Rosie, just spotted your latest post. Hope the swelling is nothing serious. Perhaps it’s a bit of trapped air or poo! If they were really worried surely he would not be waiting to this evening to see you.
Oh Rosie, how are you getting on? Hope swelling has been sorted out. X
Had a bit of a slow start today. Fatigue,headaches & hot flushes mainly & can feel the sore mouth coming on even though been trying to use as much mouthwash & gel as possible. Managed to go for a walk although regretted it half way & still had a big hill to get back to the car! Got the bday cake done at last! Pretty knackered now but cant switch off. Had a bit of a tearful afternoon for some reason.
Good to hear from you joan & congratulations on your last chemo! Sorry to hear about your results. Like you say - you would rather they do what they have to do to get rid! I hope things are more clear in a few weeks for you.
Hope you have had a good day wildpurl & lovewine. If the se’s have kicked in i hope not too bad.
Glad you are feeling well enough to work cassie & you sound upbeat,nice to hear from you.
Tlj63 sorry to hear about your son,hope he is doing well. Hope you had a lovely bbq. I had to have further surgery to get clear margins like your friend. Now all out of the way i hope but i do remember saying if they needed to do masectomy then go for it!
Oh rosie still more for you to go through today! I hope you have a good night lets hope it is all straight forward & onto getting a bit more back to normal for you.
I have been constantly hungry this round! Think i will have to have something before i nod off!
Xxxx
Morning everyone, another week starts! Rosie, hope you enjoyed your early morning cup of tea! Good luck with today.
Eam, sorry you felt fragile yesterday, I did too, no energy at all, feeling sick and wobbly and very hungry! And yes tearful too! I can’t bear the thought of possibly having another 2 chemos.
Jos, street party sounds great fun, glad you were able to join in and enjoy it, it makes us feel more normal doesn’t it just to do fun things like that! Good luck for the week ahead too.
Tij, hope your son isn’t too sore, living near the beach is my idea of bliss, have a good day too!
Joan, hope you are ok today, Wildpurl , side effects hopefully going now for you, Jackie, hope you are doing ok? Love to all our lovely ladies- cassie, Nellie, Booksandwine, Louise,Lisa,everyone else too!!
Eam, have a lovely day with your little girl, hope she enjoys the birthday cake, happy birthday to her???
Oh Rosie, we have no dignity left do we!!! Another day in hospital! What is causing the swelling? Good luck with researching it! Thinking of you xx
Rosie, I think you will be amazed how much the swelling goes down over the next week. When I woke up from my surgery my new boob was like one of Pamela Stephenson’s. Within a week is was back to the same size as my old boob and then gradually reduced further. It is currently slightly smaller than my other boob, but will be visiting the surgeon in a couple of weeks to be ‘inflated’. I wore a soft but fairly firm sports bra for several weeks which helped to keep the swelling under control.
Hello lovely ladies getting over Fec 5 feeling awful but only one to go yippee!! Nearly there ladies we are all on the home straight . This thread is so busy that I can not keep up so will just send best wishes to you all.The end is in sight x
Rosie, so sorry you are have had further problems. The hospital must think you are such a lovely lady they don’t want you to go home. But great that your blood count has stabilised and you should be home soon. The surgeon examining you in the shower does seem very insensitive. I know we lose much of our dignity through all this but it seems crass. Thanks for the advice about looking at the surgery thread, I will follow it up. I have also come across a reference in one of the Breast Cancer Care booklets to a website about surgery options www.bres.com so think I will have a look at that too.
TiJ. Sorry to hear about your son, hope it heals up quickly. Thanks for the info about your friend; and EAM about your experience. Thats one of the things I’m bothered about, having to go back for several ops and then ending up with mastectomy anyway.
EAM, your slow start doesn’t seem very slow to me, walk and birthday cake. Sorry you had a tearful afternoon, hope you enjoy your daughters birthday. I have e definitely found myself getting more tired earlier with each chemo, less of the steroid bounce. Like you I can feel the sore mouth coming on despite all the medication. Also have cold sore developing on lip. I’m a bit prone to them d got one on my face after first Tax… Used my usual ointment but told that next time I needed to get tablets. So currently waiting phone call from GP.
Love wine, sorry you were feeling rough yesterday. Hope today is better. What are you taking for the nausea. The thought of having to have more chemo must be making it so much worse.
Wild purl, yes, my taste has gone too, can’t even taste sweet things, which at least keeps me out of the biscuits. Great news about your hair. I can’t remember whether you used the cold cap. I’m hoping to hang onto what’s left of my eyebrows but each morning wake up expecting them to be gone. So far my nails seem OK, so hoping the purple nail polish working as well as looking nice.
Louise, great you’re nearly there. Hope the side effects diminish soon.
Jos, glad you are feeling better and we’re able to enjoy the street party.
Cassie, well done for getting to work. And great about the sleep.
Rosie, sounds positive news! This time next week you will be on way to sons wedding!!! Am not tempting fate- but you are such a strong character you WILL BE!! A little exercise every day will soon build up your strength too.
Joan, I feel the same as you regarding surgery, don’t want to have lumpectomy without clear margins ,only to end up back in surgery at a later date having a mastectomy! I went to work for about an hour this morning and have given up! Feel dreadful, gets worse for me on day 5 after each Tax, I feel very nauseous again, have taken ondestron and cyclizine which helps a little, just feel very tired and wobbly too, must say I am very p…ed off with this bloody chemo now!
Hi Rosie, I go on Thursday to see surgeon and to see what she says about the enlarged lymph node, I really hope she decides on surgery as the thought of 2 more chemos is pretty depressing! Not sure why node would be one infected on chemo, hoping it may be a reaction, oncologist did say they would clear them all out anyway! Haven’t seen a girdle for ages, think I may have been trussed up in a " control pant" when I wore my wedding outfit for my sons wedding last September!! You will have a lovely flat tummy even if you can’t breathe! What colour is your dress?
Wildpurl, my neighbours had extension built last year and drove me mad and wasn’t ill then! Well done for resting through the noise, egg fried rice is making me feel hungry now!
Sounds lovely!! And at least a suitable neckline to cover all that’s going on , hope the sun shines on the day, I think you said before it was a fairly low key wedding at a hotel in Plymouth? It will be a fabulous day I am sure, a blooming achievement for you after all the hiccups you have had over last few months!! I can see a large glass of bubbly with your name on it???
Totally agree Wildpurl,! I am starving too, but yet still feel sick! Am so fed up that I have poured a nice glass of cotes du Rhone and am rebelliously sipping it and bloody loving it!! And even better it has made my sickness start to go away! Hope you can enjoy your food, it does sound nice!
Morning Rosie, can’t blame you having a meltdown after the last few days! Don’t despair, you still have 5/6 days to feel so much better, it’s amazing how quickly our bodies do heal and once you are at home you will build more strength, will keep everything crossed for you!!
Wildpurl, yes I recommend the new medication for sickness( cotes du Rhone) !! It certainly worked for me and eased my grumpy mood too! Hope you feel a little brighter today and can enjoy your lovely food ??
Jos, good luck today with appointment and have a lovely time in Wales, we used to go to st David’s in Pembrokeshire and also up to Porthmadog area and love it, want to go to aberdovey for a long weekend maybe between surgery and radio, and have a lovely time with your sister, will be lovely to see her and have some help and support.
I am off to be dolled up today at look good feel better course!!
Hi All,
Been busy for a few days and internet playing up so lots to catch up with!
Wildpurl I am glad your hair is growing back - I have been a bit scared to let mine start as I can see it is only growing in places so have buzzed bits off with my girls electric shaver. I am going to wait until there is an obvious growth all over but I am not looking forward to the inevitable spiky look as it grows out. My daughter also made some pesto and I find it does lift normal meals into the tastable realm - popped a dollop in my risotto last night- very nice!
Joan I am sorry you too are finding fatigue a growing problem. Despit it being my week 3 I just don’t seem to be able to make it through the day without a 3 hour nap regardless of how much sleep I have had the night before. Yesterday I slept from 3 - 6 pm and was still in bed by 9.30 exhausted! It is so hard to get much done.
Side effects seem to be popping up their ugly heads again for some- I hope they pass quickly. Has anyone suffered swollen feet and ankles - it is on my list of SEs for once but not something I have heard anyone else on the thread have. I also feel like a balloon not sure if anything to do with it.
Lovewine I hope you enjoy your Look good course today - I am very impressed you can manage to go out so soon after chemo. I don’t like to drive the first week as it seems to do something to my vision and depth perception - I feel as if I’m in a goldfish bowl and nothing feels right.
Jos I am amazed at how you, and EAM and Jackie are juggling looking after a small child and your treatment. I don’t know how you all have managed things like street parties and birthday cakes - inspirational! I too will throttle the next person who says ‘it’s nearly over’ - to me it feels as if it’s just beginning. I am terrified of not being seen every few weeks and able to discuss worries. I have got quite tearful and down about it - I don’t know if it’s just SEs or genuine terror!
Rosie I see your dramas continue - I hope you are managing still to keep your spirits up. I have my fingers crossed for you and hope once you are home the healing process will be rapid. Keep the exercise gentle! I hope the fluid retention subsides quickly - sounds rather alarming.
Cassie well done for getting to work, I did think of you in this heat as I remembered you are quite high up in your building and it gets very warm. Glad you are managing.
TIj my husband keeps joking he is going to buy an ambulance as we have needed one 5 times (one for me and 4 for father in law for hip dislocations) since Christmas. Perhaps you could book a regular slot at A and E for you and your family!!! I hope your poor son is recovering - grazes hurt almost more than small deep cuts so he has my sympathy.
Louise good to hear from you and glad you survived number 5!
Well I start the road to number 6 today with clinic later today and Chemo Friday bloods permitting. I also have the dreaded surgeon’s appointment tomorrow when I hope they will say the lumps and bumps under my arm are just scar tissue from the ops and nothing sinister. As the surgeon is new I am taking a leaf out of EAMs book and going armed with all my letters and bits of paper in a smart folder to look as if I mean business. I am going to try and battle to get the BRCA test done as the English patients get it for triple negative if they are under 50 so I don’t see why Wales should say under 40. Knowing me though I will say three words and just burst into tears!!
Lastly Jos - Croeso i Gumru - hope you enjoy it!
Nellie
Nellie, I had swollen feet and ankles just before my last chemo but think it was probably due to the heat, sitting in a car and not being able to put my feet up all day. It continued for the first couple of days on steroids then went. I hope the appt with the surgeon goes well. Chemo 6 on Friday, another one of us nearly there.
Jos, have a lovely time in Wales, hope the weather stays good for you.
Wildpurl, you have done amazingly well so far keeping busy, certainly put me to shame. I think you can allow yourself a bit of downtime now. Glad your taste seems to be coming back.
Lovewine, perhaps the hospital could prescribe Cotes du Rhone for nausea, glad you enjoyed it as well as it making you feel less sick. If you do have to have more chemo, and I do hope you don’t, it might be worth asking if they can give you some different medication. Emend has been mentioned by other ladies as being very effective. But let’s hope for good news on Thursday.
Rosie, very impressed that your husband came back with the right thing, heaven knows what mine would do. Your dress for the wedding sounds lovely and, fortuitously, just right in your changed circumstances. I hope you manage to get rid of the excess fluid soon, one way or the other,it must be very uncomfortable. I’m not surprised you had a meltdown. I wonder if reflexology could help with that as well as making you feel better. I remember having a foot and leg massage when I was on holiday in China a few years ago and, unexpectedly, it sorted out my constipation, extremely quickly.
Fab news Rosie. I’m sure you will feel loads better just being in your own home. You will probably be a little more active being at home which may all help with reducing the fluid retention. However, make sure your husband is still on cooking and washing up duties, you don’t want to over do it.
I’ve just got back from having my last chemo. I hope I don’t need any more because my veins are now crap. Took 3 goes to get in, but after that all went fine. Now feeling a bit hyper, probably a combination of steroids and elation that it is hopefully all over except for the herceptin and tamoxifen. Let’s hope the side effects are not too grim this weekend and then I can start looking forward to going on holiday in a few weeks time.
Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine. It’s ‘phew what scorcher’ here today
Yes!! What a relief Rosie, free at last. Treat yourself kindly this week, no more last minute hiccups, I think I am as nearly as excited as you at the thought of you making it to wedding! Don’t think my nerves can stand any more, so god knows what you,D/H and your family must feel like that! X
I had a lovely morning at look good course, wasn’t thrilled on my drawn on eyebrows, but loved all the make up and goodies, am going to try very hard to have a proper beauty routine instead of just smearing my face with a baby wipe!!
Well done tij , end in sight now, hope side effects pass quickly, well done x
Joan, another end in sight too, am beginning to feel a little left out now!!
Nellie, my feet swell in the hot weather too, would say that’s the cause of it!
Wildpurl, hope you have had a relaxing day and energy levels picking up now, I feel much better today, sickness gone and a little more energy thankfully , definitely was the cotes du Rhone medication, so effective I might have a preventative measure tonight( would be a shame to let it go off after I opened it last night!!)
Hope all ladies are well, Eam , hope birthday went well and you are not too tired today?
Morning Rosie and Wildpurl, hope you did manage more sleep Rosie? I end up sharing my sofa with about 6 stone of collie dog sprawled across me" cuddling me! " when I try to doze! Sorry to hear of your added worries with your business , last thing you need now , D/H must be very stressed at the moment, I sometimes think other halfs get overlooked with attention on us( rightly so!!) , but it can’t be nice for them. Good luck with your recovery , maybe a little pottering around slowly today will start to build up energy a little and help with healing. X
Wildpurl, yes really hot last night here too, I find I sleep better with curtains open and windows flung open, can be a bit noisy but better than the heat! I had spicy bean chilli last night and really enjoyed it! Have found I have been lucky with my taste/mouth and can eat as before and haven’t lost my taste buds at all
Good luck ladies with last chemo in sight this week, onwards and upwards!
I am going to have a go at using my lovely make up products from look good course before I go to work this morning, might end up looking like " aunt Sally" and being so hot it will probably slide off in a pool of grease, but am going to try!!
Good morning everyone!, Rosie whoop whoop so glad to hear you are home at last! Hope you managed to go back to sleep after your early rise as usual! We are all finding it hard enough here in 26 degrees so god knows how you must be feeling! Hows the swelling now?,must be so uncomfortable along with everything else! Poor hubby - at least he was in the right place at the right time! And how stressfull dealing with all that - thank god he’s managed to sort it all out & before you go away:). I hope you enjoy your reflexology tomorrow - i was going to say as joan did - it may help with retention? When i had mine last week it seemed to cure my toothache for a few days. Take care & dont push yourself x
Hope you havnt gone to work looking like jordan lovewine?;). Glad you enjoyed it - its a good pick me up even if make up not really your thing. And i hear you have been living up to to your name! - gota do whatever it takes - dont blame you! I was pretty pee’d off when you & wildpurl where too! Think i am being impatient with myself! I really hope tomorrow goes your way - will be thinking of you x
Sounds like you had a nice wkend with the company of your son & gf wildpurl. I always think i need to put off seeing people the first few days but in a way if your not too tired it can help to not just sit & dwell on how rough you are feeling! Hope your feeling well enough to do some nice things with hubby tomorrow & fri & hope you enjoy your chilli - still sticking to bland for me atm - even water stings my mouth!
Glad
Glad you enjoyed the st party jos - sounded perfect & just what you needed! Hope your having a good time in wales & your sister looks after you this wkend:)
Well done tlj63! What a relief. I hope the se’s not too bad for you so far. I too am counting down the weeks to my hol - 5 to go!
Louise 1 more to go yay!
I admire you still working cassie - i find it a bit of a challenge to keep the house tidy & cook meals atm! Good luck for your last chemo!
Your sounding fed up with it all too joan. I hope things are starting to look up a bit now.
My hair is all fluffy nellie & i too am wondering what il look like all spikey?! Dont really want to wear the caps & scarves anymore but think i will be for quite a while yet! Thank you nellie - yes it is hard going with little one at times - can only rest if she does or if someone is here to help but that isnt 247! But then again she keeps me motivated & positive. I feel the same as you - everyone saying - so your all back to normal now then?! - i dont think il ever be completely back to normal! I have already started worrying that it will come back & havnt even finished all the treatment yet so god knows what il be like then! Its not like me to be like this - but you cant help it can you?! Hope you get all your questions ticked off nellie!
Well fatigue seems to be wearing off a bit each day,headaches & hunger a bit less. But mouth seems to be getting worse instead of better despite using medes more consistently this time. Have had toothache near the end of each round too - my gum has really worn down on one side so will get dentist booked now i can. Tax trots a bit this time too - everything just so sore & tender!
Thank you all so much - my daughter had a lovely birthday! i wasnt up to much untill the evening when we had some family round for bday cake & cuppa. Luckily shes at the age where her expectations arnt too high! Going to try & take her to her toddler group this afternoon with celebratory buns kindly made by my friend. Got last zoladex injection this morning & hickman coming out in fri - yay! Can finally have deep baths,go swimming & wear a ball gown!
xxxx