Hi Jew - it’s a bit pricey but for some reason I developed a craving for Purdeys. Drank it as a teenager. It’s a fruit juice based energy drink - think it’s slightly alkaline so good for the acid too. Personally I’m a wee bit wary of canceractive. It/they has/have connections with someone who makes quite a bit of money dissing conventional medicince and then selling people less empirically proven ‘alternatives’. They also have a lawsuit out against a doctor for criticising some of their claims. You might want to check this out.
Hi Nicola (Key Features) Thank you! I’m going to take your advice on fasting next time. Maybe it will help with side effects as well.
It’s frightening how much exploitative stuff is out there with “alternative” medicine. My rule is that “complementary” treatments - ie try this AS WELL AS the medical stuff is likely to be helpful, but anyone who says do this INSTEAD - I run a mile. Thanks for posting the link above.
Am just back from hospital - my SNLB was clear!!! such a relief. Surgeon told me to take paracetamol for the joint pain and I just burst into tears. Eventuallly he reluctantly wrote me a prescription for 3 days worth of codeine. I have a GP appointment tomorrow so I will talk to her about some sensible pain relief.
Hi again Ladies
Thank you for your welcome.
Nicola, I am sorry there is a delay with your Port, I hope you get it very soon. They are happy to use it very quickly once it is in, mine was only in a week before it was used in anger.
I am fortunate that I am still holding on to my hair at the moment and am counting each day with hair as a bonus.
I saw my Oncoplastic Consultant today for an inflation of my temporary implant. He was very impressed with how I am looking post my first Chemo, which was encouraging. I am now sporting a very firm right breast that has all the give of a football, but has given me a cleavage for the first time in about two months. I don’t need to see him again now until nearing the end of my Chemo, which will be a bit strange having seen him so often since the start of July.
Tomorrow is time for blood tests and a catchup with the Oncologist, ready for EC Chemo two on Friday.
Good luck everyone and see you all again soon.
Liz xx
Fiona508, so relieved for you, that’s a big weight off your shoulders.
I know we are told not to eat pate, soft cheese but would you consider feta and mozzerella to be soft cheese, I do love a Greek salad with some feta but just wondering if I should or shouldn’t, I know a lot of you aren’t having dairy at all, I don’t have much in my diet anyway so the odd little bit can’t hurt me. What do you think?
Afaik feta is okay. I think the cheeses you need to avoid are the same ones as with pregnancy due to the listeria risk - mould ripened, all unpasteurised and the blue veined stuff completely too. Foods Not to Eat When You’re on Chemotherapy Treatment | livestrong
I’ve been peeling all my apples and carrots for my morning juice. A total faff and maybe a bit OTT, also loses goodness from the skin. If my blood cells stay up as they are doing I might relax a bit! I do miss a nice bit of cheese.
Thanks Nicola I thought and hoped you would say that, just made a Greek salad so I will throw in some feta wouldn’t be quite the same without it!
Hang on Niknak321!! This says feta can have listeria…think it depends if it’s unpasteurised one or not. It’s too confusing! Wouldn’t worry too much if you’ve eaten it though. Prosciutto and Pregnancy | Hello Motherhood
I expect a lot of supermarket feta is pasteurized. Should say on the label.
Hi Ladies,
Wow… Your posts are very inspiring and encouraging 
. I’d my first chemo last month (September, 11th) and was due to have my second one tomorrow (October, 1st) however due to my low white blood cells count I’ve had the treatment postpone until next week. The schedule ahead in terms of my treatment is x6 cycles of chemo (x3 FEC and x3 Doc) follow by Herceptin (for a year), radiotherapy and Tamoxifen (for 5 years).
I must admit I’d a lot of anxiety and tension of not knowing or what to expect with the treatment…I remember writing in my journal around 6.30pm following the treatment on the same day that I wasn’t liking this LOL!!! The symptoms of feeling sick lasted for about 4 days then I started to feel my normal self but slightly tired…Having research and spoken to people who were or had been through surgery and treatments gave me the inspiration and knowing that you need to be strong. My treatment is ‘preventative measures’ and I’m truly blessed knowing that I detected the lump in my breast and didn’t sit back and the rest is history. I’ve been so open and vocal about me situation, as well as having a good network of support around me and maintaining positive is helping me through my journey.
I wish everyone all the best with their treatments and prayer we all remain cancer free x
Hello Yibby. Welcome to the group. Sorry to hear your second FEC has had to be postponed. You must have mixed feelings about that. Know I did when I turned up for my first chemo only to find they hadn’t booked me in. Hopefully the rest of your treatment will go smoothly with no holdups and minimal SEs.
Welcome Yibby, I think it’s the best way is to be open about it all, there is barely a person I know who doesn’t know my situation, even down to my local Waitrose assistants, it makes my life easier, especially now with my hair going, because until this point I have not looked or felt different in any way other than the immediate weeks after surgery. Personally I don’t like having to keep saying everything over and over again and initially to say’I have cancer’ I found very difficult, now ‘I am recovering from breast cancer’ that’s the way I see it anyway.
I’m a bit of a Facebook addict and I even put an ‘announcement’ on there in the beginning, I wanted people to know but found it difficult to say. My FB friends are a select few so I wasn’t telling the entire world just the people I wanted to know.
I too have had the most amazing support from family, friends and neighbours without whom I would be in a very different state now without thier love and all the things they have done for me from walking the dog to texts just at the right moment etc.
Just wondering where everyone is from, I’m in Hertfordshire.
Have an enjoyable day ladies
Nicola x
Nicola (keyfeatures) it was too late, but the salad was good, I really enjoyed it, it was a very fresh packet of Feta and it was pasturised so I guess I’ll survive but thanks for your info, you are a very knowledgable lady.
Nicola
I was just thinking about Facebook and wondered if I started a page for September 2012 Chemo ladies, would anyone join?
Hi Yibby, welcome to the group, i’m glad you found us. You must be gutted about the postponement. The chemo nurse told me to expect that this would happen and feel lucky if I avoided it, it’s really common she said. You are on the same drugs as me, but reverse order, so later on I’d like to hear about your top tips for getting through FEC and I can tell you my top tips for getting through the T part if you like. A very close friend is visiting me from the USA at the time of my first FEC - organised long before this diagnosis - and I desperately want to maximise the time I feel able to do things.
Re fetta cheese = I would say no problem at all with the supermarket stuff, packaged in plastic. My local Tesco sells one made in Denmark! I can’t see how that is different from Cathedral City Cheddar. But I would avoid the good stuff that I can buy sitting in a barrel of stinky whey in my neighbourhood Middle Eastern corner shop. Same with olives - I’m buying them pre-packed now, rather than scooping them up from a tub in that shop.
And actually, my oncologist told me he didn’t mind how much raw meat, unpasteurised cheese, take aways etc I ate. he didn’t see it as a problem. I’m being cautious though.
Re dairy - I’m torn, There is so much contradictory stuff out there. I’m still having dairy, because my calcium levels are low and I am going into this with pre-existing osteoporosis. It’s all very well to say you can get calcium from green leafy veg and fish, but at this stage in my chemo cycle I am so off my food that all I fancy is fruit & yoghurt. For now I am keeping dairy in my diet, concentrating on finding calcium rich alternatives with a view to cutting down on dairy in the long term. The one thing I would not do is replace it with soy milk. There is too much controversy about soy and female cancers.
I’m looking forward to today. A friend called yesterday and said she is in town and so she is going to come round today and just hang out. Nice to have company during the day.
I am so filled with admiration for you ladies who are looking after children or going into work. I don’t think I would be able to do it on days like these. Have a great week and thank you, all of you, for your great company on this forum.
Fiona
Hello Yibby, fellow Herceptin-lady. Welcome to the September thread. I am having the same treatment as you. Sorry to hear they had to delay due to the white blood cells. I have injections to do at home for the first 10 days of each cycle (mine are called granocyte but there are different names). Did you get these? They certainly seem to have worked in my case. Very little drop in white bloods and my platelets are actually higher than when chemo started.
Niknak321 - thank goodness it was pasteurized. Could have been a Daily Wail article flashing before our eyes there - Food-poisoner Finishes Fellow Forumite with Faulty Feta Fact…phew!
Facebook page sounds like a great idea.
Loving the news paper headline!!
Having looked at Facebook I’m not sure | am clever enough! I thought it would be easy
Niknak - go onto your Facebook ‘home’ page, on the lefthand sidebar you will see your lists including Groups. At the bottom of Groups is a tag called ‘create group’. Click this and you can start a new group. YOu don’t need to join anyone at this stage. Best option is probably to create a ‘closed group’ with a non-descript name (e.g. The September Group). Then you can post a link here to let people find it and ask to join without being a ‘friend’ - but people who aren’t in the group can’t read posts or know the content etc. If you have trouble with it, I can give it a go. Let me know x
Nicola, I wouldn’t worry about the feta. As it was pasteurised, it should be fine. Personally, I really crave a nice egg that’s not all hard and rubbery, but have decided not to risk it because although most of our chickens are salmonella vaccinated someone gave us some more birds and I’m not sure they have been. Wasn’t given any dietary advice at all by my hospital, but I did come across some research that said a special neutropenic diet wasn’t necessary, and just advised good food hygiene plus giving rare meats and unpasteurised dairy and fruit juices a miss. [color=#000000]cancernetwork.com/complications/content/article/10165/2077066
I live in Devon, and might join a Facebook page. My only reservation is that I’ve told hardly anyone I have cancer, and most of my Facebook contacts don’t know. Still trying to make up my mind about the announcement thing, although I have considered it.
My dietry advice was no live yogurt or probiotic drinks, no soft cheese or pate and only to eat freshly cooked rice never reheated or pre-prepared rice. I think the rest is just good hygiene and common sense.
I will have a go at Facebook, I’ll let you know how I get on.
Hi keyfeatures, it says I have to invite friends straight away ? I tried to call it ‘The September Ladies’ any suggestions?
Have sent you a PM