Hi Smudge24

So sorry to hear your news, it’s such a stressful time for you.  Like Pippin, I am also er/pr positive and HER2 positive but I had the surgery first and about to start chemo next week, I was diagnosed in February.  I know it’s a very confusing time but hopefully they will soon have your treatment plan sorted out and you can move forward.  Keeping busy and lots of walks helped me feel less anxious and calmed me down somewhat. Happy to help if you have any questions or just want to chat, best wishes x

Thank you Norasand and Pippin24. I’ve had a meeting today with doctor and still need one more ultrasound on one area to see if it’s another small tumor. That’s the determining factor for whether chemo or surgery comes first. The surgery part doesn’t bother me hugely. I think it looks like i’ll be going down the lumpectomy and radiation route. Chemo is the part I feel most nervous about. I’d love to hear how you’ve found chemo Pippin24. If you tried the cold cap, what’s happened to your hair etc. Good luck in starting yours next week Norasand, how do you feel about it? Let us know how it goes. How long is yours? 

Hi, I had two tumours, plus cells in breast tissue and one lymph node, so they decided to try and shrink them with chemo first. I was put on EC-T chemo, 3 EC, followed by T (for me this is docetaxel). Had no problems with EC, with only minimal side effects. Tumours had already reduced after these three cycles. Then started docetaxel, which I had been really worried about, as it's stronger and some of the side effects mentioned scared me. However, I've been fine  on this too, still with minimal side effects. I had been concerned about nail damage on the docetaxel, but started using a product called polybalm at the start of my chemo and have had no issues. I'm also now on phesgo injections for a year, due to being HER2 positive. I decided against using the cold cap, as I'm already prone to headaches. I got a lovely wig, which I wear if going out for a meal, or with friends. I also bought some really nice hats from a company called anna bandana, which I wear most of the time. Like Norasand, I go out for a walk every day, as it helps with my mindset and keeps me positive. Keep in touch and let me know how you get on. 

Norasand, it's great that you've already had your surgery. Hope all goes well with your chemo. Xx

Hi, I had two tumours, plus cells in breast tissue and one lymph node, so they decided to try and shrink them with chemo first. I was put on EC-T chemo, 3 EC, followed by T (for me this is docetaxel). Had no problems with EC, with only minimal side effects. Tumours had already reduced after these three cycles. Then started docetaxel, which I had been really worried about, as it's stronger and some of the side effects mentioned scared me. However, I've been fine  on this too, still with minimal side effects. I had been concerned about nail damage on the docetaxel, but started using a product called polybalm at the start of my chemo and have had no issues. I'm also now on phesgo injections for a year, due to being HER2 positive. I decided against using the cold cap, as I'm already prone to headaches. I got a lovely wig, which I wear if going out for a meal, or with friends. I also bought some really nice hats from a company called anna bandana, which I wear most of the time. Like Norasand, I go out for a walk every day, as it helps with my mindset and keeps me positive. Keep in touch and let me know how you get on. 

Norasand, it's great that you've already had your surgery. Hope all goes well with your chemo. Xx