Well it must have been an omen feeling down this morning before cycle 3 it took 2 hours to find a vein…hand in an out hot water, wrapped in heat blanket In the end they called for a specialist nurse to come and hey presto first time thank God so my visit today took 4 hours and my goodie bag of meds is now 2 bags instead of 1. I too suffer with sore mouth and have caphosol dispersible tabs to add to water and use as mouthwash. Benzydime mouthwash, Nystatin drops and also lansoprazole for really bad heartburn. But feeling good at the mo so fingers crossed xx
Hello Ladies!
Apologies for being silent all week, found this third cycle very tough emotionally.
I didn’t want to post while I was feeling so wiped out, but today…hopefully…I feel I’vd turned a corner.
It’s a funny thing, being half way through.
I’d expected to feel upbeat, so the shock of feeling so emotionally fragile instead came as a shock.
Apparently it’s quite common to have third cycle blues!
I’d woken up with a headache, hadn’t slept properly…noisy new neighbours…plus chemo was delayed by nearly two hours, so that didn’t help.
I also had vein issues for the first time…bruising up the arm and a bit of “scorching” whichh is common with a buildup of fec cycles.
But by far the worse this cycle has been the continuous feeling of crashing fatigue and just wiped out.
I have had to rest every couple of hours!
The second day I must have slept 20 hours!
Very disconcerting.
Plus, my arm is bruised and a bit sore up various parts of the veins, which doesn’t bode well for the next bout.
And the next bout is docitaxel, with a huge amount of steroids and different side effects, so apprehensive about that.
Sending a big hug to everyone,
Sarah xx
Morning ladies,
Sarah, thank you for posting, so glad you have turned a corner. I found the 2nd FEC more tiring and my 3rd is in 4 days so it’s good to have some sense of what to expect from those of you have have already been there. I am already thinking ahead to having the doxitaxol but one step at a time. Enjoy the sunshine and a dose of vitamin D.
Tanya and Hets, hope the mouth issues are resolving and you are feeling better.
I am at my best this weekend as it the end of cycle 2, I have been to work all week, felt more tired that last time but enjoyed it. I am going to Swansea today to watch my daughter do a skydive for her 21st birthday (odd gift request) and then on Wednesday my daughter is doing ‘brave the shave’ with her boyfriend for Macmillan so a full week ahead.
Have a lovely sun ?? day ladies.
Tracey x
Another beautiful day here on the south coast. Think the sunshine helps my down moments.
Sarah - I hope you are feeling emotionally stronger today- I think I was sort of prepared for physical se but definitely not the emotional rollercoaster and I’m only on cycle 2!! End of week 2 and feeling good at the mo, even went cycling with family yesterday?.
Tracey- enjoy daughters skydiving - lovely day for it.
Tanya, Herts and anyone I’ve forgotten(apologies)- hope Se for cycle 3 have been ok so far, especially mouth issues?.
Enjoy the sunshine and the footie, for those watching.
Xx
Hi all
Sarah I hope you’re feeling much better now ?. It certainly is a roller coaster of emotions. I find I cry every time someone is kind and sends me a gift or texts me to say they’re thinking of me.
Ok weekend for me. Even managed a lovely walk in the woods today and lunch in a pub garden. Bit more energy now in week 2 and should hopefully improve as the week goes on. Mouth less sore than last time so far which is good…fingers crossed. Not looking forward to even more fatigue next time though in cycle 3. Don’t even want to think about cycle 4 and the change of drug with Herceptin thrown in!
Hope you all have a good week this week and good luck to those whose next cycle is this week xx
Can you imagine going through this in the winter months, particularly if like me you get depressed anyway as the nights draw in! Day 4 of cycle 3, it’s been ok so far but can feel things getting worse so not looking forward to tomorrow. On the positive side I am somehow finding it more manageable because I’m understanding my side effects more. Is anyone else feeling that? I’ve stopped panicking that something is or isn’t ‘normal’ which was hell in cycles 1 and 2!
Hets the upside of doing it through winter was our wigs meant we didn’t need to buy loads of hats to keep our heads warm ???always make a positive on the journey ???
Shi xx
@shi good shout!! Day 5 predictably bloody awful (no other words to use). V tearful as well not helped by my employer emailing me to confirm they are taking my company (ergo family) car off me at beg August. Thank goodness for Poldark!
Sorry to hear this Shi, not what you need to hear roght now with everything else to deal with. Are they taking the car whilst you are having time off work for treatment? Will you get it back on your return?
@Tracey Mac it’s me not She. Yes whilst I’m off sick. It’s ironic because it will cost them more because they will have to break the lease I assume (I’m mid term). Also ironic because we have an old car loan on our other car who are falling over backwards to help us so my husband can continue to get to work. No energy to fight it. Sure I will feel better tomorrow
Sorry Hets, misread the post. As Shi would say…blame the drugs!!! It is an unfortunate situation that you could do without. Will probably.cost them more in admin fees to sort out than to just let you keep the car!
???Tracey mac, it is the chemo and the rest of your goody bag that makes brains a bit ??? hets, concentrate on you, you are what matters right now, let them have the car back and ram some frozen prawns down the back seat or ram them under the spare wheel in the boot, it’ll stink lovely in this heat and they will have to rip the car apart to find the stench 
any comeback deny all knowledge and say a bag must have split when you did shopping or something along those lines ???then sit back have a cup of tea and a Jaffa ???Shi xx
@shi ???. I’ll do that, because it’s making me so stressed and irrational!! How is everybody else doing with cycle 3? I have the biggest headache!!!
Herts - so cross about your car situation . But in the scheme of things…
I’m week 3 of cycle 2 and back to my usually positive energetic self?. Been brave and wore wig out of house- in school playground I’ve had 8 people comment on my gorgeous hair in 1 afternoon!(only 2 friends are aware of treatment). Felt a bit of a fraud really but I smiled and said thank you.
I’m sorry cycle 3 is so horrid for you?. Have you called the team for suggestions? A few others on different threads have said walking each day has helped with side effects.
Big hugs to all, especially those in the pits of week 1- it does appear cycle 3 presents new and not so welcome challenges. We are amazing ladies who will get each other through this time. As Shi posted a few weeks back - we’re on our way to Greece where the sun is warm and the sea blue- perhaps the altitude over the alps is to blame!! ??
Jem ??you are all over ?? now look out the window can you see the leaning tower of pizza? That’s be hets car people when those prawns start to defrost, pheeewww weee they will be leaning too ???Shi xx
Hope everyone is doing okay.
My 21 year old daughter did her brave the shave for Macmillan today and raised over £1000, I am so proud and emotional, I am having mine cut next week, despite the cold capping my hair has thinned so much and needs to be shorter.
I have my third FEC tomorrow so any advice is welcome ??
Ciao dall’italia Shi (hello from Italy)!?
TraceyMac- wow, well done to your daughter- you must be so proud ?. Hope FEC 3 goes well tomorrow- is this your final one and then T?
A few of my lovely friends are running race for life as a response to my diagnosis- again I’m really proud of them, 1 hadn’t ever run before and is up to the 10km?
Hair- what a horrid se this is- the heat and wig don’t go so well together but persevering. Do you have a wig or are you enjoying scarves? I wear scarf indoors.
Hope everyone on cycle 3 is recovering from se- big hugs to you all. By week 2 you know you’ll be moving forward and looking forward to week 3. Trying to make the most of week 3- lots of lunches out with friends, enjoying the sunshine from the shade .
?
@JemPD, yes last FEC tomorrow then 3 T,'s which I am not even going to think about until next month ?
@tracey Mac huge congratulations to your daughter! I have daughters around the same age - they have been incredibly supportive but a shave would be a step too far for them!! Can’t think of any tips on cycle 3 except what you already know - make the most of the time on steroids and don’t plan anything for days 4 onwards! @jem I’m just going bald, with sun hat if walking in direct sun and sometimes turbon type cap inside if I get cold. I’m ‘just’ doing 6 FEC - not sure if that’s better or worse or just different sort of yuk! Symptoms def becoming cumulative so god knows how I will be by the 6th cycle. Is anyone else having Zoledronic Acid? I had that with my 3rd cycle.
Found out today I am having docetaxel on Wednesday for 2 cycles then an ultrasound then 2 more if I respond. I have had 3 FEC so no more of that I am glad to say. What are the main side effects from docetaxel? I know you can have pain and dry skin and take steroids. I have a meeting with the oncologist on Tuesday so should get the steroids then as have to take them the day before the chemo. I would have had 4 FEC and 4 docetaxel and cyclophosphamide potentially at a later date and a biopsy after the FEC as I was on a trial. Its just nice to know rather than being in limbo.