Good morning ladies
Good luck Robin and Ebim.
I took your advice and went to A n E yeaterday, and they admitted me.
It seems my breathlessness isn’t red cells deserting me.
I have pneumonia.
I’m like - what?
I don’t understand how?
My white cell count is through the roof after my GCSF injections, so how can I get pneumonia?
So here I am, 2nd chemo induced hospitalisation.
They can’t find a decent vein in the one arm that they are allowed to use so I’m like a pin cushion.
And to top it all off - today is my 65th birthday.
What a way to spend it.
???
Oh Jackie, you really are having a rough ride. Can i say, happy birthday…? Or at least send you best wishes today of all days. Im sure it’s not how you envisaged spending it but hope you’re feeling better soon. If your white cells are good, fingers crossed you’ll be able to fight the infection head on this time and have a very short stay in hospital and be home and feel like celebrating very soon.
Xxxxxx
Oh poor you Jackie. Happy birthday and get well very soon, you hear. Ebim I’m holding your hand right now. Chemo has gone in. Waiting for zometa and then will be sent home. Hope yours has gone well. Scotty good luck for Friday. Hope all tax warrior / other drug warrior teddies are having a good week. R xx
Jackie,
Many happy returns, hope they’re nice to you on your birthday. Best wishes too to all other Tax warriors.
Slowski x
Dear JAckie
Happy birthday. Not good you are in hospital but at least now it will get sorted quickly and with your big white cells hopefully you’ll be out - just delay your birthday for 6 months - be like the queen and have another official birthday in the summer!
Blue - thanks for the post it’s just like my arm. Beedot like you I don’t have a PiCC or port and wanted to try and get through without it so keeping fingers crossed. Which reminds me I must go and put on some hirudoid!
To all of you doing chemo today and tomorrow - I hope it all goes well and you don’t feel too ill.
Big hugs to all
Egg x
Happy birthday Jackie, am so sorry you have to spend it in hospital… I agree have a birthday celebration in the summer sunshine 
when all this is chemo rubbish is over.
Good luck to everyone having chemo this week, am thinking of you all.
I am now day 10 from my first tax and my aches and pains are definitely fading.
Just been for LGFG today, was nice to spend time with lots of lovely ladies. Am now looking very glamorous for picking up my daughter from ballet!
Hugs to everyone xx
Happy birthday Jackie!! Sorry it’s been a rubbish one but just think this time next year, you’ll have this all as a distant memory ?
Today, I was doing my couch to 5k in the park (I.e. Walking for 2 mins then walking slightly faster for 90 secs!) and I felt your inspiration and took my hat off for the last few mins. There were only a few people kicking around but it was so liberating - and my head had been boiling - exercising with a woolly hat is not fun! So thank you ? Hopefully I’ll be braver and do it for longer next time!
Ebim - your post re your sister made me giggle ?
I’m off for my 3rd weekly tax tomorrow - then I’m a quarter through the tax. Having it weekly def helps the SEs but I feel like I’m having it all the time as still 10 weeks to go…
Sending you all lots of strength and Jackie birthday wishes ??? xxx
Wtp good luck for today and Scotty good luck for tomorrow. Jackie glad you are home again. Ebim thanks for hand holding yesterday and I love the idea of your sister looking for me on the ward!
Steroid insomnia again so may as well post. I don’t want to sound anti steroid though as I love the extra energy. Also they must be protecting me from Tax side effects as I feel fine at the moment.
All went well yesterday with T2 and I feel surprisingly normal. I know the aches may start when I start the gcsf injections on Friday but I am enjoying this lull. Also may get the dreaded fatigue especially when steroids finish. Now I know why athletes try to take them!
I keep touching my head and looking at it in the mirror and trying to convince myself there is the beginnings of a five I click shadow
Posted too soon! The beginnings of a five o clock shadow was what I meant to say. Am I imagining it or is this the beginning of the Return of the Hair? I do hope so! Love to all fellow warrior teddies. R x
I love the steroid effect too! I have so much energy and feel almost normal on them, however after 4 cycles of Tax and the 16mg dexamethasone dose for 3 days each time, I am now sporting a puffy moon face which I think is related!
What is the usual steroid dose for EC/FEC - how much for how many days…? Am hoping it’s less than for Tax to allow my puffiness to recover!!!
Thanks beedot. That still sounds alot of steroids on EC, but it’s almost half of what I’ve been having on Tax. I hope it’s enough of a reduction to see my cheekbones again! My abdomen has become more rounded too - my top belly! Am wondering if that’s the steroids too? (Or the cakes…
)
Hope all goes well getting your results tomorrow beedot.
Well -.uou really couldn’t make this up.
I went home yesterday, my 65th birthday, and we were all elated.
Anxious to recoup and go out at the weekend to celebrate.
The dogs were overjoyed to see me, and after a takeaway I was looking forward to watching TV in bed.
I was at home for less than 5 - yes FIVE -hours.
I had to rush to A and E with yet ANOTHER boil on the bum.
It literally took hold in a couple of hours.
I was admitted, and they operated again at lunchtime.
Yet another strike for chemo.
I am soooooo sick of this.
I won’t do it, but I really feel like throwing in the towel.
You know you will lose your hair.
You know you will feel sick.
You know you will have joint pains.
I feel like someone is taking the p**s here.
So I now have 2 HIBS.
Can I share with you?
Still - only 2 more Tax to go.
Jackie, poor you. What a blooming saga. Just remember we are all here for you and you must rant away as much as you like. You are so nearly there. Hang in there.
On another note, I have been wearing false eyelashes today! My husband assured me I didn’t look like a drag artist! R x
Oh Robin
That did make me laugh. Xxx
Did you go for any particular special make of eyelashes?
I’d like to try them.
I just got the cheapest from boots. I think they’re called Eyelure, only about six pounds. But they have stayed in place all day so that glue must really work! Hope you will be back at home soon Jackie, minus horrid boil. R x
Jackie - sorry that you ended up in hospital on your birthday (twice). Hope it was as happy as possible under the circumstances.
This just goes to show how unpredictable the effects of chemotherapy can be. Of all the things the breathlessness could have been, you would probably not have guessed pneumonia, so it’s a good thing you went to A&E to get it checked out. And as for the boils, well that is just insulting. I hope they are more comfortable now.
I occured to me that as you’re in Spain you may not have access to the same sources of information we do here. Most hospitals here have an information stall with free booklets published by Breast Cancer Care and Macmillan. If your hospital doesn’t have this, they can be ordered or downloaded from the websites. There is also information on chemotherapy drugs and their effects on the Macmillan and Cancer Research UK websites. It is best to stick to these websites, which provide reliable information, than to Google indiscriminately. Below are links to the main web pages on these sites, where you can look up as much information as you feel comfortable with.
Breast Cancer Care: breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/going-through-breast-cancer-treatment
breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/download-order-publications
Macmillan Breast Cancer pages: macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/breast-cancer
Cancer Research UK Breast Cancer pages: cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer
T2 done. Chilling in the bath ?
the calm before the storm 
!!
Well done Scotty. Enjoy the weekend and I hope all SEs are moderate only X
Well done Scotty. Enjoy the quiet. Hopefully the side effects won’t be so bad. I’m t2 on Monday.