April 2024 chemo starters

Morning @gromit12 i hope your ultrasound goes well today. I know what you mean about disruption, I’ve been in and out of hospital this week and hopefully having chemo today. I don’t know how people manage to carry on working!

It’s good news that your appointments have come through fast, I hope the one next week goes well. Helen x

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Thanks Helen. Good luck with the chemo today. Hugs. Laura x

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Everything crossed for you in your appointment right now @elle16! Fingers crossed you come out with good news from your brain scan and straight into improved bloods! :crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers:

Also fingers crossed they squeeze in your ultrasound before chemo at 2pm. What a long day for you today!

It was weird being sent home without Akynzeo yesterday and steroids for the next cycle. Leaving is a little odd knowing I’ve only got two more picc line appointments on my oncology ward and that’s it!

Let’s hope today is just “Everything goes right for Elle Day!” Xxx

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@elle16 come on your neutrophils!! Hope it all goes to plan x

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@hc1973 big hugs for your chemo today

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@swk1981 Congrats on your last chemo!

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Well I’ve just had my 3rd radiotherapy today and so far all has went well, I’ve been feeling tired and a bit tender after it which they said is normal as the 1st 5 are accelerated dose. This is day 3 on tamoxifen and so far all ok. If anything I can say it’s nothing in comparison to Chemo. No ribena face, sore mouths, fuzzy heads sickness or diarrhoea. The list really was endless for us. I’m sending hugs and thinking of all you ladies still getting chemotherapy. I don’t want this post to dampen anyone’s spirits but to give you all hope that there is better times to come.

Congratulations @swk1981 on your last Chemo. It’s great to get to the end xxx
@elle16 really hoping you get your last chemo today :pray: . @hc1973 hope you have a wonderful time in Cornwall, the break will do you good. Xxx
@isthisreal hope all goes well for you today, great that your bloods are ok and you can get another one ticked off. I’m delighted to hear it was just a cyst you had. I’m still waiting on MRI of spine but they don’t seem to worried about it.
@altoan great that you got your picc line out, I’m wishing now I had a pic line as I’ve had everything through a cannula on my right arm and it’s left swelling and tightening and need a bit of physio.
@gromit12 hope all goes well with your ultrasound this afternoon, this stuff is never ending. Sending you hugs.

Hopefully everyone has a nice weekend. I’ve the weekend off and back all next week for some more zapping xxx
Pauline :gift_heart:

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Thanks Pauline - you’re getting through it. Positive posts are good- shows light at the end of the tunnel. Ultrasound done - tumour not shrunk at all,.little bugger. Imaging of adenoma on other side to in preparation for surgery. Laura xx

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Hi all, thank you for thinking of me and your messages , great news, bloods did a big turn around and im currently having my final chemo :muscle:t3::clap: never been so pleased to be poisoned :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
Radio apt went well and I’m now the proud owner of 3 tattoo’s , my ultra sound is now booked in for Monday , no news on brain scan so assuming that’s all clear,
Congratulations @hc1973 and @isthisreal on final chemo you, hope all goes well :crossed_fingers:and good luck with your scan @gromit12 xx

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I’ve never been so happy to hear that someone is being poisoned in my life!!! :partying_face::tada::syringe::joy:

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So pleased Tamoxifen and Radio are going well! What cream are you using?

I’m mostly blown away at you remembering everyone’s name and what they had going on though! Spot the person who isn’t on chemo anymore! :joy:

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@elle16 so glad your week got better. My neutrophils improved massively today as well after extra injections so had my chemo today, unfortunately not the last as still 6 to go.

Now back home and looking forward to going to Cornwall tomorrow, fingers crossed for a glimmer of sunshine!

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Have a fabulous time away, and try to chill. Hope side effects kind to you. Laura xx

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@elle16 Sweetheart, how are you tonight after the push and pull of today? Hope your last chemo went well (as well as Docetaxel goes!) xx

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Hi Sarah
All went ok thank you, was an emotional rollercoaster of a day if I’m honest, but so glad it’s done, not feeling too bad at the minute, excepts for the steroid restlessness, my real side effects tend to kick in on Monday so I’m hoping for a couple of days of feeling okish, feeling a lot more positive than I did yesterday thank you, how are you doing ? Xx

Wondering if there’s anything else I can use…. I’ve had oral thrush and mouth ulcers every round of chemo since I started and it’s been my biggest issue overall. I’ve got my stuff for the thrush, which is under control now and alternate between difflam and a salt water/bicarbonate of soda mixture as my mouthwashes for my sore mouth. The only issue is that this time I’ve got ulcers all round the side/underneath of my tongue that rub against my teeth, so are in a more unfortunate position, and some are bleeding this morning when they’re rubbing. I’ve been using bonjela as well the last couple days. Did anyone get anything else from their teams for more problematic ulcers? Concerned about infection with them bleeding now but all I can do is be as careful as possible unless anyone has any other ideas! They’re not bleeding constantly but just happen to get reopened on my teeth

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Oh that’s awful. Gelclair was the only thing that helped me. It’s a very strong painkiller and numbs your mouth pain for a decent amount of time. I haven’t come across anything to actually stop the ulcers other than the obsessive washing my mouth out and basically not moving my mouth unless necessary. Gelclair at least gave me a break from it.

The mouthwashes have literally no antibacterial properties (Difflam and the generic Benzadymine Hydrochloride they give us). It’s just an anti-inflammatory. Difflam do lozenges which have antibacterial properties too which may be better. I have taken the pain of Listerine once or twice just to know it’s all clear of bacteria but it’s not fun once you have open sores.

I would pop to a pharmacy as it may be quicker than the hospital helping you on a weekend!

I hope you can get some relief asap! X

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Slept both nights but did too much yesterday with end of term stuff happening for the girls which sucked. I do this every time and do too much during steroid phase and then regret it later! :woman_facepalming:t2:

Taking my youngest shopping for summer clothes today while middle is at a party but I just want them all packed for holiday now so will take the pain and get it done! I took less steroids yesterday to stockpile extras to counter the GCSF today so I will be able to run on fake strength today! Sunday is my ‘off a cliff’ day and I’m just dreading the decline that you and I seem to share. By the end of July, we will be feeling like we’re on an upward curve though but it is rubbish to know that it’s a month before we’ll be doing that really and we know that the climb out the hole takes longer by this point. It all feels a teeny bit ‘pity party’ at this stage unfortunately :joy: xx

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Thanks. Yeah tbh the Difflam is really nippy to use the now (before they were bleeding too) so I’m using the homemade mix more often than not. That’s what I was thinking too and bonjela has some antibacterial properties but feel like there must be something better. Unfortunately I got prescribed the difflam lozenges but the two local pharmacies didn’t have it and tried to order it in but for whatever reason didn’t get it for me so I still haven’t got them :see_no_evil: sounds weird to say but I don’t mind having ulcers/the pain as it seems to be an unavoidable part of chemo…. just not wanting them to get infected :grimacing:

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Maybe take a quick hit of Listerine with antibacterial properties then. That’s the only thing I have in my arsenal to prevent that as they don’t seem to prescribe much to prevent infection which is odd!

Gelclair does help enormously for pain so maybe ring and ask them to put up a prescription for you! Or you can buy on Amazon too!!! It’s not prescription only. The relief helps enormously. You could numb with that and then do Listerine and you probably wouldn’t feel it! X

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