Fec 3, Day 3
I’ve signed the partition.
Yippe I’m halfway through, feeling quite good this time albeit a little more tired this time, typical that this being my last FEC I now seem to have sussed out how to stay on top of the nausea which is sofa surf, copious amounts of water & take all the drugs they give you even the as & when’s before you start feeling queasy.
Are all the stars now on Facebook now, if not I’ll try to pop on here more often.
Hope all stars recently dunked are managing their se’s as well as me and everyone else I hoe you enjoy the day xx
Signed the petition as well!!
Thought I was doing ok this time round. 3rd & final FEC for me too Nikki. Ok for first couple of days, moving around better, eating much more than previously but seem to have come out in a ‘glow’ overnight! What’s that all about? Waiting for a call from my nurses but hopefully no visit to Hotel NHS required!
Also planning for at least a few days away (week if we can manage it) next weekend. Would be lovely to just spend some quality time with hubby before the next lot starts. And have also got my Look Good Feel Better session to look forward to, providing the extra dose of steroids don’t mess it up!
Hope everyone is doing ok and any se’s are easing off slowly. Have a lovely day to anyone venturing outside to do nice things xx
Good evening Stars
Just a quick message to wish all the lovely ladies up at the bar tomorrow good luck, hope everything goes well and you escape the SE’s.
Also lots of love to Frenchfancy currently holed up courtesy of the NHS. Hope you pick up quickly and you’re back home soon.
Love and hugs to all Stars everwhere. Keep twinkling! xx
Fec 3 Day 7
Good luck at the bar tomorrow girls.
My se’s this time have been, on the whole, much better than the first 2 times, unfortunately this time I’ve got oral thrush and omg my mouth is so sore it’s just taken me half an hour to eat a yoghurt but I’ll take that over feeling sick any time.
Take care xx
Good luck Avonlady. Hope everything goes well with the Tax tomorrow. I’ll be thinking of you. xxx
Hi Nikki and all you September babs,
I am FEC done T#3 Done day 11
In answer to you questions to July Junkies
Nails - I got no advise at my unit and my nails have been ok. They did start to go a little thin after T2 so I had some gell varnish put on and after 3 weeks I have had them redone for another 3 weeks. My toes are always painted and they are normal.
I have lost a bit more head hair during T. During FEC I had a grade 2 and I still look like a white orangutan.
During T I have lost my eyebrows and eyelashs. The brows I pencil in with the brow pencil with a brush end. I got at the Look Good Feel Better session.
My worst side effects have been severe fatigue days 4 to 7 when I have virtually had to take to my bed.
I have also had metal mouth which I can only say means food is so horrid I have managed to loose a bit more weight. Bonus.
Lemon has been my life line in getting enough fluids down.
Good luck girls you are half way there.
I have just had my rad tatto done and my dates. 3 of us JJ are at the same hospital at approx the same time. We are going to meet up. To me anyway the forum has been a life line.
All the best Nette x
Just read some of your comments on oral thrush. I have made a personal study of it. I posted my conclusions on Oct 6 currently page 11 of 61 on July Junkies stream
Hope it helps
Nette x
Hi Nicki
I get my gell nails done at a salon, they use a ultraviolet lamp to set it and it is completely dry when you leave. According to salon it lasts 2 weeks. I had mine redone after 3 weeks and I could have gone longer. The main problem is growth you can back fill with a matching polish. You also need to know that they use heat to remove so if you are not being redone there may be a charge. I have given up drink and the hairdresser and in fact most activities so a weekly massage and having my nails done, always toes and now fingers, is my chemo treat.
It sounded like piggsy did her own I will wait to see if this is correct.
Pamper yourself a little if you can we all deserve it.
Good luck to you all going into T. I was very nervous but really I think on the whole it is easier than FEC. The time also went quicker.
Nette x
Hi all is this a chemo sep thread?.Started mines in sep still trying to find my way round this site and was wondering if i could join?.Could do with chatting to others going through chemo at same time as me.
Thanks!
Michelle
Good morning ladies
Just popping over from July Junkies to share my experience of Tax with you 
I am just about to have my 3rd and last session this week and am pleased to say I have not had any of the bone pain that a lot of people get. Instead I got Palmar Plantar syndrome. It is caused when the chemo drugs seep out of the capilliaries in your hands and feet and damage your skin. Hands and feet become sore, very red, cracked and swollen.
I have found a way to keep it at bay/reduce these effects which I would like to share with you just in case anyone gets it (I am told it is a rare reaction so hopefully you won’t get it!). When you start to feel tingling/heat in hands or feet or you see them going a red, almost beetroot stained colour - get hold of some cold bottles of water or canned drinks and hold them for 15 minutes. Put feet on frozen bag of peas wrapped in teatowel. The cold helps to stop the reaction and closes the capilliaries and pores back up.
Keep repeating process whenever hands and feet start to play up again. Also avoid hot water/washing dishes/baths etc as this opens pores and makes it worse.
With regards to nails, my unit told me not to paint my nails as it hides infections. I haven’t put anything on them other than my normal hand cream and I have no discolouring or lifting from nail bed. Hopefully this will continue after my last session
Hair appears to be making a tentative go at growing as the wisps I was left with after the FEC and a haircut are longer now.
I have constipation issues every cycle and find that eating prunes each evening and taking lactulose sorts this. If things get a little bit obstinate then I take some Laxido (nice and gentle relef as opposed to the slightly explosive ducolax that one doctor gave me!!)
I have worked throughout my chemo with the exception of a few days here and there and a week when the palmar plantar first hit me.
Best of luck ladies, and dont forget to come visit the junkies if you have any more questions. The ladies there are lovely and have lots of advice to share
Fec 3, Day 21
Got a busy day today, doing those last minute jobs before tomorrow’s poisoning. I’ve just had breakfast followed by 4 steroids so hopefully that will give me the boost to get the shopping & ironing done. Although with another 4 steroids due lunch time I’m thinking I’m gonna be like the Duracell bunny… Hope I can sleep tonight!
Tomorrows poison of choice is Taxotere, although there is no medical proof to back the idea up it is thought that ultra violet light reacts with T which can effect your nails, so I have painted my finger & toe nails midnight blue with some glitter on the tips of my finger nails, I will try to keep my feet covered with socks, shoes,slippers etc and when out of the house during daylight hours I’m going to try to keep gloves on, hopefully this will prevent me losing my nails.
I don’t post here often as it seems everyone is on fb, I will dip in now and again as I think it helps others coming up behind us know what’s coming & how we’ve coped with it.
Pots I hope you are doing ok, I don’t think I’ve seen you on fb. Is there anyone else here not on fb?
Hope a you all have a great day, take care xx
Good luck nikki tomorrow.
I found the transition difficult particularly the day before I got quite worked up. It turned out to be a complete waste of energy as every thing went well. My nails have been fine and few of july’s have complain of nail problems. Although I will always choose prevention over cure.
Just bobbed in to wish you all well going into T.
I start rads on Wed and I feel like I have been let out of a cage. It is brillant and there is life after chemo. I have bought a new mx swimsuit and I am going to start looking at booking holidays for next year. Winter sun here we come.
Best wishes to you all Nette x
Hi I’m in October Optimists and have been reading your thread. Just wanted to ask I’m due my 3rd FEC Thursday and do they up your steroids as I only have 2 x2 for 3 days and that’s enough for me , thanks Tracy x
Hi All
I haven’t been on here in ages posting the odd boy on Facebook and them forget about on here in fact I find I can forget an awful lot at the moment stupid foggy chemo brain evened sentence it just all goes blank!!
Well I’m now half way through the FEC on day 3 had a real struggle for sleep fri and sat was horrific but last night I cracked it got up today feel less energy than usual so just taking it easy.
Hope everyone else on here is getting on ok think at times we all have those moments of anxiousness on what is going to happen next.
Xxx
Hi Pots, sorry to say fatigue days 4 to 7 amazing. Just stayed in bed as could barely walk. But built up day by day from then. All the books say to excersise through chemo. It is meant to make chemo more effective and helps you to cope. I have tried to walk every day, except 4 to 7.
Meltdowns seem to be more common in T but I did feel better after the major meltdowns.
Good luck to all September’s babes going into T it will be over before you know it.
Nette x
FEC done, TAX day 3
Good morning all, although I’ve posted to fb thought I’d update those not on fb and those popping on from other threads. I know I often look at earlier threads to find out what I’m in for lol
Well so far so good, absolutely no nausea T was much quicker to administer than the dreaded FEC and thankfully no nasty reactions, guess all those steroids did their job.
Day 2 was very surreal I can honestly say it’s the best I’ve felt any day since starting chemo, I began to wonder if I’d been given a placebo! My mum popped round in the afternoon to give me my injection, luckily I only have to have the one, 24 hrs after chemo.
Today I have woken up a bit achy like I’ve slept awkwardly, shoulders, upper & lower back, hips, knees and shins - temperature is fine so have taken a couple of paracetamol, if that doesn’t work will pop a couple of ibuprofen in a couple of hours.
Tastebuds are still ok so am able to enjoy my morning coffee at the moment.
Xx
Good luck for tomorrow girls xxx
Lots of luck to everyone xx
Love and luck ladies xx
Morning all (very very early morning admittedly)
I started chemo in September, have wiled away many sleepless hours reading this thread with you wonderful lot but never posted before.
Am 38, have grade 3 TNBC lymph node positive, but no nasty mets spotted. Had lumpectomy and WLE in August, all healed nicely apart from little cording and general wonkiness.
Am on FEC-T: three FEC done and dusted (only SE a bit of tiredness really); first T last Wed, felt bit odd but generally ok on Thursday, but then Friday EVERYTHING HURT!!! Including my earlobes, I didn’t think they COULD hurt ?!?
Blimey. I’m normally a tough old bird but this knocked me sideways. Next T due for 18 Dec so am hoping SEs bigger off in time for Christmas Day.
Am on FB, can I just check how I join your group please - a pm to someone here is it? What info do you need?
Thanks all, it’s fab that you all share so much. I’ve taken huge comfort from your experiences and openness from afar.