FEC off!

I'm back! I apologise for the radio silence but I've had a bit of a pants few weeks what with being sent for more tests and having to wait for the results. So much so I've been almost unable to think about much else let alone write. But thankfully the results came back ok - I have to say I have never felt relief like it. Funny the things you get happy about after a cancer diagnosis! However, as always in the back of mind I know that this will not be the last time I ever have to deal with something like this again (far from it) so I need to find ways of managing the Canxiety. Maybe it'll get easier as time goes on who knows? Ugh.


Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'm halfway through my chemo sessions all being well. Yey! No more FEC!

This photo was taken at the beginning of my last chemo on Tuesday. I think in all honesty I've had  a pretty easy ride with FEC which makes me nervous about the next lot - the Docetaxel (or Taxotere). With FEC, my side effects have been mainly a bit of a floaty head at times, feeling tired and having a bit of a sore mouth on occasion which has easily been sorted with Difflam. I've still managed to run - one week I did 16 miles - and I went in to the office last week a couple of times. No sickness and only a very short period of nausea after the first one. Oh yeah - and my hair has fallen out but nothing they can give you for that unfortunately! I have some pretty awesome wigs though :-). I've more or less been functioning pretty normally although the tiredness seems to have hit quite badly this time. I look and feel bloody knackered. Oh and my veins are screaming. The photo above was taken when the epirubicin was being administrated. You can see it snaking its way down the tube in to my arm. It's nasty shit that stuff. I guess it needs to be though. I call it the red devil. Its done this to my veins:

Meh. Lets hope it's annihilating my tumour as much as it is my poor sore veins!

Anyway - on to the Tax (as it's affectionately called) next time. I've heard it can be considerably more taxing than FEC ('scuse the pun). I'm worried my easy ride with FEC could be the calm before the storm. Side effects of Tax can include more tiredness, tingling in hands and feet, fluid retention, muscle and bone pain and yet more hair loss. I still have my eyebrows and eyelashes so far which I would really like to hang on to!

But you know what - chemo is shit there is no denying that and there are times when I get incredibly frustrated and upset that my body sometimes doesn't do what I want to anymore. But ultimately I am so glad that I am being equipped with this arsenal in my fight against this crappy cancer. So come on NHS, in the words of Britney - hit me baby one more time (or three more times at least ;-).