@gromit12 well done, I’m totally in Awe of what you’ve achieved. You’re my motivation to get fit after all this. Hopefully everyone is muddling through as best they can 
I can’t believe how many of us our suffering such bad heartburn. Mines has got a lot worse this cycle and I’m taking 2 omeprezole a day plus Gaviscon. I use a wedge pillow at night which is fantastic. If I don’t use it I’ll literally be sick with heartburn. I’ll link it here.
Just another thing to be careful I was at the sea today and did a 20 minute stroll and this evening my face and arms are really red, blotchy, itchy and slightly swollen.Seemingly it’s photosensitivity. I’m on Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) and it’s a side effect. I’ve been told to wear long sleeves, wide brim hat ( sure I’ll be gorgeous lol) and if possible to avoid the sun.
This chemo is a learning game everyday.
@swk1981 you’re having a really tough time and I totally get when you’re weak and fatigued it gets us down. I’d 6 weeks of antibiotics and just last weekend on here I was ranting I don’t think I can do any more chemo.
It’s totally understandable that you feel so vulnerable, this treatment leaves us feeling we’ve no control over any part of our lives at times.
Remember everyone is here for you and you’re doing amazing what you’ve got through already. 
Morning ladies, just catching up on all the latest chats, glad you are all reasonably well, I’m currently in a private room in a&e been here since 10 o’clock yesterday morning, I rang the emergency help line first thing as was so unwell Friday and yesterday morning, (no admission at weekends do advised to go through a&e) couldn’t eat, lethargic, head and face pain but this time something felt seriously wrong and I knew I needed to be seen, well to cut a very long story short my white blood count and neutrophils were through the roof a lot higher than they should be, my nivestim injections were supposed to go on for another 2 days but they said I needed to stop straight away , I’m still waiting to be admitted to a ward, feel like I’m in that programme 24 hours in a&e
Couldn’t even keep water down yesterday , anti sickness didn’t work , I’ve had fluid drip over night and antibiotics, feeling a bit more perky today, my point is sometimes you just know something is wrong, trust your instincts . Xx
@pollyanna1 I was told to wear factor 50 even when it’s cloudy, and I have a baseball cap with SPF in it, and I don’t have much of me on show! I am wearing short sleeved t-shirts, but long trousers. My body doesn’t actually like being out in direct sunshine, which is not normal for me x
So sorry to hear this @elle16 - but relieved you are getting treatment. What a nightmare docetaxel has been! I’m currently feeling quite unwell so just monitoring temps and symptoms to see how I go. Hope you are able to get home soon 
Getting quite nervous about starting Doxecetal in Thursday with what you are all suffering 
Thank you, oncology nurse just been to see me, took some more blood hopefuly they will be better, she said my wbc should be 7 and it’s 50 
she will speak to oncologist and they will review my injections, she said I can go home once I’ve had a brain scan and they are confident I can take oral antibiotics , still no beds on a ward, xx
🩷@gromit12 I’m starting it on 14th and feeling apprehensive too…. I really feel for everyone suffering so much!
Just try to remember that the extent of side effects can vary so much from person to person and we’ll just need to see what’s what with ourselves and phone for help asap if something isn’t feeling right🙈
My cancer book is quite set on when I’ve to phone (and some things feel a bit pre-emptive on the list as a just in case) but I’ll be doing it and seeking advice after seeing all the issues and potential crossover with side effects and being ill!
I’m home 
brain scan not needed in the end I’ve showed positive for ecoli so that on top of the reaction to the injections are what made me so ill, stopped being sick so can take the antibiotics at home and they said I need to make an appointment with my oncologist for this week,
Just glad to be home 
@belle1 I agree, and I try not to pre-empt side effects until.they happen, and they might not. I’ve been v lucky up to now. I have just stocked up on omeprazole and gaviscon, as my team don’t seem to be too forthcoming with medication!! 
I’m not surprised you were so ill @elle16 - ecoli when you’re immunosuppressed is a disaster! Glad to hear you’re back home now and on the road to recovery x
Oh my goodness @elle16. I’m so sorry this happened. E-coli on a good day is hell on earth, let alone in your nadir. I’m so pleased you’re home and able to take antibiotics there.
Us lot are like an anti-advertisement for Docetaxel!!!
Not to harp on but kefir for e-coli is phenomenal. Our results with the pigs were included in the DEFRA study specifically for the prevention of e-coli bloom in the gut. It really helps counter the effects. You probably don’t feel like eating much but maybe when you’re better.
I feel like we basically need to cancel all expectations until mid-July. I’m not even frustrated anymore about achieving nothing because my brain can’t even be arsed to argue with my body anymore!
Sleep well darling and eat what you can and keep your strength up. Weirdly, I’ve ignored the ‘no spice’ advice and am enjoying eating any meal with chilli in it and it’s working.
Weirdly, I also just had bloods but with sky high neutrophils and no one seems able to tell me why they jumped up 10 points in 24 hours without any G-CSF stimulation. I think they really hate me always wanting to understand everything. X
@swk1981 i did start the beginning of the week with kefir but then stopped, will look at trying it again in a few days , my neutrophils were 60 and they said that was way too high, god knows how I picked up e-coli 
just unlucky I think, they said mine showed as an upper respiratory infection which is why it was in my head and face, I’m just glad to be home and going to take some time to feel better rather than rushing through the days trying to get to the next one . On a positive note I’m hoping my next one might be better as they think the stimulation from the injections has really effected me and will now be reviewed, and yes I agree with @belle1 everyone will be different and I’ve heard a lot of positive experiences with docetaxel, think a few of us have just been unlucky but next time could be so much more positive and I will share that too, here’s hoping for an uneventful next few days and good health to us all 🩷
My Dad said to me “Well the 2nd dose should feel a million times easier since you’ve managed to make this one as bad as humanly possible!” He’s not wrong. I remember feeling like I wouldn’t be able to do EC again after the first one. And it got easier each time. I think the not knowing what’s normal and it being so different for every person is what makes it so very hard. There’s just no ‘normal’. Throw in the fear of a ‘silent killer’ like neutropenia and it’s no wonder this is so hard.
Hollywood really didn’t paint this chemo malarkey very accurately! Bloody liars! X
Morning everyone, so sorry I’ve been a bit quiet this weekend.
@swk1981 im so happy you are back home and I hope that you’ve had a good sleep in your own bed, it makes such a difference! I’m really hoping your neutrophils are getting back on track. You need to be really kind to yourselves this week and that means no saying I’m fine! Lean in to low expectations and just get stronger.
@elle16 cant believe on top of everything else you have Ecoli you poor thing, that’s not going to be nice for anyone let alone someone going through chemo! Like I said to @swk1981 I hope now your home you can start to turn a corner.
My weekend whilst no where near as bad as yours as been pretty stressful. As you know I’m diabetic and steroids are so hard to handle as they inflate your sugar levels in a crazy way. I’m an extremely well controlled diabetic and have a sensor so my phone tells me when my sugars rising. On a non steroid day I usually take 4-5 injections a day on Saturday I took 26.
Then yesterday I took too many so ended up having hypos during the day and night urgh! It’s just so hard to manage as you can’t just count carbs as it’s medically induced so the science and usual calculations don’t work.
I know this is only temporary so no more medical help needed I’m just having a rant as I’m in my comedown from steroids day today so I’m feeling sleep deprived and a little bit fed up!
On a positive note my sugars will level out now!
I also feel bad that I’m moaning when everyone else has had some really serious stuff going on.
My sons Has 2 A levels this week and I know everyone else is contending with exams too, I just hope he gets his grades for university.
@gromit12 you are an inspiration, I don’t know how you do it! Congratulations and a big hug to you!
Sorry for my moan and here’s to a much brighter, better week.
Helen x
Thanks for the advice @pollyanna1 i bought one this weekend on Amazon it arrived yesterday and definitely helps!
@hc1973 - sounds as though you’ve had an awful weekend! Really hope things ease off for you now that you’re off the steroids
I’ve just phoned the helpline as I’m on day 5 of awful diarrhoea. The stomach cramps have been so painful that I’m struggling to sleep. I’ve got to take Imodium to try and ease the cramps etc and dioralyte to rehydrate. They don’t think it’s an infection as my temps are OK and there’s no vomiting. I’ve got to drop off a stool sample just so they can be certain though!
I’m hoping that I can pre-empt all of this next time around and that it will be easier.
Hope everyone is doing OK XX
@ivy-cat oh that’s horrid poor you, I hope they get to the bottom of it soon. I think that as most of us are at the half way point in our treatment this is where it gets harder as our bodies really are fighting the poison from the chemo.
It’s so easy to forget what’s actually being done to our bodies, half the time I’m in denial and my mantra is always I’m fine!
My friend even bought me a bag the other day that said “I’m fine, everything’s fine”
Hang in there @ivy-cat xxx