Hello girls.
Millikins I’m with u on the none scan. Nearly fell asleep today too. Did they tie your feet together? Or is that a southern thing! Managed to get a bit of shopping in between t injection and t scan. Got a lovely Calvin Klein dress in tkmaxx for £30. Was supposed to be getting things for other people.
Had a nice lunch too even tho mouth ulcer is lime s red hot poker being shoved up my lip.
Kimmie is that you on t tax. Can’t look back cos I’ll lose my post.
Have s good rest and anyone else who’s had treatment of one kind or another.
I’m no help re Sick pay either. Like u Lif I’ve got a business and still earning some money but have to pay t bills and everyone else. Waiting to see whaty critical illness policy pays.
Just off for s little nap. Don’t write too much till I get back.
Trish xx
P.s Kaz v sorry about Stuart xxx
Big hugs to all xxx
HI trish - yeah they did tie my feet together but as I’m a southerner too can’t comment on the geographical preferences for bone scan etiquette??? Think it’s prob standard just to stop them moving as think it would have been quite hard to hold them in that position. bit freaky with the scanner so close to my nose but good prep for the CT one which I think is in the tunnel. Am lucky I am not claustrophobic nor needle phobic or would be in big trouble. Only needly thing that got to me was the umpteen attempts to get cannula in when veins had collapsed - hence going for picc option. anethstatist was virtually thumping my arm to get it to submit!!! I now only have 1 “trusty” vein on my left arm that they used today to take bloods then 1/2 hour later inject the radioactive stuff - think the threat of maybe HAVING to use my other arm did the trick - I don’t see why they would though - surely there are other places with veins they can use if they know you are at risk of lymphoedema - I’d even offer my groin for their delictation rather than put my arm at risk!!!
re merkins - didn’t we have that conversation a few weeks ago??? or am I loosing the plot. - I have found out the term for the lady parts crystal embellishments though from my younger, cooler, lesbian friend - wait for it - VAJAZZLED!!! - now google that ladies!!!
Hi sarah
I am only day 3 but feel very lethargic.
I was told this one was kinder than fec but it doesnt sound like it by all accounts. Glad your headaches have gone. I havent got achy bones but i know it can be a side effect fingers xd i dont get them.
Is this a new kind of chemo?
Kim x
kimmie - it used to be used for secondaries but they found it more effective for younger women &/or if you had node involvement so introduced it for that - it is harsher but apparently more effective so hard as it is it’s a better regimen for us
Agreed, they do tend to use on younger women, I knew of it from my friend who had bc 4 years ago, age 34 she had 4x fec 4x tax and said the tax was a lot harder than the fec, but I’m sure everyone is different. Neither of us had node involvement though…
OMG…cant even pronounce that vaj… word!!!
Re the tax…apparently those with younger presentations are more likely to be aggressive and reccur esp if got to the nodes, grade 3 etc so they use FEC -T as the best possible approach as it bashes more aggressive cells. I am grateful to be getting it in one way and not in others…but hey ho we have to throw the kitchen sink at it!
Mine is HER2+ so i will be getting herceptin with my Tax and apparently thats good too as its often after but the two together are apparently even more effective so…
I’m a bit peed off as have to go for bloods on 20th, pre chemo assessment on 21st, echocardiogram on 22nd and chemo on 23rd…bloomin car parking charges will need a mortgage…why to goodness can’t they co ordinate at least 2 of them together? AND of course its the first week of the school holidays…I despair! GRRRRRR
Yes why can’t they co-ordinate the appointments.
it’s not such a problem me for me I’m only (!)having TAX on 23rd, onc appointment on 22nd - both 15miles away, bloodtest on 21st, but that’s at my local hospital. Don’t they realise people with children like you have to get child care and so many appointments is time consuming and expensive.
By the way, I’m older - 58. I had no node involvement, but grade 3, margins not quite clear and vascular invasion, so that’s why I have the dubious pleasure of TAX. Guess it depends on what they find.
Hi I must be “younger” too at 47, Grade 3, clear margins, no vascular invasion, no node involvement, at one stage they weren’t sure whether I would need chemo at all but have 6 x FEC (75%) not even the full whammy!! Radiotherapy, and then Tamoxifen.
Coordinate appointments, that would make life far too easy, covered by four hospitals - one 5 mins away (physio), one 20 mins away (surgery and breast clinic), one 40 mins away (chemo), one hour away (radiotherapy). I am fortunate I don’t have young children to sort out, but as driving has been an issue post-op, not easy to manage!!
I must own a small portion of the car park real estate of the local health authority already, and still 5 x FEC & radiotherapy to go!!
God knows how they work it out, as my grade 3 was also stage 1 with no node involvement… I also had the choice whether to have chemo or not, so I asked my onc what he would do in my situation and he said he would have it so that was good enough for me! He said we don’t want to be here again in 10 years time and I must say I agree, we need to through everything we can at these beasties now!!
an quite worried that loads of you are having tax,
that wasnt mentioned to me,
i was grade 3, stage 1, no nodes, no mx, just lumpectomy, with larger than normal area removed due to my throat operation preventing further breast surgery, and reconstruction. oseg weekly postive, and her-2 negative. invasive ductual cancer
am 41, mom had breast cancer last year. mx this year, no nodes and no cemo, or rads
I think perhaps whether it is hormone receptive may be a factor too??though not sure. If you can’t have any other treatment other than chemo & rads then TAX is prob best option???.
Just showed my new boob to my daughter. I think it’s better to show her stuff than her happen upon it & have to ask what it is - also means I can explain things when I am feeling OK rather than get caught out when I might be feeling vulnerable.- then she asked about the medicine that will make my hair fall out so I told her probably next week which did upset her but I gave her a cuddle & she was fine. I knowher & if she understandswhat’s happening she’s happier plus she picks up on everything so there’s no hiding it all.
god news jo about yoru new boobie and that you showed sophie.
make everything less scarey to them, i show Andy girls all my stuff, haven’t had mx though. but they have seen my scar, and wig hats and i let them cut my hair then they watched Andy shave it. they know when i have been the hospital and if i’m at moms Andy lets them ring me so they know i’m ok. xxx
On working out chemo, I’m pretty sure the oncs upload all the data onto a computer programme that works out the best dosage/regime for each patient… and everything will be taken into account: age, grade and stage of tumour/ lymph node involvement/type of breast cancer (ie ductal/lobal/inflammatory) and also oestregen/her2 status. This programme then gives prognosis odds for the different variants, and the onc. will generally recommend the course that gives each individual the best prognosis. It can be only 1 or 2% difference in outcome between, say 6FEC and 3FEC3TAX, so that will then be weighed up against patient’s age/general health/underlying medical issues etc etc… esp. as TAX itself is quite a dangerous chemo drug, as it is so strong.
I questioned my onc. to pieces…lol… as soon as I heard the dreaded TAX I wanted to know exactly why I should have it…hehehehe, but in my case it does make a signigicant difference to prognosis. It is tougher than FEC, in that the se’s are more unpleasant if they happen, and it is generally harsher on the body - but don’t forget that chemo has a cumulative effect, particularly with regards to fatigue… so you would be getting increasingly tired with each cycle anyhow, whether 6FEC, 6EC or a mix of FEC and TAX.
Bet you didn’t think I could sound so technical… I’ve impressed myself with my knowledge!!!
Now, back to googling Vejazzled… that’s my new word for today!
Oh, and I’m 41, had Grade 3 stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma, one lymph node affected, 3.2mm tumour - and I’m getting 100% dosage 3FEC/3TAX… because, in my onc’s words: You’re young and fit.
Her definitions of young and fit are radically different to mine, I think she was just trying to flatter me so I didn’t get scared…