Hi Gillian - I’m not brave either - i still don’t want to go outside the front door wearing my bandana becasue alot of my neighbours don’t know I have have cancer and I don’t feel up to facing their shocked faces. I was worried about losing my hair too but to be honest it was so dry and yucky by the time it started to come out I was relieved to get rid of it! Got my appointment tomorrow to see if my bloods are ok for second FEC on Wednesday and I’m terrified they’ll tell me I can’t have it but I’m also terrified of having second dose and getting SEs again (even though mine were not that bad first time round). I’m sure we all feel scared or low at times so you are NOT ALONE or the only one. We’ve got a long road ahead of us but we have each other to understand and care and support each other along the way. Big, big hugs, Em XX
Morning all
Just wanted to echo Rattles wise words about bravery - we all have ups and downs, and sometimes it’s easier to dump the bad stuff here rather than with our nearest and dearest.Together we’ll get through it.
Donna - hope you’re feeling a bit better today - your son sounds like a star!
Sarah - so sorry to hear you’re in hospital - hope you’re now snoozing in splendid isolation, fingers crossed for your hols.
Off for a hypnotherapy session this morning at my local cancer charity ahead of first FEC on Wednesday - another new experience!
Hugs to everyone,
Alix xx
Morning ladies.
Hope you are all feeling well today. Doggirl, I’m so sorry to hear that you are in hospital, I hope they get you mended in time for your holiday!
Gillian, I am feeling the same as you, it feels very overwelming at the mo.
I’m having a rough time with the SE. I had a panic attack last night, I think due to the adrenelin caused by the steroids and I feel very frightened. I’m still feeling sick today so am going to see my GP later,
Have any of you been offered sleeping pills to help get through this stage? I feel if I could sleep, I’d feel more able to cope.
Really hoping to feel better soon as I am due to go to the Look Good, Feel Better course at McMillan Centre tomorrow. I’ve been really looking forward to it, but can’t picture feeling well enough at the mo.
xx
Got fed up waiting for chemo appointment to come through so phoned the Primrose unit. Lack of sleep and worrying, not able to make plans were all driving me quietly crazy. Well over the phone I was given the date of 13/06 at least it isn’t Friday 13th. now I can plan to go to my granddaughters 16th party and perhaps a short holiday oin place of the one to Corfu that had to be cancelled.
It means that I won’t be joining you in May after all. But if you don’t mind will pop in to see how you are all doing.
Get well soon Sarah and best wishes to all you brave ladies. I know u will keep helping each other.
Lynn xx
Note to self going to dunhelm on day 5 is not a good idea. Go back to bed harry duck and let that be a lesson to you…
Oh only i cant go back to bed as i have washed everything and need to make it up again. Last day of steroids for me thank goodness.
Oh dear Harryduck, that’s a b****r when that happens, well my hair is just starting to shed :-(( legs and underarms stopped growing a couple of days ago, which is great no more shaving, the old muff has been trimmed and has also stopped growing, ( never been so neat and tidy down there ) lol, just as well we all know what we r talking about lol, don’t get my wig until 15th June either, so looks like bandanas will be coming out of the drawer, I don’t like the steroids either, make me feel very odd , Toni x
Hi everyone,
Hope everyone is doing OK and Sarah (Doggirl) is out of hospital.
Gillian and JosieJo - yes the steroids do make you feel wierd and have trouble sleeping, but it does get better after a few days, and don’t hesitate to talk to your GP about sleeping pills / anxiety drugs / antidepressants if its too much. Also talk to your onc at your next appointment, as they may be able to adjust the dose or try a different one. The hot humid weather also doesn’t help with sleeping. I tried to use the energy from the steroid high to do some housework, and went out for a walk each day, just a bit of exercise to burn off the steroid energy, but don’t try and do too much and listen to your body and stop if you feel tired. Its nice to know that we can post on here in the small hours during our steroid highs and know that there is probably someone else on their steroid high reading our posts!
I had my onc appointment today and finally found out about my Herceptin. Its starting with the Docetaxel, which is the 4th out of 6 cycles for me. They don’t like to start it with the FEC in case it causes heart problems. I also got my wig! It needs a trim but I was pleasantly surprised how realistic it looks.
Gillian - I too dreaded losing my hair and thought I would have a huge meltdown and end up in a psychiatric ward when it happened. However, once it started properly, I just got so annoyed at shedding it and leaving a mess everywhere that it was a relief to take control and shave it myself and I have managed not to cry about it so far. I treated myself after shaving with a nice long bath with a face mask and did my nails. And put my favourite face cream on my scalp which feels really nice now!
Squeakymouse xx
<Empty imported post>
hello lovely ladies,
I have not been able to get onto the site until now.
Could not log in.
I have had my second chemo of fec which was 4 days ago.
I felt rubbish all weekend but I feel so much better today.
I think its a bit of my own fault though becuase I was only taking 1 sterioid twice a day instead of 2 and i got myself mixed up.
I need to take quite a lot of sickness tablets though and noticed that for the first few days after the chemo I was very emotional and having lots of hot flushes! The joys!
One of the big problems I am facing is that my fiance whom I have been with for 4 years lives in another country and we need to apply for a vist visa for him to come here. We hope he will be here in August. Please!
I look forward to reading all your posts this evening.
I look forward to getting some helpful tips and its good to get back on here.
love Kelly xxx
Hi everyone!
Can I join all you lovely buds?
I was diagnosed with IBC on 17th and since then I think I’ve had every scan known to man. Still MRI on liver to go on Friday, but that’s another story.
Had first lot of EC today with the spooky accompanying red wee that goes with it. Feeling sicky and tired and emotional too. Think it’s starting to sink in now, all been a whirlwind of appointments and scans till now.
Also have achy forearms, anyone else have that?
Love and hugs to everyone else on here, you are all brave and lovely ladies and your posts have helped me.
Now I’m off to bed to hope the queasy tummy passes
X
Hi Polarbear 
welcome, sorry to hear you are feeling poorly, but it will pass, did they give you anti sickness meds to take when at home? The achy fore- arms are another SE, I had it for a few days, but that also passes, try to drink loads, it helps to flush things through the body, rest as much as you can, you will feel yucky for a few days but, fingers crossed by the end of the week you will be feeling better just go with the flow, we are all here for you, gentle hug x Toni
Hi Babychops and Polarbear, nice to meet you, but sorry you have to join us. Hope the SEs settle down and aren’t too bad for either of you. Squeaky mouse - glad you finally sorted out the herceptin schedule. Your second FEC must be this week? Mine is due Wednesday and I have my blood test tomorrow - fingers crossed those little neuts are back up to strength!!! Sarah/doggirl- hope u r ok and get away from all those sick people soon! love to all the May buddies, hope you sleep well, Em Xx
Hi Babychops and Polarbear, welcome to our thread, you will find everyone on here very supportive. Your SE’s sound all too familiar but they will improve soon.
Polarbear - I also have IBC, have you found the IBC groups in the forum? IBC is quite rare and is treated differently to other breast cancers, with chemo before surgery although there are some others in this thread who are having chemo first, so not sure how many have IBC. I was diagnosed in April and am due for my second FEC on Thursday.
Squeakymousexx
Good morning everyone, hope you are all coping with SE’s, woohoo I Poo’ed, sorry ladies but just had to share this , brain still fuzzy but stomach so much better today, managed to eat dinner last night , steroids finished thank goodness, and just one more day of anti emetics !!! Head starting to feel really tingly, stupid really but I feel like the roots are trying to work their way up and out of my head ( but maybe that’s just the fuzzy brain )
Babychops and Polarbear welcome to this site, have found all the comments from the ladies on here sooooo helpful, sometimes I just come in and look and it makes me feel better knowing that others are going through this with you, virtual handholding means so much .
Love and hugs to everyone xxx
Morning all, daughter off to school, now time to recover! Welcome to babychops and polar bear!
I gave in and took a loranzapen last night- oh my, I can barely say my name let alone type anything this morning, so please bear with me. I have 3.5 days of steriods left, but they are working and my left (.) now looks like porridge, not the nee-naw light on an ambulance!! (Sorry, its the drugs…)Please let them work.
Harry’s post made me smile (you start with high energy but then fizzle out!). I hope you crashed into your bed with unmade sheets and it didn’t matter. At least it was a good drying day.
No news from doggirl- hope you are doing okay.To Sqeaky and Em - good look for tomorrow/Thursday. Merc- I will pm you. Just bear with me and it will be a real test to find that song. Good luck for today.
My baby going to say with sister for a few days on Thursday. She has never stayed away from home before and I have cold feet. I know she will have a much nicer time there than at home here but I am feeling so upset…Rattles, xxx
Morning ladies.
Hope everyone is feeling a little better today. Just wanted to send out a group hug. Think we could all do with one.
(((((((HUGS))))))) x
Bum - bloods not good enough for chemo tomorrow. So fed up 
Really sorry Em! Sure you must be gutted. Is that your white cells? How low are they?They will come back up but it must be so hard. Think this chemo thing is as psychologically hard as physically.
Vivibell was in this position last Friday. Know it doesn’t make up for it at all, but I was warned to expect at least one delay in treatment (when my turn comes- please remind me of ALL my so-called support) and so I try and factor that into my pre-chemo planning and it’s only the next one down when it is ‘in.’
Thinking of you loads and giving you a hug.
Well done Josie- I went out this am. Spent an hour in the public loo as forgot imodium. Oh God.
Rattles, xx
Afternoon Darlins,Babychops and Polarbear, hope you are feeling a little better,Em thats a bummer, hope everything will be ok for next week, Rattles bless ya 5 mins in public loo is bad enough, but an hour you poor thing,i have a question, do the SE’s get worse the further on in your cycle you are, or do they stay the same as the first time?Gentle hugs for all who are feeling poorly ((((X)))) and big hugs for everyone else (((((((((X))))))))) xx luv Toni xx