HNY to all …we have kicked 2016 out and we will make 2017 a year to remember:)
Congratulations to those who have finished chemo…you made it through hell. As Churchill said when you’re going through hell…keep going!
I can’t believe my last chemo is on Tuesday 3rd…just can’t believe it!
I have read your stories with great interest and they have reassured me a lot. I too have numb fingers, dripping nose, lost my eyelashes this week BUT at least I have no nausea on week 3 of the two T cycles. That has made all the difference to me and given me a few recovery days. I have felt ‘normal’ again - I had forgotten what it was like not to be sick.
Does anyone know when your hair starts to grow back??
Thankyou everyone for contributing to these threads and giving me so much emotional and practical support.
Aine - it may not take as long as you fear. I noticed the first signs of regrowth on my head and eyebrows during my last two T cycles, but it is slow and looks as though it may be a bit patchy. The article is very interesting (thanks Bluash!) as it explains what we can reasonably expect. It suggests that by March or April I will probably have about an inch of patchy and uneven regrowth, assuming it starts growing normally in a month’s time, but it will probably be at least 6 months before I can ditch the wig. My hair normally grows quite quickly. The few head hairs that survived FEC (presumably hair follicles that somehow remained undamaged) have continued growing throughout the chemotherapy. They were originally three quarters of an inch long after the hairdresser clipped it, but are now about two inches. The first sign of general regrowth is a ‘five o’ clock shadow’ on your head, which is what I’ve got now. But don’t forget that I am a cycle ahead of you, so you could start to see the first sign of regrowth during your final cycle. I will keep my fingers crossed for you, let us know how it goes. XXX
I had my first Herceptin on its own yesterday, and had a sleepless night going between sweating and freezing all night. I always blamed the chemo before. Now worring it could be like this for a long time.
Can’t blame the Tamoxifen eather as I only took first tablet this morning. Started rads today also.
Benno449 - you are still to complete your chemo. Xx hope you are ok and thinking about you. Xx
Also huge hugs to all having surgery this month.
We are getting there! This tunnel is getting shorter and we will soon be out the other side.
Hi Vintage - hope your Herceptin SEs settle down soon. I’ve got my first Herceptin on its own on Monday, and I hope that like Blueash I don’t get any serious side effects. I’m also a bit concerned about whether they will be monitoring the potential effects on my heart properly, because I haven’t had an ECG since before I started having Herceptin with the chemotherapy. I believe we are supposed to have an ECG every 3 months while we are on Herceptin - is this your understanding? If I am right about this, I should have another one at the beginning of February, because my first Herceptin infusion with the chemotherapy (the ‘loading dose’) was on 1 November. To make sure an ECG is booked in on an appropriate date, do you think I should mention it on Monday when I go to have my first Injection?
Hi OldDawn63
I have had 2 heart checks so far. One before chemo started then 3 months in. And due every 3 months after. I would ask when you see them just incase they have overlooked your appointment.
Yes my main side effects are the heavy legs and arms and my thermostat lol but hard to tell if it’s still from the chemo or not.
Best V xx
Hope we are all well and 2017 is going to be our year…
I am now halfway through my radiotherapy which seems to be going well. … I used advice from here about R1 R2 cream which is especially designed for people on radiotherapy, I manged to get it on prescription from my GP and it is amazing… not sore at all thank goodness.
I am finding that I am just so tired all the time and struggle to walk just a few yards, I am also finding that I seem to be losing my balance going dizzy and feeling sick a few times a day which does pass as the day goes on. My toes and finger tips are still numb from the docetaxal, does anyone know if this eventually gets better it’s about 4 weeks since I last had it.
I hope you are all doing well and I send my love and hugs to you all ??
Hi everyone
Just wondered if any of you have booked or are thinking of booking on to a moving forward course?
I have heard they are very good. I have booked the Feb. one in my area. It’s once a week x 5 sessions.
Hoping it will help me get back on track to some kind of normality .
V xx
Hi Blueash
Yep, yep, lol.
I am totaly with you on what you say. On one hand I would say the same about all the constant hospital visits. On the other hand in a strange way i find it’s a kind of security blanket.
Vxx
Hi there Anne.
How are you xx?
Yes I am sure we were on the same lGFB course in November. We did chat I am sure ! I arrived a little late (last in) and stayed on as you for the relaxation class? I had my wig on.
I have booked the moving on course for Feb. But it is in the Victoria Glasgow. I am still doing rads most of this month in Monklands.
Lovely to hear from you again.
Keep in touch
Vxx
Many thanks to Vintage, Blueash and Aine who responded to my post about Herceptin and echocardiograms. Sorry for not getting back to you until now, I’m afraid I’ve only just recovered from Monday afternoon’s ordeal! I think I need to go on a Two Steps Forward and Three Steps Backwards Course to make sense of it all.
My appointment for the Herceptin injection was supposed to be 13.30, but I didn’t get to have it until 16.30. First of all they were waiting for it from the pharmacy, then they were waiting for a treatment room to become free. I started to get worried at this point because I had another appointment with a colorectal surgeon at 15.20 in a different part of the hospital which I was I danger of missing. When a room eventually became available, the nurse said she had to check with the oncologist before I could have the injection, because…I haven’t had an echocardiogram since August (although as I mentioned, I have had ECGs since then, the last one in October) !!! So at least they were onto it and I didn’t have to raise the issue myself, though I could have done without all the messing about.
While she was checking with the oncologist, I had to go to my other appointment with the colorectal surgeon. This had been arranged by my GP because I had bleeding when going to the loo during each of my T cycles, which was worrying me, although it has now stopped. To cut a long story as short as possible, the surgeon said he was pretty sure the bleeding was caused by the Taxotere attacking normal cells in my gut as well as cancer cells, and is unlikely to have caused any lasting damage. But just to be on the safe side, I have been booked in for a flexible sigmoidoscopy (a less invasive investigation than a colonoscopy) next Wednesday afternoon - which is the day before my lumpectomy!!!
After I had booked this appointment and collected the pack of information (plus DIY enema kit - oh the joys!) from the Endoscopy Unit, I then had to make my way back to the Chemo Unit to find out whether or not I could have the Herceptin injection. Fortunately, they were able to do it, and they are also arranging for me to have an echocardiogram before my next injection on 30 January.
I am not looking forward to next week, because I will be spending most of it back at the hospital. On Monday I will have the pre-op assessment, on Wednesday I will have the sigmoidoscopy, and on Thursday I will have the WLE and SNB. I hope the echocardiogram appointment isn’t next week as well, otherwise I may as well take a sleeping bag…
I hope you are all doing well and keeping your chins up.… I only have 2 sessions of radiotherapy left woop woop but I don’t know what happens next, no one has told me?.. I know I have surgery at some point to level me up so to speak but not heard anything as yet, so a bit in the dark at this moment in time…
I want to thank every single one of you for helping and supporting me and all of us through our horrific journey and who will continue to do so for as long as we all need it. You are all amazing in every way????xx
Hey Julie
2 more rads for me too. Hope you are doing well?
Let us know when u ar having your surgery.
I have an appointment back with oncologist in afew weeks time. Not sure what for . But I am taking notes on questions to ask .
Luv and hugs V xx
I do hope you are all doing well, my love and thoughts are with you all.
I see my consultant on 27th February in relation to surgery… so hopefully it will be done by end of March as my daughter getting married in May and I would like to be balanced out if poss but not an issue if it’s not done by then…
Got appointment tomorrow for scan… then I go to the look good feel better next Wednesday which I am really looking forward too… see radiotherapy consultant 6th March too so everything seems to be moving forward.
Love to you all and let me know how you all are getting on! ???xx
Hi Aine, Blueash and SeeSee, how are you all doing? ??
Let us know how you get on on the 15th, hope it goes well hunny…
I had a tattoo for my 40th only a tiny one but it hurt a little lol, after all this I think us ladies can do anything.?
My friend had her eyebrows tattooed and for a couple of weeks they did look like slugs but they look absolutely fabulous now so you will be fine hunny…
I lost part of my nipple and like you I can have a tattoo if I so wish but I’m not sure what I’m going to do as yet…
I have been so poorly with a heavy cold and left with this nastycough which is taking it out of me… hopefully on the mend now sorry I been quiet…
Just want to share with you my news!!! I’m getting married next month,wooop wooop. We were supposed to get married in Barbados however… all this has changed our perspective on life and we are now having a very small intimate wedding next month… so intimate there will only be 8 of us… I bought my dress, a little tea length dress in the sale and made myself a hat… we both can’t wait to become husband and wife.
Morning ladies , just want advice …I had my last chemo. T treatment 3 weeks on Wednesday and the last one has made my Nails go like a yellow colour and can see the yellow moving down to my cuticle . Is this a side effect of the treatment because it didn’t do it on the previous 3 bouts of t … plus my ankles swell up really bizarre last two thishas happened so I mentioned to onc and he reduced chemo by 20% …go for results today from MRI and given a date of lumpectomy …nervous as I always am going for results …love reading how well all you lovely ladies are doing …all so insperational forme you really are???
??