Hello All
I have been in contact with a few of you before, just had another question. Does anyone get a pulling sensation, almost a pain in the area of their lump? I have had one session of a possible 8 FEC chemo, a week and a half ago.
Thanks
Cecelia
I should have added that I have not had a lumpectomy, they are treating me with chemo first.
Cecelia. x
Hi Cecelia
I did get quite a lot of pain in my breast to begin with, but the chemo shrank my tumour very quickly and the pains stopped, although I still get the odd twinge! I had lots of pain in my armpit (where I had enlarged and probably infected lymph nodes, they don’t know yet as I too had chemo before surgery)
Good luck with the chemo and hope your lump shrinks, mine did and I’m in for surgery on Monday for a WLE.
Nicky
Hi Cecelia
I am having the same treatment as you - shrinking the lump before surgery; hopefully to avoid masectomy. I have intermittent sharp, stabbing pains through the affected boob. My consultant said that was a good thing, and so far after 5 sessions of chemo, the lump is shrinking.
So think of it as a positive pain! And good luck with the rest of the treatment; I hope it does the trick!!
Wendy xx
I’m on chemo pre-surgery too. My tumour grew really quickly and began to ache immediately before my first FEC. Now, after 3 FEC, there are times when I am aware of a sensation where the lump is (and was before it began to shrink)
Sharon x
Thanks everyone for you stories and good luck to all of you.
I feel much better about it now. I’m now 13 days after my first chemo, don’t feel so good, tired and a bit headachey, is this normal do any of you think?
Cecelia. x
Hi Cecelia
Similar to the others I had some pains around the tumour and under my arm - but these have eased, am now after 4th FEC, 5th tommorrow and find that sometimes I can actually forget theres a tumour there. Never thought I would be able to.
Headaches also there with me, never quite going away, a bit like the left overs of a hangover. As I am going into my 5th treatment I feel like a veteran who can dole out advice ! I have just learned to get along, as long as my temp doesnt go up I try not to worry. I am sure a few paracetomol would sort me but these are not recommended - and when I have taken some have found they dont affect the headache - I put the headache down to tiredness. But its still not nice. I find that by the 3rd week I am as good as I get, not perfect but a lot better.
If you feel under the weather tho` and its your 1st treatment, ring the unit. I rang them a number of times after my 1st treatment and they were really good, they do not want you to “suffer in silence”. I rang just because I felt really under the weather, but nothing obvious. They had me in for a check up etc. that afternoon.
Hope you get on OK. This neo-adjuvant stuff isnt as easy as it sounds.
Jane
Hi Jane
I’m fine, I can’t really complain about much. Vague pains so it’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. I’ll speak to by BCN next week before my 2nd Chemo on Friday and let her know about my symptoms.
Thanks again.
Cecelia. x
Hi Girls - yep - I am aother chemo pre-surgery who feels pain in the lump area. When it happens I imagine the chemo fighting those horrible cells and feel that I know the chemo is doing its job. My 2cm tumour has really all but disappeared - the onc can only feel a thickening now - and that was just after two chemo sessions. As I sit here typing a week after no. three, I still feel rotten and tired and have been really down as I haven;t bounced back as quickly as before, but when the pain comes, it reminds me of why we have chemo - it is a really clever treatment after all…
Can’t wait to have energy back (more than hair…)
Love to you all…
Heather
Hi HeatherLou
Yes, it’ll be the chemo killing all those horrible little cancer cells! It’s a good pain! I thought I felt a reduction in the lump already, it’s 3 x 2cm and definitely gone down a bit.
Sorry to hear you’re so low on energy, is there anything that can be done about that? I’m only on day 14 after first chemo and feel rather tired. But I’m still at work so it’s not that bad.
Cecelia. xx
Hi Cecilia/HeatherLou
The low energy levels really really hit me after the 4th treatment. I was really disapointed - dont know why everybody had warned me, but I was very low. Felt I would never feel good again. But after 1 week I started to feel good again and had two really good weeks before the 5th which was today. I am now learning to just wait and see. My tumour has had a great response and is now not “palpable”, so the aches were worth it. I felt a change after the 1st treatment, withjin a week I thought, but oncologist didnt examone me til after the 2nd. But he didnt dissmiss that I could`ve felt a change after the 1st. He described the 1st changes as a softening and this was followed by the reduction. Five and a half weeks to surgery date and then it will be gone for good ! But I know the chemo is working which is well worth keeping in mind.
Only 14 days after the 1st, means you are 2 weeks done, so well done you
Take care
Jane