Hi Vicki,

Thanks for checking in and well done on getting through your last EC, that's brilliant news! You must feel so relieved to be done with it. Do you have 3 weeks now before you start weekly Paclitaxel?

My first round was ok thanks and thankfully not as horrendous as I'd thought it would be. I felt pretty ok while I was taking the steroids and then crashed completely when I finished them. Am day 7 today and just feel very tired now but am hoping to come through the brain fog soon. Battling my brain a bit today with the whole 3 more ECs to go but I'm sure I'll get there.

I can't remember whether you used the cold cap or not? I tried it and it wasn't too bad but I'm still sat here waiting for my hair to start shedding! xx

Hi Daisy

Well done on getting through it. The way I handled it was:

1st Cycle - Yay, I did it and now know what to expect

2nd Cycle - Half way through!!

3rd cycle - I only ever have to do this one more time

4th Cycle - I never have to do this again!!

It will go very quickly even though it might feel all a bit ugh right now. 

I did not use the cold cap as had already ordered a hair replacement system where they glue a custom made wig to your head and maintain every 4 weeks. However, that takes 8 weeks! so i only get that fitted next thursday. My hair stayed put for 20 days after my first cycle. Then i got a strange tight and almost achey sensation on my scalp. Brushed through over my bathroom sink and then my hair started to shed. I had a little cry, but more because it is just another reminder of what you are going through. Then decided I did not want long straggly hair coming out everywhere in the house so took clippers to it the next morning. Grade 3 all over. I had already ordered some comfy beanie hats and a soft one to sleep in. Also a baseball cap with hair already attached - utterly brilliant for popping to the shops etc! I have not lost all of my hair. Id say I have over a third left all over. It is the thing you kind of dread, but once it has happened, you get used to it. Will you get a wig do you think, if you lose a lot?

Hugs xx

Hi Daisy

Just checking in to see how you are doing? Have you had two ECs now? How is it going? xx

Hey Vicki, sorry for the very slow reply! Thanks for checking in though, really lovely to hear from you. Had quite a stressful week last week in the run up to EC no. 2 when my husband tested positive for Covid. Dodging that was fun!

Halfway through EC now though !! Found it a bit tougher than the first round but I didn't take the sedative and really regretted it. Will add it back into the mix for round 3 I think.

Battling the hair loss at the moment. Not sure the cold cap is going to work for me so I'm armed with scarves and hats and will see how we get on.

How are you getting on? Have you started the weekly taxol yet? If so, hope that's going well for you. Also, how's the hair replacement system? x

Hey Vicki,

just checking in to see how you're doing? Did you manage to have your first taxol this week? Hope so and it all went smoothly. Have you had your MRI now too?
 

I'm due my 3rd EC a week today and it feels like it's taking forever to come round. Don't get me wrong, I'm dreading it but at the same time, I just want to get it over and done with!

Hope you manage to enjoy your weekend x

Hey Daisy

Good to hear from you. Yes I finally had paclitaxel on Tuesday this week. I'd been a bit nervous about it as wondered if I'd have a weird reaction to it, but all good. The only side effects I've had are a slightly hot and irritated face for 2 days and then a slightly sore throat. I wore cold gloves and slippers for the full hour of administration as don't want to get nerve damage if I can help it. Hopefully I can get through the next 11 without any major issues. 

The phesgo injection ended up giving me horrific diarrhoea for three days though which was grim!! Thought I was fine on it but it was a delayed reaction. Immodium sorted it out each time though. 

I bet you can't wait to get through the ec part. It will come! 

In the meantime not sure if you are on Instagram or not, but I've discovered a doctor who was a breast cancer surgeon and who got breast cancer as well. She along with another Dr also wrote a book called the complete guide to breast cancer. She is called Liz O'Riordan. Very informative stuff. 

Hope you have a lovely weekend. Let's hope for some sun xx

Hey Vicki,

I guess you must be gearing up for your second Taxol tomorrow? I bet they are going to whizz round now that you've moved to weekly treatments.

I've read that lots of women use the cold gloves and slippers. Where did you get them from? I've bought some Polybalm to try on my nails when I move to Taxol. I think this is the first time that I've ever actually looked after my nails properly and I think they look the healthiest they ever have! I'll continue using the OPI nail strengthener in the hope that I don't lose any nails.

Hope you're feeling ok. At least the injections are only every three weeks, the side effects don't sound nice!

Anyway, good luck for tomorrow. EC number 3 on Friday and I'm torn between wishing it would hurry up and get here and dreading it.

Take care xx

Hi Daisy

Yes I remember that feeling all too well. It really will be over before you know it though. I think I was the most emotionally drained after my last EC. But once it is done and you have recovered from them all, they will soon fade into the distance. 

I like the idea of my treatments whizzing by. At the moment it feels like a lifetime though! when I get into single figures it may feel like its going down quickly though. I wonder what the double whammy of phesgo and paclitaxel will be like? I'm due that on the 17th May. For now though, quite calm about tomorrow if only like last week. 

I got my gloves and slippers from Amazon. I think the brand is called Hilph. I can't check as they sit in the freezer at the oncology unit. :) 

I've already moved on to thinking about what surgery I will end up having. I don't want to have radiotherapy as well as everything else, but if you have a lumpectomy you have to have it. However, I have heard of interoperative radiotherapy where they give you a single dose of it whilst you are asleep during surgery, which sounds more appealing than 3 weeks of it, or a mastectomy, if it can be helped. And then I'll start thinking about having tamoxifen after that no doubt and how I am not looking forward to any potential side effects! So many things to think about on this journey.

BEST of luck for Friday. You will get through it and then you only have one more to go!! You can do it!

Speak soon.

xx

Hi Vicki,

How are you doing? I think it was this past week that you were due to have the Phesgo injection with the taxol? If so, how'd it go? Hope you didn't have too many side effects. You must be down to single figures for your remaining treatments now??

I'm bracing myself for the final EC in just over a week. Found the recovery from the 3rd one much slower, I was just so tired all the time. Starting to feel a bit better now though thankfully.

Had a scan this week that showed the chemo is doing its thing so I'm trying to be a bit more positive.

Anyway, I hope you're doing ok and managing to enjoy the sunshine this weekend.

Take care xx