Having a stressful day today. Had my pre chemo consultation by phone today. Went well with lots of information given about what to expect.  However, I did forget to mention about some niggling breast pain I've been having. They come and go, sometimes slightly shooting pain. Did phone breast care nurses last week, who said probably due to all the biopsies I had. They were done a few weeks ago, so wondered if pains would only start happening in the last week. So annoyed with myself, even had it written down. I know I can mention on Monday, but will now have to go through two more days of stress!!

Hi Pippin 24, I think every little niggling pain is a worry when you're in the position that we are, try not to worry hopefully the chemotherapy will start to work killing all of the harmful cancer cells,  hope everything goes well for you on Monday,   I'm anxious at the moment waiting for my PET scan results on Friday the 8th xx

Thank you Carol, all went well. Xx

Hi there, i've just been reading your thread. I really hope you're getting on ok with your treatment. I've had a lumptomy and have now been told i need 3 rounds EC and 3 rounds Docetaxel so very similar to you and the others on this thread. I just wanted to say that i'm thinking of you  and really hope side effects are kept to a minimum. I'm seeing my oncologist today so hopefully i'll have more of an idea on start dates etc...just feels very surreal that i'm chatting to my friends about wigs and things! Debating doing the cold cap and can't decide. My hair is really thin already. Will chat to oncologist later..anyway i just wanted to say good luck with your treatment and hope you are out the other side soon. Let us know how you're getting on and any tricks or tips would be very much appreciated as i'm not far behind you!!

Take care xx

Hi Greeny80, so far so good with the first treatment, no sickness at the moment.  Glad to hear you have already got through your surgery. I had hoped to do that first myself, but they wanted to do chemo first for me. I was offered cold cap treatment but decided against it, as I'm already prone to headaches. I also feel the cold and thought the cold cap would make the treatment sessions too much for me to cope with. I'm all set with my wig and some nice hats, hopefully hair will grow back quickly after treatment finishes. I have bought a product called ploybalm to help reduce nail damage  it was recommended to me by someone on this site. I've researched it a bit and think it's worth a try. Apparently Docetaxel can be harsh on the nails, so I've already started using it to hopefully strengthen them up now. Hope all goes well with your oncology appointment today, let me know how it goes. Xx

Awww thanks for the update hun, so glad you are feeling OK and keeping fingers and toes crossed this carries on for you x 

Thank you. Went for a lovely 40 minute walk with hubby. Had a snooze after lunch. Just prepped dinner and now chilling watching telly. When is your mri appointment?

That was last Tuesday hun, but haven't heard anything back. I am with Oncology Friday morning. I have noticed on my NHS app that I am on the waiting list for geriatric medicine but have no clue what that is about. I am only 40 . Sound like a lovely chilled out day hun. I recommend the Jury on channel 4 if you haven't seen it yet 

Hopefully you'll find out a bit more info on Friday. Not heard of geriatric medicine, that will be a question to ask. Will have to have a look at the Jury, always need good recommendations. Let me know how Friday goes. Xx

Hi Pippin,

Well, hat's the first session over and you're on your way. I am glad to hear that you coped ok today and that you didn't have any nausea. Let's hope that this sets the pattern for the rest!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Thanks so much for the ploybalm intel will take a look! I’m due to start chemo on the 19th!…so I’m not far behind you!!

 So glad to hear your first round went ok..Hope you’re feeling ok today too and that you can breeze through it! Keep us posted!

going to get my hair chopped this week and look at some wigs - all feels very surreal!! Xx

Hi ladies, I had posted previously but my cancer was more advanced than they first thought so i am now joining the chemo train. I saw my oncologist for the first time yesterday, he said there's about a 4 week wait so i expect I'll be April now. I need 4 x EC and 4 x Taxel (?), and then a whole host of other things after that including more surgery, radio and tablets and infusions. Hope you are all ok x

Hi ladies, I had posted previously but my cancer was more advanced than they first thought so i am now joining the chemo train. I saw my oncologist for the first time yesterday, he said there's about a 4 week wait so i expect I'll be April now. I need 4 x EC and 4 x Taxel (?), and then a whole host of other things after that including more surgery, radio and tablets and infusions. Hope you are all ok x

Hi Annielouise, sorry to hear your cancer is more advanced than first thought. I was initially shocked how advanced mine was, as I'd only had a clear mammogram 14 months before. It sounds like your chemo is similar to mine, I'm having EC-T. 3 cycles of EC, then 4 cycles T (Docetaxel). I think there are different T options, so not sure if yours will be the same. I had my first cycle of EC on Monday and all went smoothly. So far side effects have been minimal, with just a headache all day yesterday. Hope all goes well with your chemo, always here for a chat. Xx

Hi, mine is paclitaxel, it's a whole new vocabulary isn't it! I'm glad you didn't have side effects, hope they stay away! I'm in two minds about the cold cap, it seems a but of a faff... 

I was diagnosed 11 Dec and they initially said lumpectomy and radiotherapy, stage 2. Then it emerged there were 4 lumps, so it was DIEP, then the lumps were aggressive and I had 3 infected lymph nodes, extra capsular? So now I'm stage 3 and booked for chemo etc, it was such a shock in a short space of time x

Hello,,I had Paclitaxel  first with hardly any side effects ,whilst on the EC I felt slightly different ,more chemo brain and neuropathy in my little toes and fingers .Tell them in the unit about any changes and how you are feeling . Keep on drinking plenty of water and rest when your body tells you to . 
Good luck on your journey xxx

My hair also started falling out on second treatment ,my son gave me a good shave . I felt happy wearing hats and hair grew back very quickly once treatment was over xx

Oh that's odd - I had a severe reaction to Paclitaxel so they moved me on to Doctaxel then had to stop because the neuropathy got quite severe in my fingers.  They moved me onto EC which has had fewer side effects for me except for extreme nausea for about 7-10 days after treatment (plus the usual tiredness!).  Just goes to show everyone is different and how we react is very different!  Good luck on your journey. xx

Oh bless you hun, how are you feeling after the update.

I think i'm on a similar treatment plan to you, starting EC on the 19th. Good to hear you're doing ok and managing to escape any major side effects, hope that's still the case and hope your headaches are easing. Keeps us posted on how you're getting on. Did you use the cold cap? Hope you're doing ok and looking after yourself. xx

Oh gosh that does sound like a lot to take in. I find that every time i go into the consultants room they seem to up the treatment! It started off like you as a lumptectomy and a week of radio...and now we're onto chemo, more radio and 10 years hormone treatment and injections and possible ovary removal at some stage!! It's a lot isn't it! It does seem to be very much a journey with breast cancer but i am super grateful that there are treatments available and i can chuck all of that at it to stand the best chance of it not coming back.

When does your chemo start and do you know what you're having or how many rounds? Wishing you all the best with your treatment and hope you can breeze through it all...i start my chemo on the 19th and it's so weird not quite knowing how i'm going to feel with it...i guess time will tell! Look after yourself xx xx

Headache now gone I'm pleased to say. Only side effects so far is a little tiredness, but did manage an hours walk with hubby. Due to start a week of injections tomorrow which can also have side effects, will have to see how that goes. Decided against cold cap, due to already being prone to headaches. I also feel the cold and thought this would be too uncomfortable. It'll have to be a wig and nice hats, which I've got ready. Good luck for the 19th, hope all goes well for you. Always here for a chat and to swap tips. Xx

Hi Pippin 24, really nice to hear that you're coping well,  just be careful with those injections,  they gave them me to use and I could hardly walk upstairs afterwards,  I also absolutely hated injecting myself,  I  ended up begging them not to give me any more  and luckily my blood count was OK enough not to need them xx