Welcome , but so sorry to hear that this is second time round for you. I started my first chemo, EC, on Monday and apart from a bad reaction to one of the anti-sickness tablets, have not been pretty good. I have requested a Picc-line, but no news on it yet, so had the EC via cannula and didn’t feel it. Good luck for your start of treatment.
Big hugs to you, that reaction you had sounds very scary! Hopefully things will be smoother now xxxx
I love your flag 
Very best of luck for the 11th! I had a mastectomy in July and will have 8 fortnightly chemo cycles for IDC (4 x EC and 4 x Pac), hopefully around the week of the 22nd but tbc. I’ll be having a port too. Here is my comfort shawl that my sister knitted for me with cashmere wool to take to chemo 
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Thank you, not looking forward to the first Filgrastim injection later, but will be happier to get the first one over with… xxx
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Hello lovely. Hows your dog doing ? And I hope your first injection went ok. Sorry your having woozy head and migraines.
@caroline_w_uk hi, sorry your back here again. Were all here to hopefully take some of rubbishness from the year where possible. This forum has helped me so much already, just in setting the mind straight.
Hi @cridders I love the flag! Youll be starting on the day I hopefully find out my start date, got my blood test that morning aswell.
Did any of you have yours the same day as your oncology appointment?
And I get you on everything feeling slow. Even tho its really isnt I suppose. But every day feels so dragged out.
@frunca love the Shawl, my mum said shes going to make me some hats 
I had an evening of trying my wigs on properly and trying to style them aha. I really like them
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@frunca what a lovely shawl from a lovely sis! I’m going shopping for a “chemo kit” today and a soft throw/shawl is on my list. I’ve got to do 2 sessions without the port and already feeling like pin cushion as have had bloods done three days in a row for different things - roll on the port!
@molly.m that wig colour really suits you. I’m off to get a pixie crop today and have a cheap TikTok wig on its way along with some turbans whilst I wait for my nhs wig appt.
My sessions are going to be Thursdays and my onco appt every third Monday. Will be living at the hospital.
@bellbert sorry to hear about your dog. I’m probably going for the self inflicted eyebrows as well… keep saying to my girls when they are naughty I’ll draw my angry eyebrows on 
Seem quite a few people online mentioning the Fil injections - what are these for and does every do it or just if you have certain symptoms?
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Good morning, not too bad this morning, a bit woozy and small aches etc. Relief with Bella ( dog), thank you for asking. Her eye pressure dropped enough with the multiple drops, so we have avoided having to have the eye removed right now. Back on Monday for another pressure test. Right I shall just mention the regime I did, with the Filgrastim injections, to try and help everyone, all information gleaned over this forum. Clarityn, anti histamine, 1 hour before plus 2 x Ibuprofen ( 200mg) as I can’t take Patacetamol. Also 1 hour before, apply the Emla numbing cream as directed and cover. 1/2hr before, get the injection out. At the time of injection, clean off numbing cream, wipe the area for injection with anti septic wipe ( given) and plunge away. Didn’t feel a thing. I did mine at 8.30pm, waited up until 9.15pm in case of serious reactions, none, so went to bed and slept the worst of it off LOVE your red wig, you really rock that!
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Good morning, thank you re dog, luckily the eye pressure dropped back enough. The Filgrastim injections are to rebuild your white blood count, which drops during chemo treatment, to try and keep you safer from infections. I have just posted the full regime I did in my previous post as some people have had problems with them - so I followed all the advice others had given and it worked a treat The eyebrow pencils are great, I have only practiced on my hand as yet, but they are supposed to stay on and be pretty smudge proof. You can at least make your girls laugh with your expressions you can draw on for fun, nice to have a smile/laugh occasionally.
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Hi all. I had my first EC yesterday, overall it went well. I did try the cool cap but ended up removing. My chemo drugs were not ready and I had it on for 90 minutes before the drugs arrived. The thought of it being for another 2 hours was too much. The actually infusion was fine. Side effects so far are fatigue and nausea. I’ve taken the steroids this morning and again just tired today. I have the first injection tomorrow which I’m worried about. Any tips on how to do it and the best place to apply it. Thank you x
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Hi @caroline_w_uk I’m pleased you have found this thread, I joined two chemo starters in 2023 as I thought I was having chemo first, then ended up with surgery then chemo/ Herceptin. As youare also HER2+ I wanted to sign post you to a very supportive thread call HER2+ and need some buddies.
This may be helpful for anyone else in September chemo thread that is also HER2+.
It’s had over 50k views and offer extra support from those that have had Herceptin/phesgo/kadcyla on top of chemo.
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Hello…and help. I feel like I’m drowning this weekend. I’ve been in tears today, and overthinking…and don’t know where to start
I had a mascetomy on 8th July, no spread to lymph nodes. Been referred to the Christie for chemo and Her2 treatment. My cancer is triple +ve. Inital appointment is the 18th.
I’m dreading chemo and hearing all the things it could take away. I’ve not packed a hospital bag or looked at wigs. Everytime I think about it I can’t face it. but I’m going to have. So I need to start somewhere this week. Any suggestions welcome please
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Big hugs to you. I’ve been finding things overwhelming too, we are given so much information at once and then we are just left to wait with it all going round our head. What helped me was trying to just focus on one thing at once. Easier said than done I know. My breast care nurse made a wig referral for me. Have they mentioned a referral to you? I’m waiting for my chemo start date following a mastectomy and I keep trying to remember that chemo is way better than it used to be and there are lots of ways of managing side effects. Sometimes though it’s really good to have a good cry isn’t it!
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You look fabulous! Where did you get such a lovely wig from? 
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Evening ladies.
Thanks all on the wig aha. I’ve always wanted to go this colour so figured this is the perfect opportunity to give it a go. Got to find the little wins in all this I suppose. @frunca I got them from temu 
I made sure to read some reviews and look at photos just in hopes they turned out ok. Luckily they did. I’m also waiting on my referral to come through from the nhs for a wig. Hows the one from tiktok ? @cridders they keep popping up on my page.
Aha Im quite jealous I cant do expressive eyebrows now. Ill have to makeup over the microblading.
@bellbert ahh glad Bella is doing better. Glad the injection went ok and thankyou so much for the advice. Im making notes as I go aha
@mrsb6 i hope your doing ok. Well done for giving the cold cap a go, your braver than me.
Hello @seren1 . Its a hard one to take in isnt it all of this. Just know your not alone in this. I put on a brave exterior to everyone around me and trying to focus on the things I can attempt to have control in. Had a little cry myself tonight after putting my daughter to bed. It hit me I have cancer. It was like I forgot and then wham. Im also Her2+++ so chemo first for me. Don’t rush into the wigs if your not ready. @bellbert wrote a lovely list further up of some things to get ready before it all begins. Ive found its helped having something to focus on and be in control of. Im attempting to declutter, clean, decorate where I can. I made a little basket for next to my bed of things I can use to distract myself, but also things that can help should I need them so I’m not having to go out a buy them when I am feeling bad.
I hope your all ok xxx
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Thankyou so much for the advice and support xxxx
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Morning sweetie, hope you are feeling a bit better this morning. It is hard trying to be upbeat all the time, I think we are justified in a little cry every so often, this has been a lot! You will be pleased to know that the stomach injections ( Filgrastim) are still going well. Don’t feel them with the Emla cream on! I had quite a bad sore throat yesterday afternoon, but it went again, I think mainly as I am taking Clarityn anti histamines, I do suffer with sore throats at the best of times. So, apart from being tired , I am fine - much better than I thought this would be, so take heart. Your meeting is on Thursday isn’t it? Good luck and hope you get your start date x
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Hello, so sorry you are feeling so down.I started my chemo last Monday, EC ( I have 3 x EC, then 12 x Paclitaxel), so like you, was terrified at the thought of it, but it has been way, way easier than I ever thought. I had a bad reaction to one of the anti-sickness medications on day 1, but I am allergic to so many things, not really a surprise, I didn’t realise it was one particular medication, until the next day, when I took it again (!) same bad reaction within 1/2 hr, so as soon as that was stopped, I have been fine. I haven’t been sick ( apart from on that medication), I have been eating normally, just feeling tired. Nowadays they send you home from your first chemo session, with a bag of anti sickness tablets and they work. We are so lucky we are in the year 2025, when all the chemo treatments have been tweaked over the years, to make it as easy on us as possible. So please try not to worry too much, you will be in safe hands. Everyone on here understands how overwhelmed you feel, but you will get through this, together with the rest of us x
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Hi all, I’ve been reading this thread and trying to take it all in. Thanks to @molly.m for telling me about this group. I meet my oncologist on Tuesday and I’m hoping that means I’ll be a September starter for chemo. I was doing ok keeping busy and reaching out to loved ones but I had my first massive wobble on Saturday when everyone was out and I just cried and cried.
I’ve got 2.6 IDC on left, no node involvement, EP-, still waiting for HER2. Grade 2. I swear this sucker is growing as I sleep:woman_facepalming:t3:
so I tell myself it’s still just tender from biopsy and metal clip.
Am putting together a chemo prep bag from all your wonderful advice. What are thoughts on port v picc?
I get migraines so the thought of the cold cap fills me with horror so I’m going on Temu @molly.m to look at wigs! I tried on a gorgeous bandana in Anthropologie photo below!
I’m so grateful I found this thread, reading everybodies posts has really calmed me down, thank you❤️
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Welcome, so pleased you found us. Good luck on Tuesday. Love the bandana!
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Did the big chop on Saturday and some of my hair turbans have turned up today so that’s been fun to experiment with. The TikTok wig hasn’t shown up yet so will let you know when it does @molly.m
Had my last full day at work today before taking the next 3 weeks off whilst I see how I feel - work have been uber supportive which is a weight off.
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