Thank you all. When does the feeling of “this can’t be happening to me” go away? Or doesn’t it?. Tomorrow is the beginning of a journey I never expected to be taking… And I want a full refund…oh yeah, forgot its not that easy!!! Just got to try and accept things and hopefully it will be over soon.
Hope all those already started are doing ok.xx Good luck Emma for Wednesday. Xx
I’m sorry to hear that Judith, but glad they are steaming ahead with the next tests. I find the waiting the worst bit. Good luck for tomorrow netti. Will he me having those feelings this time next week and by then you will have a week under your belt!xx
Looking lovely Charisse.
Sorry to hear that Judith, sending u a virtual hug x
Just catching up with todays posts,
Charisse. Just WOW. you look amazing. Soo jealous. You and Belle definately rock the shaved head look.
Emma. Talk through all your fears with the nurses on the chemo unit, they will totally understand and will have some good advice, I didnt really get scared before the 1st one, I think I was still in denial. Im due for no 2 on Wednesday and am totally freaking out, even though I know what to expect. Totally irrationaly but cant stop worrying about it.
Hi Charbutton. Im having 3 FEC and 3 T as well. Then 20 Radiotherapy sessions and 5-10 years of Tamoxifen, depending on what the most recent research says when the time comes. My 1st treatment was on the 1st June. SE’s are crap but after about a week and a half I started to feel better, still got a slight sore mouth but my taste is back to nearly normal.
Anon16. Under employement law you are classed as having a disability. I agree with the others. Get some advice from Macmillan, they will tell you where you stand. And go to your GP and get a sick note.
I have gone back to work. I was off on Wednesday 1st June for my treamtnet, stayed off on the Thursday and went in on the Friday but only worked 4 hours. I dont work weekends luckily as I wouldnt have been in and stayed off on the Monday, have been back full days since then but I know if it gets too much all I need to do is say and I can go home. I work in a small office with only 5 staff and 2 bosses so its easy for me to work what I want, and I like my job so its giving me a bit of normality, which is what I need. Ive only worked there for just over 18 months, if I had still been in my old job I would have got a sick note for the whole time I was having treatment as I know they would have made my life miserable.
Do what is best for you, if they are not being reasonable, then dont go in. You and your health are the most important things at the moment, added stress is the last thing you need x
Take care everyone and good luck and hugs to everyone having treatment this week xx
Hi everyone, just catching up on all the posts…Good luck to everyone about to start, think it’s better once the ball is rolling. Belle and Charisse you look amazing! Your photo’s bought a tear to my eye (doesn’t take much these days!) Have felt fine since day 6, so am really pleased with that. Went to get my prosthesis whilst my brain was all foggy though and now I think it’s too big! Will have to put a sock in with my real boob to compensate :smileylol: xx
Hello Ladies,
Just been catching up on your posts. I’ve been on here but trawling through all the posts I can find about people who have had “TC chemotherapy” x4 as this is what I will be having. I’m aware that the majority of you will be having FECx3 then FECT x3 so it’s slightly different for me.
I have my pre chemo assessment on the 29th June so thanks Sue for starting a July thread.
I had my eyebrows tattooed today, supposed to get top up in 4-6 weeks but obviously won’t be able to do that as I’ll have started chemo by then. Getting a short hair cut tomorrow as I have very thick hair in a bob at the moment and I’m going to try on wigs on Wednesday. Will get my head shaved once I have my wig as I can’t be bothered waiting for it to shed or the mess of having hair all over the place. The cat does a good enough job of that without me adding to it.
I realise I have been focussing on the “beauty” side of things, which is strange as I’m not really that bothered, I very rarely wear make up etc. but just want to be organised in case I feel too ill/tired to do it once my chemo has started. Also, it’s a bit of denial, I still haven’t read any of the leaflets about my chemo regime etc. that the oncologist gave me although I have been reading posts on here about my particular regime which is probably better, reading real people’s experiences as opposed to just medical literature.
I haven’t been told anything about the injections to prevent infection, although they may tell me on the 29th at assessment. My unit doesn’t do picc lines in the first instance. I’ve got good veins, although can only use my left arm as my surgery was on my right side.
I feel really lucky not to have to pay anything towards my wig, this is because I live in Scotland and everybody gets free prescriptions. I have spoken to one salon on the phone and looked on their website and they suggested the monafilament wigs but they’re around £200. Are you only entitled to one wig? I have a wig bank near me where people donate wigs and the bank sterilises them etc. and sells them cheap so I might get a second one there if need be. I also need to place my order at Annabandana for my hats/scarves. Therometer arrived today, same Braun one that my GP uses.
Still a bit scared of going through chemo living on my own but I keep thinking of your post Sue. I actually really love living on my own, I like my own space, it’s just when I’m ill I panic a bit!
Right, just thought I would check in to see how you’re all getting on. I’ve got a Heart Scan on Thursday which involved having radioactive dye injected through a cannula in my (left) arm? Presumably this is because I will also have my first Herceptin injection the same day as my first chemo. Apparently I’ll be there all day as they have to monitor you for 6 hours after Herceptin.
Back to reading some of these TC posts now, some of them go back to 2008.
Take care and Best Wishes all of you.
Hazel. xx
I’m in at 9am in the morning for first fec, wish me luck x
Good luck to you too. Doesn’t feel real yet so I’ve had a glass of wine, watched game of thrones and come to bed now. Baby early tomorrow nursery then heading there for 9am. Just want it over with really. Xx
Hi everyone,
I have just spent a few days reading all your posts, catching up!
I have just started my first treatment past Friday 17th. 3xfec + 3xt…
The coldcap was pretty torturous, absolutely horrendous, but did get better the longer it was on. I am now reading that everybody still looses quite a bit of hair about 2 weeks after? I have very fine, thin hair, so am worried it’s going to look really weird! Not a fan of my wig, so better get some more hats and scarfs :-)
The first Fec wasnt fun, but not too bad either I suppose. Friday I got back from treatment, put my boys to bed (1yr & 5yr!), but about 3hrs after treatment I started to feel realy lethargic… Hurled myself to bed, but didnt sleep at all, as was really nauseous, shivery cold & hot flushes, vomiting… Bleh. This went into Saturday, and started to feel slightly better Saturday afternoon. Sunday a bit better again, and today I seem ‘fine’. Though not 100%, and cant quite put my finger on it… Just a bit more lethargic, heavy body… But nothing serious either. So it seems my side effects mainly lasted 1.5 days…
Though I’ve heard after you stop taking the medicines you might have a fall back again, is that right? Tomorrow is my first day without meds… Anybody can tell me what to expect?
I must add I had been fasting around the time of chemo… I know it will sound a bit controversial for some, and definitely not everyones’s cup of tea, I understand that. But I read some interesting research on how it might reduce chemo side effects, and enhance the chemo (basically, your normal cels will switch to ‘protection mode’, but cancer cells cannot do that, so chemo hits them better)… For me it was more to try and reduce the side effects. Didnt completely work, as you can see! But maybe I can tweak my next trials 
Anyway, nice to meet you ladies! Even if it is under these circumstances! I am generally still in denial about it all… Weird huh. I dont even believe I ‘have’ cancer, and feel all these treatments are mighty unnessecary :-)
Tonight I had a bit of a wobble, when I realised that when chemo is over…it aint over yet… Still 1 year of Herceptin, then 5-10 years of Tamoxifen… It feels so unfair that it takes away such a big chunk of your life! And with two small children, a few traumatic years behind us, I just wanted to finally get on with life and enjoy!
Grr.
it’s all just bloody unfair isnt it.
I’ll be having my treatment in Edinburgh by the way (I’m from Holland originally, married to a Scot!) (so please excuse any spelling mistakes) x
Where is everybody else?
NIght night for now.
Xxx
Belle. I think we just accept that we Ate going to have side effects and put up with them. I put up with streaming eyes for s week saying "it’s to be expected " . Was persuaded by my daughter to speak to gp who prescribed two lots of eye drops and cleared it up within a day xx
For all of you amazing ladies
Going luck to anyone starting today. Hope it all goes smoothly for you. I’m living reading the lists of things to take. I probably would have just turned up empty handed if it wasn’t for the advice on here!! I hadn’t thought the yucky taste would start quite so quickly so will definitely stock up on some sweets to suck.xx
I’m home and all is good so far - had a craving for chocolate biscuits (nothing new there!!) so gunna relax and hope to feel fine still later. Let us know how you get on Netti
Glad you are home ok from your first treatment. I’m in tomorrow for my first FEC at 10am, felt ok this morning but as day goes on, more and more nervous! I hope you are ok for the rest of the day. Hope I’m like you tomorrow!!xx
I’ve just got back home too. I feel ok. Hoping that’s a good sign. Got a bit of a whoozy head, but I think that’s stress related. Got red wee…(tmfi) but that’s too be expected. 1 down … 5 to go. Xx
Good to hear from you Rosie…hope your still feeling ok. Its the next few days I’m thinking of now. I was so nervous this morning, but my experience was very good…as it goes. Xx
Hi Netti, glad you are home ok and feeling ok, I have been warned about the red pee so will be prepared for that. So would you say the experience today wasn’t as hellish as you expected? I really hope I’m like you tomorrow when I get home. I’m so glad you’ve got over the first hurdle unscathed xx
Well done for getting through your first day ladies. Hopefully your night will go well. Just had my meeting with the oncologist before my chemo number 2 tomorrow and been told my white count is still down so may be delayed a week. Gotta go and have another blood test in the morning to see if there’s any improvement. So annoying! He said I will be starting those injection for the next one to try and make it not happen again. Thrown me a bit as I just assumed stupidly that I would be OK and I just wanna get on with it! ?
Emma you have nothing to be scared of, hellish is farthest from the truth. You sit on a big comfy chair and chat to nice people whilst the drugs just drip slowly into your IV in your hand/arm. Please don’t be scared. You’ll be fine.
Taran I’ve never had any bad taste in my mouth at all so you may or may not get that. Weird that we all get different bits.
C xx
Thank you for your kind words Charisse. I’m trying to be strong today and doing weird slow breathing exercises to help with the anxiety but you have def helped too.
Sorry to hear about your blood count. Why don’t they give the injection in the first place!!?? Really hope it’s better when you are tested in the morning so you will be closer to end of your treatment xx
Hi Belle
Glad you are feeling so good at day 13. I guess just have to remember when it’s not so great, it’s not forever. … I’m thinking that may be easier said than done at the time but I will think of you feeling great at day 13 and try!
The whole injection thing is ridiculous if down to cost!! People already having a rubbish time shouldn’t have to worry about that too and potentially have treatment drawn out!! Cost should never come into it when it comes to someone’s health and wellbeing!!!xx
I’m not sure about the injections, I only learnt about them from on this forum but from what I can tell they seem to give them automatically to people that have small children but not if you don’t. Not really looking forward to injecting myself but will try and learn otherwise I will have to go to the doctor every day. Has anyone that has done it got any info on what it’s like or how to do it? X