@birdie28 i feel your pain. Im on my day 2 and know all the side effects are going to hit very soon. Im using everything ive learnt about what to do and what to avoid for me, so fingers crossed x ive phoned the onc team after each cycle and theyve been very helpful, and reassuring, i was afraid to take painkillers in case itmasked high temp, but they said to go for it. Ive also been given some levomepromazine to take this time to help with nausea, but will also just knock me out. Ivenever taken any recreational drugs, but i so wanted something, anything to take away the awfulness.
NYE was my last docetaxel, i dont feel like celebrating that just yet. I thought i might hold onto eyebrows and lashes, looks like no such luck, looking pretty sparse now, but hey the only places im going in jan/feb is the hospital fornext steps of radiotherapy 
Try to stay positive everyone, its seriously tough, but so are we 
I agree chemo pain is on a whole new level! Much worse than childbirth as it goes on for days, itās unpredictable and scary as weāre dealing with it at home not surrounded by a full medical team!
I too was concerned about masking a temperature with meds but Iām going to make sure for however many days it is, I will take painkillers regularly and not wait until the agony strikes.
Next round of docetaxel is on Monday for me, then 1 more cycle before radiotherapy.
Our bodies are doing a truly remarkable job right now, keep strong everyone, together weāve can beat this.
Good morning all
Stupidly forgot to take my last steroid dose with my lunch yesterday, so had to have it in the evening and have been wide awake from 4:30!!
Donāt do this folks!
Fortunately the dog is happy to snuggle with me on the sofa watching Emily in Paris at any hour!!
Hope you are ok? Youāre not on your own!!! Iāve done this before where I have forgot in the afternoon then had to take it late at night!! I donāt sleep properly when Iām on the steroids anyway no matter what time I seem to take them 
. Hope you get some rest today 
!! X
Glad Iām not alone in my forgetfulness! How do bodybuilders manage to take steroids or are they not on the strong stuff we get?!
Feeling ok so far from 5th chemo on Monday-kick off likely to hit in the next few days!
Hoping for a better sleep tonight.
When is your next chemo?
Iām having chemo number 5 next Thursday! 16th Jan & then my last chemo is scheduled for 6th Feb if all goes to plan! When is your last chemo? X
Hi all I live in New Zealand and found this forum to engage in the wealth of knowledge available. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I started TCHP for stage 3 Her2+ breast cancer in one breast 31/10/2024. Pre cancerous calcifications were found and 2 axillary lymph nodes are involved.
I am currently on round 4 and finding the fatigue quite hard going this week, day 6. On the matter of salivary glands and chemo mouth taste what tops are available to make food and fluids more palatable. I havenāt had any nausea however I seem to rely on Ondansetron these days to keep the body capable of even looking at food. Any bright ideas would be welcome please.
@shelbylou81 Thatās the exact same dates as me! I wouldāve been due to have cycle 5 today but there was a delay due to the Christmas hols. Iād rather get it over with but Iām trying to just enjoy the extra week of feeling good 
Enjoy having those extra days of feeling good before your next round!
My last chemo is 27th Jan and Iām so looking forward to ringing that end of chemo bell!
I find what I can taste varies hugely from day to day-some foods and drinks are overwhelming, others taste weird or flavourless! Iāve found using bamboo cutlery useful.
Hi @glowinthedark5 Iāve found fresh pineapple helps my mouth. Also sucking or chewing fruity sweets or mints. Did they give you mouthwash? There are different types to try if itās not helping. Keep taking the ondansetron if itās helping the nausea. I had a lot of heartburn but the Dr gave me lansoprazole which helped a lot. My nurses advised me to just eat whatever I felt like because they really donāt want us losing weight. Unfortunately Iām gaining weight but Iām trying not to worry too much about that til this is all over
weāve had and have people from all over the world join the forum, sorry you find yourself here 
Shi xx
Hi October starters. Itās good to hear how everyone is getting on at the start of 2025. Iāve just made it through week 1 of Round 4 of my chemo treatment and itās been so tough -breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, not sleeping, pain, etcā¦all the usual stuff we have to cope with. I live in southeast England and itās been so cold here, Iām daydreaming about going on holiday after treatment - gives me something to look forward to. I have 2 more cycles of treatment to go now and itās not getting any easier - however, I find it does help to know what to expect and how to deal with side effects as best as possible. I sometimes feel we should all go on a course before starting treatment, as it is all so new at the start - so much to learn about - and we often become experts afterwards 
How is everyone doing? My last chemo is on Friday, I canāt quite believe it. I imagine many of us are nearing the end of this phase. Will find out more about radiotherapy today, and then starting abemaciclib eeeek. Desperate to book a holiday as we missed the chance last year, has anyone else been able to do this or plan something fun? Not sure when Iāll be allowed! Sending love. X
@phebe
Ahh that must feel so good that the end of chemo is literally a couple of days away! Iām having cycle 5 out of 6 tomorrow!! My last 1 is scheduled for the 6th Feb all being well with my bloods!! I had 3 rounds of EC then Iāve moved onto 3 rounds of Docetaxel, of which I am having cycle 2 of that tomorrow morning! After that Iām having 9 sessions of radiotherapy then Iāll be going on tamoxifen for however long they decide. I have a feeling it will be 10 years due to only being 43 & pre menopausal!! Anyway good luck for your final chemo Friday! Make sure you ring that bell & treat yourself to something really nice! You definitely earned it x
@ruthb37
Sorry to hear that you have been struggling with side effects that arenāt nice! Itās certainly not a walk in the park is it? What chemo regime are you on? Iām having chemo number 5 of 6 tomorrow! I am 3 rounds of EC followed by 3 Docetaxel! Keep getting through the cycles & ticking them off each time, thatās the only way Iāve managed to get through this by thinking thatās another 1 done!! I hope it gets easier side effect wise for you! I find the filgrastim injections hard work too & the awful heartburn 
plus the fatigue! Also bad constipation whilst on the EC but thatās not bad now Iām on Docetaxel. The joint & muscle pain has been worse on the Docetaxel & Iāve got a permanent salt taste in my mouth . Iāve found the fatigue worse to but not sure if thatās just because the chemo is more cumulative now??? Canāt wait to get tomorrow ticked off so I can officially say 1 more to go 
x
@shelbylou81 Yeah, we are all suffering from the side effects and there are so many! Itās hard to explain to family and friends what itās like, even though they try to understand. I feel that Iāve been poisoned, but willingly, and as you say we must keep marking off milestones and focusing on end result! I completed 3 rounds just after Xmas and celebrated the midway mark. Iāve had my 4th treatment so 2 more to go. I have a 3 week cycle, is it the same for you? I imagine Iām a bit behind due to hospital stay after my 1st treatment. I had EC but now Iām just on E as my body canāt cope with both. Like you, Iām counting the days till itās over and if all goes well, Iām planning a holiday in the Spring. Right now the idea of traveling seems too much but I hope to have more energy by then. I live in the UK and itās been so cold here, I really want to go somewhere warmer for a holiday. I find itās good to plan things, keeps me focused on the future
Hope all goes well for your last treatment - you must be so looking forward to it and enjoying a holiday afterwards. I spend a lot of time looking for ideas about where to go - keeps me happy 
. I hope Iāll be well enough to travel afterwards, right now it seems impossible to go very far as my fatigue is so bad. However, after my last treatment, I did manage a few days staying with my kids in London, we did short trips out and I had to sit down a lot but it was so much fun and gave me a real boost. Now, Iām back to being indoors, resting most of the time but so glad I have those memories. Hope you ar able have a great holiday soon!
Hi, Iām also on round 4 and the fatigue has been awful for me every time! I know some people are able to exercise and work but the treatment wipes me out, especially for the first 10 days. Fortunately, I have been able to take time off work, reduce hours etc. I spend a lot of time resting which can be frustrating but try to accept it now. I understand the food issues and also suffer from digestive problems. I eat a lot of soups, purĆ©es and no spices. Also, protein shakes with added fruits, avocado etc. Last treatment I had sores on my digestive tract and couldnāt swallow without pain so could only drink fluids for a few days. Something else that really helps is called Slippery Elm- I believe itās a Native American remedy - my mother used to give it to me for upset stomach when I was a child. I mix the pure powder with hot milk and add honey for a drink. I also buy it already mixed with some flour and cook it, simmer with milk. It becomes like a baby food purĆ©e - I add fruit and yogurt and have this for breakfast most daysā¦I find it very soothing for my stomach. Anyway, these are some things that have helped me and might be useful for you too. By the way, one of my kids was in New Zealand for several months last year and loved it- you live in a beautiful country! Iām in UK, which is also very beautiful but we donāt have many areas left without towns, except in the North, and I live in the South which is overpopulated. At least Iām by the sea, which is lovely when I have the energy to walk. All the best
How did you get on today @shelbylou81? I had my 5th cycle (2nd Docetaxel) this morning. All went smoothly and Iām home on the sofa. Itās my husbandās birthday today though so I might try to bake a wee cake later before he gets home from work.
I know what you mean about the effects being cumulative. I definitely found the Docetaxel harder than the EC. I had such bad pains for about 4 days. Theyāve given me cocodamol home with me this time, and also Nystatin for my tongue as it had a white coating for a few days last time. Iād used bicarbonate of soda solution and a soft toothbrush which helped, but theyāve said to use the Nystatin this time. I get bad heartburn too but itās been much better since they gave me lansoprazole to take daily. Did you get any medication for it?
My next cycle is booked for 6th Feb same as you. Iāve been told 15 radiotherapy but havenāt got any appointment for the planning yet.
@pod123
Hello so glad your chemo went well today & itās so nice knowing that we only have 1 more to go 
. Mine also went well & Iām back home & going to chill as I didnāt get any sleep last night due to the steroids. I didnāt ask for any medication for my heartburn Iāve just been using over the counter meds! I had my treatment dose reduced to 75% again today as my ALT levels in my liver were still slightly out!! My last treatment is also the 6th Feb the same as you .
I was originally told 15 sessions of radiotherapy but then got told I was actually having 9 sessions instead, I feel it will be a lot easier than chemo so we should be ok with that. Then I will go onto tamoxifen for 10 years due to being pre menopausal & 43!!! Are you going on tamoxifen aswell? X