Hope those who had their third cycle this week went well @tori123
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Morning everyone,
Just on here following my therapy appointment. Iāve been very lucky that my BCN recognised immediately that I needed some additional support and Iāve been having some sessions with an oncology therapist through my hospital. Sheās amazing!
Me on the other handā¦
Absolutely sobbed my heart out this morning, Iād had a mind racing night and it all stems back to that diagnosis appointment, sitting with those feelings again, it feels so huge stillā¦ I wonder if itāll ever be less emotional.
Anyway.
I hope everyone whose had treatment this week is doing well?
Iām having a weird one, I opted to cut my hair short as soon as it started falling, but the remainder is now just rubbing off and Iām properly baldingā¦iām not sure how I feel about it at the moment. Except cold! Why is it so cold 
Hope youāre all having a good day xx
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Iām really glad to hear your therapy session went well this morning. There is so much to deal with going through all this. My emotions end up all over the place.
Iāve got my 3rd EC cycle later today and I think Iām in denial - was super organised for the previous 2 but I havenāt even got my bag ready yet and I need to leave in 40mins! Trying to decide whether to do scalpcooling again or give it up - I could be home so much quicker without it and when I move to weekly paclitaxel I donāt think I will be able to face it every week. So with the amount of hair Iāve lost already do I call it a day now???
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The weather is awful. Iāve had to put the heating on over the last few days and itās June. I was hopefully weāll get some warm weather soon and some sunshine but now I checked and itās changed to rain and cooler weather for the next 2 weeks. Makes you feel low. Therapy is great as it gives you space to talk about how you feel. Iāve been seeing a counsellor online every 2 weeks but it may end soon.
@dragonk good luck with your next EC! My next one is in 2 weeks.
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Hi everyone, thanks for the support messages, I did get through it. Some delays as they seemed really disorganised this time and took 3 attempts and 2 nurses for the cannula to go in and everything was very slow, felt like i was there for hours.
I hope everyone else is doing ok, (@dragonk) Iāve not suffered so much this time, possibly because i got through 2 bags of saline so maybe fluids is the key! That is EC done for me on to docetaxel.
@tsoph glad therapy is helpful, Iāve had 3 sessions, Iām not sure if its helping me but it is nice to have a āsafeā place to cry knowing Iām not upsetting friends or family.
Xxx
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Well done @tori123. My 3rd session went ok - I decided against the cold capp and not having to deal with the pressure of that made the chemo seem so much easier. I also had delays this time so had a lot of saline between the Epirubicin and the cyclophosphamide and Iāve found today so much easier than the previous two times so I agree with you about the extra fluids. I keep waiting for it āto hit meā but it still hasnāt happened. Even made it to my nephews birthday party this afternoon and stayed for over 3 hours when I had thought I wouldnāt manage to go at all.
@rosa1 the weather certainly isnāt helping, pottering around the garden has definitely been getting me through my cancer journey so more rain is not what I want.
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Glad to hear you both got through it ok this time.
I had one of those showers today where you wash your hair and it just keeps coming away. It stuck to my hand, and was all over my arms like a horrible spidery web of hair. I know Iāll likely lose it and itās not that which I fine so soul destroying itās that cold capping feels like it makes the hair loss into a long drawn process towards the inevitable.
I reckon Iāve lots about 40% and will likely be bald in a week or two if this continues. I had a good cry on my husband and then he went and cleared it up for me. My sister wasnāt too comforting on the phone either declaring that I look like I still have hair and that it was just like hers now which is thin all the time normally. It wasnāt helpful. Bloods on Monday and chemo Wednesday.
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One thing to focus on is how much hair you have left rather than what you lost. I am on 5 of 8 AC-T and would never have thought that I would have still have what I have retained given what I have seen coming out when I comb it once a day. I find the cold cap awful but worth it. Hardest part is it makes me feel nauseous and itās the pressure on the head that is doing it. Any tips to help stop feeling sick most welcome!
Hang on in there!
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Hi @snoop182 I donāt know what number chemo you are on, sorry i totally lose track of everything! But I found I had a big shed around chemo 2 for about a week and a half maybe 2 weeks, but it then slowed down a lot. I didnāt think Iād have anything left but like @SL255 says, focus on what you can see on your head not in the bin/floor/shower. I was tempted to brave the shave at one point, Iāve read how empowering people find it, but its such a personal decision to make. Iād guess Iām down 40% as well.
Guess Iām encouraging you to stick with it if you can for a little longer 
I find the nausea and pressure on the head terrible too, best thing Iāve found is to ask for an extra pillow and to try and lie down as much as possible xx
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Iām on TC one of 4. My second is next week. Iām definitely going to do the cold cap again. And then I guess Iāll see if I have another big shed again after that where it leaves me. Iāve read that some people find they have a lot of shed between cycles 2 and 3.
My scalp is very sore with little patches where itās very dry and a bit spotty. Feels like I have cradle cap. Iāll ask about that at my review and bloods appointment tomorrow.
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Iām still losing a large handful of hair every day when I comb my hair. I also had a bit of a cry over the weekend as itās so hard seeing it fall out every day and not knowing if itāll stop. At this rate Iāll have bald patches. So far itās thin all over. Pre chemo I had thick wavy hair. Iāve always wished I had slightly thinner hair but now wish I donāt.
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Yes me too! I thought it might slow down with Paclitaxel after harshness of 4 x Ac, but the shedding today was the largest I have had so not sure whatās to come. Pretty depressing. But will remain hopeful.
@rosa1 and @SL255 - I feel your pain. Tricky isnāt it. The thin hair and the baldy bits leave you very much in a half way house I think. Too much hair for a headscarf or beanie, too little hair to properly style it how you want to and left feeling unlike yourself.
I ended up buying some kids sized scrunchies today as an adult band takes too many loops to tie up round my ratty tail now. Luckily boots did some nice colours which I think I can reuse to tie my headscarves with if I need them.
My sister also turned up unexpectedly with some flowers and Acer for my garden which made me smile.
Yep primark do good silk scarves too.
But hard to lose it slowly but still grateful for what I have left.
Would love for it to slow down though.
@snoop182 I know. Every time I look in the mirror I hate what I see as Iām starting to look worse. When you dread combing your hair and showering itās horrible. Yes when youāre in between stages you donāt know how best to style your hair. Iāve tied it up today using my scrunchie which has helped as Im not constantly seeing the hair falling out but at the same time I canāt leave it tied up all the time as when I left it tied up for a day the next day it was harder to comb. Iām also getting dark spots on my face. I canāt wait to start feeling normal and being happy with how I look although thatās going to be a long way away x
Polybalm is recommended to help with this. Itās available on Amazon.
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Hi, does anyone find themselves really emotional about the same time the steroids wear off, around day 5/6? Iām trying to figure out if this is a thing, a me thing or just one of those things.
I think I felt emotional around that time but that could have been because I was fed up with feeling rubbish. Or my horrendous period I had. Started my steroids today, chemo tomorrow. Stomach has been very gurgly and been feeling like I need a pee a lot - could be the steroids or nerves for tomorrow I guess. My gut is the first to sense anxiety.
Hair loss has slowed but Still shedding and been using today to clean and tidy so itās easier after tomorrow. So sunny today Iām tempted to where lighter trousers tomorrow but then I know the cold cap made me feel freezing so I guess Iām going for layers. 
No had the nails @rosa1 they did warn me it was a thing but Iām bit behind you.
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