Dear All, I really wanted this in the July starter thread, but just can’t work out how to do that, so hopefully a moderator can move it or help me out!
Anyway I just wanted to re-assure some others nervous about that first dose experience. I had mine last Saturday (16th) … I am having neo-adjuvant so chemo first before surgery. The nurse was lovely and stayed with me throughout. I took an anti-sickness medicine capsule 1hr before I started and that seems to have done wonders. Then while the EC was going in (through a canula in the back of my hand) my arm was wrapped in a electronic warming pad. This helped ensure the chemo went in as comfortably as possible. Oh I had a bolus of steroid first before the chemo. Now I’m on 3 days of oral steroids ( today I’ve just finished day 2). All of this means so far, no significant side effects at all. I don’t expect it to be this easy every time or even this cycle once the steroids finish, but just wanted to reassure everyone that after the lists of side-effects and possible side-effects we all have to be told about immediately before treatment, sometimes none or hardly any of them appear, so don’t assume it’ll be terrible from the off - I rather did, but was wrong, and of course the hair loss hasn’t started yet. I know it will, but for now all is well and I’m on the journey.
On a totally different note, I went for an MRI scan of my breast area on Sunday and what I was totally unprepared for was being asked to tape an evening primrose oil capsule to each of my nipples - apparently it helps show up where the centre of my breasts are on the scan when they are hanging down! I really wasn’t expecting that at all and first thought it was a wind-up. Has anyone else come across this?