Anyone starting chemo in July 2013? We are now the July Junkies!

[Mahsa]

Hi Girls

 

Good to see so many posts and activities on our thread today!

 

Whiskers, I hope your side effects are staying away and will be very minimal. I am supposed to have ‘T’ on 19/9, really worried about it. I agree with you about the ‘you are so brave’ comment, I think is so condescending.

 

Tamsin, the delay must make you feel unsettled on top of everything else that you have to put up with. I must say your posts are always very positive for someone going through this for the second time. One question, did you have tamoxifen after you first diagnosis?

 

Chezzap, well done on getting the cycle 3 out of the way and managed to see your kids off to school and nursery. I know your mantra is keeping you strong and making your SEs manageable. Hope the hypnotherapy for your needle phobia will help greatly, I was told I could have Art therapy if I’d like in order to come to terms with what’s going on. Perhaps the artist inside me just waiting to emerge.

 

Kat, only in my imagination I can let a cow to lick my head. However, bubble bath and Beetroot soup sounds fab. Hope your had a good news about your friend.

 

Bumblebee - Good luck for Thursday, would be interesting to see what your reaction will be to ‘T’. Hopefully no nasty SEs for you, and your arm will get better soon too.

 

Is grey / cold and rainy in London too, very miserable. Managed to work from home for few hours today, which was good and felt normal when everything else is not normal. Counselling went very well yesterday, she was very caring and supportive. I look forward to start talking about my feeling and getting more tears out. I haven’t been able to cry much, I am not sure if is the shock or just me trying to stay strong. Tomorrow I will attend ‘Young Women Support Group’ at The Haven, BC Support Centre. Would be interesting to meet people going through the same thing face-2-face. Being here has also helped massively, wish we could see each other too.

 

My mind still a bit pre-occupied with the LNs FNA biopsy I will have on Thurs, then have to wait for the result until when I see Onco team before my chemo next week.

 

These days it feels like we are all just spending most of our time waiting around for things to happen.

 

Did anyone else using / used cold cap? I used it for the first 2 cycles but when my hair started to come off on cycle 2 I decided not to bother. This cycle I haven’t had any migraine attacks and wondering if using cold cap had anything to do with it!

 

Anyway, I shall love you and leave you for now. Hope rest of JJs are doing great…

 

Mahsa xxxx

[chezzap]

nice to hear form you Mahsa and you sound so much better and more energised.  Hope everything goes ok for next session and you come up with a veritable PIcasso in your art therapy!!

 

Kat forgotb to say earlier that beetroot sounds fab never had in a soup but am getting a taste for it as meat to be good for blood count

 

Bumble agree when autumn kicks in gotta be comfort food - even though am not a lover of rice pudding especially if a skin grows over it!  Im nore an apple crumble kind of gal myself.

 

Hope evryone else is doing well

Lynda where have you got to and Julie dont think Julie posted since the new forum it seems so many have disappeared

[system]

evening jj’s! been ‘underground’ as it were suffering after third cycle last friday…roughest i’ve been. was actually sick saturday and have had nausea hanging around. nibbling gingernuts and taking domperidone. also getting some lovely heartburn, so gp prescribed some oneprazole (spelling probs wrong!), hope it sorts it I feel like I want to put the fire out with a gallon of milk but now my mouth is ‘furring’ and feels bloody awful. echo on monday 16th followed by mid way follow up with surgeon. Next chemo 27th sept and will be there 5 hrs to observe first herceptin…must load the kindle up! told research nurses won’t be doing the 6mths v 12mths trial, couldn’t face any ‘small’ risk. constipated as hell also which is just smashing!!

[Mahsa]

Piggsy - sending you a big hug, chin up girl…

We love your war & peace posts. Next time just type your post in a word document or as an email, then copy/paste here. This way you won’t get the authentication message.

 

Hope you feel much better by tomorrow.

 

Take care

xxx

[Mahsa]

I heard this song on Saturday when it was sang during ‘last night of BBC Proms’ and thought is quite relevant to what we are going through right now. For some reason is also associated with Liverpool FC, but I don’t know why… ! xxx

 

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone…

[whiskers2013]

Good morning ladies well it’s day 3 of my first T and I am still waiting for it to hit me. Have had mild lower back pain which goes with the trusty hot water bottle and a bit of light exercise and a wee bit of acid. Have finished steroids but found my first daily dose help with a bit of energy in the day and the last surprisingly knocked me out for the night, infact have been having the best sleep ever on this yet either way when it does hit at least it seems I won’t be as bed ridden as I was on the Fec which pretty much ran through start to day 10/12 with me

 

Bumblebee good luck with your T and hope the drop in steriods don’t cause you to much trouble. As it’s such a big drop it may actually help you sleep more. I was only put on 2 doses of 8 tablets a day, 4x2mg twice a day. Let me know how you get on

 

Orangecat oh my hot water bottle has saved me so much and I find works instantly for relief and has actually kept me off the painkillers.  Rice pudding I am with you there, seem to be addicted to Muller apple struddle rice and syrup mixed multi pack. That and cheese cake and bake beans. Think my spanks may be making an appearance soon after the mix of junk I’ve been consuming

 

Mahsa good luck to with your T on the 19th, will keep you posted with my progress but as I said before even at this early stage I feel much better than I did on Fec. I think ev3n if I end up bed ridden for a few days aching I will still be happier. I am a very active person (4 jobs and still doing them all) so any dent in those days is a huge bonus.

[whiskers2013]

Think this site doesn’t like Tablets as just lost half my message apologies to anybody that got chopped off the end of the message. Find this site a wee bit awkward to navigate round sometimes and keep track of

 

Well wishing you all a nice day today with minimal SE’s

[chezzap]

hi all

Piggsy so sorry to hear you are feeling down.  As Tamsin says you are allowed to.  Think you have been bloody marvellous so far taking it all in your stride.  You will come through it.  This is a blip.

Biggley you are struggling too its the cumulative effect maybe.  Im 3 days into cycle 3 and already tiredness creeping up wheras normally days 2 and 3 are good days.

Whiskers glad the tax train seems to have whizzed by you and not picked you up.  Thats good news long may it continue esp as you had such rough ride on FEC you deserve a break.

Tamsin you seem in good spirits didnt see the bake off but Im curious now!

 

Just had reiki cant say it did much but came out feeling relaxed.  Just had veggie sausages, broccoli, carrots and gravy I refrained from mashed potatoes as I put on 3 kilos between cycle 2 and 3!!

[Mahsa]

Tamsin thank you for the sharing your previous treatment plan. Depending on my genetic test result I will most probably have to make couple of life changing decisions. Hence, I am trying to make sense of treatment options and consequences. On friends side of things, I feel that I am still the one who has to work around everyone else’s priority. I keep hearing ‘we don’t want to disturb you’  excuse when they don’t call. I actually have more support from people I don’t have any expectations of. I guess this journey will make new friendships and break old ones. In today’s support group I was told not everyone gifted in supporting others without being asked. I am hoping a selfish side of me will emerge at the end of all this!

 

Piggsy - Hope you are had a better day today

 

Chezzap try to put your feet up and take it easy if you can, I know is not an easy task with kids. Your dinner sounded yummy…

 

Whiskers hope T still had no side effects on you! You are a super woman with 4 jobs, and all this as well. 

 

Wishing all lovely JJs a good evening and a good day tomorrow.

 

Luv,

xxxxx

[Mahsa]

Hello Lovelies,

 

I have been knocked out of the ring by sore throats and cold, don’t feel well at all!. FNA biopsy wasn’t an easy one, the Node they were trying to get to was very deep and they had difficulty to get anything out of it. Anyway, after 1 hour and two radiology doctors they managed to get something out. Enough to carry out the test. I will find out the result on Wednesday.

 

Is good that is wet and miserable in London, at least I can stay at home and get my strength together for the first T on Thurs. Session at Haven went OK, but didn’t meet my expectation. Basically, it was only 2 of us and a facilitator. Although we talked about lots of things, but if we had more people attending the session would have been better. Haven can do much more for women with BC, but they have to start promoting their services. Also it doesn’t help when sessions like this are in the middle of the day.

 

Julie sorry to hear about your friend, my thoughts are with you. Hope your treatments go well and you’ll get a fantastic result.

 

Kat, I am at Marsden (Chelsea). Hope all well with you and got your garden sorted.

 

Chezzap are you OK? Hopefully, you haven’t had any SE surprises!

 

Piggsy thanks for clarification about the song, I wouldn’t had a clue to connect those together. Keep up with your exercises. As always is a nice to read your posts and I am glad you managed not to lose it again. What you’ve been feeding your dog???

 

Tamsin hope your next E cycle goes ahead on Monday. Is not easy to wait around for things to happen, we all want to get the chemo out of the way.

 

Where are you Whiskers?  Have you been caught up with SEs of T? Hope, not…!

 

Bumblebee - I have heard T will get rid of remaining hair, and also been told by BCN that happens fairly quick. Can’t imagine myself without eyebrows, or eyelashes. Anyway, hopefully they will grow back better than before. Have you got any T SEs since yesterday?  

 

Welcome to our thread, MCP. I have been told that I will Radiotherapy, but for me that’s still few months away. I am having chemo before surgery, so I think I’ll be up for RT in January 2014.

 

Does anyone know at what stage we should be offered heart scan / echo? No one has spoken to me about it yet!

 

Anyway, I am off to bed again to get rid this cold and headache that comes with it.

 

Sorry if I haven’t mention everyone, blame it on chemo brain and blocked sinuses…

 

Thinking of you all,

Mahsa xxx

[system]

Hi all
Fourth FEC today … The miserable weather reflects how I feel … Have been given emend today to take with ondanastron so hopefully will help with some se’s. … Very emotional first time really think there is a landmark with fourth … Two to go … Over halfway … And my parents are arriving for my fifth … First time I will see them since surgery … Nervous about seeing them with my hat on for the first time with no hair …it makes people emotional I think !, but sooo looking forward to them arriving on 26 th xxx

Hope everyone is coming along sorry I don’t know all the names yet but find it difficult to remember what’s written although I read all the posts and take the information to the unit which lets me ask lots of questions … So thank you all which is why I got emend today you re all wonderful … Good luck benedictus for Monday everything crossed xxx

[whiskers2013]

Just a quick one to let you know I’m still here. As predicted 4 out of 4 infection again which has made the achey muscles and bones ten times worse. Just waiting on my temp to tip a bit more then I will phone in. Already on the 500ml amoxicillin,  bloody infections I’m cursed

 

Hope you are all doing ok, sorry don’t have the energy to write more

[Mahsa]

Whiskers hope you managed to stay out of hospital and feeling better today!

 

Chezzap sorry to hear you ended up in hospital, wish you feel better soon and come back to us. :heart:

 

Bumblebee,  did Emend worked? It didn’t do anything for me last time.  Hope your side effects disappear soon.

 

Tamsin I just hope you feel well enough to do some normal things, the waiting is so frustrating and demotivating.  

 

My cold still around but I feel slightly better. I just can’t risk going out in the rain in case it gets worse.

 

Hope all other JJs are well, and smiling.

 

Have a great weekend whatever you doing. At the moment everyday is a weekend for me.

 

Lots of luv

Xxxxxx

[whiskers2013]

Well afraid I didn’t manage to avoid a hospital stay  temp went over 38 and off I went to A&E  on a Friday night in Birmingham  Have managed to get infections on every dose now due to me being very prone to ear/throat/nose infections and have now come to the conclusion it’s going to be part of my trip. Doesn’t help I have had the fear of god put into me about talking painkillers and masking my temp so I am currently battling through the lovely bone and muscle ache of T. Oh the joys at least the end is in sight, 2 to go :D.

 

Mahsa how you getting along with your 2nd Fec? Hope your fairing well, I actually found them easier as they went on.

 

Bumblebee I’m with you on the nasty achey T, I’m having the injections too which are a curse and a blessing as add to the bone pain. My poor hot water bottle is getting a bashing. 

 

Benedictus hope you have better luck with the antibiotics and get to enjoy a few days of normality. I’m sure I can say on behalf of all of us those are the days we live for at the moment. Better start planning for mine, shopping or shopping

 

Orangecat, good luck with the T, I found a hot water bottle and lots of soft mints were a great help.  nasty taste in my mouth which is driving me potty. Let me know how you get on. Added bonus days 1 to 3 I actually felt normal so shorter se time which I put down to the lack of nausea on this dose.

 

Chezzap hope you have a speedy recovery and get out soon

 

Again hope I haven’t missed anybody out and hope the dreaded se give us all a Sunday break, think we all need it after this Friday 13th

 

[Mahsa]

Hi Girls

 

I was hoping the reason we are quiet is because we are feeling reasonably OK! 

 

Bumblebee & Whiskers hope your horrible side effects disappear soon. 

 

Chezz thinking of you. Hope you can escape from hospital soon!

 

Tamsin , Piggsy, Kat , and all other JJs hopefully you are OK!

 

Sorry for a short message, just don’t have much of motivation right now… but, thinking of you all.

 

Hugs & Love

Mahsa xxxx

[NetteW]

Hi Mahsa, I was given bruise cream which darling hubby massaged in morning and night. Still have some cording but it doesn’t make me jump when touched. I have been told it should get better and T does not damage the veins the veins the same. I would also try the ibuleve gel. I hadn’t thought of that. But very effective with loads of pain and easier on stomach than tablets

[NetteW]

Hi Benedictus, my tale is an unusual one. In March 2012 they found DCIS in left breast and I was offer mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. I was offer a pedicle tram at Leeds. It seemed a good choice as it did not corrupt my arm movement and the bonus was a tummy tuck. I had the op in June 2012. The after care has not been brilliant and . had a bulge above the waist as well as a lot of discomfort from tightened muscles. Walking is the only way I can get real relief. The bulge was diagnosed by the surgeon as a muscle bulge, rather like displaced fat above a girdle. In April I had my routine annual mammography on the right breast and they found another cancer. The first was HER2 the second ER+. Two primaries. My breast nurse went into shock as it was large and invasive this time. So 2 mastectomies in 11 month. They said all along they would throw everything at me so 5 weeks after the right mastectomy I started FEC. Thank goodness we managed to get a winter holiday in before it all kicked off again. Hubby very good but struggles, and who can blame him we are all struggling. The CT scan showed the bulge was not muscle but a seromer, pocket of fluid, that should have been found and drained as the most common se of surgery. Result is my resilience get very low when things go wrong. I am now back in bed but hoping I will feel better tomorrow. Nice to be part of group and I will work through the posts and get to know the group and all the names as soon as I am up to snuff.

Has anyone else been on a Look Good Feel Better workshop. I went to York and we got loads of advise and help for eyebrow & lash loss. We also got an amazing top of the range goody bag suitable for a full makeover. They are run all over the country by beauty counter volunteers. York’s volunteers came from Boots and Browns of York. Good morale boost if nothing else, I can recommend.

[Mahsa]

Nette welcome to our thread and thank you for the tips on veins problem.  Sorry to hear what you’ve been going through all this time.  I do wish you’ll get better result now and your ‘T’ SEs will disappear very soon.

 

Kat i am jealous,  I want a break from chemo too. Make a most of it…

 

Tamsin good to hear you perked up a bit after seeing your friend. I also had lunch with few friends,  it was good to be able to talk and do something normal. I have promised myself when all  this over, I shall make a most of every free minute I’ll get. Most probably I’ll be financially broke!

 

Piggsy enjoyed reading your post. Have you thought about taking up creative writing as part of your therapy?  Ask your counsellor to refer you. Talking about hair,  I look scary without eyebrows and not too many eyelashes. Everytime I go out I spend quite bit of time colouring the gaps. Strange thing is that i have some hair growth this cycle, I am concern if the chemo is working properly! My tastebuds have changed too, I am more sensitive to salt and can’t feel the heat from chillies, etc… I did for few days crave for a pizza from pizza express, it didn’t stop until I had one.

 

Whiskers,  Chezzap, Bumblebee, MCP, hope you are not in hospital and you SEs are minimal. 

 

My next cycle on thurs,  dreading it already. 

 

Thinking of all lovely JJs, sorry not to mention everyone’s name.

 

Hugs,

Mahsa xxx

[NetteW]

Hi everyone, the sun is shining here and hubby has gone for his walk and to buy me some milk teeth tooth brushes. I am Feel sooooo much better today. I was up showered and dressed by 10 am for the first time since Saturday. Joy of joys. I have decided to not cancel my massage tomorrow and wait and see if the improvement continues. The mouth is still clammy but much better the thrush meds must have kicked in. Any of you suffering with thrush I am going to ask next time if I should just take the meds before it starts and not wait till I have it. still not doing much today with FEC I found it was only the last week that I really got back to normal so I am hoping the same applies for T. Anyone starting T in the next few weeks I found it much easier to take and it has been the thrush which has been the problem but that started in FEC. As my daughter said you don’t have a choice and it is making you better. What I have learnt in the last two years is it doesn’t matter how much you don’t want a day to arrive it does and we get up go and get the treatment and then it is done and eventually and it is getting closer, the treatment will be over. I am now going to find a sunny window to sit by.

[chezzap]

Hi Junkies Im back fro m the Hotel California!  Wish i could say it was such a lovely place and yes it seemed like you could check in any time you like but you can never leave!!!

 

Thanks to all of you for your kind thoughts.

Great to read so many posts and from some new ladies and to hear from Julie again.  At least you did some of the chemo it will have had some benefit and I remember you were always really torn on what to do so well done for getting 2 under your belt

 

Theres no way I can remember all of what Ive just read but will try

 

Tamsin - I experienced the prob when I was admitted on Fri that the nurses on ward werent trained to access portacath so still ended up with a cannula in hand for the fluids and antibiotics!  However later when someone trained put a line in the port it at least meant they could take blood from there every day without me suffering further needles ( remember my phobia!)

 

Piggsy someone from August recommends spatone iron rich water.  I might try it as am getting more tired as this goes on and I know tablets will kick off my ulcerative colitis.

 

Kat how does your garden grow ( will resist urge to ;put something inappropriate there)  You seem to have been quite busy with one thing and another.

 

Mahsa thanks for all best wishes and hope you ok

 

Am worried not heard from Box of Frogs and Lynda for a while and still very worried about Naz where is she???  If she had decided the new look forum wasnt for her Im sure she would have let us know she was leaving.  Is anyone in touch with her???  She used to post so regularly

 

Bumble and whiskas hope you ok now sounds like we have all had a right time of it this last week.

 

Ok suppose I better get showered and havw some lunch - am staying indoors for few days as still  not 100% and weather is awful