Hello.
I am faily confused and in desperate need of hearing your experiences. I am due to start FEC in a 10 days. My breast cancer nurse says that I will probably suffer from chemo brain, fatigue and nausea so horrendous that I will unable to function for 4.5 days. Another person I spoke to (welfare officer) said I would probably be unable to use a toilet without help for 4.5 months during the treatment with FEC.
On the other hand, my oncologist said that many of her patients have even worked from home during chemotherapy, so they were able to function at some level. My grandmother knows 5 different ladies who have now completed courses of FEC or FEC-T/D (ages between 39 and 75). None of them functioned optimally, but they still were able to work from home, do some chores, paint, attend a wedding… In other words, be more than lie on the couch all day for 5 months, feeling horrible… or probably not on the couch, but on the toilet.
Ladies, who should I believe?
Sorry. I meant ‘unable to function’ for 4.5 months, not days. That was wishful thinking on my part!
Hi Unakite
In my experience, everyone has such different reactions.
I had 3 FEC treatments and 3 Docetaxel, I personally found the FEC easier than the Docetaxel as these were where the side effects really hit me.
The first 3/4 days were normally the most weird where you will get chemo brain and I guess the way I used to discribe it was a feeling of wandering around aimlessly not really knowing what to do with yourself! But I did get up everyday, shower, do a weeny bit of housework and make breakfast etc.
The fatigue is something you can manage, it’s tough but I learnt I had to sit and rest which was unusual for me as i’m normally racing around at 100 miles an hour!
No nausea at any time, some side effects on FEC including ulcers in the mouth, taste buds non existent and the usual hair etc. Sleep is something that can be struggle, but speak to your GP or Oncology Consultant, I found some herbal treatments helped a bit.
I normal found that by the end of the second week I was starting to have some normality back and by week 3 I could get out and drive to the local shops etc.
It looks like someone has painted you a fairly grim picture and as I said everyone is different but I could definitely go to the loo and get around on my own ?
Wishing you all the best with your treatment.
Big hugs ?
Bevgriff
Gosh your chemo nurse sounds rather overdramatic and not very encouraging. Yes it’s fine to point out the potential side effects but to say you are likely to be unable to use the loo without help is bonkers. Unless you have other serious health issues that is so totally untrue. I though I would spend all my time with my head down the loo but was not sick once during chemo. The anti sickness drugs you get as part of the regime are very efficient in most cases. Tiredness is a factor but not all the time. I worked part time from home two weeks each cycle and was very glad of the distraction. Don’t worry unduly and try not to let other people frighten you. Xxxx
Well, my dear, I think I would kick both the nurse and welfare officer to the kerb. Short answer is trust those who have experienced it. I’m 72 now, and two years ago had a WLE with full LN removal, four courses of EC, and 25 rads. For me the op was a walk in the park, although the drain was a nuisance. The chemo was doable, but I’m not offering to do it again. The rads, all 25 of them , including the boosts on the nipple, were easy peasy . I managed to do a walk the afternoons I wasn’t sleepy. Some ladies even work during treatment. I attended my close friends 59 th. wedding anniversary in full party regalia, although I was bald as an egg! Everyone is very very different. I would strongly recommend changing both your assigned BC nurse and welfare officer. You must surround yourself with positive professionals, not these pessimistic excuses. Check out Janie123 on another thread. Rock on, girl! X
While some have replied that they thought your caretakers were too negative, I suppose it’s a matter of preference. I would rather hear the good, the bad and the ugly. For me, when I hear people say that it’s easy or that they know someone who went through it and found it easy it just makes me feel inadequate. I happen to have a very high tolerance for pain and discomfort and chemo has really knocked me down. I have been able to work 3 to 4 days per week but it is not easy. My job has assigned me desk duty as opposed to teaching in a classroom of seven-year-olds so that has helped. The paclitaxel is really doing me in even more than the epirubicin. The neuropathy, GERD and fatigue with the Paclitaxel is miserable.