Breast Cancer Now Forum

Thanks Mary, Gilly and Kess. My layering strategy started today. I can't remember the exact expression but it's something like "a problem shared is a problem halved". In other words, without wishing this temperature control problem on anyone, it is comforting to know that other people understand my experience and that it is (yet another) of the after-effects of treatment, but compared to some, more tolerable or at least manageable. Best wishes to you all. I will think of you with your red fan, Mary, when I get hot but might reserve getting a similar one until Spring! Mrs M ... View more

Hello Butterfly Thank you and other kind respondent for your comments. I am on Letrozole at the moment and I can't remember if extremes of hot and cold started with this. I was aware that neuropathy from Taxol could create sensitivity in ones extremeties and that hormone-targeted therapy could produce hot flashes but the hot feeling I get now seems different from the menopause. Anyway, thanks for your advice. Clearly, layers are going to be the way forward. It's just I shame that I have loads of long- knit tops and dresses, which I love, because it is trickier to strip off layers under these, especially at work! Regards from Mrs M. ... View more

I too was wondering about the impact of weekly treatment as I had the first of 12 weekly treatments today. So it was useful to read if your experience. How are your nails? Did you lose any feeling in your fingertips or toes? I know everyone experiences things differently built glad you are over the worst. Looking forward to getting there myself! ... View more

Oops! That should read 12 not 112 sessions! Mrs M ... View more

Booksandwine Wondered how you were getting on with Tax. I had my first treatment today, the first of 112 weekly sessions. Just felt tired when given Piriton. Otherwise, feel fine at the moment but have been warned about tingling fingers/toes and possible nail damage. Have not been bothering much with bail varnish but using a lot off nail cream. Hope that I do not get some on the tummy trouble or joint aches mentioned by other forum members. Hope you are finding new regime bearable. Best wishes from Mrs Moomin. ... View more

Dear SML Glad I could be of some help but sad to learn of all the family pressures. I hope that you will all find ways to support each other and keep those vital bonds close. Good luck, too, with your treatment. ... View more

Dear SML I really feel for you about the behaviour of your son. I cannot say that my experience is comparable but I do have adult children who reacted differently, so I will offer some thoughts. I do not know your son's family circumstances but my daughter and son are both in their 30s with young children and high pressure jobs. Although they were both sympathetic and supportive when I first told them about my diagnosis, I felt that my son displayed more emotion and care than my daughter, who, whilst assiduous about checking how I was doing, did not express much emotion - this at a time when I was feeling very emotional. However, I tried hard not to blame her and just put it down to different temperaments However, that all changed when I arranged to have a mother-daughter evening out and meal together. I asked her directly how she felt and the reality was that she had so much pressure within her marriage, her job and, of course, the children, that the only way she could cope was, effectively to compartmentalise the information. It did not mean she was not caring but that she was trying to find a way not to go under.....I fully understood and accepted this and we are fine. Your son's situation may be completely different but, I would suggest that you reach out to him either via a phone call or a get- together (just the two of you). Maybe you could say to him that you sense that your news has really upset him because he has gone so quiet but that you really need his support so you want to understand how it has impacted on him. After all, this is not something you have made happen. It may turn out that he is struggling to assimilate the news or to come to terms with the fact that you are mortal or that he too has some other crises in his life which are somehow making this the final straw. The other thing he needs to know is that, if he is suffering a severe reaction, he can get help himself through a range of charities (Forum Team, you may be able to help here) and there is no shame at all in seeking that support for himself. I do hope that you are able to resolve things with him. Best wishes. Mrs Moomin ... View more

Books and Donna I too am wondering how Tax treatment will affect me. FEC 3 is next Monday and I think tiredness is increasing. Hope to exchange info about impact of Tax as we get into it. ... View more

Hi Booksandwine! Good to hear from you. I wore my wig for pretty much the whole day today (te longest stint to date) and it was fine but when I am at home or want to feel relaxed I am fine with the scarves. I am building up a photo gallery of my different looks! I am not sure whether I could have joined in your bald sing-song but it must have been a good laugh. How have you been since 2nd treatment? Initially, I felt better than 1st time round but on days 3,4 & 5 the fuzzy head and serious fatigue kicked in. But had a great half day in West End with a friend on Monday and have survived a very hectic day today. I am trying to sort out doing some work from home to keep my brain active in which I am being supported by our Occupational Health service but they definitely did not favour me going into the office on a regular basis mainly due to potential fatigue and risk of infection. What's your position on work? We have now booked our weekend away, just before Treatment 3. Hope you continue to stay as well and positive as possible. Regards from Mrs Moomin ... View more

Cassa I fully understand your sense of shock at your diagnosis. I am a bit older than you and found a lump myself but still went to the hospital in the belief that it would all turn out to be a false alarm. It wasn't and I also had a cancerous lymph node. When I emerged from the clinic, I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach! Like you, I ad lads of sleepless nights but once the shock subsided, I knew that I would do whatever it took to get rid of the b-----. I had the op to remove the tumour and lymph nodes and was advised to have chemo (2 different courses) and radiotherapy. I am not going to pretend that I was not apprehensive about chemo but I knew that it could get rid of bad cells not detected through scans or other means. My take was and is - the sooner they are zapped the better. Please do not let your fear of side-effects of chemo put you off. Everyone reacts differently. I have felt but not been sick and the main impact has been fatigue, loss of appetite and some dizziness. However, this subsides after the first week of treatment when you are on a 3- weekly cycle. Yes, the hair goes but, between the wig and a range of scarves, I have fun giving myself a new look every day. By the way, having been told initially that I was HER2 negative, I was told that I was positive. So I will have Herceptin given to me alongside my next stage of chemo and will have tablets for 1 year but my oncologist says that it does not have side-effects. Believe me,Cassa, I am not specially brave but, hopefully, like me you will find that, once you start the treatment regime, the fear will subside because you will be too busy coping with the reality. And, if you are lucky enough to have a close and supportive family, seeing children, grandchildren and good friends can be a wonderful tonic. So I hope you may feel encouraged to go ahead with treatment sooner rather than later but it is your decision. Good luck. ... View more

Pleased that things are going OK for you, Booksandwine. Had my chemo 2 today as well. That's half way through this phase of treatment for me after which I move onto taxol and herceptin weekly for 12 weeks. Getting that queasy feeling, but my Week 3 was also pretty good and we are thinking about a weekend break in week 3 of this cycle so you have set me good example! Am doing my own bone marrow booster injection for the first time tomorrow and hoping I can manage any side effects better than last cycle. Regards. ... View more

Hi Booksandwine. Wondered how you were feeling as, like me, I think that you are due for chemo 2 this week. Exactly as my consultant predicted, my hair started to come out on day 18 and is really thinning now. I gave my wig its first outing last night and used one of my scarves in the day. I am happy with both but there is still a sadness at losing the crowning glory, even though I know it will come back. So for myself and for all of you going through this trial, I made up a limerick, which made me smile and hope it may cheer you too. "There once was a bright Mrs Moomin, whose hair was well-tinted and bloomin' but it began to fall out and soon there was nowt! So a wig and scarves cheered Mrs Moomin. " ... View more

Dear Budcat Of course the final decision is down to you but here is my experience. I was also stage 2 but had a larger tumour and 1 cancerous lymph node. My oncologist explained that, whilst surgery had removed all the detectable cancer, chemotherapy attacked any undetectable cells around the body, thereby minimising the chances of recurrence. I therefore saw no option other than to have chemo. In addition, like you, I am hormone positive and after being told HER2 negative have been told that I am positive after all. My understanding is that HER2 positive cells can also cause cancer to spread more rapidly. So again, there was no doubt in my mind about having chemo. I am about to have my 2nd treatment and can't pretend that chemo isn't gruelling but I feel it is worth it if it prevents or at least significantly reduces chances of recurrence. Good luck with whatever you decide. ... View more

Thanks, Maryland. I will take advice from my chemo team. I am certainly not going to be a martyr about the pain! It was just too bad for that. Regards. ... View more

Thanks Maryland. Not sure what you meant about taking temp before paras. Do you mean before paracetamol? I did know about this. Am I missing something? The other thing I am not sure about is best time to start with painkiller. I only got the reaction on Day 8, which my consultant seemed to regard as standard. I am not sure about starting to take tablets around tie of actual injection if reaction only kicks in a week later. I am not one for pushing too any tablets. Advice welcomed. ... View more

Dear All Can't believe I am picking up this thread as I was querying back spasms in another thread! Until I saw my consultant today, and just saw this thread I had decided that the agonising back spasms which I experienced 2 days ago were the FEC just triggering nerve pain in my back, which is arthritic. I now know that the injection to boost the bone marrow activity was the case. I nearly passed out with the pain but, more fortunately than Debs, paracetamol did work for me so I plan to take it after the next injection and am hoping that it will still be effective. Good luck to Debs and others. What we on ly have to put up with! ... View more

Hi fairy guardian! I think I may have lulled myself into false sense of security. I was feeling better day by day up to Day 8 (yesterday) and I then started feeling more off colour again, mainly wobbly. Today I woke up with palpitations and spasms in my back, which is somewhat arthritic but has never done that before. My legs were also hurting. Have you (or any other forum members) experienced this? I have been in touch with my BC team and they have made a cardiac appt for me. I have definitely learnt from this that the improvement after treatment day is NOT a smooth upward line but probably a bumpy one - like the stock exchange! I now know I need to take things a bit easier. But it would help to share..... ... View more

Dear Taveyoreo78 You have probably read in the forum or been given literature by your medics about possible side effects. Just remember every person has an individual reaction to the chemo. I too was dreading the worse but, in the event, the effects were not as severe as I expected. I felt but wasn't actually sick and the tablets which I was given definitely helped. This is not to say that I did not feel pretty rough and tired in Week 1 but today, a week later, I feel reasonably OK. Good luck and, if you do get bad symptoms, look at some of the tips from the forum which are really useful. ... View more

Well done you! I am still fuzzy-headed and certainly do not feel ready for work yet. I am hoping to plan some part-time input but need my head to be clearer first. Re constipation, I have tried tinned prunes, bran flakes and eating fruit (not all at the same time!) and things gradually seemed to ease but, obviously, Senokot can be useful too,l if needed. Unfortunately, heartburn is standard for me because of a hiatus hernia so I have omeprazole for that. However, you may find that keeping levels of acidity down may help. Yoghurt can be soothing. Re hair loss, I am getting my wig tomorrow but have also bought and been loaned quite a few scarves as there will be times when wig is too hot or you just want to be relaxed. You really can look quite glam in scarves. Have a look on YouTube for how to wear scarves. There are some good videos. This is not to say I don't share some of your apprehension but I want/need to believe it is possible to look good during treatment. Best wishes. ... View more