My doctors and work have been great with that. They have left it down to me pretty much as to when I go back as long as their aren’t any highly infectious diseases in the school. Then again I have my own little bundles of germs at home. I have not steered clear until the chickenpox hit the school, the 6 weeks I needed after the op and about a week after fec and week and a half after t chemos. My fiancés head teacher worked throughout her chemo and radio all but 3 or 4 days after each. It is possible and I can’t understand why your doctor would be like that Tina. It is well known people can if they feel up to it work through. It would be different if you worked on a ward with highly infectious people. You would have to stay away then but there is no reason if you are sensible and your work tell you the second someone has a highly infectious illness such as the chickenpox that you can’t work! If it was me personally, and I am not saying you should just that if i was me, I would defy them and just go in if I felt up to it and arrange it all with work. I am going back next Monday as onc said that my immune system would be back up by then and it doesn’t matter about the chickenpox.
I’ve 3 more weeks left Tina! I have no idea how people can work through this, have alot of respect for them. Sadly I’m one of those who haven’t done well with chemo, feel bit of a failure. However I do know that if I did work I’d be constantly trying to recover from some bug or virus. There is always someone sick due to the amount of people we deal with. And since my chemo was delayed for 2weeks just for a toe infection, I wouldn’t want to think how or where I’d be now! Plus with my job, I would have to be clear thinking to not put someone at risk and fairly fit with all the running around and sadly during this treatment it’s difficult to walk a small distance and my brain just doesn’t work!
I am pissed off about not qualifying for help,as you say Tina, there are others out there who totally rip of the system and I’ve worked since I was 16, never had a proper holiday because I couldn’t afford it and I work hard.
Not sure how phased return works, might be different for different jobs and places? For instance I don’t get paid sick leave,so my phased return will probably be me getting paid part time?
Massive hug to you Fred xx I hope the ecg helps out, you don’t want it to show something but at the same time you do so that it shows you aren’t going crazy! Hope it isn’t anything serious though.
I kept blacking out with fec too, and I stumbled constantly.
How many more do you have left?
Hi Fred. Hopefully it is just the chemo and nothing else. The ecg should help work it all out. Big hugs hunny xxx
Going back to work today. Going to feel like a fish out of water been out for so long. Don’t know if I will manage the whole day or not. Guess I will just have to wait and see. Will do what I can. They don’t mind me leaving if I am too tired/achy or anything luckily.
How was work today, Vicky, did you stay all day? I hope it went well for you!
Nadz, glad you have started again, hope your toes are behaving themselves, when are you due to finish?
Fred, how did the ECG go, hope they were able to get to the bottom of the problems you’ve been having. You said you will have to have FEC again…that’s pants! When will you have to have it?
Tina, you must be past the worst of any side effects and soon to be out of the low immunity for good! When will you start rads?
Gillian, you must be over half way through rads now…hope you skin it holding up still. Will you be going onto Tamoxifen after rads?
Bloods for me at 8.30am tomorrow, I’ll be phoning them after lunch to see how they are and if I’m going to be ok for the final T on Thursday. I’m quite nervous having had a couple of delays and now I have all the dates for rads, I really don’t want to slip up and then have to delay rads as well!
Love and hugs to everyone,
Amanda x
Yes Amanda I stayed the whole day. Don’t know how I managed it. Today at work again but also got a cancer exercise group tonight too.
I am only on a temporary contract at work covering maternity and so pushing myself as much as I can as I really want them to keep me on in September. I can’t imagine looking for another job for September or earlier right now. I was told when I started it is highly likely I would be kept on as it is a growing school.
Feel like I need to prove myself still what with being off so much.
Well I cleared the first hurdle, bloods are fine! Just got to stay well and hope nothing else gets in the way for Thursday now! Did anyone with a PICC line have it taken out at the unit straight after their last chemo?, that’s what I’m expecting to happen.
Claire, I received my letter with all my appointments for rads (15 of them) last week sometime, it was after T2, probably after day 10 or 11. Give it a bit longer, maybe phone towards the end of the week? All my rads are at 1.30, they are due to start on 23rd May and finish on the13th June. Before that I have two appointments, one after each other on the 5th May, one is an ‘Appointment’ and the second the ‘Treatment Preparation’ (which I assume is the set up and tattoos etc?) It would be good is out paths crossed at sometime!
Amanda x
Hi Amanda, got my rads dates through yesterday. My planning appointment is on 6th May, and chemo starts 23rd may, ending 13th June as well. My times are all for around 3pm ish xx
Hi Sissy, it’s quite good, getting all the dates at once the only problem I had was the 1.30 time I have for all the rads clashed with my Look Good, Feel Better session on the 31st May, so now I won’t be going until the end of June! You should have time to recover before you holiday as well. Any news on the next MX?
Hope your nose starts to improve, Tina… it sounds very uncomfortable! Still, at least most of your SE’s are soon to become a distant memory!
Amanda x
My rads start in June ?, don’t finish chemo until 2nd week of May.
Been pretty sick with this week of chemo, went outside today to try and tackle the garden, near threw up in the plants!
Stressing me out not getting the garden sorted, had invested loads into it last year, sacrificed our summer so we could get it right, and now it’s dying ??
has anyone come out in frekles since chemo. i noticed today that my torso and back is platerd in freckles
Oh Nadz, that’s horrible and frustrating too! I’ve been doing bits a bobs in the garden but not as much as I like and then having to keep covered up, especially the ‘bad’ lymphoma risk arm and freaking out about getting a cut or graze that causes an infection, it all makes gardening quite stressful! Have you tried ginger stuff?, ginger ale is quite soothing.
Fredflowerpot, I haven’t developed freckles but I have heard that skin colour changes do happen to some people, so I think it’s probably normal. Was you ECG alright, I do hope so!
Sat waiting for the last T now, I won’t be celebrating until it’s actually done, though; don’t want to text fate? It’s not over until the fat lady sings they say! When they take my PICC line out, I’ll accept its done! ?
Amanda x
Nearly and hour late, I still haven’t gone in!! ? I’m nervous enough that something will go wrong (a power cut or something!) and delay it and this wait is making it worse!!
Amanda x
Good luck for today Amanda, I’ve just been at had my pre chemo bloods done, had a few tears as well, am feeling very up and down at the moment. Are they taking your picc line out today? Xx
Good luck Amanda! Xxx
Thanks Kim, I got there in the end so I’m all done, very pleased to say the least! Got in one hour late but chemo etc was quick and smooth. The same could not be said for the removal of the PICC line, my veins seem to have become peculiarly attached to it and it was a right Royal battle to get out. It did hurt too, but it’s out now and tomorrow the small dressing can come off and no more covering it up for showers; yeah!
Just one more set of SE’s to get though and then after three weeks, I can eat prawns, pate and soft cooked eggs again!
Hope your bloods are good to go Sissy, is your last one on Monday?
Have your rads dates come through yet Claire?
Love and hugs everyone!
Amanda x
??? Yay Amanda welcome to the chemo finish line!!! Xxx
Thanks Tina, it feels pretty damn good at the moment. Probably be in a decline in a few days when the SE’s kick in!
Sissy, I have felt much more emotional and had a few total meltdowns on the T, with rads still to come and gynaecoly surgery still to come (and you have you MX and ovaries to deal with too) it all just keeps stretching out before us, it’s no wonder you are up and down!
Amanda x
Well done Amanda! ? Xxx