Thanks @ivy-cat, tomorrow is steroids day and Thurs is chemo.
My nurse just sent today’s bloods and I scraped through for chemo. Neutrophils are fine at 3.0 but my red blood cell count and everything red blood cells is below what it should be. Liver is struggling but the ALT was good enough to scrape through too. My bloods explain why I’m exhausted at least. My platelets are only 101 and chemo pass rate is 100. Phew!
Also met with Onc today and there’s been a change of plan. They want to give me Zoladex and Anastrozole combined with the Abemaciclib. AI’s plus ovarian suppression have a 1-2% advantage over Tamoxifen + Ovarian Suppression which has a 1% advantage over Tamoxifen alone. Her thinking is to start with the ‘best’ one and then tweak accordingly depending on if it goes smoothly.
If Letrozole doesn’t agree or doesn’t suppress Estrogen enough (which happens sometimes), ovaries can come out.
If I don’t get on with Anastrozole, then we’ll swap to Tamoxifen.
Love that there’s a tree diagram of options in my head now.
She said I don’t have to take anything until I get back from holiday but she knew I’d hate doing nothing so is giving me Zoladex (the 3 month injection) on Thurs when I have chemo and then giving me Anastrozole to start whenever I want, in case I have a wobble that I’m not proactively fighting cancer during my break before radiotherapy. Then we’ll start Abemaciclib once the Anastrozole has shown its true colours and we know its side effects. I like that they’re staggering everything so I’ll know what side effects belong to what.
She talked a lot about vaginal dryness which was fun 
. She had a sample in her bag this weekend and went away with her two teenage sons. When she pulled the passports out of her bag on landing, the sample flew out from between the passports and hit the passport control officer in the face. 
Hope everyone is okay! Dreading the steroids tomorrow but it’s the last tomato face I’ll get hopefully and I look like a ghost currently so it’ll be nice to have some colour! X
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Good luck @swk1981 & @elle16 with chemo this week.
@swk1981 my oncologist changed my hormone therapy from 5 years Anastrozole to 2 years Tamoxifen then 5 years Anastrozole. I asked her the reason and all she said was research shows it’s better. I’m not 100% convinced. I start radiotherapy tomorrow and also start tamoxifen then also.
I think I’m more apprehensive starting hormone therapy than radiotherapy. Then again I’m probably just overthinknig.
I felt so positive last week but haven’t slept well this last few nights. I think it’s when one treatment finishes you feel so good but then when another starts it’s a reminder of the whole journey.
I’m ranting on here, just hope everyone’s doing fine and am thinking of you all xxxx
Pauline xxx
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Yeah, I get what you’re saying completely. It felt like finishing chemo was the end goal and then you’re like “Oh poop, there’s sooooo much more left to sort out and do!” I’m also more nervous about the long term drugs than anything. However, I’m reassured that the difference between the AI’s/Tamoxifen/Ovarian Suppression/Ovarian removal are so negligible that I don’t need to sweat the choices anymore. Either way, they’re all much of a muchness but with options to suit depending on which ones are tolerated best. It means we don’t need to feel disappointed if we have to change. I’m equally aware how lucky you can be to have just plain old bog standard estrogen receptive breast cancer and have the options. I’m trying not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
She did say treatment varies depending on stage and the marginal benefits. Mine was as advanced as it could be, without being Stage 4, so I expect they’re optimising for that reason too.
I hope your radiotherapy goes well tomorrow. I’ll have everything crossed for you tomorrow!! 
xxx
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Thank you for the well wishes for last chemo 
Good luck with radio @pollyanna1 and good luck for with your chemo on Thursday @swk1981
I’m sure someone on here mentioned finding new lump but I can’t remember who, just wondered how you got on? I’ve found a lump just to the right of where my original one was taken and I’ve got an appointment with the bcn tomorrow, I’m hoping it’s just scar tissue as surely nothing could grow whilst having treatment 
feeling a little anxious but really trying not to over think,
I’ve also had an appointment come through to see radiologist Friday morning so hoping I will find out more details of what, when and why’s with my treatment going forward,
Also is someone else having last chemo this week too? I’m sure someone else was on a similar schedule to myself and Sarah? Xx
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Good Luck @elle16
I had a lump but it was axillary and turned out to be a lymph node left behind but biopsy was negative thank god. Not sure if anyone had a boob lump.
Have you heard back on your brain scan or did I miss a post?
Everything crossed for them checking your lump! Xx
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I’m sure it was isthisreal that asked about it last week…. @isthisreal your chemo rescheduled again yet as well? Think it was delayed?
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I’m here right now, counting down the minutes 
And the PICC line will come out too, I’ll have my arm back,
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Same on the PICC. Mine is coming out two weeks after last chemo in case I need to be admitted for neutropenia at all. Makes sense but I can’t wait to soak my right arm in the bath for as long as humanly possible!
Random thing happened yesterday. The night before I bathed and moisturised. Then I went to the loo yesterday and pulled my leggings down and my legs just flaked off onto the black leggings. It was like the worst dandruff you’ve ever seen but leg skin. It’s happened a couple of times during chemo. Like my skin cells randomly gave up the will to live and all fell off at the same time on the same day! 
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Shame @swk1981 @Elle22 It was a very quick process……hard to imagine that long tube was inside me. Another milestone 
Similar to you @swk1981 , yesterday my face esp around my chin looked like it’s never seen moisturiser in my entire life!!
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Good luck everyone for their last chemo sessions, I’m very jealous I’ve still got 7 to go urgh!
Just been n today as my neutrophils have gone too low so they’ve given me some more injections in the hope I can still have my chemo on Friday.
I’ve felt really poorly this week, with jaw, ear and tooth pain. I’ve just stayed in bed most of the week which is not like me.
Anyway this was supposed to be a positive good luck post for you guys!
Helen xx
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Amazing that so many of you are coming towards the end of chemo, and getting that bloody picc line out. I cannot wait.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with the sore mouth from docetaxel? I am using the medicated mouthwash 3 times a day which does help but I am still just eating soft stuff and I miss tea!
x
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Hi @msizzle160 have ou tried old fashioned saltwater? It’s yucky (but no more yucky than many other chemo related things!) I make a cup up with hot from the kettle water and teaspoon of table salt, then let it cold and wash out my mouth after meals etc. It doesn’t feel as harsh as the mouthwash in that my mouth doesn’t feel numb afterwards and I s kinder to taste in that way 
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Ooo thank you that is such a great tip! I will do that. Also I am racing through bottles of mouthwash!
Thanks again x
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@msizzle160 ive been using salt water too this time and really think it helps, still can’t enjoy a cup of tea though unfortunately, my mouth and tongue is better than last time but my taste is completely shot, I can only taste sweet or spicy but even they are what I can only describe as unusual, so if anyone has any tips on recovering tastebuds I’d be extremely grateful 
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@altoan could you feel it coming out? I’m so looking forward to my picc line coming out , like Sarah I just want to soak in the bath 
xx
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I’m going to book a spa day and sit in the jacuzzi all day long.
What an actual dream
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@elle16 not really. I was concentrating really hard and thought I felt it on my chest when she started but in all honesty it was my imagination because it was so quick and suddenly she was pushing on my arm to stop blood flow and holding up this purple tube!
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Thanks @altoan thats good to know, I’m never bothered or squeamish about injections or procedures but the picc line freaks me out for some reason, I think it’s because it stays in, I refused to have it at first but after researching it I knew it was a good idea but as much as I can’t wait to have it out I think I was over thinking and it was freaking me out a bit, I feel better now so thank you 
@msizzle160 what a fabulous idea xx
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Either purchase or ask for Gelclair. It’s an amazing analgesic and will give you a substantial amount of pain free time. Plus it tastes like sambuca. At the first sign of any whiteness, call and ask for Nystan!!! I’ve found yeast to be a bigger issue than bacteria. It spreads down your throat and into your stomach so worth nipping in the bud if it starts. I treat it as if I have a yeast infection from Day 1 after it all went pear shaped.
Brush teeth too. Salt water is a great shout also because benzadymine hydrochloride (also Difflam) is just an analgesia. It doesn’t actually kill bacteria unless you use the specific lozenges. I sometimes do a cheeky antibacterial listerine if I feel like screaming with my mouth full of liquid.
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xxx