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Hi everyone. Sorry to hear so many of you are having mouth issues, especially at this time of the year when you should be able to enjoy lots of lovely food.
I'm an October 2015 "veteran" and the possibility of mouth issues really worried me before I started FEC-T. The two things that I found really helped were:
1. A mouthwash called Gengigel that is available from Boots. It contains hyaluron which is supposed to help facilitate natural tissue healing. It's not cheap - a bottle is around eight pounds - but I was fortunate in that I wasn't too troubled with too many mouth problems throughout chemo aside from the odd small ulcer and a little thrush towards the end of my final T which cleared up pretty quickly. It doesn't taste nasty either.
2. I ate absolutely tons of fresh pineapple. For one thing there were a few days each cycle when it was the only thing that tasted good and I had read it's supposed to contain an enzyme that promotes good oral health. I was convincend that once chemo was over I'd never want to look at pineapple again but fortunately I still like it 
Hang on in there everyone. This time last year I was in exactly the same place as you are all now and never thought I'd feel normal again. It does get so much better I promise you.
Ruth xx
Hi All
Day 3 of my first T and like you Sus12 just very tired due to not sleeping well hopeing to get through Christmas Day at least before any SE kick in.
7oanne so pleased you will be at home for Christmas
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas hope the SE are few and far between for you all
Love and Hugs
Mary xx
Thanks OldDawn, I did ask about moving the appointment to next week but because of the bank holidays there were no spare spaces, so like Sus12 I will be asking questions today and have my meds all prepared, hopefully things won't be to bad.
I recieved an appointment for the end of Feb yesterday re a consultation for Radiotherapy, strangly it made me feel a little more positive a sign that things are moving forward and all of this will end eventually
Hubby and I went to the Theatre last night to see Sunny Afternoon, and like you Sus12 was nice to do something normal, absolutely shattered by the time we got home but so worth it.
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Better New Year to you all
Mary xx
Hi everyone and sorry to hear so many of you are still suffering so close to Christmas. I am sending hugs to anyone who is still suffering from their last infusion or has to have chemo close to Christmas, and hoping that for once the SEs will take a break so that you can too.
It's the same for quite a few of us September Starters as well, and being further ahead, the cumulative effects are starting to bite (thread's gone a bit quiet again, I hope because they're all off enjoying themselves rather than because they are floored by the SEs...). Having had my last infusion a week ago the end of chemo is in sight for me, which helps
It's been an up and down week for me since my last infusion. Although I started off a bit 'demob happy,' it is now Day 8 and the SEs are in full swing, so I am suffering a bit at the moment. The fatigue train, 'chemo brain,' sore mouth and tongue, sore/ swollen throat and dry cough have arrived again on schedule 
, although the 'chemo brain' now seems to have subsided a bit. I've now swapped the Paracetamol for Ibuprofen in the hope that it will alleviate the dry, sore and swollen throat, which is now getting quite bad, and I have also started to take the Fluconazole today in the hope that this will keep oral thrush at bay - fingers crossed, it has always worked before.
The familiar T SEs have now been joined by a new one, peripheral neuropathy (pins and needles and numb feeling in fingers and toes), which I didn't get with my previous two T cycles. It was hard enough doing household chores wearing rubber gloves, and with numb fingers it's now even worse! This is what I was dreading, because with neuropathy you just have to hope it goes away eventually, as there's nothing they can give you for it. Fortunately, I think it is getting a bit better now.
My taste also seems to be affected more than on the last two cycles. I am hoping that things will improve by the end of the week, as they have done on each previous cycle, so that whatever Christmas lunch we have tastes better than cardboard. I won't be pleased if I can't taste or don't fancy the Christmas pudding and cake I made in October and my husband gets to eat it all! The trouble with chemo is that the SEs are unpredictable - and if there's one thing I've learned from my own experience, it is that no two cycles are exactly the same.
On the positive side, I have not had any severe joint pain (yet) during any of my chemo cycles (nothing the Paracetamol could not control), the hot flushes and red face caused by the steroids appear to have subsided now, and the 'Tax Trots' don't seem to be as bad (but give them time...). I also received some very good news yesterday, when I went to see the oncologist to review the MRI scan results and the next stages of my treatment plan. He showed us the latest MRI scans on the screen, and the tumour - clearly visible on the previous scans taken in August - is nowhere to be seen! This is probably the best Christmas present I could have had. We will be seeing the surgeon on Friday morning to fix the date of the operation, which we now know will almost certainly be a lumpectomy. Herceptin injections will begin on 9 January, followed by the operation, and I will next see the oncologist on 13 February to sort out the arrangements for radiotherapy and hormone therapy
So I have a lot to be grateful for in spite of the sore throat, as things could be a lot worse, and I know from your posts that they are for some of you at the moment.
Angywyd - your list of SEs sounds truly awful, and I do hope things improve soon. Can't quite believe your oncologist's 'sense of humour,' obviously he's never had to put up with the SEs of chemotherapy himself... The hot flushes and red face should soon pass, mine have now largely subsided, but be careful what cleansers and creams you use, as you may find like me that your skin goes all hypersensitive temporarily (it does eventually pass). Your sore mouth and throat has obviously come out in sympathy with mine, but with any luck - and preventative measures - by Christmas it will be a bad memory. I do strongly recommend getting a course of Fluconazole tablets from your GP this week though before it's too late, to make sure it doesn't develop into oral thrush. Re: sore and peeling feet, I suggest you also check this out with your GP or BCN, because it could be the start of 'palmar-plantar' (hand-foot) syndrome, which is a listed SE of T (see: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/docetaxel and http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/side-effects/... My feet started peeling during the first T cycle, but it wasn't too bad, and they have now improved. I don't know how much that was due to luck, or preventative measures. I've been applying various foot balms (whatever I could get basically!) twice a day since my FEC cycles. I am currently applying CCS Swedish Formula foot cream (costs about £6.00, says it is suitable for diabetics, I got it from my local Lloyds chemists). It is the best foot cream I've tried so far - my feet have definitely improved after a couple of weeks of applying it. It smells faintly medical which may be a bit offputting, but it really does help soften the skin on your feet. Re: nail and hand care, I can recommend Onicolife Drops (specialist product for damaged nails, including nails damaged by chemo and rads, unfortunately not cheap, around £15.00, and only available from Live Better With and you probably won't get them by Christmas now), otherwise, any oil or oil based cream that you can apply to your hands and nails should help minimise drying out and damage - try Dr Organic Tea Tree anti-fungal nail solution (cost around £5.00, paraben and pthalate free, and available from Holland & Barrett) and either Body Shop Almond Oil Hand Cream (good but costs around £10.00, though I got it half-price on special offer, also not paraben/ phthalate free) or Palmers Coconut Oil hand cream (very good budget option, costs around £3.00, is paraben/ pthalate free and and available from most large supermarkets).
Fairycake2 - hope you have managed to order the essentials online in time, but please don't worry about the presents and cards, this is not really what Christmas is about! I'm sure your family and friends will understand why you can't do it this time, and would rather have you happy and not feeling stressed about it.
Gracie - sorry to hear you are having to battle an infection as well on top of the chemo. Glad your oncologist has had the sense to postpone your T because of this, as it will give you chance to recover and prepare for it, and you will also have some 'good days' at Christmas with your family after all.
Livvy - hope you're OK.
Kaz58 - I know exactly how you feel, I also felt like that immediately after my first T infusion. For three days, apart from the hot flushes, everything seemed fine, no nausea (yay!), go out for the day and eat a big piece of chocolate cake at teatime - then...wham! Hope the pains and fatigue subside by Christmas, and at least you know you are being looked after.
missmc - hope your nausea, taste changes and 'loose tummy' improve soon, and that your first T isn't as bad as you fear - at least you know what to expect and can prepare.
Sel84 - sorry to hear you are having your first H and T infusions this week so close to Christmas, and yes, unfortunately you do have to stay in the hospital for ages while they give you the first infusions, because you have to be monitored for possible allergic reactions. It is just a precaution, as they are rare, but it is a nuisance all the same. You'll also have seen that the SEs can be rotten and that they usually kick in a few days after the infusion, so the timing couldn't be worse. There's not a lot you can do about some of the SEs, but there are things you can do to minimise the skin and nail changes, such as make sure you apply moisturisers and hand and foot cream twice a day, and apply some suitable oil/ cream to your nails (see advice to Angywyd above). There are also things you can do to minimise the risk of mouth infections and relieve the dry/ sore mouth and joint pains you are likely to get (see my previous post of 12/12/16 below, which I have today updated). I hope they have given you an emergency helpline number to contact over the holiday period - otherwise you will be relying on BCC helpline, NHS 111 and A&E to pick up the pieces if things go wrong. And make sure they give you suitable anti-sickness medication, stronger pain relief incase the Paracetamol isn't enough, plus medication for sore mouth and throat/ to prevent oral thrush before you leave the hospital. Otherwise, all I can offer is sympathy, and hope that things will not be too bad.
Sus12 - hope the nausea is better now and that you have not been plagued with too many other SEs.
Swampy1901 - sorry to hear the taste changes and 'Tax Trots' have arrived, but you may find things improve over the course of the cycle, so let's hope that by Christmas the worst is over. There's not much you can do about the taste changes, other than eat whatever you fancy, but there's still time to get some Immodium and Andrex sensitive bottom wipes for the other thing if you haven't already! Also watch out for the dry/ sore mouth which may arrive later, though I hope you escape.
Truey - one down, two to go, but you will get there. Glad you are coping with the SEs from your first T thus far, except for the fatigue, which I'm afraid gets us all, the back pain, and the awful taste changes. The taste changes seem to have been cumulative for me, and have got worse since my last T infusion. This is not a SE you want this time of year, when everyone else is stuffing their faces with traditional Christmas fare, but all you can do is eat and drink what suits you. The only thing I've found that helps with the fatigue (and this confirms the standard advice and what other September Starters have said) is to make the effort to do some gentle exercise when you feel up to it, without overdoing things. For example, do some light housework or excercises at home, or get out and have a short walk whenever you can, even if it is only down the road and back. It's a bit of a struggle at first, but I find that once I get going, I feel a lot better.
In my experience Days 3 - 11 of the T cycle are probably the worst, and things have generally got better after that, so hopefully for those of us who have got some bad SEs now, there's still time for things to improve by Christmas. If I don't get chance to post on this thread again before the holiday is upon us, I wish you all a merry (and SE free or at least SE-lite) Christmas. XXX
