Hi, could I add that keeping your chemo arm warm before treatment helps when trying to find veins, i used a heat pad on the way to the hospital. Essential oils for aromatherapy during treatment and after when visiting the loo are also really good for getting over the nausea. Relaxation tapes during treatment(on an MP3) and for going to slepp are great.
Hi Everyone.
I was diagnosed with IBC on fireworks night! a date i wont forget for a while.
A good tip i had for constipation was to start taking senacot the day before Chemo and you can get lactoluse from Boots if the senacot need extra help.
I’ve avoided to much hair loss by using the cold cap, it has thined a bit but hopefully it wont desert me completely.
My first Chemo wasn’t to bad but my 2nd (yesterday) has pretty much wiped me out, listen to your body is the best thing to do, if you feel tired, go back to bed.
I’ve got plenty of meals prepared just in case and have found fruit jelly to be lovely when your mouth is feeling icky.
All the best to eveyone
Hi everyone
Sorry, I can’t remember who it was who said she was very weepy at 2nd chemo and thought it was cos hair falling out - my breast care nurse said a lot of people have one really wobbly chemo emotionally - with some it’s 2nd and some it’s 3rd - just so you know what’s causing it as well as hair-loss-distress! - with me was 2nd and I was all for finishing treatment, but the lovely breast care nurse was so gently caring that I did go back for the rest (in part, not to let her down!).
Advice I had from the team was also - soaked linseeds to help with constipation as well as the drugs - if you can manage to get 'em down - I’d soak em in juice and not always managed to get em eaten.
And the biggest advice, was to drink LOADS (2L/day) water (tonic water, flavoured water etc, ) to flush away the toxins - cells killed by the chemo. This also goes for radiotherapy, and makes a difference on how tired you feel going through that. Drink lots = less tired. Really worked for me. Drink less = feel c r a p.
The waterworks do adjust after a week or two, up to a point…
Great, useful thread, thanks all.
Hi
Just to add to the previous post about wobbles. I had mine after chemo No.3. I really had no idea how I was going to find the courage to walk back into the chemo suite but did and have coped better ever since.
Andie
Hi everyone,
I’m had my 5th chemo on Dec 1st (3 FEC + 3 TAX). Was dx back in August for BC.
The tips are great, thanks. Especially about taking senna before the constipation starts. I’ll definately do that for the 6th and final one on Dec 22, which means I’ll feel horrible for Christmas. This constipation is the most horrid thing ever! I took the maximum strength senna last night and it hasnt quite kicked in yet…I pray things will improve by 2moro.
Does anyone experience crippling and throbing pains in the lower spine when u try to sit or stand and legs feel like they are going to give way?
Take care
D
well, here I am in the chemotherpay suite…news yesterday was the cancer was in my sentinel node, so now facing chemo sometime in January.Will meet the oncologists soon, but probably after christmas now.I’m told i will have 6 cycles, once every three weeks, but does this mean one ‘dose’ every three weeks, or is every day of that third week? I see some of you have problems with constipation…senna never works for me, i could take several and nothing happens! So, when needs must, i use Dulolax,very efficient stuff. I’m also going to have radiotherpay, all prior to the node clearance, and then surgeon says he’ll tidy up any wobbly bits of my scars while he’s at it
Hi narnia, you’ll have to confirm the treatment regime with your oncologist, but in my case, I have 6 cyles as well, every three weeks (21 days) and it’s one dose given on the one day. There’s no way my body could handle six or seven treatments in one week!! I’ll be having surgery on Jan 8 and radiotherapy afterwards…I only hope the radiotherapy is not as horrid as the tax…
Hi Caro52
Agree linseeds are useful - I think the golden ones taste nicer.
You can smash them up a bit in a blender and then sprinkle them on cereal, if that makes them easier for you to take.
I also used to add them to the mixture when I was making fruity flapjacks, which are already high in fibre.
X
S
As we could not go on holiday I splashed out on a comfy sofa (our old one was second hand, small with wooden arms) It meant that I did not have to go to bed if i was tired. Overwise it was just to tempting to spend the day in bed. It is still great a year later.
Good luck to anyone about to start
Jacqui
I recommend a small glass of fizzy wine in the form of Cava or, even better, champagne after every chemo.
Reduces nausea and lifts the spirits.
A cold Guinness had the same effect on me, SuperS. Though I don’t think it’s recommended!
BUT also drank lots of water during/after chemo…and even now drink much more water than I used to, pre-chemo.
How all these comments bring back memories of last year. Best wishes to all who are still on treatment this Christmas.
Margaret
Dear Ayojoy, Ive just read your post and I too had chemo before my op. (I was diagnosed in December 07). Here I am I year on on my way to recovery. I met lots of other ladies over the year who had the chemo first and are all doing fine. Infact we had a celebratory day out a couple of weeks ago. We drank lots of wine and cried alot …tears of happiness I might add!! You will be there in no time. Stay positive and surround yourself with people that love you and people you can laugh with. I met a great lady during chemo and we made a decision to only listen to positive information (some people just love to tell you horror stories!!) Im sure its what helped us through this.
With regards to your hair I can absolutely understand why it is so upsetting at the thought of losing it. I like you had really long thick, dark Diana Ross type hair. It was my trade mark!! When my consultant told me I had cancer all I could think about was being bald. My consultant told me this is a really common reaction and to not feel silly that you are feeling that way.
Not everybody loses their hair. I tried the cold cap but unfortunately for me it didnt work However, I met ladies that didnt lose any hair and some that their hair just thinned. Everybodys different. Once I had actually lost all my hair I was ok. It was the process that I found distressing. But again, here I am one year on and my hair is growing back like wildfire!! (it took a couple of months to get started…a bit grey and fluffy at first) but now theres no stopping it and its even nicer than it was before!! You will be ok. I know its easy for me to say but I promise you before you know it you will be looking at youself and everything will be growing back.
Good luck and please let us know how you are getting on. love, Sandyb x
Sandyb, what a great post. I totally agree about the positive thing - I panic when I read some of the horror stories around but now just try and keep an open mind about my treatment and take each day as it comes. The hair thing is really bugging me. I’m having 3xFEC - 2nd one due on 5th Jan, the 3xTaxotere. I have ordered a wig, but still keep panicking when I think of being bald! It’s driving me nuts! I can joke about it til the cows come home with everyone else but I’m just dreading it soooo much. But good to hear it all comes back and some people have said theirs had started to grow even before chemo had finished so anythings possible!.
Best wishes, Pat x
I have posted this for new user Diane
Jo, Facilitator
Hi everyone.
This has been a great source of info and inspiration for me. I am new to this website and was a little hesitant to log on as feared that there may be a little too many bad days described. I’m 36 and was diagnosed 4 weeks ago, have had a mastectomy and start chemo next Tuesday. I have been fine with the mastectomy and because I knew exactly what was happening I found I wasn’t nervous at all. Even my 4 year old girl has taken it all in her stride - although she was very disappointed that Santa hadn’t delivered the new boob and that I’d have to wait till next year! (Better be a good girl then!)
I can’t say the same for chemo however - I think its because everyone has a different experience and I am just hoping that the effects won’t be too severe. I have to admit that my first question when told about chemo was about my hair - have quite long hair which my daughter loves and uses as a comforter when I cuddle her in at night so my main concern is what her reaction is going to be if I loose it. Guess I’ll deal with that if and when it happens.
The list has been very helpful and thanks for the heads up about the constipation - as someone who has suffered since the surgery - it is good to know I may have to up the medication when required!
I hope that a positive attitude is going to get me through this - along with the odd glass of vino.
Best wishes to everyone.
Diane
Diagnosed November. Having 3 FEC then 3 Taxotere, before surgery. Trying to avoid mastectomy if I can.
I have a needle phobia, but good veins luckily. Unfortunately, blood clot in 2nd week following 1st FEC. Found like many people that I liked salty things, like ritz biscuits. Told not to have unpasteurised dairy. Used to like salmon (fish eating veggie) but now cannot look at it long enough to consider cooking it! Advised not to eat old favorites if not appealing else risk going off them forever.
Find some foods give me a gullet pain, bit like heartburn. Gaviscon extra is ideal, as coats it in soothing covering.
Like pineapple juice, and green seedless grapes. And for constipation, eat homemade museli with dessicated coconut, nuts and cranberries, with shreddies added. Get from docs prescription for dioctyl (docusate sodium) and take 3 a night throughout chemo. Prevention is better than cure. And vasoline smeared you know where to avoid the soreness and piles.
If like me you bruise easily, don’t worry about nosebleeds if minor, just don’t blow too hard, and use beconase nasal spray if you already have perenial rhiniitus, especially when nasal hair falls out. Nose runs so much more quickly so hankies at the ready at all times. I found the FEC - probably the C - made my nasal sinuses very sore instantly on the C going in, so for the second cycle I was given a second steroid IV along with Piriton antihistimine. This had a marked sedative effect, so a friend (my mum on this occasion) had to drive me home and stay with me 2 days. No sign of nasal probs and best night uncongested sleep in ages. It is also true to say that the additional steroid and antihistimine will have had something to do with the issue of the blood clot as much as being given to alleviate the nasal symptoms.
Got an incredibly cold wrist and forearm while the chemo was being administered this time, although heat pack given and arm put into bowl of hot water prior. Nurse kindly got me arm heatpac to help this, but nearly fainted with antihistimine sedative effect combined with cold arm and needle phobia. Am being referred for hypnotherapy and CBT to help with needle thing, mostly cos having to have daily heparin injections into tummy for the clot.
Told not to trust takeaway food (as cannot vouch for cleanliness) and not to go swimming (lots of bugs in a pool area).
My hair started to come out more noticeably on christmas day, staying with friends. Had had it cut to a number 3 so only about a 1.5 cm lengths. At first chemo session, appliance officer came into unit and gave me a letter to get a wig free on the nhs from the shop I chose. Went there 5 days later, and chose a lovely wig that is very natural, coloured and styled beautifully and makes me look 10 years younger I am told. Mostly wear scarves, but now that hair is mostly gone, really not bothered (but it had worried me more than the diagnosis originally). For the last week, got 4 slugs of hair from the sinktrap with every shower. Only fine down left now, so like a newborn (in that respect anyway!)
Recommend a prepay prescription cert this month only, as will last until April, and then they are free for cancer patients. I have had 7 prescriptions already in the last 4 weeks. That has included injections for clot which most people will not have. Please do give your cancer group a go locally, as I found out lots about what to expect from friends I have made from there. Due to my clot, staying in for injection, and thick snow, I couldn’t make it to the group this week, and they sent me a card which was SUCH a lovely thing to receive. Get all the support you can! Good luck.
Hi,
Just another newbie… Diagnoses confirmed 9 Jan. My 1st FEC is 3 days time so thanks to all (especially Jo and amandajane) as I now feel like I can go forward with less of a scowl on my face and a few questions answered.
All the best,
Fiona.
Hi all,
Thanks for all the useful posts here-start 6xFEC tomorrow so may well be referring back to this thread often over the next 4 months.
All the best,
Lyn x
Hi ALL,
Thanks for all the useful post,i start my chemo friday 6th feb have to have 6 x FEC followed by radiotherapy for 1 month allso been asked to have a trial drug called Avastin for a year has anyone else had this?
Because of a phobia of needles and very bad veins i have asked for picc inseition to be put in and having that done this monday has any else asked for this to be done? if so what was it like?
Hopfull someone can put my mind at ease
All the best
Kar xx
i start chemo not this week but the next and if i hadent read this comment page i would be totaly cluless thank you all yvonnexx