Hi everyone. Hope you are all having a good Easter. I would just like to know if there is anyone out there who is having chemo on a Thursday at Burton Hospital. I start on the 23rd April and it would be good to have someone to chat to.
Also any tips on how to cope with the first session.
Love to you all
Pauline
Hello Pauline - sorry I am not able to join you, I live miles away in Costa Del Essex!
I have had one chemo, TAC, and have my second dose this Friday. Luckily I sailed through it, not sick, or any nasties to report, just constipation.<<<<stock up on some tablets!
The day of the chemo I had a fry up, drank lots of water and Lucozade, Creme Eggs and a sandwich! Came home that night and had a chinese takeaway! So, for me, it was fine.
Eat some brekkie, take some magazines/book, drinks and some nosh and relax! I have kept a diary of how I felt, toilet habits, and temperature in the morning and at bed time. (get a thermometer too).
I only had one day where I didn’t want to get out of bed, that was thanks to the bone marrow boosting injections I have to give myself for 5 days, it didn’t make me feel ill, but my bones ached, so I stayed in bed and watched daytime trash…sorry, I mean TV.
Hope this is of some help, you MUST drink as much water as you can. It gets a bit boring, so add some lime juice or lemon & barley. I also got lots of ice lollies when my appetite wasn’t 100%. Mind you, once my appetite returned, I ate 2 Big Mac meals! WHAT A PIGGY!
So, don’t get yourself worked up, it dosen’t hurt, it’s very boring (!) and apart from sitting on your bottom for hours, you don’t do very much.
Wishing you well for the 23rd and keep thinking positive, it helps no end.
Love Daisy xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you Daisy for your comments. I am having CMF chemo and I am told that there are not too many side effects. The main one is nausea (will give me pills for that) Only 1 in 5 lose their hair so fingers crossed I am not no 1. Also the only other thing I have to keep tabs on is my temperature because if that goes too high or I feel ill I have to contact the hospital because it could mean I have problems with white cells, which mean my body cannot fight any infections. Bad enough but nowhere near as bad as some of the other ladies are coping with.
Good luck with your treatments and again thank you for replying to me.
Pauline
Hi Pauline - how did it go?
Fight it all the way girly and try your very hardest to not let side effects get the better of you. I know that sounds hard, but the less you give in, the easier I found it.
I still feel fine, got a few tiny blisters on my tounge, but the mouthwash they give me is delicious!
If you don’t want to eat, get some ice lollies and just pick, don’t skip food all together, just have a bit of whatever you fancy.
Thinking of you…Daisy x
Hi Pauline sorry Ive not been on line for a while, because I had to go back into hospital with an infection in my wound. It still isn’t better yet!!! I have just started my 4th course of antibiotics, and the nurse is still coming in everyday to dress it.
I went to see my oncologist at the derby city hospital on Monday and I was a bit shocked at what she had to tell me. My cancer was 42mml invasive, grade 3 and aggresive, so I was a bit shocked. I do have to start chemo in about 3 weeks time. if my infection has cleared up. She did say I would lose my hair, I got a voucher for a wig, so I am wig shopping on Saturday (cant wait lol)she told me off all the other side affects possible, and I am not bothered about the loss off appetite because I have put on a couple of stone since I started taking the hrt.She did say it was boaderline HER 2 but she is waiting for more tests to come back to see if I have to take herceptin. So pauline thats why Ive not been posting much.
I hope you are coping whith the chemo, let us know how your feeling, and are you suffering with any of the side affects ?
Anyeway take care
Love Heather
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Hi Heather, how nice to hear from you after so long. Wow you seem to have been an age waiting for treatment etc. Where will you be having your chemo?? Which consultant are you under?
Everything is fine with me. I have my second CMF chemo tomorrow at Burton. Things not too bad after first lot. Mouth a bit sore, tired, but on the whole no worse than I felt after my 2 ops. I keep telling myself that after tomorrow that is my first month over with so only another 5 to go - and it will go quickly I am sure.
Hope you are keeping positive. Please, please, keep in touch. I have not really found anyone else from my area or going to Burton so you feel quite ‘local’ to me.
Take care
love
Pauline (mommyw)
Hi Pauline
Glad to hear that you’re not doing too badly on cmf. I had my 2nd dose of my 2nd cycle today and am feeling pretty good. My head went a bit woozy during the chemo but soon settled. At the moment I’m on a bit of a steroid high as I have high doses because I got so nauseous on the epirubicin and daren’t drop the dose now I’m on cmf.
Hope all goes well tomorrow.
Nicky x
Pauline - glad you’re underaway with it all and managing - keep the pecker up - Heather - lovely to see you back and soo sorry you’ve had trouble with things, but you’ll get there, and re the chemo just think of it as a positive thing thats going it out! I had a hickman line 2 wks ago and now have a bloomin infection round it and am now on antibiotics - fun - I’ve been camping round the burton area a few times and would love to maybe meet for a chat sometime if I’m there…I know Pauline has a campervan and was very jealous that I was going campin, I now have to be sensible Pauline and am at home - or am I…who knows, I feel better already - was wondering why they were so negative about you not camping Pauline?? Mary x
Hi Mary. glad you feeling better. sorry about your not going camping. Had different nurse today for chemo and she told me completely different from the nurse last week. If I had listened to her I would have been a recluse for 6 months. Have a weekend booked for Classic camper rally in July so I will find out if I can go on that. I think that as long as there is a hospital nearby and you are sensible then things should be fine. At least we can cater for ourselves so we can watch what we eat and how it is cooked etc. We will see. Take care. big hugs. Pauline
Hi Pauline Mary and everybody else, Pauline so glad to hear your chemo is going ok. Mary snap with the infection, it is a pain, and I know if its not cleared up they wont start my chemo, and after my results I think I need to start chemo has soon as possible.
Pauline I was under doctor Sibbering for my mastectomy, and I am under docter woodings for my chemo. I do wish I had been able to go to Burton hospital. When I was admitted there for my infection I saw a breast consultant called Dr Rodgers I think (sorry short term memory shot lol) He was lovely, made me feel like a patient and not a number.
See if they would have changed my hospital we could have been having chemo together, we would be introuble with teacher though for talking to much lol
Mary I do hope you get to go camping this year, we would love a camper van, but looks like we a stuck with the tent another year, We are hoping to go camping in September if the weather is ok and I am ok. Oh I do so much want to see the sea, we haven’t managed a holiday for the last 2 years.
Mary if you ever get to Burton camping again, it would be nice to meet for a coffee and a chat, its nice to put faces to names, I go on a fibromyalgia support line, and I went down to bristol a couple of years ago to meet my friends. They have been the best friends ever to me since I have been diagnosed. They have sent me loads of cards, teddies with messages recoreded on them, angels, book marks,flowers, and there always ringing to see how I am, they keep me going sometimes. I had a another package yesterday, inside was a lovely plaque saying I am sending you a large hug, the thing is I always end up crying when I recieve them lol
Well I better go to get ready, my GP wants to see me this morning to check that my infection will be ok over the weekend, then later the nurse is coming in to dress they wound again, I have had this infection 4 weeks tomorrow and it is getting me down a bit, it seems like it is never going to go.
Oh nearly forgot I am going wig shopping tomorrow with my daughter and husband, that should be fun lol
Well everybody Take Care
Love Heather
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Hi Pauline …good to chat to you last night …you only up the A5 So if you want to meet at some point would love to…I am 18 mths after DX just had second attempt at recon !!!:)…this forum was a godsend to me in the beginning and I have made some great friends from it xxxxxxxxkeep in touch Maz …
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Hi Mazaroo
Yes it was really good chatting to you all last night. I was not at my best because I had only been home from chemo a few hours before but I was determined to take part. It made me smile at some of the comments. I have been quite rough today. I had a really bad night and was watching TV from about 4.30 - could not get back to sleep. I stayed in bed till about 10 then got up and pottered about for a while but I suddenly went quite weak and icy cold so ended up back in bed at about 2 and got up again at 6.30. Feel a bit better now. Hubby is cooking minted lamb shanks and lots of fresh veg and I must admit I am hungry. I will probably feel better when I have eaten.
Where abouts in Tamworth do you live (send a message to my inbox if you prefer). Perhaps when I feel a bit better then it would be nice to meet you for a chat. I do drive but at the moment don’t feel like it but hubby will drive me anywhere I want to go. Hope you have had a good day. Are you doing anything over the weekend? Take care
Pauline (mommyw) - Put that because I think there is another Pauline on forum.
Hi Pauline
Hope you’re feeling better. I was rough after my last dose on weds but felt better by yesterday. I don’t know why you’ve been put off using your camper.I have atouring caravan which is on aseasonal pitch at the moment. We spend most of our time here and they are well aware of it at chemo. In fact they commented on it at chemo how many of their patients went out in caravans tents over the easter weekend. They didn’t seem at all concerned. As long as you don’t empty the loo or get in too much of a crowd I don’t see the problem.
Nicky x
Hi Nicky. Re the camping thing, it was the nurse that I had for my first chemo that said I should not go camping, in fact it was don’t go into cafe’s, dont go shopping, don’t do this don’t do that. I got a bit paranoid about it and thought I had to be a recluse for the duration. However I had a different nurse this time and she said that as long as I knew where the hospitals were there is no problem, yes of course I have to be sensible about hygiene etc but at least I know there is no problem. There is a rally for the Classic Camper Club in July - which would be the first one for us with the club - but going by how I have been after last weeks chemo I don’t think I will be able to go. I had my second dose and it has completely wiped me out, I have been in bed this weekend more than I have been out of it. I feel as though there is a big battle raging inside of me, my mouth is hurting like hell, my nails have all split and gone brittle so for the first time in years I have had to cut them down, I have the shakes, cold, hot - oh the joys of getting better!! I would be having the chemo on the Thursday and the camp is Friday to Sunday so I think I will have to stay home and let hubby and son and girlfriend go without me. Hope you are ok and have had a good weekend.
Regards, Pauline (mommyw)
nicky - we’ll have to bring our vans/trailer tents to see you!! Its just the timimg I find is the nuisance, the owners group me and my friend run have a good few get togethers but I’ve missed them due to timing and being in the low week etc…hope you’re feeling a bit perkier pauline…mary x
Hi Pauline
Hope that you’re feeling a bit better now. Had my 2nd dose of my 2nd cycle last week. I think that I’m getting away a bit lighter than you. My mouth is a little sore and I’m a bit tired but it’s the bad taste that is really bugging me. It was bad with the epi but I was hoping that it would improve with cmf. My nails are splitting too.
As you said, the joys of getting better. Take care and I hope that you do manage to get away even if it’s not to the rally.
Mary - what an idea! This is probably just about central to Shrewsbury and Burton!
Take care all.
Nicky x
Hi Nicky
Glad you are not too bad with CMF. My nails have gone very brittle and I have cut them right down. I do not suffer with taste problems but my sense of smell is very hightened and certain things become overpowering and make me feel sick. I also have this horrible singeing flesh smell for several days after chemo.
I have really been knocked for 6 with my second lot (1b) I am so tired, mouth full of ulcers, high temperature etc. The antibiotics seem to be helping but it takes me all my time to do the easiest of tasks at the moment. Who said CMF was mild? I would hate to go through what a lot of the ladies on here are going through. I would not be able to cope. Roll on September, let’s get it over with.
Mary, I hope that you are ok after your session today and hope you son is ok.
Take care all.
I won’t be on live chat tonight, I am going to bed early.
x Pauline