Oh forgot re weight and food - i managed not to put any weight on until this week! Not through healthy eating though - I seem to have given up the white malteasers but now mad on Haribo tangfastics - note to Haribo - please send me masses of free gifts due to advertising on here!!! and loving mince pies too Asda’s not bad - sainsburys Ok but lurve M&S ones mmm mmm - cup of tea - mince pie - heaven - My mate is taking me out for a cafe big english brekkie this morning - pre-chemo munchies - lots of choccy style puddings - bread (wholemeal of course) and anything stodgy. Only thing I’ve gone off is cream cakes - had a big one after first chemmo and then the nausea started so i associate them with sickness now. Have hardly moved off sofa last few weeks so no wonder put on a few pounds. Shame they are not of the sterling type. LynB xxxx
Hi LynB
Think we are buying up all the mince pies between us - what to do when Xmas is over - although found a good alternative with hot cross buns - keep me going until Easter!!! Maybe toasted tea cakes!
Havent been able to face my normal treat of Milky Bar either! Not usually being one for junk food, I have discovered a whole new world out there - and another stone in weight sadly. Friends now visit armed with cakes and carbs instead of flowers! I practically snatch their hands off and slam the door in their face when they knock!!!
Karen xx
Lovely to see you back Lynn - and I think it is fair that folk reading this thread get a ‘cross the board’ view of HOW chemo can affect you. I had this conversation the other day. During intial talks with the chemo nurse she said I could eat what I wanted and could carry on exercising as much as i wanted…what she didn’t say is that I’d feel as sick as a dog for and wouldn’t want food most of the time; and that I’d be so knackered I wouldn’t be able to do any exercise (as I know it). I’d have preferred a touch more honesty there but do appreciate it is her job to try and boost people rather than make them feel depressed before they’ve even started.
Really hope your dishy onc delivers this time and you have an uneventful 3rd FEC. Wonder how Lynn is getting on with her Tax - she’s the first among us to have it - got mine Monday…gulp!
Anyone tackled false eyelashes yet? I had a wrestling match with some yesterday and ended up throwing them in the bin in a fit of pique. They were the glue type and just wouldn’t stick on. Felt muchly inadequate when thinking about the fifteen year olds you see out and about with them expertly applied. I am going to get some of the self adhesive type today - see whether they are any better. I was dreding loosing my lovely, long lashes and it is every bit as bad as I thought it would be grrrrr!
I envy you being able to drink tea, I miss my cuppa and am settling for lemon tea which I can taste, but doesn’t quite do it for me the way ordinary tea did. Chocolate is also a bit of a hit and miss affair, sometimes it tastes OK, sometimes it is disgusting. Reading the posts about taking food for chemo day - I eat breakfast and just about stomach some bovril on toast mid morning, but couldn’t imagine being able to eat sarnies and crisps - that would be a big ask. I also take something warm to snuggle into as I get freezing cold when having the chemo - and I don’t use the cold cap!. The unit have hotties which is nice so have one of those too.
Keep yourselves perky my lovelies, hope that you aren’t feeling too grotty and that you’re SEs are so insignificant you don’t even realise you’re having any 
Lotsalove to all
xxx
Hi girls,
Welcome to the new ladies, let us know how you are doing. We are all in this together!!!
I am 24 hours into FEC x 3 and feel better today than last time. They gave me a bit more antisickness in my cocktail and I am not sure whether it helped or not. I def felt very spaced out for the rest of the day. Didn’t really eat anything for the rest of the day which I don’t think helps. Was sick once this morning when I got up and I think that was probably because I was empty. Just been eating crackers every few hours today and had some turkey dinosaurs tonight. Wonderful diet but who cares you have to eat what you feel like.
I can’t drink tea for nearly a week after my treatments. I only drink weak black tea due to a lactose intolerance during my second pregnancy but the thought of it is yeuch. I did wonder about drinking just plain boiling water but can’t quite bring myself to try it. I do find I crave hot food over the next few days. Not ready for cheese straws yet though!!!
Hope Lynn is ok after her TAX, think we are all a bit nervous of the move but I hope it won’t be any worse than what we have already been through.
hot blackcurrant squash has replaced coffee/tea on the nausea days - seems to work, settles the tummy! Tesco do a sugar free version too! Not that it really helps given the amount of carb junk food that magically jumps into my trolley!!!
Karen xx
Morning all! Day two of my fourth FEC and have that horrible chemo hangover feeling. I’m taking ondansetron and emend and only feel very slightly nauseous - worse if I move suddenly, so decided I’m having a not-moving-very-much-day!
I agree Loocie - a bit more honesty would be good. But there are some people who post on here who get absolutely no sickness and have no trouble with anything (lucky bu**ers) so I don’t suppose they really can tell and don’t really want to worry us too much. I found my onc was very truthful, especially if I asked him specific questions.
I’ve also found it important for me to be honest with the nurses/doctors. With my recent embarrassing problem I didn’t want to have another exam or really want to discuss it so just rang my gp. At the ward for my bloods on Monday I mentioned it to my nurse who got me a nice female doctor to do an exam and then discussed it with my onc. It turns out that he prescribed me something that I absolutely should not be using during my high risk week due to risk of infection and possible ulcers so it’s just as well I mentioned it. Tip for everyone - don’t be embarrassed - they have seen it all before and it’s really important that they know everything which is going on.
I haven’t needed false eyelashes yet (although they are getting very thin) but at my look good feelgood session they gave us eyebrow powder and showed us how to apply it with a brush - it looked really good on the girl next to me. Perhaps you could go to one of the painted ladies in Debenhams or similar and get them to show you one of their products and how to apply it.
I feel my FEC friends are moving onwards and upwards. I’ve got two more FEC to go. I know that TAX is supposed to be hard, but having done four FEC I know full well what to expect and know none of it is good, so it’s a bit daunting. Good luck to you all and hope it goes well.
I took some pictures for yesterday’s chemo to put on facebook and then a photo of all my post chemo drugs including my hickman line care - I have 52 different dressing/drugs etc to take over the next 3 weeks! I could set up an online pharmacy with this lot - anyone want any metaclopramide? or a nice chill pill?
take care all
Helen.
I have the stick on eyebrows but not needed to use them yet. Found a russian lady beautician that has done semi perm eyelashes for ladies undergoing chemo before ( or hee - mo as she calls it!) Have to go for a glue test both behind ear and on eyelid before she will do it. She said they should last about 3-4 weeks. Anyone tried these yet? Thought I would go for the big bold Jordan look to match my one swollen boob!!!
Hiya - had a bit of a break through on the old eyelash front. I managed to get some that a) look quite natural and b) actually stay stuck on. The clue is to leave the glue to go tacky for about 45 seconds, and then apply from the outer edge in, rather than the other way round. Wore some all day today and they look really good. I like the idea of having semi-permanent ones though Karenap.
I’ve also tried the eyebrow powder and that is a God send - although nearly fell out with the girl in Bodyshop who wanted to sell me a mascara and eyeliner (BTGOF), which I don’t have any use for. In the end I think I frightened her into submission and was able to leave with just the powder.
Don’t worry Helen, you none of you will be far behind those of us going on to Tax. We’re in this together and will stay that way We’ll be able to pass on our findings to you in the hope it keeps you all more comfortable. I’m first Tax on Monday which I’m curiously excited about (is that odd?) - I guess because it feels as though it is the start of the home straight; and at the same time I’m bricking it. I feel almost normal this week and don’t want that feeling of wellness to go again.
Hope you have all had a good day and that you haven’t been pestered by rotten SEs?
Lotsalove to all for now
xxx
slatch - Thank you for your very useful reply. I took your advice and took warm clothes and a wrap with I did need as my feet got very cold. Cold cap was bearable, as many people have said and that gave me faith. As it was my first time I my nurse took me into a side room as she said that there was so much to discuss and explain and it would be easier to ask questions.Bit difficulty putting in needle as I was drawing back slightly , although neither the nurse or I was not aware of it.Sister sussed it and got the nurse to hold my arm - result. Only there 2 hours in total, but had already been in the lymodema clinic for 1 1/4 hours. No time for books, mags, etc. although did have a sandwich and a cuppa.So far so good but I presume this is because I am still taking the steroids and anti-sickness drugs. Wonder what happens when I stop taking them?
Kayteedid - How did your day go? Well I hope. Let us know how it went.
Thank you to all who post on this site as it really helped alay my fears. If you can all do it with such good humour so can I.
love to you all. Marli.
Hi Loocie and all
Re: your comment below, I have only had one FEC so far but have been one of the lucky b*ggers with minimal side effects and have been able to eat spicy foods and went for a run last week. I had the opposite experience, in that the nurses warned me of the side effects but didn’t tell me I might feel absolutely fine! It is a tricky balance for them to get when we do all react so differently.
Loocie wrote: “During intial talks with the chemo nurse she said I could eat what I wanted and could carry on exercising as much as i wanted…what she didn’t say is that I’d feel as sick as a dog for and wouldn’t want food most of the time; and that I’d be so knackered I wouldn’t be able to do any exercise (as I know it). I’d have preferred a touch more honesty there but do appreciate it is her job to try and boost people rather than make them feel depressed before they’ve even started.”
2nd FEC is tomorrow, so here is hoping that my good luck continues, and your tax goes OK. I think I will also be curious/excited when that starts too, so totally know what you mean by that!
Flora xxx
Marli, by the time you finish all your antisickness meds you shouldn’t be feeling sick - you must be another of the lucky ones - good for you if you’re not suffering. I’m feeling sick by the time I get in the car to go home and that’s with all the antisickness meds.
Had to give myself my first granocytye injection today and what with the nausea and chemo brain I threw away the first needle to draw off the solution from the ampoule before I’d drawn it off - aaargh - had a look in the sharps box (which contains sharps and blood which aren’t mine as the district nurses gave me someone else’s box - horrible, I hate to think of it sitting in my house) and decided I wasn’t going to go delving around in there and catching who knows what. Managed to use the smaller needle to draw off and inject myself - just hope I haven’t contaminated anything. Too much to cope with just two days after chemo and still feeling crap.
Also triple booked myself for this afternoon for acupuncture, aromatherapy and reflexology all at the same time in different places. DOH! I’ll have to choose the one of least effort to drag myself outside to get there and hope it helps.
Taste buds gone already - breakfast totally tasteless. I also can’t eat chocolate on the bad days, Loocie, it just seems to clog in my mouth and not dissolve - just the thought makes me feel nauseous. Same doesn’t apply to currant loaf and flapjack though, and I find miso soup is great - easy to drink and savoury as opposed to all the sugar. Orange juice and lemonade seems to hit the spot as I can’t bear tea - not sure if it’s the milk or what.
Hope anyone who’s on their chemo week isn’t suffering too badly.
take care
Helen.
Hello to everyone old and new,
Well had my first TAX on Tuesday and was absolutely dreading it as I had read so many horrible things. For me it has not been as bad as FEC (very nauseous on FEC). I had no side effects on Wednesday, some started kicking in Thursday pm but not that bad. I had slight abdo cramps, slight change of temperature, slight bone aches and pains, slight swelling under my operation site, slight peeling redness of skin on feet, taste almost gone, sort of bitter - so all in all not bad. The worst effect has been exhaustion - I could barely get out of the bath this morning, body very very weak, walking a bit like an old woman!!
Had to give myself a jab of Neulasta 24 hours after chemo as Tax reduces the white cells and suppresses bone marrow more than FEC - it’s a long acting one so only need one jab per TAX.
Hayz - you and me I know were no good with fluids on FEC because of the nausea. Guess what I could drink a cup of tea on day 1 - Yay!!
OMG Helen - the district nurse should not have left you someone else’s sharps box, that’s not on. They should give a clean new one ie prevention of cross infection etc. Good for you getting out on day 3 - hope you enjoyed your triple treatments!!
I can’t remember where everyone is up to at the mo - but good luck to Loocie and Jane (who I think are both having TAX soon) and to Karenap who has just had?? And to anyone else I have missed. Sorry brain a bit foggy.
Back to bed for a sleep!!
Lynnx
Lynn, that’s amazing. Well done you The tiredness sounds a bit overwhelming, but no nausea is wicked. Is the jab of neulasta standard?
Envious that you could drink tea…I still can’t face it. Thanks for the good wishes, I hope I’m as perky as you sound once my first one is done.
I agree that a half filled sharps bin is very poor
practice - there is no way this should have happened. I’d be inclined complain and ask the DN to address this and get you an empty one. Staggering.
My cousin sent me an email this morning, and he had copied a lovely quote onto the bottom. Thought I’d share it with you.
‘We gain strength, and courage and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.’ - Eleanor Roosevelt
Love to all
Loocie
xxx
leucite - thank you for your encouraging words. Hope it continues, slight nausea mid-afternoon goes with crystallised ginger. You are suffering with SE’s aren’t you and SO brave to inject yourself, I could not do that.
Loocie - the quote is so appropriate and inspiring , thank you.
Marli
Loocie,
Have been in bed most of day as bone aches and pains have got a bit worse, joints, muscles and bones feeling wobbly and weak - coping but walking like a 90 year old!!
Just to answer your question re Neulasta - I am not sure if it is standard. They oomph your white cells and neutrophils by giving you all those steroids the day before (and on the day of Tax and 1 more day), as well as helping things like fluid retention etc. My neut count went from 1.7 to 6.1 (I thought it was to do with my special LifeMel Honey, but they said not - it is to do with the steroids). However they often see a better response than mine so that’s why they have given me Neulasta. The white cells and bone marrow get very supressed on Tax and it is supposed to help with the bone marrow producing more white cells etc, and therefore helping to prevent neutropoenic sepsis. It’s good though coz it’s only 1 jab per cycle!
Just watched Bridget Jones Edge of Reason… my 16 year old daughter’s film!! She thinks its cool because every other word is about sh*****g. OMG the thought of it ie the S word now makes me literally weak at the knees…
Lynn x
Hee hee hee - love it! Nothing could be further from my mind either…feel very lucky to be single at the mo!!!
Thanks for the heads up on how you are and the jabs. Hope it isn’t too long before you’re feeling like your ol’ self again. Must be quite an alien sensation?
I’ve had a smashing week of almost near normality, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Seems a bit mean to start again on Monday, but at least I’ll be starting from a positive place ;0
Sleep well and feel well soon my chemical chums
xxx
Hey Lynn
Nice to see you back!
You’ve made me feel quite excited (if that’s the right word!!) about my first TAX!..a cuppa tea! WOW! LOL…not sure I’m quite as excited about the prospect of looking after 3 young kids while moving like a 90 year old tho ;o)
Lets hope that’s as bad as it gets for you…and the rest of us following in your footsteps!!
Hx
Morning all
had a dreadful night - non-stop hot flushes from 1am to 7am - just as one finished I’d go back to sleep to be hit by another - fortunately the OH is already sleeping in the spare room. I despair that this is going to be my life from now on - dumped into the menopause early to suffer from non stop hot flushes night and day for the rest of my life? Is anyone else suffering with this.
Sickness slowly receeding although still feeling grim.
Lynn well done on the tax, hope it continues to go well, good luck for everyone hitting that this week. The thought of any sex is well down the list of priorities at the moment - I hope that doesn’t disappear along with my ovaries too, I’m too young for a life of celibacy!
Chin up all - is everyone going to be finished by Christmas? I won’t be if I continue on my current regime (which I’m seriously considering finishing early, yes, I know I said that last time too lol!).
Helen.
Hi All,
Helen - I am sweating, having hot flushes at night too, most nights, but don’t know whether it’s to do with the chemo FEC and Tax or whether its my hormones having a party! Was due a period last Thursday but nothing so maybe its the hormones. Helen - I think this will be only temporary for you as I think you are quite a bit younger than me and I’m pretty sure that once the chemo has stopped your hormones will readjust. Its too late for me - it will push me through the menopause and I will just be a shrivelled up old prune! More things to look forward to then! OMG I am so going to need a mega makeover next year!
No I am not finished by xmas unfortunately - close but not close enough. In fact my last one (if cells ok) is 29th Dec but I have actually postponed it for 1 week to 5th Jan as I just want to have a bit more time with the family. Also the thought of having a lovely lunch at my sisters on 27th and then having to take 8 steroids on 28th leaves me feeling a bit angry and cheated so I (probably stupidly) decided to delay for a week.
Still got bone pain - might ask for stronger painkillers next time, although everything seems to bung me up - sorry for the graphics! However I think I am fairing better with the pain than the nausea. Worse thing is the feeling of being floored - I have absolutely no energy. Jane when does the pain go and energy back??
Karenap - how are you doing on Tax?
Lynn xx
Hi Lynn,
Im not on tax - just 6 FEC. Was offered it with reservations as no node involvement. Following oncologist advice have decided not to go down that route. Have got until post 3rd session on 3rd Dec to make my mind up! anyone else with that decision to make - juggling percentages etc?
Karen xx