Afternoon Angels
AC-T(Paclitaxel) cycle 7 (of 8!!) day 1
I arrived at the hospital at 8.30 to get my bloods re-taken and found out that the pathology dept don’t open til 9 so I was first on their ‘to do’ list when they did open. All was fine and no clotting in the bottles today so I was given dose number 7…two weeks from now I hope to be doing lots of happy dancing! I finally left the hospital at 3pm which was a long boring day so Mel you have my sympathy I couldn’t stand staying there any longer than that.
Mel - fingers crossed the next antibiotics they are giving you get your sorted quickly - otherwise I’m with the others in my purple/white spotted PJ’s and ready to organise a rescue mission.
Carol - I was told the rads tatoos are very small dots and will fade in time, I haven’t had them yet but that’s what my ONC told me and he said one either side of my mastectomy site (I thought there would be 3 but he said 2)
Sandy - I have had a rash for a few days on both my Paclitaxel doses and was told to use piriton or clarityn - clarityn is non-drowsy so I’ve been using that and it seemed to clear it in a day or two and I then took it for the 2nd week of my 2nd dose and the rash was less so will do the same for my 3rd and 4th doses in the hope that it is helping. Piriton does cause drowsiness so I didn’t get that one - I can sleep without any extra help!
Judy - I laughed at your glasses story, I did think you were going to tell us they were on your head and had been all night but in the dogs basket was an even funnier picture! Perhaps the dog needed to read some small print over night! 
The sun is shining here so hopefully we’ll be having dinner on the patio this evening and its forecast to shine again tomorrow so I hope to get to sit in it under my umbrella shade for at least part of the day - fingers crossed.
Hope your SE’s remain manageable and the light at the end of the tunnel shines a little brighter for each and everyone of you tomorrow
Kate
x
Hi ladies, hope you don’t mind me posting on your thread but I noticed some of you seemed a little concerned about rads tattoos. I had rads in March/ April and can assure you that the tattoos are really tiny black dots, they look like small blackheads. I have three, two in my cleavage and one on my left side, they are so small I have trouble finding them amongst my freckles, and they do seem to be fading. Best wishes to you all, Pat x
Pat that’s good to know and kind of you to jump in and tell us.
Sandy - I had an itchy rash on my hands and took Piriton for it, which helped a bit. The oncologist is reducing my dose tomorrow because of the rash, the diarrhea and the skin starting to peel on my hands. She has prescribed me some immodium, piriton and hand cream too in case I get similar SEs again.
I’m loving the dog stories. I’m glad I’ve not got the only cleptomaniac pooch! I have to watch mine when we go out or people come round as she sticks her snout in people’s handbags. She also runs off with my scarves. God help me if she got my wig. She hasn’t learned to hide anything yet though but at 7 months old there’s time
Pat that’s good to know and kind of you to jump in and tell us.
Sandy - I had an itchy rash on my hands and took Piriton for it, which helped a bit. The oncologist is reducing my dose tomorrow because of the rash, the diarrhea and the skin starting to peel on my hands. She has prescribed me some immodium, piriton and hand cream too in case I get similar SEs again.
I’m loving the dog stories. I’m glad I’ve not got the only cleptomaniac pooch! I have to watch mine when we go out or people come round as she sticks her snout in people’s handbags. She also runs off with my scarves. God help me if she got my wig. She hasn’t learned to hide anything yet though but at 7 months old there’s time
Sorry for posting twice. My first post disappeared, then reappeared again.
Evening Angels,
I had a nasty rash on my hands during cycle 1. It was a side effect. I got rid of it in no time with Sudocrem. I swear by Sudocrem. It’s antiseptic too.
My dog ate my mum’s glasses and we claimed on the insurance. A few weeks later she ate mine. Didn’t dare claim again. 
THank you all so much for your support, you’re All fantastic. Back in control of myself now! They have taken out the picc line now just in case and put in a canula instead. I’m on 4 different iv antibiotics which are basically domestos so fingers crossed. They are trying to arrange a transfer home to my normal hospital, but I will have to go by ambulance. They’re waiting for a bed. On the bright side infection markers are down by 1, and so far tonight temp is only 37.7. Anything below 38 is good by me!everyones trying really hard to help me, so well done nhs!
Angels rule!
Love mel xxx
Good evening ladies
mel - I’m sorry that you are still incarcerated in hospital, hope the new antibiotics sort you out otherwise I’ll me joining the others in the rescue mission :).
Philomena - so sorry to hear about your brother in law
Judy - your dog and glasses story made me laugh out loud. I can just imagine your panic as you turned the house upside down.
take care
Kim x
Cycle 4 docetaxol day 21
just had bloods taken ready for poison number 5 tomorrow. I had a letter from my doctor, wanting to see me to “catch up” following my discharge from hospital so I had this this morning before I saw the nurse for my bloods taken. Mine was the first appointment of the day at 8.30, I didn’t get in till 8.40, it’s so annoying, no wonder by the time they get to afternoon appointments they’re running half hour late if they’re late for the first appointment of the day. I was amazed at how little the doctor knew about the chemotherapy treatment and the whole breast cancer procedure. I was even more amazed that my own doctor couldn’t prescribe the Omeprazole that i get for heartburn. by the time I Came out from the doctor I had then missed my appointment with the nurse for my bloods, anyway after explaining to reception that I was late, as the doctor was running late I got straight in. I thought I was going to have a bit of a paddy with some feet stomping, but meltdown averted… It’s funny how little things become big things with our delicate state of mind.
Mel I do hope you are reading this from home,or from the hospital near your home, you must be well pigged off with it all by now, keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Mel-A I’ve noticed the skin peeling from the ends of my fingers. I had the rash on my hands but that went about a week ago now, but the skin on my hands is really dry and peeling, gonna give the sudocrem a try and see if that helps.
hope you all have a lovely s/e free day with plenty of sunshine, we’ve no sun here at the moment but I really need to crack on with my sns graffiti painting so I’m kinda hoping it stays that way, take care angels judy xxx
FEC-T (Docetaxil) cycle 6 yippee!!! Day 2
Got my last of the nasties y’day. Took 3 attempt’s to get a vein as most are flat now, they have offered me a line now before starting Herceptin on 12 August. It can be entered through top of arm and done by nurses in onco day unit so no need for gen anasthetic. I will be a guinea pig for this procedure but after everything endured to date I don’t think it will be a problem, so I get that done in 2 weeks time. Bloods came back a little low so having them checked again next week, they think I may need a transfusion so before next week I plan a higher proportion of iron in my diet prior to blood test!! Did not get any better pain relief as no-one available to sign prescription but have been given the ok to use either codeine or tramadol which I have anyway. Done my happy dance…did not sing or fly up and down ward on my drip but they got the jist!! Then finished off my day with a run out on the Can-am and a couple of glasses of bubbly when back home!
Mel I hope this post finds you in transit either to your hospital of choice or even better on your way home, thinking of you and wishing you well!
Judy good luck tomorrow.
Thinking of you all and hoping for minimal SE’s all round. The light is geting brighter ladies, hang in there!!
Lots of love and best wishes,
Lori xx
Congratulations on reaching the milestone Lori , Hope you manage to up your bloods with lots of nice food between now and next week so you don’t have to have a transfusion. I bought some dried berries in Asda the other day, Urban fruits, that include ‘golden berries’ which apparently have more iron than oranges and they are mixed with red grapes and cranberries - very nice they are too so maybe them with lots of cabbage and spinach in your salads may help. Liver would be better but I know lots of people don’t like liver - luckily I do!
AC-T (Paclitaxel) cycle 7 day 2
I feel fine but have the big red face from the steroids today! I will be going into the doctors to pick up a prescription and then to town later so I think the green cream had better come out first or everyone will think I’ve been sitting in the sun a bit too much! Judy I’m surprised your doctor won’t prescribe your Omeprazole as I got a call back from a doctor earlier and he’s prescribed Lansoprazole for me as I forgot to get more at the hospital yesterday, he just asked if I’d had it before and I gave him the reason for it and he was fine. I’ve had a couple of things prescribed over the phone that I’ve not had from them before - but then I haven’t been in to see a doctor in the surgery since my original surgery 3 1/2 months ago so I have no idea what they know about what’s going on - apart from the receptionist told me yesterday my Tamoxifen is on repeat prescription ready for when I need it which I was very surprised with as I only saw ONC last Thursday for the first prescription which I don’t start taking til 7th August! More efficient that I expected by a long way!
Hope you all have a sunny SE free day - the sun is just about poking its head around the clouds here now so fingers crossed it will burn the rest of the clouds off soon.
Kate
x
Hi Kate,
Thanks for the food tips. Will have a look out for these and up the salad etc. Just about to put a joint of beef in for later…unfortunately not up to the liver intake - ewe!!
I like you, also have my Tamoxifen on standby due to start it same time as Herceptin.
Hope you get on ok with red face, the green cream from LGFB kitis also working for me!
Take care Lori x
Mel, thinking of you and keeping everything crossed that those anti-bionics are kicking in and you’re back to home hospital. When you get a chance, a good long LOUD howl (in private 
) helps xxxxxx
MONEY
Anyone else Self Employed and claimed ESA (Employment Support Allowance)?
Macmillan money advisor said I would not be entitled to anything. Only mentioned DLA/PIP. Did not mention ESA.
ESA is for people not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. As far as I can see, Self Employed National Insurance contributions make you eligible?? Anyone know anything about the claims process, and can it be back dated?
Fecinora - just done a quick google search and this link should give you a phone number to apply through and it tells you what you need with you to go through the application.
Kate
x
Mel - I’m glad things are looking up for you. Keep us updated!
Lori - a big pat on the back for reaching happy dance stage. Well done for reaching that landmark
Katie - I’m also donning the green cream today as the steroids have given me a lovely bright red face and chest.
Judy - the oncologist has just prescribed a huge bottle of diprobase cream for my dry and peeling hands. The nurses said today that any cream with alcohol in can actually dry hands so that’s one to watch for the future.
I’ve officially got only 1 chemo to go now. Today’s experience was interesting. My face started itching a bit and my throat went sore so I told the nurses before anything worse developed. They got the piriton at the ready but paused treatment for a few minutes, which sorted the problem without piriton. However having struggled to find a vein they put the cannula into my wrist palm side. When they took it out I didn’t press it for long enough and the site went really black and swollen so I had to go back to see a nurse who advised me to keep pressing on it until it went down. It’s really sore and bruised now and it hurts to use my hand. A lesson learned there for next time. It was nice to come back to some sunshine though and naughtily sit out for a bit, despite being told by the oncologist to avoid it. I’d rather gain my dosage of vitamin D and boost my immune system
Hope those recently dosed up have minimal SEs. Xx
Cycle 4 docetaxel 1 day 14
Hi Angels Mel hope you are moving back to your home hospital soon or even better Home. Carol I met a girl who had radiotherapy 5 years ago she showed me her tattoo it was barely visible just like a pen mark and very faint, I think the least of our worries.
Re ESA you are entitled to claim if you are no longer entitled to Ssp (statutory sick pay ) after 26 weeks you need to have been paying national insurance to be eligible. If you have a maggie centre near you they have benefit advisors who will help you with your entitlement and your claim .
I thankfully have had a good few days although have not a lot of energy. My mum had her wide local excision, and lymph node biopsy yesterday, she is doing ok picked her up today from hospital staying overnight before going home to her own place tomorrow, her appt with surgeon to get results is next Thusday hoping she does not need further surgery or chemo fingers crossed.
Hope you are all enjoying this unseasonal good weather, I know I am take care Lynn x
EC cycle 5, Day 1
Hello Awesome Angels,
It’s been a good day for me so far. After the horror of six cannular attempts last time, today a different nurse found a decent vein straight away, on a drip no problem and she smiled and chatted away so reassuringly the whole time. I came out of there a whole lot lighter of spirit than when I went in. Had a bit of a shaky start when she told me my bloods from yesterday were too low to proceed (.75 if that means anything to anyone) but she assured me that they’d probably come up to a reasonable level overnight so bloods taken again and this time they were 1.35 which she described as borderline but let’s go for it!
Well done Lori. Bike riding and bubbly too! I’m so jealous - but I also feel so much better knowing there’s only one to go 
Mel hope your temp stayed down and they let you out. You were sounding very positive in your last post. May the force be with you!
Judy, like you, I had a catch up with my GP a few weeks ago and she admitted her knowledge of chemo was limited and she was happier for them to prescribe whatever rather than her because, I think, of possible drug interactions that she wouldn’t know about… Since then, the last couple of times I’ve been to the docs, I’ve seen a relatively new young female GP who has been lovely - she prescribed the bum cream and is sorting out my hearing probs - what more could I ask.
Fecinora, I haven’t checked it out but you could have a look at www.adviceguide.org - it’s the CAB site and might be able to answer some of your questions too.
Lynn, hope the news for your mum is as good as it can be. Rads is a given but we all now know it would be nice to avoid chemo - except of course it would have meant we’d not have all got together on this forum - and I for one think this about the only positive thing chemo has going for it!!!
Sunny days,
Moira xxx
Hi everyone
Lori - congratulations on your last dose I’m glad you did your happy dance and celebrated with some bubbles.
Lynn - hope you mum has good news
Moira - glad everything went ok this time around.
mel - I hope you are on your way home
Take care
Kim x
New chemo resolution – Post More! I’ve been trying to keep up with your posts, but feel selfish not sharing myself. Thank you all for your advice, You Tube links, and hilarious stories. I had computer problems last month now fixed with new Mac! I think I know how to work it now….
Today was Chemo 6 out of 8 – 6 weeks to my happy dance! I have posted a pic of me in cold cap as I don’t want to give you hair-envy! Its thinning badly now tho and I don’t know if it will last the course…
The fasting before Chemo 4 (EC) worked a treat. Deffo felt much better even than chemo 1. It still took until day 11 for me to feel almost normal but the fatigue and other SE’s were much reduced.
This made Chemo 5, Taxotere, rather a shock! I got the pain you all described (like a gremlin poking me from the inside at random, mostly in my joints) from lunchtime of day 3, after the steroids wore off. I also got the runs which seemed to be controlled by immodium and the anti-sickness stuff that causes constipation (big problem in EC Cycles). By day 5 I’d started to feel better, but on the morning of day 6 I started to feel a LOT worse, pain in my back & legs, just like flu plus more runs (which I’d been warned is a problem if after day 5). Rang hospital, had blood test, wbc count too low so fierce antibiotics for a week. Fortunately not bad enough to be chucked into hospital though. Recovery was patchier too, not a steady getting better pattern like with EC. I had my own blow out in Tesco Metro re not being able to get more than 32 paracetamol. rant made me feel better, I couldn’t resort to hair removal but probably would have as I was on my own & no OH to stop me!! I saw my onc yesterday. Said the symptoms would only get worse if anything so reduced todays dose by 20%. I’ve also lost a bit of weight (first time in 30 years I haven’t been trying!!) so a lower dose may be needed anyway.
I have continued to do the fasting; it worked well for EC and I really don’t want worse SE’s on Tax. Bone pain, furry tongue, tender mouth (but no ulcers or cold sores), mild itching on palms + mild neutropenia was enough for me!
My dog (lab) in his 2 years has chewed about 7 pairs of glasses, numerous shoes, my sons new mobile phone and about 3 of OHs blackberries (he got very good at repairing them himself!). The dog likes the smell of the people and the food they’ve eaten, he loves it if there’s also a buzzing noise (OH’s problem!) he also loves to be chased when he steals things! As OH & 2 boys are supremely untidy they’ve suffered the most, but my glasses copped it when I was sofa-surfing during chemo. He’s walked loads but we should do more with him indoors … another resolution for when I’m better.
Mel: hope you get home soon, if not then a hospital close by so your family and friends can support you as well as us all.
Love and hugs to all of you
Rozz
Hi Rozz nice to see you in your pink cap, it’s a bit of a bummer to read that your oncologist said the s/e of tax may get worse as you go on, I was really hoping it would be like the FEC and I’d get used to it a bit and not be as affected, will have to wait and see. Blimey your dog is a professional thief compared to mine.
WELL DONE LORI, REALLY PLEASED FOR YOU XXX
Moira glad you’ve got dose 5 out of the way and things have gone well, your right about the positives of chemo and meeting the lovely ladies on here, don’t know how I would have got through this without everyone on here. Moira, I’ve got to ask, what’s the bum cream for? Ive had a sore bottom from the runs, but then it was quite itchy so I was using germaloids… Sorry if that’s too much info. On a completely separate note I think I may have had a prolapse with all the constipation, I should have mentioned it at the doctors today but I just can’t face any more hospital visits with them wanted to look in my nether regions As well. I’m doing pelvic floor excercises in the hope that that sorts it for now
best wishes to your mum Lynn, hope everything’s ok with your mum xx
Mel it sounds like youve had an eventfull day, glad you’ve got dose 5 out of the way though. I forgot to take my steroids will 1040 today then we were out doing my mums supermarket shopping do. Forgot my evening steroids till 7.30 so I’m in for an interesting evening. Luckily I have my sons painting to work on.
Hiya, kim, Kate, fecinora, Sandy, Pauline, Lola and the rest of the angels. Mel have you escaped yet! Take care everyone xxx judy