Food wise
Get your family to make your food as thinking of anything you fancy is impossible.
Easy food to eat I have found mainly involve mashed potatoes - must be moist!
Also eggs go down well, and porridge with honey is ok.
Potatoes are the only thing that tastes normal! Basically eat yellow for a week.
X
Hi August Ladies
Sounds like many of you have been have a tough time over the past couple of weeks. Sib, sorry to hear your news but glad to hear your scans were clear, and hope you’re coping with the side effects better now, you too, Ali S, Fairy, Butterfly, HelenP, Cathyside, Sue58, MAHJfarm20 and anyone else I’ve missed.
I’ve had quite a rough week, after peaking last weekend and thinking I’m OK again, went downhill with fatigue and such horrible bone aches again (thanks for the recommendtion of Epsom Salts!) and now thinking it’s maybe my immunity falling again - just don’t want to have a third delay with my Chemo tomorrow, although they did say that shouldn’t happen since I had a reduced dose of EC last time. Will find out in the morning when I’m hoping to start docetaxel but dreading it at the same time, the side effects and problems some of you have had seem to have been horrible.
It didn’t help either that the district nurse who came to take my bloods this morning found that I’ve got an allergic reaction all around my PICC line - no wonder it’s been unbearably itchy this weekend. Rang triage to see what they thought and think it’s a reaction to the dressing rather than an infection - will have to have it all checked out tomorrow before Chemo and make sure there’s no problem with the line itself. Nothing is ever straight-forward in this process is it? It’s all such a roller-coaster…
My last cycle, if it’s not delayed and now it’s all been extended to more cycles, is Boxing Day!! Haven’t dared ask yet if it’ll actually happen then! Roll on the end of the year - hopefully we should all be finished with this horrible treatment…
Hi Meesh73, your question about the cold cap - I’m still cold capping but thought all my hair was going to fall out after the second cycle, as Sue58 said too, but then it seemed to stop and I reckon I’ve lost about 50% as well, mostly on top but still got some around the sides (not a good look!). I also don’t wash it much as I’ve been advised, so it’s looks even more revolting! I didn’t really have any sore / itchy patches, just very uncomfortable whilst wearing the cold cap. I could imagine it’s just starting to grow back on top as well (but it could be wishful-thinking)… So I’m wondering if it’s going to all fall out now with T, will just wait and see… Has anyone else still bothered using it during docetaxel or is it not really worth it?
Hugs to you all, hope all you lovely ladies are having as good a start to the week as possible and best of luck to anyone else having treatment this week xxx
Hope it goes ahead smoothly for you today Mary kate x
Morning ladies
Mary-Kate, sorry to hear you have been having some problems. I hope everything goes ok for you today.
I’ve just had a phone call to say my bloods are all ok so it’s chemo number 5 for me on Thursday. I’m looking forward to getting this one done as then I will only have one left. They still think some of my se were caused by the infection so I’m hoping this next one will be much easier.
Good luck to all you ladies having sessions this week and hope the rest of you are doing ok x
Just back from hospital, not well enough for chemo ro continue. To get a rest from treatment for 2 weeks to give my body time to recover, then i will get a new chemo (paclitaxel) ) ever week so they can monitor and manage my side effects. Will now not finish chemo till mid December.
Bit of a blow but feel to unwell to continue at moment.
Good luck Ali, Marykate, xena , sue and anyone i have forgot. All your support means loads thank you. X
Hello August ladies!
mary-Kate thanks for the advice on the cold cap. Had quite a lot come out yesterday (day20 of cycle 1) and also quite a bit when they put the conditioner on today (had cycle 2 today) but I will continue with cold cap until cycle 6 or until I have no hair whichever comes first! I’m having fecx6 so not sure it will work as fec is supposed to be toughest on the hair, so people say. Hope things went well for you today.
sib, sorry to hear that you will have a break in your treatment and then a change in treatment. This thing is such a rollercoaster but with the help of the amazing ladies on the forum you will get through.
Feel free to post on the October thread as we do find experiences from ladies on the earlier trains invaluable to help us navigate our journey.
Sib…sorry to hear your news of the delay…this docetaxel is causing so many problems to us all…I’ve never felt so ill and I’m getting to the point enough is enough…so toxic…!!! I just want to feel human again…!!
All other August ladies due this week. Good luck …xx
Sib I had a 10 day break following problems with 1st Doxetaxal then an anphalatic reaction to it 2nd time within 5 mins they switched me over to a new drug called abraxane for the duration of my chemo 2 x 3 weekly cycles they told me I couldn’t have Doxetaxal again as my body was rejecting it and it was dangerous to continue it I also like you needed a little recovery time as I had taken a right old battering from my chemo! Just to let you know I have had 1st round of new drug with last one next week and feel much better than I did on the T so I’m sure you will be fine and better for you that you still can continue and get full recommended treatment xxx good luck x
Sue it’s bloody awful stuff isn’t it I feel for everyone who going through the wringer with it some people seem to tolerate much better than others do, it’s like the gift that keeps on giving not… ??
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Mishy I agree…bloody awful stuff…!!! And you had your fair share of the awfulness didn’t you…?? Hope your doing good now xx. Hugs
Thank you all so much for your tips and kind wishes. This forum and you guys kerp me going when the going gets tough! Day 21 today and feel slightly better managed to put wash in machine and walk dog (tiny walk but out) maybe partly due to steriods hospital gave me to stabilise me.
Role on December till this part if journey is over!
Love and positive vibes for kind SEs to you all. Xxx
Hi Sib. Sorry to hear you have been feeling so poorly. I can appreciate you are disappointed that your end date has moved to December but you have to look after yourself and do what’s best for your body.
I’m bracing myself for number 5 tomorrow. I’m on the steroids so not expecting to sleep much tonight. I’ve been to a look good feel better course at Maggies today. It was great. Make sure you book on it ladies if you haven’t done it yet. Love and hugs to you all xx
cathysid do u have diarhea with the perjeta?? im so fed up, i just want it over. well done and good luck to all going into their 5th treatment, nearly there, 32 days into last treatment if no delays
Hi fairy,
I had diarrhoea with the first round but hard to know what caused it as I had docetaxel herceptin perjeta and carboplatin together and all can cause diarrhoea. They armed me with loperamide(Imodium) in advance which controls it within an hour or two. Eating bland food like egg, potato, rice, porridge also helped. What are you having this round?
C x
for some reason a i dont have the carboplatin my onc said its for ovarian cancer, ive had 2 fec, the 2 thp and 2 thp left… feel like ive had enough and i cant do no more xxx
I know how you feel fairy. The hideous chemical hangover feeling is just awful. I sleep a lot after treatment too. The last round I had they gave me an 8 day tapered course of steroids rather than just the three days and it made a big difference. I was a lot less nauseous, had a bit more energy and felt not quite as bad as I did the first two. I usually just give up and spend week in bed or bath as it’s all I can manage. X
Morning all. Everyone is very quiet at the moment, how are you all doing?
I’m day 4 after my second T. I’ve not been too bad so far but feel a bit wobbly today. Getting ready for the aches and pains to start. I had a reduced dose this time as they were worried about symptoms I’m getting in my feet and hands. On the bright side I can finally say my next one will be my last ?.
Hope all you August ladies are having a restful weekend and are feeling well xx
Hi August ladies!
I started ECs on Sep 4th so not long after you ladies!
I start Herceptin on 7th Nov when I need to say for 6 hours to monitor me and Doxataxol on 8th Nov!
Im just wondering if you could share any hints on how to make these treatments more manageable and what SE they may cause?xxx
Hi there ladies. I haven’t been on here for a while. I’m day 4 following my first ‘T’, cycle 4. I didn’t expect the joint aches and pains to kick in yet but they certainly did last night! Didn’t get any sleep. I will get some Epsom salts as most of you have recommended them. My mouth and throat is so dry it is really difficult finding things to eat that I can swallow. Had a week in hospital after my flu jab as my temperature spiked and my arm came up like a balloon! Which means my cycles have been delayed by a week but at least it’s still December when all this chemo will be over with. Just hope I can manage to get through the next 2 cycles of ‘T’! Any tips are greatly appreciated. We are all doing so well, we are nearly at the end of this part of the challenge!!! Lots of healing hugs to you all. Xx
Hi Melleylew, day 4 is spot on for the aches and pains to start. They should start to ease in a few days. Definitely try the Epsom salt baths they do help as do heat pads for the worst spots. I have 2 wheat pads which I use. I was told to take paracetamol regularly but I know others have been given stronger painkillers. My mouth is awful today and I can’t taste anything and it’s drying out. The only things I can actually taste are anything strawberry or creamy. I’m also chewing sugerfree gum, sucking boiled sweets and sipping sparkling water to try and help.
Hi CK. I can’t help with the herceptin side effects I’m afraid. So far with the T I’ve had really achy joints helped by epsom salt baths and heat pads, dried out mouth and decreased sense of taste, tiredness, constipation (although a lot of people seem to get diarrhoea), headaches and sore nails. I’ve got my nails painted dark to try and save them.
Ali xx