Thanks ladies for sore throat tips: and yes financial situation really is an extra worry we all dont need: that’s why I am trying to work through chemo cycles too…
Re: wig situation : I found on day15 of first fec cycle most of my hair came out in my hands whilst washing it: I felt very sad and upset, I put on the wig, which Louise my mum and dad also paid £200.00 for a decent one for me too and I had some very positive comments, an aquaintance in my local co op even said today how nice my hair looked and had I just had it done at hairdressers!! It really made my day.i ordered a couple of very pretty , cotton beanies to wear in the evening and even to sleep in from a great website called hats for heads, happy weekend! X
Hi ladies top tip if unsure like me if you want one or not I went to the Macmillan support in the hospital and booked the looking good feeling better course. They have Lots of donated wigs they even had a real hair one that cost the donor £800 i have a foxy little number that is much better than my own hair. They fitted it told me about care etc all asked for was donation. They also have tons of hats and bandanas once I am finished I will donate them back
Lovely weather for the weekend seaside here I come x
Evening all,
Been playing & long walk with little girl with my sister & two little nieces - blooming knackered now! Every joint aches!
I had really sore throat & mouth,then big ulcer on first FEC from day 4 & lasted about 34days. It hasn’t happened this time touch wood so the mouthwash must work! Pineapple juice,bonjella & lozenges helped also.
Yeah the finance side of things isn’t good is it! Don’t need the extra stress do we! My bcn told me to take 8months off work so have been on SSP since end if Feb which is a max of 28 weeks so hoping I’ll be ready to go bk begin of sept if not I suppose ive got annual leave that I haven’t been there to take! My hubby went self employed just before I was DX so struggling a bit whilst he builds the business up. I managed to do the same as kirstie77 though & got a Macmillan grant - it came through today! 300 to help with chiuldcare & travel expenses to Hosp.
I hope my wig is as nice as yours love wine & loulou1262:) Its only an NHS one so about 65 quid but have been waiting 4 wks for it to come! (My hairdressers have been crap with the whole thing!) So hoping its here before next wkend as going out sat night.
I’m going to a little support group of young mums with & had BC on Sunday so hoping that’l be helpful & get me through the next 4 chemos! Xxx
OK. relieved my last post did get through. I do find this group so helpful I would really miss the contact. The only face to face support group near to me is monthly, in an evening and 15 miles away…
Re wigs, I’m glad that some of you have got something you like although it seems wrong if you have had to pay - my NHS trust pays for them, that should be universal, especially given the financial impact of having cancer treatment. I am also sorry to hear about the lady whose hairdresser was unhelpful. Again I feel so fortunate, mine couldn’t have been more helpful. I think that is partly personal, but also the salon was originally in the Toni and guy chain and they have long had a policy of offering a free wig trimming service for cancer patients. I am pleased with the look of my wig but still find it horribly itchy even with the cotton skull cap. Ditto the rather nice velvet cap I got cheap from the shop at the oncology centre, looks good but drives me mad. Anyone else got that problem or have any suggestions? Lost nearly all my hair on my head now and think my eyebrows are starting to go. Annoyingly I still have hairy elbows!
My other minor grouse is having to do the white cell booster injections (Zarzio) every day for 7 days on top of the daily blood thinner injections I will have to give myself for months because of a blood clot. I really dread it and wondering whether to ask my oncologist if I could have a single one. I know it’s possible and that my hospital used to do it. But stopped because it was too expensive. But my doctor daughter also found some research suggesting that bone pain, which I know some forum members have experienced, was more likely with the single injection.
Sorry not to respond to individual postings, I got too far behind and am too concerned that this will not get through to risk bringing up the messages.
Hi ladies don’t know if this will help but I am a type 1 diabetic and inject into my stomach 4/5 times a day so I am quite an authority on it. The trick is to think about something else so get your needle ready I pinch the skin up between thumb and finger push needle in and think about shopping list etc its the brain that stops you and frightens u. Some people count some sing whatever floats your boat really.
As a diabetic you have increased risk to infection so I was told to avoid all day buffets and salad bars as they have higher risk of food poisoning carry anti bacteria gel and just take sensible precautions like telling friends not to come round until 48 hours after infection or being in contact with anyone with infection
Try not to worry xx
Hi ladies’, i have also been really cautious over going out etc, but over last 2 days have decided to be braver and even queued in argos!! Haven’t really been shopping etc since chemo began so desperate to get out to shops!
Even went to garden centre too, don’t know his I will cope with the excitement of it all! I just used loads of hand gel and also wore a lightweight scarf around neck and if I thought anyone looked full of germs I pulled it up over mouth and nose.
I have also been on 5 day injections which hubby has done , I found I had bone aches on first day , but after that they went, actual injections I dreaded, but as Louise said they are quite quick and think of something else! I have heard lots of ladies have used piriton and said it helps, I just found neurofen was ok on first day.
Enjoy rest of bank holiday everyone.
Evening everyone, I am safely back from Glasgow and my MILs funeral. The journey up went fine, we left at 4.00 am which I was nervous about coping with but as it was Day 7 I was feeling pretty normal, and had water and snacks and slept a bit, we were there before I knew it. The time passed very quickly and I did need to go to bed quite early each day as there was a lot to do and it was quite tiring, but I managed a few walks, went out to dinner and bought some new clothes. The funeral of course was very sad, but I am glad I went with my OH as it was lovely to spend time with his immediate family and to support them a bit.
I’m knackered now LOL! But nothing to do this evening and a Bank Hol tomorrow, hope to get into the garden and get on with more weeding, plus I have loads of summer and autumn bulbs to plant. I feel that I have been eating junk food for the last four days and now I am feeling more back to normal it will be good to go back to eating more normal food.
Next week I have an appointment with my wig lady who is also a hairdresser. I got through the funeral with my very thin hair, but no one was really interested in me or my hair so I wasn’t too worried. I have decided to get a wig for work, though, as I don’t want to have to keep answering questions, and I have asked her to look at trimming my remaining hair a bit to make it look a bit neater. If that looks OK I will stick without a wig when I am not working. And see what happens…
I hope you are all enjoying your Bank Holiday weekends and gradually feeling better.
Wildpurl x
So sorry to hear of your injury but have to admit gave me a little chuckle too I mean you can’t get less extreme than stroll to the pub! My advice is don’t buy a lottery ticketreally your luck is not in xx
Oh that’s awful - yes your luck definitely not on your side! Maybe a glass of wine in your own garden tomorrow would be safer! Hope it heals up quickly, xx
Don’t be put off though Kirstie as I had fab day out at Whitby yesterday you have to have something to look forward to. My hubby and I have decided that after every chemotherapy session when I am on way back to normal we will have a treat. Either a day out or nice meal.Maybe then I will associate feeling so crap with lovely times xx
Hi ladies,
Went to support group of young women with BC today & was good:). All at different stages so quite interesting to hear each story & experiences. They also had ‘2nd chemo blues’ but like we keep reminding ourselves it can be done! They meet up once a month & is 15 miles away from me but its worth it & find out so much that my BC nurse should have told me! Is anyone else on metaclopramide anti sickness tablets? I’m doing a bit of research into all the tablets I’m on ready for next round as don’t want to feel like a zombie/druggy going cold turkey again:( & I think that is the ‘evil’ drug as apparently its really cheap.
I really hope you can get the single injection for next round joan47! Sounds blooming horrible for you! I’m bald on the back of my head & sides - reminds me of one of my old school teachers!
Omg kirstie77! Can not believe that!,hope your OK,bet your son feels awful!
Glad everyone seems to be doing well & enjoying bank hol . like louise3721 says - its good to have a little treat when your feeling well. Went for fish & chips in the sunshine tonight. That will do me until after fec3! Xxx
Hi everyone, hope you are not too sore today Kirstie? And great idea to plan a treat every cycle- we all need something to look forward to! My elderly aunt has offered to pay for a holiday down to fowey in Cornwall at the end of all my treatment for me and hubby ( we go every year and love it but couldn’t plan it this summer) so it’s so nice to focus on something nice.
Eam28 I felt even more sick on metaclopramide on my first fec, I was also told it is a really cheap, nasty drug, I was changed to Emend, cyclizine and ondamestron on 2 nd fec and a massive improvement- wasn’t sick , felt a bit sick but copable!!
Hope everyone has the sunshine today which we have here, going to put my sun hat on my very bald head and walk over fields with my 2 dogs! Xxx
Dear Kirstie, I feel for you today, it’s such a setback after trying to get out more, it’s hard to put on a brave face when you feel like screaming and crying, I totally agree with other ladies our families are used to us being the strong ones, so can’t deal with it when we cry or find it hard to cope, am thinking of you today, x
Kirstie, you’re just where I was last weekend when a series of things all conspired together to make me meltdown. I’m not a crier either usually and I’m sick of crying now.
Just remember there is an end to the chemo & gradually you will feel better. A week ago I was all for stopping my treatment & now I’m back to my usual F it attitude and back on fighting form x
Hi Kirstie its all a bit shxt really so have a blooming good rant then cry then carry on because after all lets get busy living. When I was first diagnosed people kept saying oh well you are very tough you will cope Well guess what some days I don’t and some days I throw my hands in the air and yell why me? But every day I promise myself that I will survive this and I will do all the things I have been putting off.
I asked my consultant what my prognosis was basically how long I have to live. She said say I said 70% chance of people with your type and grade live for 10 years how does it help? You don’t know if u are in the 70% or 30%. So no one comes with the knowledge of how long we have and cancer makes u realise that you should not waste your time and energy on negative thoughts or negative people surround yourself with love friends and family. I also find that swearing helps!
Kirstie, hope you are feeling a little more positive this morning. You have had a really bad few weeks. Let’s hope your leg heals quickly and you start to feel perkier soon. You certainly deserve to have few good days. Chin up, summer is coming.
Hi Kirstie hope today is fabulous for you. Get a good book and a drink of choice and be happy xx
Hi Kirstie, hope today has been a little better for you, hope you are being spoilt - you certainly deserve to be!! X
Hi ladies bit shocking hair is coming out in handfuls getting my head shaved Fri its too upsetting to wait. Just feeling really like myself after being Fec’d
Oh well onwards and upwards
I too am on metaclopramide but going to ask for something else as the very thought of it makes me feel sick.
I too am keeping certain clothes and foods that i will.only have/use for chemo once this is over I will NEVER use them again
Anyone else finding it hard to sleep? Anyone got any tips managing about 5 hours a night and getting up twice !
Hi Rosie and Louise, yes me too with sleeping and getting up for the loo!! My hubby too disturbs me when he comes to bed and I also wake up at 3.00 a.m and am wide awake: I find if I take a piece of cake or a biscuit and leave at side of bed to eat in the night it seems to help!!
Louise I asked for Emend anti sick drug and it made a huge difference for fec2: wasn’t sick like 1st time and didn’t feel as nauseous either! Enjoy your last day Rosie before it all starts again!!