kate.
watch, i’ll get arrested! or picked up by social services!
hope it goes well tommorow, ask loads of questions and then you can answer mine 
angie xx
Evening Girls,
just back from the Indian, feeling pretty stuffed to say the least. My tummy gets so bloated, anybody eldest get this!
have felt absolutely fine today no s/e.
Kate good luck for tomorrow, tax does give diahorrea nurse told me I should get it at the weekend so have some Imodium handy. Enjoy the concert it will be fab Iam sure.
Angie, when are you scheduled for Rads? Iam about 50mins drive from Inverness so could meet up for lunch or something if ou like. I have to go to Aberdeen for mine. The cleaning bug hasn’t kicked in tonight, probably cos am stuffed with the Indian, meal that is lol.
Hope s/e are kind to everyone xxx
hi Amber,
glad youre feeling ok, i think its september because my last chemo is august. i find out for sure on the 9th july, appointment with onc. that would be nice though, we could meet half way.
angie xx
hahaha, I can see it now you arrested for ‘loitering’ with your knitting! I hope you do manage to find some nice places to go otherwise you’ll go mad! Are you going home for the weekends or is it too far?
I’ll ask as many questions as I think of, the main SE’s I’ve been told about is more hairloss(I don’t have much left to lose!) and pins & needles so I’ll check on the ‘runs’ and any others they come up with! 
Kate
x
Judy/Angie,
I have the Neulasta jab 24 hours after chemo. My oncologist told me not everyone gets the bone pain, but it is best managed by starting a course of 1000mg of paracetamol immediately after the jab and continue every so many hours (as instructed on the packet) for 3 days, whether you get pain or not. Then stop. This builds up a preventative resistance in your body. If the pain does start, then take Ibuprofen. I have had 2 rounds of Neulasta so far and have followed this course of painkillers religiously. Result - no bone pain. Either way, it’s better than neutropenia!
But don’t forget to take your temp before taking the paracetamols.
Good luck ladies, Linda xxx
Thanks for the advice Linda , I will have to make sure I get some paracetamol in.
Best of luck for today Kate , ope everything goes ok.
Amber my tummy gets bloated but i think its cos I never stop eating.
we always walk the dog on the beach or the cliff top every morning. Today it was quite windy so we started off in the woods at sewerby park then came out onto the cliff top and walked half way to Danes dyke along the cliff. By the time we were half way back it was really warm. I ended up having to take off my hat and scarf and go bald as I was just too warm. We walked back through sewerby woods and the park and I had my head uncovered all the way. It was very liberating walking about with my bald head out, I don’t think I’m ready yet to go into town like that but it did feel really nice out in the fresh air without my hat or scarf.
Hello all,
Just wanted to say thanks to you for making me feel so welcome on the forum.
Almost a week since my 3rd FEC cycle and most of the usual side effects (heartburn, constipation, furry mouth etc) are improving, but aching limbs today from the injections I am on to boost my white blood cell count, so on the paracetamol. Last one today so on the up soon hopefully. My neutrophil count dropped to half what it needed to be on my first cycle so I think the doc wanted to make sure this didn’t happen again and I have 5 days injections each cycle now.
Yesterday i went to a ‘Look Good, Feel Better’ makeover workshop at the hospital where I have my treatment - Leicester Royal. The charity run them across the country so if you haven’t heard about them I thoroughly recommend it. Was alot of fun, very supportive and came away with a lovely bag of make-up goodies. Have uploaded a photo to my profile, taken after the event so hopefully I look good !! ;-))
Anyway, back soon, but time for a trip to my local coffee shop - am becoming quite the regular xx
Afternoon ladies, hope you are all well
Amber - I too have free insurance via RBS, just off the phone - they quoted me £90 to cover BC or no cost if they exclude any BC related issues. Said I’d get back to them, £90 sounds very reasonable to be honest however, my personal view is that it’s money down the pan so think I’ll just go with the BC exclusion. They did ask if there would be any surgery within 12 weeks of travel so sounds like that’s def why they said no to you for Amsterdam trip. You should hopefully get same quote as me next time!
Kate - hope all went well today
Angie - I’m still laughing - not at the fact you have to spend 3 weeks in Rads Jail but that you might end up in the real jail with all the Internet cafe stalking you’ll be doing, especially when carrying lethal weapons aka knitting needles
Injections - I don’t get any, must have good blood - I’ll put it down to the whiskey and Irn Bru!
Oh and new photo with headband scarf thingy, these are my favourites
Have a good day everyone xx
Hi everyone,
Day 2 Tax
all going well, no s/e so far and had a good nights sleep.
Angie be good to meet up
Kate hope all is well today
Caz, glad you enjoyed LGFB, did you love your goody bag
Judy, haven’t tried the baldy walk in public yet, but it is liberating to have nothing on your head. I only wear my wig for going into town extra.
Pauline, interesting you were quoted £90 to cover BC, are you getting rads and needs after chemo? The guy I spoke to said it was a straight decline. I asked for cover in between chemo and rads cos we have a wedding in Poland then, was your quote for end of rads? When I asked about Amsterdam they did explain if it had been 12 weeks post op they would have covered me for £90.
take care ladies, nice and sunny here at the moment xx
Hi Angels
Paclitaxol cycle 1 day 1
Well my bloods were fine so I got my first TAX cocktail today. It seemed to go in okay, the anti-histamine caused me significant drowsiness so I slept for about an hour whilst I was getting the infusion! I had lunch also and left the hospital about 5.5hrs after arriving and so far (fingers crossed) I feel okay. I only have to take 4 steroids and 3 anti-sickness per day for the next 3 days so hopefully I won’t be too hyper and I’ll manage to get some sleep at night.
Angie - I asked about the ‘runs’ and was told they don’t expect it on my cocktail, but as people move from other cocktails to this sometimes as they continue with the extra fruit/fluid/licorice and other anti-constipation remedies they do go the other way as the anti-sickness with this cocktail doesn’t cause constipation…I won’t be eating licorice for the next few days in the hope that I can get to see ‘The Boss’ and not just hear him from the ladies!
Hope everyone else is well and more travel insurance has been sorted…my view is once treatment has ended and I’ve been without symptoms for a few weeks I won’t be ‘including’ BC but will declare it. How long it wil take to get to ‘without symptoms’ obviously will be dependent on the rads SE’s more than chemo I hope!
Kate
x
hi all
went to get my tubes flushed today in my hospital and i asked about when i take the steroids next week, so i have 4 after breakfast and 4 after tea, next tuesday weds and thurs, said not to expect too much sleep happening. tax on the weds and supposed to be watching for one bout of diarrohea on the saturday. how simple is that! Do you think they are lying, ive been worried about this one for a few weeks now. They said because my bloods are always good, i have pain relief set up in naproxen and paracetomol, but i also have co- codomol, so should be fine??
Kate - how did it go luvvy?
CazP lovely pic, you look delighted.
Pauline - click click click, Theyre all gonna think i’m the local bag lady arent they, i should tell them its rads clink.
Judy - sounds like a lovely walk, i cant help thinking your ears must be cold outside. i keep pulling my hat down, now i’m missing the long hair ear cover .
Amber - sounding good, have you had any nausea?
Lola - thanks, will be on a pain relief regime just in case, may as well avoid it if at all possible
angie xx
Evening ladies
Amber - my quote was for when all treatment has ended. I told them I am having chemo and rads and the holiday will be at the end of this. As it’s an annual policy they didn’t ask for any dates for treatment finishing or holiday commencing. They just seemed to want to know that I won’t be having any treatment and that it will be at least 12 weeks after any surgery. I’m assuming ‘needs’ is ‘meds’ ? If so, no - I am triple negative so no hormone tabs for me, rads is the end. Maybe this is the difference?
Had bloods today in prep for chemo on friday, already had a call to say they are very low (lower than last time) and will need re-done on Friday morning so another long day waiting about on Friday and a possible delay. They gave me the choice not to start my 8 steroids tomorrow and delay chemo until next week but I decided to go ahead in the hope that bloods will be good enough on Friday and we can go ahead - please send me some positive vibes Angel’s for no delays
On the steroid front, they said take the first 4 at 8am and the last 4 at 6pm (sounds same as you Angie ) - Immediate alarm bells with 6pm as very late, I managed to negotiate back to 4pm but tempted to go earlier - anyone else on docetaxol (Amber / Lori I think) - what time have you taken the last 4? Oh and i will also get the injection they day after, they said this is protocal with Docetaxol but not with Fec although some areas do give it with Fec - I’ve opted to give myself the jab as it will be a Saturday and feck (pardon the pun) waiting about on district nurse coming
The other thing that struck me was that during the ‘talk’ about S/Es of Docetaxol, they laid it on very thick i.e. expect to be very bad the first week with big dip when steroids finish and bone pain etc that Lori has suffered from. Just struck me that the Fec talk was less aggresive - hey ho at least I know the worse that can happen! They also said that my hot flushes and night sweats are almost certainly early menopause caused by chemo - suppose I might as well get it all over with now!
Kate - hope it all works out for ‘The Boss’ this weekend
have a good evening Angels and hope S/Es are minimal
Pauline xx
Angie, no sickness or anything else to report, day 3 tomorrow so will wait and see if the truck arrives!
Kate, glad everything went ok today.
Been phoning about this afternoon to try and get travel insurance after chemo but before rads. Only one company so far called ‘ok to Travel’ will cover for £69. Spoke to my chemo nurse and she reckoned that if you have a BC exclusion the company will try and anything to link to cancer as a cop out. Some companies are excluding Spain and Turkey, so it’s a total minefield. I think the important thing is to get insurance sorted before booking the holiday. Also had one company that would a only take my situation as it is at the moment which obviously led to a straight decline, crazy. X
Hi Pauline,
crossed over in posting. Yes the meds could be the difference. I have to take 4 steroids first thing and 4 before 2pm.
Will keep my fingers crossed your bloods go up for Friday so you can tick box 4
take care xx
pauline,
is your bloods low because you didnt get the injections that we get, is it going to be the same with the docetaxol? I’m alrready expecting to be up all night for the steroid fest, i dont sleep long anyway. did they tell you to prepare pain relief just in case, same as immodium for the poops, my nurses want me to take everything that might help, i love them!
So eat broccoli, liver, kale, not guinness because i worked out you need 2 cases to get your rda, some red meat, get the bloods food on the go for friday
have some vibes too 
theyre good ones !!!
angie xx
Evening Angels,
Wow this travel insurance is a bit of a nightmare, having known someone who had major problems with their travel insurance, I can vouch for the part of the insurance companies doing everything possible not to pay out. Perhaps posting a thread asking people who have successfully been insured may do the trick! I’m inclined just to go for the exclusion.
Pauline I started the menopause a few years back and had to come off HRT as too many problems, my GPput me on Prozac, although for depression it appears that 50% of women had reduced hot flushes using it. I have been on it for 3 years now and have not suffered since. Research is now proving its worth.
Im off tomorrow for my bloods and Physio, and am hoping the injections have worked.
Wishing you all few s/e for the week ahead xx
Pauline
I agree with Angie on getting the blood food into you - but I disagree on not the guiness, its good for the morale and is easy to drink alongside eating a nice steak and pile of spinach salad! Hope the injections going forward help with your bloods, it seems to be doing the trick for me - or maybe its my steaks, salad and guiness plus liver once per week that’s doing the job!
Good luck with getting some sleep for everyone taking large amounts of steroids, I had a large iv dose today but normal 4 first thing in the morning for 3 days now so I’m hoping to survive that.
Amber - I had the same problem of the insurance company only taking current situation into account when trying to sort out for my 2 night cruise so I delayed getting insurance until 1 week before the cruise as then I was 6 weeks post surgery which seems to be a cut-off too…hopefully next time I’m trying to travel abroad it will be easier as I’ll be post treatment. We are hoping to go to Cornwall between chemo and rads and won’t be getting any insurance as will be booking last minute so cancellation wouldn’t be a risk - and as I’ll be in the UK I’d hope that a local hospital would give me any treatment I may need for free…although with the NHS I’m not sure!
Kate
x
Fec-t cycle 3 Day 13
Pauline I’m on the same as you the docetaxol, I was told 4 steroids at 8am and 4 at 6pm, plus the injection for first time, the day after the docetaxol. I was told to expect the bone pain and the runs, And a sore mouth. I’ve bought paracetamol today but could only get 500mg not the 1000mg as linda advised. Ive also stocked up on immodium just in case. I was told after the first cycle when I had the runs not to take an medication for it, in case it was an infection but i think if I get the runs after the third day of tax, then it’s the tax, so I will be taking immodium.
Love the scarf Pauline.
Hello Caz, you look lovely, I don’t think we have the looking good in East Yorkshire, I think the nearest is York. The goody bag sounds nice.
i don’t think there’s ever been a problem with my blood count and yet I’m a vegetarian. I hope your bloods are fine on Friday Pauline.
Blimey Kate , 5.5 hours in the hospital, what a pain that must have been.
How are the eyebrows holding out ladies, I’m having to draw mine in more and more as they’re very thin and patchy. My skin is much better than its ever been though. Apart from the corner of my mouth where I keep, nearly getting a cold sore than never fully comes out.
lori , how’re you doing now? Amber it’s good to know that your still feeling ok and managing to sleep, hope the s/e keep away.
Judy
My eyebrows are okay for the moment so I haven’t started drawing them in yet…I’m sure my first attempt will make me look like Coco the clown!
The paclitaxol infusion takes 3 hours on its own so the ‘pre-meds’ and time between them and chemo makes it minimum 4.5 hours in the hospital for my new cocktail. Today was a little longer as the chemo hadn’t been delivered by the pharmacy when I arrived - I slept for about 1.5 hours through the infusion so it didn’t feel too bad. How long does Docetaxol take to deliver?
I’m not sure if the time at the hospital outweighs the need for 2 doses of steroids and no sleep at nights…
Kate
x
Kate I think the docetaxol only takes about an hour and it’s just drip fed in with saline. I think drawing the eyebrows in at the moment is fine as I’ve still got eyebrows there so I’m just filling in the gaps very lightly and smudging it in a bit, but if they fell out completely I too would be coco the clown. I bought some false eye lashes but I’ve not tried them yet. My eyelashes are thinner and shorter.