*Tamoxigang Christmas Party* - 45

[Tiny100]

Morning All!

We're nearly in December, so let's get the festivities started.

[adds mince pies to the trolley]

Happy new year !

Thank you Gigs, yes this'll be my third MRI and second ct scan (had an X-ray too) withbg three weeks. I'll be a pro. This one will be a marathon ;) hate needles. I go unconscious vs feint if in my hand or veins. Pathetic.Com
Anyway, since seeing the surgeon I do feel secure and safer. Instead of worrying about it all, I imagine his face and the certainty he had about operating successfully.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year. May it be full of only good news and good things!
Xxx

Happy New Year. Hope 2014 is better than 2013 for all of us.

Mine has got of to a good start as got up this morning to find a covering of stubble filling in the gaps on my head - yippee.
Also had a great night with friends last night - didn't feel ill and didn't have to leave early!!

Happy new year all, and here's to a healthy 2014!
Doing fine here, next week will be my halfway chemo point, yay!

Happy New Year! We've had an enjoyable holiday period with both DSs at home. DS1 has now returned to t'other side of the world and we are planning a trip to the Far East to meet up with him in the summer. Reason to keep cheerful!

Belated Happy New year to all! (I blame the time zones for the lateness )

Kitkat, that's fantastic!
W, I hope that the next half whizzes by for you!

Lily glad you had a good Christmas with your boys
Kitkat really pleased about your hair, my eyelashes are definitely growing every day now I've even got a bit of mascara on today !

Hope everyone is ok
I'm waiting for my radiotherapy appointment. Had a letter today to see the nurse next week which I wasn't expecting but then realised it's my 1st yearly check up in January 2015 ! Thankfully realised just before I rang up to see what it was for

Hi everyone & happy new year! For me personally I'd like to fast forward to summer but never mind! I've been a bit rubbish at contributing to this thread, December has been a whirlwind of hospital visits since diagnosis early in the month. I'd mentioned I'd been invited to take part in a study and got encouragement to do so for the after care etc. the study was a PET /CT body scan paying particular attention to the lymph areas to determine whether this could determine cancerous cells and potentially take over from the more invasive biopsy. The biopsy was done as well on the 20th, they removed the sentinal node, still waiting for results and there is also an infection in the 4cm wound which was steri stripped (is that standard?!). I could do without that on top of everything else, on anti biotics since Xmas day but no sign if it shifting despite it being drained. Back in hospital for check of it tomorrow. Anyway I saw the oncologist on Mon & told I'm going onto a brutal dose of FEC-T due to my age (42). Also told its oestrogen positive so will be going onto hormone therapy following surgery (tamoxifen?) early menopause, so much to take in. This morning I noticed the skin on the breast which has the tumour is starting to pucker and feel bumpy, just above the nipple. Is this a sign that the cancer is spreading? I had an MRI just before Xmas but the results of this haven't been shared yet. I appear to still be producing milk despite stopping breast feeding, hope that's ok. A matter of weeks ago by breasts fed my son and now I'm afraid to look touch them. Sorry for another self indulgent post and sorry I haven't followed this but I hope you've all had a good Xmas and are doing fine. Thanks xx

It is very quiet on here today - hope no one is still suffering from NYE over indulgence and is just enjoying RL!

Happy New Year Hoosy. I know what you mean about fast forwarding, I hope by the summer that the majority, if not all, of my treatment will be over. It really doesn't help when your Onc uses words like 'brutal'. Lots of women on this thread have followed the FEC-T regime and are also on Tamoxifen - I understand that whilst it is not pleasent, it is all doable. I am sure that they will be along soon to have a and put your mind at rest. The only way they can tell if a cancer has spread is with scans, do you have a date for the MRI results? I hope your infection clears soon, horrible thing to have to deal with on top of everything else.

Your hospital is getting efficient Malt - a 2015 date already!

A friend told me about some tablets that her friend used when she lost her hair, apparently they really helped with the re-growth. I will find out what they were called and post for all the ladies at the re-growth stage. I am sporting the slap head look, re-growth seems a long, long way off for me.

hoosy do you have a breast cancer nurse yet? If so you could always phone her for some reassurance about the skin changes and the milk. As Tiny says, quite a few on the thread have had FEC-T and Tamoxifen so you're in good company. Some had more side effects than others, it's really just luck.

kitkat and anyone else interested, I had an email this morning to say Covert Affairs series 3 is on Netflix now. I was too impatient and bought 3 and 4 on iTunes so am nearly finished 4, then I don't know what I will do

Ruby - that's perfect timing for me as I have only 1 episode of Grey's left so can launch straight back into Covert Affairs now (probably tonight in fact!!).

Tiny - any info on hair growth would be much appreciated - I'm very impatient at the moment. When I was actually having treatment the hair situation didn't bother me but now it's a reminder that I'm not back to normal yet!!

hoosy - although no chemo is pleasent I don't think FEC-T is generally considered to be brutal. Before I had all my results my onc ran through all the chemo options and that was number 2 on a list of 4 (getting progressively stronger).

I would say that reactions to FEC vary hugely - it seems that if you're not impacted by sickness/nausea it's not too bad. As for T - well none of us found it easy but everyone gets through it - and we'll all support you.
I was 45 at diagnosis and also ER+ (in fact 8/8) - I got FEC-T (well variety of it) and will be starting 10 years of tamoxifen later this month. My onc was pleased with this pathology as it's one they know how to deal with (and the most common) so you are on a well trodden path. The age thing is funny isn't it - to suddenly be told you are young (!!) - I don't think I would have had chemo at all if I had been older.
And exciting news about your trial - that sounds interesting and you will get some extra info.

Hoody, I have nothing useful to say other than I know how difficult it is not to know and to be questioning everything. So much for you to take in, and with such a little one. I'm sending you huge hugs.
Xxx

Hoos, I'm just coming to the end of the FEC bit of FEC-T. The nausea hasn't been fun, but my onc has thrown heaps of anti emetics at me.
As for the skin puckering, who knows? I have it too but I can feel my lumps getting smaller, which is great.

Thanks all of you for your support, good to know of others on FEC-T, yes it was the oncologist who described it as brutal - nice! I thought he was referring to the dose but I suppose that is based on your height /weight. He said it was seen as being one of the best etc etc. I'd already discovered that the T is the worst part of the regime...fingernails lifting?! Does this really happen? Ugh! Not looking forward to nausea but as you say - plenty of anti emetics. I'll be fine once I get started, happier for knowing more at least (though not necessarily what I want to hear!) and good to know I can come here too. I do have a breast care nurse, well two of them as they job share! I emailed them both today with my concerns but not heard back. Suspect most people are off until Monday. At least I might get some reassurance in hospital tomorrow, back to see breast surgeon re this infected wound, he's like Santa but without the beard and red suit! A very jolly fellow! Puckering I've heard can be a sign of cancer, I was just surprised, as as far I was concerned I had a large-ish lump and that was it, wasn't expecting to see other changes at this stage. I'll hopefully get MRI results soon. 10 years of Tamoxifen Kit? 5-10 years seems to be the standard. That will be a few months away for me yet but I'll let you know when I'm there! Yes strange to be considered young in your 40s! Makes a change!

Hoos I finished fec t in November and yes it was tough at times but not as bad as I imagined. My fingernails just have ridges in them they haven't lifted
Are you going to try the cold cap ?
I wasn't sick at all, they say you're more likely to if you normally have travel sickness or morning sickness

I bought a hair dye today as mine is quite grey, have done the patch test and will report back on the results in a couple of days !

Malt - my onc said same re morning sickness. She also said it was more likely I'd be sick as I'd so recently been pregnant and that makes you more sensitive.
Good luck with the hair dye!

ooo Malt - do report back on the hair dye. Have you gone for something 'natural'?
My eyebrows are starting to grow already - it's wierd - kind of like as soon as they fell out the new ones started to grow .

Hoosy - I think (but don't quote me!!) - that you can have FEC 75 or FEC 100. FEC 100 is stronger but I don't know who gets which one ( I got 75 and I suffered with that!!).

Did you have bad morning sickness? If so you must tell your onc prior to starting FEC so they can start you with a decent amount of anti-emetics as otherwise it is just a case of start with the basics and work up if you need more.
Good luck with your surgeon visit tomorrow.

It's a temporary one can't remember which sort ! Will probably do it on Saturday don't think I'll need the whole lot as my hair is still very short !

Malt Another person interested in your hair dye experience. I thought you had to wait for 6 months post chemo before trying but am fed up with looking like Sinead O'Connor's granny.

Sinead O Conners granny I'm sure you don't !
I think officially you are meant to wait 6 months but I feel rebellious !

Sinead o Connors granny lol! I look forward to hearing, I too thought you had to wait six months after chemo (getting way ahead of myself here - it's not even fallen out yet!) but don't like the idea of au natural so I'll watch this space! Ah right Kit well maybe I'm going on FEC 100! I'm v encouraged by the comments about sickness as I had no morning sickness at all with my 2 pregnancies so fingers x'd!! Thanks for encouraging sounds, I do appreciate talking to you who've been through / are going through the same.

I would have thought a quick semi permanent dye even on New fragile hair would be fine. And if it all falls out you have only lost the thin, fine straggly stuff. Better hair will be along shortly. Luckily short hair is lovely.

A friend's teenage Dd walked into the room as we were having coffee this afternoon. She had been for a haircut and was in floods of tears as her waistlength beautiful hair had been cut too short for her liking. Adult eyes couldn't see the difference Tbh but she was distraught. It reminded me of a disasterous perm I had at a similar age that left me looking like cilla black for six months!

I am feeling sorry for myself tonight. It is bloody hard to keep the pollyanna schtick going. I wish, I wish, I wish my cancer would go away.

Hooyermama I had FEC-T 100 (and herceptin with the (doco)taxol as I am HER2 positive as well as ER positive). What can I say - you'll get through it because anything is do-able when there aren't good alternative options. You just show up, get the treatment and then get through the consequences the best way you can because that is what you need to do. I hated the FEC as I loathed the nausea and while as I had all the anti-emetics they didn't work that great for me. I got it done though. I have had toe-nail issues, but not finger-nail issues - they will put cold packs on your hands and feet to try to reduce the effects of the taxol. You'll get through it because you need to...

Are they going to put a portacath or a piccline in for you? It makes running the Epirubin and Tax much easier.

Trice I wish I could give you a big hug. I wish, I wish, I wish that your cancer would go away too. It sucks! Big time!

Trice, I wish your cancer would go away too. Xxx