Hi everyone.
I had my first Zoladex injection today. Hopefully this will temporarily shut down my ovaries so they will still work after chemo. Has anyone else had this and did it work/get any side effects?
Also I am due to start 6 x EC on 12 sept. Can’t wait to get on with it now although dreading it too! Has anyone else had EC chemo?
Hugs to all,
Vicky,
Aged 32, dx 28 july, WLE and SNB, 15mm grade2/3 removed, clear margins and no node involvment. Waiting for Chemo Rads and Tamoxifen.
Hi there
Ive just finished my 6 EC 3 weeks ago.
I was like you dreading it but wanting to get on with it. Everyone has different reactions to chemo. My main problems were nausea and vommiting and had my tablets changed lots of times to sort it
. I tried the cold cap but my hair fell out anyway. Itseems if you have thin short hair you have a chance but I have/had lots of hair even though I had it cut short. I had ordered a wig as it falls out 3 weeks after each dose. Got mine on prescription.
Most people on here seem to have FEC. I live in the North east and they do EC here.
There are lots of chemo tips on here as well.
Its hard work but there is an end to it a some point.
I’ll look out for your posting and youre progress.
Lyn x
Thanks lyn,
I’m gonna try cold cap too but not holding out much hope.Becuse i’m having chemo at home I need to keep cap in the freezer. Have visions of me sitting there with a bag of frozen pea’s on my head!!! I do have short(ish) thin hair though so fingers crossed. Gonna try on wigs I ordered tomorrow. thought it might be easier to do while I still have my hair and also hoping that if I buy one my hair won’t fall out. Don’t think reverse physcology works on hair though! I live in west yorkshire.
Vicky X
Hi Vicky
When I had the cold cap, it looks like a jockey cap, I had 3 put on in a session to keep it really cold. 20 minutes before they start the infussion and then another 20 minutes when they finish. So it took about 2 hours with a really cold head. Its worth a try though cos it might work for you. Youre hair will definatetly thin or fall out with epirubicin after 3 weeks. Sorry. But my friend had the cold cap and hers just thinned and she got away with not wearing a wig.
The steriods they give you make you feel weird as well. Well did me. I think youre best approach is to see what happens and sort out any problems that may arise. Some sail through and even work through their chemo.
Do you have family? Partner/husband? (OH)
Lyn x
Hi Lyn,
I have a husband who is very supportive and 2 boys aged 1 and 3. My family don’t live close but I have good friends and neighbours who are more than willing to help. They told me i’d need the cold cap on for 3 hours…if i can bare it.
I bought 2 wigs today, a short one and a longer one. They look a bit strange as they have volume and my hair doesn’t but i do like them. It’s all starting to become a bit more real now - up until now I was just so relieved i wasn’t going to die i don’t think i’ve really considered the bigger picture!!
Did/do you work through your chemo? I’m not, even if i am lucky enough to feel fine I just couldn’t stand to.
Vicky X
Hi
No I couldnt work through my chemo even though my mad oncologist said I could if I wanted!! Im a practice nurse and I have all sorts of people coming through the door with loads of germs.
Im 44 with 2 boys 17 and 13. My partner of 7 years has been wonderful. With me I found I was rubbish for the first week . slightly better the next week and quite good the last week. So he did all ironing etc and fed the kids because I couldnt first week. Thats not to say you will be like that. They might get youre pills right and we nurse’s are terrible patients.
I had a mastectomy for lobular breast cancer which is an uncommon form 10% of breast cancers although there are a few of us on the website. Mine was 19mm, grade 1 good margins but I had one node affected out of 20 which I was upset about. My oncologist gave me an option of having chemo or not because my treatment plan is mastectomy and tamoxifen for 5 years and the chemo would only give me 3-4 % extra. But I wanted/want everything.
Going back to work in a few weeks though!!
Lyn x
Hi,
I was told I propbably wouldn’t need chemo as there was no node involvment and at first they thought my cancer was grade 2. When they did the lump biopsy it had both grade 2 and 3. Because of my age they offered it to me which I jumped at as like you I want to hit it with everything i can. Although the longer it goes on the more aprehensive and scared i am getting - too much time to think and access to the internet are definately not helping!!! ONC did say if I didn’t respond well to chemo they wouldn’t continue which was reassuring. I think my cancer was the ducatal invasive sort (common sort).
Good luck when you go back to work. I’ve told work not to expect me back for a year. I’m a teacher. How have your children coped with everything? They’re a lot older than mine (1 and 3) but my 3 yr old knows somethings going on. We’ve explained it simply to him and he understands mummy has a sore booby and needs medicine which will probably make her hair fall out. He liked trying on my wigs yesterday. He prefers the longer one.
Vicky X
Hi Roxy147
I’m going in for my final chemo tomorrow (providing blood count is OK). I’m also having chemo first (4 x FEC and 4 x Docetaxel) to try and shrink the lump and then surgery towards the end of September followed by radiotherapy (no hormonal drugs as I’m tripe negative). The chemo seems to be doing it’s job and the ONC is hopeful that I will be able to have a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy (although the final decision will go with the surgeon).
I’ve been using the cold cap - 45 minutes prior to the drugs being administered and then another 2 hours afterwards. I initially lost a fair bit of hair around day 15 after the initial dose but those areas are now growing back slowly. The rest has been gradually thinning but but it looks pretty OK if I tie it back. Had moments where I wasn’t sure I could keep going with the cap, but so glad I did. I would advised just to take it one session at a time. I start a session saying that I’ll wear the cap but can take it off at any time if it gets too much. On the whole it’s the first 20 or so minutes that are the worst, after which your head sort of freezes and it’s not so bad.
I’ve also been having the Zoladex injections. Won’t know whether they’ve worked or not for some time I guess but didn’t seem to get any side effects. I must admit that they weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be.
It must be difficult looking after the two little ones. I’m 41 but no children yet (hence the Zoladex - I guess it’s our own fault for not starting a family sooner !). I’m working 2 weeks out of 3 at the moment. Finding my stamina has decreased quite rapidly over the past two or three weeks so might have to consider doing more work from home…
Be careful not to read up too much - I personally don’t think it always helps. These forums of course are wonderful but don’t get too hung up on sites that state statistics. The one things I’ve definitely realised is that everyone’s diagnosis and response to treatment is individual and that you can’t worry too much about other people’s side effects etc.
I have to say that overall the chemo hasn’t been as dreadful as I’d previously imagined chemo to be. I think it helps if you are starting from a relatively healthy position (and I imagine being young helps too) . The first one was a bit of a shock but only in the sense that I couldn’t believe that it was ME sitting there having chemo. After that i seem to have got into a routine. My last 4 have had more side effects but they’ve passed pretty quickly.
Hope some of this helps and that all goes well on the 12th
Sarah
x
Hi Vicky and Sarah
The boys think Im going to be fine and Im happy with them thinking that. The eldest has teenager problems of drinking, staying out late, poor exam results which we could of done without but one day he might turn into a more mature person! I dont think my diagnosis had made much difference to his behaviour but you can never tell. He says it hasnt. He did ask that I didnt wander around the house without anything on my head which was fair enough.
I know what you mean about the internet. I was on everything. Some things help, a lot dont. As Sarah says everyone is individual and we are all looking for that answer that says we will be ok.
As you go through youre chemo you may find symptoms that turn up and you can come on here and see if somebody else has had it and what they did. Or youre chemo nurse may help. Mine were not that good with advise and my GP and district nurse’s helped me more with my symptoms.
I was really nervous when I had my first dose as it’s all new and you dont know what to expect. My oncologist said also if I was struggling with the chemo I could stop at 4, which of course I wanted to when it came around but I went on to finish the 6 in the end.
Lyn x
Hi Sarah and Lyn,
Thank you so much for sharing your information, it makes me feel loads better being able to talk to people with first hand experience. Defrosted the freezer today so can get the cold caps in. My boys went back to Nursery this week so am having some ‘me’ time in the afternoons which is nice. Sometimes I even manage to forget why I am at home on my own and not at work!!! Had to tell more people this week for the first time what has happened so feeling a bit upset again - still feeling positive though. I found shopping has helped improve my mood (much to my husbands dislike)No appointments till next thursday either so feeling like i need something to happen.
One of the parents where I work does reiki and has kindly offered me some sessions. Have you ever done anything like this? Will give it a go even if it is only to try chill me out!!
Sarah, Hope your last chemo went smoothly and that you feel ok. So far i’ve had no side effects from the Zoladex…hope this continues and that it works for both of us.
Vicky X
Lyn,
Hi Vicky
I have accupuncture for hot flushes and lots of other things that came up during my chemo. I didnt think it would help but it did. Im totaly converted now. So I would give reiki a go.It carnt harm.
I found shopping good therapy as well.
Explaining to people what has happened seems to go on. Its been 7 months for me now and I still have 2 friends I havent told yet. Im now in the position of having to explain Ive had my treatment and moving on but some days I feel really down and tearful. Im looking forward to getting some hair back and then in January it’ll be scary time again as its my first yearly check and that will bring back a whole load of emotions.
Wont be long now till the 12th September. Waiting for things to happen or results is a pain.
Catch you soon
Lyn x
Hi Vicky,
I had Ec and zoladex injections (and will do for 2 years) and i found that reflexology helped me no end. I couldn’t quite decide whether the hot flushes (and freezing) and mood swings were part of the treatment or the injections. I have no finished chemo thankfully and had my bi lateral mas 14th Aug. I am due to start rads 25th sept. I think one of the worst side effects for me was the lack of sleep. I worked all through chemo and found that for at least a week after the injections i couldn’t sleep. I have tried to do everything i can to help myself - reflexology, Kalms, vit B complex etc… but i suppose everyone is different -i seem to have reacted quite strongly to everything - chemo, zoladex.
Hope it all goes well for you.
Melxx
Hi Mel,
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Hope you feeling ok after your op and that the rads aren’t too bad.
I haven’t had any reaction to the Zoladex yet (9 days). I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worked!!! I have my inj every 3 months so I’m only due to have one more, Spoke to my onc and he doesn’t want me to take any supplements during the chemo…said I should try manage everything through diet which worries me. I can try reiki though and reflexology. I’ve had reflexology before and really loved it so I might do both.
I’ve not had a problem getting to sleep but i keep having really wierd dreams where nothing makes sense. YOu did really well working through your Chemo. I’m not even entertaining it. What do you do for a living? Did you feel tired at all or sick and did they give you any tablets/inj?
Hugs
Vicky X