Happy Saturday!
The weight gain is another rubbish SE of this journey…
blue - 4kg of my 10kg was gained pre treatment - just in the stress of diagnosis (6 weeks!) then 6kg over 4 cycles of EC but I think it was more to do with my coming to terms with the cancer than the EC itself. Also, adjusting to being at home as I used to walk 10km every weekday and started lying on the sofa eating biscuits ?
Sooo I’ve just signed up to do the race for life after my chemo but before surgery in June. I’m thinking even if I just end up walking it, I’m hoping it will help focus me to be a bit more healthy for this last leg.
Got stuck on the soft play slide with my daughter earlier as my behind has grown somewhat ?
Xxx
Oh I’m sorry Wtp I’m wiping tears of laughter after reading your slide tale. But good on you going to soft play! You need nerves of steel for that on a normal day let alone on chemo!
I remembered Mooney had been admitted to hospital with an infection but that was really quite a long time ago so I hope she’s ok.
Wtp, your story really made me smile 
. They joys of treatment. Had a lovely day yesterday with my daughter, went on a little shopping spree followed by watching beauty and the beast, she is 10 and we both loved it ( and both shed a tear at the end!)… Would definitely recommend it as a nice thing to do.
Whilst trying on a jumper during the aforementioned shopping trip wig stayed on but was wearing a t shirt and totally forgot my picc line did not have a bandage over it and think it gave the shop assistant a bit of a shock! Egg I should have paid more attention to you!
Saw the pharmacist on Friday and she didn’t mention Naproxen, says to just take paracetamol and codene to deal with tax… Hope this is enough, guess I will find out tomorrow!
With regards weight gain, promise I am not bragging but mine had gone the other way. I have lost 8kg, My appetite has really diminished, think it is due to stress ( those inner voices), food tasting bland or metallic and less wine (did have a couple of glasses last night!)
Hope you have all had a nice weekend
Nicky xx
Hi Nicky - maybe the shop assistant thought picc was some new fangled body piercing ?. I need to give you some of my spare kilograms then maybe we’ll even out!
Egg x
Nicky I hope all goes well for you today and anyone else on treatment this week.
How are you ladies doing who had tax 1 last week? I have to say it’s floored me. I’ve seen more on my bed the last 5 days than I have in all the time since diagnosis!
Esther
Exactly the same. But day 11 today and I have energy!!! Definitely going to ask for stronger painkillers next time. Dreading it already ?
Scotty and Esther - would you be able to tells us a bit more about the Tax side effects? You mentioned painkillers - was that for joint pains? And when did tiredness hit you. Sorry if I have missed a thread where you might have posted this already, trying to plan for my first one so I know vaguely what to expect and can get things like school runs covered
Thanks, Egg x
I’ve found TAX and Herceptin trickier than FEC so far but feeling brighter today. Am finding bad taste in mouth very dispiriting - when you have a chunk of chocolate cake or buttery hot cross bun and bite into it to find that it tastes like the gel you clean the oven with!
Egg and Ebim,
What I’d say about TAX is that I’d heard it takes a couple of days to kick in, and that’s so true. I had mine on a Tuesday and went out for a lovely longish walk as it was a perfect sunny day on the Wednesday, then on the Thursday morning I merrily ttrotted off to yoga and did all my downward dogs etc with no bother. After lunch, though, aches pains and a wave of tiredness hit me. Ibuprofen seems to help. So far I’ve not had the TAX trots but the opposite and have been taking laxatives. I do feel more normal today apart from the grim taste.
Ebim and Egg - I think the Tax is very individual and you could find it’s not as bad as you are fearing. I have been ok on Tax 1, but then I could have a worse reaction to Tax 2 (due 29th March) so I’m not taking anything for granted. Back to Tax 1 - I was fine at first, then hit by fatigue and flu like aches on Day 4. Spent that day in bed. But the next day I was all right again, and have been ever since. Aches and pains were manageable with paracetemol, and had worn off by Day 8 or so - I think they may have been connected to gcsf injections. I’ve had a sore mouth and metallic taste but got used to that on FEC - the mouthwash helps. I’m feeling more or less normal now with a week and a half to go till next chemo. So let’s hope you are both lucky like me. R x
Ebim - I’m going to be even later than you - due last EC this week because I’m doing 4xEC then 4x Tax plus herceptin and perjeta… uggghhhhhh
Did your onc team give you all the meds for pain/mouth ulcers etc?
Hi fellow Tax warriors.
I’m here - post Tax 4 - and feeling really pants.
I thought I had it pegged.
But Tax is the chemo that keeps surprising.
I’ve had nausea and extreme fatigue since Saturday. Day 1.
Spent the whole of yesterday in bed.
Today I managed to take my pack for a walk (3 outings) do a few jobs around the house before retreating to my pit again.
The taste in my mouth is horrendous.
And every time I go up and downstairs my legs feel like lead.
Reading about SEs of my forthcoming radiotherapy isn’t filling me with joy either.
Just feels like it never ends.
I’m taking paracetamol for the joint pains plus 1 Claritin a day.
Laughing though at Wtp on the slide, Nicky and her piccolo line, Esther and the twig.
Ebim - I had the nasty spots too.
Take care - they were the pre cursor to my abcess.
When I’m on my laptop I’ll post a pic of my moth eaten teddy self to start the ball rolling.
I’d love to put faces to all your names.
Hope you all have a better week.
Xxx
Hi Nicky, hope all went well today. Your day out with your daughter sounds lovely and a snatched happy memory for you both. I have a 9yr old, who will be 10 next week and right at the start of treatment he asked if his birthday would fall in one of my good weeks?! Luckily it does, otherwise I wouldn’t cope with 8 kids at the cinema and in my house! I am seriously envious re your weight loss. My new approach is I’ve decided to eat what I want and what I can in week 1, but then follow a healthy eating plan for weeks 2&3. Hopefully it will help rein in the weight gain?!
Wtp…what can I say, apart from those slides are really narrow so bet your bum is not too big!!!
Egg, I have help with the kids (OH) from day 2 afternoon. Today I’m day 7 and although I feel OK, wouldn’t manage the school run. Schools about 200m from our house but up a hill and the cumulative effects of tax make hills very tough. I don’t tend to start driving til about day 7-8 as I’m a bit gormless until then! When trying to explain the tax fatigue to a friend, I said it’s that bad that if my kids were playing with matches downstairs, Im not sure I’d be able to get downstairs to stop them! But that level of fatigue only lasts for me for 2-3 days.
I tried with ibuprofen, paracetamol and cocodamol for the pain for cycle 1 but it wasn’t enough, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be enough for you. Just make sure you’re in the phone ASAP if it’s not.
I will be trailing up the rear with treatment, with egg and ali, as I’m having 4 cycles of each. Last chemo beginning of June for me.
Esther, I think you’re right re pain threshold lowering throughout treatment. I am struggling with the slightest thing, but that might be because I’m only working very part time so am discussing on my body and how it feels so much more.
Oops, that should be focussing, not discussing on my body!!!
And my tip for a food that tastes relatively normal with a tax mouth…blueberries!!!
Well morning all you lovely ladies. Tax warriors good name. Sorry to have been absent, sometimes you just need to take a break. I spent a week in hospital following severe D& V caught from hubby! sent home. with antibiotics and low white cell count. Daughter now here for 2 weeks from Lanzarotte and hubby doing charity cycle ride on his own! from Lincoln to Paris raising money partly for our chemo ward in Lincoln. So life busy.
Have been delayed 2 weeks on the dreaded schedule
Am just hoping white cells are now OK enough so I can get back on that chemo horse. Am desperate(never thought I would say that) to just get on and get this finished and get on with my life.
I have been reading with interest all you fabulous tax warriors experiences- have got difflam, do I need stuff for Thrush do you think? Have got lots of Brufen and paracetamol and weirdly my onc gave me oromorph! also have a few lurking codeine phosphate.
So hopefully joining you awesome tax warriors today. Love and hugs and strength to all you fantastic ladies. Special hugs to my erstwhile chemo buddies Robin and Scotty I am getting further and further behind you both. So not sure who is up this week?
love Mooneyxxx
Mooney so great to see you back, we have been missing you !
Slowski X
Welcome back Mooney. One step at a time xx
Yay! Welcome back Mooney! Good luck with first tax. You will soon catch us up. Good to have you back and let us know how it goes. Good luck to everyone else getting chemoed this week. R x
Good to see you back Mooney we were getting worried! Good luck today hope it all goes ahead and goes well. Do not worry I will be bringing up the rear as not due to start Tax until mid April - last EC tomorrow if neutrophils allow!
Egg x