Hello Alex , is your Jon renau wig 'Julianne’as I keep wondering whether to pay the extra but it’s hard not seeing them.where did you buy it from? So many questions sorry ?Best wishes xdeb
Hi I am on HERCEPTIN Taxotare and PERJETA x
Hi Suze
i had my first taxotere and Herceptin on Tuesday and so far so good. I had a loading dose of steroids on Monday and I have to say that was the first time in weeks that I had any energy and it was a lovely feeling. The chemo and injection went ok, no reactions. I haven’t had the fuzzy head or any real nausea like you have with FEC. I had iv metroclompramide on Tuesday but haven’t needed to take anything else. I have a reducing dose of the steroids till the weekend and start my gscf injections tonight. So far I am finding it a lot better than FEC, yes I was having my breakfast at 5am this morning as I was wide awake and hungry but so much better than the nausea. I am aware of the potential joint pain etc but have my painkillers at the ready. Early days I know but at least a good few days. Xx
Thanks Bella Boo, that’s encouraging to know!
Sounds good for you so far and well done ! I’m just had my third and know what you mean about the steroid boost as they make me want to clean lol . Best wishes Deb x
Aah, wigs, my favourite subject!
Deb, the Julianne is a really beautiful wig. It does have body and movement so if you’re used to having fine, sleek hair, it’s probably not the wig for you. My natural hair is pretty big and curly/wavy, so for me, it doesn’t feel weird or too glamourous at all, in fact, I feel quite sleek and well put together relative to how I usually look!
it is quite expensive for a synthetic wig and as Alex said, you do only get a max of about 6months with a synthetic wig if you wear it daily. The good thing about the Julianne is that it’s not too long, so the ends won’t frizz up as much as they would on a longer wig, so it’s likely to last you quite well.
if the price is prohibitive, Jon Renau also do an almost identical looking wig called Scarlett. From a distance, you really can’t tell the difference, the reason though that it’s cheaper is because it doesn’t have the monofilament top which means that, if you (or anyone else) look closely at the top of your head, they won’t see a natural looking parting. The Scarlett instead has ‘permatease’ which hides the wig cap and makes volume by using lots of little short hairs in between the longer ones.
Something else to consider is getting a real hair wig which will be more expensive in the short term, but should last a lot longer. I found an interesting one the other day which is not massively more than a synthetic but comes unstyled so you can take it to your hairdresser and have them cut it like your real hair. I can’t remember the name, but if you’re interested, pm me and I will look it up for you.
i also have a real hair wig and I have to admit that I love it. It’s long and wavy and brunette and it makes me feel like I haven’t lost my hair at all. But the Julianne does come in a close second!
Hope that helps!
Alex, I’ve got my number three FEC next week too…assuming all is ok after my blood tests! I can’t wait to get it over and done with and then move onto the weekly taxol. I’m feeling that the end is in sight now! Good luck with yours, I have a feeling number 3 will be better for us than number 2 was!
Jo, thanks for the insight into weekly taxol, I have a slightly better idea now what to expect : ))
Pookie x
Hello everyone
I can’t believe summer is ‘over’ as the children go back to school. It has been good to be off over summer rather than have to bear chemo through winter. Our garden is looking pretty good with the extra attention it has received from me, little but often.
I am still sporting my crazy ginger fuzzy hair and have braved showing it in ‘public’ at a family weekend. Also still have reasonable eyelashes and brows so maybe there is a connection with enough stubborn wiry hairs surviving the poisoning to see me through?
I am halfway through, having had ECx3. Moving onto Paclitaxol, Pertuzumab and Herceptin this week - anxious about how I will be but very glad not to have any more EC. Main concern is my veins coping with all the bloods and cannulas that weekly treatment will require. Had a couple of hours on the ward last weekend and found the whole needle thing quite stressful, which is unusual for me as I am normally pretty stoic.
Has anyone started on weekly Paclitaxol? Would love to hear how you are getting on.
Hope you are all doing well as we bravely go forward. X
Hi once wild. I’m on weekly paclitaxol. It is much more tolerable than EC. I had 2 weekly ECs x 3 and quite honestly It totally floored me. Taxol isn’t without its side effects though. I’m having my 4th treatment tomorrow and have been plagued with a horrible itchy rash and nasty tummy pains/upset tummy. Buscopan has helped with tummy (it’s like bad ibs) and constant antihistamines have kept on top of the rash. However other ladies at my hosp have had neither if these pribkems and are sailing through with just a few aches an pains. . Everyone is different. Joint pain and tingly fingers is another issue. By the time you’re ready for the next treatment things have settled down though. I usually get a reasonable weekend and the Monday before the Tuesday infusion. You are given steroids and a wopping dose of Piriton before the drug is administered. I’m pretty sleepy by the time i get home. The weds I’m always wired from the steroids and thurs and fri are usually my lowest grittiest days. How many weeks are you having? I’m having 11. The neuropathy is the s/e most people worry about. I’ve had tingles and pins and needles that come and go but no total numbness yet. On the whole though it is all doable and they can tweak the dose significantly if you do get side effects. You feel like you’re constantly at the hospital with it being weekly but it soon becomes part of our temporary new life that we didn’t want. Hope it goes well.
PS I had a portacath fitted prior to chemo starting which hasn’t been without its problems but has saved my veins. I only have one usable arm due to lymph node clearance so it was a no brainer. Hope you get on well xxx
PPS I’ve had no sickness with Taxol touch wood… Now that’s got to be a huge plus 
Thanks Bookworm, that’s really helpful. Relieved to hear you have had no sickness as I have had enough of that! Not so good to hear that it is taking nearly the week to feel ok. I am having 9 lots so guess I just need to face up to writing off the next nine weeks.
Do you use the icy mits and socks to try reduce perpheral neuropathy?
No, I wasn’t offered mitts and haven’t tried. Might ask my onc about that tomorrow. Lots of other people haven’t had half the side effects I’ve had and have had a pretty good quality of life so don’t bank on having to write the next few weeks off. You never know! You might sail through, lots do. To feel sick free is just wonderful. Xxx
So far so good. Had Herceptin jab and Paclitaxol today and so far so good. By now on EC I would have taken to my bed not to surface for days. Hoping it continues.
Tried the icy mitts and slippers but not sure what they achieved as there was a marked temp difference in the three I had from painfully icy to just chilled. I imagine the former is what is needed throughout. It was also impossible to get the mitt comfortably over the cannula so my left hand didn’t benefit. Hopefully next time will be better.
I have been finding the blood taking and cannulation increasingly stressful and think the nurses have enough to manage finding a decent vein without me being wibble. I also have two sore veins so have asked for, and am booked in for, a PICC line. Not looking forward to living with this but feel I have no choice if I am to cope with eight more weeks, then radiotherapy. Such joy. Whilst I really appreciate the NHS and the wonderful staff who work within it I am completely exhausted with interventions and hospitals. Going to have to find some inner strength!!
My, this has become a very quiet forum.
I am feeling apprehensive today. It’s my first T this afternoon and I only had three hours sleep, probably due to the 8x 2mg dexamethasone I took yesterday. I’m hoping I don’t get any horrendous reaction to the drug. I’m confident that the nurses will be straight on it if I do but I can’t help feeling nervous. I saw the oncologist last week and it’s their duty to spell out all the potential side effects and this stuff certainly seems pretty hardcore.
Also, I’ve been reading the posts on the June thread from the ladies who have gone through it already.
I’ll try to be positive.
Thanks Bookworm,
I’m relieved to have got back home with no adverse reactions to the docetaxel. I had read on the inter web that Taxotere contained alcohol but that now there were alcohol free preparations available. My nurse wasn’t able to tell me which one I had been sent up from pharmacy but by then I wasn’t about to stop the treatment.
I’ve been on the wagon for 5 years and didn’t want anything to trigger me back to the horrors of active alcohol abuse. I feel a bit spaced but that is probably the antihistamine .
Dianabrew, glad you’re home now and first one been given. I’m on same regime as you and get my first Tax in 12 days time.
I too have been reading June threads and some of the girls on there are having an awful time on Tax. We can only hope for the best.
Let us know how you get on. X
Well girls, as Diababrew said earlier, this thread has gone very quiet.
I’m halfway through now. 3 FEC done and dusted and start 1sr Tax in 12 days time. Haven’t had a particularly easy time with FEC, and don’t know what Tax will bring, but only 3 more to do!
Anyone else on the. FEC -T regime?
Is everyone doing ok?
So glad you got on OK Diana. It’s the anticipation that’s somehow worse than the event isn’t it. Fingers crossed.
Hope the T goes ok for you all. I too read the June threads and was dreading it - then realised that they are mainly on a diff med to me. I’m on weekly Paclitaxol (also abbreviated to Taxol) which seems to be kinder. Had first last Friday and had no probs other than crazy insomnia on first night and a dicky tummy most of the week - was SO pleased to have no nausea at all! Had second one today so am preparing to be awake a lot. Also have Immodium type meds to help my tummy.
I have been pondering a sense that I have of buried grief and un-resolved trauma. There is, naturally and appropriately, a focus on getting through the chemo at this stage but this will be over soon, hair will grow back and a sense of day to day normality should return once I settle back in work. But I have lost so much that is never going to return - my lovely boob, my lymph nodes (and with these a life long risk of lymphoma), being pretty carefree about my health, my confidence in my life plan and the feeling that I have time to accomplish everything I want to. BC brings a really traumatic time and great losses - I guess we just have to get on and deal with it best we can. For me they are buried in a ‘black box under my bed’ and I hope to find a way to deal with them over time. Guess it is a grieving process for everyone as life can never be the same.
Sorry for getting maudlin - must be a new SE!
Dianabrew and Bookworm, you both talk of antihistamines on T. Did your Unit give you these as standard on day of chemo? Just wondering, as by reading other threads, the others seem to say that Claritin on T is a good thing and am getting some at weekend to start taking, so I have in my system. I Think I would have liked a chat with Chemo Nurse or Oncologist before my first T. Hopefully this will happen on the day I’m due to receive it.