July 2017

Ladies don’t forget Facebook group at Breast cancer care July 2017 chemo starters

Hi ladies I have been following you from a distance and also found all your comments helpful.l am er +her+grade 3    2cm have had a lumpectomy and started chemo a week last Friday.  Fec 

 

l had a cold last week and a bit of a cough but was at work and felt fine. Friday l read a few forums and one about bleeding gums and taking temperatures. I didn’t think l had a temperature but took mine just to be sure and discovered it was 38.1 rang the hospital and was admitted. So want to say thanks for making me think to do this and also to  Let others know that it is not always obvious when you have a temperature so check just in case.

 

also I have read about some finding that the tummy injection stings. Mine have been fine had home but when they gave it to me in hospital it really did sting.  The only difference l could see was that the chemo nurse told me once the injection is in to slowly push in fluid whilst the nurse did it really quickly. If you are having trouble might be something to think about?

 

Has any one else had low immune system how quickly did you recover and do you know if you have had this once are you more susceptible to it in the next round? My cough has almost gone as was given intravenous anti biotics but can’t go home yet as my levels have gone down. Hoping they go up tomorrow so l can to go home but really can’t complain as l feel well.

I didn’t realise I had a temp of 38 until I checked it routinely. It rose quickly to 39c. I’m still in hospital 3 days later. See post below x

Oh Carole hope you are OK, sorry to hear that you are in hospital x Claire I bet you had a fright when that happened, you know ladies we are all going through something quite shocking putting our bodies through this and yeah it can be quite scary Annie you are certainly not a wuss, but know how you feel as I felt so guilty for being in hospital within two days of first one, I scared the pants out of my family which kind of made me feel worse but you know when you aren’t right when you ask to go to hospital! I feel better today and have lot of questions for my onc at today’s clinic,

I normally ask alot of questions but for some reason I haven’t much up to now, my nurse who looked after me whilst admitted was fantastic came and chatted for ages and did say that the best patients are the one’s who ask the most questions!!!

Anyway ladies hope you are all well x take care for now x

Annie I am religious with mine, touch wood never been high, but surprisingly when I had to go in mine was quite low also not great they said, and low blood pressure again not good, my lovely nurse told me to drink fluids constantly and drink through the night if you wake up, I had to have 3 fluid bags because of my low blood pressure so watch out for signs ladies, extreme weakness I couldn’t even speak I was so weak could only muster 1 word answers xx

Hello to the new ladies that have joined us. It’s great to know that you’ve found our comments and shared stories useful. I think between us we have a whole heap of experiences that can really help see us through treatment so welcome aboard!

 

Mishy18, sorry to hear you’ve been going through it. Hospital admissions are what we all want to avoid but when it happens, just take comfort in knowing you’re in the best place. Your docs sound like they know what they’re doing so hopefully things will settle down.

 

Ive woken up this morning with more hair on my pillow than I would like to acknowledge. Turbans at the ready! 

 

X

Hi everyone hope your all having a good day and feeling well x

Finished my first cycle of weekly Tax and Carboplatin today. Pleased to say the cold cap thus far is working and my hair seems to be staying in my head… Touch wood!
I know this might sound daft but has anyone who has had chemo first noticed a change in their tumor(s) after treatment? I’ve had a prod of mine after each session and it does feel noticeably less hard. I’m taking that as a sign the drugs are working.

My hair is still on my head atm after 1 round of fec with cold cap I’m day 10 so expecting to shed soon if it’s going to fingers crossed eh! God feeling so much better today hopefully next time won’t be as bad having dose tweeted a little, I went for a walk, did a little garden pruning x eating more actually really hungry!
Maggie centre called have booked me on a look good feel good Monday coming so I’m going to that x hope you are all well x

I’ve got to start another chemo drug on Monday got to go christies for it now as the other one I was having had a serious reaction, hopefully this will be ok and I can get back to my treatment fingers crossed x

Are any of you ladies having Abraxane chemo drug as that’s what I’m having instead because of a really bad reaction on the other drug I was taking? Thanks

First chemotherapy session this morning.  EC,  all your posts have been really helpful,  I feel more prepared than I did.  Terrified but prepared ! 

Good luck for today hope you aren’t too scared not everyone reacts to chemo the same hope you are OK with it x Claire never heard of it my next one Monday hoping I’m better this time round onc has slightly tweaked my dose to see If I am better on it x

Hi

i had my first round of FEC-T on the 19th Jiuly, and on the 20th I was hospitalised with severe headache and vomiting. The headache started just after the chemo was finished and got progressively worse as the day went on. I was admitted the next day and given IV morphine and fluids for 3 days, has anyone else had this problem I am due my next round on the 9th August and dreading it 

Hi I went in two days after 1st fec with weakness low blood pressure and sickness no vomiting but constant water brash and retching had fluid drip for two days it totally wiped me out which meant I only began to feel better after 10 days where I could leave the house next dose has been slightly tweaked to try to aliviate the symptoms maybe they will do that for you I know I’m bricking it for next one this Monday coming x

Thanks I’m sure I will be fine probs just teething problems! Good luck with your next one too I’m sure you will be fine too the docs know what they’re doing x

Hi all you lovely ladies,

I started my FEC-T on 30 June, so I’m hoping I can stretch a point and join the July group! A brief history: My first diagnosis was in  June 2002, I had a lumpectomy, radiotherapy, 2 yrs zoladex, 5 yrs Tamoxifen and 5 yrs Letrozole.  Job done.

Then in May 2017 I got a whole new diagnosis: Same boob, same place, new primary with entirely different characteristics from the first one. So here we go again!

This time I’m triple-negative (so a special hello to Karen on this thread – nice to meet you!), and the plan is 6 cycles of FEC-T (3 of each), followed by mastectomy.  Well, it’s nice to have something to look forward to at the end of my chemo!

 

Well, my first chemo made me very sick; but they added Emend to the package for my second session (which was Friday 21st) and it made all the difference.  So I want to say to anyone out there who’s suffering from nausea, do say yes to any additional meds that they might offer you! 

 

First time round I ended up in A&E twice – once from the nausea, the second time because I fainted due to random low blood pressure (scenes of high drama in the village hall car park).  Second time round, I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but I’m avoiding the drama-queen action so far. Felt very washed out & feeble for several days (not helped by the fact that it was our wedding anniversary on Wednesday), but I’ve perked up a lot now.  Just wanted to say, it’s lovely to have discovered this thread and the wonderful supportive message from all you people.

 

Now I’m going back to watching YouTube videos on all the different ways to tie a scarf!

Hi Tatyana welcome there are a couple of July threads on here I tend to pop in and out of both I’m a TN too, doing the Fec t had first one with two hospital admissions in first week! Same as you low blood pressure and temp resulting in near fainting and extreme weakness xx fine in 2nd week having next one on Monday x baldy patches all over the shop as cold cap hasn’t seemed to have worked x
But onwards and upwards it will all be worth it in the end and yeah think I’ll go on u tube for some head scarf tips cos loos like I need them!!

Please also join our Facebook group on Breast Cancer Care July 2017 Chemo Starters

Hi Annie how are you doing, it’s lovely that you have decided to be a community champion BTW you kept my pecker up in my earlier days of diagnosis and still thank you!!

Yes I will definitely call in and look at the scarfs I have one which I got just in case but need some more now, I don’t even know if they will let me cold cap anymore for the state of my hair this morning I have woken up to something resembling a birds nest all matted and patchy x so I think for my own sanity it will have to go x I think I will ring chemo unit and ask what they think xx
I’m definitely ready for round two, hoping I have no hospital visits this time mind you it just goes to show we all have different reactions to it and some peoples bodies are more tolerant than others x