Hi everyone, Pauline I’ve just checked my book it’s pacitaxol I will be on! It will be a smaller dose as its weekly so hopefully side effects won’t be so bad! Fingers crossed anyway! So glad to say I am nearly half way through chemo!! Sandy- I’ve just read the thread,how fantastic it sounds,lets hope it does come over to the uk, take care everyone xx
Well Angels another box ticked - just had my first public meltdown! Picture the scene - in local chemist to get my gelclair prescription (baring in mind this is the first I have been out of the house for a week and felt quite wobbly anyway!) While waiting I asked could I swap my round co-codamol tabs for capsules / oblong as I couldn’t swallow them. The nice lady then said ’ have you tried halving them?’ quite a reasonable question I suppose - I then went to say ‘yes, but that is just as sore on my throat because of the rough edges’ but what I actually said was - blah blah sniff sniff tears and more tears - WTF???
I eventually left with soluble tabs - why don’t the docs think ahead and give you those in the first place?
thankfully I am now back in the safety and comfort of my own home - think I should stay here for a while longer 
Pauline xx
Cycle 4 docetaxol day 1
its been a long day today, had my first dose of docetaxol, im knackered now, i was late going in then, they had a chemo spill from a bag of one of the other patients, you should have seen them getting suited up to clean up the spillage, I thought they were gonna get breathing apparatus on, it was rubber gauntlets and plastic aprons, I’m thinking god this is what’s going into my body yet you would think it was a nuclear reactor that had had a leak! anyway, it’s in, but it sure did feel like it was burning all the time it was going in, I’m glad it’s over and done with. I’ve just had my steroids, I could do with the energy boost as I didn’t get enough sleep last night.
Sandy that new treatment sounds amazing, i know my brother in law had liver cancer diagnosed and treated in china, if he had been over here they wouldn’t have even found it.
pauline , you’ve really been through the mill with it this time, hope that’s it now and youve turned a corner. The chemo nurse today said the first treatment of the docetaxol is bad but symptoms usually improve after the first one, so fingers crossed this is as bad as it gets. I’ve tried the gelclair, I didn’t reckon much to it but everyone’s different. I’m on with liquorice and prunes and a go cake, a bit like a malt loaf that my mother inlaw makes me, for the diarrohea. IVe got immodium for the runs. And I’m eating home made vegetable soup or vegetable pasta to keep me regular.
Kate I will live with the red face, knowing my luck, I’d not blend the green in, and look even more silly going out with a green face, but I know what you mean about the green, I’ve done a similar thing when painting dolls.
whats happened to the weather, anyone got the sun?
Oh dear Pauline, I’m sure they’re used to it, they wil have looked at the bald head and thought, poor woman, I’ve not had a public meltdown yet but I’m sure it’s something that will come to us all. Lets hope the tablets are easier to get down
hi girls
oh pauline, people dont get it do they, how sore these little mouths get, mines the same just now. sleep sleep sleep until i come out of it now, put your feet up gal and relax 
judy i’m day 3 docetaxol and its just starting to kick in but its the tiredness, so tired. had the poo stage today thank god, hope thats over, (soz), the pains from the inside out as pauline was saying at the legs that is, having oval cocodomol for that later, paracetomol isnt doing it for me. gobs shite (haha), tastes gone too. but i do have to say i prefer it to the sicky fec.
got no energy
hope everyone is good
angie xx
Ahh first attempt at writing has disappeared!
Cycle 4 docetaxol day 2
I’m sorry to hear some of you are having a rough time. I hope the SEs go soon. The end is in sight now!
Surprisingly, despite the stressful build up to TAX and my emotional morning yesterday I have felt fine so far - no sickness at all! The pain from the neulasta usually starts to kick in on Saturday night so I will start taking paracetamol in the morning I think to get it into my system. The doc said the tax pain is ljke the neulastapain so I’m not looking forward to it.
Judy you did make me laugh with your eyelash story. Are you sure you haven’t already started on the green stuff and gone a bit overboard? You look pretty green in your picture - and angry if I may say so. It’s just as well parents evening went well - lol.
It’s interesting what Linda said about starting periods late and menopause early. I started at 14 and am now 39. I’m not sure I’d know if I had started menopause or not as I’ve not had proper periods for years due to the contraception I’ve been using.Not that I’ve missed them!
Have a nice weekend ladies. Hope the SEs let up and aren’t too bad for everyone. Xx
time - stupid o clock
tax day 4
ive seriously had enough now. i am hungry and cant eat, everything tastes like pepper and the slime factory has come back in my mouth i wouldnt mind if it had no taste, but the taste i get is just horrible, its not on, how am i supposed to eat. ive been up for 3 hours now (its 4am) listening to the birdies singing their little heads off. The throat thing is starting to come back, where it closes and you spend all day doing that swallow thing to catch a breath. and my hip joints are knackered as well so i keep walking round saying ooh, aah, ooh and all that.
looks like i’m going to have to get a grip and have a word with myself, i’m depressing me as well as you lot !! I just want some food !!!
angie the night walker
xx
ECMF cycle 4 day 2
Hi angels,
tried to post yesterday on tablet, lost it all and gave up.
First sending serious hugs to Angiepops, Pauline and Debra and anyone else having a shit time. Debra, I haven’t started CMF yet, but I’ve been asking at hospital and I will be having the C as an infusion with the rest- don’t know if this is better or worse! I try to think of the nasty red stuff as coursing round my body searching out cancer cells and zapping them. This helps me face it and cope with the se s.Perhaps you could try to think of the tablets in the same way? Think IN YOUR FACE CANCER as you swallow them? I know I’m sounding a bit unhinged now, so I’ll stop.
Well I’m back to no sleep with you Angie and I think it was Judy. wide awake at 3 am today after going to sleep at 1 am. Angie ,I want to kill the birds- do they ever stop? and why can’t the wood pigeons go and live somewhere more rural? I live in the middle of a city for goodness sake! not to mention the dratted foxes.
Enough moaning. Went to see Rod Stewart on Thursday night at LG arena. Absolutely F A N T A S T I C !! stood and waved my arms in the air for 3 hours- loved it. I’ve seen him before and this was even better. I think it was Moira who’s going on Sunday- you’re going to have a great time- paying for the arm waving now though 
. Take cd or whatever to play in the car on the way home- we put it on loud and opened the windows while we queued to get out of the carpark and everyone sang and danced ( I know, making a spectacle of myself)- it was a real escape from all this. and great to be in an audience of almost entirely ‘old’ people. we felt right at home. 15 mins in all the men had to trot out for a pee because they’d had a beer in the bar.
Down to earth with a bump for last Epirubicin on Friday morning. All went ok- just back to the usual sickness etc. Having some probs with my PICC line. they couldn’t get blood out on Wednesday so was worried chemo wouldn’t go in, but in was no problem. Got blood out too this time- must have been all the arm waving!
Periods Thanks everyone for being so forthcoming on my little informal research! I think it’s fair to conclude that it’s not so unusual to still be having sporadic periods at 50, although some people obviously finish earlier. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned, so I’m hoping chemo will stop them altogether. It affects what hormone therapy they give you- Tamoxifen or something else- don’t know if one is better than the other, I’ll have to investigate.
I’ve got another don’t: don’t buy the same magasine to read at the hospital that you’ve already bought the week before and read, but apparently not absorbed at all!
love to all mel xxxxx
Angie- when I can’t taste and feel sick salty foods seem to be all I can eat. I know it’s not good for you. I can eat smoked haddock chowder ( from the shop coz I hate cooking) ritz biscuits, humous, very strong cheese, olives in brine and I put loads of salt on anything else. I know it’s a bizarre collection but needs must… and there’s plenty of time later for being healthy! worth a try? Hospital said try spicy foods like curry if you can’t taste but it just gives me heartburn at the moment.
love mel xxx
can you tell I’m on steroids and have had 2 hours sleep?- I’m writing a book. Got to go and clean out the shed or something…
Oh dear ladies, sounds like last night wasn’t a good one.
Angie I agree with Mel on salty foods, eat something with strong flavosee and see if that’s better. Are you having indigestion/heartburn tablets cos the throat thing sounds like a symptom of heartburn. For your mouth have tou got toothpaste from dentist and Difflam mouthwash, if so use them more often, the slime and fur is the chemo reaction in your saliva so cleaning teeth should help reduce it.
Mel, great news you enjoyed Rod, I’ve never seen him live but I can imagine he’s good. Hope you have gone back to sleep now and you can relax over the weekend.
its raining here again, hope at least some of you have some sunshine
Kate
x
Cycle 4 docetaxol day 2
Mel-A I don’t know why I had a picture of hulk as my profile picture but I’ve changed it now for a baldy shot, hubby shaved the stubble off the back of my head yesterday so it’s smooth as a baby’s bottom, much easier to slide the hats on and off. I’m like you today, feeling okey dokey at the moment but by the looks of it if we’re like Angie the fun and games start tomorrow.
Got to say, I’m not looking forward to hubby giving me the injection today though… And yet he can’t wait…sadist!
Oh Angie , stupid o’clock is the pits, I was awake at 4 this morning but I put my earplugs in and a dark eye shield and thankfully nodded till 7.00. I do hope you can settle the s/e it’s sounds awful what our going through. My friend said she lived off fruit pastels during time her taste buds went.
Mel I look at the chemo in the same way as you, I tend to think well if I’m suffering the cancer is getting killed off and I think that helps a lot.
I was talking to he chemo nurse yesterday asking over why I was having chemo first then surgery and she said its down to the size and shape of the tumour, how regular looking it is, and how near the surface it is. She said they like to shrink to down as much as they can, even though I will be having a full mastectomy she said it just gives a better end result and hopefully allows them to take less of the chest wall away. She said the FEC-t is the gold standard for chemo, in the past they used just the FEC with the Tax being used if the cancer came back, but she said by using them both, together, they both attack the cancer differently and as the cancer is struggling with the FEC the Tax comes along and attacks it from a different angle. But the end result is that it should get rid of all the cancer and any lingering cells so it doesn’t return. That made me feel so much better and at least the suffering is for a good reason.
mel is sounds like Rod Stewart was a brilliant night, just what you need at a time like this, you sound like you let your hair down… Or you would have done if you had any, lol. I liked the sound of the ride home with the music blaring out and everyone singing and dancing.
It’s funny with the food thing, even though a bag of crisps kills my mouth I can’t resist eating them, I wonder if its the salt thing just to get the taste.
My mum and dad are back from a weeks break today so I’ve got to get to there’s this afternoon to get them back in there flat and then unpacked and washing sorted and cases away cos I don’t think I’m gonna be up to it tomorrow by the sound of it.
I’ve switched to baby toothpaste as its not as strong and I can clean my teeth a few times a day to get rid of the slimy mouth but it doesn’t sting like grown up toothpaste which just seems to sting too much.
Hope you all manage to crack the s/e and have a good day
Take care judy xx
Fec T, Cycle 4 Tax - day 9
Morning ladies, well day 9 and the pains have finally relented. Still a bit stiff but think that is more down to the fact that I haven’t really moved for a week! My mouth is still really sore though, ulcers all over my tongue and throat. I started using the gelclair yesterday - what a bitch! for about 2 hours after taking it my whole mouth was on fire, had to tongue an icecube (pardon the expression!) for an hour to try and sooth it. I’m assuming this is normal with the gelclair i.e. no pain no gain. Have just taken another one and nowhere near as bad as yesterday so hope that means it’s starting to work Still can’t eat anything as too sore but on the up side I might lose a couple of pounds
Does anyone know what the next best thing is for the mouth (pain not thrush) if difflam and gelclair don’t do it? Want to make sure I am well prepared with the best stuff before next one!
Oh and I also have really sore nails, have read before about tax affecting nails. My nails are gel so can’t actually see them but very sore to the touch - trying to type without nails touching keyboard!
Angie / Judy / Mel A - really hope the next few days don’t get too rough. For me FEC was a breeze compared to this but it does pass…eventually…be thinking of you and sending big hugs x
Mel - Rod sounds amazing, hope the shed is still standing
hope the sleep fairy visits the steroid crew tonight
take care Angles, Pauline xx
Has anyone washed their wiggy yet, I have mine done at the salon where I bought it from but can’t afford that now.
I am going out tonight for supper with friends and intend to put some Velcro rollers in it to spruce it up a little.
Does wiggy mind the rain or is an umbrella needed?
Still hate the bloody thing! Scarves and hats look horrid on me because I am tall and slim with a pea head, so naked I look like an alien.
Does anyone else dislike getting ready to go out under our circumstances? I used to love getting ready. The lovely Jo Malone bath,
listening to music, styling my hair and choosing an outfit. Everything has changed now… I hope this is temporary.
Debra. xx
Hi Debra - can’t help with the wig as I don’t wear mine but the rollers sound fab. Just wanted to say I am so glad you are going out think the other day you weren’t sure and not looking forward to it. I know what you mean about getting ready, it’s not as much fun but it’s really great that you are making the effort. I hope you have a great night xx
Debra
i haven’t washed my wig but I know Angie has and does regularly. I was told wigs don’t like rain and they go frizzy so I’ve avoided it…suggest you take your umbrella. Good luck and hope you have a great night once you are out.
Pauline, good to hear you are getting out the other side of your SE’s, sorry can’t help with mouth pain as all I’ve used is Difflam and the toothpaste from my dental hygienist sister.
i do seem to have a spreading rash today, it started on my forehead on Wednesday and I thought it Heath heat rash from swearing my hat all day in the humidity…today it’s on my chest, tummy and hands! The doctor at the chemo unit seems to think its some sort of allergic reaction but not sure what to…antihistamine today and tomorrow unless it gets worse. Has anyone else had anything similar?
Kate
x
hi girls
dragged myself out of bed in the quest for food but still cant actually face anything, tums a growling!
pauline - oraldene mouthwash, pink stuff, protects against infections etc and is MILD. i think fec was better too.
debra - i throw my wig in the bath, give it a swish and hang it on the taps, good as new next morning.
getting pains all over at the moment, dont know if the chest pain is indegestion or mx or just s/e. cant lay down in bed so i’m pottering and getting on OH’s nerves opening things to eat and then leaving them.
angie xx
Hi Debra,
I washed my wiggy as per instructions on the leaflet and was pleased with the outcome. It seemed to fit better, and sprang back into life. Definitely an improvement on how it was before the wash. I also wondered about rain, but I suppose as it’s washable it must be able to cope with a bit of rain? Probably best to use a brolly though!
kate
i was up reading s/e’s for docetaxol in the night and the rash could be a rarer s/e of the tax. look on the macmillan pages it tells you there.
angie xx
Pauline I found the gelclair, really wishy washy, are you watering it down, I think I watered it down by half and used the mouth wash twice in an our with what it made up in the glass.
Live been given chlorhexidine glauconite antiseptic mouthwash from the chemo not and the Difflam oral rinse this time, I think the Difflam is slightly stronger than the chlorhexidine but I’ve ot had any problems with either of them but that was on the FEC, wil have to see now I’m on the TAx.
Oh Angie, what about pineapple have you tried that, I kow I made loonies lollies last week that were pineapple and mango and they seem quite tasty. It’s a bugger though then all you want is food.
Kate have you tried piriton for the rash?
Have a good night out Debra, I don’t go out much but in my case it would be a bonus ot having to do my hair cos I was never happy with it if I went out.
Afternoon Angels, I was reading your news ANGIE at 4.20 this morning the comment box had disappeared (good job or it would have been edited!).sleep is certainly a big issue this cycle. went to bed at 6 last night as had really hit the wall, woke up at 3.50 as I dreamt I’d forgotten my injection, which I had so sticking needles in myself at 4.
Mel glad you had such a great time with Rod, Maggie May was the first record I ever bought, and enjoy the Robbie fans for tonight.
i had a phone call yesterday from my ONC nurse! I have been leaving messages for weeks, but do realise how busy they are. I was just feeling a bit left out hearing how you all were seeing your consultants and I wasn’t ! Turns out I had been forgotten? So have never been reviewed!! feeling a tad disappointed.
Pauline, I have been really lucky asfar as my mouth is concerned, but my dentist prescribed Duphate 5000 toothpaste specially for while I was on chemo. It has been great, very mild on the mouth, hope it helps.
hope you all cope with the nasty s/e xx onwards and upwards Angels