Hello ladies-not written on here for a while but have been keeping up with all your progress you brave ladies and some of you have certainly been through the mill!!!
I rang the bell in chemo unit yesterday after X6 FEC-T. Not been the easiest few months have to say and at the beginning of August that last date seemed way off… It goes remarkably quickly doesn’t it? Been in a bit of a chemo blur all the way through which could probably be partly to do with it, as well as in built coping mechanisms!
Have 20 radiotherapy appointments starting 12th December (80 mile round trip) but small problem in the grand scheme of things.
wishing you all a speedy recovery- the end of treatment is in sight and we will be glad to see the new year!!
Well done on completing your chemo - it’s a lovely feeling to think that you don’t have to go again! Good luck with the radiotherapy, I hope it’s not too tiring for you with all the travel.
I have to say that to me the chemo has dragged - it’s been the longest few months of my life!
Hope everyone is doing well. I’m just wondering if anyone else has suffered from extremely runny eyes on Docetaxel? I’ve had 2 rounds so far and this time round my eyes are streaming especially when I go outside! Anyone else suffered from this or have any tips?
Yes I’ve had runny eyes after docetaxol - the only thing I’ve found helps is wearing sunglasses when I go outside. The lack of eyelashes also contributes to the problem
Sorry can’t suggest anything else which may help
Hope you are all doing ok. I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve just been keeping my head down as I plow through this. However I’m really happy to say that I had my final chemo yesterday and had a huge grin on my face as I rang that bell. It was such a good feeling to know that part of treatment (apart from resulting side effects) is now behind me.
I’ve got my radiotherapy appt early Dec and after attending an open evening session last week to look around the department and meet staff I’m expecting to start radiotherapy mid Dec which means I’ll be going over the Christmas period (boo) but at least traffic will be light (hurrah) my partner will be able to take me to those appointments (double hurrah) and I should be finished with it all early in January (AFA). We’ve booked a holiday to our favourite part of Austria for early March - a bit later in the year than we usually go but we are hoping the snow will still be there. We do this thing called ‘winter walking’ - you walk on compacted snowy paths through forests and along side lakes. It’s amazing - fresh air, amazing scenery and plenty of mountain huts for hot chocolate, cheesy spätzle and kaiserscharrem stops. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do the usual 10 mile days we rack up but I’ll do my best.
Interestingly I’ve been told by a few sources at the hospital that accupuncture can be good at helping with hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms so I’m going to give it a go. I’m also experimenting with the Ladycare magnet - I’m still a bit sceptical about this but it has around 70% postive reviews so I’m giving it ago - fed up of restless nights and waking up soggy and damp.
So good look to those of you still having chemo - hopefully you won’t have to endure this for too much longer - the end is insight. And I guess at some point we’ll be switching from comparing chemo SE stories and tips for coping to radiotherapy stories - I’ve been told to get plenty of moisturising cream and to start using it now as well as switching to a deodorant that doesn’t have aluminium in it. I’m using E45 lotion all over with a double dose on the affected boob and some soft & gentle deodorant!
I’m not long home from a 4 day stay in hospital. Temp spiked, low BP and Nuets etc. Feeling okay now but chemo has been delayed this week (I was due in today). Hey ho, fingers crossed I can get back on track next week.
Sue and Amanda,
Congratulations! You’ve got to the end of the very long chemo road, it must feel great. Happy celebrations!
Sue - the winter walking in Austria sounds like fabulous fun.
Tarnia - I have a constant sore and runny nose but haven’t suffered so much with runny eyes despite having lost 95% of my lashes. Sounds like it’s one more of the many SEs we have to put up with. Thank goodness they are temporary eh!
Good luck to everyone elso who is still going through treatment.
Sorry to hear about your hosp stay Cat - not what any of us want. I’m sure you’ll bounce back quickly and be ok to go ahead next week. I ended up having a weeks delay at round 4 as my liver was rebelling but the weeks delay allowed things to recover.
Hi Sue,
Thanks and yes I’m sure it’s best to build up my strength for the final 3 sessions. Won’t be long before I’m ringing the bell too!
Take care, Cat ?
Well done on your final chemo, it’s a lovely feeling isn’t it! Hope the side effects are minimal, I’ve tiredness to have been the biggest issue thus last cycle.
The holiday in Austria sounds idyllic, the winter walking sounds fabulous
Good luck with the radiotherapy, it sounds like you are all equipped for it - I start mine on the 4th but luckily should be finished on the 24th
Sorry to hear you were hospitalised, hope you are starting to feel better now. I know it’s a bummer being delayed a week but at least it will give you time to recover
I had my last chemo in the 13th & the hair on my head is starting to come back!! It’s only grey fluff but it’s there, hopefully eyebrows & eyelashes will start sprouting soon
Finishing by Xmas sounds just perfect. I’d really been hoping I’d be done by the end of the year just so I could start 2019 fresh but I think it will drag over by a few days. I’ve got my set up appointment on the 4th Dec but won’t start treatment then but will be given my schedule. I’m going to push to see if being done by 31st will be possible but I’m not holding our much hope.
Hi Jude,
Thanks, will be taking it easy over the next few days and hope I can get back on track soon.
Fantastic news that your hair has started to grow back already. I’ve heard that it’s normal for hair to grow back like that initially and then to start growing back stronger afterwards.
Good luck with the radiotherapy.
Take care, Cat ?
I had my last of 18 rads yesterday. A walk in the park after chemo. I was told to expect fatigue but I am fine! The only SE is an itchy boob!! Using plenty of moisturiser and taking Piriton for the itch. Good luck with those starting rads. Kx
Good luck with the radiotherapy & the holding your breath malarkey - hope you manage ok
K - good to hear your radiotherapy went well, hopefully with plenty of hydration & creams we should all sail through it - always an optimist!
Well ladies I said I had a bit of grey fluff on my head & now my top eyelashes are coming back & I can see some growth on my eyebrows as well!!
Pleased to report that after an unwanted delay I had chemo again today. Just 2 more sessions to go now so fingers crossed my last session should be Friday 14th December - yippeee!
Jude - great news that eyelashes and eyebrows are coming back so quickly too! There seem to be a number of serums available to help encourage eyelash growth. I brought ‘Revita lash’ but another one I heard about more recently is ‘Rapid Lash’; I heard about this through one of the nurses at the hospital, she had the most amazing eyelashes I thought they were false but she said it was down to ‘Rapid Lash’!
Sue & Sunflower - good luck with radiotherapy!
Ktk - congrats on completing radiotherapy - another milestone reached! And thanks for the top tips.
Tarnia - glad you got a ‘fix’ sorted for your runny eyes.
Congrats on your final chemo. Ringing that bell is a fab feeling - I had the biggest grin on my face when I did it last week. I’m sure it won’t be too long before your hair starts to come back.
Hope the SE’s are over quickly and that you get back to some sort of normal so that you can enjoy Xmas.
Good to hear things are back on track and that you will be done with chemo before Xmas. I’ve been looking at reviews for Rapid Lash and they seem mainly positive so I might give that a go but I’m going to leave it for a while to give my body a chance to settle down - maybe add it to my Xmas list.
My hairdresser has suggested Nioxin for encouraging and supporting hair regrowth - again reviews are largely positive so will be giving that a go too once my hair is past its current very delicate baby fluff stage.
Hi Sue,
Thanks!
I think Amazon have an offer on Rapid Lash at the moment. I plan to start using my serum once my eyelashes start to grow back naturally.
I will definitely try Nioxin too, just had a quick look on line, there seem to be a lot of different products in the range. Which one are you getting? Will be interested to hear how you get on.
Good luck! Cat ?