June 2018 Chemo Starters

Oh dear the T train has hit!  Last night the achea started…  Feel like i have been hit by a truck, mouth si sore and disgusting feel so fedupwith this.  Waiting for hospital to call back re thrush,  hope this doesnt last for ever!  

So sorry to hear you are feeling so rough Kip. Really not looking forward to my first T on Wednesday! Kx

Got my first T on Wednesday too and am feeling very apprehensive. Much more so than before my first cycle of FEC. Guess it’s the fear of the known coupled with the fear of the unknown. Also start my Herceptin injections on Wednesday so we’ll see how they treat me.

 

Got my dark nail varnish which I’ll do on Tuesday. Going to start salt water mouth washes tonight to try and avoid too many mouth problems. Need to stock up on paracetamol and up my fluid levels over the next couple of days. At least it won’t be as hot this cycle as it was for the previous two, surely that’s got to be better?!

 

Glad some of you have found the overnight All-Bran effective - you can prepare about three days worth in a go and keep them in the fridge. Last time I had it on chemo day and for three days after - along with Senna tablets and copious amounts of waters it kept everything moving well!

 

Hope you get some relief soon Kip.

 

LJ

2 days post T x 3.

Blood sugars completely back to normal. The intravenous steroids still being much better for me than the tablets. Still side effect free. 11 weeks down chemo wise, only 9 weeks left to go. Still haven’t heard from the hospital with a review on the blood thinners following the clot in my arm. Managed to get some more injections from my GP but told they won’t prescribe any more which leaves it to me to once again chase the hospital because as usual, nobody there can do their job right. I was meant to be reviewed “within 30days” 6 weeks ago. H

Hi all, well still feeling rubbish here, mouth is so so sore, hospital gave me Difflam and Nysticin (or something) but its so painfil.  I h av to see gp today for flucozonale so hope that helps.  Just hopjng that being forewaned and prepared next cycle i can prevent this getting so bad.  On the plus side no nausea tho!  The flu type aches are manageable with painkillers, although thr bones in my face ache… Weird!  My advixe ladies is make sure you have painkillers, mouthwash and meds before you have T and start them as soon as you can.  Not sure ican face another 2 lots of this but as always we have no choice.  I hope j get some good days soon feeling very sorry for myself ?

@kip stay strong lovely, I’ve just finished 4xT and just want to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel ?I found it best to just give in to it. Be kind to yourself, accept any help offered and ride it out. The day you start to feel normal again is a joy. ?
All best wishes
Jacq X

Hi Kip. Hope you start to feel better soon. I have my first T on Wednesday and am dreading it! Have all the meds ready to go. Thanks for the advice. Much love Kxx

Hi ladies sorry for my miserable posts dont mean to scare all of you starting T soon,.  Thanks for all your kind words, i am sure it will improve slowly and i realised i have my LGFB course tomorrow and am determined to get there … I coujd do with some pampering as the eyelashes are going too now.  But definitely have some hair growing on head so will focus on this! Big hugs to you all and good lyck for any chemoers tomorrow xx 

Been on the LGFB course today. All the ladies were really lovely, all different ages and at different stages in either their treatment or recovery. The beauty consultants were lovely to and had lots of hints and tips for everyone. No question was a silly one and there was lots of laughing along the way. The bag you come away with is amazing and they show you how to use and apply all of the products
It was a lovely morning and I would recommend it to everyone.
I did feel very apprehensive this morning about it all as it is not something I would normally do but I am so glad I went cos it did actually make me feel better…the looking better part may take a bit of practice ?

Much love to you all
Kellie xx

Sounds fun Keli. I think j am finally gettjngt rid of the sore throat part but moutb still sore but i think might be improving , tongue fits in my mouth now at least even id it feels like the cat crept in and left something in fhere!!

Hope you feel better soon Kip… been catching up on all the posts and sounds like you have had a rough time…
Take care and hope you feel well enough to make your LGFB session.

Kellie x

Hi all,
Just wanted to check in.
Kip, sorry to hear you are suffering, it’s a real shocker isn’t it! And seems to last much longer than the FEC side effects! But I can say that 2 weeks after the chemo I feel back to normal again and my taste has completely come back.
Kellie, glad you enjoyed the LGFB session, it’s definitely worth doing.
Hope everyone else is doing okay and getting through this hell…
Sending hugs,
Em
X

I had no taste and a bit sore but my worst symptom was the back pain and headaches! But I think that was due to the injections rather than the chemo… but I don’t know???
Have an oncologist appointment tomorrow and will see if there’s an alternative to the injections…
I am dreading the next T, I feel as though I have only just started feeling normal again.
Roll on the middle of September and the last cycle!
Hope you feel better soon,
Xx

Good morning ladies! Sorry for not checking in but been trying to make the most of feeling relatively normal for a couple of days. Me and my friend took my step daughter and her little girl to the cinema and girly shopping spree yesterday. Had such a lovely time and ate lots of rubbish, because I can atm. No sickness and actually feel hungry ?. Lots of unicorn ? and mermaid ?‍♀️ items purchased and 2 very happy little ladies. Was great for us older ladies too as a catch up and a day not thinking too much about my breast cancer. Hopefully this bank holiday will be good, off to the coast to see other halves family and it’s his birthday ? on the Monday too ?. Treatment journey wise, feeling ok. Arm is still giving me hassle. A little spasmodic with bowels and ibs. Sore mouth but the benzydamine hydrochloride mouth wash helps, bright green looks and tastes like the Incredible Hulk got liquidize but numbs the mouth. Oncologist on Friday to discuss the next 3 (3x T’s starts Wednesday) and radiation treatment after that. Hot flushes and fatigue are the worse things at the moment but I am sick of the same four walls so wandered around shopping whipping my hat of when got too hot and flustered. Came to the conclusion fec it at let them stare. Fluffy very light patchy hair still on head after 3xfec so much so breast care asked if it was new growth. Tried wig on to go out but now everyone thinks I look weird with hair. Apparently I’m rocking the duck fluff no hair look. My theory, do what makes you feel comfortable. Up days or down days we have got to ride this rollercoaster till it’s end so I’m going to vent and cry and shout when I need to and enjoy the days I feel ok , eat the cake and the ice cream, sleep in and do what I can when I can xxx

Sorry to hear you are suffering Kip, hope you manage to get on your look good feel better session. Dreading the T’s too. Sore mouth isn’t fun and by the sounds of it the T’s making you feel very sore. Hope you get it sorted soon ? xxx

Hi, well done clare for gettkng snother chemo ticked off.  Im sure tbe picc will be ok, id have 10 picc lines thsn this sore mouth at present.  I feel absolutely fine everywhree elze just so sore  amd burnt all wzy down moufh tonghe and fhroat.  Mh daughter is 13 bht loves mermaids still anx shd has a tail tk swim in!  Its great.  I managed to geg tk LGFB todah and it was so good.  Only

5 of us but really fun and as a novice make up person i got some good tips and loads of goodies anout £300 worth j teckon, even got perfume so would definitely recommend it!  

 

Michelle glad you are feeling ok now and getting out snd about and enjoying all things mermaid!  Yes i agree with embolorry T is tough come back FEC all us forgiven

Glad to hear your LGFB workshop went so well Reddi. Also glad to hear the antibiotics seem to be helping with the cellulitis. Hope you’re soon on the mend. Thinking of you xx

Hello
This is my first post on here. I stsrt d my chemo in June after what was I thought a routine mastectomy and reconstruction after being diagnosed with DCIS. 3 x Invasive cancer lumps were found post mastectomy leading to Chemotherapy. What a shock.
I had the last of my 4 x 3 weekly EC chemo last Monday 13/8. I have to say I have suffered more after this one. The nausea is all day every day, I have been prescribed several anti sickness drugs but none seem to really work? I feel the same if I take them or not ? Also now feeling really fed up with everything! I just want to be normal again !
The last couple of days I have had like a funny pressure in my head ? It’s not a headache but just feels like there is to much ‘air?’ Inside my head ?
Has anybody else had this kind of feeling?
My next chemo is 12 weeks of paclitaxel with 4 herceptin injections during the same period. I’m hoping this will not be as intense as the EC?
Thanks for reading
Kimini
Good to read all of your reports, great positive attitudes out there, mines usually positive but at the moment I’m at the end of my patience.

Hi Kimini and welcome to the forum. I would defiantly ring the helpline as you shouldn’t be feeling sick all the time. They should be able to adjust your meds. I am on a different regime to you so SEs are. Not the same but there are others who will be able to share their experiences.

Glad you enjoyed your LGFB session Kip. I am going on the 28th. My eyebrows are very sparse now and I lose lashes every day! So definitely need help there.

Most of the stubble on my head has finally gone and been replaced with fine fuzz! I am still going out bald, but finding I need the occasional scarf because it is cold!! Can’t believe I’m saying that after the summer we have been suffer with.

Wide awake. Not sure if it is the steroids ahead of T. We have had a lovely couple of days away in Dartmouth with some friends. Just what I needed! I am hoping and praying that I will be well enough to pop into school on Thursday to see my Year 11 year group get their GCSE results. Checked the A level on line. My group seemed to have done well without me!! Wanted to concentrate on my son last Thursday. He achieved the grades he needed for uni, which was such a relief. It turns out that he has not spoken to anyone at school, friends or staff, and has achieved this on his own. I am so proud! He is now spending a couple of weeks traveling in Europe with his free interail ticket.

My other news is that I have also got a place on the Life Kitchen workshop when it comes to Exeter. It means that I have had to push back my next chemo in September but I really want to go and one day won’t matter!!

Long post. Sorry! Lots of love to you all. Kxx