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,

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