Anyone due to start chemo April 14??

Yes Wildpurl, sounds delicious! You obviously needed the sleep!

Rosie, I think you have to trust your own surgeon’s advice and take all possible precautions perhaps leg exercises while sitting as well as walking around. It isn’t a long flight after all. I think I have also heard that taking aspirin can reduce the risk though you would need to check that out with a doctor. One of those occasions when it probably would have been better for your friend to have kept stum. You don’t need this additional worry. Will be thinking of you on Monday. Hope you manage to get some rest. 

 

Cassie, glad the side effects of TAX have been less this time. This does seem to have been the experience of most of us. Let’s all hope TAX 3 will be a breeze! Hope you have a lovely weekend, try not to overdo it. 

 

Lovewine, I see that you are due for chemo (TAX 3?) on Thursday and I know Wildpurl and I are due Friday. Anyone else due this week? 

 

Surgeon didn’t ring yesterday. Not very surprised, I know that tends to be their busiest day and I, perhaps foolishly, asked if he could ring in the next feew days… If he doesn’t get in touch on Monday I shall ring again on Tuesday morning. 

 

Nellie, that must have been a shock to have your eyebrows disappear overnight, Like you I think I would be more affected by that than my loss of hair. My eyes run all the time, constantly having to mop up tears so eyemakeup impossible. My head hair seems to be growing too as my eyebrows/eyelashes disappear. 

 

 

Rosie, if I were you I would just double check with your surgeon. I flew 2 weeks post op. I have had a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. The surgeon told me I should be fine 10 days post op. Admittedly, it was only a half hour flight, but as you say as long as you keep moving about you should be fine.
I hope everyone is feeling well enough to enjoy their weekend. The sun is shining here, although I think it may cloud over later. The school holidays have arrived for my boys, prize giving was a success with prizes for both of them. So that was a great way to end the week. My older son has now left the school he has been at for the last nine years and is off to boarding school in September, so it was a slightly strange feeling when we said our goodbyes yesterday. He wants to go to the barbers today to get a radical teenage haircut for the summer holidays. I think he was a bit surprised when I said ok. I am assuming it will have grown out by September.
I’m day 12 post tax and the hot flushes have subsided but my face is on fire. I have bright red cheeks and nose. Not a good look, but in the scheme of things a manageable side effect. Anyone else still got a flushed face?

Hi Rosie, I can only say what the other ladies say, your surgeon knows you are flying to sons wedding, am sure your friends intentions were good, but sometimes buttoning the lip is the best thing!! As we all know the advice differs widely for all of us for everything!!i have read other ladies threads on this forum and a lot of them have flown only a couple of weeks after surgery, would definitely wear the very attractive surgical stockings though!! Try to put it to the back of your mind and rest up !!
Tij, another stage in your boys life! Boarding school sounds very exciting, although you will miss him ime sure, you obviously live on an island so you must all be used to this way of life, enjoy the school holidays!
Joan, yes my chemo is on Thursday, hoping it’s my last! Tax 2 was definitely not as bad, let’s hope 3 isn’t either, hope you get your phone call on Monday, it’s very stressful waiting.
My eyelashes and brows went almost overnight too after first Tax, but fuzz on head, how strange, runny eyes and nose too, tissues stuffed everywhere!
Wildpurl enjoy your rock festival and family visit, make the most of it everyone before next weeks treatments/ stresses again.
Nellie, am looking forward to a picnic I must say- am going to put in a sneaky mini bottle of wine too along with my old lady collapsible chair!
Take care everyone and enjoy the sunshine if you are lucky enough to have it.

Wildpurl, I know what you mean, I used to walk my dogs about 4 miles every day easily,now I struggle to do half that and find it very frustrating! The minds willing , but the body won’t work!

Nellie, yes we do live on an island, so going to boarding school is not that unusual here. At the moment my son is very excited about going. Of course he will probably be feeling a little bit more apprehensive when we actually get on the plane to go! I am going to have to be very brave when we actually say our goodbyes. I’m sure it will feel very weird to walk away and leave him in his new surroundings. Fortunately, we live close enough that he will be able to come home every 3 weeks or so, not like the old days when kids where shipped off in September and didn’t come home til Christmas. The hair cut was a great success, number 2 round the sides and a longer bit on top. A lot of gel is now required! It makes him look a bit older so he’s well chuffed.
My face is doing exactly the same as you described. This time though it seems more severe. Are you on herceptin and tax? I was wondering if it was the herceptin doing strange things to my hormones. I hope not because I’m not sure I can tolerate this for a year, it is beginning to get a bit stingy.
Rosie, I want to wish you all the best for tomorrow. I hope you get some good drug induced sleeps! Don’t be disturbed if you get sent home with a couple of drains in. They are nuisance, but better than ending up with seromas that need to be drained. My hospital provided pretty paper shopping bags to put the drain bottles in which made it easier to walk around and less disturbing for visitors. Sending you a ‘virtual’ hug for a speedy recovery.

Just a brief response before we leave for our birthday lunch. 

 

Wildpurl re runny eyes. The oncologist said it was because chemo affects the tear ducts so theyt don’t perform their usual function of draining the tears away. I think I assumed that they produced the tears but not so apparently.

 

Rosie, sorry you’re suffering bad side effects from the TAX although good you got some sleep. Hope being under sedation for the op will mean the side effects are not noticeable. 

 

All the lovely food so many of you are describing is mouthwatering and must mean the sense of taste is returning. I have also found that for the first time the horrible taste in the mouth has reduced, if not completely disappeared. On the other hand, despite now being in week 3 of TAX my fingers and feet are still numb and tingly. I also have raised blood sugat levels so have to have a fasting blood test on Tuesday. After that may have to cut out the sweet stuff so plan to have a nice dessert today!

Rosie, wishing you all the very best for tomorrow, soon be all behind you!! On that plane wedding bound before you know it?? have a nice lunch today and a restful night, will be thinking of you tomorrow and the following few days Xx
Nellie, yes I would like to come to lunch too, sounds lovely, especially the blueberries! And yes I know what you mean about picnic chairs they either trap your fingers in them putting them up and down or collapse in a heap usually when you have a plate of food in your hand! Enjoy your day!
Joan, enjoy your birthday lunch, at least you may be able to taste the food!
Wildpurl, your chicken and Stilton sounds delicious- you do seem to have lovely food, far more exciting than mine! Are you a keen cook? It’s also nice you grow a lot of your fruit and veg etc as that is much nicer to cook with than shop bought!
Hi Lisa, are you off to Cornwall soon? Hope the weather is nice for you and you enjoy it , it will be so nice to have a change of scene after chemo and before rads, how disappointing you didn’t get a tattoo of your choice!!
Cassa, good luck with your first tax and herceptin, it’s not as bad as the first three, glad you find our thread helpful, I have found great comfort and support from our lovely group of ladies?
Jackie, Booksandwine,Eam,jos,Louise, cassie and sorry if missed out anyone! Have a good Sunday.

Thanks Lisa, yes probably best to meet up when you get back, have work Monday , Tuesday and dreaded appts too! ? would like to catch up again, so when you return from Cornwall maybe meet for a cuppa at wistow, if that suits you? Have a glass of Cornish cider for me, and a Cornish pasty!! The spicy chicken ones are particularly nice!!

Hi Lovewine yes that sounds good. I’m hoping to go into work next week too. Will definitely have a pasty for you. Have a lovely day.

Rosie, good luck, will be thinking of you, enjoy toast and marmite! This time tomorrow you will be recovering!!xxxx

Morning, Jackie, I bought a v shaped pillow a few weeks ago and find it really comfortable for watching t.v and reading in bed, sorry you had a rubbish nights sleep, good luck with clearing and tidying! Hope you stay well?
Have a busy full day at work today as have to do extra today to compensate for the rest of the week compensating for hospital visits! Quite welcome the distraction really! Will be tired tonight though.
Hope everyone is well, have a good Monday,
Really thinking of you rosie.

Hi Jackie, yes this is my last chemo week( hopefully!!) am a natural pessimist so hardly dare say the words! I have loaded up the second mo book on to my kindle ready to start, but just to gave a breather from mutilation and murder I am reading " before we met" which is a thriller from richard and judy book club, I am finding it very good so far! Have a good day!

P.s what are you reading next?

Morning everyone, I am also at work this week, not so busy as last time thank goodness but plenty to occupy my mind. Like Lovewine, this is the week of my last chemo, all being well. I agree though that until it’s happened I feel almost scared to say it!

Hope everyone has a good day either recovering or preparing themselves!

I too have a problem with teary eyes and aches and pains at the moment especially in the shoulders and neck area also loss off taste. TAX 2 day 6 I hope I have turned the corner now. I did manage a quick outing of shopping and a lunch out at our lovely local Spanish restaurant on Saturday with my eldest daughter although I must say I did not really enjoy the food as much as usual, with no taste buds working, I enjoyed getting out for a while but was so exhausted after getting back home, its only about half a mile walk but I am obviously so unfit now, it is really frustrating, my knees were creaking I swear and very wobbly.

Sunday we decided to have another look online at wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and some cravats for the groom and male page boys best man etc, which was nice and we have ordered quite a few things. This is the second wedding dress the first one was custom made in China but not very good quality or fit, so my daughter has put it on ebay! We have had very good reports from may different people that have had dresses made in China, but it did not work for us. Teal and white is the colour scheme at present, so here hoping to more sucesss this time, we ordered litlle ivory dresses for the two little bridesmaids with teal sashes, Debenhams and BHS being the suppliers at least anything can be returned this time if it is not right. My younger daughter will probably need several inches chopped off the bottom of the chief bridesmaid dress as she is a 5ft 2in size 8, lucky girl, or wear sky high shoes! Hope all goes well Rosie and you are not too uncomfortable when you return home, the Chemo SE’s hopefully a thing of the past.

 

Love to all Cassie x

Hi everyone, Louise I think it’s roughly 4 weeks before rads start after chemo, so hopefully you may squeeze in a break, god knows we all need one now! Amazing what people say isn’t it, they say to me oh you look well as I hobble along, no eyebrows or lashes and a beanie hat on!! I wouldn’t recommend the chemo diet though and would also rather be fat!!
Cassie, how exciting planning wedding outfits etc, quite stressful though! Good luck?
Jackie, have you read lynda la plante books? I enjoy her crime stories, have you read " gone girl" I enjoyed that by Gillian Flynn, sure you have as everyone seems to have!! Hope you are staying well?
Wildpurl , hope your working day has gone well, rolicarpit, you too getting sorted at school! Must say am quite tired now from nearly a full working day!! Am going to have a sneaky glass of red wine and hope it doesn’t show on bloods tomorrow! Get very stressed this week thinking of all the hospital visits!!

Thank you jackie, I will take a look at some of those.

Rosie how lovely to hear from you, glad all went well and you had the double. I thought the aftercare was terrific at my hospital too, I am glad you are being well looked after. Just relax and rest and let your body start healing.

Another day at work for me, hate getting up early!

Hope everyone has a good day

Lovely to hear from you Rosie, glad it all went well!! Rest and recover, you have a wedding to be fit for!!
Wildpurl, off to work too, bloods on the way there and then all day fretting there is a problem!!
Good luck everyone today, Jackie, you will have to tell me if new book any good!

Hi Rosie, and all other ladies,

 

Hello Rosie, its amazing that you have managed to get on line so soon after surgery! I am really pleased that the hospital staff are looking after you well and keeping you comfortable. I wish you  speedy recovery, I know you have lots to do and to think about.

 

I am thinking about going into work for a few hours tomorrow but will see how I feel outside today I am attending the hospital to have my PICC line flushed and re-dressed this afternoon. My mouth is still feeling furry inside and no tastebuds, cereal, tea, rice potatoes bread all yuk, but still managed to gain about 9lb in weight so far since the begining of my treatment, I am not sure if its the steroids, thyroid problem or just greedy me, time will tell. I have an appointment for the Endocrine dept end of next month, I really hope that I don’t need yet more surgery, it would be the 7th in 4 years and somehow the throat area is quite scary.