I’ve found some dental wax that my daughter had for putting on her brace to stop sore spots so I’ve put some of that on the pointy bit and it works a treat. It stayed on all night so no more soreness. I doubt it’ll stay on when I eat but it catches my tongue when I talk, not eat, so as long as I replace it after eating I should be fine.
I really want to wait to see my own dentist as I have a bit of a dental phobia and she’s been lovely with me, plus I doubt very much that my blood count will be good enough this week and I can’t have any treatment without that. I won’t be silly though and will play it by ear!
Glad you’re feeling a bit better - I’ve been going for short walks and it’s nice just to get fresh air even though I can’t walk far. I think exercise classes would be a good idea - it would get some of us together as well, having a bit of fun I should imagine - do you think we’d be able to take it seriously?
Do you have the BCC exercise DVD? I’ve only done the arm exercises (which are fantastic by the way - they don’t look like much but the really work!) - there’s a more general exercise class on there as well but I haven’t looked at it yet - maybe I should…
No, I don’t have the DVD, just downloaded the arm exercises. In fact, mobility hasn’t been the problem for me, so I’ve just taken to stretching my left arm in multiple directions to keep the scar area flexible and because it does seem to reduce the pain a bit, possibly by creating some real sensations to overtcome the ones being generated by recovering nerves.
I am up and down the stairs, at least a few times even on my worst days. Part of the problem is that we don’t have many shops or anything else within easy walking distance of our house, so most errands involve driving, waiting long and erratic times for a slow local bus (no shelter or bench, either, or walking over 1/4 mile to the nearest direct bus line. I’ve always relied on things like stairs and walking places at a brisk for most of my aerobic exercise, but we are equidistant between two high streets and both are further than I can walk at the moment.
I’ll try to check around for other exercises online.
like Jane says there are a couple of aerobic type workouts at the back of the BBC DVD. I,ve done the first one. They are quite easy and i shoulds think they would be good to tide you over untill after chemo. You can order one from this site, they are free, but if you have any problems give me a PM and send you mine.
I’m not sure a DVD is worth while at this point. I didn’t realise there was more on that than in the leaflet, or I would have ordered it a long time ago. It will be interesting to see what the heart tests show, so I hope those appointments come through soon. Then when I start recovering from FEC6, we should be into the warmer part of the year and I can start building up again. I probably should be more proactive in asking my OH to go out for walks with me when he’s at home–slthough he’s largely retired now, he’s been out a lot lately, and it always seems to coincide with the nicer weather.
Cheryl - i know how you feel about going out on your own. I love nothing more than going on a long walk, but worry about suddenly becoming ill and being in some remote place. So i,m constantly ringing various friends and family members to come and join me. I think they dread me ringing now, cos as my OH says it’s more like a frog march than a walk - well i need to get my heart rate up for it to have any benefit. lol
I normally go charging along, but I walk at about half the pace now, and that gets me puffed, especially any kind of hill at all. You’re right, it’s the way it’s so unpredictable that’s most of the problem, along with unpredictable English weather, so you lie in bed when it’s sunny and then when you feel better it’s tipping or cold.
Even long drives have this problem–could you stop and lie down quickly enough?
Still in a few weeks or a month, I should be getting back to walking.
How is everyone coming along? I think there are more FEC5s and possibly some TAXs this week, but I know some have had delays along the way. Is it time for an update?
I had FEC5 last Friday. I’m waiting to hear about heart tests, but I think these will be fairly routine and shouldn’t delay anything. I also have to have a bone density scan before starting anti-oestrogen when FEC finishes. I’ve really been pretty lucky in terms of SEs, not having anything too dramatic so far.
Fec 5 for me tomorrow, bloods today, so keep your fingers crossed for me. The day before being fecced is always a bit mad for me. Running around trying to get everything done whilst i,m still feeling good. It’s beautiful weather here today so sod the washing and house work, i,m going out!
Cheryl - have you got your results from your heart test yet?
Love and Hugs to everyone, hope no news is good news
Good luck tomorrow, Maria, I’m just a bit out of things today and only visiting computer for short times at intervals. Still waiting for appointments for heart tests & hoping they are just routine in the end.
I’ve been in work this week as I have been 10 days after my last two chemos but I think enough is enough - I’m just to tired now after changing to Tax. I think I’ll go in tomorrow to finish off the piece of work I was doing then I’ll call it a day. I don’t think I’ve got anything I need to prove!
I’ve got Tax 2 next week - not looking forward to the SEs is the last one was anything to go by!
Well done Cheryl - I hope I’ll be in the same boat next weekend.
I thought this thread was on it’s last legs as everyone seems to have moved onto the Dark Woods thread. I’ve been following you all over there and really enjoy the humour. Never really felt wobbly or anxious or got at by gremlins or monsters or in need of the fairies or flamethrowers so haven’t posted there.
Maybe when the Rads start I’ll feel the need as the side effects of those are more likely to be longer lasting and/or more damaging.
Diana, I had rads a couple of years ago and perhaps I was just lucky, but it was much easier (aside from daily appointments) than chemo has been. Rads after chemo may be a different kettle of fish, of course, which I will find out in a month or so.
Well my last FEC nearly didn’t happen–first, there was a mix-up about when my appointment was supposed to be; apparently it should have been yesterday, but I flourished my appointment card which clearly said FRI. Then the PICC line didn’t want to be flushed, but alternating push and pull finally got things flowing. Just to put the cherry on top, they removed the PICC line at the end.
Hooray! (Yeah, yeah, SEs to come, but it still feels good.)
Cheryl when you said that your chemo was on friday i was quite surprised that they were doing it then. So glad for you that they didn’y delay it.
Diana - i had rads about 10 years ago on my throat and it was really painful. When i mentioned it to the oncologist she told me i would be glad to know that it was nothing like that and will be much easier. It may become sore but not painful, if that makes any sense.
I have my last chemo next thursday and then i think i start rads about 23nd may. going to a younger womens forum in manchester on the 20/21st which i,m really looking forward to. I may even have a few glasses of wine
Yes, if someone had said ‘we want you to come Thursday because we’re only doing a reduced group on Friday because of the Bank Holiday’, I would have made a note and would have been glad to get it over with yesterday. Never mind, it’s done now.
Good luck next Thursday, Maria. I hope it goes well. My rads are being delayed a bit so we can go on a holiday which we booked last year. Sun, sea and sangria, as they say. Well, not much sun, but at least I can have the sangria while I sit in the shade. Just over a month away, too.
I guess my concern re rads is because I have had 26 lymph nodes removed from my axilla- 5 were found to have mets and one with “extra capsular spread”- means clavicle area to be irradiated.
I don’t want to develop lymphodema -am religiously doing the exercises and putting E45 on my skin in preparation. Have 1x Tax to go next Saturday - haven’t got a definite date to start rads yet but near the end of May most likely.
I’ll be starting rads in early June, as it’s being delayed for a holiday. You can do a lot to minimise any SEs or damage to your skin, and I think protecting and moisturising it in advance is a good idea. You can probably use any lotion you like until you get close to the start date, and of course plenty of fluid and healthy eating will help.
I found that the last bit was like getting over flu: I’d feel fine so long as I wasn’t doing any thing, but if I let the guilt take over and got up to do housework or gardening, I’d be shaky and wiped out in a very short time. (A bit like some stages of chemo, too.) So I had to learn to rest as much as I needed and only work for very short intervals.
I know what you mean about being worried about lymphodema Diana, i had 30 nodes removed. I suppose we can only do our bests in terms of looking after the area to be irradiated and keep our fingers crossed.
I,m starting tamoxifen around the same time as rads, and i,m really worried that my hair may never grow back as it was. It’s very fine anyway,(when i,ve got some) so i can hardly afford for it to thin.
I,ve got a mental image of myself as a rather large, bald headed bearded lady with a gruff voice. Arrrgh!
Good luck with your last tax on Saturday, i hope the SE,s are minimal
Cheryl - I,m so envious of your holiday! I know i’ve probably asked before but where is it your going ?
It has occured to me to wonder what the combination of starting Arimidex (I think) and then rads is going to do to my chances of regrowing hair. The fuzz I have left has grown a little since I shaved it down to suede head, but continues to thin. I may have to have very short hair for longer than I would prefer, as my hair is fine and a bit thin at the best of times. When I had rads only, before, my hair did thin a bit, just as it might after bad flu, and my nails split and shattered for a while, but it was back to normal after a couple of months, I think. This, of course, is likely to be worse, and you have to worry about the long-term effect of anti-oestrogens on top of everything else.
We’re going to Calahonda in Andalucia. It’s about half way between Finguerola and Marbella, if you know that part of Spain. The place we are staying has flowers and trees everywhere, and some beautiful gardens with cascades and fountains where I can sit out of the sun. It’s been years since I’ve been able to lie on a beach or around a pool all day. End of May/early June is nicer than high summer, as things are less crowded and the temperatures are more comfortable, but we can’t usually take holidays then, so this is an extra treat.
Have a good Easter; I hope you have friends and family to spend it with. Our youngest is with us for a couple of days, and we divvied up the LGFB goodie bag last night. Nice to do something girlie with my daughter.
How is everyone doing? I’ve lost track of who should have had their final FECcing by now and who has been delayed or gone onto TAX or other treatments.