Hi, Im new here. I was diagnosed in march whilst 30 weeks pregnant. Stage 2 grade3 is that right? I had a C Section at 32 weeks and after 6 weeks in special care baby unit my beautiful daughter is at home with me 
. I am having chemo before surgery and have had the first of 3x docetaxel then i will have 3x FEC surgery should be after cycle 5 then radiotheropy.
Things are ok this week but it would be lovely to speak to people who know what its really like.
I find this forum alittle tricky to find my way around so hope i have put this in the right place… 
Hi Harry, our paths have crossed in the May 2012 chemo thread. Am glad you have posted here as I am sure you will get some responses to your post. You could also post on the ‘pregnant with breast cancer’ as I am sure there will be women there who have recently given birth.
I hope you are doing okay. Glad your daughter is home with you now. I can only imagine what you must have been through. My daughter was 2 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the first time. I know it is not the same, but one of the things I did find hard was that I enjoyed meeting/talking to other women with breast cancer but I also find that hard as I didn’t come across anyone with young children. On the plus side, my daughter was such a joy and she gave me a reason to keep going through the low moments. But, it was also exhausting at times. So, with this in mind, would strongly suggest you make sure you accept/ask for practical help- and throughout your treatment, not just at the beginning.
I saw your post on the other site so wanted to say that I am on doctaxel like you, and had one, but having mine with carboplatin. How do you find the side effects? I was awake the first couple of nights from the steriods and also found the racing heart beat a bit disconcerting too. I also have some tingling in feet and hands.
Anyway, by ‘bumping’ this, you should now get some more responses too!
Speak soon, here or on the buddies thread.
Good luck, Rattles, x
Hi Rattles
Thank you for your reply.
I think as time goes on i will find the exhaustion will be a problem.
To be honest tha SE were a bit of a shock as i thought this would be the easier part of my treatment. I could just not rest at all for days and felt very anxsious and restless. Not sure if it was docetaxel, other drugs or just being scared. I had a very drunk feeling to start with and horrible dreams the times i did nod off. Then feeling sick hot flushes sweats etc. I also had chest pains on day 7. Will see the Onc next Tues before treatment on Thurs so will be able to tell him about it. I did have terrible back and neck aches but this is what i was expecting so could deal with it. I think alot of it was being frightened and the steroids. Is Carboplatin a drug trial drug? What does it do?
Hi Harry,
Def raise all these issues with your onc.
The reason I am being given carbpolatin is a long story (you might be sorry you asked!). I had breast cancer first in 2009, had chemo (4 EC and 4 Taxol) surgery WLE (but kept my breast), then rads. A year later I was told I had a brca1 mutation (this is a gentically inherited mutation which puts you at 90 per cent risk of developing breast cancer and 60 per cent cent risk of ovarian cancer). So, I decided to have bilateral matsetcomies and reconstruction and then my ovaries removed. But, when I had the breast surgery (in Feb 2012) they found a cancer in my (what was good!) breast so I am having chemo again. My onc said the caboplatin/docetaxol combination has been shown to have good results in women with a brca1 mutation and also I could not have the EC/Taxol again (too toxic to have more than once!) A long story- sorry!
Well, the postive in this is that I now know what drugs do what (for me at least!) I find it is the dexamethasone keeps me awake and makes me restless/anxious. I was given another anti-emetic which causes drowsiness and counters this (and I know from taking to other patients on the unit that they simply take it to sleep!) but I would be honest and just ask your onc for something to help you sleep on those nights. You have a baby for heavens sake- you need sleep!!! It is tortuous isn’t it? Being awake all night and feeling terrible and of course without sleep you begin to feel even worse emotionally.
Like you, I find all the symptoms a bit scarey - all the funny moving pains and tingling and there is always (for me at least) a real low day when it is time to stop the drugs. But it does pass and I think that after the first you then know what to expect as it follows a similar pattern each time- so with this in mind, and your gorgeous baby, you can hopefully plan in lots of support for the bad days and hold on to the fact that you will feel better and be able to do a bit more. Honestly, lots of practical help. Lots of it!
I dont know if any of this helps at all. Rattles. x
Rattles thank you so much it helps loads. I will speak to onc about the sleep thing. I cant beleive you have to go through this for a second time. You are so brave and insperational. Elizabeth is keeping me strong and this site and you guys are a god send xxx
Sorry if this post is a little late but I havent logged on for a while and still getting to grips with the new site. Amyway Im so sorry to read that you have joined this horrible club particulary during your pregnancy that must have been very hard news to receive. But you will certainly get lots of support from other women on this site. My son was just 4 months old & I was 34 when I was diagnosed so can relate to you a little, as Rattles says just use your beautiful little girl to keep you going they really do help when you feel so low. I experienced alot of the same SE you mention and I also found that the steroids did not help my moods at all in fact I used to be in tears most of the days I was taking them. I still have numbness in my finger tips and sometimes awake to numb hands or feet but guess this is a side affect of the Docetaxol & Herceptin which I have just finished. Will you have any other medication other than Chemo? Please feel free to email me or use the forum if you would like to talk some more. xxx
I was recently diagnosed too - beginning of April. Found a lump and from finding the lump to having a WLE with SNB was a month. Leaves you reeling doesn’t it. So much to take in, in such a short space of time… I don’t think I will ever forget the day I was told the biopsy results confirmed their suspicions on seeing the ultrasound and the mammogram and that I had cancer. Still makes me feel sick just thinking about it. Results of the WLE and SNB were good on one hand - there was no spread and it was a 2cm lump. The downside is that it is a Grade 3 cancer and ER so the original treatment plan of WLE with Rads was swiftly changed to include a 6-cycle course of chemo, followed by rads then Tamoxifen. This will put me post-menopausal which was heartbreaking as my OH and I had been trying for a baby. Made all the more upsetting as we had found out I was pregnant in Jan but the same week I found out, I lost it. Then, as if this wasn’t enough to get my head around, when speaking to the Fertility team, we were advised we could be treated but wouldn’t get funding as my OH already has children from a previous marriage. We were told we had about 2 weeks to apply for funding so we went to our GP and asked them to apply on our behalf. Long and the short of it is that we don’t qualify for funding on the East Midlands PCT criteria as a) My partner already has children so as a couple we are deemed to have children already, even though I myself have never had kids and have only met one of his children once; b) that breast cancer does not class as extenuating cirmcustances and c) I am not infertile yet (although by the time the treatment is over I most probably will be and then fertility treatment won’t be an option and the point of the treatment was to PRESERVE my fertility, numbnuts!!) I was offered the money from one of my sisters but we have decided that it’s all just too much to try and handle at once. A very tough call to make but fertility treatment carries it’s own risks as it delays treatment by up to 9 weeks and as the cancer I had was oestrogen receptive, a huge dose of oestrogen given to me during the fertility treatment has it’s obvious risks…
So… Am waiting to start my chemo course on 5th June… feeling a bit anxious about it. Really not looking forward to having the toxin cocktail coursing through my veins… hate not knowing how it will affect me personally… But, there are limited options so the sooner I get this journey started the sooner it will be over… Have to say though, not unhappy about hanging up my razor for the next few months!!
Good luck to you all on your journey, so sorry we are all going through it but is so great to be able to rant / chat to people who know exactly what I am going through / will be going through
Love to you all xxx