Kaz - i think its entirely normal to want to stop treatment! Could you have a chat with your onc, maybe lower the dose?? You are halfway through, hun. You have done so well. Big hugs xx
Lif-hope the hospital sort you out and you escape feeling much better:)
Sophie - i to struggled with the ear thing, mine are such an odd shape!! Just roll with it now tho, as some one else has said, its other people who have a problem with it!
Well ec3 hasnt been particularly kind to me. I feel rougher than a rough thing on a rough day:( Arm got pins and needles, kidneys ache, feel fuzzy, achey and tired…
big hugs to all who need them, and a few in reserve for those that dont 
kerry xxxxxxxx
Hi girls, milykins hope you feel better soon and lif hope hospital soon sort you out, im down there on tues so if you`re still in give me a shout and will come say hello, temperature still up and down like a yoyo and have layed on sofa most of the day, kaz your not alone i have said to my oh im not having anymore its horrible and i dont like it!!! think we all have these thoughts, need to find some energy from somewhere tho, my sister and her partner are moving to mexico on sat and its their leaving party tonight, think a chair in the corner is going to be called for !! hugs to everyone jam xxxx
Sorry for all having crappy SEs, LiF and Milkykins and all, hope you feeling better soon, what a rubbish way to star the new year.
I’ve had the joy of PMT yet the dreaded M part never arrived…still waiting…looks like the other M may be kicking in, I feel too young for that…I’m fine otherwise, just keeping up my sleeping regime
Hugs to all especially you poor things not feeling good
xxxxxx
hi again - spent afternoon fast asleep - OH cooked a roast chicken dinner!!! lovely
feel a bit better but shivvery though temp OK - keep checking but am outside the dodgy 10-14 day period so not sure if it counts anyway??
just did 2 huge sneezes & nose & throat tickly so am sure it’s a cold - just in time for my good week & no2 on fri!! lovely.
not a subject normally discussed but hey this is BC after all- how have others reacted period wise - do they disappear after a few sessions or is it pot luck as to whether they go or is TAX the thing that kills them completely?? - just wondering when to expect the hot sweats - have the terrible mood already!!!
I am 44 so was told to expect early menopause as close to actual one but my mum had hers mid 50s so quite late so may get away with it perhaps or is that wishful thinking???
LIF - that explains it then! - thinking of you, but I’m sure you’ll be out soon & feeling loads better.
Kaz & anyone else feeling a bit low…keep going, look how far you’ve got already. You will get through it and it will go quicker than perhaps you think it is at the moment, don’t give up.
Jo - not sure what the norm is with the whole period/menopause thing. I am 45 and my mum didn’t start the M early but I haven’t had another period since FEC2 (so have missed 2 so far). Only had a couple of night ‘sweats’, nothing too bad…not sure if that’s anything to do with it or not?! Hope you’re cold doesn’t develop too much, just keep checking your temp.
hey ,
thanx all so much, i feel so much better knowing its not only me tat feels like i wanna give up.
suppose its like a course of antibiotics!! need to finish the course even though you know you’ll get bad tummy and thrush!!! lol
ive had a nap again today. seems the way of life now. no way im going back to work at the mo. even though ssp is naff. least its reduced my unnecessary spending.
just watch iron man, cuddled up with andy and the girls. so im ok now. xxxx
thanx pinkies, really do love you all.
jo, i have had normal periods since fec, just had fec 3 and period. have the copper coil remember and that have changed things. not really sure on how the cemo affects it. think its different on everyone. xxx i was hoping to have kids one day, but that may not be the case, xx
Hi ladies,
Happy new year to you all, and sorry for those who are suffering.
I have a question for you all - can I run during chemo? I feel ok at the moment and have put on 10lbs since starting chemo and now feel uncomfortable.
I was running about 12 miles a week prior to dx but haven’t run much since…
Any advice welcome
Sarah x
Janvis don’t give up! I know how u feel. I think we all do. I felt today that I couldn’t go on either even tho the Fec is bad I’m dreading Tax n Mx. Had a big cry again earlier but ok at mo. Went for a pizza n to Panto with t family.
Donr want kids to go back to skl n uni either. Thnk we just have to take things day by day( think there’s a sing there somewhere).
Hope everyone start to improve girls. Lots if love.
Pollyxxx
Hello!
Now have laptop with dongle in my solitary confinement cell…so can communicate with the world!!!
Jam…and anyone else, if you have even a slight temp go to A & E…
I had the mouth thing but it was getting better but on Friday night I had chest and stomach pain and temp of 37…which is not that high but felt under the weather …so rang oncologu unit and was told to consult out of hours GP or go to A & E…
Well as it was New years day I left home at noon and popped down to hospital…and…got taken in immediately to a cubicle and tested for everything going. 4 hours later and neutrophil count of 0.1 came back and they also decided I had either a chest or stomach infection…hence pain.
then due to bed shortage sat in isolation in an office until…10pm!!!
Admitted to secure solitary cell and here I will have to stay until neutrophils over 1.0…could be a long time!
Very very boring AND they check and jab you every 4 hours…pin cushion springs to mind!!!
Why did this happen? Well they suspect too high dose of tax making my gut bugs turn on me…!
So keep well girls will escape asap…may be asking for cakes with nail file in! xxx
PS…on the period thing…mine have been reg as clockwork on fec…waiting to see what happens on tax…no menopausal symptoms or hot flushes etc. Onc said with certainty they would stop immediately due to my advanced age…yea right!..I am just 50!!!
Thanks everyone - for keeping my spirits up.
I suppose it is because I am only 2 days before my next chemo. I know that I will be bad for at least 10 days and don’t want to go through it again!!
Take care.
Janvis xx
I quizzed my onc. over the period/menopause/chemopause thing - esp. as I am very, very er++++++, so although I wouldn’t exactly welcome the menopause at 41, I am very fortunate to have my family complete, and would be happy to see the back of periods if it means my oestregen levels have dropped.
My onc. thought it very likely that either chemo or tamoxifen would precipitate the menopause, and if it didn’t, then she would be very open to a conversation re: oophorectomy/ovarian ablation (treatment to stop ovaries working and producing oestregen). Although, apparently, the NHS party line is now that ovarian ablation is not necessary, my onc. said that if my periods continued even on hormone therapy, then she would be very willing to perform an oophorectomy to remove the ovaries, and be certain that my oestregen production was diminished in this manner.
Please note, that if your tumour was not oestregen (ER+) receptive, then ovarian ablation will make no difference whatsoever to your prognosis - but if you are highly Er++, then it may be worthwhile looking into. Of course, for those wanting to start families post-chemo - this is not something you want to know about!!!
My last period began the day before my first chemo - lovely - so I shall wait and see what happens from here… I suppose a cessation of periods with no menopausal side effects is a bit much too ask?
Macmillan have a page on ovarian ablation/breast cancer
if you wanted to read more.
Sophie xxx
Janvis - I think we would be abnormal if we didn’t have thoughts about wanting to quit the chemo - this bas*ard illness is such a kicker because the cancer itself didn’t make us feel ill - but we are having to willingly submit to treatment that makes us feel appalling. I had one evening after my first FEC where I just sat and wailed, and really thought that I just couldn’t go through it again.
My second lot is this Friday, and I can’t stop thinking about it, though I know I should be making the most of my ‘good week’. It IS all worthwhile though, and we do know that the se’s do go, and it isn’t for long, really, in the whole scheme of things.
Could somebody please cut and paste this to me next week when I feel like shit?
Sophie xxxxxxxxx
Sarah - I can’t see any reason at all why you couldn’t run if you felt like it - I’m sure that the fitter you are, the easier you will bounce back post treatment, and you’re not likely to catch anything from anyone else whilst running! I’d just say, don’t push yourself too hard - your body has a lot to cope with, and you need to keep some energy in reserve… but otherwise, go for it!!
(I’ll cheer you on from the sofa, with a glass of Baileys and packet of Jelly Babies… I’m with you in spirit, honestly)
Sophie xxx
Will do Sophie! But your advice is soooo right! Anyway, you may not feel as bad after FEC2…I felt the same after FEC1 and was in tears & thought I can’t do this, but it was definately the worse one for me and I coped much better after FEC2, so fingers crossed. x
LiF - how long after you were admitted did you get antibiotics? Apparently it should be within three hours to meet NHS protocol… so just curious! (Not that it should be within three hours or else, lol… not trying to scare you). Just that it sounds like you were kept hanging around for a long time.
I know my chemo ward insists that we contact them direct, do not pass go, do not go to A&E, and I wondered how much that varied around the country. Or does my local hospital have a bad A&E…hmmm.
Hope you are up and about again soon - ouch on all the injections (should have had a PICC hehehehe), thinking of you lots, and sending good/fast recovery vibes your way. Glad you at least have a laptop with you now, so you’re not completely abandoned in your isolation cell. Will start baking nail file shaped cakes shortly… just give me the word and I’ll come break you out.
Sophie xxx
Thanks Lou, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that I’m the same! Can’t believe that I thought I was getting away easily the first 36 hours or so after first FEC - got paid back in spades for any stray smug thoughts by day 3!!
Sophie xx
LIF , millykns and janvis - want to boost your spirits so lots of good wishes to you - you can do it - it just feels so yuk at times.
i’ve not moved far for 3 days post FEC3 apart from 4 hours out on new years eve, kids come back from their dads at 8 tonite and started to cook two differnrt meals and mess up the kitchen and ignore me totally - just what i need when i feeling low and yukky and can’t face food and need a hug!!!
sarah - i did ask the oncologist about running (or plodding in my case 1 hr 10K!)n was told i should go ahead if i felt like it but to listen to my body - needless to say i haven’t run since starting treatment and have put weight as i have felt out of puff on longer walks so haven’t wanted to try to run - may not have been helped by the cold i had.
hoping day 4 post FEc will bring me some more energey - felt washed out this time coompletely-aaargh
Sophie after my first Fec I thought never again!!! But the second one was completely different. I’ve been amazingly fine. Also have next one on fri so I’ll be mentally(!) holding ur hand. Im certain tho that I’ll be changed to tax after next time and am dreading that.
Lif have got industrial sized files at work (podiatrist remember) so will bake one in a cake as soon as u say t word.
Love to all girlies.
Polly. Xx
Polly - I’m being switched to TAX after 3FEC, and do find myself thinking that I should be grateful it’s ‘only’ FEC… but there’s no ‘only’ about chemo, is there? It’s all horrible, just different se’s - TAX sounds more painful than FEC, but less of a headmess/nausea one, so swings and roundabouts I suppose.
Roll on Friday 14th…lol… we should be over the worst of the next round by then
Sophie xx