July 2024 chemo starters

Hi @kerrylou1 - my chemo doesn’t finish till mid November. I’m 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

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My last chemotherapy is in October then radiotherapy but haven’t discussed radio yet as to how many etc.

My oncologist offered me drops for my eyes. If you let them know, theyll give you something my lovely xxxx

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Omg. Soo sorry love. Xxx

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I’m so sorry, you’d think the NHS has learnt something during the pandemic that Covid is airborne and that chemotherapy patients are placed separately from others. :unamused:

If it was me I would consider complaining, Covid is known to make some people seriously ill, including those with cancer and they gave a duty of care not to allow you to become infected in their care.

I hope you feel better soon. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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@kerrylou1
I probwill finish chemo in December at this rate. I think i get another week off then 12 weeks EC.
Im not cold capping anymore for a few reasons: i wanted to keep my hair as long as possible but now it’s falling out, I may as well give up but mainly it is because I’m sick of having cancer being admitted and as a treat, i am going to shorten my chemo appt by 2 hours and get home quicker!!
I have an appt with my oncologist Tuesday and i am going to ask for a replacement. I simply do not trust him to look out for my welfare anymore. My brother, who works in another speciality in a different hospital, suggested it. He also helped me draft a Freedome of Information request for my clinical records. No more nice quiet woman!!!
Clare xx

Oh no! Sorry this has happenedxx hope you don’t have to stay longxx

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@zaran
Are you at least in an oncology ward???

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Hi @kerrylou1 I don’t finish chemo until December. I am 8/12 paclitaxel/carbo/pembro then have 4 sessions of EC plus pembro every 3 weeks. Good luck with your treatments, will you have surgery & radiation afterwards? Xx

Nope. Good old a&e… finally have a private room now… bit late :rofl::rofl: but finally. Last time i was here they stuck me on a ward at nearly 2am (when they finally got me a bed) and it was full of people throwing up, soiling themselves etc… honestly you couldnt write it. I was so glad to get home that i basically ran out of there. I told them when i came in today “because of your negligence, i now have covid” and now theyre treating me like royalty… funny that.

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Thanks @zaran. I’ll mention it to them xx

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Oh bloomin heck - hope it doesn’t make you too poorly and you are out again soon xx

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Well done for looking out for yourself. That’s an excellent result. I hope you don’t get too bored…
Clare xx

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Hope you make a quick recovery and are back home asap. sending hugs xxxx

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Morning all

@Zaran how are you feeling? Did they give you antivirals for Covid? I caught Covid after cycle 1 was given an infusion for it and told to always check my temp before taking paracetamol before being sent home but looks like you are in for a bit? Glad to hear they put you in a private room at the very least. Rest up.

@booklover1
I have been on TC which is the same as x 12 Pax + x 4 Cyclophosphamide (the C part of EC).

My first 2 cycles of TC I had horrific nausea (like waking up dry heaving in the middle of the night) and a disgusting feeling of being “chemically” with my wee being hot and horrible.

The fasting has helped with my nausea (still need meds but they are working better) and the “chemical” feeling I had disappeared.

I also feel less foggy.

I did take hydration tabs with around 3l of water each day too.

@kerrylou1
I was also denied ONCO DX being pre meno which made me cross as it is approved in the USA for BOTH pre meno and meno women with 1-3 node + but NICE have only approved it for post meno women for now.

I was then offered to take part in the OPTIMIA trial which uses the PROSIGNA test but you wouldn’t know if you were given chemo due to being part of the control arm OR from the tumour testing.

My husband and I decided to privately pay for the PROSIGNA test. The results helped me decide which chemo route I felt ‘comfortable’ with. Hence me opting for TC x 4.

Also, if I had done the weekly way I would have finished in October. Not sure dose dense was a good idea or not but mentally it was better for me (if that makes sense).

@Linda_Corinne – I bought the Suzi Pads off Amazon and just replaced the gel inserts with ice blocks we have at home mid treatment. I stored everything in a mini cooler and would take it for each treatment. I have heard compression socks and gloves can also work just as good. My friend is a breast cancer medical oncologist at another hospital and she gives this to “her ladies”. So maybe look into that too? Easier to transport too.

@ldm – same! May call my GP as my eyes are awful right now too. Am I the only one who didn’t realise eyelashes aren’t just for aesthetics?

Lol

As for ringing the bell, I am not there in my head and reflecting on this weekend, I haven’t been in the celebratory mood that I thought I would be at.

I may ring a bell at home when I have processed this all. I still have the next few weeks of side effects to get through too so don’t want to tempt fate.

I did give my nurses a food basket to say thank you. I can say hand on my heart, they were amazing (along with 2 breast cancer nurses I adore).

@deb1 good luck with the horrible mouth taste. Taxols are awful for that. I ate crappy soft/carby, salty food yesterday. My 17 yr old daughter giggled and said it was like “pregnancy cravings”. Odd and all over the place.

Also re radio planning, mine is exactly a week after my last chemo (so this Thurs) to discuss what it is, how many etc etc. Haven’t a clue what to expect.

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week.

x

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Morning! Im actually home now, thought they would keep me in and packed a bag but they said i was ok to go home at midnight so off i went. I feel okish, just a really bad cold. They didnt give me antivirals! What are they?? They told me to keep taking the antibiotics ive been prescribed from before.
Are antivirals IV or tablet form?

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What a long sunday for you. Must have been nice to wake up at home though :heartbeat:

I was given XEVUDY 500mg via an infusion when I tested positive

I started feeling a cold , was told to test (even though I had no temp) and when it came back + , I was told to go in for it

V different protocols

Hope today has been a restful day
X

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Antivirals can be both. I was eligible during Covid pandemic and had some via a trial in tablet form. Usually you need them within the first 5 days of knowing you have Covid. This is from the NHS website.

Most of you would be eligible for FREE Covid tests from your pharmacy, nobody seems to want to say this. I know of people eligible who bought in pharmacy and they didn’t tell them they could get them for free.

I hope it’s stays as just a cold. :crossed_fingers:t2:
:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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@cf640

Glad to hear you have a plan - nothing worse than feeling fobbed off. I’ve started to say ‘I’m asking this question so I’m not left wondering’ - seems to always get them to answer if I find it difficult to ask. Hope your next 12 weeks goes ok. Do you have 12 weeks of EC?

@zaran glad your home - hospital only makes us sicker I feel!

@Bibi congrats on only two to go! I think my pac will be reduced or stopped due to the tingling so maybe onto 4 x EC :see_no_evil: sooner than I think (or I have to further 3 pac first)

@ldm nice to hear there is another November person like me! - they said I need to get to at least 9 pac which I have done as there is no evidence 12 is any better - so why do they do 12? :rofl:. I wonder why you are only 9? Xx

@booklover1 ive had my surgery (lumpectomy and SLNB) in June so radiation for 15 sessions once this chemo is finished then the 10 years tablets and hormone treatment :see_no_evil::see_no_evil::see_no_evil::see_no_evil::see_no_evil:

@idcand49 thanks for explaining the prosignia stuff and hope your last chemo is being kind to you! Xxx

Thanks for all the replies ladies. As I got through my pac treatment it is kinder and kinder and now dreading EC whenever the day comes xxxx

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