Hello
I’m just curious about this. I’m due to have more ec session. Just had my 4th and again eventhough its been reduced by 15% I’m feeling so ill.
I had chemo on the tuesday and by the sunday monday. I’ve either got d which makes me dehydrated I’ve been in hospital twice. on my3rd cycle I was in for 5 days.
This time I’ve had the worst headache since sunday which makes me feel sick and had d but this time took immodium to get rid of that one.
The onc said to me that if i had done 4 i had given it a good do. This is because mine is a prevenatative chemo and still got to have rads. I’m so depressed about it and feel so ill all the time and I’m crying all the time. I’m not being a mum to my children I have no patience with them I just hate chemo.
I was thinking of ringing them and telling them that I just want to stop now i just cant face feeling like this all the time. I know its doable but for me right now its not.
If anyone has any ideas or advice please let me know.
love Fran
Hi Fran
I am sorry that the EC is making you fel so rotten. I have just had my 4th EC and have just had a CT scan although I have another 2 chemos to go.
The reason for having a scan now is because the Consultant said that after 4 treatments the response( I have secondaries) is most significant. So at least you have got the 4 out of the way. I hope this is of some help to you.
Esha
hi
sorry you are feelingso unwell on your EC. I did 4 FEC and couldnt continue with the last 2. iknow its a hard decision to stop the chemo, but like you - my chemo was as a safety measure. I had 2 wle, 4 chemo, 15 rads and am now on tamoxafen. Was dx in Aug 2009.
eva
Hello Esha and eva,
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I feel the same as you eva! What did your onc say about it? For me its not a hard decision. I do feel I have thrown everything at it as a preventative therapy. I’ve had a wle, snb and anc and 4 ec and due to have rads and 5 years of tamoxifen.
I’ve felt so ill all the time throughout the past 3 mths and only had about 2 good weeks. I emailed the oncologoist today and actually got a reply. I was so shocked. She wants to see me before my next chemo to discuss things. So when I start feeling better I will feel brighter about this I think I’ve made my decision.
Thanks again
Fran xx
Hi I think you should go with what your body is telling you to do and only you know that and more importantly don’t feel guilty if you want to give up and don’t be pressurized into sticking with it. None of us know bow long we have left with our families and time is precious. Take each day as it comes and let your body guide you in what to do. I declined chemo as wrestled with the family who came to appreciate my decision. For me it was a none starter I agreed reluctantly to rads and tamoxifen but I do worry about what both of these are doing to my body. But for me if I have a short time left on this earth I wanted to enjoy it and not feel poorly. Be strong and sending positive thoughts x
I was advised to stop FEC after 4 doses because I had serious side effects. I went on to have radiotherapy and a years Herceptin followed by Arimidex. I have worried about it over the years and wondered whether I did the right thing but if it is any reassurance to you I was diagnosed 5 years ago and I expect my 5 year check up next month to be my last one.
All the best with your decision
Anne
Hello Anng amd other ladies.
I hope you dont mind me asking but what was you dx. Mine was grade 3 idc with 1 lymph node involvment. Had wle, snb and anc and 4 ec. THen rads and tamoxifen.
I know chemo is hard but the se’s are so awful for me. 4 days on still have a migraine. never had one before. this is a small side effect compared to the others i’ve had. I’m hoping my onc will say its a 1% diff but i feel i’ve made up my mind. I just have to convince my partner and rest of my family. My sister understands as she has been through chemo for cc.
So hopefully I’ll have an appointment next week and we shall see.
Thanks fran
xx
Hi Fran
Dont beat yourself up it is your decision if you feel you cant do anymore you have had 4 so you have done well im only on first and ask myself is feeling so bad worth it for prevention
Hope all goes well for you
Lots of love Tracy xxxx
Hi Fran,
I have huge respect for all of those going through chemo and you have made it through to number 4 with real bad se. I decided against chemo for various reasons, but you have gone with it and like others have said, 4 is a good number if you can’t go for the 6. I had mx and anc clearance, grade 2 i node, but am 62 and went for rads and 5 years arimidex. Had I been younger would have gone with chemo, but have so mnay other health issues now. Hope your migraine settles soon and you can build up your energy and start enjoying life again and all the very best with your onc next week.
Maggie May xx
I think the most important thing is to be happy with whatever decision you come to. You need to be ask yourself “if it comes back at some point in the future would I wish I had had the full course”. You have to be happy with your decision, no-one else, as at the end of the day it is you having the treatment.
My tumour was grade 3, with no nodes involved. I had a dreadful time on chemo. 8 sessions of AC and Paclitaxol given every 2 weeks, not 3. So I never had a good week, or even a good day. I ended up in hospital with dehydration because of upset stomach, lost all feeling in fingers and toes and needed looking after the whole time. I also lost nearly 2½ stone in 6 weeks. But I never once considered stopping the course because I think it is the best way of prevention and treats the whole body.
A year later it has faded into the background and I am back exactly as I was before.
Hello Fran
My diagnosis is T1c, stage 2, 0 nodes, ER+ and HER+ so bit different from you. Had WLE and SNB.
Onc said all visible cancer has gone, but because I am considered fairly young for this, he wanted to give me very best chance of preventing recurrence. He has prescribed me 4 x FEC, 20 Rads, 18 x Herceptin, 5yrs hormone therapy.
At first I was shocked at all this treatment for a stage 1 cancer, but then he spoke very candidly about recurrence and that it’s best to get rid of it once and for all. That means for me 66 weeks of intravenous infusions plus the rads and tamoxifen.
It’s rotten. But I want to give myself and my family the very best chance of me getting to be a bothersome old lady and if that means doing the treatment, that’s what I do.
It’s a tough decision for you to make and am sure your onc will help you reach the decision that’s right for you.
If it was me, unless my life was at risk with the treatment, I would stick with it, try and find ways of lessening the SEs and just know that it will come to an end and 6months from now, it will all be over. Balance that against the potential of your worrying if you did enough.
Whatever you decide, as long as you are comfortable with your decision, then it’s the right one for you.
Much love
Pixie xx
Fran
I had grade 3 IDC plus DCIS that didn’t show on the mammogram but was found on analysis of the tissue removed. I was ER/PR/HER2 all positive. 1.2 cm lump, no nodes. I had a WLE, before the FEC, 6 weeks of radiotherapy, a year of Herceptin and have been on Arimidex, then Aromasin for 4 and half years in total. I have been told I will need to stay on the Aromasin for at least 7 years because my cancer was very aggressive and fast growing.
The side effects I had were life threatening. After the 3rd dose, I had a blood clot caused by my PICC line. After the 4th, I had an infection and neutrophils of zero, having already had a Neulasta jab which should prevent neutropenia. I had IV antibiotics and blood transfusions but the doctors were very worried about me and after I recovered, recommended stopping chemo. My liver was also rather badly effected.
No one but you can make the decision and I found it very difficult. I did seek an opinion from a neighbour who had been a senior oncologist before retirement who helped me to take the decision. I may regret it one day if the cancer returns, but in my case, the doctors said that the risks to my life of carrying on were really too great.
All the best
Anne
For me 5 days on I still have this dibilertating headache and sickness. I’ve spoken to m family and they are keen for me to speak to onc before making my final decision. I think that as this is preventative and as I’ve done 4 killer chemos spending a lot of time in hospital also still doing rads and tamoxifen then enough is enough. I know I have two small children aged 3 and 7 but since dec I haven’t been a proper mum I’ve been ill from ops and chemo.
I know its my decision and one I have to live with but I am lucky that I found the lump early and its been treated. So as long as I can live with it then hopefully the onc will agree with me. I think the difference between 4 and 6 chemos is a recurrence of about 2%.
I know more next week.
Xxx
Leeds39
You do woteva feels rite for you, I’ve just had my 4th FEC yesterday but whilst it’s been awful nowhere near as bad as urs. Follow your heart, there’s only you who can make the decision. X
Big hugs & take care. Jo. X
You have done very well and have a lot of courage and strength to choose to follow the chemo path in the first place. Don’t feel guilty about stopping and listen to your body it will make the decision for you and loads of women in here have been in your situation. I took the decision not to do chemo it was difficult but I wanted to be a mum not be sick and dependent and lookin on this site it would seem that reoccurrence comes whether you have had chemo or not. Noone knows why some women have this happen and others not. So do what’s right for you and try not to dwell on it x
Hi
listen to advice and then make what we call an informed choice. Whatever deciscion you make do it as confidently as you can and remember whatever happens in the future it was the right choice for you at that time and should not have any regrets
big hugs
love poppy x
Hello again, even though I’ve not seen the onc yet. I am back in hospital because of this awful migraine. I was such a healthy person before all this
But after being careful drinkin 2 litres a day and eating and trying not to get
Diareah but am now constipated. I’m back here and on morphine for the pain and am no
Waiting for an mri to find out why. They think chemo may have affeted brain or nerves ending all my eyes. So I’m hoping the decision has been made for me. Its not nice to be ill all the time. I’m missing out on my sons 1st karate comp and he had a nosebleed yesterday because he is worried about me and he’s only 7 poor thing.
Anyway see what happens today xx
Hi Fran
I have just been reading through your thread as I find myself in a similar situation to you. I wonder how you are now and what decision you came to re your chemo? I hope you got over your last episode in hospital and are now feeling stronger. I was diagnosed in October 2011 with Invasive Lobular cancer, 1 lymph node, grade 3, had lumpectomy and mastectomy. Mine is also a preventative treatment. I have had 3 x FEC and had my 1<sup>st</sup> Tax last week. Going on to Rads and Tamoxifen. I have had awful SE’s from Tax and just don’t know if I can put myself through another 3. The thing that worries me as much as anything else is what effect this is going to have on my body in the future. I have had problems with my heart rate and worry whether I am doing permanent damage to my heart. It’s a toughie, but like you, I am at a stage where I wonder what extra benefit I am getting by carrying on.
I hope you managed to talk things through with your Onc and were able to come to a decision that you are happy with. I can understand how you feel and it’s a hard decision to make, but you have to do what is right for you. I would be very interested to hear how things have panned out for you now.
Hugs, Joan xxx