Breast Cancer Now Forum

Just back from the hospital with my daughter, another sleepless night, she has a chemical burn in the back of her throat, increased heart beating, blurred vision, terrible headaches, and she hardly walks. I have to bring her everything and cannot leave the house, what a mess. In the end, neutrophils great, ECG normal, liver, kidney functions, all normal, it is just our 'good friend' FEC the barbarian striking all the weak points! What a ####### ... View more

My Implausible/Sarah dear friend: could you please take a closer look? You are so, so beautiful! Yes, the hair is different, but would you look at a Monet and say that the frame is what makes it beautiful? Look at your eyes: they can catch all the luminosity in the world! Look, Veronica shaved her head completely and she went through the same process, and I shaved mine because I really did not care, it will grow back, even more beautiful and strong, and, in a way, it will be a symbol of what you have won! Every single bit of hair that came down is a symbol of a really nasty war, but you are winning, and those scars will disappear! Look again in the mirror: what you are seeing is the naked face of a warrior that will not go down. OK? ... View more

Yayyy Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!!!!   Rest plenty, honey! ... View more

Deano, my daughter has blurred vision, sometimes makes it hard just to watch telly. ... View more

Sarah, let us know asap what did they see in the bloods. Rest a bit, a nap sounds good. So sorry for all this mess honey 😞   ... View more

OK, 2.15 and here I am, helping Veronica. How are you all coping? Sarah, honey, any news? Horrific situation! ... View more

Implausible, Trixielady, Daisydi, I am so, so sorry. Veronica is also with blurred vision, sweaty or cold, very tired but if she fells asleep wakes up after a few minutes, Chemo is affecting her speech so when she awakes and speaks I cannot understand a word, dryness and possible thrush. How many of you are taking filgrastim? ... View more

@Implausible wrote: i gave them my card straight away.  The anti Bs took a lot longer than an hour though.   I am starting to feel slightly less passy outy  now   Hopefully later I will look at the embroidery.   I can share some of my own too if signal ok     @Susie B wrote: Implausible don't apologise for frequent updates. Glad they're finally getting antibiotics into you. The protocol here is that as soon as you show them a card we have to carry with us all the time we have to be seen within 15 mins and if we're presenting with a temperature then antibiotics have to be administered within an hour just in case of sepsis, etc. Fortunately I haven't had to test that theory yet.. Keep in touch. Take care. Susie xx      Sarah, what is going on, what is the explanation for this? When did you had your last chemo, are they considering a n. sepsis? Are you getting filgrastim to improve immune system? What the hell are they doing???? ... View more

@Rosina wrote: Also does Veronica know the meaning of her lovely name ? In Ancient Greek it means ‘ to bring Victory ‘. That is such a strong and powerful meaning. name/berenice/ Veronica Rosina, she certainly brought victory into my life, she is a blessing since I discovered that I was expecting and she filled my life with love, light, joy, up to the point that I have always felt that all the time I will ever have will not be enough. ... View more

Hi Rosina, V has been quite a champion, since her diagnosis that she has cried only once. She went through the mastectomy, more than three months of a wound that did not stop leaking, she lost all her hair with her first chemo. And still she is comforting Granny, she is a very sweet person and show no signs of depression or grieve. And, on top of everything, I lost my job, she lost her scholarship, we have no money, no savings and we are risking becoming homeless. How many people would not ask this? Rosina, V went through so much in her life that she is one of the strongest people I have ever met, but even Jesus had his moment, and that happened under the beating of that chemo-devil yesterday.   Oh, by the way, I told her about your Berenice/Veronica and she started immediately speaking about this.... she has a BA in Classics and she is crazy about the stuff  ... View more

@Implausible wrote:   Only good thing is presumably that was V's last FEC?  If she is moving on to T next, that's only one drip bag of drugs with some saline either side and you're done,   much less faffing than with all the different FEC syringes and drips.     Hi Implausible, no, she has another 3 to go, no T, just FEC, followed by radiotherapy and an inhibitor like Letrozole (her ### was lobular). She is also enduring the Zolodex injections once a month. She was advised to remove her ovaries entirely in a nearby future. ... View more

Implausible, they say the IV  is the best, a port needs anaesthesia that v cannot have and the picc is dangerous under her circumstances. The hair makes us laugh a bit, I really have to try to capture it in all its glory and post it here!  ... View more

Hi girls, just had a break to tell you all about Veronica's 3rd cycle today. She had an IV cannula, her usual and very painful Zoladex, FEC going in, when the C started she felt a strong pressure in her sinus and forehead. She has her left arm a bit impaired due to the mastectomy and has to avoid pressure because it can lead to a lymphodema, they had to use it to draw blood and she has acgigantic bruise, her right arm is all bruised due to the IV, her right hand had collapsed veins so really painful, cannot sleep on her back because she cannot breathe and she started with sleep apnea because of the C. Now, she is feeling so bad that she is terrified of being left alone, most of the times I cannot understand what she is saying, because she is mumbling a lot, I made her carrot soup and peanut butter cookies, trying to get her to eat something. She falls a sleep for like 10 minutes and then everything starts again, twisting and turning, asking me what did she do wrong to have this, mumbling again... and it goes on. This, since 2pm, after returning from the hospital. I am so sad to see her like this, all the pain from the treatment, and then feeling like this. Since February that she can hardly walk, she cannot do anything, sometimes it is hard just to get a glass of water. She is afraid of being left alone, she says she cannot stand it, she needs loads of hugs and pampering.  I am so defeated today!   Now for the ladies speaking about hair. Mine, of course, is growing after I shaved it all, but is growing upwards, making me look like a crazy cockatiel. And it doesn't go down! OK, for a few laughts, V trying to eat a cookie, but she had to lie down, and her crazy dog made a beeline for the cookie, with me following her desperate to grab the dog or the cookie!   ... View more

Just checking, anyone on Zoladex? Good show everyone here, tackling chemo and issues, you brave girls! ... View more

Hi All, Implausible, just to wish you a calm uneventful day at chemo. Loads of hugs, Sandra ... View more

@Trixielady wrote: Morning ladies  I'm home safe and sound and hopefully having chemo this afternoon,    Sandraindurham & V so what happened did they reduce Veronica's chemo? How are you both feeling now??   Hi honey, Veronica could not do the 3rd, it had to be delayed for two weeks. She is afraid that chemo will not work, she is having a lot of nightmares about this, albeit her onco said that it is normal to have delays. Her scar from the mastectomy isn't completely healed after more than 3 months, my poor baby. She has lots of night sweats and feels weak. She has lost all her hair in the 1st chemo, but she has been so courageous. I am OK, I just started to feel a bit of a fraud coming here, you all are going through so much and I am just hurting by proxy.. and I am not in a good place, so I just come and read and then bugger off. I hope you can do your chemo soon, but, please, take it easy. XX ... View more

@Edinbird wrote: I have survived! Well I’m on my way home anyway.   Took 4 goes to get the cannula in... new record 😂 then a good old faff with the cold cap given I’ve lost a lot of hair where they aim to preserve... bottom line I’m between sizes so I could end up proper Friar Tuck but I’ll live with my hats on.   No reaction to the drugs but got proper cold with the cap on which seemed weird when it’s so hot outside. Started feeling a bit iffy so had to have a sandwich for the journey as well as during the treatment but eating normally sorts me out.   So now to wait and see what happens... still not been given anything for diarrhoea and still can’t take ibuprofen so hoping any aches and pains are manageable.   Trixie how are you getting on? xx Well done, young lady! now go on easy, ok? Keep us posted. Loads of xx ... View more

@Trixielady wrote:  unfortunately i was unable to have mine today hopefully next weeks can go ahead after seeing my oncologist this Friday bit taken aback don't know why cause i already knew i wasn't well enough to have it.   Oh honey I am so sorry! Look, Veronica had to delay it almost two weeks, you are going to be fine, we cannot joke around chemo, for you to do it you have to be strong, ok? A big xx ... View more

Hi Sarah, V is mortified because she has lost two weeks in her treatment and is torturing herself saying that Chemo will not be as effective. She doesn't want to go out because she is afraid to be contaminated with virus again and she is afraid of being left alone. And then is the situation of her professional future. She lost the award when her cancer was known, she cannot proceed with a PhD without funds and she has no job to return to. She strongly desires to move away and start working for something meaningful like a charity. For now... Things are not OK. And you both have birthdays on the same month! :))))) ... View more

Trixielady, what happened???? Why, what was the caus Where are you now???? I am so sorry, honey, I hate this @###%%%! ... View more