Breast cancer

FormerMember over 16 years ago

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Hello my name is Heather I have just been diagnosed with brest cancer last week for the first time (and last I hope) Both my sisters have had cancer,one died seven month ago Im a bit scared of what to expect with the chemo. Can anyone tell me how soon after the treatment do you start to feel ill? How soon do you lose your hair?

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Lollipop,

I too had FEC. Unfortunately I had a bit of a hard time with the sickness at first.

If your mum has sickness problems ask for a drug called Emend. It is brand new and truely amazing. It is pescribed for severe nausa. It is mega expensive so you cannot get it unless you have problems and the regular anti sickness do not work.

Make sure you have some snacky food in. I had a snack bar by the bed to take my morning anti sickness with. You should not take them on an empty stomach but I found it hard to have the energy to get to the kitchen and cook something.

The best food for me was little and often...I lived on scrambled egg and natural yougart.

For me the first week after each session was difficfult. It felt like having flu. After that I bacame normal again. If I am totally honest I needed someone with me for the first four days. After that I was ok.

If your mum gets the flu like symptoms like I had. The best advice would be to sit in a nice bath and make it warmer when the shivers come.

I hope this has not worried you. I wanted to be totally honest about my experience. Lots of people do not get the sickness that I did but I want you to know if it does come things can be done about it.

Marian

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi Again Lollypops

Been thinking about you and your Mum, as I am wide awake!!!

Does your Mum have access to the internet? if so perhaps you could persuade her to join us here, first hand.

She could then chat direct with us and ask any questions that she may have about her treatment. If she is not on the internet, then perhaps you could show her this site on your PC and let her read our posts

Just a thought.

Thinking of you, your brother and your mother.
Love Jean x

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi everybody,

Lollypops i'm not having FEC but am having chemo. The chemo drug i'm currently on is much kinder than my previous chemo. I have felt sicky, extremely tired, bad tasting mouth and ulcers at times. The tiredness was the worse for me. Like marian said it was like having the flu (i could hardly drag myself out of bed), and i all but went into a coma for a week!! Because i have a young family i believe it was harder. My 6 year old was demanding my attention when i was feeling rough. If i could have just worried about myself it most definatley would have been easier (loads of washing, cleaning etc). I prepared frozen meals for the coma week which helped me no end. That way i knew me, hubby and the kids were being fed a descent meal (and like the others i sometimes can't stop eating!!) Just offering your help and support will be invaluable to your mum. Over all i've needed little help from my family and friends, but just knowing they are there and willing to do anything if i need them gets me through this. Don't worry about chemo..it is worth it! x

Marian now you've mentioned scrambled egg and must have it...mmmm!! My mid morning snack lol :-)

Jean i'm so glad your chemo went well. Hope you weren't lonely last night treading the boards! And lets hope those nasty little ulcers keep away!!

Paula you do make me laugh. Just what i need. Glad you've not been so sleepy or sicky. Wish i could leave the fridge alone lol!!

Kay i got my legs out too and thought how hairy they are looking (well abit!!). Trouble is i just want to show off any hair now so i left them!!! Lol :-).

Lorraine i think when my hair has grown just that little bit more i shall need to shave it. Like you said it'll make it thicker! I'm still alittle smooth around the edges!! Fluff on the top and smooth edges...what a looker i am lol!! Sorry you've been so sick this week :-(. Hope you feel better soon x

Stef your weekend away sounds perfect. Just what you need. I've filled out my form apart from the actual day because i keep changing my mind with what to do...too much choice!! Then i need to get my doc to fill out their part. I need to make a decision and stick with it!!

Thanks Maddona and Lorraine for your experience/choices with Zoladex/surgery. I don't like the sound of those side effects from ovarian surgery but glad your side effects are minimal with the injection. Don't like the idea of giving up hot drinks and spicy foods...boo! However i really like the thought of loosing those pounds :-) Maddona i'm glad you've ditched the Ken Dodd look (lol) and are looking better than ever..it gives me hope lol!! I'm not sure when i need to make a decision about zoladex vs surgery, as i've got to have radiotherapy and tamoxifen this autumn and then herceptin. Does anyone know if you can have zoladex/surgery at the same time as herceptin or wait till afterwards?

Thinking of you Jo and Blossom x
Love Chelle x

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi girls,

Just a little update - haven't had time to read all your entries yet as I have been away too much lately, but will try to get on top of thing over the weekend.

I'm starting to moult seriously today (day 15), so I guess my husband will take razor in hand tomorrow and get rid of the rest. My chemo nurse said I have mouth ulcers but they are not hurting at the moment so have not started gargling yet... Have been seriously lethargic for the last two days and also started having very sore feet yesterday evening. (Thought it was walking barefeet in sandals that did it until I remember that is is a chemo side effect!). Feel fine today so will try to get some jobs done before the tiredness hits me again.

Went to Silverstone for three days - fantastic! Must be experienced to be believed. On Tuesday we took the train down to London to mother-in-law to proceed to Basingstone for a funeral on Wednesday. My husband's auntie died of cancer (28 YEARS after she got it first time!!). She was in her very late seventies now.Her widower is battling throat cancer.

Will have my line in on Tuesday at Christies, then my chemo 2 on Wednesday at Macc. Then back to hospital for Echocardiogram and ECG on Thursday (I'm an angina patient). Friday is Pathways to Work Interview, so have quite a full week one way or another.

Apart from that I'm SUPER (I tend to keep counting time in moments rather than hours now because you don't know when the next side effect will hit!!

Oh - went to a show in Manchester yesterday and saw "Thriller! Live" - fantastic show. Then came home and turned TV on and news bulletin said that Michael Jackson had died. Proper scary. The cast of the show must be devastated.

Anyway, must get some work done.

Take care everybody xx..

Love, Laila

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Good Evening Girls

I'm so lonely treading the boards myself. Still tonight will be the last one this time. Steroids finished today so tomorrow evening sleep will hit in, thank goodness.

No ulcers this time..YIPPEE but the old taste buds are knackered. Everything tastes like old socks!!!

Heather, our founder member, is having a tough time at the moment. She has told me that she is fine with me pasing on this info to you all.

Poor thing has been in hospital for 4 days with a chest infection. She is home now but feeling very down and dreading the next dose of chemo. She has had her first 4 and now she is on a new one and it is worse than the original. She came down with the infection shortly after getting the first dose of the new one. She doesn't know what the second chemo is called as they didn't write the name down on her notes and she hasn't felt much like asking. She is dreading the next one. I'll keep you posted as to how she is doing.

Your weekend away sound great, girls. I'm too old for them...................boo hoo!

Blossom you will be home now and I hope you are feeling ok. Let us know how you are when you can.

Jo thinking of you constantly. Hope you are keeping your spirits up.

Laila you are having a busy time at the moment. Glad you have joined in with us again. Have you had your head shaved yet? My hair is coming back in again, although very slowly.............I'm just impatient!!

Love to you all
Jean x

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hello everyone

Thank you Jean for keepng everyone informed about my litle visit to the hospital, allthough my rcovery is rather anoyingly slow I am so lathargic, i can't even manage to walk to my mothers house wich is less than a mile away. my little dog is missing his grandma!!!! and unfortunatly my mother hasn't yet found her way to my house yet, no matter how many times I show her the way, she still get confused bless her!!

I am so worried about my next chemo, or am I being a big baby, I really don't know if I can cope with feeling so ill. It is so temting to tell them that I don't want anymore, but I know that woud be stupid. Like everyone, I just wish it was all over!

Best wishes to everyone

Heather xxxxx

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi Heather. First of all you are bot being a big baby! I would consider myself a tough person but like you I think this is one of the hardest thing a person can go through. My sister has her double mastectomy on Wednesday and although I haven't told her I think the op is a walk in the park compared to the chemo.
Like you I have had a bad session this time although I think it was probably my own fault, I came off the steroids and although the sickness was fine and I was sleeping I didn't realise they were also an anti-inflamitary, hence when I started my stomach injections the muscle and joint pain was horrendous and I got no sleep anyway because I couldn't lie in the bed lol I asked myself the same question as you, is it worth it? Anyway it IS Heather. Hold on in there!! Take them one at a time and keep counting them off. Come on here and moan your head off, it will all be worth it in the end.Keep thinking how we will be celebrating for eachother when we reach the last one!!!
I suggest we all have a get together when we reach the end of treatment (We could have a girls weekend in my hotel when we have closed this winter), just think how we will be able to look back and say it was worth it we are hear and we are CLEAR!!!!!
Loads of hugs Heather, keep fighting this B.....D!!!! XXXXXX

FormerMember over 15 years ago

P.S I meant all us girlie's celebrating together, not just Heather and I. Sorry, still got my chemo head on when writing lol

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hello All -had my first FEC on Thursday and my lovely partner came and sat with me while they were doing it(bit of a vein problem initially!)
Unfortunately I had quite a bad reaction and was sick for 24 hours which was just awful. The Doctor gave me a different anti sickness called Ondansetron I don't know if that helped or whether the sickness would have stopped after 24 hours. I now have "metal mouth" - ugh ugh ugh! Can I expect this to subside at all?
Lollipops I too think Steph has given you a good overview of FEC I,m not sure as have just started my first treatment. I have a very bad reaction but everyone if different. I do think your Mother should have someone with her for the first few days though.
With regard to "metal mouth" at the moment I am finding it difficult to eat but have managed some Bovril, dry toast, pineapple cubes and some homemade veggie soup. Also lemon and lime flavered sparkling water from Sainsburys. I have also found getting out of bed helps - as I am prone to "wallowing"!
Sorry Jo you are having a difficult time
So glad to hear from you Heather I was wondering how you were - I have been feeling the same as you and dreading the next one but the time will pass and before we know where we are we will be moaning about Christmas Shopping
Can anyone recommend any toothpaste that dosen't taste of soap!
Regardsx

FormerMember over 15 years ago

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer after waiting 5 weeks for a full diagnosis due to all the biopsies being benign despite the initial fine needle aspiration being malignant. My consultant seemed confident I did have cancer but all tests were the opposite, so he removed my lump in surgery which proved to be cancerous. I've since had further surgery to remove the "safe margin" and further scrapings plus a lymph node biopsy. There was a pre-cancerous cell in the scraping, so I was offered a mastectomy or a non-surgical chemo, radio and Tamoxifen route, which is what I decided.

I am awaiting a letter for an appointment at the Christie Hospital in Manchester when I assume I will be told about the chemo for me.

My problem is, that due to all the wait, the distress, anxiety, pain, arm issues (made worse by metalwork surgery last year following an accident on the same arm), my employer is saying I can't have much more time off work on full pay.

I live alone and have a mortgage, bills to pay and food to buy.

Can anyone offer any advice? I've read through the leaflets on the Macmillan website but nothing seems to apply to me.

This is causing me further stress and upset on top of all the other stuff that comes with this awful disease.

Thank you very much in anticipation.

P.S. I am in my 40s and had hoped to work for many years to come yet, my pension is rubbish!

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