*** July BC Chemotherapy Club 2020 ***

Thank you Krysiatennis that is really good to know.  I am hoping to keep up my daily cycle ride and hopefully this means I will.  My chemo nurse did warn me that it would be 6  months of total hair loss - so am prepared.

Wishing you all the best for your final 4 weeks of chemo.

So I've had my first treatment and my positivity is now lying at the bottom of the toilet bowl!

The actual treatment was okay and I wasn't waiting about to long.  I was really nervous so I don't know if that contributed to the nausea.

Once I had been sick, I feel a lot better.  I'm now watching a you tube video on acupressure for nausea and sucking on a ginger nut.  I think I may have eaten too much is one sitting and possibly drank to quickly.  Il need to try to pace myself more!

Thanks for all the tips so far.  Its nice to hear other people doing well and staying active.  It gives me hope!

Hello zmech21

Sorry to hear you have been sick but hope you are feeling better now. 

I also had my first treatment yesterday and I think the anticipation was far worse than the reality!  What treatment are you having? I’m having Docetaxel, cyclophosphamide alongside Herceptin for 4 cycles- so only three left now!!! My biggest problem last night was sleeping because of the steroids- I woke up at 2am full of energy. Felt a bit groggy first thing but I think that was more due to lack of sleep. 

It’s difficult to know how much is too much to eat and how much is too little. After breakfast, I have been snacking on small things and it seems to work ....so far!!!

it will be interesting to swap stories and tips as we go along! 

Good afternoon...........I was reading how you are all getting on in case anyone had a question but I can see you are all very well prepared. Just one or two extras......

My clinic recommended using the mouthwash from Day 1 long before problems develop and to use it twice a day or as often as you feel a need particularly when having taxotere ( the T part of FEC-T whatever name the drug is given at your clinic).

A beautician at my first FEC advised using evo nail from Day 1 too. ( Twice daily for six days, remove with acetone free remover on 7th then start again.) This helps protect your nails. I did both and never had a mouth problem or had black or lost nails. Coincidence?  ......possibly....I'll never know but it wasn't a lot of effort to take the clinic's advice. I did have plenty of other SE's that I could do nothing to prevent.

I see you have found ginger nuts. If you are having difficulty eating....don't forget a ginger infusion. It also helps keep your fluids up. I was very sick so my husband put sugar syrup in the ginger to give me energy as I often couldn't eat for several days.

As you change to Taxotere you may get a few aches and your hands and feet could feel hot. If the burning sensation becomes strong and continues for a day or so just check it out with your BCN. I thought this was normal and certainly a mild sensation can be common but I made the error of ignoring severe burning and it had damaged my feet before the oncologist knew. In that situation the dose could have been reduced but it was too late for me. So just be aware....most people are not affected and I'm not trying to frighten you but it's important you know of the possibility. You will sense if the problem is worse than it should be......my feet weren't simply warm but felt as if I was standing in a bowl of boiling water from which I  could not remove them.

Anyway, the reason I wanted to comment here was not to dwell on the SE's but on the fact so many of you have TNBC. Sometimes not having further treatments can seem frightening. I know it worried me but I remember a past member saying she was approaching the five year mark which is significantly important for TNBC and I know it encouraged me. Well, that's me today. I have my last oncology next week and final mammogram in October. That will be five years. I have had no cancer since Nov 2015 when my lumpectomy removed it.  I hope your treatment is as successful too.  I'm sure it will be.

Take care. Stay Covid safe.

Love Karen

Hi chemo ladies, 

I had docetaxel x4cycles then surgery x3 now had x2 FEC. After first lot of FEC only felt rough for a day or two. However this time feel more seedy and oh my goodness so emotional it’s like I’m either really upbeat or crying. Know the accumulation of drugs build up in your system. Just wondering if anybody else experienced this. Probably doesn’t help got bald spots even though using cold cap so hair shedding continually. With the docetaxel hair used the cold cap and hair got really thin but no bald spots. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster 

hope everyone doing ok

Gail xxx

Hello everyone, I finished my FEC and T some months ago, but was interested to see how all of you were getting along.  Yes, the side effects are numerous, but thankfully, we don't get them ALL, just some which are annoying, but remember, they won't last for ever, even if it feels like they do at present.  Time is a great healer and it does go extremely quickly!  Somehow I can't see the box to tick which likes any posts, hence me posting here myself.  Tips, the ginger nuts and crystallised ginger is really good for sickness and if you need sugar, it's your body asking for energy.  Just go with it and pander to what your body asks for, as I had to give in and eat stuff I've not normally liked, it's all,part of the process and if you listen to your body, it does know what it needs, trust me.

the Evonail is brilliant, I got mine on Amazon, but some ladies said it was getting difficult to find.  Black nail,Polish is another good alternative, as it's the suns rays that really do the damage, they split and flake if not looked after.  Hair fell out after two weeks of starting FEC, then T didn't do much to make it worse and it started to grow before my last one, but it was six months before you could see proper regrowth.  You get used to it.  I wore a bamboo beanie outdoors and a cotton bandana now, in the heat.  Jelly is a good food, just eat little bits when you need to eat, not at mealtimes.  I've lived with the Innuit people up near the North Pole and they eat when they need to, not at set mealtimes.  It works well.  Here's hoping you all manage to get through the side effects with minimal disruption.  I wish I'd had a BCN, but mine retired and I don't believe she was replaced, but thankfully my Oncologist stopped my last treatment due to the peripheral neuropathy (tingling in toes, feet and fingers), don't let it get out of hand, mention it when you can to your Oncologist is my advice.  Take care and best of luck everyone.

Hello Giuliella,

so glad that things are improving for you and that you have finished your chemotherapy, I dad my final course of T&C on Tuesday (hooray), radiotherapy to come, probably at the end of July.

Chemotherapy for me was manageable, not pleasant but as my Oncologist told me at our first meeting “it’s not what you want but it is what you need”,

All thing pass in life and this time will pass for all of us, I also found Haven on line, their meditation advice was helpful to me.

Good luck to all stay safe and take care.

mimi121

Hi Grunchy,

I was on 4 cycles of T&C, lost hair after 2nd session, it’s started growing back a fine fuzz,

I had my last cycle Tuesday so radiotherapy then fingers crossed I’m done until my scan in February,

I found I was emotional during the third treatment and the effects are cumulative mine were manageable.

stay safe take care

mimi121

Hi, How are you feeling after your first chemo?  I had my first yesterday and I’m feeling a little weird, heavy, exhausted and a nasty headache yesterday that’s eased now. 

Hows the great cancer diet going? A friend bought me the Royal Marsden cancer cook book and that seems great.  It has charts with food to target symptoms and nutrition deficiencies.  I’m going to make a few receipted from that just as soon as I feel up to it. 

Look after yourself

Heidi

Hi  

I have bald patches despite using cold cap for 2 chemo sessions, on 3rd EC now and decided to give up on cold cap. I got really fed up of hair shredding everywhere and I shaved my hair on a number 4, so still have a little. I have read that having EC usually means you loose your hair but not so much on T. Was bothered at first but not now.

Fortunately I have been reasonably ok so far with se but it is still early days and appreciate this can change.

BC is an emotional rollercoaster no one wants to be on but we can all support one another and get through this WE ARE ALL STRONGER THAN WE THINK!!! And when we are feeling down post on here and get the loving helpful support that you need.

Good luck to all currently having chemo.

Linda xx