I just got my confirmation of starting on the 4th April for EC-T.
It hit me like a tonne of bricks. The lack of notice, so much to prepare, so many questions. But I have to wait until Thursday to get any answers.
And desperately trying to reschedule an internal job interview as there is no way i will be up for one on the 6th!
Jane
Ahh that sounds full on. I was told to expect an appointment wb 10th but got a call today to say it’s all starting next week! I have my 1st cycle on 5th April, also for EC. Hope it goes well, I will be thinking of you.
I hope your appt on Thursday goes well and you get some clarity! It is incredibly overwhelming especially as (in my case) I’ve been waiting months for my pathology report and lots of chasing to see an oncologist and now it feels like my head is spinning- but glad to be moving forward.
Here if you need me x
Hi, I’m starting next week, on the 13th. I’m having 16 rounds! 4xEC than 12xPaclitaxel.
Well I had my first sessions this week,
Day one was the targeted immunotherapy loading dose, which was a drag as I was taken through an hour after asked to arrive and then they had to observe me for 6 hours afterwards, then we struggled to get a taxi so it was a whole day out and one put out cat when we got home, as her dinner was 4 hours late! This should be closer to 15 min max in the future and as the same time as chemo.
Day 2 was the chemo itself (I am on 4 cycles of Docetaxel to start with), so was a nice short 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. And knowing what was going to happen (I read their notes on Day 1) made me feel a lot less nervous about it all.
So far so good and not many side effects. A little tired and a little nausea. I have stocked up on GinGins today
Good luck to everyone
Hi all
It would have helped if I had read the title as just posted to April 2021 group! Doh!
So I was diagnosed with stage 2 IDC Her2 + and ER+ with no spread to nodes in January, had a WLE in feb and started chemo this week. PICC line went in Wednesday and was better than I thought, decided not to cold cap but had 10 inches cut off the night before so went in all positive for my Herceptin first followed by Taxol. It all went horribly wrong and ended up in another hospital with suspected stroke.
I am supposed to be back in for round 2 next week and will be meeting with my oncologist Monday to decide what’s next.
Has anyone else had such a massive reaction to Taxol and if so what did your oncologist suggest? Having flashbacks constantly and I have only just started my chemo journey.
X
Hi ladies, I’m due to have my second EC infusion soon and I’m wondering if you found the SEs any different the second time around? Mine weren’t too bad after the first one, I managed to keep my routine more or less the same. I’m self-employed and trying to plan ahead now so any experiences would be appreciated x
I get my MRI results tomorrow.
Trying to persuade myself it is more chemo, so i am not disappointed. But i must admit that is partly because chemo is less scary than surgery at the moment.
I can do this!
@BeGoneSylas Thinking of you today. I hope the cancer is gone! Surgery is scary, but easier than chemo. I promise ?. Please update after your appointment.
I just finished phase 1 of my chemo, the weekly Paclitaxel. Moving on to EC next week and I am terrified. I still have most of my hair and have felt pretty good. No neuropathy either. That said, today, a week after my Paclitaxel last infusion I have had some diarrhea, nausea and overall yuck feeling. Which stinks as this is my off week.
The tumour has shrunk, but another 4 rounds of chemo it is, I believe it is epirubicin this time around, but when is currently a mystery.
I am awaiting a call from the research nurse later today for the time - i expect the day to be this Thursday
@BeGoneSylas Yay for shrinkage and I am sorry for more chemo. I start my EC next Tuesday so you won’t be alone regardless. Plus, lots of folks here have already had it so that is also reassuring. Anyways. Hopefully you start sooner rather than later. My team wanted 2 weeks before the last of my first phase and the start of the second. Which is fine, but really I just want to get this all over and done.
So, I felt awful yesterday. I’d say worse than I felt the entire 9 weeks of Paclitaxel and it was my off week. Turns out my kid is also sick with the same symptoms so we think a stomach bug is to blame and not the chemo. Luckily I am all better today.
I have my appointment time for tomorrow, so have taken my first steroids of the day!
Now i can switch to my chemo routine
I hope your EC goes well
So it turns out I didn’t need to take steroids in advance this time.
That and a 3 1/2 hour wait for treatment, meant last week was ARGH!!! Letter to PALs is underway!
On plus side despite more nausea, the side effects haven’t been too bad.
@BeGoneSylas How are you feeling? I am feeling okay. I had my first EC Tuesday and my husband gave me the Neulasta shot last night. Nausea is well controlled by Akynzeo given before chemo. I am taking Claritin and Naproxen to prevent bone pain. Hopefully this holds out and pain and nausea stay under control. I am really, really tired this afternoon. Debating whether I cut my hair this weekend or let it linger on a bit longer. I am pretty resigned to the loss at this point.
I am feeling good, but even on the previous regime I wasn’t too bad. Mainly a hungry all the time/ nausea and exhaustion.
I still have some head hair after the docetaxol, (it started to fall out after cycle 2), but it is getting another trim in the next week. Eyebrows are almost gone, and lets just say I’m Bikini ready ?
I am not feeling too awful either. So I am happy with that. Just super tired, so tired that I can barely stay awake through a movie. Let’s hope our cancer is tired as well. That is the goal here! Have a nice weekend!
Soo I’m 5/6 at through chemo, have one more Docetaxel left for coming weds. So bittersweet - so ready for it to be over as it’s really pushed me to limits I never knew I had (had to find out the tough way!!)
Is anyone else on Docetaxel? How are you managing the side effects?
This is probably random but I started getting a pinching feeling in my left nipple (my “good boob”) for a few mins yesterday and again today for a minute or so. Anyone else experience anything like this? No discharge or change in any way.
How’s everyone doing? I’m on Paclitaxel weekly + Carboplatin every 3 weeks now. Feeling much better than when I was on EC (had 4 infusions every 2 weeks), but bloods have taken a hit and I had one session cancelled, Carboplatin dose reduced and 1 blood transfusion! One more Carbo and 5 more Paclitaxel to go. I can just see the end now! Still working (reduced hours), not major side effects (even with the bad blood numbers I fell alright). Still using the cold cap and still have a good amount of hair (most people wouldn’t know I’ve lost about 30%). So can’t complaint, really. Just hoping I don’t have more delays because of low Hb or Neutrophils…
I would love to hear how you ladies are getting on. Anyone on a similar regimen?
@Librarierin how are you doing on EC?
x
I am on EC at the moment, previously docetaxel, every 3 weeks. Plus Immunotherapy
2 more chemo to go!
I am not finding it too bad considering, but seem to get insomnia now (or maybe that is everything else in life?)
My hair i not too bad, I had it cut short when on Docetaxel, so it seems a lot less to me, but the growth is actually quite good.
Still getting used to the increase nausea though!
@Nat1984 Thanks for checking on me. I haven’t found EC too bad so far. I’m on 2/3. I find that the first few days of EC are tougher than EC, but on my first cycle I then had 2 weeks that were almost totally normal. So that was nice. I took a little trip with my husband and got out and about more. My hair isn’t faring that well. I’ve been consistently shedding on the EC even with the cold cap. I hadn’t lost that much on the Paclitaxel, but it had thinned a bit by the end. Anyways. I have one more treatment of EC on August 15 and then move on from chemo!
I am glad that your hair is hanging in there, but sorry your bloodwork was a little ratty. My red blood cells were a tiny bit low, but otherwise mine was okay this last time. We have all had a lot of chemo at this point and it is definitely taking it’s toll.
You are getting there also! I am glad that you are also faring well on EC and that your hair is growing! That is amazing.