Hi Angela G my diagnosis is grade 2 ductural carcinoma and i am having FEC followed by
duxtorel they want to shrink the lump so they can do a lumpotemy, if not successful
a masectomy, having chemo at QA Hospital Portsmouth, although i live 30 miles away,
hospital recommended as has new Cancer care unit for the south. I am getting paranoid
about infections, which i know i must control, they have given me emergency 24 hour tel
no to ring, so i do not why i am worried.
Hello Ladies. I’m Funki from the february Valentine thread. I see you have already met some of my wonderful fellow Valentines!
I just wanted to pop in to say that I wish you all lots of luck and to recommend you read through the valentines thread for lots of tips and hints and to dispel some of the myths or fears you may have about chemo. I always read the December and January thread along with my own so I can see what to expect.
I’m glad you have taken on my new idea about stating chemo regime and day before your post. It will really help when reading others posts that are on the same Chemo as you
Just remember for every SE you get there is a tablet. write down your SE’s every day. When you get to your second chemo you will be ready and know what to do. I have just had my second and I know that when I stop the steroids on Sunday I will have a bit of a come down and may be a bit flat and emotional. I know that day 2 of my white cell boosting injections I will feel like I have been run over by a truck so I will take pain killers before. I know that If I dont start taking something for my constipation tomorrow I will be constipated for 5 days.
Not everyone will have the same SE even on the same regime but If you post about yours you could be helping someone else.
All the best and feel free to pop over to us Valentines if a question cant be answered OK? And if we dont know January will 
March on Ladies
Funki x
Hi all starting chemo in march I’m going on Eribulin just wondered if anyone else going on it so we can compare se gd luck all Laura
Hi Chanson,
I think you find most of us in the Valentines group are paranoid about infections. At the end of the day, during our low immunity period, all we can do is avoid places where there are too many germs such as public transport, schools, etc. and take all sensible precautions at home. Plenty of handwashing and sanitising seems to be the order of the day, using disinfectant wipes on places you touch a lot such as door knobs, telephones, and wash your hands before and after using a computer keyboard. It’s all common sense really, but we can’t wrap ourselves in cotton wool. We are all given the emergency numbers to ring, and told what to do if we do get an infection, and all we can do it be careful and be aware.
Good luck with your first session next week
Linda xxx
hi Chanson you’ll be going to the best place then. I go to Kings College in London, and it’s a training hospital with a specialist unit for breast cancer/chemo with a lot of the capitals top specialists there so we’re lucky. Althoug it’s only a 20 minute journey for me. A bit further for you. I guess thet could be not so great.
I have been talking to my friends & family about my “paranoia” re infections too!!! I might be in danger of going OTT with it. But those of them with medical experience all say live life as normal as possible, but avoid crowded places (waiting rooms, transport, church, parties etc) where there’s less control over germs. I keep wiping everything with antiseptic wipes (including my 2 1/2 year old grandson! in fact i feel like doing the same with everyone who comes through the door!!
Hello Marchies! My first post on this website, thought I would join in with you guys as a fellow Marchie. I’m due to start my chemotherapy on Monday 11th - a course of FEC-T. I had a Mx in January then 4 weeks later had an axillary node clearance. I’m planning on giving the cold cap a go but my oncologist told me that I would most likely lose my hair around the 4th - 5th cycle if not sooner. I have an appointment to try on wigs also next week and an appointment to try head scarves also next week. So busy with appts next week, I hope Im feeling up to them all after the chemo! Thanks to all you ladies who have been posting, it makes the experience a little less daunting. All the best 
xx
Hello again. Thank you for suggesting looking at the February postings, I will do this armed with my notebook.
i had my hair cut short today, the first time I’ve had short hair since I was 2 years old! But as my Oncologist said I would lose i t all on TAC I thought I would get ahead of the game. I had a few tears as the hair was chopped off but ok now.
I hope you all have a good weekend/what’s remaining of it.
Best wishes
Jess x
Happy Mothers day to all mums starting chemo this month and for all of us seeing our mums today. Today is a fab day for us all so enjoy it!! 
Hey marchies, happy Mother’s Day!!! Well I had my first fec 2 days ago now and apart from some nausea and feeling tired its not as bad as I thought. Isotonic tropical drinks and tomato soup have really really helped. Good luck to those starting there chemo this week, stay smiling and remember after your first one you can start ticking them off that appointment card!!!
FEC 75 - Starting on Thurs, 21 Mar
Happy Mother’s Day! First post. Everyone says I’m so positive but feeling a bit low. let down by kids today. Heard sad cancer story from someone I hadn’t been in touch with for years so that didn’t help!
Been reading your posts which helps. Thank you!
Some questions:
- Does the number after FEC indicate the dosage for epirubicin? I asked the chemo nurse and she didn’t know.
- Should I request for an ECG? I’ve not had one at all. Otherwise staff wouldn’t be able to compare my heart’s activity during chemo to say if that is normal or not for me.
- Has anyone tried following what Jane Plant did during her chemotherapy? She said that it helped her prevent hair loss. maybe her chemo treatment is different. everyday, Jane drank half a pint of green Bramley apple juice mixed 50:50 with fennel juice, half a pint of carrot juice and ate a good deal of melon – and stuck to her diet. I don’t plan to use the cold cap as I just want to go in and out as quickly as possible. I just wondered if anyone has tried it.
Twinnumber1 - our situation is similar. Wide local excision (WLE) with at least 4 mm margin and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) On 31 Jan. Had to spend a night in hospital due to dizziness and sickness (reaction to anaesthetic) and large hepatoma (internal bleeding). Surgeon had used glue to seal incision so both ends of would started splitting due to the hematoma. My would (15mm hole at one stage - eww) finally closing up this week - hurray!
Got dental appointment this Weds and seeing the wig lady on Thurs.
Chanson1 - we don’t live too far away from each other. I’ll be going to Winchester for my chemo.
Thanks for listening!
Hi Nipinuk,
We MAY be starting the same day! There is a lot of support here - and I hope your children are old enough to help over the next few months - the one upside to all this is that my teenagers will finally find out how to use the washing machine!
I don’t know about the number after the FEC, but you can probably safely google that. I’m not sure which dosage I will be on yet.
I would certainly ask about the ECG - I will be having an ECG and MUGA scan (yay! more radioactive material and lying with an open fronted gown with my arms above my head!!!) as a base line reading.
I haven’t heard about Jane Plant, I will find out. I wasn’t planning on the cold cap either.
It’s just dawning on me how many needles we are going to face over the next few months; I had a blood test on Friday from someone I can only describe as a reincarnation of Rosa Klebb! I’ve been left with bruising on my upper arm covering an area the size of a grapefruit. I can’t do that each cycle!
Keep smiling Marchies, may all our Se’s be small (or well managed!)
Christine xx
FEC75 CYCLE 1 DAY 7
It’s snowing and blowing here in SE london. we’re going for a walk soon (maybe at Bluewater tho’!).
It’s so good to have this site isn’t it, i certainly feel supported through it, and I didn’t realise at first just how helpful it would be.
Hello Cocobutterfly - I am thinking of you right now as you are probably well underway with chemo number 1. I hope your SE’s will be minimal and then you’ll be fine for your appointments this week.
hello nipinuk - i looked through all my paperwork regarding the “75” and i am sure there was some indication as to what it referred to, but i can’t find it now. maybe the experts on this site can answer your question, and then you can let us know what they say? It’s good to be informed isn’t it. I’ve not heard of Jane Plant, but the mixture doesn’t sound too appetising. But, just as we are all different with our SE’s, we are all different in our tastes, but i don’t think i’ll try it!!
hope Mother’s Day was good for you all. As usual, my daughter and husband were working, and i had my little grandson to cope with, so was more than stressed when they came home! My son lives in hampshire, too far to come, and so i spent 1 hour on phone with him talking me down from the ceiling!!!
FEC 75 - Starting on Thurs, 21 Mar
Hi Christine, Yes, I googled FEC 75 and it said that the number was the dosage for epirubicin. I’ll need to confirm that with the hospital as well. Haven’t heard of MUGA scan - more reading up for tonight I’ve got my blood test scheduled an hour before chemo starts. My eldest will become a teenager tomorrow.
Hate needles, I used to scream, fight and spit when a needle got near me! Lol, that fighting spirit is proving handy these days.
Twinnumber1 - Jess, Forgot to say that I’ve had my long hair chopped off too. Was sick after surgery and my hair was in the way! I’ll be donating it to The Princess Trust - they provide wigs for children who’ve lost their hair through cancer. Hubby says I look more like my mum - it wasn’t meant as a compliment!
I’ve got root canal treatment to look forward to this Thurs - yuck
AngelaG, the mixture does taste like medicine! Fennel give an aniseed like taste to the juice. I’ll let you know if I find out what the ‘75’ means. I actually changed my diet when I was diagnosed in Jan (found my lump in the early hours of Christmas morning). I’m intolerant to dairy and used to enjoy the cheesecake and cream and pay for it afterwards. I’ve cut it out of my diet now. I’m not eating meat and once a week I have organic salmon. I asked to be referred to the senior dietition at Winchester and it was really good. She went through my food diary and said that I was meeting and in some cases exceeding my nutritional requirements with the exception of iodine, selenium and vitamin D. I take daily supplements for those.
Diet is the only part of having cancer that I’m in control of and it helps me. I live in Hampshire!
Hi all,
I couldn’t beleive wakingup this morning to the covering of white stuff - in Surrey too!! (we don’t often get any, even when the rest of the country is buried…)
I hope everyone had a good weekend, and Mums were suitably spoiled by all concerned.
Chanson1 - I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow. You’ll have one ticked off the list by the end of tomorrow. Good luck!
Best wishes to all,
MM xx
Hello Ladies,
For anyone wishing to know more about the chemo protocols and the prescribed medication to go with chemo, and maybe wondering why you get what you get, I found this very interesting website.
It is the breast cancer chemotherapy protocols and prescriptions for the North of England Cancer Network. It includes the recommended medications to be given alongside the chemo and to take home with us, plus which people are eligible or not eligible for the regimens, and what delays in chemo should be observed if blood counts are low… You can find your own regimen in the list and look see if your oncologist is on the right track! LOL.
Hello everyone, I’m new here - Had WLE in Jan then re-excision for clear margins plus ANC .
I had 2 positive nodes so I’m starting Chemo ( 6 FEC/T ) tomorrow and feeling pretty apprehensive but have had found all your posts a really helpful and full of good advice. Hope we can all support each other on this journey.
hello nora batty, welcome here. it’s really worse in our heads than reality, be assured of that. several ladies have said the same. we’ll be thinking of you tomorrow too. the more relaxed you are (and hydrated) the easier it will be, and nurses are amazingly understanding.
hope you SE’s are minimal
Linda thank you for that link. it will be very helpful.
Angela
Morning All,
Yesterday was a GOOD day,I finally got my treatment regime sorted here in France. I have my port inserted on Friday and start FEC-T the following Friday. My hospital here were great and sorted all the paper work for me after endless back and forth by yours truly to my PCT etc, its such a relief to get things under way.
Linda Thanks for the link - good to be informed on a direct level
Nora Batty Welcome to the March Crew.
Keep warm and look after number one
xx Suzy
FEC 75 Cycle 1 Day 6
hello All, a day behind Angela, but so far have got through the meds (finished the steroids today). Stomach a little sensitive but eating little and offten helping, along with drinking enough water and or tea. Head is slightly sensitive so not sure whether loosing hair is just around the corner.
Lola65, thanks for the link, very interesting. I was told that that there was a lifetime dose of ‘E’ which an individual can take, so where FEC only is taken, the reduction to 75 is necessary as 6 cycles are generally given, as compared with 3 cycles when having FEC together with ‘T’.
NoraBatty / Suzy - good luck for this week.
Jude
Many thanks for your warm welcome. Angela, thanks for advice on hydration - will keep sipping the water…!
Suzi/CaAssowary - Good luck - hope all goes well for you.