Go you! I wasn’t even offered it. If I hadn’t mentioned it it wouldnt have been mentioned at all. Maybe they just assume if you want it youll say. God knows. Good.luck xx
Hi I am starting my first chemo tomorrow for triple negative breast cancer. So scared to be starting this journey. How are you finding it?
Hey 2183, It’s a scary road but when you know what to expect each time, it will feel a little easier. You will get into a routine with it. I am having 12 weekly treatments and only on number 3 this Friday. I am fasting for 24 hours before and after and religiously drinking 3 litres of water every day to flush it out my system. Take one day at a time and control the things you can control. How many treatments are you having and how often? There is a great support network on here. Good luck to you. xx
Hey hope you are starting to feel a little better. I am on the same road as you accept I will have 12 weeks of EC after the intial 12 weekly ones. Starting tomorrow so so nervous. Is anyone else having immunotherapy at the same time?
Sarah_c123 thank you for your reply. It’s paclitaxel weekly and another drug beginning with c every three weeks for 12 weeks then EC for 12 weeks. Also having immunotherapy every 3 weeks. It seems like such a lot and I don’t know if it is because my cancer is 85mm. It’s triple negative and I think it’s scaring me how many times they have said about it all
Carboplatin? Or something like that?! All these new words we didn’t know that now roll off the tongue!
It’s a lot to take in isn’t it? I’ve got 3 years of treatment altogether but just doing one at a time. I’m reading far too much on the internet. My oncologist wouldn’t even talk about radiotherapy as she didn’t want to overwhelm me! She has no idea!! My tumour was found accidentally but only 8mm. Her2 positive so it’s a belt and braces regime. Like triple negative I think. Treatment has come on so much in recent years. Thank goodness xx
Hi 2183, it sounds like I’m potentially on almost the same regime as you, starting chemo today. I have TNBC too but stage 2… The chemo is the same but they are staggering the start of immunothery to see how I get on as I have pre existing conditions that immuno may disrupt. They’ll review in a few weeks, but I’d love to hear how you get on with the regime. Hope all goes well for you xxx
Just about to leave for the hospital and I’m feeling anxious. I woke up feeling very frightened - it was awful but I’ve calmed down a bit. Off to start the fight! Hope all goes well for you 2183
Good luck today. Definitely you will feel better getting the first one behind you and knowing what to expect. I hope it went as well as could be expected. xx
Ah how did you get on? I had an allergic reaction to one of them so had to stop and then start again so was there for 7 hours in the end!!! Hope your ok after today, its a scary time isn’t it. Just feel like I’m going to go mad symptom spotting now
Thank you Sarah. It went better than I expected. The only real discomfort was when I was sucking the ice cubes -I did not expect that! I’m hoping the Paxman cap was on right as I was expecting it to be excruciating and it wasn’t but she seemed to tug it in place almost crushing my vertebrae together!!! Side effect next.
Hi Pinklizzie, I hope it all went well for you today? x
Hello alex2. Thank you for asking. It went much better than I expected although I’m not 100% sure the cold cap was tight enough. I felt fine for the rest of the day apart from a vague headache at the top of my nose which started soon after I commenced suckiing ice cubes.
It’s now mid-morning post chemo day 1 and the nausea is becoming apparent. fingers crossed the medications keep it in check. How far are you along this journey?
Hi Pinklizzie, glad to hear you got through the first EC! Are you on steroids for a couple of days? I think that’s what kept me going for a few days before I had a massive dip on days 7 and 8. I had my first EC on 10th Jan and my second one next Wednesday (3x 3 weekly like you). This week, I’ve almost felt “normal”
At least you will be much better prepared for it all next time.
I know what you mean about the cap - having read various posts on the FB page, I think I might take a scarf and a weight next week! Take care X
Hello again. Yes I have the steroids and antiemetics which I will take religiously as I hate being sick. I’ve just been offered a wig appointment in Nottingham and he isn’t concerned that my hair is yukky - I had originally thought of a couple of days before 2nd dose so that I’m feeling the best then. Would you have managed to go on day 2? I need to look into scarf and I hadn’t heard of using a weight - Thanks for that I’ll go and look. xx
Sounds like you are doing well. I have felt wiped out today like a rollercoaster hangover. Hoping tomorrow will be better.3 days of steroids but I will only have a few days off then onto next treatment next Thursday.
On a different note has anyone else got a picc line in? I’m finding mine is so itchy and the covers they gave me at the hospital ones too small and the other too tight so I’m going to order some but they are going to take a while to come
Hi 2183, sorry to hear about your allergic reaction, and glad they got there in the end! My session went OK and took about 5 hours. Developed a spiky temperature yesterday though so have spent 24 hours in hospital, mostly admin delays and repeat blood tests. Nothing too untoward and just oral antibiotics for a throat infection, so nothing to distract from my next chemo session hopefully! Hope all goes well for you next week. X
Hi 2183, I really hope you are feeling better. What you described in terms of how you feel resonates with how I felt too. I had my first EC on 22nd Jan and felt very spaced out and basically unable to do much, especially since the injection for boosting white blood cells. I basically only slept for days. Day 5 today and I am starting to feel a bit more energetic, which I take as a win! I find there is a lot of managing to do: anti sickness, constipation (I am taking lactulose), reminding myself to drink water and managing headaches with paracetamol. It has been a week of learning and as many ladies said, I think next time we will be more prepared!
Sorry, I don’t have a PICC line.
HI, day 2 I was on steroids so still functioning okish. I took a massive dip on days 7 and 8 and really only started to feel fairly normal by day 11 post EC. I managed to go for a wig fitting on day 9! Have you taken a look at the PAxman scalp cooling group on Facebook? X
Hi Alex. well I’m on day 4 post ECx1. I feel proper normal! So far I think I’ve had it easy compared to other people. So I’m about 2 weeks behind you. I am expecting to go into a dip but not sure what to expect - what were your symptoms, if you don’t mind me asking? I understand the effects are cumulative so not expecting to be the same next time. Hope all goes well with your next session on wednesday and I hope you have minimal effects.