That’s great news Dawn! Hope it heals up soon.
Day 15 FEC 3 half way there yipppeee! Good tips for the rash and tender head. I’ve used baby shampoo too but hubby noticed very dry on top… going to try smothering myself in almond oil and diving in the bath afterwards, just before a dose of strictly 
He suggested I shave the rest off, very fine and well quite frankly gone pale, potentially white ?. However I think the thoughts below are good advice so I’m sticking with it. Best thing I did was have a very short crop before chemo… helped me accept the inevitable… have wig, wore once after hairdressers trimmed it for me… makes my head itch and it just doesnt feel right for me… wore a black scarf at halloween, got away with it ? Bones ache, marshmellows help ? Been in garden now collapsed on settee. The working girls are amazing…I’m exhausted after a couple of hours…but happy after a bit of marshmellow burnt off.saw Elaine Page at the wend… is that a wig it looks flippin good. Hope I get to that age with that much energy… inspirational. Good news I think my 10cm haggis has shrunk beyond recognition, its still there but I can imagine its small enough to operate on… lets hope the T does its job and shrinks it even more… it is crappie but its all worth it in the end… even the constipation and piles subside eventually… dont they… perhaps less marshmallows lol love to you all be strong be brave and be kind to yourself!
That is good news CacieC - makes you feel that it’s all worthwhile. Let us know how you get on with the almond oil because quite a few of us have had problems with itchy scalp. I am aware that my 5cm lump has been responding to the treatment. but won’t know exactly how much until the MRI scan has been done. I am due to have the scan om 29 November (not looking forward to it, it is more uncomfortable than having the chemo) but I won’t know the results until 23 December, when I am due to see the surgeon again. I hope it is good news so close to Christmas. At the last consultation on 11 November the surgeon did a physical examination which confirmed that the lump is definitely shrinking, so he is still proposing to do a lumpectomy provided it has shrunk enough by the end of the chemotherapy. He said that he is also happy to do a mastectomy if I prefer. While there are no advantages in terms of survival rates, a mastectomy would reduce the risk of local recurrence and there is no need for radiotherapy. So I will have to weigh the pros and cons before I decide. The nurse also confirmed I will be starting the 12 month course of Herceptin injections in January following on from the chemo, but I haven’t had an appointment for the first one yet. P.S. The MRI scan appointment had to be changed because the first date they sent me was…22 November, the same day as the next chemo (talk about the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing!).
Maggie Moon how are you after a few days on T? I hope you are coping well.
Rosie Ro I think you are the same date as me - start T 21/11?? Good luck!
Ru how are you after the first week on T? Hope the SE’s are manageable.
I am going to have my first of 3 cycles of Docetaxyl (T) tomorrow…any last minute advice ladies?
I am getting very nervous. I am taking the 4 steroid tablets today (11am and 3pm) and tomorrow morning again. I have been taking Clarityn for the last 4 days. Nothing else to do but rest and wait…
I looked up all your comments about your first T cycle and wrote them down in the wee notebook I keep.
Most of you recommend the alternating Paracetamol/Ibuprofen so I will start them tomorrow.
OR IS THAT TOO EARLY?
I bought the Tena Lady pads for emergencies. That was a first! I have Rennies, Bonjela, Corsodyl, anti-nausea tablets from the FEC cycles that I didn’t like taking, constipation tablets and plenty of food and wine!
I am going to ask for Difflam for sore mouths tomorrow.
Once more unto the breach dear friends…!!
Keep smiling. As Maggie Thatcher said ‘Don’t look back. It’s not where you’re going’
Aine x
Lisad the Clarityn was mentioned by Blueash a good while back and others have said they take it.
I think it is to reduce the bone and muscle pain on the T cycles.
I am taking it. I felt very drowsy the first 3 days. Today day 4 I am taking steroids as well and feel pretty good this evening.
I take eyelash/brow serum and same as you I have slightly thinned but still there. Cost £26 but well worth it.
Really dreading my first T tomorrow. Wish it was over.
I have noticed that I have an extremely heightened sense of smell. Anyone else noticed?
Did I say before I could smell my sister opening a bottle of wine 25 feet away? I got a real whoosh of wine. It was so funny.
x
Maggie Moon - it is very difficult to lose weight if you aren’t having bad nausea. I did lose a lot of weight because I couldn’t eat. However I have struggled all my life to keep my weight down - I am 3 stone lighter now that at my worst! I know I will put on quite a bit when this is all over.
Prior to starting chemo I was losing weight on the advice of my mother who has a great figure and just turned 80 ( or seventy ten as she says!)
Don’t eat after six in the evening. That is the rule. Eat a big breakfast and a healthy lunch and an early dinner. Eat as much as you want at mealtimes. I lost a stone over about 9 months with absolutely no effort. This is what the French say is a healthy lifestyle! Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. I felt soo much better and my digestion became soo much better - no constipation!
However - in reality now we are just trying to get through each day. I have found that eating a little every 2 hours and not worrying that I can’t manage a good dinner works for me. It gives me a wee energy boost too.
Are you drinking enough fluids? I had to rotate orange squash, water, a hot drink and flat diet coke to keep me from giving up. It is so hard to drink all this fluid when you don’t feel like it but it temporarily staves off that feeling of hunger.
Tesco do a great snack pack of dried fruit with a couple of chocolate covered ones to cheer you up! I am taking them to the hospital tomorrow - it is going to be a long day!
My American friends sent me an email last year saying that cancerous cells feed on sugar so we should all be cutting down big time on sugary foods. Also said cut way down on red meat and pork as it is full of hormones and additives to preserve it and eat more fish and chicken. Also said eat a lot of lemons as they protect against cancerous cells. Now I am just repeating this and can’t prove it. However I do think that sometimes Americans have a different slant on things and they may have some very good points
Have a comfortable week everyone!
x
Afternoon ladies, i’ve felt pretty smug going through this treatment (3 x FEC and 3 x T) feeling generally ok. I’ve managed to get out and about every day and felt like I had escaped some of the awful s/e some of you have had to experience. That was until 5 days ago when I had my second T. Since then I have been hit by that train some have described. I have zero energy and my limbs are like jelly. I haven’t got dressed for 2 days which is unheard of. The bone pain isn’t as bad as last time, it’s just the extreme tiredness. I’ve not even managed to watch a whole Celebrity Get Me Out of Here for several days ?!! I took my last injection earlier. Any ideas when I’ll start feeling a bit normal again? My head wants to do things but my body is definitely saying ‘forget it, stay in bed’! X
Day 10 Sweetbriar! I plan around day 10. Anything beforehand, forget it! I describe it as having run a marathon then being hit by a bus. I do control it with paracetamol /ibuprofen although my onc offered me morphine but I don’t think it’s bad enough for that.
Tax has a lingering effect on me, I’m experiencing lots of aches/joint niggles way past day 10. Onc says these will improve about a month after T ends (last one tomorrow) but on the whole I think it could’ve been a lot worse.
I hope you settle in to it as good as it is possible with any chemo! Xx
Hi atomicjojo, thanks for that and good luck for tomorrow. I’m obviously hoping I’ll be feeling better by 10 days, the thought of another 5 days of this makes me feel like crying to be honest. Time will tell I suppose. Xx
Sweetbriar you might be different of course. I had bone pain with my first something chronic when I was having the injections. Told my onc & she said day 7 is when T is at its worse & that combined with g-csf injections equals a **bleep**storm in your body. Funnily enough it was never as bad the 2nd & 3rd time. The fatigue got worse but not the actual pain. Just niggles really. I tend to Potter around, maybe bake something, do a jigsaw then go lie on the bed. It’s a proper routine!
Be glad to see the bloody back of it though xx
Back again. Was feeling a little low tonight so I thought I’d check in and sure enough I’m feeling a bit more positive after reading your posts? And not so alone. Old dawn the almond oil worked… my scalp is not sore like it has been - it was a bit wierd at first putting it on, felt like a chip …but my skin was a lot better after the bath, the rash on my neck is a little better too. Glad yours is shrinking. My T starts Fri… bones already hurt like hell…femur joined in today! I came home one night during cycle 1 to find a book ‘how not to die’ on my doorstep. It was well intentioned left by my mad professor friend. It was filled with research on how to combat breast cancer. My addication to marshmellows ( only had 3 tonight) is a definate nono but hey whos counting. Tried about 5 different flours including baking buck wheat biscuits and pastry… not great…in fact quite crap really…most of the flours are still in cupboard? I am using nuts and unprocessed seeds, brown flours and rice though… bored of fruit and veg?Still you eat less. Oh mums tip… ripe pears for constipation… it could be coincidence but it seems to work for me. Had a super italian at lunch which is on the naughty list too( and the glass of red… eeek) but on the whole apart from the sugar craving I’ m not doing too bad. Rule is have a varied diet each meal if you can… eating french style works for me too?Sounds like some are on the T first… is that because you are on the trial?
Hi ladies, it’s my 5th treatment tomorrow (actually, today!), second T + Herceptin + Perjeta. I’m less worried because I know what to expect - there are unlikely to be any bad reactions from the treatment itself as there weren’t any last time, and I’m also having only half the doses of the targeted biological drugs as before. CacieC - glad the almond oil is doing the trick with your scalp. E45 Itch Relief cream worked for me. We’re all different, so it’s often a case of trial and error to find out what works best for you. But by sharing information we can find out what products are out there and have worked for others, and try them out till we find the right one for us. Sweetbriar1 and Madmac22 - sorry to hear you are having terrible pains from the T AND the injections several days after your last treatments. A double whammy - really is a b****r isn’t it? It just isn’t fair. I have only had mild bone pain so far but am not feeling smug or complacent because I know it could get worse. on my last two cycles. Also sorry to hear about the fatigue, and hope it doesn’t last too long after the treatment is over. The fatigue ‘train’ has only visited my station ? a couple of times during the last cycle but on each occasion didn’t last for more than a few hours. But as fatigue is cumulative and can linger even after the chemo is over, I expect more and longer visits from the ‘train’ in future. Fatigue is not just normal tiredness and no treatment is available except exercise when you feel up to it, without overdoing it. It is hard to describe the feeling to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. I experienced a feeling of extreme lack of energy and heaviness, such that I couldn’t move far and had to lie down / sleep, and it felt as though someone had tied lead weights to my arms and legs. It’s definitely a slow/ stopping train ? not an express train, rather like the clapped out old rolling stock (e.g. seats with dirty, worn upholstery and knackered springs) Centro used to use on the Cross-City line (Redditch-Birmingham-Lichfield) before it was electrified and they lost their franchise. I reckon they leased some of it from the Tyseley Railway Museum ? (lol). Lisad and Aine - hope your recent first T treatments went well. Can’t say I’ve had any serious smell issues, I’ve just gone off the smell of one or two toiletries I wasn’t mad keen on before anyway. Regarding food and drink, I am just trying to eat a healthy balanced diet as advised (except when I feel the sudden urge to make a cake lol). I have tried to ignore all the scare stories about things that can cause or contribute to the risk of BC generally / HER2+ and ER+ BC, until I have had chance to check out the evidence for myself. I think it could do is more harm than good to stress about what is and isn’t ‘safe’ to eat and drink at a time when many of us are already stressed out enough about other things and are struggling to eat anything at all because of the chemotherapy SEs. I also personally think that if we cut out everything from our diet that could conceivably cause or contribute to the risk of BC, we’d all either starve or lose the will to live on the few things that nobody has (yet) claimed are causing or contributing to it. Food scare rant over. To change the subject, like yours, my eyebrows and eyelashes are hanging on but have thinned, so I am interested in trying the serum you mentioned in your posts. What is it called and where can you get it? I really should stop now and try to get back to sleep before the alarm goes off at 7.00.
Hi Old Dawn,
Your detailed train analogy made me laugh. Quite an achievement these days! Like you I’m trying to eat healthily and not worrying about it. Ginger biscuits come out when I’m feeling low. Had my replacement PICC Ince fitted yesterday ready for the first of 6 Taxol tomorrow. Wish getting nearer the end made me feel better.
Hi Old Dawn,
Your detailed train analogy made me laugh. Quite an achievement these days! Like you I’m trying to eat healthily and not worrying about it. Ginger biscuits come out when I’m feeling low. Had my replacement PICC Line fitted yesterday ready for the first of 6 Taxol tomorrow. Wish getting nearer the end made me feel better.
I love your train analogy Dawn. I described fatigue as giving a sumo wrestler a piggyback up Everest! Whatever it is horrible - much worse than the anaemia fatigue which is my only experience prior to this. Tomorrow is round 4 of 6 and even though I am dreading it because SE’ s, I am feeling positive because I feel I’m on the homeward stretch.
Lisa, I was looking at that eyelash serum the other week because my eyebrows are very sparse and there are a few gaps in my eyelashes. Due to make up my friends tell me it isn’t noticeable but I know. Do let us know how you get on with it in the next couple of weeks, I’m going to York in a couple of weeks for my birthday so I may invest if it’s any good.
I try to ignore food warnings and cancer because they change so often. I especially don’t pay attention to American advice, simply because their farming and food safety laws are so different from our own and don’t necessarily apply in our country. I try to eat healthily but I seem to crave sweet drinks more than I ever did, but as so many of my usually preferred drinks either taste wrong or feel slimy I am not worrying overmuch. Hopefully my tastes will return to how they were by the end of January, which isn’t far off. My last round of chemo is 4th Jan, so not too much longer to endure all of this.
Been told today that my fatigue may be due to my low blood count so having a transfusion on Friday
Hi Aine - how did your first T go yesterday? Mine was ok but can really feel the difference from the FEC! Raging thirst - drinking so much water and nice chemo red face this morning! Think I got away lightly with SE of FEC -apart from the foot long blood clot that is! Had more or less usual high energy and just flopped for about two days. Expecting this to be a tougher ride but armed with good laxative, mouth treatments etc. Going to make my own body lotion as I can’t find the perfect one so will let you know if I do and if it’s any good. The website I like for products is beautydespitecancer.co.uk. Particularly beauty serum (only use tiny drops and don’t need any moisturiser afterwards) nail oil (one drop does one hand - sometimes both!) and the lip balm. I also have the cleanse and moisturise cream (don’t really like it as cleanser but fab night cream) and the red lipstick!! Two thirds of the way through chemo now thank goodness. Good luck to all. Xx
Lisad - thank you for information about eyelash and eyebrow serum. It’s pricey and also contains parabens (so do most things that my skin is able to tolerate), bit as I don’t wear any make up, like you, Aine and Auntinanna, I think I’ll try it while I’ve still got some eyebrows and eyelashes left in the hope I can hang onto them. I know what you mean about loss of appetite and drinks as well, but for me it seems to change over the cycle. On Day 5 of the last cycle I could only stand tea and water, but by the end of the cycle I could drink decaffeinated coffee, Horlicks and Sainsbury’s no added sugar peach flavour barley water, which tastes less sweet than the Robinsons version. I can also tolerate Robinsons no added sugar apple and pear flavour though it is sweeter and not as nice. Interesting what you say about flat Coke, so I will get some small bottles of sugar free and give it a go.
Hello all hugs to each and every one of you. Thank you for all your posts. I had my First T on the 14, the first 2 days were ok. Day 3 onwards the train ? could not start, it had a mechanical fault, I had trouble getting up, standing let alone bath. My joints were like jelly. On Day 4 I had high temperature ? advised to go to hospital (imagine a&e on a Friday night). My veins decided not to give blood ??Until what seemed like a lifetime. Given antibiotics which I thought was good, only to develop thrush and the runs. Have lost my sense of taste, my tongue hurts, despite using mouth wash twice a day ? given Nystan by GP hopefully it will help. Day 9 today the train is signaling to depart #standclear mind the closing doors.
Hi ladies. This is day 8 of second T cycle and feel semi normal today. It’s been a long week but today was much better. Dragged myself from my bed yesterday to see the wig lady. Settled for one bob type but it’s stayed on the knob at the bottom of the stairs ever since I got home with it. Not sure it’s for me but maybe I just need to get used to it. Bone pain has definitely been milder with T #2 but the heavy aching body with zero energy has been much worse. Anyhow, only 1 to go now. Stay strong and positive everyone. ???