Hi Angie and welcome to Cancer Chat.

I'm sorry about your diagnosis but I'm glad your treatment is going well.

I know you're hoping to hear from others who have had FEC-T so I've had a quick look through the forum for you and wanted to put you in touch with [@TwinTwo]‍, [@Evie18]‍, [@jessmarble]‍.[@Sparklingtstar19]‍'s mum has also had this treatment and hopefully they'll will all pop by at some point to share their experiences with you.

I hope this helps.

All the best, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Angie29

I had my first FEC T treatment two weeks ago and the actual session went really well. I had a bit of a headache some days and some mild indigestion but nothing that required any medication. I had a follow up appointment today and mentioned this to the oncologist and have some medication in place if needed following my next cycle. Feel free to message me to compare notes if you would like to.

I have looked in to the FEC T regimen and it seems to me that quite often the FEC part of the treatment is the easier part, but I'm looking at it as I will be half way through my treatment by then and the end will be in sight. The side effects may worsen or in fact change on the Docetaxel but I think the best advice is to tell the medical staff  if you need help. 

The oncologist decides what chemo regimen you have after considering all of the factors and I would presume this would not usually be changed. Hopefully you can discuss any concerns you might have with the  oncologist / lovely chemo nurses and allay any fears you might have.

Keep in touch and let me know how you get on.

Evie18

Hi Evie18,

thank you for your reply. Sounds like you’re managing the 1st treatment quite well with mild side effects. I’ve also heard that Docetaxel is the heavier part of the regimen. I’ll definitely stay in touch to see how you’re doing. Fighting breast cancer is not easy, but it’s nice to know there’s a community here supporting us.

Sending positive vibes for your 2nd treatment.

angie29

Hi Angie,

I started FEC in June this year and then went onto the T, finishing up all chemo on 20th September.

I have a very easy time with the FEC.  I went into to work here and there, although only ever doing 4 hours and never doing more than two days in a row, just to ensure I didn't overdo it.  I still managed a reasonable social life too.  In terms of the expected nausea (cause it's what we all hear happens with chemo) I used mind over matter every day.  I always woke up feeling nauseous but every day I told myself over and over "I feel fine" for a good few minutes, and on all bar two days it turned out I did feel fine.  On two days I was sick but I get migraines and that may have been a factor.

Having had it so easy on FEC I was warned about the T and while I was still very upbeat during the T I was pretty much in bed for all of it.  In saying that I apparently had quite unusual and extreme symptoms.  I would be fine for the first few days, then all of a sudden being remotely upright caused me to blackout, sometimes throwing up first.  This was to the extent that even lying flat on the bed with my head raised I would get dizzy.  It was really bizarre, but as long as I stayed flat I felt fine.  If I was flat for a few hours then I could manage 5 minutes sitting up to eat something light, but that was about it really.  That lasted 5-7 days.  The first two of those days also brought excessive pain for me and I can't take opioids, so that wasn't fun, but it's over before you know it.  Once I could get out of bed my legs weren't getting the proper signal from my brain so they were doing their own thing making walking problematic.  Have to admit this side effect sent me into fits of the giggles at times.  I used crutches to help and got about as much as I could on them.

It all seemed like a long journey when I was at the start of it but it has gone by in a flash.  My oncologist did twice ask if I wanted to stop the T but it had actually started to shrink the lump (the FEC hadn't) so I was insistent on sticking with it.  2 months on from my last chemo and were it not that I'm now post-mastectomy I think I'd be pretty much back to normal by now, albeit a bit more tired than usual.  When I get really tired my legs do still start to do their own thing but that is easing off over time.

N.B.  One thing that is common to a lot of chemos is constipation and I think this often encourages the feeling of nausea.  I did get constipation the first time round and asked my chemo nurse if, for the second round, I could take something from the outset as a preventative measure.  They saw no harm in and told me what to get.  So for the other 5 rounds I took Senna the day before chemo and then for the next few days, until I was happy I wasn't going to get constipation.  I'd definitely say it's worth asking your nurse if they are happy for you to take it preventatively too.  As long as they don't see it doing you any harm then it could save you a little on the side effect front.

Quality of life after treatment?  10/10  Still recovering from surgery though and because my cancer had already spread I'm going to be living with cancer now, but could be around for quite some time I guess if the Tamoxifen and other drugs do their thing.

Let us know how you get on with chemo.  Just take each day as it comes and don't let your brain assume you're going to feel bad!

Best wishes,

LJx

Hi Angie, 

Although I’ve visited the chat forum I’ve never actually posted anything but I saw that you are going to start FEC T so thought I would share my experience with it . Before I started I was really worried but It was not as bad as I had feared and I actually found the T part more comfortable than the FEC .For me the biggest thing was the tiredness, I was wiped out for 4 or 5 days after each one  . I was very lucky and although at times I felt nauseous I was never actually sick ( They give you lots of anti sickness meds ) . I had several side effects but nothing drastic and it says a lot that already only a couple of months later I am struggling to think of them . Heartburn was one of them along with very sensitive finger tips and toes ( I still have a bit of neuropathy in my feet ...it feels like I’m walking on a stone under the ball of each foot ...not painful but just feels a bit weird ) I started to lose my hair straight after the second session of FEC ( I chose not to use the cold cap ) . I had my op in March ,finished the chemo at the end of September and have just finished 5 weeks of radiotherapy. My hair is just beginning to grow back . I’m still very tired but that is as a result of the radio as well and it is still early days. I hope that you also get minimal side effects and that your treatment goes well ....good luck ! 

Jackie

Thank you Twin Two and Jacqi for your replies. Doing everything to prepare for chemotherapy, but I know that you can never be prepared enough for this whole life changing process. 

Trying to decide on cold capping; however,  I hear it only works for some, but not for others. How often would I actually wear a wig? Bald is beautiful. Though, it’s winter now, so I won’t dare to test that theory so much.

Wish all you ladies continued success in recovery. 

xx 

Angie29

Hi angie

I'm glad to hear you are doing well. Try not to worry, take it one day at a time..I hope you dont mind but im just hoping you may have some tips for my mum whom is starting her radiotherapy soon, did you hear any tips along the way? Could you explain what happens or what to expect to help put my mums mind at ease? 

Thanking you, geraldine x

Hi Angie29

I see you  were undecided about trying the cold cap. I tried it for the first cycle, it takes a little while to get used to it but it is manageable. I was surprised at how much hair I have lost, it started on day 13 and  I'm losing more hair each day, I'm not sure I will have any left by cycle 2. As soon as I get my wig  I think the rest has got to go. I don't know how often I will wear the wig but I guess once I've got it its an option. 

Do whatever feels right for you on the day, keep in touch.

Evie 18

Thanks Angie,

with regards to cold capping I chose not to because it adds to the amount of time you have to spend at each session and also because I had also heard that some people still lose their hair ( my sister in law used it and lost most of hers ) I also decided not to have a wig ....I feel more like me with a hat or scarf than I would have in a wig . I go commando at home ( my lovely hubby said I remind him of that one in ‘Snowhite ‘ when I asked him which one ( visions of snowhite in my mind) he said ‘Dopey’ ! Lol Good job I love him .....having a sense of humour helps get you through most things !. My hair is just beginning to grow and as soon as it is even all over ( even if it is still really short I intend to ditch the headgear when I go out too ....I find it very itchy ) of course everyone is different and what suits one person doesn’t suit the next so the important thing is to do what you feel most comfortable with .....

                                   jacqi

Hi Geraldine ,

I have just finished 5 weeks of radiotherapy. I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience but I can tell you what it was like for me. Firstly the staff were all amazing ! I had a pre meeting with a nurse who explained exactly what would happen and then was ‘measured up’ ( everything is measured down to millimetres) while laying on the same sort of platform as for a CT scan, there is an adjustable neck rest, knee rest and footplate which is set up ready for you each time . I then had 3 little pinprick tattoos put on so that they could line everything up accurately each time ....these didn’t hurt .The machine is like a CT scanner really but without the ‘doughnut’  The machine that delivers the radiotherapy slowly swing over to different positions then stop to deliver the correct amount. I had to hold my breath while the machine was working but was told that if I needed to breathe it was fine and that the machine would automatically stop. The staff leave the room once everything is set up ready to go and talk via a microphone . I felt absolutely nothing during the treatment . The effects didn’t really start to show until about the 12th one ,when my breast and under my arm started to feel a little swollen and tender....this has increased as time has gone along during the 25 sessions ( sore but not unbearable) and the area has become red and itchy but they gave me cream which has really helped. They told me the effects peak between 7-14 days after the last treatment so I think they will start to decrease in a couple of days or so. I was advised to moisturise the area from the beginning and have been doing this with E45 cream . Please tell your Mum not to worry ....Radiotherapy sounds scarier than it is, the staff will help her through it and before she knows it she will be the other side of it ......wishing you and your mum all the best 

jacqi x