Hi,
I’m out of the chemo fog. Only 5 days till round 5 now. I’m feeling great at the moment. Only 2 more chemos to go!
How many more weeklys do you have Andi?
Only 2 or 3 hot flushes a night now - maybe it’s the soya I’m eating(I love tofu made by taifun. They do a yummy smoked tofu, sesame coated tofu, olive tofu and sun dried tomato tofu which stops it being so bland. They sell it is health food shops and Waitrose. Good in pasta/pesto dishes and stir fry’s especially, or cubed crisped up(olive oil sprinkle and fry or grill/hot oven) and put on top of a salad. Chocolate soya milk is about the only soya milk I like but the sugar content puts me off. I find soya yogurt a bit weird too.
Maybe it’s just having less chemicals in my body that’s made it less frequent!
Ali, you’ll be fine. Try not to worry. Be prepared for a week in bed though in case you need the rest, and have some food frozen or someone to cook for you. Think week long hangover. Day 3-8 is worst. You shouldn’t get any nausea though.
Hoping I get a date for my op soon - want to plan ahead and know what’s coming.
Lots of love and luck on the side effect bingo,
Cx
Hi Ladies… I am on this regime & Carboplatin from next week. Iv been told it’s a toughy so any advice you have will be appreciated!! I’m terrified of what to expect!!! X
Day 4 and felt a bit rubbish! Lower tmmunpain and feel.lije i need to wee all the time. Cacky mouth! Pains in my ankles and legs. I have washed and ironed today but feeling sorry for myself tonight!!
I have eaten and been drinking. I have done my mouthwash and my 2nd gscf injection.
Pain is awful Andi!! It has taken me totally by surprise. To be honest the painkillers are not really touching it for long. They take the edge off but not much else! I think i am going to ask for nerve pain meds. I have 3 more of these to have! ??
Hi everyone,
I have my last of 6 tchp on 14th. What a relief it will be to put chemo behind me! I think it gets more mentally exhausting each time.
Sam - you will likely feel ok through the infusion and while you are on the steroids the day after. It’s day 3-8 you will feel worst. I usually feel tired, dizzy, foggy headed, Dry mouth and food tastes of nothing, yucky taste in mouth, sore mouth, bleeding gums and nose bleeds. I did get nausea too until I started akynzeo - now I don’t get nausea at all. Diarrhoea tends to be a problem and gassy indigestion - you will get loperamide tablets to take if needed. I usually spend day 2-8 mainly in bed sleeping or reading and get help with the kids as I really can’t cope with much. I think some people manage to get on with normal life better than I do!
Things I think help are aloe Vera mouth wash, benzydamine mouthwash to numb it if it’s sore, sipping sparkling mineral water, bland food especially potatoes cooked by someone else, Epsom salt baths daily to help with aches and pains from Gcsf injections, short walk daily if able.
I lost my hair about 18 days after the first one and didn’t cold cap. My eyelashes and eyebrows are thin now after 5 treatments.
It has been tough but my breast lump and lymph node lumps have gone and there is now no sign of cancer on my mri scans so it’s wirth it.
It got a bit easier with side effects each cycle too, though more tiring!
Hi Andi,
I’m the day after you for surgery. 10th of January! I’m having a wide lump excision and full lymph node clearance on the left side. Not looking forward to not driving for 3-4 weeks!
Like you I’ve also got numb fingertips but we have carried on docetaxel at 10% reduced dose this time. Hoping it’s no worse- grade 2 at present. My thumb tips have split skin too and despite superficial skin numbness they still hurt! Side effects have kicked in early this time. Sleepy and nauseous from day one! At least that meant no insomnia to deal with. Thinking of what food to eat is already challenging though. Maybe onion mushroom and tomato omelette today.
I totally forgot about carrying on herceptin for 12 months! I was thinking no more chemo but will have to factor that in every 3 weeks. Hoping it can be done at my local outreach clinic to save time and driving.
After surgery it will be rads for 21d and then hormones for 10yrs.
Still having hot/cold flashes on evening and night. Advised sage capsules and black cohosh also evening primrose oil. Might start them once this chemo is done if the sweats persist.
Hope you all are doing well, keep in touch,
Cath x
Hi ? I started this regime last week after finding out that my EC chemo wasn’t doing the job and my tumour had grown, which was pretty much the last thing I remember hearing before signing up to start Dox on Wends and Trans/pertuzumab last Friday. Don’t remember them explaining side effects really, although someone must have, my signature is on the consent form! But… can I whinge? So much worse than EC!! OUCH! My bones are so sore!! My mouth and tongue are so sore! My backside is so sore (is that normal with the dickie tummyl?!).
I have painkillers and happy to take, but does anyone have any other tips for the mouth ulcers and swollen, red tongue?
Milliemoo i hope you are feeling better and if you have had 2nd cucle i hope its kinder than the 1st. I have been much better after the 2nd cycle of PTH than i was after the 1st. Take regular painkilkers for the bone pain i take 1 co codamol with 1 patacetamol every 6 hpurs if necessary and if i need pain relief in between i take 2 ibuprofen. It has worked great and to be honest never needed to take them every 6 hours after cycle two.
Cathy and Andi good luck with your ops this week. You have both done so well gettingvthrough the trials and tribulations of chemo!
Ooh cathysid tjat made my eyes water!! Hope you are ok. I think the tears always hit a few days later so have a go9d cry and let it all out. You are doing so well xx
Andi thank you. Yes 3rd pth 9n wed and last 9ne on 14th Feb. I am seeing my surgeon on 1st Feb ao will know what options i have re recon then. To be honest i think i might have n9ne as i had rads at the end of 2016 and my bcn seemed to suggest that recon might not be possible. I want whatever is quickest and easiest in way of op and recovery so it might be a chicken fillet for me!! We will see.
Hope you can both get some sleep ladies. Lots of l9ve and a gentle hug xx
Hi again,
Good luck tomorrow Ali. Hope the chat with your surgeon goes well and that you are feeling ok after your last treatment. One more to go!!!
Andi, congratulations on the great pathology report! Cancer free. Such good news. Hope you are healing well - how is it going? Do you need radiotherapy?
I am 2 weeks post op now and still needing to go into hospital twice a week to have grapefruit sized seroma in my armpit drained. Also got some cording so having to stretch and massage my upper arm a lot. Hoping it won’t get worse! Eager to get my histopath results now, but have another 8 days to go,
Cx
Great news about your results Andi. Well done for getting through it all and for all your help and advice on the way xx
Cathy poor you with the Seroma. Do they occur because the drain has come out? Hope itgoes soon and you are ok.
Dont know what to expect from apt tomorrow but will let you know. Day 8 today and i have felt much better. Still got skanky mouth and pain from gcsf injection but noth8ng too bad.
Date for my op is 5th march. Just over 2 weeks after finishing chemo! I am having single masectomy with snb and expander recon. Delighted as i thought i couldnt have recon as i have previously had rads.