I’ve spotted a few of us, so thought I’d start and see if anyone wants to come and chat. Be good to virtually hold hands through it all. I’m 3xFEC/3xTax, starting this week.
good luck with your chemo, i started at the end of april, its hard but doable
Vickie
xxx
Hi Julie
I meet my onc on Monday so should be starting in the next 2 / 3 wks ( don’t know what I’m having yet) week so I think i’ll sign up. Getting ready to hold hands, oh my palms are sweaty, I think I’m a bit nervous about all this . Debx
Hi Julie
When is your first chemo?
debx
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Hi Ladies
I would love and need, to hold hands with you all, l met my onc yesterday, and was told l will be starting in 2 weeks.
Hope it goes well today Gill xxx
Julie,Good Luck with your chemo this week xxx
Deb, we should be head to head!! xxx
Vickie. You are doing really well, keep up the good work chemo xxx
I am having 3 FEC and 3 TAX…Bring it on…Gently please!
Sandra xxx
Hi gillrh,
Please don’t worry, yes there are many stories on this site that to be honest could put the fear of God into you but bear in mind that these are sometimes at their worst. It’s not all like that.
I have my last chemo next week (6x FEC counting the days!) I’m not going to lie to you, yes it’s hard but as tors said ‘it’s doable’. I can’t tell you how you will react to the drugs, as we are all different, hence all the stories but please don’t be scared.
The fear of the unknown is the worst. On my first morning it all went wrong with my lift to the hospital (my mum was supposed to take me but my dad became ill and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, he’s fine now) so had to call a taxi and go on my own, that poor taxi driver didn’t know what hit him as I nattered him to death, I basically just wanted someone to talk to, at the time it didn’t matter that it was a complete stranger.
SO good luck with your treatment and just think it won’t be long before you will be counting the days like me.
Patricia x
HELLO to all. I’m Thursday deb, so looks like I’m the first of us. I will endeavour to sail through it to cheer you all up! Apparently the sun will be shining, so am taking that as a positive sign (straw clutching?!).
Big thanks to Vickie and Patricia for wise words. It’s good to know you’re out there for advice and reassurance. Wishing you both well.
Hi all
good luck tomorrow Julie I hope it goes smoothly and your SE are mild. Will be thinking about you.
Sandra will hopefully get my timetable on Monday so we can compare dates.
Gill hope yours goes well too. Is it Monday?
Take care debx
.Yes, Monday 
I’d like to add my offering to the June chemo club - had my first FEC on 2nd and was very surprised how well it went. Mind you the onc nurse threw everything at me for anti-sickness - Emend, and 2 other tablets too, with telephone calls morning and evening to check on symptoms and tweak the tablets - can’t fault the care! Nausea only for the first evening but replaced by overwhelming fatigue - not sure if its the relief of getting the first one done or due to the chemo but having to do stuff in bursts today as the energy levels permit…never thought I would say this, as I had no confidence in my own ability to get through this but DEFINTELY do-able!
xxx Sal
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Hi Ladies, Still waiting for the phone call, still waiting for the letter, well he did say start within two weeks, and that was on the 1st June, so if l have not heard by the 8th l will put a call in! oh the endless waiting, always gets you down!
Patricia, good luck with your last chemo xxx
Julie, Hope it all went smoothly and the s/e are kind to you xxx
Deb, looks like you are going to be ahead of me, but only just! l hope!
xxx
Gill, The worry is never ending isn’t it? probably giving you a bed because they thought “that lady looks like she needs to put her feet up for a couple of hours”
Hope you enjoyed the taste of your food and drink! long may it last!
Be thinking of you on Monday, and wishing you an easy ride, be nice if you could fall asleep while they were doing it!! xxx
Hugs to all
Sandra xxx
PS Hi Sal, Well done you, get those energy levels rising and full steam ahead xxx
Hi all
Sandra don’t think I’m going to starting quickly either. Spoke to my bcn nurse on Friday and she said they might want to do extra tests before I start. I just seem to be hanging around waiting.
I have swollen gland in my neck too. I have had an ultra sound on it but they couldn’t find it, but my gp and I can find it. I should be reassured by the ultra sound but I’m not. I will mention it to the onc on Monday it has been there for over a month now and a course of anti biotics didn’t help. Anyway that is my moan over.
Went to see Sex in the City 2 last night. What a load of rubbish but I did feel normal for a while. But when it was all over and I came home it all hit me again and I think I felt more sad. My friend told me a tragic story of someone dying out of the blue, to reinforce the fact that life is unpredictable, but I already know that. The story was so sad.
Wishing everyone the best luck with chemo and hang in there to those still waiting . Debx
Hi Ladies,
Deb, Well this b****y bc certainly tests our spirit doesn’t it? what other tests do they want to do? have you had ct and bone scans? why on earth don’t they sort all this out long before we are on the edge of having chemo?
We are never reassured by these tests are we? probably because we are living on our nerves. always wondering what will happen next. Too frightened from one day to the next!
Did your friend need to tell you her tragic story? we need happy stories, friends should be there to lighten the load, not make it heavier!!
Good Luck on Monday, hope the onc give you some good news!
Hugs
Sandra xxx
Morning Sandra
She didn’t say what tests. I tried to push her but she said it would be up to the onc. I asked for ct and bone scans while i was waiting for my clearance results but they said that was not the protocol. I will be so cross if I have to have them now. It could be that they want to test my heart as I have had weird reactions to drugs in the past with a fast heart rate, who nows.
All I know is the I was diagnosed in March with aggressive cancer and so far the only thing that has happened quickly was the diagnosis everything else has been about waiting and worrying. OK, that feels better, rant over.
Have a nice Sunday everyone. debx
Hey All -
Great to hear it was for you Sal. It was definitely do-able here too. Wish I’d had all those lovely anti-ick drugs though, as that was my main thing. Threw up a fair amount on morning after. But all in all once that subsided, felt like I had a bad hangover for a day and a half. Still feeling a bit woosy, but mostly normal now. Haven’t posted before because we went away for the weekend. Was a bit mad to do, but it was a family do that I’d helped organise, so I wanted to get there to show them I’m okay. Feel wiped out now, but still felt good just to do something as planned.
Gill, don’t panic about having a bed. My Onc booked one for me too - she was worried as I have a history of nausea after general anaesthetics, etc, so said best to be in hospital so they can sort it out. As it happened I was fine on the day so went home, only to throw up next morning. My Oncologist said they really want to make the first one as positive as they can as they need us to be positive for the rest. Makes sense if you think of it like that. I’ll have my fingers crossed for you tomorrow.
And few vague thoughts for anyone who’s yet to follow:
With FEC, the E bit of it is injected through a huge syringe by a nurse. She has to sit next to you and filter it through saline. Mine was lovely and we nattered and laughed a lot. Takes a whole hour, and I wasn’t expecting that, so thought I’d let you know. The other two drugs, so F & C go through via a drip, so they don’t have to sit with you.
Anyone trying cold cap might be reassured as for me at least it was okay. Felt horrid for first twenty mins or so. Very heavy and freezing (obviously!), but then numbed and I didn’t really notice it. Everyone’s different apparently and I know some are unlucky and find it very uncomfortable and painful, but if it was okay for me then it may well be for you too. My friend who I took with me laughed herself silly - apparently I looked like a cross between Noddy and a Teletubbie… Not convinced it’ll work, but thought it worth a go.
- also on the positive side, I have what I’ve read about, so a chemo glow. Look like I’ve caught the sun. My hubbie and son say I haven’t looked this well in months!
Hoping you’re all well out there. Fingers crossed for all who start this week. Julie x
Debs, so sorry you’re having to hang around. That must be horrible. I don’t know your history, but have you had to wait all this time with no treatment?? Really hope they sort out a programme of treatment for you soon. I know the waiting is hardest. And please don’t apologise for ranting. That’s what we’re here for after all. You rant away as much as you want. Hope you had a good Sunday even so. xj
Hi there,
I started my chemo on Thursday 3rd alongside other on here so thought I would tag along too…the more the merrier.
Mine went ok I think, very scared for the week beforehand and didn’t want to be there on the day. At the evening had one major nauseous bout but no sickness and it only lasted about half an hour. Was able to potter around and do stuff in garden on the day after with a woozy feeling but that was all.
Today been different in that woozy feeling has lasted all day with little or no subsidence, still no throwing up which I am glad about but wonder if I would feel less nauseous if I was actually sick. Have taken all anti sickness tablets now except for the back up ones so will have to see what tomorrow brings.
My treatment was given via syringe and nurse for all 4 syringes, non by drip, so like everything else it seems that different hospitals have different ways of administering and dealing with our treatments.
Good luck to those having treatments or appointments this week, especially those waiting for results
Suze xx
Hi Suze I didn’t know they did it just through a syringe! did you know you were having it like that? so that didn’t take long then?
Wonder why some have it through saline? as you say probably different hospitals, interesting though
Hugs
Sandra xxx