Breast Cancer Now Forum

For many taking  vitamins and supplements is not permitted  during chemo due to possible contraindications with our treatment; similarly high oxidant foods, which means dietary options are limited. ... View more

Thanks for your feedback. I’m a year out of chemo now, and skin much improved.  For many taking  vitamins and supplements is not permitted  during chemo due to possible contraindications with our treatment; similarly high oxidant foods, which means dietary options are limited.  ... View more

Just by way of an update, I saw the surgeon today and he confirmed my new ‘lump’ is in fact scar tissue. This is the result of healing axilla and breast tissue where these were separated during surgery.  Phew!  ... View more

Hi Jayne Thanks d much for your response. This stuff is all new and its difficult to what to expect isn’t it?  It sounds as though you had a horrid time with an infection. I hope you’ve healed now.  I have a seroma too which is gradually getting smaller, but a new pea size hard lump has appeared in between the seroma/cording and the reconstructed breast. It might have been there since surgery - just hidden by the swelling - and it’s very early days (just over two weeks since the ANC). Even so I was rather hoping my days of finding lumps and bumps were behind me, but am guessing this might be par for the course at this stage of treatment!  Hope your radiotherapy goes smoothly xx  ... View more

Thanks Jaybro. Your explanation about the vacuum left post ANC makes a lot of sense and I suspect it is something to do with this, or cording - was curious if anyone else had anything similar. Laughed out loud reading your prodding and poking comment!  I was really good whilst the dressings were on, but now they’re off and I’ve moved onto the next stages of post surgery exercise, I find myself ‘helping’ some of the stretches!  If I think what’s been flung at us during treatment, I’m amazed at our body’s ability to repair and heal, even if it can be frustrating at times! xx ... View more

Oh Sam - am sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time. Hope your oncologist can make some adjustments, and the additional meds do their thing, so round 2 is much kinder to you.  Know what you mean about the steroid buzz.  I managed to get a full top to bottom house clean done on those days which was just as well as very little got done otherwise, lol! Take care and will be keeping my fingers crossed for you xx    ... View more

Hi Sam Hope your first treatment went well, and after-effects have been low key. How are you getting on?    ... View more

Hi Sam You’ve got a lot of good advice here.  I finished TCHP 6 weeks ago and 10mg Loratadine (which the Pharmacist ok’ed) helped me with bone pains (I had none!).  I personally stayed away from codine based painkillers during chemo - the steroids, chemo drugs and antiemetics can all cause constipation, and codine just compounded that!  To add to the advice already given, everyone’s symptoms are different so your experience may be different to others on this forum. I kept a (simple) chart for each of the 21 days of each chemo cycle and recorded what medication and symptoms I had and when. This helped me to see the cycle of symptoms over each 3 week period so I could prepare ahead (and also remind myself that nothing lasts forever!).  It also provided a great aide memoire when speaking to the oncologist or nurses at each of the pre-chemo checks. Tummy issues (of all varieties) seem to be very common. You’ll get more questions about bowel movements than you though possible!  By cycle 3 I’d worked out the first few days I’d have constipation and proactively took Movacol (prescribed by the Oncologist) for the first 3-4 days which made a big difference too.  The filgrastrim jab is really straightforward. It didn’t hurt and is over and done with in seconds.  Victoria Derbyshire posted a number of video diaries on YouTube when she went through chemo including her filgrastrim injection. I’m a kind of ‘need to know’ person, so found these helpful to get a idea of what treatment entailed.  Everyone says it, but don’t be too stoical; use your helpline if in any doubt. Symptoms can escalate quickly whilst you’re on chemo, so always better to err on the side of caution.  Wishing you all the best with your treatment. You sound very well prepared!  ... View more

Brilliant news Sarah50! Congratulations on completing chemo. Onwards and upwards for 2021! .  I had my last chemo last Tuesday. My PICC was removed the same day which felt like a big milestone. Although I’m feeling pretty ropey with post chemo effects right now, I’m taking solace that this is this is the last cycle and things are improving all the time. 😊   Post chemo scans tomorrow, and surgery in January followed by radiotherapy. Any mastectomy related advice from those who have already had the op is most welcomed!  Thanks again to this group for sharing advice, news and updates - it’s really helped me especially during these strangest times.  Echoing Sarah’s words -  Merry Christmas to all, and for those getting close to the end of your treatment, I too hope all goes well. Here is, indeed, to a fantastic 2021 for all of us xx ... View more

Hi Everyone Am sorry to hear that many of you have really gone through the mill during treatment and hope symptoms have drastically improved and you’re all doing much better.  I’m Day 8 of Cycle 4 - over halfway now. Midpoint chemo scans have showed no spread and considerable reduction in number and size of cancers, so the chemo is working and for that I am incredibly grateful.   Getting used to the cycle of symptoms, although I do seem to have ‘Random One Time Specials’ alongside the usual complaints each time around! This time it’s twitching eyelids (!) and allergic skin reactions; cycle 3 was leg and feet cramp and a face rash; who knows what might come in 5 and 6! This stuff keeps you on your toes, that’s for sure.  Tummy problems still abound, but (fingers crossed) much less severe. The addition of one Movicol a day on days 1-5 has worked wonders (so far) at reducing the severity of constipation at the start of each cycle and diarrhoea later on.  Hair just about hanging on - still have around 60%, so thinner all over. Grateful that the cold cap is working as know this is not the same for all.  Am normally fairly positive but now I’m over half way through Chemo, I feel quite low when I thought I’d be bouyed by positive scans Chemo and thoughts of being closer to the end than the start. I lost my beautiful mother in law to secondary breast cancer a couple of weeks back, and there’s no doubt that has made me think more about my treatment; I’ve also seen the breast surgeon about my mastectomy in the new year and suspect I’m more concerned about the psychological effects of this than I might have realised.  A chance mention of ‘might need radiotherapy after surgery’ during an Onc appointment has thrown me too. More treatment. And for longer.  Am grateful that they are throwing everything at this, but wasn’t expecting that (even though it’s fairly standard protocol). Need to put the big girl pants on and get on with it!   As a side distraction, with last Chemo scheduled for 15 Dec, am madly prepping for Christmas as energy allows. With family scattered far and wide, it’ll be two if us at home. I have lists of lists. Shame the housework isn’t making it nearer the top of one of these right now!!  Mr Kettlebell is coping admirably under the circumstances! Sending warmest wishes to all - keep as well and and safe as you can. Thanks again for sharing your experiences, it really does help to know there are others in the same boat.  ... View more

Hi Pheobe55 The steroids are a double edged sword aren’t they?! Feel good for a couple of day, then crash at the same time the Chemo kicks in - hope you’re feeling more like yourself now.  And great dramatic effect on your zoom call! If you’re going to have a nose bleed, you might as well do it in style 😂 . Take care xx  Take care  ... View more

Hi Ellie Thanks for sharing this - https://www.cancerhaircare.co.uk/ has LOADS of info. I’ll be taking a deeper look over the weekend! xx  ... View more

Hi Phoebe55 That’s great news - glad you’ve found products that are working for you 👍 .  It’s all a bit trial and error isn’t it?  Good to find something early on that does the job, it’s one less thing to worry about!!  I would also be interested to hear others experience.  I’m no expert and the little bit of reading I’ve done suggests that  Argan Oil might be good for scalp and nails. Have bought myself some, though not yet tried - fingers crossed it’s a wonder worker! A friend of mine went through Chemo a few years back and lost her hair during treatment. She swore by Li z Earle’s Botanical Shine Nourishing Hair oil for her scalp, and supporting regrowth.   Hope your treatment is going well, and you too are doing ok. Let me know how you get on with head/hair care xx  ... View more

Hi Carmen I think your experience is normal. I’m also cold capping, and started shedding from day 17.  I’m day 35 now and the daily shedding is starting to slow, but lucky enough that I seem to have shed hair from all over, so it doesn’t show.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the rest of my treatment!  I’m using the Paxman system, and if you are too, they have loads of advice on line at https://coldcap.com and a friendly Paxman Scalp Cooling Group FB page.  I asked the same question as you and the feedback was that shedding happens to everyone and usually begins like clockwork between days 14 to 21 after first treatment. For a lot of people, shedding will be at its heaviest between rounds 2 and 3 of treatment, then it will begin to slow, but it's likely we’ll see some level of shedding throughout.  They also have a blog post on shedding which you may find helpful - https://coldcaphaircare.com/shedding/.  Good luck with your treatment and the cold capping - hope it all goes well xx   ... View more

Good luck with you the new regime Phobe55. I don’t have a recommendation for spots (hopefully someone will step in with tips), but I too have noticed the odd spot arrive in week 2 of a 3 week cycle.  Odd!  Chemo is certainly has a weird old effect on the skin! Learning from my first cycle, using a gentler cleanser and slapping on the moisturiser has made a monumental difference in cycle two. This time around, I have bizarrely found that my eyelids were starting to get the start of sore flaking skin (!!) - solved by the marvellous MooGoo - so worth keeping an eye on parts moisturiser doesn’t normally reach! @Renpen - thanks for additional recommendations. Will look into these. Agree re specialist products!  I now know what my eye cream has been doing and consider it even more value for money!    ... View more

Hi Renpen Sorry to hear you’re struggling with nutrition right now - and hope your Onc can give you something to help with your upset stomach.  Malnutrition in chemo is a thing, so please do take care.  Not juicing per se - and I’m neither a medic or a nutrition expert, but have come across Jane Clarke a nutritionist who writes for Macmillan, has her own website and looks to have good advice about nourishment during cancer treatment who may be worth checking out.  I too suffered during my first round of chemo and asked about the use of isolate protein powder to help boost nutrition if it happened again. The nurses checked with the hospital pharmacist against my treatment regime and I was told that, providing no additional minerals/vitamins were added to the powder, this could be beneficial. Something like this might be worth checking with your team?  The balance between keeping chemo working, good health and nutrition looks to be finely balanced - so perhaps a call to the breast care nurses for advice just to be sure?  Hope you’re feeling better very soon x   ... View more

Thank for all your advice and really appreciate your time to respond.   I realise skin care in a very personal thing and what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all - but good to understand what has worked for each of you.   As an update - I invested in Cera Ve sensitive skin cleanser and moogoo moisturiser over the weekend both of which have been recommended for sensitive and chemo skins. I’ve also restarted using a fleeting wipe of glycolic acid once a day to remove dead skin (am sure that was part of the problem), a  Neurophroline serum which is supposed to aid troubled skin and Decleor’s Prolegene gel - a bit of a wonder product as far as I’m concerned. In 4 days my skin has improved dramatically - redness has completely disappeared as has the cracked, dry and peeling skin. Hurray!  I’ve taken your advice about Aveeno and an emollient wash recommended by the Chemist, which I’m sure are starting to work their magic too and covers other parts not previously considered!  With these, vaseline/aloe vera for nose, lip balm, scalp/nail oils and hand/foot cream I hope I’m covered for the rest of treatment.  Thanks again for great advice xx  ... View more

Hey all Hope everyone us getting on well.  Sounds like a bit of a voyage of discovery @koulka. Hope your bone pains are short lived, and mouth heals well soon. Bet you’re rocking the GI Jane look 🙂 Had second treatment today and dare I say I was nearly looking forward to it! Now I’m in the realms of Chemo, I want it done and done as best it can be. Hope this optimism continues once the side effects hit!  Speaking of which, it sounds as though I’ve been quite fortunate. In between general tiredness and a few headaches (which I think we all seem to get) the worst aspect has been a bad tummy which lasted a quite a few days. Been given meds to help control this, and probably explains the weight loss I’ve had this cycle. Having said that, am sincerely glad I’ve been able to scale my work hours down - am sure that has helped me enormously.   Like you Koulka, I’ve had a few days craving carbs (rarely eat carbs) and cheese.  Strange!  Suffered a bit with a dry sore bleeding nose (lovely!) and rashes/cracked/broken skin on my face which required a very rapid change to skin care. The ‘has she been in a fight’ look has since disappeared (thank goodness!) and back on track now!  One thing I wish I’d done better during Cycle 1, was to more diligently log the symptoms on each day to better pre-empt proactive treatment this time around. Hopefully what I have logged is good enough. I’ll find out soon enough! 😂 .  I’m cold capping, and fair to say I’ve had a bit of shedding from Day 17.  Nothing drastic - but definitely more hair coming out when brushing.  Hope all goes well for those in treatment this week and next. Take care all xx  ... View more

Thanks Wallflower. I’m looking forward to the temporary age reversal! I’ll give Aveeno a go - it’s certainly worth me being more pre-emotive with other skincare xx  ... View more