Anyone due to start their chemo July 2014

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy monthly threads
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Hi All

Slyolddog, I’m so sorry to hear about your Dad. My thoughts and prayers are with the at this time. It seems barbaric that you have to wait so long for the funeral. Sending big hugs and I hope the hair colour goes well on Saturday.

Gill, hope you have a wonderful holiday in Barbados, I’ve never been to that part of the world but it looks and sounds amazing.

Hbunny, good news that you are starting to sleep better, a good nights sleep always improves things. Fingers crossed your GP is right and your problems with thumbs and eyes are chemo related, it certainly takes its toll on our bodies for so long but it is slightly reassuring that symptoms should improve over time.

Cath, glad your energy is starting to improve, getting back to normal is a long process. I’m with you and Hbunny is missing my fringe. I did have a very thin one but it looked a bit like a comb over fringe with curly bits growing through underneath so I cut it shorter than comfortable with. Does anyone know how long chemo curls last before hair starts growing through normally?

My eyelashes and brows have started to grow through again, let’s hope they stay this time

Karen x

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Hi Hbunny, yep that just about sums up my hair too the teddy boy look!

Enjoy your quiz night, Cath. Much as I moan about my hair at the moment it is nice being able to go out without any covering on it.

Re the chemo curls went to breakfast this morning with some friends. Talking about my new curly hair and one of them mentioned a colleague who went through all this a couple of years ago whose hair never went back to straight after chemo. I’m already putting loads of serums and stuff on to stop the frizz but think I will need to get some straighteners too

Xx

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I know exactly what you mean Cath. We went out with friends for drinks and a curry last night, I was having a great time and didn’t feel self conscious about my hair until I went to the toilet and saw Ken Dodd looking back at me in the mirror.

I did see in one of the Sunday supplements this morning that curly hair is supposed to be making a comeback!!

504

Evening all

Well, here I sit with my new ‘hairdo’. Which is a very loose term for something that looks pretty much the same as when I went into the hairdressers except its a slightly darker colour and shorter by about 2 millimetres. At least it’s all the same colour. I bet now I’ve paid a hairdresser to colour it it will grow like weeds and I’ll have grey roots by Friday! It still has an unruly kink to it, which I actually quite like at the back. I probably wouldn’t mind it at the front either, if only there was some front. Still a ludicrously short fringe.

A lady at work had chemo twice when younger, first time her hair grew back in ringlets the second time a bit wavy. It’s straight now but I don’t know if she works on that.

I’ve had toothache for a few days and when I examined the source today i noticed the enamel is cracked. I hope that won’t turn out expensive. :frowning:

I hope everyone is well and gaining confidence going out with their hair, even the teddy boys! Have a good week all. Xx

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Hi Slyolddog, glad your trip to the hairdressers was a success, as Cath says having your hair done is such a boost. One that I don’t think any of us will take for granted for a long yet! Hope you get your tooth sorted out soon.

Interesting to hear about your colleagues hair after chemo, I wonder what we will end up with.

I wouldn’t mind my hair being so wavy/curly Cath, if it was a lot longer but mustn’t complain too much - its nice to have hair and be able to wash and style it whenever I want.

Hugs to all x

506

I want my fringe back too!!

Like the sound of wash and go curls unfortunately mine is more frizzy waves than curls. We’ve just had to have the dog shaved as he got quite matted after rolling in mud so I will be interested to see whose hair/fur grows back to a reasonable length first - my money’s on the dog?

507

My money would also be on the dog! Perhaps rolling in mud is the way forward, right now I’d try anything. I’m not sure I could handle curls, I’m struggling enough with frizzy waves.

A fringe, a fringe, my kingdom for a fringe. :slight_smile:

508

Good to be talking of mud baths and spa days with no good weeks or bad weeks to consider. Off for my blood test shortly, hope they manage to get some out a bit easier - must remember to ask them to use a small needle.
Take care all x

509

And hopefully in 6 months time we will all have lovely shiny fringes!! Lol

510

Blood test went ok thanks JuSt and Cath. Had to try 2 veins as first one started ok but stopped after a trickle so they tried a vein in my wrist which was fine. Hoping that’s the last one I’ll have to have for a while!

511

Guess what Cath, I got my scan date through with another blood test form… Grrr. I’m going to be a rebel and not have it, the test last week was for the scan and my onc ticked all the boxes so it’s being tested for everything. Left hand, right hand comes to mind.
Bit of a poignant weekend, it’s a year this week since my mastectomy and then the heartbreaking news about Rio Ferdinand’s wife. So young and those poor children. I also feel compelled to watch The C word drama tonight, don’t know how I’ll feel after that.

Hugs to all, Karen x

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Hi Wendy, I’m glad you and your husband had a great trip, you both deserved it but seems to have gone really quickly.

So sorry to hear about your friend, I have also been thinking about risk reducing surgery since one of our fellow July ladies, I think it was Clare, mentioned it. It has never been talked about by my surgeon but plan to ask him about it when I next see him.

Got my tissues ready, just need to get rid of husband and kids as I don’t want company while watching the Lisa Lynch programme. I’m considering downloading the book too but think I’d better see how tonight goes first. I’ve read a few books about women dealing with bc but up until now they’ve all had a ‘happy’ ending,

Hope everyone enjoys the extra day off tomorrow

Karen x

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Just watched the C Word, its amazing how many shut doors it opened for feelings I’d blocked out of my mind. It’s so sad how many young women are affected. It looks like she was the same age as Rio Ferdinands wife when she died. Very, very sad.

I’m glad to see you enjoyed your trip Wendy, pity you didn’t bring the warm weather home with you. I hope you’re both well refreshed and ready to get hubby better. So sorry to hear about your friends recurrence, its what we all dread. I’ve personally not considered risk reducing surgery and I’m not sure when it would be advised.

Have a good week everyone, lets hope we see some sun soon. Xx

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Glad I watched the C word and definitely going to download the book now. Very, very sad especially with the news of Rebecca Ellison this weekend.

I don’t know about anyone else, and certainly don’t admit it to family and friends but the thought of recurrence and how I would cope is never far from mind.

Love to all, Karen x

515

Absolutely know what you mean Cath, while I wouldn’t go so far as to be quite so positive I would say the whole experience has toughened me. I think it’s madee a more giving person as well, I’m now a firm believer in giving others a hand up.

Got the granddaughters staying over tonight so not expecting too much sleep. My son and his wife need some ‘me’ time. We never had that luxury when ours were small, but apparently it’s all the rage now!!

Glad to see the weathers finally picking up. Have a lovely Sunday everyone. Xx

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Hi Ladies,

Gill, hope you have a wonderful time in Barbados you deserve it. I bet it will be amazing.

Wendy, hope things are ok with you and that your husband is doing well.

Cath, lovely to hear such positivity from you, I’m going to try and take a leaf out of your book!

Slyolddog, hope you have caught up on your sleep after having granddaughters over. I wish I’d thought of asking for me time when mine were younger.

Feeling a bit anxious at the moment as scan is tomorrow, I don’t think the cough is anything to worry about but am scared they will find something else. Want to try and enjoy next three weeks before results in case they are not as good as everyone seems to think. I never used to be such a pessimist, was sure my lump was nothing to worry about until diagnosis.

Take care all, enjoy the sunshine xx

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Karen, good luck for tomorrow. I’ll keep everything crossed for you as will everyone else I’m sure. 3 weeks is going to feel like a long time to wait, maybe the results will come sooner. I’m not going to give any advice in the wait, we all know what it’s like and I’m sure you’ll find things to keep your mind off things at least some of the time.

Cath, you were very lucky with your mum, sadly mine passed away 6 months before I got married and then my dad moved back to Lincoln. The girls are lovely but I’m still knackered!!

518

Hi July ladies and thank you for the good wishes for my scan.

Cath and Hbunny my hair is definitely getting curlier as it gets longer but unfortunately its not a good look. I’m torn between getting it cut so it looks a bit tidier or hanging on until it gets past the inbetween stage. I don’t know about you but at the moment the top and sides seem to be growing out rather than down!
Seems the 9th May is an anniversary for a few of us, it was the date of my mastectomy, I’ve not heard anything about a mammogram yet.
Hope you don’t have to wait too long for your X-ray, Hbunny.

Slyolddog, sorry to hear about you losing your mum so young. It must have been very hard for you. Hope you are starting to recover from the weekend now, at least with grandchildren you get to give them back and have a well deserved break.

Wendy, good luck with the renovations this is definitely the right time of year to get them done, hope they don’t take too long.

Well I’ve got the scan part over with now and no one mentioned the second blood test so I’m glad I didn’t bother. I’d forgotten they need to put a cannula in for the dye so it was a case of hunt for a vein again. My arm looks awful now, all bruised and a big lump where the vein is. I’d also forgotten the dye makes you feel like you’ve wee’d yourself when it’s going round. Just have to wait now.

Hugs to all, Karen x

519

Hi Ladies

Have you got a date for your mammogram yet Cath? I’m wondering if I haven’t got one as haven’t been discharged by surgeon yet, who knows and every area seems to do things differently. Hope you are well.

Hbunny, I remember this time last year I was having blood tests all the time and it didn’t feel like a big deal now I get really anxious about them. I suppose we had bigger things on our minds then and our veins hadn’t yet been ravaged by chemo.

Hope the wait isn’t too long for you, at least you got x-Ray and mammogram done on the same day, I bet not all hospitals would be that efficient ! I do hope the lady you referred to this site has got some support from it. I met a couple of ladies with stage 4 whilst going through chemo who I still think about all the time, one is only 33.

I’ve just read Lisa Lynch’s book which probably wasn’t a good idea whilst waiting for results so am going to download something light and heartwarming now.

Stay well July ladies x

520

Hello July ladies,

 

Wow, so many threads since last time I’ve been on the site. I am glad to hear that most of you seem to be doing well and going through follow-ups, I have just had my mammogram letter, it’s booked for the 21st May. Nearly a year since my surgery, it feels so distant, but definitely changed me , I cherrish each day and don’t worry so much about little things, I’ve learned to enjoy my family time more and more.

I became an aunt for the third time last week, my only sister had a little girl and she is lovely, we may go and visit them for christening mid June, they live in Transylvania.

 

Our son is going through exams, he is in 6th form, so very stressful time for him, but we are encouraging him to relax, he is putting so much pressure on himself to try and get into Oxford.

 

Glad to hear about your hair growth, I am absolutely obsessed with it, I am not sure it is as thick as it used to be, so have decided to take Nourkrin, anyone else doing the same? Mine isn’t curly, but more like fuzzy and no real shape, and yes, it does grow out rather than down at the sides… can’t wait for more growth, don’t like it short at all.

My eyebrows and eyelashes grew back quickly but eyebrows not very thick, so still have to use my eyebrow pencil. Any tips for eyebrows growth?

 

Not watched the Lisa Lynch programme, what channel was it on?

 

Anyway, focused on getting really fit at the moment, gym and swimming as much as I can fit around work and home/family, but I am keen on doing the midnight walk and maybe race for life, just feel like it’s so important, I didn’t use to feel like this before.

 

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones and enjoy each day :smileyhappy:

 

 

Love, Flossie xxx