Starting Chemo in December.2012

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy monthly threads
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Happy Easter, everyone!

Maire, have a fabuluos time in Rome. sorry to hear you’re still feeling weak, but I think that’s something we’re all going to befacing over the next few months - with the double whammy of chemo AND rads, Ireckon it’s going to take our bodies a few months to get back to full strength afterwards. I have it in my mind that by September, I should be reasonably back to normal… fingers crossed. i tell you what, though, it has cheered me up SO MUCH over the last few weeks reading your posts and hearing about how you ARE bouncing back after reaching the finish line. When I feel really down and weak I remember you and think ‘that will be me, too, very very soon…’ xxx
Hamley - looks like I will be beating you to it by one day, as my fEC6 is on Thursday - neutrophils permitting. Am so terrifed of it being delayed… Re the rads trial - one week insrtead of 3 weeks, i have also been offered that ,and read all the bumf ages ago.
My understanding is that it IS for the benefit of the patients - way back when rads used to be SIX weeks, then they eventually disocvered it was just as effective to do it in a shoerter period, and that became the norm. Now there are a lot of trials going on all over theworld to see if it can be as effective if you reduce it one week with more powerful bursts of rads.
There’s lots of literature out there on it - but my first oncologist was a bit dubious about it because he thought the cosmetic result might not be so good if you have it in one week rather than three, so I decided not to do it.

Happy Easter! We have mad Easter cupcakesw with a creme egg on top of each one1

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Maire - sorry you’re still feeling a bit weak but a trip to Rome has got to do you the world of good and I insist that you don’t give BC a thought all the time you are there. Hope you have a lovely Birthday and you couldn’t have chosen a more romantic setting. When you visit the Trevi Fountain and toss in a coin, I bet I know what you’ll be wishing for!!!
Have a lovely time and get strong and well.

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Cybele, do you remember what the trial is called? You’re much better a finding details than I am, I can never find anything. I’m also terrified in case of any potential delays for FEC 6, it’s been one of my biggest concerns all along but this time even more so.

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Hamley - have the papers somewhere, will have a look…

‘Aramaic for Beginners’: today’s post on chemonights.blogspot.co.uk/

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Thanks for the tips folks. Off to pack now. Wonder if I’ll have to remove wig at airport security.

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Am gutted.

Having been feeling generally rotten and very, very weak yesterday, have woken up this morning with a stinking cold, and am thinking that this does not augur well for being allowed to have FEC6 on Thursday.

I could spit. My bloods will be taken on Wednesday morning, which is only two days’ time. I had another infection at the beginning of last week, a short sharp fluey type bug, which lasted for 3 days, then i’ve had 4 days of feeling oK but very, very weak, and now I’ve got a full on head cold.

Fabulous, just fabulous.

I would have thought that the chances of my neutrophils being high enough on Wednesday are just about zero.

PLEASE TELL ME THAT I’M WRONG, SOMEBODY, PLEASE…

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Cybele-there’s also the chance that they will completely dispense with chemo 6. I’ve heard this happen with quite few people. Don’t want to get your hopes up (or down) but you never know.
I know…I should be packing…hate packing…what looks good with a baldy head?

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Hi ladies, I’m still here (waves flag),

Enjoying weekend with hubbie, pretending to be normal, went to cinema. had G&T in pub (despite pain killers), went deer spotting, visited relatives, ate chocolate eggs…

Still one more day; when hubbie gets back from dump we will do a spot of light shopping and then go to his sister’s for dinner and more chocolate.

I will read everything later and post again, hope you all doing OK, xxx

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Hamley. the radiotherapy trial is called ‘FAST Forward’

‘Bad, worse, worst?’ :
today’s post on chemonights.blogspot.co.uk/

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OMG I have felt so rubbish this weekend. Just walking around the house wipes me out, my legs are like lead and I feel dizzy if I try do much else. Urgh, horrible, just horrible. If things haven’t improved by tomorrow then I will might just ring the chemo unit to see if my bloods needs checking - I do look a bit like Casper right now . Another early night for me.
Everyone feeling good to ok, thumbs up and long may it continue. Everyone feeling rubbish right now, am right there with you and hope we bounce back PDQ x x

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Hi - I’m popping in from the March group - IDC Grade 3. WLE, Triple Neg, margins and SNB clear. Had first EC on 1st March (4 in total) and then due to have weekly paclitaxel x 12 - but can’t seem to find many others on this regime! Not sure if it is the Grade, or TN or what that is putting me on this l combination (should ask my Onc?!). When you all refer to tax I assume it is docetaxel? Anyone similiar to me?? Glad to see some of you are nearing the end… great inspiration for those following close behind. Sophiex

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Hi Sophie I am similar but not on the same chemo grade 3 IDC triple neg. snb clear. I have just finished chemo.I Had 4 Docetaxel and cyclophos. Not sure how they decide really . I was going to have FEC T but had part of that 14 years Ago so could not have that one again

Hopefully somebody wll now the answer but most on this thread are on FEC or Tax I think

Wendy

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Hi All
Maire - hope you’re having an amazing time.
Sand, I’m doing the Supremo trial and i got selected, so start rads on the 18th.
Cress -xxxx
Sophie, I’m the same as you, Grade 3 TN Nodes clear although my tumout was 26mm. i had a mx and did FECT.
Michelle - hope you feeling better in morning, if not trust your body…
Cybele - hope the situation improves for Friday x

Mxxx

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Hi All. Have been feeling total sh**t! Had total meltdown on Saturday - Was in shower and saw myself in mirror Uggh! One boob missing, hardly any hair and looking like a Mitchellin Man! I just burst into tears and sobbed away (still in shower). I don’t know whether it was the last chemo effect or what, but I felt lousy most of the day. Everyone always says ’ you’ve done so well’ - how do they know??? Have they been there and gone through it with us?? All last year I dieted and managed to lose almost 3 stone, and now have put 2 stone back on, my oh says, he knows it was hard?!? Hard?, he didn’t diet, just carried on eating as normal!! Sooo sorry to go on, I just feel totally worthless at the mo, and need to shake myself up and ‘get over it’!! Hope you’re not having a ‘down time’ like me - do you think it’s normal to feel this way after last chemo - maybe it’s a form of relief?!? Just hope feeling goes away soon!! x

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Sand - MASSIVE, MASSIVE HUG xxxxxx

It’s perfectly normal to feel like that, I think.

I look at my myself in the mirror and just want to weep… my stomach is so huge I look like a Sumo wrestler.

I was so fit just before I was diagnosed , swimming 2 miles a day, excellent muscle tone, and now I just feel like a huge heap of flabbiness.

I am having the same reaction to other people’s comments, too: I just keep thinking ‘you have NO F***ING IDEA’.

What is also p***ing me off is people who haven’t had it themselves, like my mother, saying rads is so easy ‘It hardly affected your grandmother at all’ (my grandmother had oesophogal cancer, aged 89) And then I read on here about people who have had horrible burning and itching etc, and talk to my friend from the Haven who had rads a year ago and is still suffering from fatigue…

Nobody knows how anyone will react to any particular treatment, and it drives me crazy how many people will extrapolate from one person they know who had chemo/rads and blithely say ’ oh, it’s not too bad, you’ll be fine’. What makes them think that person told them everything? Why can’t they just say ‘All cancer treatment is tough, isn’t it ? - I hope you’ll get through it withuot too many bad side effects’

For me, chemo couldn’t have been less fine, it has been torture from start to (almost) finish, and no, I DIDN’T TOLERATE IT WELL, I didn’t find it DOABLE, it practically bl**dy killed me, mentally and physically.

Sorry, rant over.

I am just so tired of it all, and it’s clear that although my last dose of chemo is nigh, it’s going to be a long, long time before I start feeling anything like ‘normal’ again.

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Morning ladies,

Have read everything now - that does not mean I won’t get confused. If my comment to you is really about someone else, then I apologise. I am taking a variety of controlled drugs and they are great.

Maire - how fab to go to Rome for your birthday. Get one of those helmets from the fake roman soldiers who hang about the Colosseum hoping to get paid for photos. Wear it instead of wig and charge people for photos. As for Monsoon - I often get hot flushes at the till. I bought a baggy blue thingy mainly cos i could get it over my head without assistance, but also cos it reminded me of the 80’s. Bat wing sleeves seem to be back. I hadn’t even checked the price. £50 caused a slight hot flush.

Coyotegi - loving the wild west weekend. Go for it.

Hamley - I don’t think there would be much mystery about murdering cancer/chemo - it would be like murder on the orient express where everyone did it. Good luck for last chemo.

Lisalou - I was prescribed 6 x Tax. It had to stopped as it was not working. I remember the Onc telling me that the cancer was growing and we needed to stop Tax and proceed directly to Mx. I didn’t hear her saying that my cancer was growing or that they were going to cut my breast off - I just heard no more Tax. I was so relieved by no more Tax. Anyone who does 6 x tax should be at the palace getting shiny medals from the queen. Kudos girl. Hang in there.

Mandy - Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I totally understand - I want my life back. Has someone run off with our lives???

Sandy - Great to do normal stuff. I went to see Les Mis on Monday. The other punters were very aged so it also made me feel young. I get the thing about feeling OK then catching sight of yourself and bursting into tears. I feel like ripping out all the mirrors. But then I wouldn’t be able to see how cool the beret I bought in Monsoon looks. And it cost £15, which is ridiculous for a bit of felt and it gave me another small hot flush. But £15 is nothing for a bit of felt that cheers me up. Maybe more shopping is called for?

Mz - almost didn’t bother with you. Sending us messages whilst actually on holiday in the sun? Grrrr.

Shellebelle - hope you are less ghost like.

Cybele - I really wish you well enough to be piosoned for the last time tomorrow. I wish the fear of blog will get you a service fit for a queen. I wish you in the sunshine in Turkey. I wish no-one would annoy you with cliches. I wish to visit many exhibitions with you.

Everyone else I have forgotten - hoping you are all coping and can all see the light at the end of the tunnel, xxxx

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hi to you all not been on here for sometime.
i have another cr*p time this FEC didnt feel well last weekend took temprature it was at 37.6 and i had a bit of the trots so they asked me to go into hosptial to check everything was ok, bloods where a bit low, also by the time i got in was rushing to the loo every 20mins, by wednesday my temptrature had gone upto 40.8 (still going to loo and not eating!! which had nurses and doctors flying around, they stripped me of my bedding and put a fan on full blast, to say the least i was frozen, but had to get temprature down. They finally let me out on Sunday so was in for a week.
Went to the chemo ward today for my 5th FEC hopeing and praying my bloods were going to play game, and lucky for me (or not) i was allowed to go ahead with FEC 5 all bloods where good.
So 5 down one to go i can now just about see the light at the end of my first tunnel whoop! whoop! just hope this one dosent put me in hospital again, sick to death of hossi food, nurses are lovely though.
Anwyway not read all posts as far to many to read i am well behind, well done to you all that has had there last treatment, and good luck to those still facing theires,
PS does anyone know if you can fly is your on Warfrin as my mum recons i have to have a 6 month break before i can fly and have booked to go away in October, not sure if i should cancel or not.?
take care to you ALL and big HUGS to everyone of you.((((((())))))
lolly xx

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OMFG. I can’t believe I missed poo pants. I can’t believe such an undignified invention is available to the folk who run care homes. QD do you know the proper name for this outrage? I want to email the Care Quality Commision. Not about your mum as they don’t care about individual cases, but about the very existence and use of such a thing. Do these people think they will never get old? I am hopping mad. So pleased your mum escaped. I think I may need some Lorazepam in order to calm down.

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Good to see you back Lolly. Pretty sure you can fly on Warfarin, as long as the dose is stable. May need compression stockings and sleeve for at risk arm. Is it long haul? The longer the flight the greater the risk. Maybe seek advice from lymphoedema nurse. You will prob end up with compression stockings on all your extremities, but who cares if it gets you on holiday??? Why Warfarin? Have you started this already? If not I would try and insist on a more expensive and stable blood thinner. Anyway, they should be able to stop the blood thinner about 6 weeks after your line is removed. Or do you need it for another reason? Is that enough questions? xxx

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hi Cress,
i am only going to cran canaries so about 4 hr flight, in October, i am on the blood thinning injections at the momoent due to blood clot in the picc line, had to have it removed 3 fecs ago, but been told by doctors have to go on Warfrin after the chemo has stop but have to have the injections all through till my chemo has finished, so things might change after chemo done and dusted but will ask onc if i have to go on Warfrin or not.
lolly
xx