Thank you @foxgem!! You’re only 2 days behind me 
I definitely think it was the high protein Mediterranean diet and cocoa that did the trick, there was noway on this earth that last session was being delayed 
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Totally @katie91 - trying to do what we know will help us is all we can aim for - as you said easier said than done but getting to the last chemo is huge ! I hope the next week or two is kind to you - that’s an amazing neutrophils figure ! My tummy still giving me a few problems but getting better and I was able to eat a bit more today so I’m going to get on the organic cocoa again if I can stomach it to get my bloods back there in plenty of time xxx
Good luck with radiotherapy - you’ll definitely be ahead of me as I need surgery first but please keep us up to date with how it is as it will be coming a bit further down the line xx
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That is amazing @katie91 and @foxgem . As you know I was the cocoa queen but I was just happy to keep mine above 1!! Goodness knows how you managed it.
I’m just so pleased my cocoa research seems to have helped so many people 
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Yeah and I don’t want to sound like one of those people that’s like “just stay positive” because I genuinely believe going through what we have can knock the most positive person’s world upside down but I’m going to try my absolute hardest to live my life to the fullest, I think it’s the least we all deserve!!
Have you got anything to take for your tummy or do you think it’s something you’re eating?
Its bloody magic that organic cocoa!!!
Thank you, I hope it’s kind to you too!! I’ll definitely be sticking around to keep you all updated and cheer as many of you over that chemo finish line 
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It’s certainly helped lots of people!! I think the high protein really helped too and is something I’ll be carrying on with post chemo 
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Thanks all, you are all superb. Good luck tomorrow @foxgem , and I will be here to cheer you all on as you finish! Putting myself to bed early after a v long day x
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Hello my fellow March 2026 ladies 
…. I know that treatment is tailored to the individual and that everyone is different, but having sailed through 12-weeks of Paclitaxel / Carboplatin / Pembrolizumab, I’m now onto 4-cycles of EC and Pembrolizumab … no.1 was at the end of May, no.2 is next week … I have experienced a couple of days of fatigue and a sore mouth & tongue (standard!!) … one thing that has reared itself this week is the feeling of being mentally exhausted 
…. anyone else feel this way? …. I guess maybe more relatable to fellow TN ladies because at the this stage, I’m not even halfway there yet ….. also, in general ….. do you find that EC accumulates massively each cycle? 
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@big nice you hear from you. I found EC made me feel terribly foggy, putting words in the wrong place and just not very bright, for almost exactly a week each time. Not sure it was especially cumulative overall but round 3 was quite grim, whereas round 4 was less bad in lots of ways. Docetaxel no stupid brain but overall fatigue is worse which I’m putting down to cumulative chemo. EC for me was just more of a beast.
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Hi @big I did 4x EC and I don’t think the symptoms accumulated. They stayed pretty much the same each time and if anything I feel like my nausea got a bit better. The mouth sores ive been able to control with mouthwash. I ate a lot of pineapple and fruit after my infusions and I needed to take constipation relief tablets to counter the antisickness meds. The fatigue has only really just hit me now I’ve done x3 paclitaxels. I was blaming this on the pacs but I think its just a result of all the treatment. My body isnt tired but from the neck up I’m exhausted 
its really hard to explain
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Aah, thank you @foxgem … I completely understand, for sure …. I’ve got three different medications for my mouth and Gelclair is literally the only one that works … I feel that I’ve been lucky with side-effects with the worse being my mouth (chemotherapy) and skin reaction every couple of weeks (immunotherapy) …. but the mental load is starting to lay quite heavy of which is not bad-going considering that I found the lump December, diagnosed January, started neoadjuvant treatment March … I just feel a shell of my former self at the moment ….. hopefully, it’ll pass
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You too @felineoptimist and hello OMG, the same with EC … I had two days last week, trying to work and my brain literally gave up!!! Then, my body did the same!!! I just have to keep thinking …. August chemotherapy finish-line
… I know then it’s surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy until March next year, but I feel that I can start to rebuild after chemotherapy finishes 
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@big I can absolutely relate to the mental exhaustion. It’s sometimes more challenging than the physical. I found my lump in November, biopsy done Dec (awful wait for the unknown over xmas), diagnosis and surgery in January, then chemo started in March. It all happened so quickly- barely time to take it all properly in, so the reality of it has slowly crept up over these months. So much still ahead for us all and it really does feel overwhelming at times. I’ve found the fatigue cumulative on ECP, but other symptoms have waxed and waned with some real side-effect curve balls coming out of the blue. Be really gentle with yourself and give yourself time to feel be whatever you’re feeling. We can do this! 
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Congratulations to all these finishers - what an achievement. So good to think our March gang has chemo endings happening. Amazing work @foxgem @katie91 @felineoptimist - I hope you have celebrations of this milestone planned once symptoms abate. Centerparcs sounds fab.
Met with my oncologist yesterday and he offered me two options due to continued inflammation/nerve pain and spasms on the Taxel chemo (although he confirmed he was glad he’d switched me after seeing photos of my skin on the initial paclitaxel). Options : 1)reduced Abraxine dose by 16% 2) pivot to my last two infusions being EC as that seemed to suit me with less side effects. After discussion I went with a reduced dose. I am conscious the EC and Taxel attack the cancer cells in differing ways and I want both forms of attack on this pesky disease. I have to hope that the reduced dose will help with the pain and nerve issues. My new mantra is HOPE - Hold On Pain Ends. Also reviewed and agreed my pain meds - codiene/paracetamol and if required ibuprofen for up to three days.
I didn’t ice my hands and feet last time but considering that too on infusion day. Next infusion is next Thursday and will be the penultimate one. Just keep swimming, everyone! Xx
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Aah, hiya @m1sty.george … you are exactly 
right in that no time to take anything in apart from panic, disbelief and then straight into treatment!!! I’m hoping that the doors in my brain will shut again soon as I’ve found the mental side of it, exhausting this week of which is highly irritating considering that physically (apart from feeling weak-as!), I’m alright 
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I completely relate to this @big Chemotherapy has left me feeling very hollow. The first thing I thought when you said that though is how much space you’ll have to start filling yourself up again soon and I will try to take that on board myself. I know we only become experts of our own brand of cancer so I don’t know the extent of the journey ahead of you but I’ve got to assume chemotherapy is the worst part! It is literally designed to strip us down and to get into every cell and find cancer. Its a heavy price to pay at the time but we know its worth it and we know there is life after. I had a really heavy few days, was close to calling my oncologist and throwing the towel in. I started to worry chemo was going to take more than I could give. BUT today I had a nice walk in nature, a listen to an album I love whilst doing some housework and I realise I forgot that I can do this We are doing it! X
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Aah, you are sooo right @foxgem …. I’ve just got to dig-deep to August …. and hope that surgery/radiotherapy are a ‘walk in the park’ compared to this! 
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Hope the oncologists plan works for you @joodles
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Hey @big
With regards to cumulative effects, I’m still on the Pembro/Pac/Carbo portion of the show (EC to come later) and had my second cycle of the “big three” this Friday just gone. I’ve been feeling it a lot more mentally in the week following than I did the first time round and wondered if this was just going to get worse each time.
On chatting with someone about it yesterday I realised that after feeling pretty normal throughout my two Pac only weeks, I’d actually been pushing myself quite a bit in the days after this last cycle instead of getting the rest I’d prescribed myself the first time round.
So I went to bed to 6pm, woke up 11 hours later and have given my brain the day off today.
Hope you feel better soon. x
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I got higher pressure and tighter ones. Didnt fancy leaving them on all night as I thought i might get a blood clot or gangrene! I did get the pains, though. Days 4-6. Just a bit puffy now. I’ll ask the oncologist as I ‘m due to see her before the next treatment . I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, I can tell you!
