Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Dikat, Here is my favourite Shampoo for Color Treated Hair that you can try. I am using it for a long time. ... View more

Hi I found some on wish but it takes a while to come as I have just had my pic line in yesterday and I have been looking my self did u find any others please let me no thank u x ... View more

Happy Birthday!!!, MBJ, I hope you read this.  Don't know how to go down this lengthy :smileylol: thread and confirm. I get my treatment in another country and remember you are the first one to welcome me to this forum (thank you) and also your birthday is the same as me in March  :smileyvery-happy: .  ... View more

Hi Naomi   As one emetophobe to another, I’d suggest you be completely up front about this with the oncology team now - don't leave it till the day as everything has to be prescribed and be dispensed by the pharmacy. I can honestly say I never had any room to be afraid of breast cancer as my sole attention was given over to my obsession. The oncologist arranged for me to visit the chemo suites one evening - all these contented patients sitting chatting, not a sick bowl in sight. I couldn't believe it.   I was given an anti-emetic tablet before the EC treatments and the prep drip included a steroid (which helps with nausea) and an anti-nausea drug. These may be standard. I already had cyclizine from my GP to take whenever I felt nauseous but I was prescribed Metoclopramide I could take 2 hours after cyclizine (I never used it). In other words, I knew they were doing everything they could to help me avoid nausea. I never experienced any feeling of nausea and was never sick in the 4+ months of chemo and I am so proud of what I achieved. I still haven’t been sick since I was 5, touch wood.   If your anxiety is severe, with panic attacks and a flight response, they can help with that. The oncologist prescribed a sedative to take just before chemo. No buzz, no drowsiness, I just felt normal. It’s not in their interests to have a patient doing a runner. By the later sessions, I didn’t need it (so the spare came in handy when I had to have an MRI!). There’s no shame in being afraid - the bc is scary enough but we phobics have a different perspective. There are many of us and you wont be the first patient they’ve helped through it all.    If you can get reassurance about the sickness, then you’ll be able to eat sensibly before a chemo session. An empty stomach isn’t a great idea. I stuck to something simple and easily digested like porridge. I took ginger biscuits (the tea trolley always ran out of those first) and sugar free sweets/gum initially but chemo often changes your sense of taste so you’ll adapt as the weeks progress. Apart from that, take comfy clothes, good company and a distraction that doesn’t require you to use both hands as one arm will be a bit restricted by a drip. I did watch a bloke tapping away at his iPad but his drip kept bleeping - his hand movements were interfering with the steady flow needed! I never got round to reading, listening to music (I also had some relaxation downloads on my iPod) or doing puzzles but, I’m delighted to say, I was eating the free sandwiches after a few sessions, something I never thought I could do. I also took aromatherapy oil to waft under my nose - lavender till it became repellent, then lemon) and Rescue Remedy which I never used as psychological props.   I hope this reassures you a bit. I know it’s hard and I’d never take anyone’s assurance that I wouldn’t be sick - but this was my experience. With the help of the oncology team, each chemo treatment session was, at its worst, a bit tedious and nothing more. I hope it all goes well for you. Take care, Jan ... View more

glad you're feeling a bit better! I think I need to be measured up again for a bra, Ive been using cotton but still had problems and these are  bras I bought for post surgery... @TW142 wrote: Thanks AJAY,   Pleased to report things are a little less swollen this morning due to a long self massage session with bio oil last night. This seems to have dispersed a lot of the fluid where I had a seroma and which seems different every day, and also under my arm where, horror or horrors, I discovered 2 thin strings of cording which I thought had been absorbed several weeks ago. Anyway, the upshot of all that is that I think the armpit discomfort is the result of the boob massage in that the fluid had to go somewhere and as I had 2  lymph nodes removed it's trying to find another route. I actually felt and heard the cords snap last night which was a bit of alarming and now there is general tenderness in the whole area which is not surprising!  I'll keep an eye on things and ring the nurse again in a few days if it's not settled.   Sorry to hear about your rash which is not helped by the recent heat no doubt. Have you tried cotton bras? Miss Mary has some good ones.   Early days indeed! Another nurse wasn't the least bit surprised at my discomfort and just said that radiotherapy is the gift that keeps on giving, often for 6 months or so. So more crap to look forward to!!   Enjoy the rest of the weekend,   Deborah   ... View more

Hi Shelly  I have now finished chemo and O did keep most of my hair just lost a bit at the side ... so for me it was definitely worth it . Appreciate not for everyone all the best with your treatment x  ... View more

Thank you. This has really helped.  Good Luck with your treatment. Regards Dam12 ... View more

Hi LB2,  Thank you for your advice when I posted in March. Couldn’t see my post so haven’t been on here until Saturday The painkillers did help but oncologist reduced my last two taxol treatments as I was having problems with the nerves in my fingers. My last chemo was the 17th of April, had a break & have now started radiotherapy. My first session went ok, they spent a long time setting me up but the actual treatment took minutes. Hope everyone on here is doing well xx ... View more

Best of luck to you going forward xx ... View more

MBJ have you lost anymore hair yet from elsewhere? It’s really weird isn’t it? I succumbed yesterday and had a no 4 cut. Apart from being a bit chilly I feel so much better! The long hairs all over my clothes, furniture, floor and car was sending me doolally! Not any more! I didn’t find it easy to do, but I would advise it to anyone! FEC no 2 today.  Sally ... View more

Thank you, I hope you're not feeling too bad x I sent my friend the kit from cancer support and she received it yesterday.   She says it's fab so thank you for the tip xx ... View more

Thanks for your replies.    Daffydilly, I have been wearing headscarves to cover the bald patches but I still have a fair amount of hair hanging out underneath so it almost looks like I'm making a fashion statement 😂 I do have a wig at the ready as well.   I had heard cold capping makes hair grow back quicker so I will try to persevere even if I do lose a load more hair this cycle. Good luck with your final cycle.  ... View more