This thread is for anyone due to start chemotherapy in September 2020. I’m sure others will be here soon but please introduce yourself and you can all help one another through this phase of your treatment. If you have any questions please post away on here and others in the community will watch over you whilst you are getting started. Once you are into it you’ll be pretty good at helping each other. You can also ask the nurses on this forum if you have any concerns. In the meantime, the top tip is always to stay well hydrated throughout chemo, aiming for 2 litres of water per day and make sure you have a thermometer to check your temperature every day.
I finished my chemo in October 2017 and doing very well again now. Here is my story which has some chemo tips on how I coped which were collectively shared from others who had gone through the same from this forum:
If you decide to set up a private group its good to stay on here also during treatment as I know from experience there are some people who watch but don’t immediately pluck up the courage to join in. Your conversations can be a real comfort to others.
Hi I’m due to start chemo in September but I’m no longer living in the UK, I live in Greece where I can not find a support network or at least not one in English. I’m waiting to see my oncologist to know the exact date I start but just entering the 2nd week after the end of radiotherapy so expecting it to be the beginning of September.
Hello! Im starting chemo in 2 days on the 27th, but hope its ok to join this group. Today I had my PICC line put in, which went well, no problems at all. Had all my hair choped off last Friday, still getting use to it, but one good thing, only takes minutes to dry now. starting with 3 x 3 weeks of EC and then 4x2 weeks of T.
want to make up a chemo bag, just so I can grab it, and take it to treatments with me, with all the things I may need. Are any of you doing the same? Any tips of what to stick in it? have hand cream, boiled sweets, lipbalm, antiacids, paracetamols.
First Chemo Day 1 of 2 - just in case this is helpful to anyone! Sorry posting is a bit long…
My first Chemo session has been spilt over two days to monitor my reaction to the drugs. Today I had Herceptin and Perjeta. Tomorrow I’ll have Docetaxel and Carboplatin.
Today has been straightforwards - no immediate effects (none expected, but still good news!). It took about one and a half hours for treatment to start once the usual health questions had been asked, canula fitted, etc. The first infusion took one hour, the second ninety minutes. Herceptin calls for six hour monitoring from the time the infusion starts, so a bit of hanging around before I go home.
Things I was glad I brought with me:
Painkillers - I’d given myself a headache before we even started!
Water bottle topped up - to make sure I got my 2 ltrs a day!
I was given lunch but packed some berries and nuts to snack on.
Tablet with a stack of TV and films downloaded.
Phone.
Fleecy blanket - first thing out of the bag! It wasn’t cold but where I wasn’t moving around it helped keep warm (warm socks would also have worked).
Comfy clothes - I’ll come onto the cannula later, but given one arm was hooked up to a drip, and I was drinking a lot of fluid there were plenty of trips to the loo! The ability to manage this single handedly with easy to manoeuvre clothes was useful!!
Shoes that were easy to slip on and off for numerous trips to the loo!!
Other things:
Cannula - I have small veins and delicate skin (apparently) which resulted in a bit of a struggle to find a suitable point for the canula. Am also a bit wimpy about needles etc so this part of the day was the least fun (though minor in the scheme of things). We’ll have the same tomorrow. Weighing up the pros and cons for me, I’ve opted for a PICC which will be fitted before Chemo no 2. The Macmillan site has good info about about the different options.
Medication - I’ve been given steroids and anti sickness drugs to take home in readiness for part 2 tomorrow.
The nurses have been brilliant - super helpful, good fun and really patient with all my questions. They’ve gone out of their way to make the process smooth and comfortable.
Wishing everyone going through treatment, or about to start, very best wishes xx
Good day Ladies, hope you are all feeling well, I have a questions… was told to be sensible ref social distancing… ie… not go shopping or enclosed spaces, at the moment just isolating as im on day 10, so from day 7 to 14 im totally shielding, did go out early this morning for walk, but not seeing anybody in the house or actually anywhere else, not even my partner, as we dont live together, and he goes into the office to work. How have you guys been dealing with it? the reason Im asking its out anniversary next saturday and want to go away on saturday night the 12th, stay in a nice gastro pub, I will be 5 days before the start of my next chemo, part of me is saying stick to rules and should be fine, but othe other Im scared, and I dont want to go through the next months being scared all the time to actually live, and do things, I dont want this BC to rule my world, I know its happening but I want some normality in all of this, Ive been lucky with my 1st round, side effects have been minimal, and now Im actually feeling better than I have in a long time, would love to dress up and enjoy an evening out. Any advice would be great, well wishing you all a lovely weekend and any recommendations for netflixs will be much appreciated , big hug xx
Bit late to the party but seeing as there’s no cake there’s been no urgency!
I’m due to get started with chemo in the next couple of weeks. Im getting my start date tomorrow. Its been really useful hearing from those if you who have started already. A friend of mine has just recently gone through it and has given me a few pointers. I’ll type them all out another day for you all.
One of the things I just wanted to speak/ask advice about is regarding my husband. He’s falling apart with anxiety and its starting to really do my head in. He’s always been prone to anxiety and its part of him but since my diagnosis its getting worse and worse - understandably. The thing is is that i don’t deal with things in the same way and am feeling really good post mastectomy and lymph node cearance and in this window before chemo starts. Im just starting to feel a little resentful towards him about it all. He speaks to his mum who is great and has been through all the macmillan and hospital support and has a buddy and is certainly not afraid to ask for help or talk about his anxiety.
I’m not sure what I’m after really, I think i just needed a moan!
Just spoke to oncologist for the first time, so far have been dealing with Breast Specialist/Surgeon. I had a Wide Local Excision and Sentinel Node removal on 19 August, and even though its gone for a second opinion we are full steam ahead for chemo starting later this week or early next. 4 cycles EC and 4 cycles Carboplatin/Paclitaxel. Just waiting for the phone to ring for the chemo nurses with appointments for all the pre-tests. Whilst I wouldn’t wish this on any one you, it is nice to know I am not alone…
Hi everyone.
I had my lumpectomy and node biopsy (which came back negative) in July and I’m due to start my chemo too this month. I had my first oncology appt on Tuesday, and was told that I will be having 6 x EC-T and Herceptin injections. I have my ECG next Tuesday and hopefully any day now I will get a phone all to tell me my first date of treatment and other pre appointments.(All I know is that 1st one will be a Saturday)
Feeling anxious and really silly that I can’t get the thought that it’s gonna come back somewhere else in my body.
With the PICC line, does anyone know if it’s ok to exercise with one in? I’m starting to feel very fat and useless at the mo, and worried I’m gonna explode. Had some complications with the healing of my wound and so haven’t been able to do anything. One are just will not heal x
little late as we are nearly half way through the month but I started 12 weeks of Taxol last Thursday alongside Herceptin 3 weekly. Felt ok initially but hit me Friday/Saturday with tiredness, aching, headache. Thankfully I’m feeling better today and feel I’ve turned a corner! Anyone else on same treatment? Hope everyone else is doing ok xx.