I have first of 6 fec on friday 4th.
How did you get a wig app already? did your chem dept or bc nurse sort it for you? Ambarose.
I’m not sure who i am to speeck to as i’ve now changed hospitals,to get chemo.
Feeling a bit in between, not back at work as i am self employed cleaning and ironing so work is too tiring.
viv x
Hope all goes well for anyone starting chemo this week, think that’s Ambarose and Merc, i go on Friday 4th.
Love and good thoughts
Viv x
Hi Marvelous May’s
Sorry to gatecrash, just popping in from the December thread, where most of us are just finishing chemo.
As it is the 1st May just wanted to wish you all luck on this part of your journey. As many ladies have confirmed, the actual reality of your first infusion is not half as bad as the anticipation, and IT IS TOTALLY DOABLE!
You will share concerns, experiences, advice and laughs (which does actually happen) with each other along the way, but also gain great strength, motivation and support too.
If you need any other advice or support Re hair-loss, SE’s etc, just pop into any months thread and anyone will be happy to help.
Look after yourselves, YOU CAN DO THIS x
Hi Vivibell,
I got the wig appointment when the chemo nurse rang to arrange date of 1st chemo. She asked if I was going to use the cold cap and when I said No she said she would arrange for wig appointment. And remarkably, I had a phone call 5 days later to give me todays appointment. I am really impressed with the NHS co-ordinated approach so far.
Good Luck
Hi everyone hope you’re all doing OK.
I had my first EC this morning and so far I feel OK - just feel tired. I’ve taken my anti sickness tablets today and have to start with the steroids tomorrow. Next chemo is 23rd May with bloods the day before. I will get an appointment in the next week to see the wig lady. I had a few tears in the waiting room reality of the situation hit me I think but once the nurse took me to sign the consent and explain everything I felt OK - even had a joke with her about wanting to do a runner out of the hospital - she said they’d send the 2 hunky guys to bring me back (only in my dreams I think!)
Hi gals and guys,
First FEC done with DOABLE written all over it (so far). My head is all over the place - fuzzy? pickled? my legs are like dead weights, little appetite (pretty drastic just to loose a bit of weight), eyes nose mouth throat tummy and the corresponding exit routes are a little ‘excitable’. Hands & feet swollen from steroids, and 2 day headache.
However, still managed to go shopping for pressies for my daughters birthday! Retail therapy rocks!
Still a bit shocked about having to administer own G-CSF injections as i have a needle phobia, but advantages out-weigh excuses.
Ihope the rain continues as I feel like my water consumption must be contributing to the drought by now. I can only plead guilty and thank the three lovely ladies I met at Lister on Monday for reminding me to drink plenty. It definately helps big time !
Sorry if just rambling - will try better tomorrow. Good luck to all about to start, anddont forget to drink plenty.
Ambrose, GI & Giraffe - hope you are ok.
Hugs,
Merc
xxxx
I wondered if the May ladies (you may have to re-introduce yourself) would mind me joining your thread? I had my first of 6 carboplatin/taxotere yesterday, whereas many of you (if I am right?) are having FEC? I had 4 EC AND 4 Taxol in 2009. It was hard, but I got through it reasonably well- as someone else said it is doable!
I am now being treated for a second cancer (have brca1, biltaeral mastectomies-long story).
You might (reasonably!) expect me to be an old hand at this now, but whereas I would have said all the things that the May 2011 ladies said to reassure those facing any chemo for the first time, it is not feeling that way from my bed at the moment!!! They always say its harder to follow your own advice!
So, I sort of feel like I dont fall neatly into any group, but even if the SE’s are different, and of course our own experiences are different too, it would just be nice to hold hands and maybe off and receive a bit of enouragement?
I echo what someone else said, about sweeties and drinking water. I also wanted to say that I took the EMEND (eventually-as they slowly addded more and more anti-emetics to the cocktail) and it did help. I am on it again now.
For those May 2012ers waiting for their treatment to start, it will be so much better than you think. The nurses and staff are so caring and competent. I was terrified but it feels good to be able to think, one down.
So far, just feel a bit uugh, but surprsingly exhausted.
Rattles, xxx
Hi Merc and all the other May ladies! Can I please join you club? Found out today instead of having mx tomorrow they want me to have chemo first!! Was all psyched up for the op and now suddenly facing chemo much sooner than I thought ! Still I am looking forward to starting some treatment. Was diagnosed with IDC grade 2 with lymph node involvement on 19 April which seems a lifetime ago!! So my m&s post-surgery bra and softie put back in drawer and now desperately searching online for wigs/headscarves haha!!!
Em xxx
Hi to all my fellow May ladies-I did think we should call ourselves the Darling Buds but maybe Marvellous Mays is better-what do you think?
Anyway have just started emerging from sickness “hell” after first FEC on Weds 2nd. All went really well in hospital and I thought this is a doddle. I came home at 12.30pm and made the meal for the evening and felt fine. At 3.30pm the vomiting began and its only just letting up today. Have finally managed to eat 3 cream crackers so I could start the steroids 1 day late. And since 6am today have not been sick. Had to phone GP on first evening to get Buccastem to try and allow me to take other anti sickness pills but that did not really work. So it was grim. I have been in touch with chemo ward and they say they will give me Emend next time which sounds like a much better option.
I got my wig on Tuesday and wore it when family came home-they say they like it and my neighbour thought I’d been to the hairdressers for a new hair cut so that is a bonus. Not sure it will be so lovely when I have no hair. My friend has forbidden me to say “bald” she says I have to say no hair as its only men and vultures who are bald!.
Good luck to the rest of you this week
Love and hugs
Hello ladies,
After having mx & recon I was told I would need to be on tamoxifen for 5 years. The next day I had a phone call from the BCN to say there had been a team meeting and to go for an appointment with the oncologist. Just had the appointment and have been advised to have 6 lots of chemo. What a shock I had, I have a week to decide what to do, I know from what I have been told I need to have the treatment but it’s just making the final decision.
Sorry for rambling on, have that scared feeling again.
Was told treatment would be starting in the next 3 weeks so I will be most probably be joining you lovely ladies
Gillian xx
Hi…I posted on here when I was first diagnosed and got some really postive reponses. Told it was small tumour and no lymph node involvement after ultrasound so I felt able to be reasonably positive, After op told it was triple negative, still small (1.5cm) but in one node…I was really upset but then started to come round to the idea of chemo and looked for postives again…that chemo gave me another 14% chance of survival for next 10 years etc…Have to have rest of nodes out after chemo and then rads. Got my head round it and have been doing really well but today I got letter from Christies with appt for CT scan - thorax, abdomen and pelvis with contrast…and for some reason I have got really scared again…apparently it is ‘just routine’ but I have foolishly had a look on web and seen some horror stories about the injection they give you. Just wondered if anyone has any comments on their experience? Good luck to all starting chemo this month - I think I will be joining you but it may be early June instead.
Hi…I posted on here when I was first diagnosed and got some really postive reponses. Told it was small tumour and no lymph node involvement after ultrasound so I felt able to be reasonably positive, After op told it was triple negative, still small (1.5cm) but in one node…I was really upset but then started to come round to the idea of chemo and looked for postives again…that chemo gave me another 14% chance of survival for next 10 years etc…Have to have rest of nodes out after chemo and then rads. Got my head round it and have been doing really well but today I got letter from Christies with appt for CT scan - thorax, abdomen and pelvis with contrast…and for some reason I have got really scared again…apparently it is ‘just routine’ but I have foolishly had a look on web and seen some horror stories about the injection they give you. Just wondered if anyone has any comments on their experience? Good luck to all starting chemo this month - I think I will be joining you but it may be early June instead.
Hello guys ‘n’ gals,
Keep trying to post but clearly some issues still persist. Loving the look of the updates, OP’s !
Ambrose - I feel so guilty - Im fine! Ok, may be not 100%, but this first dose for sure is nothing like I expected SE-wise. Was a bit freaked this morning having to do the first sub-cut injection on myself, but it was mental not physical and if I’m honest, it was a piece of cake (or sweet & sour at least) ! Definately needing the PICC line though - just waiting for appointment now. The brain-haze is the thing that gets to me though. Its like …like…erm…dunno - being drunk with a hang-over at the same time? I can concentrate for a while, and then BANG - I’m in jibberish land again !
Em - good to meet you! Have you tried annabandana.co.uk/ ? I have a couple of nice ones from there. The hospital made me an appt with the HEADSTRONG volunteers too. They spent over an hour with me showing me the different ideas and options. Extremely welcoming, and a little goodie-bag to go home with! Not sure where in the world you are from, but I have an appointment with hairtoware.com on the 12th May to sort out my wig. My hospital gave me a prescription for my wig supplied through these people. Try to google some near you? I cannot believe the amount of support and services available to us! I cannot fault my treatment from either a professional, volunteer, or charitable perspective.
Rattles - Thank you for joining us here - I am still in awe of everyone that uses these forums. There is so much to learn, gain and give at every turn. Wherever we turn there are hands held out to us, and mine is definately extended (but please mind that horrid swollen and bruised vein on the left one cos it’s still rather sore *wink wink*). How are you feeling now? Are you having the two chemos at the same time? Cycled?
Gillian - Nice to meet you, and please forgive me for waffling - Im starting to loose the thread again now. It is such an emotional rollercoaster, and brain-haze is really not helping me much atm. So far I have felt found every step has been such an up-hill struggle. Each appointment I went to I seemed to come out with a worse prognosis, or decision to make. My stress levels were off the scale and making me feel even worse so now I’m trying to come to take things as they come and relax a bit, because I know how professional these guys are and that they have so much more experience in this than me. However, this does not mean I’m a push over - I gave my mum’s cardiologist a dressing down yesterday when he tried to push her into making a decision she was not ready to make!
To all of you lovelies - Viv, Sharon, Mandy, Caron, Carolyn, Joan et al - I luv you all !
Head now shot, and trying to cook - not a good combination. Speak soon!
Luv Merc
xxxx
Hi Anni, I had the CT scan last week, injection not so bad, kind of hot flush feeling and did think I had wet myself but it was just the contrast dye going in lol, it is not as scary as I thought it would be and is over in about 30 mins, try not to worry too much ( easier said than done ) , I have a bone scan on Tuesday, again with injection, then see oncologist on Thurs so expect to start chemo the following week, have already had MX and ANC, unfortunately all nodes infected so the rollercoaster begins again , good luck to all the ladies having chemo just now, your post are great for those of us about to start xx
Hi Merc, thanks for head wear advice - have now ordered a couple of scarves/bandanas from Annabandana. Also ordered a wig from wigs4 u!! Got my first dose of magic chemo juice on Thursday 10th and am weirdly excited for it all to start, sure my enthusiasm might not last long tho!!
Wondering whether to let my 10yr old daughter cut my hair when the time comes, she did once say she wanted to be a hairdresser!!!
Merc I’m glad your first one went ok- one down already- cross it off the list!!
Hope all is going well for all you other May ladies- Ambarose I’m sorry you were so sick after your- don’t suffer in silence though, let the nurse know do they can increase the anti-sickness drugs x
Trying to enjoy the long weekend with the family but finding it hard to stay upbeat for everyone all the time- its exhausting.
Hope you all have some fun and laughs this weekend though despite the disappointing weather,
Em x
Hi ginger
Thanks for your reply to my post…I feel better about it now - just every now and again I seem to go into panic mode for some reason! Good luck with your bone scan and results and treatment. Anni
Hi May ladies,
Hope everyone is managing to enjoy the weekend
I had a similar experience to Ginger with CT scan, it was nothing too scary, just like any other injection really, they warned me beforehand of the symptoms including those down there. And by chance the scan found a non-cancerous fibroid in my womb which may explain some of the other symptoms I had been experiencing over the last few years and assumed were just the menopause!
My chemo starts 10 May (FEC-T hopefully with Herceptin if the hospital manage to arrange it). I have just had a facial and am busy planting loads of shrubs and flowers in the garden, having decided that if I am to be spending lots of time sitting around the house I don’t want to be looking out at boring wooden fences. I am having chemo first rather than after mx so its OK for me to dig the garden.
I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago (IBC Stage 3 with lymph nodes, ER- HER2+) and already it seems like years ago.
Best wishes to everyone and good luck with your treatments
Squeakymouse
Hi there lovely ladies went to see my oncologist yesterday having six lots of fec but have to go for a heart scan first is this normal procedure? He said as I am taking Ramipril for high blood pressure better to have the scan first think I am dreaing this more than the chemo !!!
Well, it has taken an age to manage to get the comment form up and write a post.
Think it may take a while to remember everyone’s names, esp. if the site keeps crashing…
Merc-love the pitcure, Penelope Pitstop, tres chic!! In answer to your question, yes unlike my last lost, you get the carboplatin and taxotere togther. The first day wasnt too bad, felt poorly yesterday and slept alot. Today, done a bit of mooching in pyjamas. I have a picc line in. It did make the experience easier, but it does have draw backs- mainly to do with my anxiety over infection and weekly flushing.
I thought ambarose was suffering badly from sickness, but maybe I imagined this?!! I couldnt find the post though.This is the one SE that can be managed with the right drugs, so do report it. It is really important to start and keep going with the drugs, as once the nausea takes hold it is much harder to shift
To the lady having the heart scan (I cant seem to find you either), I have had several now. It doesnt hurt, but it is a precaution just to check you out. I was fine about the first (what bad heart-me? Less confident about the most recent, but all okay). Hope this reassures you.
Not going to write more now incase this gets lost in cyber space.
Rattles z
Hi all. Taken me a while to find our thread since they changed the site.Feeling really rubish.spent 6hrs in chemo dept yesterday. then spent the rest of the evening throwing up, didn’t sleep because of an amazing head ache.Today, sat, i have eaten a biscuit with drugs at 8 then 12 and now 4. Now i have come on my period and carn’t remember what i can take for period pain stomach and lower back, so dosen’t change tempreture. Have phoned the chemo emergeny dept but they put me on hold for ages and i hung up. Really down hope to feel better soon, must be having a wuss few days. Sorry viv x