Dear Tuppence - I can really sympathize with your feelings at the moment! For me, the waiting period was the worst time emotionally, as all the bad scenarios seemed possible.
Once I got started it became a little like being on a conveyor belt, just moving along., Mood swings - yes, worries about every detail of how I felt, but movement in a specific direction. In a way, my mind told me – “you can’t consider any of the variables at the moment because you are so busy dealing with THIS now”.
You have more than most of us to deal with right now and you don’t have the specifics of treatment to occupy your wandering mind. I strongly suggest that it will get better when things are really happening. At least it did for me. I’m sure you know this already, but the emotional you needs to be assured it is true… With love, Louise
Hello everyone. I have been lying low this month waiting for the results of my 2nd WLE which I got yesterday… And it’s clear margins all round!! I will see the oncologist this Thursday & chemo to start first week of March (not feb as I had hoped, but I’m sticking with you valentines). It is all your posts that have kept me going this far, and I’m now thinking I can really get through this so thank you. Kath - I’m a bit late on the Happy Birthday front, but hope you had a good weekend anyway. I’m going to be 50 in July so may have to postpone the celebrations (commiserations?) until the chemo/radiotherapy is over. Giving up alcohol - I love ginger beer… and often put a splash of elderflower cordial in it with loads of ice… really refreshing! Wigs - good idea to get it in advance & to get used to it before I need it. Sadly I had a wig appt booked for 1st March but they phoned me yesterday to re-arrange as they are doing a stocktake. This was the only day my best friend could come with me, so I’m feeling a bit let down & am thinking of going somewhere else… any hints or tips? Wig alternatives - I think someone on the forum mentioned a company called Suburban Turban who make head scarves and coverings for ladies having chemo or with alopecia. I had a look at their website yesterday & thought I might give them a go. Sunny days - It’s another beautiful sunny day here in Wiltshire, so I’m sending you all some love, warmth and sunshine wherever you are. I’m off to see my mum today.
Caroline
X
Morning everyone.
Thank you for the good lucks for yest. Started on FEC x6 treatments. Was ok, had that funny feeling when the anti-sickness syringes were given. Red stuff went in fine,so did the other medicines. Had funny cold feeling up my nose.
Got home & within a few hours wasn’t feeling well so off to bed I went. This morning a little better but not feeling my usual happy self, will get better :D.
Must admit I haven’t felt like going on the internet much lately, so apologies to all that have started,going through or about to start treatment. Good luck all.
Ness.x
Hi everyone,
FEC- T day 15, round 1
been off the radar for a few days and just catching up with allthe posts. So much happening, and it looks like most of us are surviving ish!
Friday I was feeling so good and then Saturday cellulitis hit me again, so the out of hours doc gave me penicillin and my fab BC nurse emailed me Sunday and said I could pop and see the consultant first thing yesterday. Typically he immediatey changed my pills! i am now praying it won’t stop my next chemo next Wednesday ( Karen I was interested to see that you had the same before you’re first treatment and you still went ahead- that’s really encouraging for me as I’m really struggling with teary moments and having fits of ‘why me’) I’m very sore but determined to get out in the beautiful sunshine.
I think my hair is just starting to shed, I ran my fingers through the back of my hair and more than usual came out in my hand, scarves to the ready!
Gill-I’m in kent but based at Kent and Canterbury hospital, who I have to say are brilliant. I think we have a great Onc dept to look after us.
Karen - good luck today
hugs to aall jan x
Hi all day 19 of first FEC
Hair falling out all over the place you can defo see where I’ve been! tempted to get the shaving foam out and have a damm good head shave.
My legs are really aching and my feet are swollen has any one else had this its driving me made especially at night when they get so hot and I just cant get comfy. I will mention it on Friday when I hopefully have second round of FEC as long as bloods are ok.
Hope all goes ok with you today Karen and everyone else is ok.
Annabelle x
Day 7- first cycle of FEC-T 100 - CC
Yesterday got worse with regard to the body aches and the virus type feeling. My temp started to rise and nothing I took got rid of the pain in my body however, this morning I woke up at 5 and felt a little better. I took some Co-Codamol and that seemed to do the trick. I spoke to my Chemo nurse yesterday and she assured me it was because of the injections.
Today is a beautiful day and I am going to make myself get out and get some fresh air even if it’s just a walk down the road or to sit in the garden. I hope all of your SE are minimal and the sun is shining wherever you are X
Just wanted to check in today because I have ‘round 1’ tomorrow and it may be a few days before I’m back on here again.
Yankee - I love that wee serenity prayer. I’ve made a copy of it.
Karen1971 - Thanks for letting me see that I’m not the only one who gets all worked up. I hope round 2 goes well for you without any major SEs.
Lola65 & Jenanne - Loving the new ‘do’. I am seeing the wig man tomorrow. I didn’t know we got one here in N Ireland, but it seems we do. Each area/country seems to do things differently. I get all my treatment (except Rads) at Antrim Area Hospital, any others at Antrim?
I hope you are all managing the SEs without to many problems.
BTW have any of you looked at the shop here? The ‘Classic brooch by Julian Macdonald’ is lovely and great value at £5. I bought one for my mum & sister to say thanks for all the hopsital shuttles theyve done for me (& I got myself one too lol).
I cannot thank you girls enough for welcoming me into this sisterhood and helping put my mind at rest, these types of forums are invaluable. It so good to talk to other’s who are going through the same things at the same time, no one can truly understand what it’s like unless they go through it themselves.
I notice some of you are saying where your treatments are.
All my treatments are at Burnley General Hospital (East Lancs Trust) apart from Radiotherapy, which is at Preston Rosemere Centre. Both places about 14 miles from where I live, but in opposite directions!
Day 8 Fec x 6 ( seems my post didnt show up earlier)
Managed to kind of sleep till 5.30am…wow!.. spent the day with my daughter and grandchildren- and the tiredness fairy has just hit me big time… feel very fluey… sneezing etc… tummy (touch wood) seems to have settled a bit better… managed toast and pancake today:-) i was wondering if any ladies who have other underlying health problems are finding SE’s worse??.. I have heart problems so I know the Epirubicin will affect me… which it did … not nice…
Home now so time to have a lie down on the sofa… husbands orders ( so glad we both work from home)
Day 1 Fec round 2 ! Much easier , still nervous but no tears this time , pharmacy a joke had to wait 2 hours for my meds to arrive but I got a lovely nurse who administered the meds a bit slower this time so didn’t get the cold arm or as much " strong fumes" sensation in my nose or eyes . last time I went straight home to the sofa but today we went to tescos ! Then the beach & had fish n chips ( felt part of the gang as I know a few of you have managed them ! ) I wanted the fresh air it was freezing but the sofa didn’t appeal at first … however it is now & I’m snuggled on it with duvet watching sky fall , welcome back red wee , so far I’m very dizzy & eyes blurry but will keep u posted on how Emend works .
annabelle my oh shaved mine off day 18 or 19 it was so much easier & also those of us with wigs mine fit & felt much better on a bald head , the wig lady said the heat of your head helps them stay put , still self conscious tho… My mam wouldn’t look the first time i was bald but when she did she was surprised how ok it looks , it’s just the initial first look that’s the worst , I get so upset at what I’m putting my parents through !
Dyane good luck tomorrow & everyone else who has started & is starting this week
Funki hang on in there a lot of us posted saying day 10 was an improvement
Jan sorry u got cellulitis it knocked me for six ,hope ur ok x
jenane , I know what u mean about " mam " cards just bought a beautiful Mother’s Day one but it has mum on it , might get my daughter to glitterise it from " u " to an " a" lol
finally sorry to those in the waiting room it must be hard but the time will soon come around , enjoy as many nice meals as possible before your taste buds go & could someone please have a house special curry for me thanks xx
Karen x
Angie, OH finds it hard to manage in OUR house, even without a dog.
Linda, as beautiful as Lola is, it’s lovely to see your smiling face on your profile pic.
Mandy, good luck with the smoking cessation.
Ness, glad you’re not feeling too bad, hope it stays that way.
Karen, glad you’re ok after session 2.
Everybody I’ve not mentioned, I am thinking of you all and sending big hugs you’re way.
I shall be glad when my hair falls out properly as it is now very painful. It hurts to touch my head, and comb my hair. I want to try and wash it later today, but feeling a bit anxious about it. I knew it would be sore, but not THIS sore! It feels as though I’ve been scrubbing it with wire wool.
My hospital is Nottingham City Hospital, for breast clinic, oncology, chemo and radiotherapy. Only problem is, it’s over 20 miles away, which isn’t too bad if you have a car, but we don’t and it’s a two hour journey on 3 buses. I’m trying Derbyshire Patient Transport, but they aren’t very reliable. OH is coming with me on buses for oncology appointment, patient transport for chemo. But last time I had to call my daughter in law and didn’t get home until 8pm!!
Sorry for this girls - I haven’t read any posts from today yet so I hope you’re all ok BUT…
F**k. B***er. F**k. B***er. Boll**ks, Boll**ks, Sh*t, Sh*t. Pi**ing Cancer!
Oncologist told me on Thursday last week that all was fine results were clear. He had not read the notes properly. just got back from seeing my consultant to have WLE and SNB dressings removed. Yes, my nodes are clear but they have found 4cm DCIS around the Tubular cancer and so not got clear margins from the WLE.
Am now a sobbing mess and to make things worse I invited my Mum and dad to stay for a few days as my appointment today was ‘just a formality’.
I am to go ahead with Chemo starting on 28th still but thenwhen it’s over I have to go back to theatre for op number 5. If they don’t get clear she has said they’ll do Mx. Right now I want complete double Mx now to get rid of all the breast tissue that ‘might’ be conceling yet more of the bas**rd.
Sorry, must go can’t think any more.
What shall I do?
Oh Mandy what a bugger, and I think your post was very restrained.
That is just what happened to me and why I am back under the knife on Friday. After original WLE they found 5cm of DCIS in the midst of my small invasive tumour, and whilst the invasive cancer was removed with good clear margins, the DCIS extended into one of those margins, hence the second op. I have been told that whatever the results of this second op are my chemo will go ahead, and if there aren’t clear margins they will decide what to do with the DCIS after chemo because it isn’t urgent and can wait. The word mastectomy has not been mentioned.
Take care and enjoy spending time with your mum and dad xxxxxxxxxxxxx
FEC cycle 1 day 8
Afternoon ladies - and what a lovely sunny day it is here in N Ireland! Warms the heart
Yesterday was the first day I was actually physically sick - anti sickness meds are not working for me it seems - woke this morning resembling quasi modo - right eye swollen and half shut and caked with ‘gunk’ - I have a bad cold so I suppose it’s coming from that - I hope!
In saying that today has been my best day so far - managed to keep down some rice krispies and my tea - so hopefully this is the start of feeling ‘well’ again - was planning to go back go work yesterday but looking more like next Monday now.
Dyane - good luck for tomorrow - I am being treated at Belfast City Hosp Cancer Centre and I see you are mid Antrim Hosp - is ur rads to be done at the cancer centre by any chance?
Everyone seems to be getting on good - long may it continue. Take care ladies xo
Mandy, it’s rotten for you, having ‘good’ news and then everything changing again, and a lot of uncertainty about what to do. Between now and the proposed start of chemo perhaps you will need to talk it all through with the onc. as to exactly where you really are with all this. Discuss whether/not m/x would be best option, etc…
Lots of love, Jenxx
O millymolly - u poor girl! Why o why cant consultants get their facts right before delivering vital information to their patients! My consultant done the exact same thing - told me NO tumour on oesophagus when in fact there was a 1.4cm there! I can understand your frustration and total bewilderment - especially when you were told different first off - I would go with what u say - double mx - get rid of everything … big hugs xxoo
( so glad we both work from home)
