my shopping list, I’m off ‘chemo shopping’ today.
I love this site, I’ve been constantly checking this thread all through the night to see if anyone had any words of wisdom and here you all are! So nice to know I’m not on my own xxx
So thnkyou very much xxx
Your never on your own Emma, always someone here to help. Everybody is so different with chemo you will find your things that you like and things that help you through. Ginger is good too and the bands are great and sweets for sucking, yum sherbet lemons!
Eating every couple of hours i find helps too, little and often i have totally fallen in love with tomatoes, didn’t use to like them too much.
Enjoy your shopping and let us know how it goes tomorrow. Message me anytime.
Jayne xxx
Good Luck Emma,
I have my final chemo next week and I can honestly say it hasn’t been anything like as bad as I feared. I know I am lucky, but I have managed to work throughout except for appointments and treatment days, which I never dared hope initially. The SEs are there, and they are a pain, but if you focus on other things, they become an inconvenience rather than anything else.
I am sure that you will be fine, I was awake all night before my first chemo too, and had a few tears and a little panic as they started the injection … I think that is all normal, so don’t feel like you have to be brave.
I was very very sick after my first. Just for 24 hours and it was doable. But just to let you know that if things are bad, let the team know and they will adjust your anti sickness meds. From the second cycle I had my anti sickness meds intraveniously and have barely felt any nausea at all since.
I hope all goes well.
Jacqui
Thankyou Jaqui, I am almost ready to go off with my shopping list!
Do you think I should have mentioned that I suffered with morning sickness before I go in? Chemo is tomorrow at 2, but if I ring them this afternoon and tell them so they can have the right meds? don’t want to become a pain before I have even started! I cant believe I forgot to ask to be honest. Surely they will have meds there ready? argh here I go again … round and round in circles!
Emma x
all the best for your chemo. I had terrible morning sickness when i was preg, was in and out of hospital with it.
Anyway, i told the chemo nurses before i started the FEC and they gave me lots of anti sickness meds before i started. they wont mind you asking them at all- the chemo nurses are always lovely !
all the best for your treatment, will be thinking of you
eva
I think I had a fairly sleepless night before I started and then couldn’t stop the waterworks when I was asked to go & wet my hair for the cold cap. The nurses are all so kind and used to our fears/tears. They will talk over your sickness worries with you and you’ll be sent home with a confusing bag of goodies. It’s a lot to take in so if you have someone with you get them to listen in to the instructions. Remember you are retaking control & fighting back with the big guns.
Hi Emma…I m starting the 4th of June and I am very scared too…I am worried to not being able to cope with day to day life (work, social life, family…).
I am starting with EC and I am even scared of my aspect… how much I am going to change (I am not really helping you, am I…!!!)
any way We will survive…let me know how does it goes…and good luck!!!
Federica
Hi…
You are right Eva, I rang the Chemo Day Unit and the nurse was so lovely. I asked about Emend (anti-sickness med that I have read about on here) but she said I wont get that straight away, they will try me on milder ones first and see how I go (I’d rather have the strongest one straight away!) I’m sure mine sounds something like alvansatrol? what did you have?
Tresanne, I was going to take my hubby and mum with me, but am only allowed one of them they said. All three of us usually sit in at my appointments and between the three of us we remember most of what’s been said! I hope we manage ok with the bag of goodies!
Hi Federica, I’ll let you know how I get on, it will be nice to share our journey (well, not exactly nice! but you know what I mean!)…yes, We WILL Survive!
Lots of love to you all, Emma xxx
Hi Emma,
Good good luck for tomorrow…hope everything goes well and it’s not as bad as the imagination lets it be. I start 6x FEC on 3rd June and getting quite wobbly about it now as the time gets nearer…seems very unreal…oh how i wish it was unreal !!
Best wishes and positive vibes to you
Suze xx
Hi Everyone, Hope you don’t mind me joining in. I’m on taxotere weekly for secondaries in my liver and spine. It’s not as bad I’d thought it was going to be. The first one is usually the worst and then your body seems to adjust to it. The anti sickness tablets are very good, I was only sick the first week because nobody gave me any! Haven’t had to use them since the second week. The worst part is chronic indigestion but I’ve managed to control it now with lots of Gaviscon which I’m getting free on prescription and also bicarb of soda in water. So please all try and not worry too much, it’s the waiting and the wondering that’s the hardest part. Thinking of you all. Take care of yourselves, Love, Dianne x x x
I am having my first of 8 x FEC tomorrow. feeling OK about it at the moment. I don’t think I had very bad morning sickness ( it was over 30 years ago!) but I did go off coffee at the start so perhaps I will go off it again. I have cut my intake to 2 cups a day anyway. I will just have to drink more Redbush tea. I will have any anti-sickness stuff they offer. I don’t eat sweets but a may get the sherbet lemmons. I have my wig sorted & have been practising scarf tying.will take a large bottle of water with me. Has anyone been told not to take supplements while they are on chemo? I have taken fish oil caps for years but have read that they can contribute to breast cancer. I have also bought some echinacea + Vit C bur havn’t taken any. I also have taken Aloe Vera juice for years and I believe this is good as it is meant to aid digestion although I don’t take it for that. Best of luck to everyone who, like me , are starting this week
Carol
Good luck today Emma will be thinking of you. The lovely nurses will look after you.
And good luck to everyone else starting soon
Lots of love
Jayne xxx