I am looking for someone to pal up with as I go through the chemo.
I start the first of 6 sessions of taxotere and cyclophosphamide on the 27th to be followed by 3 weeks radiotherapy and then herceptin as I am HER2 positive.
My cancer was ductal and had spread to 14 nodes so I had a mastectomy and full node clearance.
My scar is brilliant but so touch sensitive, even when I am applying moisturiser. It was unfortunate that I had an infection on the drain site but luckily this is almost clear.
I have to admit to being scared of the chemo side effects so any help anyone can give on this combination of drugs would really help me.
Thanks,
emmbee
Hi Emmbee
I don’t know about the combination you are having as I had 3 fec / 3 tax and am er++.
But everyone seems to be different on every chemo drug.I had a few problems on tax regarding blood counts - but then others were absolutely fine on it.
I know a 67yr old lady whos having chemo and shes having no side effects at all- but thats on epi and cmf .
Just wanted to wish you all the best for your treatment on the 27th hope it goes well xx
Hi Binkie,
I am so new to this that I do not understand the abbreviations yet.
Could you decipher these for me please.
3 fec / 3 tax and am er++.
epi and cmf .
It is very kind of you to make contact and to wish me well.
Hi emmbee I am 64 and two years ago had 4 FEC[These are 3 types of chemo drug I cant remember the names but the E is epirubicin and I think the C is the one you are having]I also had 4 cycles of taxotere.CMF is also the initials of 3 chemo drugs and er+++ means her tumour tested strongly positive as being driven by the hormone oestrogen.My tumour was triple negative which means HER2 negative[unlike you]and also neg for oestrogen and progesterone so there is no follow up treatment.I am now 2 years on and NED so far.Do let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
Love Val
Hi Horace,
Thanks for the info. I seem to be on a whole new learning curve. Guess it’s all good brain exercise. Going to look at wigs tomorrow, how exiting is that?
E x
Hi Emmbee
Horace thank you for answering the question - I had to look them up as I couldn’t remember all the long names.
Em FEC is fluorouracil/ epirubicin / cyclophospahamide.they are given together.
CMF is cyclophospahamide/ methotrexate/ flurouracil.
I think we are all on a new learning curve - but I didn’t really want to learn about chemo and radiotherapy by actually having it - a book about it would have educated me just as well!
I hope you enjoy the wig shopping - but you should be able to get one through the hospital- I think?
best wishes
Hi Binkie,
Thanks for going to all that trouble in looking up the drugs for me.
Sorry you had to go through it all and hope all is going well now.
I have a voucher for a wig so I can go to any shop on the list I have been given from the hospital. I can add to it if I want to.
It is good to hear that all cancer drugs will be free from March. It is bad enough going through hell without actually having to pay for it.
Keep smiling.
E x
Emm
You don’t know if you are going to go" through hell "yet! Its probably not going to be as hard as you imagine.If - only if - you get side effects they seem to have a magic potion for everything ( except the anti venom !).I think waiting for the chemo is the hard part cause no one can tell you how you personally will react to it.I had 3 days off work in 9 weeks of FEC but as I said before had probs with blood counts on Taxotere -which doesn’t mean you will.
Are you having taxotere and cyclophosthingy together or are they done separate? Will you definately lose your hair? It may just thin ? maybe you could have the cold cap?
I agree it was really good news about free prescriptions. I haven’t actually got as far as Tamoxifen yet (its a hormone drug) but I should eventually get something- sometime.
Its taking them so long to decide what I’m having it’ll be April anyway.I guess they are trying to save me some money!
keep positive xx
Hi Binkie,
You are correct, waiting is awful and I am getting only 4 hours sleep which is not helping.
You did really well only having 3 days off work. At least I don’t have to go to work.
My Oncologist said that I would definitely lose my hair.
I am just messaging my eldest grand-daughter who is offering to lend me her pink wig. At least that made me laugh…
Where are you up to with your treatment?
I don’t know if I am having the drugs together, or on the same day or completely separately. I will find that out tomorrow.
Thanks for helping,
E xx
hi Emmbee
How did you get on today? Are you having the 2 drugs seperate?
I would take up your grand- daughters offer of the pink wig.If you wear it indoors it will give you a laugh.How did you get on with shopping for your real wig?Did you get it and do you like it?
I cheated on the 3 days actually - I felt a bit off Fri/Sat/Sun but I don’t work Sat and Sun
so thats 9 days really out of 9 weeks still that wasn’t too bad.
I have finished chemo and radiotherapy -and should have started tamoxifen( hormone drug) in December.Its a very long story - but I’m still waiting to see if I’m having it or not.
Hope you are ok.
HI Binkie,
I am really fed up. I am supposed to be starting chemo on Tuesday but have not yet had confirmation. My breast care nurse said that she could not find anything out. I pointed out that it was bad enough having to go for the chemo but not being sure if I was listed was driving me crazy. She said that she would find something out and let me know on Monday. I really don’t think this is good enough. Maybe I will contact the hospital myself tomorrow. It is not my local so I don’t know anyone on the inside there who I can get to check for me.
Going for the wig made everything real and I felt as though I had fallen in a black hole. I was quite ill for the rest of the day but am over it now. I found a wig which did not look too bad but they did not have the colour I wanted. It has been ordered and should be here in a few days. I have a friend who went through chemo some months ago and she is bringing me her wig and stand which is very kind of her.
Nine weeks does not seem very long for your chemo, was there a reason for that? Mine will last for 4 1/2 months.
I am sorry that you still do not know about the Tamoxifen. My friend was on that and she said that apart from hot sweats she was fine on it. Hope you get sorted soon.
E xx
Hi Emmbee
I hope you don’t mind me joining you thread but though you might be interested in my chemo experience.
I am an older lady - early 60’s - i finish my chemo tomorrow. I had 4 lots of AC that refers to the two names in a combination and I know that the C part is the one you are having beginning with C. I then had 4 lots of taxotere.
They wern’t easy but I have come through - I still need to have my surgery. The side effects(SE) of the AC were mainly different to the side Effects of the Taxotere(tax). Any real problems I reported and they seemed to have answers to most of them. Sickness they can prescibe for.
Aches and Pains they can prescribe for. Mouth problems the same . Tiredness is a b***er but give in and rest. My most annoying SE has been the altered taste in my mouth nothing tastes right; but it does get better just in time for the next session.
My hospital gave me injections to do at home to cope with the blood problems on tax and they have worked. I have managed to have all my chemos on time.
Read the thread top tips on Chemotherapy - it is very very helpfull.
I can’t be your buddy and go through chemo at the same time as you but will happily try to support you. I have been there already, By the way I lost all my hair on AC but since changing to tax it has started to grow again in a very baby bird sort of way. However I have lost my eyelashes and eyebrows on tax.
Love and Hugs
Andie
Hi Emmbee Hi Andie
Andie of course we don’t mind you joining in.In fact you may be more help than me to Emmbee.I wasn’t an “older woman” (she says hopefully) but I knew someone who was 67 who has no problems through her chemo- they were worried she wouldn’t do well - and shes doing better than anyone! Although she did lose her hair.And congratulations on your last chemo tomorrow and I can tell you the surgery is the easy bit- I was sooo
worried about the surgery but it was ok I just slept through it!
Emmbee I’m sorry you are fed up I’m not surprised. If its any help they lost me too I had an appt but they had no listing it was soon sorted and I did start chemo on the planned day.I let them make all the telephone calls while I was there.Don’t worry about it you have the appt just turn up like I did.
I had 9 weeks of FEC but then I had the next 9 weeks on taxotere so like you in total 4 1/2 months - my boss made me laugh at one point he said “is it 11 weeks already thats gone quick!” He wasnt having it!
You will only have to wear the wig for about 7 months mines just started to grow back - every time I put rubbish out a neighbour catches me and says “hey you’ve got hair!” If you have good neighbours- like me- tell them before hand that you will lose your hair- at the moment we are all trying to decide what colour mine is growing back.Its more like a game than the after effect of cancer treatment.
Thank you for your reassurance about Tamifoxen
xx
Hi AndieT,
Welcome to the thread. I do hope your last chemo was okay. It must be an absolute joy to get to the last one. Now you will have the surgery and it will be fine. Okay, there is some pain and discomfort but it will soon go. I got an infection after my surgery which has held me back a couple of weeks but I am 5 weeks on and driving again.
It is so good to know that they can give you drugs for all the side effects.
I will read the threads you suggested.
Thanks for all your help.
emmbee
Hi binkie,
Had a chat with my friend last night and admitted that if I have to wait longer than Tuesday for my chemo I might just crack up. Whilst I went shopping for a hat this morning my friend phoned the hospital where I am going and discovered that my local hospital had not forwarded my details. Following a discussion with my Oncologists secretary she offered to sort things out. By 3pm all was organized and my steroids are in the post ready for me to start on Monday.
I got a nice hat, cost a lot but who cares. Another friend who had chemo last year is giving me her wig and stand and other head gear so I am all ready now.
Must remember to chop my long nails as the O said I could have problems with them.
Now I understand your chemo. 3 sessions of each drug yes. I still do not know how I am having mine but will soon find out.
Can I eat and drink normally before the chemo?
e
HI Emmbee
Yes-you can eat and drink normally - with the steroids you will probably have to have something to eat before/with them.They told me to finish them before about 2pm ish or you dont get to sleep that night- but I can’t guarantee you will be on the same dose or steroids I was.
Seeing as you’ve been told about the nails - yes- you could have problems with them.I was warned my nails may become discoloured but that would grow out eventually.That I found an understatement.I will tell you about that bit if you want me too but maybe you’d prefer not to know?
I am glad you got a nice hat - I found them easier- I didn’t fancy having a wig as it was summer when I started.
4 days to go I’m counting with you xx
May I offer a couple of tips that helped me through chemo,I was 62 when I started and am now 64.I took a wide necked flask with fruit icelollies which I sucked while chemo was going in.I also drank chilled water between lollies.I never got sore gums or mouth ulcers.Nails-I painted finger and toe nails in a very datk bronze colour and kept them painted for thr whole 6 months.I did lose one big toe nail but apart from ridges the rest were fine.Take your last steroid of the day by 4pm or you will be awake all night.The steroids can make you very hungry just eat when and what you fancy-there will be lots of times when you dont feel like eating at all.Do rest as much as you can-its not ‘giving in’ its letting the chemo do its job.If I can help at all just ‘shout’.Ifinished chemo May 2007 but it is very fresh in my mind lol.
Love Valx
horace,
Thanks for that info. I will take some lollies and drink water and hope it works for me too.
Can you remember which drug you were having when your nails were affected?
I have been told to take the steroids for 3 days. How often did you take them. I won’t mind eating a bit more as I am not feeling hungry at present and could do with putting on a few pounds.
My hat looks okay and my friend has just found me another one which looks good also.
e xxx
Hi Emmbee
I’m hoping you find someone to go through chemo with.
There must be someone out there on this site that is starting chemo soon- so I’m just bumping up this thread to see if someone else is starting next week.
Wishing you all the best for Tuesday xx
Hi Binkie,
Thanks for the good wishes. To be honest I am getting very worked up about the chemo. My Onc said I had 80% chance of no further cancer but if I have chemo and herceptin that will go up to 90%. Is it worth going through 19 months of treatment for another 10%?
e xx