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?
I had the stinging under my arm for a couple of months. Its such an odd sensation only now get that feeling occasionaly. Your nearly at the end of your treatment yippeeee. Its such a great feeling getting your life back and putting the c behind you!
Steff hope your recovering and hope your back home soon. At least thats another part of the treament done.
Paula, I too am sorry that you’re going through this awful time. Good luck for tomorrow, my thoughts are with you x
Jean, good luck for Tuesday, mines at 11.30am. I’m not looking forward to the symptoms but I’m sooo happy that it’s the last Epi and our hair will start growing again shortly…yippee! Lets hope the CMF goes smoothly for us both.
Lorraine, glad you’ve had some lovely days away but sorry you’ve felt down. Enjoy your next couple of days away and lets hope the suns shines for that fab train journey. It’s great to hear that I may have enough hair to style in a couple of months..woo hoo!! Hope your back feels better soon, my fingers are crossed too.
Blossom, good luck with your last chemo, it’s great to tick off the treatments.
Marmalade, hope you’re enjoying the bank holiday weekend.
Margaret, glad you’re coping with radiotherapy. Lets hope that stinging sensation doesn’t last long.
I was diagnosed in Jan 09, and following a lumpectomy in Feb I opted for chemo, which I am now half-way through. I have had 3 out of 6 EC chemo treatments and I haven't found it half as bad as I'd feared.
For the first few days I'm a bit lethargic (though I still manage to drive, walk the dog , vac etc) during the day and sleeping at night can be a problem thanks to the steroids that I take for the first 4 days. I've experienced a bit of heartburn, a sore throat and mouth but nothing lasted more than a day. I was completely nausea free until the 3rd chemo, but even then I wasn't actually sick (eating little and often helped).The chemo is on a Thursday and I've managed to go back to work on the following Monday (admittedly it is a PC based job and my managers accept that there's no way I can work at full speed). By the time I'm due the next chemo I feel completely 100 % fit and I always look forward to getting the next one over and done with. Also, thanks to the 'cold cap' I have managed to keep most of my hair so far (its thinned but I estimate I've lost about 20%).
I hope this info helps, but remember everybody is different. Good luck with your treatment!
I'm new to share and just been reading through some of your stories and it really amazes me how well everyone copes with this illness and its treatment. My mum was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with inflammatory breast cancer. She has just begun chemotherapy and will have 6 sessions, one every 3 weeks, followed by a mastectomy, followed by radiotherapy. I came on here at first to ask advice about helping her through her chemo etc. but having read a lot of your posts I already feel a little better equipt. I would love to chat with anyone who's keen, this seems like a great place to talk about everything.
Welcome to the website, but sorry that you both have to be here at all. Hopefully you will find it as supportive to chat on here as i have. Rain dancer it's great that chemo hasn't made you feel too unwell and it's amazing that you are still able to work. There is a mix of people on here, some able to work and others like myself that coudn't imagine working while having the chemo. Im nearly halfway through chemo and i find that i'm exhausted the first week, feel very sick the first two weeks and either feelling well or suffering with mouth sores the third week, then it's back for another dose of chemo again!! Karen i hope that chemo is kind to your mum. I wish you both the best of luck throughout your treatments. Keep posting and let us know how things are going for you. Big hugs and keep smiling x
Hi Kay, i've just read your profile and i too will need herceptin (currently i'm having chemo). I was just wondering how you were finding it? Hope you are keeping well and feeling positive.
hello all, i hope everyone has had nice weekend whatever they did. we had an ok one. its the weekend b4 my last chemo. so its been nice to spend time with my family. ive just got to find the strength deep inside to get through this one. and keep thinking come on its the last one ( i hope). i think its the thought now that i not having any treatment for 6 weeks until i have the operation. i just worry.
Kay i started putting e45 on my feet and i think its helping. thanks for that tip.
lorraine thank you words of reassurance about the lymph node removal. im just so nervous about the operation, ive only had one op before. and that was having my nose straightened, after my my then 4 year old head butted me , by accident when we were mucking around. he was devasted, bless him. im just worried and scared.
I've got 2 more herceptin treatments to go now. To begin with, I was convinced that the cancer had come back every cycle, until I finally realised there was a pattern to the aches and pains that was related to where in the treatment cycle I was e.g. my back aches week 1 and 2, then stops. Bit of pain in my throat for 2 days in week 3 then stops. So, if that happens to you, try not to panic. Also had an almost constant runny nose! This treatment is still relatively new and I'm not sure all the side effects are widely published yet, so maybe if you get odd symptoms you could post on here, and it may ring a bell with others. Good luck with it.
Kay thankyou so much for your advice. I will do my best not to be paranoid throughout the herceptin treatment...however i think that anyone who has experienced cancer will be paranoid and panic forever more!! :-(. As for the runny nose i've already got that with the chemo (no nose hairs!!) :-) lol Good luck with your final 2 treatments, it's great that you've been able to go the whole way as some people only manage a few treatments then experience heart problems as i'm sure you are aware. Fingers crossed for a positive future for us all.
Dear Blossom, please try not to worry about your op. It's sooo fab that you only have one chemo left...keep strong and be brave, chemo's nearly over :-D. I do know where you're coming from being worried though. Try to enjoy your 6 weeks with no treatments x
Jean i hope chemo went ok for you today...thats the epi ticked off..yipeee! :-)
Hello everyone else, hope you all had a great bank holiday weekend. Take care Chelle x
I woud like to anounce that on Thursday it will be six down, zero to go.....yippeee!!!!I never thought the day would come, I am so happy!!!!
Marigold, how are you getting on with the radiotherapy? I have to have three weeks just to the breast area. How is your skin? Are you putting any cream on it? The doctor has pumped my fake boob up for the treatment. I am walking around like Pammy on one side. Have found that M and S do great post surgery bras. They are non underwired and have pockets to put lots of extra padding in...at least I now look equal!
Hi Marian or should i call you pammy pleased you are coming to the end of your chemo and you will be ready to start radiotherapy , I have got to have 30 treatments 25 breast area then 5 where i had the lump removed,I will be having my 11th one today skin is fine i put aqueous cream on twice aday,I have used this cream since my opp to massage my arm to help prevent lymphoedema,you can buy a 500g tub for 2.99 the radiographers do provide you with tubes of this cream as this is the only one you can use with the treatment,all the best for thursday and keep us posted how you get on with radiotherapy.take care xx Chelle Jean hope you chemo went ok yesterday good news your half way through.Chelle i found the same with my nose i always have tissues with me my mum always said are you getting a cold ,as like you no nose hair and it would sometimes run like a dripping tap you cant turn it off lol when i use to go into the warm from the cold.
Lorraine hope you are doing ok thanks for letting me know the stinging i am getting is from my radiotherapy treatment,it hasn't been to bad over the week end as i had 3 days off.
Marmalade hope you and your sister are well.
Bloosom glad you are having your last chemo try not to worry about you opp,i know it's easy said then done.
