Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi everybody, we all seem to be rattling through theses chemo sessions! @Poacher65 sorry you have felt rough but you must be elated to be so near the end and you can close the door on the chemo chapter! @Michelle21 I have my second  Carboplatin tomorrow. I had a lot of pelvic and leg aches and pains with the last lot and felt so tired. Bloods have been ok so far, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. The paclitaxel has given me a gripey tummy but we have sorted that with buscopan, so ok when I just have that. I am counting down the sessions now. Only 5 weeks to go. I, like you all , will be so glad to slam the door on the chemo! I still have radiotherapy to go but not worrying too much about that as the chemo was the big hurdle to get through for me.   Carry on with the good work all. We are all giving those cancer cells a good pasting! 💪 ... View more

@Michelle21 Hope today was the most beautiful send of you hoped for. My thoughts were with you. Xx ... View more

Hi @Michelle21   Yes I have already had surgery. I have a wide local excision, with sentinel node biopsy, so I do need radiotherapy too when I have finished my chemo. Don’t finish until at least beginning September ( if none are held up for any reason) just taking one chunk at a time, so trying not to think about the radiotherapy yet! ... View more

Hi all Well, we are all rattling through these chemos at a fast rate! Won’t be long before we are on the other side and a bit of normality, instead of this surreal cancer world we are living at the moment.  @Michelle21 Had my first Carboplatin and Paclitaxel and haven’t been too bad at all. Lower back and pelvic twinges and achy legs, ever so slight nausea once. Much better than the EC so far. Just Paclitaxel next week, so I am presuming that will be easier too? How did you find it?  My brows have finally gone too, although I didn’t have many to begin with. My lashes are not too bad. I have been using a lash serum for past 6 weeks. Don’t know whether it has made any difference as I may not have lost them anyway, or they may disappear soon. Who knows?🤷‍♀️ @Sammy73 @you are so right about being thankful we are on the radar and there will be Poor people living normal lives, not knowing they have breast cancer. I was just thinking about this the other day! So scarey.  We all hit walls at various points, we just have to remember they do lift and good days are ahead.  @TicTok nothing like a break to get you back on track, especially enjoying your Grandson.  Be assured Boris will be cowering in a corner, dreading his next pasting, so bring it on! Keep up the good work everybody. The finishing line is in sight!😁😁   ... View more

 Not sure what happened with the end of the post😂😂 Glad to see everybody coping well and galloping to the finish line 🏁 keep up the good work and take care xx ... View more

Hi all sorry not posted for a while as been away for a break after finishing EC and before starting weekly chemo.  So sorry to hear about your mum @Michelle21 You are going through such a rough time, but you will be okay. One step at a time and our thoughts are with you. You are doing amazingly well.  I start my paclitaxel and Carboplatin on Tuesday. It is so reassuring to hear how well you are handling it and I can’t believe you have had 2 Carboplatin already. How fast has that gone! @gardengirl200 My sister has lobular BC and has had the test done for chemotherapy and she was offered it. She is currently in the middle of chemo too and doing well. She too had nodal involvement and has had mastectomy first. everybody is different and I am sure your team would not have offered you chemo if they didn’t think it would be of benefit to you. Good luck with the rest of it, I am sure topee PPP ... View more

@Michelle21  So sorry to hear about your mum. What a lot to cope with! Whatever happens you will be okay and come out the other side.  Glad to hear your SE aren’t as bad, that’s encouraging. I have one more cycle of EC to do next week and then a couple of week until I start weekly Paclitaxel and Carboplatin  I am also getting genetic testing as my BC is triple negative. Apparently the rules have just changed here and if you are under 60 and triple negative, your oncologist can do a blood test for genetic testing and just refer you to a geneticist if positive. Although not everybody would want it    I should finish my Chemo beginning September, the onto radiotherapy   take care  xx     ... View more

Hi @Baroness not too late at all! I had my second EC on 1st June and am due the third on 22nd June. Can’t believe that will be the last of the first phase, the on to Paclitaxel and Carboplatin! ... View more

@Poacher65 I am sure it’s all perfectly  normal. Things seem so much worse when we are anxious. The amount of times I have worried about things which seem huge at the time and then after speaking to the breast care nurses, all anxiety goes out of the window! Speak to your breast care nurse first thing tomorrow and I am sure they will put your mind at ease.  take care xx ... View more

@Karden @so glad you had a well deserved break. I love Whitby.  I have been having the injections to stimulate white cells and they really are simple to do once you get over the first. I think it’s just psychological, putting a needle into yourself but if you pinch the fat(and I have plenty to choose from) firm, it really doesn’t hurt. Good luck with it all. Not long before you finish your treatment which must be a good feeling! take care XX  ... View more

Hi @Michelle21 @and welcome. I too have TN BC and am on the same regimen as you   I have had 2 EC and am having 3rd in a week. I will then move on to 9 weeks of paclitacel and 3 weekly Carboplatin. My oncologist did say triple negative cancers respond really well to Carboplatin, so that should give it a good old blast and get it shrinking! You are a bit ahead of me on the chemo but I have already had a WLE and will need radiotherapy too after chemotherapy. Let me know how you get on with the weekly. It will be handy to have some tips. Good luck with the Picc line, it is so much easier and well worth it ... View more

@Bex27 @I have found fruit ice lollies to be good for keeping mouth ulcers at bay and also chewing sugar free gum keeps the saliva flowing. Think you will be able to be prescribed mouth wash if they are a problem ... View more

@TicTok  yes you can do with iPad, just need to have the zoom app installed, then you should just be able to join via a link they will send you via email. This will be easy if you have your email and zoom app on iPad.  good luck! ... View more

@Coastal  I too was shocked at how good my wig looked. Would never have thought I would wear a wig confidently but always have it on when going out, more often than not.  I would take time off work whilst chemo is ongoing. You do want to pick anything up, unless you can do a bit of work from home? You need the time to look after yourself for a change. It’s a tough thing we are all going through and I think work should take a back seat for a short while. They will cope.  Good luck xx ... View more

@TicTok  The link to book the workshops is here https://lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/workshops/ i found it really good and some very useful tips. Like @Love running  I didn’t recognise myself and now make much more of an effort if I am going out.  welcome @Sammy73  nice to see you on our little group and thanks for the tips! I am on day 2 of my second EC cycle. Feel more normal this morning and slept well but was wiped out yesterday afternoon. Nausea managed better with a jiggle of the anti sickness meds.  Hope you are all keeping as well as can be expected and I agree, roll on September! xx ... View more

Well done with the hair @Love running ! I agree, it does feel strangely good. I am used to the new look already. Feels quite liberating  I really enjoyed the makeup course. It had loads of good tips. I have now signed up to the wigs, lashes and brows and also the body confidence. Apparently the latter advises on which colours suit you best etc, which I am also useless at. Definitely going to go from low to high maintenance after all this😂😂 well done everyone on all your good work beating this thing! Keep it up. 💪💪 ... View more

Hi all, I have just done a makeup workshop with look good feel better and would highly recommend: https://lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7pWGkYfb8AIV0LvVCh1R0AZXEAAYASAAEgK3kfD_BwE It is free with loads of good tips and advice on applying makeup when your eyebrows and eyelashes have gone and looking after your skin during chemotherapy. Its not worth buying any extra makeup products to join in. just use what you have as they will send you a bag with a lot in after the workshop. Didn`t recognise myself when I had finished! ... View more

@simplyeve  Lovely to hear from you. So glad you have a plan of action. I too am having radiotherapy And biophosphonates after chemotherapy. As I understood it, the biophosphonates are given as an infusion every 6 months. My mum also has these as she has osteoporosis and hers are given this way.  I read about the dark nail varnish and have black nails at the moment! it did say NOT gel though   I paint a good vision at the moment with my black nails and bristley head😂😂 although my shaved hair has started to deplete slowly as from yesterday!  lt felt good to shave it off though. One less thing to stress about, and was used to the new look before it started depleting, although everybody’s different.  Doing an online makeup course today for chemo patients, which should help to draw my eyebrows on properly when they disappear. Think I will come out of all this high maintenance! I am on Day 12 of my first EC and feel fine  just get intermittent fatigue which is relieved by some form of exercise, usually a walk. Have another week of reprieve, so going to make the most of it, before my second round.  So good to see @Love running and@Poacher65 doing so well with round 2. Gives me hope 🤞 Best wishes to those just started, and about to start chemotherapy . I am sure it won’t be as bad as you think. keep up the good work all you guys. 💪    ... View more

All the best for tomorrow @simplyeve Hope you get the dates for the next part of your treatment, and the finishing line!!😘 @Trowster @Hope you and your sister are having a fab time. You have ordered some fab weather so far! Xx ... View more

@Poacher65  Tomorrow is another day! I think we are all emotionally unstable at the moment and no wonder! We will all come out the other end stronger and more appreciative of the simple things in life. Until then:   ... View more