?poor you,this Chemo is blooming rubbish isn’t it…but know it’s doing it’s job and making us all better in the end…just having to go through all this in the meantime.
Hope you get back home soon lovely,let us know ok?X
Penfold you will be fine…have you got someone to go with?X
Hi Ladies, I have been reading through the posts tonight and think its time I joined you February ladies as just got my date to start chemo on Feb 19th. Having Fec x 6, bloods on Tuesday…can anyone tell me what to expect on my first time?
Hope you all have a good restful night 
Lynda xxx
Hey Lynda
I think generally it works about the same for most people but ill tell you how mine went. I have what they call a 2 stop treatment so I get bloods and see my oncologist one day (fri for me) then I come in for my chemo on a Tuesday.
Depends what type of chemo you are getting but the actual drug took between 1-2hours to go through with 30 mins of saline before and after… I am using the cold cap so that adds a bit of time on to mine too before and after (only 30 mins). I am having herceptin and since I had that the first dose they have to observe you for 6 hours (was a long day!!). You get regular coffee/tea and biscuits and a nice lunch (usually soup and a sandwich). It’s really informal and everyone has a recliner chair which is lovely, I brought in my own blanket from home too just so it felt more like home and I got chatting to the other people there. You kind of bond with all the other patients cause you’re all there for the same thing and it breaks the ice a bit. My main tips are to take someone the first time of U can, it just made me feel a bit less like a deer caught in head lights… Take your anti sickness like CLOCKWORK even if u don’t feel sick take those babies on the dot cause stopping the sickness is so much easier than controlling it once it hits! Take a blanket of u can (you can sometimes feel a bit cold and it’s nice if u fancy a snooze in your recliner), drink lots of water. Some people take frozen pineapple juice cubes to suck on (in a thermos) apparently it helps the taste/sickness.
You are gonna be just fine and once u start u will be happy that you are blitzing those Cancer cells!!! Any other questions just ask! We are all really great and it’s nice to have people going through the same thing xx
Hi Lynda,
I had my first FEC last week. The worst part was the anxious anticipation and I came home on what felt like a high that it wasn’t as bad as I feared. Some people have asked for something to help sleep the night before.
Ask for lots of anti sickness meds. I was fortunate and wasn’t nauseous and it made dealing with the tiredness much easier. My main reflection on the week post chemo is that it was like having had bad flu and then feeling very post- viral. But it’s do-able and the relief when one gets back to ‘normal’ is very uplifting.
Good luck and don’t worry too much in advance. We’re all seeing from this forum, that when things do take an unexpected turn, there are systems in place to look after us.
Natalie x
Hi Sandie, Dennymac, Rachel & Natalie - Thankyou all for your replies which are reassuring. I am having just FEC according to paperwork no T on the end lol. It feels so strange to be going through this as there was nothing in my sentinal node and they said they got good clearance. The reason I am going through the chemo route is because i was ER - 3/8 no nearer a negative then positive and because I am Her2 - and PR - they said I was almost like a triple negative. My cancer was grade 3, and because they do not think hormone therapy will work for me I have no other back up. So chemo recommended just in case! I think once I get started I will feel much better, the waiting is always worse isnt it. I will follow all your hints and tips and start downing that water :smileywink:
Hope you all have a lovely day and evening
Lynda xxx
Glad we could help a little Lynda?..think it helps so much to tell each other our experiences,and how we feel about things.
I’m triple negative,so chemo is what I can only have and apparently it’ works really well with this type?..I’ve found a brilliant podcast by an American social worker that was discussing TNBC,I sat listening to it for ages and it answered so many things for me…I’ll add the link if your interested or anyone else?
Take care, Rachel xxx
lbbc.org/content/download/2922/26583/tf/powerpoint/file/Triple%20Negative%20Breast%20Cancer%204.26.11.pdf
lbbc.org/content/download/2922/26582/tf/podcast/file/TNBC_Fear%20of%20Recurrence_Hill%20Schnipper.mp3
This is the correct one?
Hey Judi?
So sorry you had a rubbish start to your chemo…do you know when your next one is and are they adjusting things to make it better for you?
Hugs lovely
Rachel xxx
Okay Judi…well let us know…hopefully it will be,so you can just get on with it xxxx
Evening ladies
Here’s ??? to wish you all a Happy Valentines!!
Trying 1st glass of red tonight since chemo, wanted to give you all a couple of tips I found Bio oil at Primark £7.40 for a large bottle, I think that’s very cheap?
Been out & bought some lovely wool & a bag to keep my crafty bits in!!
Rachel - I’m hoping Barbie and Ken are Arsenal or Liverpool supporters as I only had red & white! Lol
Love & hugs xx
Welcome Lynda
I have to say my first chemo was fine, it was the cold cap that I found tricky, I think you probsly really have to want to do it & I have realised im not that bothered by my hair loss.
Just listen to your body and rest when you need to(I fell asleep while visitors chatted!!).
I used sick bands (sea bands I think) which helped with nausea, as others have said drink plenty and try & eat plenty of fruit/veg. I found this hard as all I fancied was carbs - quavers/tomato juice/pizza??
Good luck, we’re all rooting for you xx
Can’t sleep!
I’m now into day 9 of the first FEC, had my ups and downs, but now I can’t seem to stop taking my temperature and thinking something different should happen after day 10. I keep getting up to this nearly every hour, that now I can’t sleep with worry !! Think I’m going mad!!
Can I ask what painkillers are people using as I’ve also got this crashing headache & feel toothache coming on!
Sorry to rant!!
Big hugs
Simone xx
Hey 
Painkillers are a tricky one. Standard is paracetamol but it can mask a temperature so of stay off that while you’re at day 10 so if I were you I’d take ibuprofen and see if that helps xx
Anniegran thanks the bad thing was I didn’t feel “sick” just a bit warm so everyone listen to your bodies and if u feel warm or very cold (also a big sign of fever) check your temp and if it’s over 37.5 for an hour call the helpline or the chemo ward cause that’s what I did and I was severely neutropenic!
Still on IV antibiotics but bored more than anything! Hope everyone else doing ok xx
Thank you all for your advice.
Dennymac that was useful, I did kind of feel like that but temp kept saying 36.6 the highest I got was 37.2 but it went down and nothing past that.
I’ll give the hospital a call today
Thanks again
Simone
Xx
Thanks Rachel
Spoke to the Ono said it all stops at day 14 and should start to feel better, but she also stated by that time we will be getting better were ready for the next one! … Lovely
Ive been in my house since the first one not been out, just no energy!!
Big hugs
Simone xx
Hey guys I am feeling much better thanks the doctor over the weekend is quite junior and told me my neutrophils are now 9!!! I’m hedging my bets until they are repeated tomorrow! So hopefully moving to oral antibiotics and maybe home tuesday? Hope so am soooooo bored!!! Xx
So glad to hear your on the mend!
Simone x
?glad your getting better!Id be bored too…at least at home you can do things.
Fingers crossed here for you to go home soon Xxxx