Hi to all you beautiful valentines,
as you may guess I’m having a good day today, although not sure what I mean by good these days, saw my Macmillan nurse this morning, she went through the treatment I will be having which is taxotere and cyclophosphamide- cant have fec as had one of these drugs before of which you only get a lifetime amount. In terms of the effects of treatment its worth remembering that everyone is affected differently and what might effect someone badly may effect another mildly, although i know it easier said than done. I had a bit of a scare whilst at the hosp as I found a couple of tiny pinhead pimples on my reconstructed breast at the weekend so the Macmillan nurse rushed me to see my surgeon who rushed me for an ultra sound and started talking about biopsies etc (at this point I felt like i wanted to fall onto my knees and pray) it turned out to be nothing just part of the reconstruction- thank goodness!! No date for first chemo yet!! Waiting for ECHO And CT scan - waiting and anticipating!
This certainly is a roller coaster so lets all grip tight and hold on!!
Good luck to everyone, especially those who have appointments today!
Sarah xx
So many new Valentines, hello to you all. Welcome all of you, but I’m sure you would rather not have to join us. I see none of us seem to have a start date as such, and I find that sooooo frustrating.
If anyone is interested, went to my local Asda today. They were selling sets of three flexi baskets for £2. Bought a set and thought one of them could be used as a chemo caddy to keep sweets, chewing gum, lip salve, bonjela, hand cream etc. Easy to carry around too. They are three colours in the set, I’m using the purple one for my treats caddy.
millymolly, funkilala, cucumber, and anyone I’ve missed, sorry you are all suffering, even before chemo begins. My real name is Kathleen or Kath by the way, for anyone who can’t be bothered to type poemsgalore, Kath or pg will do nicely thank you. Lots of hugs.
Kathleen xxx
Hi All,
Scary, but also in a way reassuring how many of us there are already.
I’ve just been for my first appointment with my oncologist this morning. I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and had a left mastectomy with ANC in mid December.
I will be having FEC-T (3 cycles of FEC, 3 cycles of T). I also found out that I will need a hickman line as the chemo nurses decided the veins in my hands are too small, which has freaked me out a little, from the reading I’d done after I got my results I was expecting the FEC-T, but not the hickman line. Still I suppose at least once it’s in it means no more needles…
The line is being put in on the 4th Feb, and assuming all is ok with my echo, then my first chemo will be administered the same day.
I was given a £90 voucher to put towards a wig, but I can’t decide whether I want one or not, my instinct tells me I’m more likely to wear hats and scarves and that a wig might be a waste of money. I have fairly long very thick hair. I had planned to get it cut short thinking that might make it easier (and probably less messy!) when it starts to fall out, but now I’m wondering whether that’s a waste of time and if I’d be better to get a wig and once it starts to fall out just shave it off and start wearing the wig/scarves/hats.
Jo
Great idea for a chemo caddy - thanks Kath!
Sarah
x
Hi Jo80
Ive been advised today that I will need a Hickman line aswell as my veins are rubbish, like you was a bit freaked out, but like you say once is in its in and no more several attempts at trying to find a vein! Good you have a ddoorframe your first chemo, at least you can start the countdown til you finish!
Sarah x
Hi Jo
i meant ‘good you have a date for your first chemo’ - not sure how useful a doorframe would be ha ha ha
Sarah x
Glad you like the idea halo, hope other Asda stores are selling them too or Im going to be a bit 
. Hi Jo, glad you have a date, One more stepping stone in the journey. Good luck for 4th Feb. Is hickman line being put in under a general anaesthetic, or a local?
It must be difficult for younger women with lovely hair to decide what to do about baldness. I hate my (short) hair and going bald will probably be a bonus for me. Was looking at hats in Asda too, but they only had thick woolly ones or the ones with earflaps. so didn’t bother
Hi Valentine Girls, I’m another new member to the group if you’ll have me.
I was dx 27th December with a grade 3 IDC of 10mm following a routine 3-yearly mammogram, and had a WLE and SNB on 18th January. I am hormone negative but HER2 positive, so will be having chemo and Herceptin, plus rads. I haven’t had my surgery results yet - have to ring my BCN on Friday for these, and see the consultant surgeon next week to see where we go from here.
Fingers crossed for wide margins and no lymph node involvement.
So far so good with my surgery - day 4 and still painfree and sleeping well. No drain to worry about.
Like everyone else, I’m really scared about the chemo and the Herceptin, my main worry being sick and the low immunity week. I just don’t do sick. Being sick makes me even more sick! 
and I know I will get obsessed with not catching germs and infections. I have short hair, but intend to get it cut shorter nearer the time, and will be going down the wig route.
I had my flu and pneumonia injections last November, so that’s one thing I won’t need again, but I am wondering about having a tooth extracted ASAP as an X-ray showed there is a minor infection in the root and as it isn’t painful, and is expensive, I haven’t done anything about it. What does anyone else think?
Good luck everyone xxxxxxxx
Keeping all fingers and toes crossed for you Lola, will also cross my eyes if it helps 
ARGH just fell over. Can’t help you about teeth, mine are all crowns, bad, or missing. So as well as being almost boobless, I’m also toothless and will shortly be hairless.
Try not to worry too much about sickness, the drugs they give you will hopefully keep that at bay. Well I hope so anyway, I don’t like it either. Good luck for when you get your results.
hugs pg xxx
laughing out loud PG, and thank you!
Hugs to you, too xxx
I was trying to figure out what a doorframe was for before I noticed you’d posted again underneath Sarah, perhaps for propping us up when we’re feeling crap from the chemo?
The hickman is put in under local anaesthetic, though I will have to be admitted as a day patient for it apparently.
Hi everyone x Lola as for your tooth I’ve read in few leaflets its a good idea to have a check up before treatment starts …Funki if you have a sore yet numb bingo wing like me then my physio says that’s normal at this stage, unfortunately she thinks I’m at risk of cording due to the pain I’m getting down my inside arm & restricting my arm movement so may be getting more physio just have to wait the standard 2 weeks to be seen !just something else to worry about
was talking to a lady today going thro the cold cap she said its not too bad , is anyone giving it a try or we all gonna be bald ? Mind you the lady said her hair was very thin & had a bald patch,I’ve been wavering about trying it but if I’m gonna go patchy & thin then may aswell lose the lot .im sure once the shock wears off We will get used to it … One thing she said is chemo is not as bad as the not knowing
hope everyone who had a stressful day today manages get have a nice relaxing evening xx
Hi Lola,
I had a wisdom tooth out not long before I was disgnosed as I had a constant gum infection in it. It healed really quickly as I had no issues with the procedure (and I am a wuss at the dentist). I was really lucky as the tooth came out easily and I had no pain. I had to salt wash afterwards which was unpleasant. If I was you I would get it sorted now rather than let infection take hold when you’re immunity is down. Certainly all the literature I have read suggests to get dental issues sorted. I am glad I had this tooth out as I now have no issues with that side of my mouth now. I used to bite myself when I sneezed as the tooth was at an awful angle and the bites would then get infected. Terrible state in my mouth when I had a cold!!!
Good luck
Alison
Hi All,
I had my oncologist appointment today and didn’t learn all that much new. The oncologist went over the diagnosis again but in more detail than previous appointments, and I got a copy of my pathology report (science geek that I am I asked for it). I will be getting 6 cycles of FEC, 3-4 weeks off then 15 days of radiotherapy. After this I will take tamoxifen. Thankfully for me I am already deemed in remission as all the cancer was removed and I had no lymph node involvment. This means the treatments for me are to lessen the chance of recurrence. It also means that if the tamoxifen is really unbareable I can ask to stop.
The main reason for attending (in my opinion) was to sign the consent form. This will be forwarded to the chemo ward and I sould hear back from them this week (or early next) for my appointment. Chemo is done on Fridays here, but I will have to visit on Thursdays too (either hospital or doctors) for a blood test. My start date will be either 1st Feb (just making it as a Valentine) or 8th Feb.
I was hoping for a more definite start date - but not long to wait now.
Alison
Going to see second oncologist on Thursday 24th Jan. Starting chemo in Feb - think it will be FEC as triple negative. Was advised by oncologist to have flu injection which I managed to have the same day.
Any tips on FEC? Scared stiff
Going to see second oncologist on Thursday 24th Jan. Starting chemo in Feb - think it will be FEC as triple negative. Was advised by oncologist to have flu injection which I managed to have the same day.
Any tips on FEC? Scared stiff
Going to see second oncologist on Thursday 24th Jan. Starting chemo in Feb - think it will be FEC as triple negative. Was advised by oncologist to have flu injection which I managed to have the same day.
Any tips on FEC? Scared stiff
Thanks Valentines,
I will go see the dentist. I really don’t mind the dentist, I’m odd that way!! (except when I get the bill, then I mind very much indeed - no NHS dentists in this part of the world I’m afraid. ) However, the infected tooth is a crowned one so the whole lot will have to come out, leaving me with a lovely gap next to my canine tooth to add to my woes, and I can’t have a bridge for other reasons, so will be stuck with a beautiful denture. How lovely.
Sorry Jennifer, can’t help with your question, but there are some tips in a link further back in this thread. I intend to print them off.
I’m like you, Alison. I asked for a copy of my first path report after the biopsy and went through it in minute detail, looking up all the jargon and abbreviations so I knew exactly what I was dealing with, and I will do the same with the surgery report when it arrives. It’s my way of getting some control over it.
Looks like we are all in for anxious moments coming up. Hey ho. Just glad I am still painfree after surgery, but don’t want to speak too soon. Results on Friday …
xxx
Hi Yankee,
I know what you mean about finding the wait inbetween surgery and chemo difficult. I had my third op on 27th December too and am waiting for the consultation with the oncologist. I have already had all my results up till now so I don’t have the added stress of that unlike you.
I think it’s a weird place to be right now, I go between being happy to have some “normal” time to myself at the moment, to wanting to just get on with it!!
Hi Karen,
I am undecided about the coldcap now too. At first I thought I’d definately try it but as I’ve heard about people “only losing about 30%” of their hair with it, I’m starting to think that I may as well go bald and have all my hair grow back together, rather than have it weak and patchy. But I think I have decided to give it a go on the first day and see how I feel about it then. If it’s really horrible, then I won’t bother with it - do we need more pain/stress added to what we’ll already be going through? But if I find it bearable, then I’ll stick with it for a while and just see how it goes.
I went shopping today and found a few hats/caps in the sales - New Look had some nice caps only three quid each and River Island have a few too. I also bought a headscarf, just to try it and see what I looked like with it on! It didn’t look too bad but then my long blond hair doesn’t look too bad either 
Oh I don’t know!! The most important thing is to get better and hair will grow back.
Love to you all.