Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi Missy I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using implant on the 2nd Feb this year.  I also had anc  at the same time.  The anc has been much harder to deal with than the mx and recon. My arm has been so tender and stiff, it is only now feeling a lot better and I have religiously been doing my exercises. The implant still feels very firm and I have lost sensation across most the breast. It has taken a while to get used to it, I have not carried heavy weights or done anything too physical.  It was quite tender across the front which I  think was the pectoral muscle settling down.  In the last couple of weeks I have been able to sleep on my unaffected side again, still with pillows around me!  Aesthetically I am thrilled with the result and very pleased that I chose to have the recon. i hope it all goes smoothly for you.   Lisa x ... View more

Helen, good luck for tomorrow. I started on EC two weeks ago. The thought of it was much scarier than actually having it. I have been very lucky and not really suffered any major side effects. I did drink at least 2.5l of water the day before, on the day and several days after. Not sure if that helped but I shall certainly do it again next week! I also had the cold cap...very hard going but so far I haven't lost any hair.  That's not to say it won't all fall out tomorrow...lol. It's worth a try, there was a lady sitting opposite me wearing one so I just thought that as she was managing it then I would give it a go.  Definitely had quite a headache after tho..plus the steroids they give you keep you awake on that first night. good luck to all of you about to start your chemo journey, I feel a lot happier with one under my belt. The worrying prior to treatment is far worse than the treatment itself, certainly in my case anyway.   Lisa X  ... View more

Oops, sorry to disappoint all you ladies ref. the Dom Perignon tablets...I've just re-read the label.....they are Domperidone Tablets.....such a disappointment 😂   Lisa X  ... View more

Morming all...just!!   Emmajane Sorry if I've missed replying before your appointment. I hardly slept  last night, not through feeling ill, but I was just anxious I think.  I definitely think it's worth trying the cap.  You'll have plenty of time because you have to wait 30 mins after pre-meds go in so that's the time they fit the cap.   Bibi44 Thanks for your advice.  I think I'll try the spray in conditioner next time too.  Although,  hopefully the new caps will be more effective anyway, if the are at a constant temperature. I noticed a real difference when they swapped my one over after 40 minutes, I had warmed the first one up quite nicely 😆   Platinum My picc line is going in on Friday, not really looking forward to having it in for the next few weeks either.  I hope it's something that we can just get used to and forget about.  I spoke to a lady yesterday who had one and she was really pleased with it.  She didn't have it for her first visit, like me, but said treatment was so much easier. It'll certainly save my poor hand looking like a pin cushion...!   I'm still feeling remarkably ok since my first dose yesterday.  Can anyone tell me when and if I'm going to feel not so good? I've been a good girl and taken my cocktail of tablets including the one called "Dom Perignon" They didn't quite have the same effect as the Dom Perignon I have tried before.. 😂 😂 !!   Lisa xx     ... View more

Hi Emmajane I had to put the cap on 15 mins before the infusion started then I had to leave it on for 45 minutes after it had finished. The cap was changed once half way through the treatment. Apparently this hospital is getting new caps in a week or so that are connected to cooling machines so they should remain constantly freezing.... 😱 Lisa X ... View more

Hi everyone Well,I had my first EC session today 😱 . It took three attempts to get the cannula in which I found really painful.  As they only have one arm to play with, left arm not usable due to lymph node clearance, they have booked me in for a picc line on Friday..thank goodness. I must say I really didn't like watching the drugs being fed into my body but so far so good. Apart from feeling a bit weird (and that could be psychosomatic) no adverse effects so far. I managed to keep the cold cap on although I can thoroughly understand how you could give up in the first 10 minutes.  Not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination but I did get used to it.  I'm at the Marsden and I mentioned about using conditioner on the hair and they said that they don't recommend it? So I didn't use it, can't be sure if I have suffered the cap in vain...? I have been quite weepy today, probably all the worry building up to chemo.I.'m only have 4 sessions of chemo so I know I'm lucky not to be facing a lot more. I've just got to keep telling myself that there's only 3 to go now. I hope all your first sessions are going as smoothly as possible...   Lisa X  ... View more

Hi everyone, I am due to start 4 cycles of EC chemo on Friday 4th March. I am one of those "low benefit" patients that has had to make decision whether or not to have chemo. Since January I have had  2 lumpectomies then finally a mx and full node clearance.  I had a 1.3mm grade 2 invasive tumour, 8 cm of DCIS and 1/22 nodes positive. ER +,PR+, HER -. I am married, 51yrs old with two children 12 & 13 yrs. it has been such a hard decision to make but I have received some excellent support from this forum.  I still sometimes wonder if the Tamoxifen would be enough on its own but I know I would worry every day that I hadn't done all I could to try and beat this horrible disease. I'm certainly not looking forward to this next journey.  I was recently speaking to a friend and I described having cancer as being placed on a moving conveyor belt. You don't want to be on it and it won't stop moving forward..taking you to all sorts of places you don't want to be. Anyway, I hope we can all stay positive and support each other.  I find I am constantly trawling the internet trying to learn more although it does frighten me at times.   Sorry we all have to be here but I shall look forward to sharing our hopefully positive experiences . 😀 Lisa X ... View more