Happy weekend everyone … I have gone for an army shave as I hated feeling the hair falling out! I could see bits all over the place so I got my 14 year old to help make it as short as possible … must admit it feels quite liberating to take control!
I know I’ll be completely bald soon but if any of you are thinking about a going for the BIG shave - go for it - then forget about it and tell yourself ‘it’s only hair and it will grow back’ !!! 
Well done Donna, I’ve done exactly the same thing this afternoon as had major hair loss over the last few days. You are right, it is liberating and it’s only temporary! Hubby and I now have team haircuts!!! Love to all. Xxx
Well done @jane13 and @donna_51. I’m really impressed. Thank you for sharing. I hope I can brave the shave like you two in the upcoming week. 
Thank you for sharing those fab haircuts! I have my calendar marked for next Thursday as it will be day 15 post first-EC which means the big shed is happening!
I’ve been having minor temperature spikes last day or so with no other infection signs (sore throat, diarrhoea etc) I think if this continues on tomorrow I’ll give the oncology team a call. I really do not want to land onto A&E a week after my first trip!
Hi all I’m a new starter this June Was diagnosed with HER2 positive Grade 3 breast cancer last month and as tumour size less than 2cm and nodes appeared ok on ultrasound the MDT decided wide local excision with sentinel node biopsy initially followed by 12 weekly Taxol and year Herceptin every 3 weeks, then radiotherapy and also iv Zolendronic acid infusions
The sentinel nodes clear and tumour margins clear but because Grade 3 need the adjuvant therapy
Had first dose Herceptin 18/6/24 subcutaneous and developed severe allergic reaction and ended up in Resus to be monitored as had Adrenaline
Not a pleasant experience as thought was going to die
Had first Taxol 25/6/24 and went ok Have decided to use cooling cap and see what happens Not a pleasant experience either but tolerated it .
I’m a lot older I think as 71 and breast surgeon surprised that my cancer HER2 positive yet oestrogen and progesterone receptor negative as less common in older women to have just HER2 positive
Been an emotional rollercoaster as was so fit and active prior to this shock diagnosis and trying to adjust and keep as active as can and carry on
Muscle pains in legs been issue past few days so taken Paracetamol
Have got a wig to be on safe side as cooling cap not always successful but I believe can lead to better hair growth after finish chemotherapy
Wish you all well on your journeys- we all so different and will respond differently to treatments and that’s because we are individuals and have to just see how our bodies react to the treatment Love reading the posts
I agree the “big shave” has been very liberating although I have now developed a silver go fast strip!!
But its already starting to thin out so I will be a baldy soon.
Big hugs to everyone xx
Hi there
I hope your tongue has sorted out? Mine has done the opposite and has gone the pinkest it’s ever been which is strange and any thing acidic stings slightly
They gave me a mouth solution at hospital when I left but it stings a bit. I rinse with Colgate no alcohol mouthwash the dentist had given me before chemo - it’s quite gentle. I used a bottle in a week to rinse after any drink or food to keep my mouth clean. I bought 4 on Amazon - about £6 each -high in Fluoride. Good luck!
It is hard but so far it hasn’t been quite as bad as I thought. Week one I was tired and had an infection - blasted with antibiotics which worked so quickly.
I’ve realised in week 2 I get a badish week, a good week and a great week. I’ve said to my husband let’s plan nice things in weeks 2 &3 and have chunked my calendar up accordingly just so I have nice things to look forward to. The dodgy week I’m going to relax and read and puzzles and sleep. That’s the plan. It will probably go out the window after the 2nd one in a weeks time but meanwhile I’m enjoying feeling ok. Even got visitors today for lunch! Hope you can get to that stage and plan nice things. Good luck.
I was given a telephone number for 24/7 to ring. They were brilliant. I didn’t go to A&E they had a special unit set up but appreciate all hospitals are different. The team there were fab - I had no idea - hopefully you might have the same. The antibiotics worked super fast - I was in and out in 2 hours. Good luck and best wishes.
Well done ladies who have braved the shave. It’s good to read your positive comments from the experience and it giving you control. I suppose the downside of cold capping is waiting to see what happens! For those of you that have noticed significant loss already I wondered when did this start? I’m currently on day 15 after my first EC, second one next Fri, so I’m getting a bit nervous now. Also wondering whether to buy a back up wig just in case the cold cap doesn’t work. Been eyeing some up on SHEIN as there’s loads and quite cheap.x
Another fab pic. You look amazing.
@collywobbles same with mine, I rang them last week when I experienced my first fever with a sore throat and they got me to go into my closest A&E. Bloods all looked fine and got sent home with antibiotics and I had high neutrophil counts from the injection. This current temperature spike is literally a spike without anything else, I don’t even feel tired! Honestly I have no idea what my body is doing anymore. I woke up today completely fever free lol. I’ll ring my breast care nurse tomorrow as I doubt it’s an infection, I literally finished my last set of antibiotics last Wednesday!
Welcome @docb … you’re joining our fab group! Just keep posting anything… makes you feel less alone! I LOVE all the photos… I still get a shock when I look in the mirror especially as there’s a few bald spots now so seeing other shaved heads definitely helps. We look gorgeous in a breast cancer sort of way !!!
I naively thought I wouldn’t shed until after round 2, so when it was delayed twice I thought I’d at least have my pixie cut for a bit longer but no … it was day 18ish to now when I could feel small bits in my hands (+ itchy head) and that’s after not washing or brushing it so technically it could be earlier for some of you. I think losing our hair is the last bit of you that makes you realise this is REALLY HAPPENING… more so than the chemo as that’s really private … but you know what, it’s not that bad … I am back to fighting positive mode now and my hair is just part of what I need to lose in order to kick this cancer away forever!
Keep going team … I agree with bad days/weeks being at home, tv, relaxing etc… but good days/weeks get out and surround yourself with the most positive things and people you can find xx 
So sorry to hear lots of you are having a tough week. Well done ladies who braved the shave. I’m cold capping on weekly paclitaxel, 4weeks in, 5th session tomorrow. This week I’d say I felt the best since I started, one of the nurses suggested things would improve as my body got used to the drugs, hopefully that will continue and I hope that helps anyone with weekly paclitaxel in their future feel a bit more optimistic. Hair is really starting to shed now and it’s not thick enough to sustain this rate so seriously thinking about wig shopping next week if I can fit it in. Emotionally this week has been tough, I think a combination of the hair and first chat with cancer counselling where I had to explain my tale. I always find that gives me an emotional hangover.
To end on a positive (classic shit sandwich) this weekend I made the most of feeling good and went to a P!nk concert in Glasgow which I’d booked pre-diagnosis. I was thrilled to feel well enough to go and it felt great to leave the village 
definitely make the most of the good times when they come along. 
I won’t regret it this week, taking lots of naps.
I’d love to hear what everyone is watching in their downtime, football is not my thing at all. I was watching Grey’s anatomy but there’s just a bit too much cancer so knocking that on the head as a terrible idea 
Still waiting for my big hair shed to happen… but today I noticed that my pubic hair is going in clumps 
@kaydee82 … it’s soooo hard to pick something as cancer seems to be in every Netflix drama!!! I watched the whole first series of Firefly Lane a few weeks ago and luckily looked at how many episodes were in series 2 and saw that the main character had terminal cancer coming up - BIG no no!!! I’ve got friends as an option and the good place … + cheer and America sweetheart’s documentaries … + Wimbledon and the Olympics … to be honest I’ll watch anything that’s easy and allows me to not think about stuff for a while. Was even thinking of the reality shows like Married at first sight etc… maybe young people bitching and arguing could be a distraction!!! 
Treatment going ahead today … whoo hooo … who would have thought I’d be celebrating getting chemo!!!
So round 2 of EC! Anyone else had a second round??? I will let you all know how I get on, especially as I’ll have no steroids to take home today just anti sickness tabs. Gulp.
Hope everyone else doing ok as you can xx
Good luck with your second round - you must be relieved to have got there. My second is coming up on Friday. I have a teeny little infection by a fingernail which is currently being treated with antibiotic cream though may need oral antibiotics if no better by tonight. No systemic infection so hoping it won’t delay my 2nd session.
Was interested to read that someone had been told weekly paclitaxel gets better as your body gets used to it. Apart from tiredness I was ok but had been told the opposite ie that it might have a cumulative effect and get worse later on. Hoping not particularly as I want to squeeze in a trip to Edinburgh later in August to see my daughter perform at the festival - sleeper train was booked before I knew I’d be having chemo.
Am wondering given others comments whether I need to order a wig - am cold capping so was holding off doing that. But i am sometimes way too much of a glass half full person so not good at planning for more negative eventualities!
Best wishes to everyone with sessions this week!
