Hello!!
I got diagnosed with Breast Cancer on January 8th 2016 after finding a small lump. Had a lumpectamy on January 22nd and then a 2nd op on February 23rd to remove lymphnodes -results were 1/8 so had gone past that 1 lymphnode.
There’s been a number of ‘fustrating’ times, aside from all the obivous things that hit you. One was when i had my post op after my lymphnodes removal which was March 5th I was told it was ‘my decision to delay starting chemotherapy’ as if I was putting my health into question. This was beacuse I had, after endless calls, managed to find I could go ahead with egg freezing and it would hopefully be funded (at that point it was 99%- took another few weeks for final approval. )
I was pretty confused about me delaying chemo-the 1st appoitment with my oncologist was not until March 17th - so I waiting since March 5th! Then my oncologist said i had to have loads of scans- body, heart and CT scan. In between all the scans I had the egg retrival process which went well and after everything then my oncologist wanted to see me again before starting chemo and so i could absorb the news I was told the first appoitment that i’d be having chemo every 2 weeks and everything else.
This was made for Thursday 7th April.
Has anyone else had chemo every 2 weeks?- its very new but my oncologist says it shows in my age group and type a 20% reduction in it returning.
I had my second meeting with sadly a diiferent and not quite as good oncologist on Thursday. I was very anxious to get the scan results and to find out my stage. The CT scan came back with a ‘suspicious’ area at the base of the spine so i now, have to fit in a MRI scan before starting chemo on Thursday! More worry and waiting…
Am only starting this Thursday as I was making so many calls with questions and was insistant. So after being told I was delaying chemo…its now not starting until April 14th, well over a month after March 5th. Imagine if I’d not carried on with the egg freezing so i didn’t delay chemo - confusing info and frustating to say the least!!
Plus i’ve had different information from the 2nd oncologist I saw, including how the drugs will be admistered.
Who had the pic line / used their veins??
I went up to the chemo ward to get my zoladex injection on Thursday and was told ‘your not booked in until 2.45pm for the zoladex’ why are you here now? Well, as has happened so many times, no one told me i was booked in at 2.45, I was just was told to head up after my onologist appoitment. The nurse then got more frustrated as I said i needed my height and weight doing. Why wasnt that done she said? I dont know, i’m just doing what i was told?? I tried to ask her a few questions i had about chemo and was told they wouldn’t be answered as they were all things i’d find out at my pre-chemo appoitment. OK, when will that be??? I felt a lack of compassion !!
Later finally I met a really nice chemo nurse, who did my pre-chemo apppoitment, fitted me for the cold cap and did my zoladex injection.
So apologies for the questions mixed in with a bit of a rant-I feel the individual surgeons, Macmillan nurses and my onclogist are great (and 1 super nice chemo nurse so far!) but the NHS system has left me stressed at a time when stress is clearly not good.
I guess at the moment its also a fear of the unknown in terms of how my body will take the chemo drugs.
Did anyone try the painting nails dark to preserve them?
Also am after tips for hairwashing, products to use as I had my hair cut short to sholder length recently but has gone very greasy already -maybe from all the effects of the drugs from the eggs, zoladex, scans etc, i dont know but my hair isn’t usually greasy. I really want to avoid washing it during chemo so all tips apppricated!
Thanks in advance!!
Rebecca
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