Sib and Fairy, I think we all have this niggle in the back of our heads about recurrence… I’m sure that’s a natural feeling when going through breast cancer and its treatment , especially when we have young families…I certainly worry about it even though my kids are 24 and 30…xx
MAHJfarn20 you sound like your going through a rough patch…stay strong…hope you feel better soon…were nearly there xx
Happy belated 50th birthday Helen, hope you had a lovely day despite side effects…! X
Well I’m on day 9 after 5th chemo (T) and apart from feeling fuzzy headed and tired and horrible taste in mouth , no appetite…I’m not feeling too bad, the 20% reduction in dose has really helped this time…I have still had all the usual side effects , but no where near as bad as chemo 4, 3,2 or 1…!!! I’ve also had extra steroids days 3,4,5 which have helped also… I still have upset stomach and a toxic fuzzy head, but I’ve not had any days in bed feeling lousy like all the other chemos, I’m so glad my oncologist reduced my dose, it has definitely helped…just cant wait to get my taste buds back…its so hard to eat anything when it just tastes blah…I’ve now lost just over 2 stone in weight so reducing my dose was needed…lol
I’ve been cold capping from the beginning of chemo and although my hair is thin and I’ve lost about 50% of it I still havnt worn my wig or a scarf and I’ve now got a cm or 2 of new hair growth coming through… it feels like a fuzzy peach…!! Lol. although eyebrows and eyelashes are thinning !!!
Thank god theres only one more cold cap to go…I don’t think my hair can cope with much more…!!
Ali…hope all goes well tomorrow for your final chemo…good luck.x
All our lovely August ladies due there next chemos soon…I hope it all goes ahead…there is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going… hugs Sue x
Butterfly…I’m sure your oncologist will do all they can to help you through this horrible journey and help you big time…xx
I too find it hard watching people get on with their normal everyday lives…fell like I’m stuck in a bubble…I so want normality back in my life… if it ever comes back after this…take care and big hugs for you xxxx
Ive been told a few times now that after BC you have a new kind of ‘normal’ , which kind of makes sense.
At hospital today bloods done and they are happy with how i have coped with new chemo treatment. I will be getting the paclitaxel again on Friday (administered very slowly) and also getting Herceptin, so all day at hospital, but hey ho lets kick the ass out of this BC.
Wish you all minimal SEs and positive thoughts. Xxxx
Hi ladies, just read and acknowledged your posts and all the best Helen for joining the 50s club!!!
Day 7 of T and Herceptin and aches and pains still there but seem to be less than last night. The T with the GCSF have been something different to EC but Parscetamol, Ibroprofen, Epsom Salt baths, muscle rub have made the sharp pains manageable. I feel at least its doing its job!
Taste buds very strange. More cheese, tomato, spaghetti, yoghurt do dud a shop at Lidl after my visit to the Cancer centre where I had reflexology, mindfulness, lunch and group chat about self talk. Ive been doing this a lot lately, especially last night when I had a meltdown, when the pain got worse and I tried not to take painkillers but gave in. Also this week I was limited to what I could do with fatigue so got frustrated and cried but rang a friend and ended up dancing to Enola Gay and was fine. Merlot rhe cat was confused!!!
Chemo daze seems to have cleared so just aches and tiredness for now. Fingers crossed.??
The lady on the same course was in hospital with T from day 5 so I have been worried.
Sib, Im the same. I split with my ex and sacked my date so doing this on my own. Daughter at Uni and I dont want to disturb her studies.
Its at night when I may feel lonely yet when my cousin stays bless her Ive had enough after two nights. I do like my own company but when going through this sometimes I’m missing a cuddle! Oh well, there will be plenty of time for that when Im mended! Right now the thought of dating tires me out.
But thats the way it is so need to find ways to occupy myself. Work was my escape but not been good enough to go in. Only went in on Sat for 4 hours!
I’ve been enjoying a normal week before my last chemo on Thursday. I thought I was doing better mentally until today when the oncology nurse asked me how I’d been and I burst into tears. I explained that some of my anxiety was being caused by worrying about finishing treatment and whether it will come back. She told me that it was normal to feel this way and that my consultant will monitor me for the next 5 years, although I’m TN so I won’t be having follow on treatment. She is also referring me to a pilot Macmillon scheme to help people move on after treatment so hopefully that will help.
Just for your information ladies. I finally remembered to ask if it was ok to have my smear test which I was called for at the start of chemo. My oncologist said I had to wait for 3 to 6 months after active treatment ends as the treatment can cause a false positive on the smear. So if you get called please check with your own team before having it done.
Its sad to hear that so many of us are struggling at the moment. I’m thankful that we all have each other for support. Love to all xx
Hi Ali
My onc whos also a Gynacologist was happy for me to have a Colposcopy during treatment. Waiting results after 5 weeks. Dreading the letter but hey, deal with whatever they give me! Dont like those letters they send you regarding your diagnosis and treatment…makes it all so real:
Tears can be a good rhing. We need to let it out feom time to time. I did last night and felt better afterwards. This emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting so we are bound to have bad days.xx
Bloody hell! 12 days til my last chemo and my eyebrows have decided to leave me NOW!!! You’re having a laugh! Why can’t you just lose all body hair in the first cycle and get it over with??? lol! Am slightly celebrating as the horrible chemical hangover seems to have lifted overnight so feeling better today at last.
CT scan tomorrow as prep for radiotherapy, and a lifelong marker tattoo (?!), anxious but got to be done.
Helen…mine have done the same just this week…!!! Lol. And eyelashes seem to be shrinking and disappearing also…!!!
Glad your feeling better…so am I today…
My scan is 21st Dec with radiotherapy starting January 2018… take care. Hugs. Sue. Xx
Morning all. Last chemo today. I’ve had less than 2 hours sleep thanks to the steroids. I went to my local support group yesterday and did some meditation and had a healing session. The lady was lovely as, yet again, I had burst into tears. I’m bored with doing that now and feel I need to pull up my big girl pants and pull myself together.
On the eyebrow front I have a little patch of hair at the top of each one left, or so I thought. On closer inspection I found that I have regrowth further down but it is almost white, the same colour my hair is coming back. Im a bit dismayed about this. They have always been fair but not like this.
Anyway, I hope all you ladies are doing ok and are all fast asleep! I’m giving up trying and am going to watch the Apprentice. Love and hugs to you all xx
Morning Ladies! How are we all doing today - hope the side effects are bearable this week?
Good luck for today Ali - Last Chemo sounds amazing! Light at the end of end of the tunnel for you, for this stage of the treatment. Fairy, MAHJfarn, CK, Sue and Helen, you must be almost there too… And belated Happy Birthday, Helen - welcome to the 50’s Club! Hope you can celebrate properly after Chemo is over. Sorry to hear of your allergic reaction Sib, hope you’re doing OK now and are tolerating your new drug OK. And Butterfly, so sorry to hear your news, keeping everything crossed for you… Hope your ear infection is improving too, Mishy.
Sounds like lots of us are finding it so hard emotionally now we’re nearing the end of the treatment - it just makes us think of what’s next round the corner, if this treatment really worked and the worry that this dreaded disease brings. I worry about my boys too, even though they’re now 22, 19 and 18 - I think we always will…
Finally had relief from those horrific SEs from my first T, felt so much better at the weekend, so it was a relief to hear that my neutrophils were OK for my 5th round to go ahead on Tues. Also good to know that even though it’s taken longer to bounce back and these SEs have been much worse, I’ve had more energy when I’ve finally got there - you hold onto any bit of positivity don’t you? Feeling the usual Chemo fuzz and chemical hangover so far but dreading the weekend in case those horrible joint and bone pains kick-in again, but what will be will be, will take it one day at a time. Epsom salts for soothing baths at the ready…
At least I’ve found out my 7th and last Chemo has been moved from Boxing Day to the day after so hopefully I should be OK for Christmas and will be finished by the end of the year, assuming no more delays.
Virtual hugs to you all! Take care and good luck for the next treatments. xx
i have my last chemo a week monday… wow!! How mad to say that… still suffering with the dreaded diarrhea tho… yuk!! should have scan date soon and will meet with surgeon to discuss surgery, nervous but will be glad to see the back of chemo. how is everyone else doing xx
Last chemo Ali, well done hope all goes well for you. I have my weekly chemo tomorrow ( with herceptin) just 5 more to go, though if everything had gone as planned my chemo should have finished yesterday!.
Love and hugs to all. X
Hi ladies. Thanks for all the good wishes. I’m home and everything went fine, even the canula. I was in a side room though and they forgot to give me lunch or a drink so it was ribena and fruit and nut in the car on the way home!
I was given a certificate but I declined to ring the bell. I felt sad that there might be people in the unit who would never get to ring it so I decided not to. The nurses gave me a round of applause though and they really seemed to appreciate the bag of Guillian chocolates I gave them. I am very relieved that it’s all over. I just need to get through the side effects and get ready for the next stage, which for me is surgery on 18 December.
Sib good luck for tomorrow. The end will be here before you know it. I hope all you other ladies are doing ok with your side effects. Love to all xx
So pleased for you Ali, hope SEs are kind to you. Hope your surgery goes well. I had mx in June and will gave further mx and removal of ovaries next year. As my BC nurse said if you can get through chemo you can get through anything…xxx
Sib, you will not be that far behind us…good luck for today…you are a strong lady…big hugs. Xx
Day 12 for me after 5th chemo and feeling good although tired…taste buds are slowly returning but not quite right yet…!!
Hope everyone is good. Big hugs lovely August ladies…were getting there. Xxx
Well done for getting last chemo Ali whohoo Sib it will not be long it will be over soon I’m day 18von last cycle of chemo just waiting to start my rads I’m hoping they hurry up!! Getting impatient now x
Had 2nd weekly paclitaxoel and Herceptin yesterday, long day in hospital from 9am to 4.30pm but all went well other than a tissuing of my veins but luckily it was caught and i had antihistamine goi g through at tbat time, not chemo.
Only 4 to go yipee.
Well done all August ladies we are getting there. Xxx