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

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841

Hi All,
T#2 day 21
Had bloods today first go failed as vein collapsed as she injected draw less than a pin head so she went into my hand which may restrict what is available tomorrow but not my problem. I hope.
Good news is having walked to the hospital decided to walk into town. Legs were a bit achy and wobbly but I managed. Bought a tongue brush from Boots. A friend has recommended it as brusing with a toothbrush can damage the tongue.

Caught the bus home but we had walked 5 miles so I am pleased with that.
Dunking starting later tomorrow at 11.30. Started steroids this morning so back on ibuprofen and paracetamol. T#3 so hopfully my last vist.

Hope Benedictus you T went ok
Chezz hope Herception was ok

Piggsy and Biggley hope you are coping with the, I think, unavoidable SE. Remember T does effect our mental state on top of all the other physical stuff.
Whiskers you WILL be fine tomorow. BIG HUG

Somone mentioned hot flushes, I took a sage leaf tablet from H&B but it was pure sage so you could just try adding more to your cooking.

Love to everyone I hope I haven’t missed anyone going down this week but please know the HUGS are for evryone.
Nette x

842

Nette & Whiskers,  good luck for tomorrow,  hope everything goes smoothly with minimal SEs… xx

 

Tamsin & Chezz,  hope everything went well and you are ok. Thinking of you… x

 

Still not feeling 100%. Just keep telling myself, one more to go!

 

Off to bed with my new best friend,  hot bottle water… :womanhappy:

 

Sending all my lovely JJs hugs.

 

Sleep well…

 

Mahsa xx

843

Evening all,
Nette goodl luck for last T and Whiskers everything crossed for a safe journey on your gold plated bespoke treatment.
Hope those dunked today are safe and tucked up with hot water bottles and cup of something nice.
Nette a few years back my BCN said not to use sage as a herbal remedy, so check with yours.
Love to all the JJ’s out there, Kat xx

844

T#2 day 21
Had a brilliant day just finished making 12 cottons shoulder bags for mastectomy drainage bottles. I have made this batch in brown and black large square gingham for all the ladies not keen on pink and any men who need them. I have heard that some units send patients home with bottles in carrier bags in fact that is what I got last year at Leeds. I think this is a nice touch at Scarborough and have got some Christmas material to make some for people who have mastectomies over Christmas. I have made quite a few now they are very easy and I think a nice touch.

Had a phone call from one of my practice GPs. I had ask for 28 Zopiclone sleeping tabs instead of 15. I am normally very sparing in using sleeping tabs only taking them if I have a busy day ahead and or have not slept well for at least 5 or more days. I have been taking Zopiclone nightly recently because I thought a goods nights sleep would help with the blood count. I thought Zops were a new brand of sleeping tabs and less addictive. Oh no they are still addictive and he warned me that I was a perfect profile for addiction. Taking them for a VERY good reason for an extented period and then becoming reliant. So I am back to need must with the sleeping tabs. I don’t want to come away from this with a need for more tabs. Well heads up for all jjs. If you need them take them but if not avoid.

Do you think I am having one good day before re zapping or am I on a steroid high. We will see if I get to sleep now.

Ha ho Kat, I took sage tablets for a number of years pre cancer as a natural remedy for the menopause. I also took aquous cactus (spelling is wrong but phonic), bet they caused cancer as well. Something certainly did as I am double bc with HER2 and ER+ and I don’t smoke or drink and eats loads of fruit and veg. Bu***r.

Good luck Whiskers tomorrow.

Benedictus major melt down is good I felt much better after mine and will not fight it next time.

Nite to all tomorrow will come whatever happens and I will get my T#3 however much I try to put off the shut eye.

Nite to all u brave JJ s
Nette x

845

Morning lovely junkies

 

Nette you graduate chemo college today!!! WOO HOO thats brilliant good on you

Whiskas - supermarket shopping trolleys from pub to pub ah takes me back to my student days at Leeds on The Otley run!!!  Good luck today my dear!!!

 

Mahsa hope that horrid bone crunching pain gone  or heading on its way out sharpish!

 

Piggsy hope you keep well and get that precscription sorted

 

Julie good news you have your rads sorted

Kat when in your chemo this week???  Sorry I know I just read it and Ive already got brain freeze!!!

 

Hope all other ladies keeping well, Lynda, Debs, BOF , Biggley, Senga

 

Well Im ok I had bit of a reaction to the herceptin felt sick and flushed so they stopped for an hour, gave me anti sickness and started again then was fine.  Paclitaxel went in fine no probs.  Just a very long day twelve hours almost all in all.  Gotta gor for number 2/12 on Monday again.  Seems such a long way to go!!!

846

Hi All,
They didn’t take the right number of blood files yesterday so only half of test done. Just got back from unit they put in canular and took the right bloods through that, flushed it and left it in. I am now at home again waiting for call to go back up.
Bloods take 1 1/2 hours and then they have to order chemo. All mark urgent. Hopefully be in before12.
First real glitch in 6 sessions.
Hope you are having better luck whiskers. And everyone from last week are over the worsed side effects.
Nette x

847

Hi ladies, 1st herceptin booked for this thurs at 9am. Fingers crossed all will be ok, I then need a muga scan to check my heart before 2nd dose, hopefully my heart will be ok and I can carry on!!! Xx xx

848

FEC DONE T#3 DONE DAY 1
Everything went to plan I even got lunch. Rain has stopped so walked there and back. Flu and blood boost injection tomorrow at GP. Then sit back and wait for the side effects to hit.

Whiskers hope you are ok.

Very young lady in for T#1 I told her about the forum I hope she finds it as it is such a help. She started in August so she is not a JJ but she loked like she could do with the support.

Love and hugs to everyone I am going to sleep through Tichmarsh now.

Nette x

849

Firstly huge congratulations and well done to Nette, you did it :smiley: hopefully the rest of us won’t be too far behind you :smiley: Hope everyone else up this week is doing as well as can be expected. 

 

Well I had the gold plated drug that is Abraxane today and thankfully no problems going in. I was worried at many stages though as it seems so new even the department had never used it before which resulted in a lot of reading of instructions which I will say didn’t do much for my nerves. That wasn’t my main worry of the day though as after suffering shocking pain from the cold cap for 5 sessions just to save my pitiful fluffy head some eejit turned the machine off without me realizing til the cap had defrosted. I now have the waiting game to see what damage has been done.

 

Lots of luck to everyone on there journeys this week, the end is in sight :smiley:

850

Found this in another thread. It has 520 signatures, but think we can do better than that!

Free dental checkups and sight tests for cancer patients

Responsible department: Department of Health
All cancer patients should receive free dental check-ups and free sight tests for five years, i.e. during all treatment, as per the prescription exemption certificate received. Especially as chemotherapy is known to cause dental problems, and tamoxifen is known to cause sight problems.

Copy and paste the link below into your address bar:
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/53515

Pass it on!!!

851

T#3 DAY 2
Just been into town on the bus. Feeling a bit woobly but ok. Treated myself and OH to new watches mine is purple and waterproof ready for getting back to the pool.
Flu and blood jab this afternoon. So achey legs tonight and expect se to kick in over next two days but making the most of today. Going to Sainburys after jab. So sorted for weekend.

Whiskers hope you are as good.

Hugs for anyone down for this week and hope last week’s group are coming through se now.

Signed petetion and sent out to friends who have support me through this.

Nette x

852

Morning all

Nette hope your last session went well.  I know you will ahve the SE of the last cycle to cope with but from a psychological point of view it must be a brilliant feeling.

Piggsy hope you feeling ok and tax truck not hit yet sounds like you have some good stuff lined up

 

Kat what SE have you had on paclitaxel?? Ive not had anything so far touch wood

 

Ive had a very bizarre morning.  I had a phone call from my onc before and I immediately s**t myself thinking omg what has happened.  Anyway turns out he wants me to appear on Granada Reports!  Apparently they want to film the journey of someone recently diagnosed going through treatment.  They may want to film me having chemo etc so I said they best start filming after the needle put in the port or they might see me passing out!  Dont know if anything will come of it but I said yes I would be willing to do it and be followed up a few mionths later etc.  Cant believe that a chance comes to be on telly and Im gonna be bloody bald!!! Oh the cruel irony!!!

 

 

853

petition done and shared on facebook. have been reading more about tamoxifen and affecting sight - oh joy! so no hair, eyelashes or brows, terrible teeth, in need of specs & hot flushes all before the big 40! woo hoo!!

 

chezza…wow that should be good although i expect your heart was in your mouth when the onc phoned you?!!

 

getting that lower back niggle today so have my mom helping with bubbas and we intend to sort xmas out via the lovely amazon!!

 

happy wednesday xx

854

Hi all, feeling very strange today and still haven’t made it out of bed which is unusual.  It feels similar to when I was on FEC so far, feeling sicky, weak and lightheaded. My only hope is that I don’t get T side effects too which would be awful but highly likely as technicaly it is T just coated differently. Looks like I’m not going to get the much needed normal couple of days before the storm hits on day 3/4 so feeling a bit fed up today. More so as I should have finished Monday and i still have 1 more to go,  damn you T :frowning:

855

Amazing news chezzap, keep us posted as we get granda on itv hd.
Bet you still look amazing without all the accessories like flowing locks and eyebrows and lashes.
Shame about the nausea Whiskers have you got any tablets. They are still giving me the full course of anti sickness cause I was so bad with FEC#1.
Still feeling good but not moving from chair now until bed, over to OH.
Tongue looking a bit suspect and grey so I except thrush is on its way. Ugh!
Nette x

856

Congrats Nette on the final T, hope you still feeling ok. My final T tomrrow thurs fingers crossed, hope bloods will be ok as ive been on antibiotics for 3 weeks. Still got the achy bone pain all the time and not sleeping. Did take the old zopliclone at weekend as so sick of laying awake all night and feeling crap the next day but like you, darent get too used to them. Been going into spare bed every night lately as so restless and reading in the middle of the night.

Hope i find out a bit more abou tthe radiotherapy tomorrow. I am also still wanting to attend one of the pampering days at castle hill which are either 2nd or 3rd wed of the month, as i havent been strong enough to drive yet ive not managed to go to one but i hear they do give you  a lovely goody bag to take away so determined to get one session in!

Anyway, will update tomorrow. Hubby has taken days holiday for tomorow so it better all go ahead!!!

night all. xxx

857

Look good Feel Better session worth it just for the goody bag but was a lovely 2 hours. Well worth the effert.
I find the radio is good if you can’t sleep or story tapes as you can listen with you eyes closed and I find I drift in and out of sleep. May not be as good as a solid night but gives you enough sleep to function.
Go for it bubblebee tomorrow fingers crossed all goes well. Two of us down nothing better as we all finish this the worst part. Operation and radiotherapy a doddle after this I am sure. At least I have had my operations.
All the best and here’s to minimal se
In bed now very tired. Nite all Nette x

858

T#3 -Day 7

 

Morning Ladies

 

I’ve been searching for my motivation last couple of days, but seems it’s gone AWOL! Physically okish, but mentally exhausted. 

 

Good to hear we have had our first graduate, well done Nette. :heart: hope your last set of SEs are minimal. 

 

Chezz is our star in the making, next stop, Hollywood! Hopefully your weekly chemo regime is not too harsh!

 

Whiskers forget about cold cap, you have all those colourful wigs to play with. I gave it up after session #2, I was physically and mentally sick by it. Since then every session I have to seat away from cc stations, can’t bear looking at it.

 

Biggley thanks for pointing out tamoxifen SEs. In that case and if I end up of having MX I’ll be definitely a lost cause in finding myself a partner in the future, I always knew I should have married sooner.:womanlol:

 

Piggsy,  you are a delight. Hope you SEs are minimal.

 

How are you, Tamsin? How are finding your new regime,  and oral chemo tabs?  

 

Kat, hopefully you doing better and your heart isn’t causing you too much worries.

 

Bumblebee, congratulations in advance of your graduation today. Hopefully SEs are manageable. 

 

No news of Deb and Lynda for a while, hope they are OK. BOF, how are you doing?

 

Sorry if I have missed anyone, blame it on chemo brain. Hoping to find my motivation soon…

 

Here is the first place I visit everyday, you are all inspirational.  :heart:

 

Hugs and kisses

Mahsa 

 

 

859

Afternoon all, still having those FEC symptoms which is very bizarre as I am preparing for the 3 day bone ache tomorrow.  Managed to get out of bed now but already want to go back :frowning: Mahsa, my hair is very thin underneath and without straitners I resemble Ronald MacDonald with my bright red hair so I get plenty of use of my fine array of wigs outside. I find the cc the worst part of it so I do get annoyed with myself for putting myself through it just for my fluffy layering of a barnet :frowning:

 

Good luck to Bumblebee in joinning Nette at the finishing line today and hope it goes well. Fingers crossed for the both of you SE’s are especially kind for you on the last one so you can get out and celebrate :smiley: I will be joinning you in 3 weeks :smiley:

 

Piggsy, glad this cycle is a bit kinder to you and hope it continues :smiley: I couldn’t kick off about the cc incident as the poor nurses are already understaffed and they have been brilliant and very caring throughout. One of the poor nurses was close to tears when she realized what had happened.  Bummer we have to think that  way but fingers crossed I may be lucky :smiley:

 

 

860

T#3 DAY 3
Shattered last night asleep by 10.00 but woke up at 2 and then dozed till about 5 for another 2 + hours.
Have grouted the bathroom floor were the grout had come out of the tiles. Why doesn’t OH ever see these problems.
Sun tempted me out for a short walk, lovely on the flat but the hill got me. Shattered when I got home.
Afternoon of loose women and Tichmarsh on 33 catch up.

I seem to have a more positive attitude with this the last T but the worst days of SE have not hit yet but feeling up beat today so making the most of it.

Would like to hear from the radiotherapy unit so I can feel like I am continuing to move forward. I hate delay.

Bubblebee hope all went well today. Well done 2 down now. Hope you feel as good as me.

Nette x