**JULY BREAST CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY CHAT**

Evening everyone...I'm 8 days post 1st chemo and have developed tiny itchy bumps all over my scalp..anyone else had this?.. could it be a sign the follicles are reacting, Fee x

Hi I'd say it relates to your hair loss one way or another, although I don't remember anything similar. Try a bit of scalp massage with some oil eg olive oil but be gentle. 

Hiya

I'm having my 1st chemo tomorrow so final night of normality for 4 months for me today.  I think I'll finally be glad to know exactly what I'm in for, instead of guessing which of the SE's will affect me and how badly.  Giving the cold cap a go although (again I only think) losing my hair is not what is worrying me most.  I'm more concerned about the nausea, potential cystitis, dry everything and sore feet and hands.  Oh and the loss of taste, I love my food.

Hugs and good wishes to all those of you going through this and hoping that we all get by with the minimum discomfort.

XOXO

Hi Justtheone,

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, hope it goes well. I have my third on Weds. On the first round I didn't have any side effects apart from the flu like symptoms and tiredness I think everyone gets. I did have a spell in hospital as I got an infection and my temp went up. They gave me injections to help with that on the second round and it fixed it:) Again I only have had the flu like symptoms and tiredness no cystitis or loss of taste, no dryness, my nails are fine at the mo. I did lose nearly all my hair about the time of the 2nd chemo.

I'm on docetaxol, cyclophosphamide and Herceptin

I've tried to have good nutrition - I think that has helped but have already put on weight from not doing so much exercise.

Hugs and prayers

Janet

xx

I had my last EC chemotherapy on Friday and so far have not really suffered with any side effects, just a bit of tiredness. I'm starting weekly paclitaxel and three cycles of carboplatin on 19th July and feeling anxious that the change in drugs might affect me more, hoping not. 

Best wishes to all of you going through chemotherapy xx

Bright blessings to all the ladies starting this month. 

Got the call today to book me in for my first session of FEC Monday; it's made it feel so real! 

Just ordered some evonail and getting my hair cut Sunday to prepare for cold cap and possibility of hair loss. I have very thick long hair which I have taken years to grow so this is a huge thing for me. I'm just going to going to have it cut to a bob for now and see what happens. 

Mouth wash bought ready for the sore mouth. 

Also scared of what it's going to make me feel like but also eager to get started to get this thing zapped! A real mixed bag of emotions.

Now to blitz the house, before a weekend away with the family (we've had to cancel our holiday to the US) before the fun begins!

Hope all you lovely ladies are doing well xx

Hello and best wishes to all in the July group. Day 10 post first FEC and feel almost normal (main side effects last week were a general feeling of yuck..wobbly legs, shaky hands, heartburn, dry eyes). I had a wee bit of shaky hands this morning after some gardening but apart from that was a good day and ended with a lovely walk on the beach. Still have itchy little bumps on my scalp but if anything my hair feels thicker and not seen a single hair on my pillow or in the shower. Got a radioactive ejection fraction scan of my heart tomorrow....great...more stuff going into my body!, regards, Fee x

Hi feemcg

Glad to hear you've escaped relatively unscathed from your first lot of chemo; it's given me hope. You sound like you're still managing to live a quite a normal life which is encouraging.

Reading your updates has been a help and had I not found this forum I don't think I would have been as well prepared. 

Thank you x

Good morning Elsie77, I'm glad my updates helped....it helps me to read other peoples' experiences (most of the time) so wanted to diarise the first few days post chemo, but fully aware everyone has a different side effect experience.

I definitely feel I could have been at work this week although I was strongly advised against it...I see 20+ patients 5 mornings a week and this isn't a good idea if I'm immunocompromised...I don't feel as if I am..but would be a different story if I caught a bug and spiked a temp!...plenty of 'I told you so's' lol.

Good luck  with your chemo...would be good to hear your experiences too, Fee x

Good luck with your chemo today - may the gods of side effects be good to you, and hopefully the cold cap will work for you as well! 

It is always the nausea/vomiting that worries me most as well - I would just say - take the antisickness tablets they give you and don't wait until you feel sick before you do - it's easier to prevent than cure! If what they give you doesn't work, don't suffer, let the team know - they'll usually have something up their sleeves that will!