FEC3 day 1
Just arrived home after having FEC 3 ! I was so releaved that my bloods were ok! In fact they were better than last time - so the overpowering fatigue is not an indicator of poor blood ?
The onc and the nurses were very attentive and it was all very doable. The cannula was in at first attempt this time. (After having my arm in bucket of very hot water)! I have been given low dose sleeping tablet to help me get more sleep in during first week.
Thinking of you tomorrow Mandy x Hope your Hickman line speeds experience up.
Hope all Vals are well as possible. I’m going to snuggle down in duvet now.
Love
Tup x
3 down Tup. Half way there. Happy your bloods were good. I do feel for everyone having to put up with cannulas. I cannot believe how easy it was with my port, even though it was a horrible experience having it fitted. Have a lovely snuggle down and hope the sleep fairy visits you. I would also have asked for a sleeping tablet. More sleep = less fatigue. xxxxxx
Took all my steroids this morning, and later I’m going to daub the black varnish on my finger nails. I say daub, as I will probably get it everywhere as I’m hopeless at doing it, especially on my right hand.
It took three goes to post that last poem, even using the WORD thingy, it kept making it all one verse when it should be four!!
Linda, I had heard that Tax was harder on the hair, was hoping to get rid of the fuzzy bits, but would like to keep my fantastic arched eyebrows. I would be plucking them for hours to get that look before - as you all know, I am quite a hairy lady normally!!! Not a good look!!!
Tup, when red cells are a low (anaemia) you can feel tired. But I think they are more concerned about white cells. They only get concerned about red cells being low if you have regular nose bleeds, or any other excessive bleeding (cuts, grazes etc) which you will want to avoid. Glad you Fec 3 went well.
I’m loving ALL the new photos, it’s nice to see featherbird at last, and Sandra’s new one, Nipinuk too, you look gorgeous, all of you. But still can’t remember what you all looked like at the beginning of our journey.
Hoping for minimum SEs for all of us, and double quota of sleep fairies please, I think I’ll have Titania and Tinkerbell tonight please.
Tax and hair loss.
I have not been offered a wig prescription as yet and cold cap has never been mentioned. I was told I may not lose my hair at all - by the oncologist and also the nurse. I didn’t believe them so I looked it up. It does seem to be fact that 20% do not lose their hair. But I don’t know how this reacts after a course of FEC.
Nearing end of TCHx4 treatment - now on Day 7 of last one. My nails have been fine, only some white ridges, no nail varnish. Hair all gone, but the good news is I have my eyebrows & lashes! The one S/E that I forget to mention (probably gotten so used to it!) on this regime is a constant dried out, but also a constant drippy, nose! I think it’s herceptin doing this. Remember Blackadder with the knitting needles up his nose? Well, it’s tissues attached to nose instead!
Jen
Anyone else had a Hickman line fitted? It hurt when the nice lady did it - even with local anaesthetic. Now I’m home and the numbness has worn off it hurts more than any of my BC ops did. Anyone got any idea how long it’ll hurt?
Linda wish I was one of those 20% but my onc said I’d defo lose my hair!! and i did from day 13 .
Lucky you Jen Ive two more to go. I’ve found this one harder than the first and hoping its not setting a pattern.
Really sorry I cant help you millymolly, hope you’re more comfortable tomorrow. big hugs
Lisa xx
Good luck for tomorrow Mandy, hope everything goes smoothly and its a walk in the park for you.x
Chris, glad you are feeling so much better this time. x
Linda, pleased you are doing ok. x
Kath, still have my eybrows and lashes but hair went big time day 12/14 on round 1 and by end round 2 like a bald chicken down in the yard. Fingers crossed you won`t loose any more. x
My hickman didn’t hurt when it was inserted, after the local wore off I had quite a sore neck and felt a bit bruised for a couple of days, but it wasn’t too bad, definitely no where near as bad as my mx with ANC. Hope yours improves soon.
Awww! Thanks Jo for getting back to me. Glad yours is OK now - hope everything is going well for you.
I think I’m being a bit of a wus 'cothree line was a bit unexpected and I haven’t done a lot of research into it so now I’m panicking. Took a second dose of paracetamol when OH came home from work, although it was only 4 1/2 hours after first and I feel a bit les sore now. Am being an impatient patient again!
M x
Ah all those of you on Tax that have lost hair - might have been your other combination drug, not the tax. Mine is Carboplatin and the info says “allopecia very occasionally” for Carbo. I have my fingers crossed I will be one of the 20% even though I cut most of it off already! or am I clutching at straws???
Mandy , so sorry you are in pain. Take some pain killers for now and speak to someone tomorrow. My port has settled down now. I had it done last Wednesday. It hurt for maybe 2 days. It was a bit swollen and bruised, tender to the touch. But that has all gone and i don’t even notice it is there - and my stitches are still in the wound.
Jen - blimey. Nearly finished and still got your brows and lashes! And I recall those knitting needles very clearly!!
Jen… yep a permanent drippy nose is the norm for me as well… never needed to tuck a hankie up my sleeve before…lol
Kath… that definately made me smile after the day Ive had…must go and weigh myself as well… but would we dare to put on here how much we have put on weightwise…lol… and I love my new photo… me and the grandsons were having a sleepover… so much fun!!!
Tup… glad that it all went well… Ive never heard of shoving arm in bucket of hot water though… weird and wonderful methods eh?
Linda… keep going well hun… did they give you anything for upset tummy?? I seem to suffer that way more than the sicky end
Chris… my nurse suggested a good old fashioned way of cleaning… good old surgical spirits!! diluted of course… use on everything apparently… saves a fortune in all these sprays etc
Had a rather emotional day today so many apologies if Ive missed any postings etc… but I send much love and fairy hugs to one and all xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lovely photo of you and your grandsons Sandra. Happy for photo to be on here now my daughter knows all. Still trying to upload the baldie one she took,last night, i`m not normally such a dimwit, or is it the norm chemo brain. lol x
FEC 75 cycle 1 day 21
thank you Linda! You made me laugh. Needed it as I was feeling sorry for myself. Arm aching n sore. It took 2 attempts. Was in hospital for 3 hours. Thought I’d be in and out ichild are so luckily one of he mums was happy to have the kids for longer.
picc was inserted without ultrasound guidance. Walked to xray ward without my hat on as it was itchy and hot and found out it had gone too far in so had to wait for onc to say how much to pull out - 8 cm! Anyway, what got me down was my bloods, neuts was only 0.5. Got to go in first thing tomorrow for more bloods n chemo probably will be delayed.
mandy hope you feel better soon.
sandra - that is such a lovely pic with your grandsons!
kath - thank you for the kind words. I really hope you retain your lovely arch eyebrows too. That’s a lovely wedding poem. Bet Rachel cried.
Jen - really great to hear your nails are fine. Got a friend who did 3 rounds of tax and her finger nails had huge ridges and became quite dark. 3 weeks later they’re looking pink and the ridges have gone down. Is it great how our body can heal itself?
featherbird / I’ve got lots of bald patches now and wake up to a pillow full of stubble! I hope I don’t lose my eyebrows and lashes.
take care n hugs to all x
Tup and Nip glad today went ok for you. Nip, I got a wheelchair ride to x-ray but without my head covering - was frozen as it was so cold down there compared to the day ward.
Linda, sorry to hear about the tummy grumbles but better out than in!!!
Sandra, hope the emotions weren’t all bad ones and that you feel ok.
BlueRose and AML46 hope you both got on ok with treatment on Tuesday.
I too have to have a constant supply of tissues. Sometimes the drip is so sudden I’m too late. I feel so disgusting but am so glad I’m not alone and that, however horrid we feel, knowing others understand and can even have a laugh about it is such a comfort.
Bring on the boobs, bowels, bogies, bums and belching!
