Wow you look lovely.
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@lilyanne Welcome to our little corner , youāll find us a lovely bunch and we are here to hold your hand x I think if as @jessybessy that replied re the lorazepam, I advise getting something to help you sleep in the interim , sleep is so very important x Iāve stopped sleeping due the chemo induced menopause so am probably going to ask my gp for sleeping tablets - needs must x
@jessybessy that regrowth is impressive and you look lovely 
@galdiolus I think itās the restore I have , itās in a white and grey tub , I do find it feels a bit thick and greasy but it definitely helps with the healing of the area , my scar has gone a light pink now . I have to say my surgeon has done a very neat job , if you couldnāt see the scar , youād never know there had been anything there , which feels very bittersweet and slightly sad
@salbert Iām so disappointed we arenāt on the same session , Iām sure we will āmeetā at some point ! Your curly hair looks fantastic ! I definitely have hair on my head now. And on my face ā¦ time to get the beard trimmer out 
@shannon27 hooray for the last one , I hope you slapped a bench !
Yesterday was a very long day - I was at day therapy for eight long hours . Theyāve decided Iām
An anaphylactic risk now with the Herceptin ā¦ my body hates the stuff . Worth pointing out reacting to it is rare , I have long covid and they think thatās the issue as Iām allergic to do much even micropore tape now . I had my pre meds via my line then the herceptin by a two hour infusion , watched for the first ten mins by my nurse ā¦ then a FOUR hour observation time afterwards !!! Hooked up to a slow saline ā¦ I watched three lots of people come in and have their chemo and leave in various chairs 
finally got home after seven pm ā¦ woke up this morning ā¦ you guessed it ā¦ covered in measles like rash 
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Hi I am new to this forum and not far along in my journey. Im 31 and have triple positive idc with a few lymph nodes involved also. I have had 2 cycles of docetaxel, carbo & phesgo. 1 week after my second treatment Iāve started with a dull tension type of headache that has lingered in and out for 6 days now. I just wondered if this is a side effect of chemo that anyone else has had? Typically my mind is running away with me worrying g itās something more!
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Hello and welcome to the forumn! Sending you a big hug. Just wanted to reassure you that headaches are normal after chemotherapy, it takes so much out of you. If you are concerned or they are getting worse mention it to your Breast care nurse or call the chemo team up, thats what they are there for to help with any side effects.
I just wanted to say hello, im 33 and was diagnosed last june with lymph node involvement also.
I completed 6 rounds of chemo and had a double mastectomyā¦ finally at the other side of things which i know feels like miles away! Sending love 
@virgo123
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Looking lovely! The hair is coming in strong.
I had exactly same feelings when i had to have my scan before radiotherapyā¦ scanxiety is the real deal! I mentioned it to my nurse and she said even though its not a diagnostic scan they would defo mention anything they pick up. Also my Dr said the same.
I had to have a xray on my teeth a few week ago and that set me off too 
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Well done its an amazing feeling to know its the last one!
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It sure is , definitely given me a boost this time i think 
hope your keeping well xxx
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Yes, the only thing Iāll say about lorazepam is that itās known to be highly addictive. I donāt take it for anything other than sleep (one pill an hour before bed), and donāt know what I would have done without it during the darkest days of treatment.
Am going to need to start weaning myself off it though now Iām into the radio/phesgo partā¦
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Thank you, thatās really reassuring to hear youāre on the other side and so glad everything gone okay for you! Itās reassuring as I feel being so young Iām the odd one out! Did you find any sort of forum for younger women?
Iāve contacted my breast care nurse last Wednesday and waiting for her to call me back but Iām going to call again on Monday as Iāve not had a response yet!
Sending love
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Hi @lilyanne so pleased you have decided to join this friendly bunch and I can see they have already been so welcoming.
@jessybessy so pleased to hear you have had a cpr even with a bit of DCIS. Great picture 
@arty1 sorry to hear about your allergy/anaphylaxis to Herceptin. I have several allergies with family history of eczema/allergies/hayfever. I reacted to Paclitaxel even on reduced dose from the beginning but was ok with Herceptin but with allergies you just never know. Have they decided to stop now? I remember you saying they might at 8/9 which would be in line with the Persephone trial.
@virgo123 welcome to this friendly bunch. I can see @jeml has already responded about headaches. I also had a few headaches on Paclitaxel but if youāre concerned call your team. Make sure you drink lots of water as you can get very dehydrated. Yes all your nurse back Monday, they should have called you back within a day, mine normally call back same day.
Hope everyone has had a great weekend.
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Welcome @virgo123 , just to reiterate that headaches are pretty normal on chemo , I was on nab paclitaxel and had such rotten headaches 
make sure to drink plenty of water while having your treatment and for a couple of days afterwardsā¦
@naughty_boob yes itās decided now I wonāt have more than nine ā¦ I havenāt decided how I feel about it at the moment ā¦ I feel almost annoyed with my body for reacting to the drug designed to prevent this happening again
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Hi all! Happy Sunday
I havenāt posted in a while but Iāve been keeping up with all your posts, the positivity and humour really keeps me going!
Iāve been getting āwiggyā with it the last few days, taking inspiration from you lovely lot and finally getting confident to wear it out in public the nurses on the chemo unit all complimented me while I was getting my picc dressing changed, amazing what a bit of makeup and a wig can do, I normally have a hat and pale white steroid/anaemic face when I go 
Loving the cute animal pics butā¦ Iām a crazy cat lady Iām afraid! This is my little wonky lady who has a head tilt due to an ear infection last year 
I have chemo number 7/8 tomorrow, the end of this part is in sight! hope you all have a good week 
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Hi everyone 
I just thought Iād hope on here to introduce myself and honestly because Iām feeling pretty low and in need of some reassurances.
Iām 28, living in Newcastle, no kids (but a little dog called Buttons and a husband) and I was diagnosed with Grade 3 Her2+, ER/PR- (1 3cm lump, no obvious lymph node involvement) on 31st Dec 2024 (happy new year to me!).
I was started on EC on 3rd Feb (2 days after my wedding), I was supposed to have 4x EC, 4x docetaxel with phesgo.
Iāve had 2 EC so far and saw onc 10 days after second chemo who said the lump felt the same size to him and weād try 1 more EC and if no shrinkage then straight to docetaxel, I was due my 3rd EC tomorrow. But last Thursday I had a pain radiating from my lump, the skin above it looked a bit bruised (this has gone now) and the lump looks/feels bigger to me and my husband.
Long story short - I called BCN Friday morning and my amazing oncologist has booked me in to see him tomorrow morning, deferring chemo in the process.
Iād also had some deranged LFTs so had a liver ultrasound last Wednesday which I havenāt had the results of yet (no news is good news I hope?!).
Iāve tried to keep myself busy but I cannot stop spirally about my lump growing. I keep panicking that itās been metastisising this whole time. That even if he moves me onto docetaxel it wonāt work or Iāll have a huge reaction.
I just cannot seem to calm myself down and googling things to try and reassure myself seems to just throw out hideous statistics that I donāt want to know about.
This feels like an incredibly selfish way to introduce myself by asking for comfort from strangers and I am usually a lot more level headed, but Iām feeling desperate for comforting words.
If anyone has had any experience with a chemo not working but then getting PCR from the next, please let me know. Or just any similar success stories that could relate in any way!
Also Iām sure this has been asked before so Iām sorry if this is a repeat question
Sending you all love and hugs from a frightened girl xx
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Hello @jjjane97,
Iām so sorry youāre going through this. Iām 36, have the same treatment regime as you and Iāve had 6/8 of my chemos so far. So I canāt really give any stories of the end outcome for me yet but hopefully can offer some reassurance. I had an ultrasound after 3 then 5 chemos and while thy have said on measurement that my tumour has shrunk a bit, it was nothing like the amount I had hoped for which really upset me this week, but that doesnāt mean the chemo isnāt working. My boob is also less swollen than it was before so I can feel a bit more of the lump. All I can advise is to wait and see what your oncologist says tomorrow, hopefully they can reassure, there may be other reasons for what youāre feeling. And if it is the lump then youāre in the best hands for treating it!!
Also, I think itās totally normal to be feeling the way you are, I know that may not seem helpful but I would say most if not all of us on here have had that panic that itās spreading. Waiting for appointments and results is the worst. I have also been guilty of the google searching and it really does make things worse so try to avoid!!
The psychologist Iāve been working with told me when Iām feeling like this and having bad thoughts, try closing my eyes and focus on my breathing, if the thoughts creep back in acknowledge that they are there then focus back on your breathing. It may take some time to get used to but give it a go. I also find watching light hearted tv/listening to music helps as a distraction.
Sending you lots of hugs, I hope tomorrow goes ok and either way you get a plan in place. Stay strong š«¶š» the lovely people in this group will help get you through it!
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Hi @jjjane97 good luck this morning - not sure what time your appointment is but if youāve time you could call one of the BCN nurses here and get them to talk you through what questions to ask your oncologist so that anything you neednāt be worried about gets set aside quickly. Agree with @sooz1 to get off google for a bit. If you must google something go for checking out little accessories that may help you through this journey. I ordered eyebrow stencils last night! Let us know how it goes, we all have our āmomentsā on here.
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Hi everyone,
Thinking of you all and feeling all emotional today.
Had my lumpectomy and some lymph nodes removed on Friday.
Surgery went ok as far as I know, very sore and tired. Itās my armpit that aches the most.
Now itās the waiting again for the lymph node results before I find out more about my chemo and radiotherapy journey.
Trying to keep busy and distract my wandering mind!
Take care everyone and love to you all 
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@sooz1 thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate you taking the time. Iām really sorry youāve had the news of only a little shrinkage this week, itās definitely disheartening when it doesnāt melt away youād assume! Also frustrating going through the hideousness of chemo for so long without loads of reward. Fingers crossed that those last two shrink yours more considerably or that the lump is just lingering scar tissue. Youāre right about the breathing, just taking that minute to break the googling cycle or doom scrolling is helping. Your reply was really kind, felt like a friend replying to me and it meant a lot to me in the midst of panic at midnight!
@carrie5 thank you for your lovely reply! Youāre also right about not googling. Let me know how the eyebrow stencils go! I got myself one of those eyebrow pens you can do little strokes with so it looks like hairs but havenāt had a go yet!
Onc this morning said lump feels bigger to him too. Plan is to change from EC/Docetaxel/phesgo to Docetaxel/carboplatin/phesgo. Liver ultrasound clear!
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@jjjane97 youāre welcome, got to try help eachother where we can on his battle! Glad that youāve got a new plan in place, hopefully this one does the trick!! And good news about the liver ultrasound! When do you start the docetaxel/phesgo? I have a few tips which may or may not helpā¦
Phesgo I bring an ice pack to whack on my thigh during the induction just as it stings a bit when going in, you can also get like numbing cream for the skin but I find the ice works ok.
Docetaxel I have Suzzipad cold therapy gloves and socks which you put these little ice packs in and wear during the infusion theyāre meant to help prevent neuropathy. Not sure if the other chemo youāre having can also cause neuropathy or not.
And just hydrate hydrate! Everyone has said that to me and Iām so bad at drinking if Iām feeling any nausea! So take the anti sickness regularly and drink. Iāve bought some flavoured water and lollipops too, Iāve got a horrible taste in my mouth which I believe is the docetaxel, sorta comes and goes.
Hope this hasnāt made you anxious, but I will say Iāve felt better on docetaxel than I did on EC!!
Iām 7/8 down now, one to go!
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Hello my dear buddies and a warm welcome to @lilyanne @virgo123 and @jjjane97
@lilyanne I am very familiar with repeated lumpectomies until I finally got my mastectomy. I wished Iād had one to begin with but it wasnāt an option at my first hospital. Iām so sorry to hear how youāve been going through it and the toll it has taken upon you. Itās bloody awful and you are among friends. We all know and sympathise. Letās pray that the chemo and Trastuzumab do their job but if not, then a mastectomy is not as bad as it sounds. Either way, theyāre dealing with it. Can you get something to help you sleep? I was given Zopiclone and couldnāt have done without it. Iāve just read Jessybessyās response and see she has recommended something too. I think GPs are very familiar with women going to them for help with the anxiety and insomnia that are the bedfellows of a breast cancer diagnosis.
@virgo123 Iām so glad youāve had some reassurance from the girls that your headache could very well be a side effect. It could also be tension. You are going through a lot and itās stressful and horrible but @jeml is right that itās worth mentioning to your team or call the BCN nurses on this website to run it by them. There is definitely a Younger Women section on this site. Iāll take a look and try to send you the link.
@jjjane97 - First of all, youāre getting one of my Salbert hugs. 28 is so young to have to go through this. Luckily there are lots of younger women on this thread who can encourage you that you will get through this. What horrible timing too what with New Year and your wedding coinciding. The good news is that there is no obvious lymph node involvement but even if there is, they can deal with it. As everyone says, stay off Google. Itās full of out of date and inaccurate information. If you have to get on the internet then read this thread from the start. You will hear so many encouraging stories and realise you are not alone. You can even travel through with other women at the same point as you. It could be that your lump is responding to being whacked with chemo. Hopefully your oncologist will be able to help put your mind at rest today. Please let us know what they say. And never apologise for coming on here and pouring your heart out. Thatās what weāre here for. Of course you are frightened but you are on the treatment path and they will do what needs to be done. It doesnāt metastasise as fast as we all believe it will at the point you are at. Keep us posted, lovely one. Even if the chemo doesnāt totally eradicate it and you join our Kadcyla girls for some extra chemo, then you couldnāt be among a more wonderful bunch. We have you.
@jessybessy PCR is great. DCIS is grade 0 so I think that amounts to some excellent news. By the way, you look beautiful with your short hair. I have just experienced another attack of Barnet envy!
@caz591 Hooray on clear margins. Thatās a positive step in the right direction. @Linda_Corinne Good news on the first block having no cancer. Let us know when you get the next results.
@arty1 My sympathies re the post chemo āpeach fuzzā on your face. Itās why I purchased a Ladyshave and found myself rolling my eyes in the mirror the first time I had to use it but boy, was I happy with the results! Nobody needs to hear their husband congratulate them on their ālovely hairy faceā!
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What a horribly long day you had getting your Herceptin. Iām really sorry your body doesnāt like it. I have a theory that I spent so many years poisoning myself with alcohol and cigarettes that it doesnāt bat an eyelid at chemo and Phesgo. I can only conclude that you are so lovely and pure that your body is complaining at the introduction of an alien chemical. I really hope the rash subsides soon. Knowing you, you will transform it into a work of body art.
@sooz1 Iām also a crazy cat lady! I love your beautiful black cat. So gorgeous! Itās great that youāve been rocking your wig. Go onā¦ post a pic!! (No pressure if you donāt want to.) Good luck with your penultimate chemo. Almost there. Yeah!! So happy you answered jjjane97 so wonderfully. And you @carrie5. It makes my heart sing when I see a new lady in distress and we all leap to her aid. Itās paying it forward in the most beautiful way.
@erica - Good to hear that you are doing ok. The armpit was by far the sorest bit. Keep distracting yourself, itās definitely the best way. Love to you.
In fact, love to all. I am Dadsitting tonight and he wants me to type his 3,000th complaint letter to the DVLA for taking away his driving licence. He is 86, has had 3 strokes and is a dangerous liability on his mobility scooter. The last time he was on one, he drove it into a craft stall and my mother had to buy a load of unwanted snoods and beaded jewellery to pacify the owner. He has also mown down the No Cycling sign on the pathway by my home. Oh the irony!
Salbert
xx
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