Well what a rubbish day, am doing the tac2 trial just finished 4 cycles of epirubicin. Hoorah, but really scared about the cmf bit i have to have on Monday, then the following Monday then 2 weeks off then 2 weeks in a row then off for 4 cycles. Anyone out there had cmf on tac2 trial? (worse or better than the epirubicin?) My arm really hurts and i have hardly any veins showing as they have all decided to hide (who can blame them!). It is another step into the unknown. I have had nothing but stomach troubles with the first half of my treatment, constipation, piles, urine infections, thrush, and not being able to wee. I am sick and tired of having constant stomach aches and am really down and scared about the next stage. I try to take one day at a time but i have had enough. I have been lucky enough to be cleared following my mastectomy with no spread of cancer anywhere and i am having chemo as a precaution, i know this is very sensible incase the one random cell is roaming out there but it also makes me want to say, ok i give up leave me alone now please. Yours very sad and feeling very sorry for myself.
Hey Gaynor,
it’s perfectly OK to feel sorry for yourself - just you go ahead. All will look different tomorrow/at the weekend/next week, and you will feel strong again. I don’t know how it works, but it usually just happens that way. If it’s any consolation i’ve had really odd bowels since being on chemo - not exactly diarrhoea but some very near misses and even not getting there in time on a couple of occasions! Dead embarrassing - I only told you in the hope it would make you laugh, so i hope you are. If only they knew - all those people who think I’ve got it all together and under control!
Make sure you tell the docs about all your troubles - they should be able to help.
Big hug
Jacquie
Hey Jacksy
Yes you did make me laugh, thanks for commenting. Support from everyone really helps. It certainly helps to laugh. My friend and i were commenting on the lack of hair the other day and how much she spends at the Beauty Parlour on being waxed! and I am smooth and bald for free!! in every place imaginable!!! LOL.
It is good to hear I am not alone with this problem, like you Gaynor loose and sometimes near misses!!!
I try to go for a long walk most days, but it is getting more and more difficult, because I am worried about the sudden onset of Oooohhhhh! I need to go!!!
Also wind seems to be a problem, I feel like the character Julie Walters played in dinner ladies!!!
Hi Gaynor,
Sorry you are having a rough time just now. The chemo seems to make the body do all sorts of unpredictable things . Have you tried drinking lots of fluids - especially water and cranberry juice. Not sure what else to suggest,i was the other extreme andI found I couldn’t stray too far from a loo! I went a bit overboard on hygene in the kitchen - washing all the tea towles and disinfecting everything - not sure if it helped but it made me feel i was doing something to reduce infection. Ask the doctor if you can take cannasten for the thrush as i know how horrible (and embarassing) that can be . Hope things improve soon
cheers
caroline
Sorry your having such a hard time - its cr** aint it? I had my 3rd of hopefully 6 chemos 2 days ago so dont feel brill and am sick fed up of the whole bl**dy journey. I havent had surgery yet - opted for chemo first but not convinced the lump is shrinking. will have a scan in the next couple of weeks to check and if its aint they will change the drugs (currently on AC) and so another 3 or 5 cycles. Then it will he maybe lumpectomy, maybe mastectomy followed by rads. No-one understands how bad we feel as we tend to put on a ‘face’ and if you do feel you are having a bad time and fed up of your life you get comments like ‘not long now’ or ‘keep your chin up’ - LIKE TO SEE THEM ALL DOING IT!!!
Yes the chemo does all horrible things to your body that I can relate to you and the others - constipation, diarrhoea (very mucousy and sudden!!), thrush etc etc etc. I spose we just have to remember why we are getting it.
So Gaynor, you rant and rave as much as you want on hear - your allowed to!!!
I’m so sorry you’re feeling a bit sh*t at the mo. Congrats on finishing the Epi though, woohooo!!! I am also on arm 2 of the TACT 2 trial. I had my 3rd day 8 CMF yesterday, now I have a 3 week break then I will have my final 2 infusions. Yeeha!!!
Personally I found the Epi to be not too bad at all and I fared v.well side effect wise, apart from the fatigue and tiredness. CMF however is even better! From speaking to so many others, most people seem to find CMF better to tolerate than Epi. I have no nausea, no tiredness and am loving my 3 week break between treatments! The only thing I have really suffered with on CMF is tummy trouble. I get terrible belly aches, sometimes accompanied with diarrhoea! Nice!!! They do give me tabs to anticipate this though, they are called ‘Loperamide’. I take 2 after the first troublesome poo, then can take more later if needs be, although I’ve never had to. I eat loads of fruit and always had high fibre cereals for brekkie when I was on the Epi to keep consipation at bay. However, I avoid both of these like the plague for the first few days after CMF and I have found this has really helped my tummy troubles! Some suffer with mouth ulcers during CMF, luckily I never have though. I am given ‘calcium folinate’ tabs to take for a couple of days after each treatment to help prevent this. Also, I regularly use an alcohol free mouthwash (Dentyl iced cherry, its gorgeous!!!).
When I finished the Epi my veins were shocking, but they have many more vein options with the CMF and it can go just about anywhere. I’ve had cannulas put in places I didn’t know was possible!!! Its much less toxic and hard on the veins too which is good. The time absolutely flies on CMF, honest! I thought it would go slowly, having had only 2 weeks between each acc Epi but the 3 week break I now have really flies! I can not believe my next cycle is my last! Your hair will start to grow back too which is good, if it hasn’t done so already.
Couple of top tips which have helped me when having the CMF:
One of the drugs (I won’t say what one) can make you feel v.lighted headed and slightly drunk when it is being administered. This is not an altogether unpleasant experience once you are used to it but I can be quite unsettling at the start. The best thing I found was to have the chair reclined and I shut my eyes until its passed. That feeling goes as quick as it comes.
Another drug can give you a horrid taste in your mouth and nose and can make you feel like you’ve just jumped into a swimming pool when its being given. I know it sounds daft but to counteract this I suck on a mini calippo ice lolly while my treatment is beign given The nurses said this was defo a good idea. Others I know suck on sweets or eat a bag of crisps. Just a suggestion.
The CMF goes through really really quickly so you should be in and out in no time if it’s anything like where I go. I was shi**ing myself when I had my first CMF, I cried and everything! It was absolutely fine though and I really needn’t have worried. I am sure you will find it a breath of fresh air after Epi,