What a really useful thread!

Come on others!

My mum has just had her second dose yesterday so on week two. She was full of bravdo telling me she didn't want me around, wouldn't get any side effects, lose her hair etc.

She emailed the other day as she has not been answering her phone, to say she was wrong (that's a first!) she thought she was invisable in her own words. she has been so exhausted that she has been in bed every night at 8pm and she says she has been rough! If my mum says she's rough she must be bad!!

I would personally find it helpful to know how others have fared as I find it difficult as I am not allowed to stay or help my Mum and she is telling me very little.I noticed on a sheet of paper hidden on the coffee table something about gemcarbo treatment. Does any know the effects of that treatment.

Sorry my mum said she was invinceable not invisable.!

Hi Imabloke,

Great idea, I cannot give any insight into chemotherapy but husband is having five days of radiotherapy - not a lot compared to some extensive treatments but may be add this to the thread or start another one? Just an idea. Rodis.

What a good idea Imabloke. Here's mine.

Diagnosed with a rare form of Breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I had FEC chemotherapy which originally was going to be 6 cycles where I went once every 3 weeks and had it given intravenously. They then decided to do it for 8 cycles. I lost my hair. I tried the cold cap treatment but it put another couple of hours onto the appointment so decided to wear hats and bandanas. I had a wig but it felt hot & uncomfortable so did not wear it. My eyelashes and eyebrows went ( I was bald all over!!!!!!). However I found tiredness to be the one overriding factor and towards the end I had quite a few upset stomachs. In the early days I also had chronic indigestion. I agree with Imabloke as it was not as bad as I had feared and the hospital were great with dishing out potions and pills to counteract the unpleasant side effects and yes they did work.

Not everyone reacts in the same way to chemo. What one person suffers from another will not even though they may be on the same chemo. My advice is keep an open mind. The chemo nurses are brilliant and they will take very good care of you. Bubbles.

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Good idea Rodis, In for a penny in for a pound - Here goes......

I had radiotherapy every day for 4 weeks. Again tiredness featured quite heavily but so did soreness. Again I was well looked after and was given cream to gently put on and was also advised to use a fan. I used to strip off - position the fan- lie on the bed with the fan going full pelt and it was gloriolus!!!!! It really cooled my skin down. The only problem I really had was when I had a build up of fluid from my operation and the radiotherapy unfortunately did add to it as well. They did a needle aspiration which was very quick and painless and drew the fluid off. I had this done twice. and was absolutely fine. Again I was well looked after.

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Hi everybody, I have only posted on here once before but feel this is a very helpful thread.

I live in Scotland and have Follicula Non Hodgkins Lymphoma which was diagnosed just over three years ago and the time from CT scan, talking to my Oncologist and starting chemo was less than a week so I had very little time to be scared. It seemed like it was happening to some one else, not to me. My ideas about chemo were firmly formed from watching older American movies where the heroine has cancer, chemo and then dies!

I started 6 cycles of RCVP Jan three years ago. The first shock was the amount of tablets that came home on top of the chemo, I seemed to do nothing but swallow tablets, but they did keep a lot of the side effects under control. I think the tiredness and general weakness that increased over the cycles stand out in my mind. Also the numbness up to my knees, I still have numb feet. I was very sick during cycle three so they gave me my anti-sickness intravenously after that which worked much better. Although I was given a wig and told I would lose all my hair, I kept just enough to look nearly normal, I was quite trumphant about that and not needing to use the wig.

Is Chemotherapy really that bad? Well it is unpleasant and I found it pretty hard, but not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. The hospital staff were wonderful and so kind, I don't think I have ever had quite so much fuss made of me, and when you get to the end and get the ALL CLEAR, the memories of the hard times begin to fade.

We are all different and different drugs affect people in different ways, but my advice is tell the medics if things are bad, they are not psychic, so won't know things are difficult if you don't tell them. Above all, stay away from those old American movies!

This is a very useful and helpful post for me. I am about to start my chemo on Monday! Is there anyone else out there who had radio at the same time? That will probably start during my second cycle. Most people seem to have it after they finish chemo, so I am really worried about the combined effects of having both at the same time.

Maybe I should start a new thread on it?

No where near as bad as I imagined!!

I had FEC 6 times every three weeks after a double mastectomy/reconstruction etc and found that I looked worse than I felt I did lose my hair (I tried the cold cap - but couldn't tolerate it) and I was a little sick, but nothing major.

For a few days after chemo the steroids and other drugs can make you feel a little under the weather but again, no where near as bad as I anticipated.

I finished chemo in July and now have my hair back (of sorts)! I am hoping never to have to repeat the experience, but I know that I won't be scared if I do.

I know everybody is different and I hope if you have to have chemo that you have the same experience as me.

Good luck! :)

hi al i had hodgkins lymphoma stage1 which is the first stage i had chemo abvb it was called every 2 weeks for 3 months, only some of my hair fell out plus side of that was i did not have to shave a lot lol, my first dose was horrible as i reacted bad and was sick for 2 days non stop untill my brother phoned the hospital and they gave me stronger anti sickness tablets which worked, only problem with them was they made me really tired and a bit unsteady so my brother stayed with me for 5 days after my chemo to make me food etc and as it got near the end of treatment i got more tired and crabbit but realy that was the only problems i had, now my hair is growing back even on my bald spot and i am glad to be alive and share my story and prove it is possible to be cured, i have also just finished a course of radiotherpy around the neck and mouth which is to make sure it does not come back and finding it worse as i have a very sore mouth and struggle to eat but i will be back to normal in a few weeks and looking forward to this summer as i was ill for most of the last one. ps i thought chemo would be a lot worse but i handled it ok

the order arrived last week no problems, the effect well....... medshops.org/.../Cancer