Hi There
I had my 1st fec last thurs. Seemed to be doing Ok tues evening I felt a little out of sorts…nothing specific… no temperature.
This morning I went to hosp .had a blood count done. When I left I thought felt ok to go shopping, soon realised that wasn’t a good idea.
Feeling out of sorts turned into feeling poorly
So came home.
Then I discovered a phone call from the hospital telling me that I have very low white blood cells + an infection.
Straight onto antibiotics!
What I originally thought was a bit of intestine pain now seems to be gathering
steam.
Appedicitis? Imagination? Just a bit of inflammation?
The hospital is a hours drive away. Not sure what to do.
Any suggestions welcome
best wishes
Coleen xx
Poor you colleen.
Now, I’ve not been through this (yet) but my mum has and i did work on a ward with oncology patients at one time. When your white cell count is low you can’t fight infection and it is easy to succumb. It would be useful for you to know what the infection is ( how did they discover it? Blood test, swab or specimen?) . You should be able to phone the hospital oncology ward for advice. In the meantime, drink plenty of water, take paracetamol for pain and/or fever. If you have the antibiotics check with the hospital before you take them - they can’t send swabs and specimens if you have taken them. if you have, don’t worry - you’ll either get better or they will be able to treat you in hospital if you don’t.
So RING THEM NOW!!!
If you have kids etc to sort out, better doing it early in the night so you know what you have to cope with in the morning. We were often doing a midnight flit to the hospital with my mum, and plently of patients were admitted if they needed to be.
Td xx
Hi Coleen
You must have had a shock when you got that message, but it’s good that your team are on the ball and have contacted you asap. It’s rotten luck and quite scary when this happens after your first cycle, but basically the chemo kills everything good and bad, and wipes your white blood cells and neutrophils which are what protect you from infection. As waitingangel says, the Duty Doc may be able to give you some info and advise you on what to do. If you do develop a fever, call the hospital so they have time to find you a bed whilst you make your way there.
I was thinking that if your tummy hurts it could just be something you ate and not appendicitis - when your white blood & neutrophils are down it’s really easy to get infections. I had the same thing 8 days after my first chemo and was admitted to hospital with a fever and put straight onto antibiotics. They put me on a neutropaenic diet which avoids food that might have bacteria and could give you an infection whilst your resistance was down - uncooked fruit or veg, live yoghurt (inc drinks like Yakhult), commercial ice-cream, uncooked cheese (especially mouldy types), pate, uncooked eggs, butter, shellfish, even freshly squeezed juice. Interestingly, I had eaten quite alot of stuff on that list that very day (but not in that order!) Considering I’d been going around spraying anything that moved with disinfectant & avoiding people like the plague, it made me laugh how I hadn’t thought about food!
Anyway, do let us know what the hospital says. The antibiotics will get the infection under control and once they kick in you’ll much feel better. They may also give you a jab to boost your white blood cells - if you’ve lost your appetite it will make you ravenous!
x
Hello again
Many thanks for your kind suggestions + help. It is such a comfort knowing you guys are willing to give of your time + experience.
Overnight what has become apparent is that I have a bowel infection. I recognise this from old. Having had it a few times in the past.
Although the pain is quite bad, my temperature is stable so I haven’t gone to the hospital.
I will ring them this morning and see what they say.
Like you have said the chemo doesn’t chose just the baddies, when going for the cells!
If I stay still the pain is manageable with painkillers. So I’m staying put in bed today.
Thanks again, Hope you all continue to thrive + cope with this horror.
All the best
Coleen x
Hi Colleen,
Low white blood cell count means low immunity and not much in the way of an immune system. If you have any problems get yourself checked out promptly rather than delaying. The doctors would rather you did this, even if it turns out to be a false alarm, because when the immune system is compromised serious infections can kill.
Best wishes,
Sue
Glad you’re managing Cloeen, and I hope you feel better today. Keep the fluids up. The advice from Ripley and Supersue is good and the hospital should be reassuring too.
I was thinking of you in the night and even logged on at 3.30 to see how you were!! …Not sleeping too well these days as still awaiting surgery myself (still awaiting results from 2nd core biopsy actually - been waiting for 5 weeks altogether for one thing or another now!!)
Hugs Td ((((((())))))
Many thanks , Sue , Ripley + Td for all your advice.
Td! If its any consolation to you, I found the surgery nothing like as terrible as I had imagined!
I had a lumpectomy in September . Needed to have a mastectomy in Nov. ( 3 days after my sons wedding)
My surgeon left the nipple in tact. Sadly results showed that there were some pre cancerous cells lurking behind there so I had another op in Dec to remove the nipple.
I just kept assuring myself that this horrible thing was being cut out of me. So for me it was a very positive process.
Chemo is much more destructive which is why I was so anti having it in the 1st place.
Try to keep your chin up and think of surgery as an aid to you getting rid of the cancer.
all the best
Coleen x
Thanks Colleen!
I’m actually feeling ok about my surgery. i know that I have to have a mastectomy, probably with LD flap recon but it depends on radiotherapy or not, hence waiting for this last core biopsy I had last week. If I have to have chemo, fine too. As you’ve said, It’s getting rid of the little buggers and that’s great.
Hope your tummy troubles are past. When’s yr next chemo?/ Haven’t read up on chemo yet - one step at a time!
Td xx
HI TD
Was a bowel infection!! not pleasant but settled down now. My next session is May 8th. Other that for the intestinal trouble it wasn’t half as bad as I had imagined.
Here hoping the bowel won’t play up again next time
Hope you’re ok
take care
Coleen x
Well, been to see BC nurse today for pre op chat. Looks like the LD flap option is still on the cards, but the ‘other tumor’ found on MRI last week is invasive, don’t know the grade yet but bc nurse says that chemo most definately on the cards now…
Also surgery likely to be 12th may so only 2 weeks to wati . ONLY 2 weeks. ARGHHHHH!!!
calm thoughts…
Td x
Hi Td
Sorry to hear you’re in ‘the centre of the storm’ Waiting is so awful! Reading other threads on here will give you courage and help keep youp chin up I hope.
What part of the world are you in. Is it the UK or further afield?
I thought I was’ out of the woods’ what with my antibiotics having kicked in Sunday evening I started to feel quite well.
However . Once again I’ve started to feel a bit under the weather and now think that I shall have to contact the hospital
Again it’s non specific but somethings not right.
Like you say Calm thoughts…
take care
Coleen x
Can’t believe anyone else is up at this time of the morning! I’m on 5th Fec, and on day 7 today - having been admitted to hospital with neutropenic sepsis (following an attempt at taxotere after 4 x fec) - I was given gcsf injections for this one. But even so - just starting to feel really lousy - hence the not being able to sleep.
I hope what you are feeling doesn’t develop into anything too serious Coleen - I have to say I had infections with all the first 4 fecs - not serious enough to require hospitalisation fortunately, just anti-biotics from GP - never really felt right till I’d taken the whole course.
take care
Margaret x
Hi Coleen
I did socialise - in general terms, Made sure I still went out to the shops etc etc, but avoided noisy crowded pubs or social events.
Funnil enough, most of the infections (sore throats, upset tummy etc) seemed to start when I’d spent 2 - 3 days on my own lol, rather than when I’d been out. They do reckon you are far more likely to ‘infect’ yourself (ie through food, washing etc) than pick up something from someone else though - and I considered my hygiene/food preparation standards quite high lol.
Just keep an eye on yourself - its important you get the right treatment at the right time!
Can’t decide if it’s worth trying to get some sleep or not - it’ll be time to get up soon!
Margaret x
Evening All!
I’m in Bristol Coleen, and I live in town so no hassle with appointments etc. Big major unit, too. I’m a bit confused re; surgeons though - my one is a breast surgeon so she doesn’t do ‘plastics’ which limits my choice of recon. She’s also doing a lot of research and isn’t happy about putting an implant in as I will need rads. i do understand that, but I don’t understand why she can’t do the LD flap, leave me a bit lopsided for a while and put the implant in at a later date… to go down the ‘recon at a later date’ is not on my agenda - i have 3 kids, - 2 teenagers who need ferrying around the whole of Bristol & environs for various activites and a 3 year old who is (unfortunately) still smallenough to be carried… not to mention a busy, testing job that I’d like to get back to sometime before the new year!!
Maybe I should start a new post on that?!
Hope you’re feeling ok. The chemolanguage is currently completely foreign to me, but no doubt I’ll be fec-ing with the rest of you all too soon!!
Td xx
Hi Td
I don’t understand that either. My surgeon gave me an implant at the time of my mast.
I’m sure he said that it could be removed at a later date should rads be part of my treatment.
As it happened I didn’t have rads and am now on that FECking road.
Woke up yesterday to a very hairy pillow !!! Knew it would come . Still alarming.
My sister asked me “Are you upset?” WHAT???
Then she set about telling me - not to be - as it would all be back in a year or so!!!
Give me strength.
Next week i go for my 2nd session. thats gone quickly.
coleen x
Evening Coleen!
My first thought at being told that I have to have chemo was '‘hair’. When I told my daughter aged13 she was upset and my son (15) said ‘just don’t ever let me see you without your wig on. It’d freak me out’ (did I mention that this seems to be all about HIM?!!) To cheer them both up, my girl & I walked around with tights over our heads to get the general feel… made us smile at the time! Think I’d feel like you do though - our hair is indeed our crown, like it or hate it, and loosing it regardless of your sex is difficult. I’m always a little in awe of women who baldness like a badge. I’m ‘brave’ but I think maybe I’m also a little dependent on my look for confidence. Wish I could be like Mo Molem!! Are you going to wig it?? I will. Something really freaky though - my Dad has given me my mum’s wigs from when she had chemo, and when I put them on I look Just like her. oooer! I’m really turning into my Mum!!
So, I’m thinking of you and your hairy pillow and sending you all the vibes I can.
Where are you?
Love Up! Td xxx
Hi There,
I’m in worcester not too far from you.
My lot are are all grown up . Though my youngest ( 32) came home to - night hugged me and said “Ah my poor ma !”
So wait they do turn out quite nice!!
15 is not a charming time for a youth.
Regards wigs etc; I have been pursuing a company called Whitecliffs A whole different concept in hair replacement.
The down side is the UK company seems to be totally incompetent.
Its what I want , can be slept in. stays on whilst swimming etc,etc,
Watch this space. I’ll keep you informed
Cheers
Coleenx
Evening!
We’re off to Kidderminster tomorrow, so close!
My father inlaw has just had a complete lymph node clearance of neck and chest following removal of a malignancy and as they can’t travel and we won’t be able to for much longer, we need to go tomorrow to get us all together.
Very interested in the stay-on-in-all-situations wig! Keep me posted!
Td x
Just drove past worcester Coleen. thought of you! Td x
Hello,
Hope all went well for you in Kiddie.
My entire family were 2 daughters, 2 sons+ wives plus grandchildren plus my best friend from Como Italy… Full house but I haven’t had to do a thing.
So its been good…Well mostly.
Not my usual pattern to day because I just started to weep + couldn’t stop for ages. I’m not sure what happened
unless its the hair which is falling like snow. Its been cut really short but I think very soon the shaver will have to come into action.
It might be that, Don’t know! not my style usually.
Still nothing to tell about Whitecliffs.Company I will let you know whaen I have something to report.
I hope you have a good nights sleep + face tomorrow refreshed.
All the best
Coleenx