@sharlou I’m gonna ask for pegfilstrim instead of doing 7 injections. My oncologist said I could have it next time - do you have to do it yourself ?
Hope you don’t get the pains. I had the back pain from my last injection all night last night
Yeah I do it myself. I’m literally looking at clock counting down the hours til I have to take it 
Sorry you suffer with it too. I don’t get pain with it anywhere other than chests, ribs and sternum. Mad that the stuff they give us for side effects causes such side effects! Hey ho 
I get the pegfilgrastim too. They offered to send a district nurse to give it, or to teach my husband (if only they knew of his needle phobia 
). Anyway I opted to do it myself so they just explained it to me and it was fine. I got pains in my upper back and neck muscles that evening but they didn’t last til the next day. I’m avoiding paracetamol too as I don’t want another delay due my liver function tests.
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I’m restarting it on Wednesday. I’m glad my friend forgot to bring her clippers round cos I still have some hair and hopefully it won’t be as bad as if I’d shaved it. I only got to do it one and a bit times but the ‘bit’ time cocodamol made me think I’d beat it. That you were able to do it three times is impressive.
I kind of look like if Gene Wilder and Art Garfunkel had a love child after I went at my hair with scissors (was so sick of shedding longer hairs).
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Haha that is quite an image!
Good luck with going back to it - I hope I haven’t put anyone off! Like I say I had no problems at all with it for the first 3. I think it must have been in my head as I can’t think of any reason why it would have made me feel sick?? Headache I understand but nausea? 
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The reason I think I can cope with the pain is as a migraine sufferer for years I’ve had migraines last days so I have techniques I’ve used for that that I use for cold capping. Makes them almost not allowing me to cold cap for that precise reason all the more daft.
I have had nausea with migraines in the past now you mention it so I’m not surprised people get it with cold capping too. If I have side effects like that I may have to re-evaluate. I just hope I don’t have a reaction to my new treatment plan (nab-paclitaxel), that’s more likely to make them stop me cold capping.
The downside of me going nuts with the scissors (the plan was I would haphazardly give myself a trim before my friend dropped off her clippers, then I’d give myself a proper full head shave) is I now very much look like I’ve done just that (in addition to my hairline moving back, hence the Garfunkel resemblance) and on Wednesday at treatment I’ll have to sit there like that while they prepare the cold cap. 
I’m going to look a right pranny. Might go in with smoothed-back wet look to avoid it.
Ugh migraines, I feel you. Actually I wonder if sumitriptan would have helped yesterday
You’ll have to let me know how paclitaxel goes! I’m a bit nervous about learning new side effects and I know a couple of the ladies here have had a reaction. I asked the nurse about it yesterday and she was quite blase, just said if it happens it’s easily dealt with.
Haha yeah the cold cap prep leaves you exposed doesn’t it! To be fair the oncology unit is the one place I don’t feel remotely self conscious about the Friar Tuck look. When are you going for the shave?
Will hold off the shave if I continue cold capping, want as much hair on there as possible to protect my scalp (if I’d known I was going to resume it I might have not got the scissors out). Will do the shave after my last treatment, if there’s any left by then (so mid December at the latest).
I don’t look like a monk yet.
The possible side effects of my new plan are identical to my previous plan, the oncologist says there’s less chance of reactions in my case as my body REALLY didn’t like docetaxel. We’ll have to see, I feel more confident about Wednesday than last cycle when I was terrified about another reaction.
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Who has docetaxel next? Just popped over from August group to say that i had first docetaxel today after 3 EC. It was much quicker and I’m home feeling tired but ok. I had scared myself silly about allergic reactions but it was very smooth. Xxx
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@bluesatsuma I’m pleased all went well. I’ve got one more EC then I have to choose between paxitaxol or Doxie . Doxie means I only have to go for 3 lots . Paxie they haven’t confirmed but likely 9
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Hi, I am pleased it went well for you. I have docetaxel and carboplatin and haven’t had any reaction during treatment. In the following days, i get flushed on my face and neck but don’t know if it’s the chemo or other tablets.
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Ahh great news. That fear of the unknown is just a lot at the moment isn’t it! Out of interest how long does EC take? I’m the other way round to you x
That’s nice you got a choice altho I’d almost rather not have one! I did wonder why some people got doxetaxel and some paclitaxel
I’ve wondered this too! I was just told paclitaxel from the beginning. Bit scared of having something new 
Yes i have a red face…think its the docetaxel. Best wishes with it all. X
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My hospital said that docetaxel is cheaper and requires less time in the hodpital so therefore less nursing. Simple as that. Pax is gentler but requires more sessions so ultimately pricier. X
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EC takes longer. I had one pouch of docetaxel taki g 1 hour. With EC i had saline, steroids, then 3 syringes of E then 2 of C, taking about 2 and a half to 3 hours.
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Paclitaxel is more doable than Decetaxel I’m told but I’m weekly have had 4 x 3 weekly Docetaxel previously. FEC didn’t work well for me last time so had 3 instead of 4. I was on a trial but ended up having it all prior to surgery instead of half after so came off the trial. I think that was aimed at HER2 receptive cancer now as I have 12 weeks and then the op then more chemo for 14 weeks if I don’t get a 100% response/more than a few mm left. If I get a good response just Phesgo every 3 weeks. My tumour was bigger last time though.
I aldo have Docetaxel coming up next. 3 rounds. I’ve coped ok with EC and am really nervous about Dox. Lots of questions to ask my oncologist next week, but it sounds worse in the side effects. Not looking gorward to it at all 
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It still amazes me how there’s so many different treatment paths! I’ll be having 4 paclitaxel bi-weekly. Will I have to still take that poxy pegfilgrastim with it? I literally hate the stuff
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