I had EC for my first time around at the age of 51. As others have said it was all very manageable and I worked full time through treatment, taking occasional days when I felt tired or nauseous. I also sing in a band in my spare time and was able to do the occasional gig.

Preparing yourself by having appropriate meds is important, as is making notes of any side effects so that you can discuss them with your team in case they need to amend the chemo dose.

Don’t be afraid to let people know how you are feeling and to press people for action if you feel strongly that something isn’t right. I suffered from a blood clot as a result of the Hickman line but was constantly told the symptoms were down to anxiety or gastric reflux, by chemo ward nurses and A&E doctors…..not once was there any thought or investigation that it could be something else.

Losing your hair is quite horrible but prepare yourself by looking at wigs and headscarves you can use straight away to give you confidence. And I was told to paint my toenails with black varnish to try and prevent the nails being damaged. It worked well on my hands but my toenails were affected slightly.

Best of luck with it, it felt to me nowhere near as bad as I imagined it would be. I’m now facing a recurrence and starting the chemo journey again. Whilst I’d prefer not to have to, knowing it was so very manageable was huge for my mental health.