Well done walking the mile! Every movement helps build strength
I started at 15% less for both Docetaxol & Cyclophosamide then Cyclophosamide reduced by another 5% as we couldnāt get the nausea under control
Iāve had my surgery already with one node macrometasitis. My chemo is based on my risk of reoccurrence from PROSIGNA test we paid for (didnāt do the trial in the end ) + damn node
I had a PET too so this is how we decided on TC x 4 vs EC X 4 Pax x 4 and discussed the dose
Definitely donāt feel worried if this is suggested
Lots of women are on reduced doses to balance chemo & itās toxicity
And you have been through a lot
My friend (who is BC medical onco) told me chemo is like vodka. You can give the same amount to a few ppl & all will have differenct tolerances and reactions
There is no bell at my place but I gave my lovely chemo nurses a treats basket and hugs.
It all feels surreal and think I need to process it all. I felt kinda flat. Iāve had so many messages saying hooray youāre over the worst bitā¦ but I donāt feel it. Odd.
I also cried when leaving the unit. There is a weird safety net there. Although I will be going there monthly for my ovarian suppression injection to start with and 6 monthly bone infusion So they are not rid of me yet.
Appointments are coming in left right and centre for next steps (radio, endocrine & first ovarian shot) so feel like I need to get up to speed on the options. I know ādr knows bestā but there have been times Iāve had to advocate for myself .
Just been reading re side effects re Letrozole (on my treatment menu) can be brand based. The generics have a lot more fillers etc
So swotting up!
Hereās a pic of me using that horrible cold cap one last time - purple lips included as I iced my hands and feet to mitigate neuropathy
I hear you can ice eyebrows too or use Vaseline to help the shed if anyone is out for more tips. I found out too late haha
Going to see what joyous day 3 side effects are in store so Happy Saturday all
Congratulations @idcan49 on getting through your last one! I cried on my first look at the chemo ward and probably will on my last one too! Great photo, I am not sure how you look glamorous with the cold cap & ice mittens but you do!
Good luck with the next steps. It sounds like you are doing your research.
Is it ok if I ask how have you found EC? Was it you that tried fasting to help with the side effectsā¦
Great news @idcand49 . I have the same Orla Kelly scarf, good taste.
I agree with you about the people that say you look great and donāt look like youāve had chemo. I cold capped and kept most of my hair but losing your hair isnāt the only side effect!
I have read that not all centre have a bell as they have realised that some people do not ever finish their treatment and it can feel a bit isolating for them. I didnāt ring a bell at the end of my chemo as I was at a satellite unit with no bell. There was a bell at the radiotherapy unit, and me not trying to draw attention to myself gave it a little ting ting. A lovely lady Iāve met through this forum suggested āslappingā a bench in the park for finishing her treatment. Always available.
Iām on Letrozole and had many side effects. Iāve found Accord brand works best for me but Iāve also had to have treatment to stop the hot flushes. I wrote this nd will keep it updated as needed.
This might be worth reading to see how it affects others.
Ladies, anyone hear receiving treatment for HER 2 Positive Breast cancer? By the time treatment started gone to Adrenal gland and Spine wanted to know is there hope although prognosis is grim?
Hi. Because i felt well fri i drove up to north Yorkshire with my boys. My husband has been there all week with commitments but it was killing him not been home when i wasnāt well. Glad im here. Went for a countryside walk. Wow the fatigue set it. Im shattered lol. But still feel im over the worse. Also think oncologists said reduced EC by 20%. Not sure about Doxetactel but i will tell him how it affected me when we speak next week. Xx
Bless you it is a lovely pic. Im not sure how i feel about ringing the bell either maybe because thereās still treatment and tests in the future. Will i ever feel cured?? Even though they said they removed my tumor and my treatment was necessary just in case. I feel cancer is going to be always hanging over me. I wonāt let it take over me if that makes sense xĢ
Forgot to mention earlier. I was due a regular eye test couple of months ago and my optician said because chemotherapy can affect eyes wait 2 to 3 months after treatment finishes xx
@idcand49 didnt even know you could do the prosignia pre meno. I also was 1 node positive so didnāt qualify for the onco test. I think my grade 3 plus pre memo means i definitely need the full hit of chemo!
Well done on finishing your chemo already! So jealous - still have till end of November!
@cf640 hope you donāt mind me asking - have you been put off cold capping for the EC cos of the hair loss? My ec will be coming up soon so just interested to know your thoughts behind it? Xx
Is anyone else who started chemo in July still having treatment till November like me? Xxx
Hello lovely ladies, hope everyone is ok. Currently feeling a bit crappy and sorry for myself. As you all know i was admitted to hospital on the Wednesday and sent home on the Thursday. I can honestly say it was an awful experience purely because i felt like i had to fight the entire time i was there to get the nurses to listen to me. They turned my IV saline off so i could go to the toilet (because i kept bleeding back down the line everytime i stood up) and then kept forgetting to turn it back on which meant my blood clotted in the line. So later on when they went to flush the canula through, the clot tried to go into the line and it really hurt. I told them this 3 times. 3 times!! And they ignored me.
Eventually a different nurse listened and realised i was right and not overreacting so they changed it. Absolutely ridiculous. I was on a ward with loads of sick people (people being sick, coughing etc) and they said āits this bed or no bedā
I even offered to go home and come back every 6hrs to have more antibiotics via IV so they could give that bed to someone else but they didnt go for that.
Sorry. Im venting.
Anyway. Came home on the Thursday, was discharged with co amoxiclav. Well this morning Iāve woke up with a lovely cold. Fab. Iāve spoken to the out of hours oncologist and they said to keep an eye on my temperature and how i feel, if the temperature goes up or i feel worse then i need to go back.
Well i have to say, i feel like my head would have to fall off in order for me to go back!
Has anyone else had a common cold during all of this? Any tips on how to cope without paracetamol? Ive been told not to take that because it can mask a temperature.
@kerrylou1 my last chemo should be 22nd October - so will be a couple of weeks after that before I feel like itās actually finished .
Good luck getting through yours .
Iām at a point where Iām thinking - only 2 to go but yak Iāve got to do this again twice ( itās making me feel v rubbish)
And then also thinking - eek only 2 more to go - I hope itās had some effect ! Anyone else feeling nervous about that ? I will have a scan at some point soon but not sure when - then will be the scanxiety waiting to see !
Hi @kerrylou1 - my chemo doesnāt finish till mid November. Iām on cycle 3 of EC now and start 9 weeks of pax on 23rd. I had a 1 week delay as had COVID during round 1 but feels like i still have a long way to go xx
Just wondering if anyone has any tips for dry/ painful eyes. My eyelashes have just about completely fallen out now and my eyes feel so sore. Any tips would be massively appreciated xx
So they are not rid of me yet.
I cried on my first look at the chemo ward and probably will on my last one too! Great photo, I am not sure how you look glamorous with the cold cap & ice mittens but you do!
