FEC

Hi Janey

Thanks for letting me know how you handled your chemo. You said that it becomes a kind of routine which wil help me with young kids. I'm trying not to let this change their routine too much but in the end I cannot do anything about this. I never would have thought to look at my photo like that. I'll have to keep telling my self that on my crappy days.

Take care

xoxo Kys

Deanne

Thank you for letting me know how you handled FEC. I'm one of those people who wants to know everything about a subject.. I reckon I'll end up doing what you did and shave my hair when it starts to fall out. I don't think my husband and kids will want to see my hair everywhere. The tips about the mouth ulcers and the blog will help.

Take care

xoxo Kys 

I had FEC for three cycles and my experience wasn't too bad. The first few days were good because of the anti-nausea drugs then I felt a bit off for the second week but no vomiting and the third week I felt fantastic. Funny that I felt fantastic and very energetic but actually had very low neutrophils so ended up having to have Nulasta shots for the rest of the treatment. The Nulasta had its own side-effects; aching bones as my body tried to generate more neutrophils but all in all, it wasn't a bad experience for me. Most of the side effects were minor and I even went on holidays for two weeks to the Gold Coast and did a couple of theme parks. I wish you all the best and hope that your experience is not awful. Just remember that it is killing all those cancer cells and will ultimately make you better. Best wishes xx

Hi Kys, I had AC which is similar to FEC I believe and my experience was also similar to Deanne's. Believe it or not, you do get into a kind of routine as you go. After the first one when you begin to know what to expect, it's not so scary. Not that it helps to know what to expect, mind you, but the 'unknown' is gone. Keep your chin up Kys and be kind to yourself. It's okay to cry too. Take it one day at a time. Sending you bigs hugs. Love Janey xxx

PS What a great family photo. You'll have to adopt the name Kys 'The Lionheart'. X

Yes, it is scarey having Chemo, especially that first dose. So sorry that you are facing this too! I have had 3 x FEC and am 2 weeks away from last of 3 Docetaxels. As you have probably heard everyone is different with side effects. My experience with FEC was not too bad. Never vomited but felt various degrees of nausea. I found it helped to eat small amounts regularly. Sometimes salty foods are more appealing. I also found cold food easier than hot food. I also felt pretty tired for a couple of days. Generally I felt better after day 5 or so. I started to lose my hair about 2 weeks after first dose of FEC, although it took ages to actually lose it all. I had it shaved to minimize discomfort and mess. Remember it does grow back! Make sure you look after your mouth care to avoid ulcers! I used a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in glass of warm water to rinse and gargle with. Do this after you eat and use a soft toothbrush to brush with. There is a blog on here called 'things that helped you through Chemo' or something like that which had lots of info on what people have found useful. Just type chemo or things that help into the search bar at the top of this page and you should be able to find it. Wishing you all the best for first Chemo. If you have questions as you go just come on here and ask for help. We are all here to make the journey easier if we can. xxxDeanne