Sorry Mini.
Welcome to the thread, I have never tried alove vera other than the moisturising gel!!
I suppose foodwise it depends on what time you have your cocktail.
The first time I didn’t feel too bad so just had some bland food that night and only a small portion. Think it was probably chicken dippers or similar. The second I don’t think I ate anything the first evening or on the second and that is where I possibly went wrong because your stomach is just full of fluid and tablets. I do have a buttered roll when I first get back and usually my last cup of tea for a week. That is before the nausea sets in.
First Tax today and no nausea as yet so had dinner tonight no problem and may even have a mince pie and ice cream tonight but we shall see!!!
Wishing you good luck with your next treatment, let us know how you are doing,
Love Jane xx
Oh sorry another post - just seen Jane’s. I had my second TAX today too. Probs the side effects (if you have any) will kick in on Friday,ie some bone, muscle and joint pain. The metallic taste shortly after that, read above for tips for that.
Strangely my wispy hair has been growing longer too - I have been told at the second week of TAX all the hair goes. Well mine hasn’t - my hair seems to be growing longer, I have half my eyebrows, not ideal but still there and I subtly paint on the rest with a Mac eyebrow pencil, really good if done subtly. Unfortunatly though all my eyelashes have gone - the only way (other than wearing false one, which I am going to try…should be a laugh) is to wear eye liner which doesn’t make it look so noticeable that they are not there! You will probably find out 2 weeks after this Tax whether you will keep them or not. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones.
Lynn x
really going to bed now
Hi all
Thank you for the advice. Will get some of the suggested drinks in and hopefully they will do the trick. I know you have to drink plenty after chemo but it is so difficult when you fancy absolutly nothing! Saw my consultant yesterday, he wasnt happy about me having my tooth out so basically I have to grin and bear it and try and manage it with pain killers. Do the side effects of Tax kick in a couple of days after you have it or is it straight away? I will also have to have the stomach injections again so Im expecting double whammy with muscle and joint pain. I have noticed when reading some of the posts that your temperature tends to go up is this also a side effect. I am so scared about this Tax, just wish I could press a fast forward button and this was all over - if only!
Take care everyone
Love to all
Karen xxx
Evening all- what a lot of good advice tonight! Everyone seems to be coping quite well. Nice to have Loocie back and sounding so much better.
I found that I can drink old fashioned ginger beer (not ginger ale), not something I have drunk before, also well diluted smoothies or fruit juices. For my sore mouth I have started using Corsodyl Daily tooth paste, which has a strange taste but seemed to help with mouth problems, also used the mouthwash but had to wipe my tounge with cotton wool after because it leaves it so sore.
2nd EC tomorrow, so hope I get away with the same sort of SE’s.
good luck everyone - love Marli.
Hello girls - welcome back Loocie and welcome all the newbies with lots of questions re side effects of FEC etc.
loocie dry skin may benefit from vit B6 but medical name when prescribed - ask your onc or nurse - I got it for scaly peeling feet yuk looks like parmisen shavings!
I have horrible mouth on FEC difflam mouth wash - slightly watered sown because moyth very sore sometimes - same drugs for thrush - fluconzale and nistatin emulsion. I have drunk tes for last two cycles even with dry mouth and went off water too - fancied some pinapple and coconut juice but Oh keeps forgetting it when he goes shopping - so suffering with one glass of cava and the odd baileys and ice. Couldnt drink booze for first cycle but managed quite well the last two - brandy and load sof diet coke good introduction.
I was plagued wuth sepsis first cycle and other infections second cycle - third cycle has been best – nause controlled firs two days with emend - ondanestron - domperidone and cyclizine - but after running out of emend and ond went downhill but only lasted first week - result.
Sarting TAX today - I alraedy had granocyte injections for 6 days last two FECS and pain was minimal usually day 3 and in sacrum area of back - just took painkillers. Will get super injection on day two with TAX neurplast or something - not everywhere is liscensed for it - This may be more painful but will get painkillers in advance I hope.
I fell over on Sunday and landed on my left knee and arm - went to Bowen therapy Mon and she worked on lower leg and knee alot. Today took 4 steroids morning and afternoon - stayed up all night!!! aleays have prbs sleeping - and realied erlier on that my knee is ok now - hurt like hell getting up from sitting on mon and when walking but now i am painfree - rang my therapist to tell her it ws amiracle because the injury should be painful for a week at least - 14 stone of me on poor old knee in beant position not good made me cry. Maybe the steroids had something to do with it clearing up too - dont know !
M y Chemo brain means i hjust cant keep up wit names - i am sorry poor excuse - may be that i have not slept too. But congrats to Helen for finishing the chemo - fantastic.
Will try to post more often but I am nmore a facebook girl xxxxxxx Good luck to you all with the se’s being mild
ps once i got rid of wispy mess i fel brilliant with baldhead - have alittle bit of growth - still have a few eyelashes i was hoping TAX would be more gentle on hair than the epirubicin!
Never mind wil have to learn how to put on false lashes - fancy the grls allowed thick spidery ones xxxx
Sorry about typing an spelling - getting tired now - ps i have got £571 in from my Shave-a-thon and am expecting further £900 from pledges - so hoping for well in ecess of £1,400 towards te £60K sentinal node analyser for our local NHS hospital - let you know final resut when collected, but really pleased with that. x
Thanks Lynne, Jane for your help. I definitely try more carbs after the next FEC to see if that’s better. Another question - when did your hair go? No signs after first FEC but have had it cut short in preparation!
Morning All
well my celebration didn’t last long - all of one day I think. The onc gave me an anti-depressant Venlafaxine to help with the hot flushes. So I took the first one last night after coming home from the pub - just one glass of wine - the first in weeks, and at 1.30am was up with severe nausea and vomiting. I can’t believe it - I avoided vomiting throughout the whole of chemo, and now I am finished, I get sick! Feel jittery, headachy and generally yuk this morning - don’t know if it’s the drug or something else and can’t get to see my GP for a week. Don’t even know whether to persevere with the drug or stop it.
This drug has side effects listed on the sheet that are literally the length of my arm, including suicide and self-harm - far more than the chemo drugs - it’s quite scary.
Anyway, was having a lovely positive day yesterday but I hope that today is merely a blip, I was looking forward to a few weeks off the drugs and side effects.
You all seem to be coping very well on the tax, some of you must also be due to finish soon.
Anyway, today would have been my chemo day, so I’m having a quiet celebration with a cup of tea to the fact that I am not in the chemo ward having my head frozen!
Onwards and upwards!
Helen.
Hello Ladies
I have been reading all of your postings since it started in Sept, for a couple of days now as I am due to start 6 cycles of FEC on the 17th Dec.
Reading through has helped alleviate some of my apprehension a bit but I am really worried about some of the side effects. Losing my hair I am not worried about - I’ve booked a hair appt for Monday to get it cut quite short, got my wig appt this Friday so I am prepard in that respect, I really do not want a cold head!!, had my 1st jab of swine flu vacc - just in case this pandemic thing really kicks in and the risk of infection from it increases - hubbie also had it for my sake.
Is there anything specific I should be asking my chemo nurse. I am booked for 9am and am not sure if I should eat anything beforehand. I do suffer from a ‘funny tummy’ from time to time (IBS) and can get bouts of indigestion, should I discuss this with chemo nurse in the days before chemo commences? I’ve taken on board your suggestions for the need to drink loads - how quickly does the feeling of not liking water come in if that happens? and then what would you recommend instead. I am very worreid about being sick - have never coped with being sick and following my 2nd WLE was very ill to the point the anti-emetics they gave me had to be stopped as my veins became too painful and I have been being treated for this ever since, so that is giving me cause for concern as well.
Any tips would be very gratefully recieved. I want to be prepared as much as possible as I am one of those individuals who can cope better when as many ‘i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed’ so to speak.
Many thanks
Wishing you all strength (you all seem to have plenty of courage - it goes without needing to say it:) )
Leigh xx
Hi Leigh,
There’s lots of thing on these pages that can be very helpful… lots of ladies already been or going through the same. I’m also on FEC… had 3 lots already…3 more to go!! It hasn’t so far been too bad. My first was the worst, as I picked up a flu bug from my son and ended up spending 2 days in bed, thinking it was Chemo SE’s. The next two lots have been bearable, just leaving me tired by the end of the day… lots of early nights are advised…sleep it off. Drink loads, also I couldn’t bear the taste of water. I drink squash, lucazade, orange juice, pinapple juice… and ginger tea. I’m a very sicky person ( have to be sick if I feel sick!) But haven’t been sick with this. I get a horrid sicky feeling when I think of anything associated with my treatment, but that seems to subside after a week or so. I also take manuka honey everyday, suppposed to help build up your immune system… worth a try and being honey it has other benefits too!
Hope it all goes well for you, the first one is the worst…only because it’s going into the unknown.
Sarah xx
Hi cleesyB -Like you I followed all these postings to prepare me for my first chemo. session (EC) on 18th Nov., just had my second this morning and like you, I like to know what to expect.It really helped and after my first one I came home and waited for something to happen - and it didn’t! As loads of people say if effects everyone differently. I have not been sick, despite suffering from travel-sickness (still at 55)and all day morning sickness when pregnant. The anti-sickness drugs did their stuff but did “bung me up” as the onc. put it, so am to try half dose tomorrow to see if it helps. Havehad other SE’s such as sore mouth, heartburn and upset digestion but just came back to this site and found the best way to deal with them. Have not gone off water but have tried lots of other drinks. Yes I would talk to the chemo. nurses about your other problems because they gave me lots of advice this morning which I wish I had known last time. There is another thread about tips on helping with chemo that has lots of good advice too.
Good luck on the 17th and try to think positive.
Best wishes Marli.xx
Hi Leigh,
I recently had 4 cycles of FEC at 3 week intervals, then Taxol weekly for 12 weeks. With both, my biggest ongoing issue was hydration, and I found it helpful to drink lots of water throughout, not just on chemo days. It was particularly effective for me to “stock up” on water the day before too. I was lucky in that my digestion etc remained fine throughout, though towards the end my taste buds lost a lot of subtlety which took the shine off some of my food. if water gets boring, and it will (!), and especially if you develop nausea, make yourself some ginger tea with fresh grated ginger root and maybe some lemon juice. Drink hot or put it in a jug to chill in the fridge.
My hair went a couple of days after the 2nd dose of Fec. Not pleasant but you sound as if you will cope. I did and I still am. My last chemo was last week but for a few weeks now I have had a kiwi fruit type of fuzz growing back !
spend time now sorting out a wig you’re happy with. i got mine before my hair went; just knowing it was in a cupboard ready to use felt like a sort of security blanket.
Wishing you the best of luck.
Sarah - hi. Like you I drink ginger and lemon tea and eat crystallised ginger , mainly 'cos I like it so much but it is good.Glad to hear you are still well after 3 sessions. Was wondering if it got worse with each session. Feeling OK so am out tonight with my pilates class for a curry.
Love Marli.x
Hi Marli,
Good for you- off out for a curry…yum,yum!! That’s another thing…trying to keep life as normal as possible. don’t let it take over the way that you think and feel about things… life goes on!!!
I’ve got my 4th next Weds… so I’ll let you know how it goes, as it’s the one that’ll get me through Christmas I really need it to be a good one!! I have heard from lots of people that they can be pretty much all the same!!! I hope so.
I find that mince pies help too…loads of them!!!
Sarah x
Hi Ladies,
First Tax yesterday and still feeling ok. Think the SE’s will kick in about Friday so still rushing about doing things while I can! Had a good night sleep last night and didn’t need the sleeping tablet. Still eating ok and drinking tea. At the moment I like this better than FEC but I know I am speaking too soon!!! I shall probably end up in ICU tomorrow for saying this.
Helen, I have been on Venlaflaxine for years and have never had any problems even with alcohol so don’t give up on it too soon. It is supposed to be very good for suppressing hot flushes and I think it has helped mine.
Gemjunkie, congratulations on all the money you have raised, you must be soooo pleased. Well done.
Good luck to everyone this week whether recovering or having cocktails.
Love to you all, keep smiling,
Love Jane xx
Hi everyone
Can i join you please?
I am due to start my first cycle of 3 FEC next Thursday, followed by 3 TAX…
Feeling a bit wobbly about the whole thing, but better than i did a few weeks ago when i was certain i was not having any treatment at all…
Best wishes to you all, and hope to hear from you soon…
Naz xx
Naz
Its good to hear that you decided to go for the chemo. I had my second FEC last week and not too bad, though a bit achey now and have sore throat. Hope it goes well for you.
Take care
Julia xx
Hi Naz,
Glad you came over and joined us, you will get lots of help here!!
Love Jane xx
Thanks everyone…one week to go! x
Hi all, hope you are all getting on OK, and that the SEs aren’t too mental!
I’ve managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done in two days - mostly Internet stuff, but did brave Tesco yesterday morning. Still, made good progress which is a miracle seeings as I have the worst case of chemo brain I’ve had to date! The worst of it was spending ten minutes looking high and low for my car keys, when all the time they were in the pot where the car keys live! Such a plonker!
Off to meet the radiology consultant this afternoon, so will be interesting to see what he has to say. I’m excited as it really feels as though I am moving on to the final stage of my treatment. Just the wee hurdle of two more Tax to get over first!
Really making the most of being at home this week as it is back to the folks next week, and abandoning my cat. I spent £20 on toys yesterday and so far she has only been interested when I play with them - which kinda defeats the object of getting them. Plus the fact that I’m not really that in to playing ‘Chase the Cheese’ or whatever it is!
Love to all
Loo
xxx