Hi Camilla I agree with the lovely ladies who have responded before me little and often is best x
I found carbs settled my stomach the best but speak to your team they will give you meds to try and overcome side effects
Hugs to you xx
Thanks all for ur encouragement. I think I was expecting that things wld gradually get better and the opposite is the case. I have just finished a course of 5 injections where a nurse came to the house daily. The side effects of these list nausea and swelling of the digestive tract.
I also take a daily tablet to boost vitamin d absorption and again, nausea common side effect.
It seems to be not the chemo but these extra meds that are making life so miserable.
Will try the various suggestions, thank you, but eating is the last thing I can face…(but will, because I have to. )
Hi Camilla, phone your chemo helpline and tell them exactly whats happening and how you feel. They will.have suggestions and reassurance.
I am taking omeprazole too and slso eat what i fancy when i fancy it. Usually carbohydrates and not always healthy stuff. Try to fit in healthy stuff towards the end of the cycle 9n ‘normal’ days.
Hope you turn the corner and feel better soon xxc
Hi and thanks SamH87, KirstyH, Dramaminx, Fiona17 and Shi for your kind words and replies.
Dramaminx - I like the little scenerio you wrote and its true you have to make the best of what you have when your plans have changed. Im just fiercely stubborn when it comes to change and resist st all costs. Ive had a lot of traumatic events in my life including losing my mum to lung and secondary brain cancer (4 month short battle from diagnosis) when I was 17 so a lot of my unresolved issues have returned and it feels like own cancer diagnosis and the chemo drugs especially have magnified everything around 10 times.
Shi - thanks for the hug and your lovely words. Ive not heard a thing from my BCN since 2 weeks before my chemo first cycle but I think thats because she messed up by telling me one of my results over the phone. I had one query re a throat infection which I rang our Day Case Unit about but no-one returned my call and it took me emailing my Chemo Assessment Nurse to get an answer so Im not overly impressed with the hospital team at the minute.
SamH87 and KirstyH - sorry to hear that you both have struggled with the emotional side effects too, I think these are the effects that very little information is given about by the Medical Teams.
Im not sure whether this has affected any of you ladies but Ive been amazed by how some people you thought you could rely on in your life have drifted away and dont even drop a text or Whats App to say “Hi how are you” and then have others who have shown such love, warmth and care when you least expected it. I have a handful of people who have just been amazing and I will never be able to truely thank them enough.
Sending a big hug to all you lovely, beautiful ladies on this thread! ?
Jo x
Sorry to hear that Jo and this new battle will most definitely be bringing emotions and unsolved feelings to the surface again.
Yes I have found exactly the same, there are a couple of friends I have known a long time who have been absolutly useless to be honest and nowhere to be seen, luckily they are outnumbered by the other amazing friends who have been life savers through this and the caring thoughtfulness of people who I haven’t even known as long has been amazing, it really does sort out the wheat from the chaff in times like these as Lesley says.
Camilla I hope the side effects from the other preventative drugs ease up soon and allpw you to eat better. Xx
Hey Jo - yes I have had some amazing friends - some of which have only known me a short while, while some others have been more distant! These are in the minority though!
Camilla - I experienced the same thing digestive wise. Stomach cramps, especially when laying down, not wanting proper food, just general eurgh. I felt so so low the first few days …BUT it did get better and I actually found that the more I ate, the more I felt better. I’m going into round 2 tomorrow and have already said that I’m going to start eating little and often in a bid to feel better. I’m adamant a lot of it was the side effects of the other tablets I have been given. I also requested Lanzoprazole for acid reflux about 5 days in last time and that really helped things… so be sure to ask for that!
Just think… you are one down already! ??Xx
Hi runaway girl, yes think we’ve all been a bit ?when ‘friends’ go and do a beam me up Scottie!!! Don’t worry about it, it hurts a bit, but you have more important things to concentrate on right now, YOU. I know we are only virtual girls at this moment in time on here, but we’ve got each other’s backs every step on this journey 24/7, how blessed are we to find such beauty and kindness from strangers on this life changing journey. Keep ?, keep ?and keep ?we’ve got each other ???
shi xx
Thank you! Have just managed to eat a plain brioche. Success!
Yeah Shi, KirstyH, SamH87 and Lesley62 it is good to have other ladies on this forum to share experiences along this journey that none of us want to be on! I really underestimated the impact of a cancer diagnosis and especially chemo. The ripple effect from it goes far and wide.
Jo x
Camilla, I can’t blame you for how you feel, but surely your husband and don can make toast and heat ready meals send them out shopping for whatever you might be able to eat. I find bland carbs good for the first week. Beans on toast scrambled eggs. It’s about time they learned to cook basics like this. A tiny bit of marmite on toast with a banana or a handful of almonds settles my stomach. I don’t believe that they can’t cook they just need to try!
Best wishes for treatment you can do this there are other ladies of around your age here ask around xx
Hospital phoned and my neutrophils up to 2.6 from 0.4 so I can have round 2 tomorrow. They will give me Aprepitant which I think is Emend when I looked it up and he said that will be much better so I’m relieved about that. Also have to do gcsf injections, but concerned about the bone pain he talked about…will paracetamol be enough? He said they can’t afford for my levels to go down so low again or for me to have any more delays. Not dreading it as much as I had been now. I wish you all well, it’s lovely and sunny in Gloucestershire today xxx
Thanks Kirsty…how are you feeling? Xx
I am feeling good thanks Mamadeacs, although the acne type spots I ended up with after cycle 1 after back with avengance now on cycle 2 lol got some coming up on my mostly bald head now as well, but will not grumble at spots, they cleared up in a week last time so fingers crossed. Good luck for round 2, hope it goes smoothly x
Just got back from having 2nd herceptin injection today, all ok so they’ve now ruled out it wasn’t delayed reaction to that and was definitely the docetaxel.
Now feeling apprehensive about my second attempt at chemo tomorrow as are all the staff on the unit! xx
Hi Rabbit, I was told by onc that weekly dox is not as strong as the tri weekly though still has same se’s. I’m hoping that it was both together that wasn’t right for you and that tomorrow goes well. Try and get as much fluid in you as you can - it may dilute the cr*p having adverse effects on your system.
The staff will all be well aware of previous reaction and will be ready with anything you need on standby. I’ll be thinking of you all day tomorrow, make sure you’ve got a treat in store for yourself when you get home.
Remember whatever happens they’ve always got a plan b. Will be keeping fingers crossed ? for you. Try and rest tonight and good luck for tomorrow ?
Kirsty— i posted something about my skin on the Younger Women with Breast Cancer Facebook page - not sure if you are on there.
I had terrible acne about 10 days in from my last treatment and was recommended Lush Aqua Marina cleanser… worked an absolute treat literally over night. Cannot recommend enough!! X
Mamadeacs - I had Emend added in last time and I wasn’t sick. Totally zonked out as they still got me to take all the other meds but that was preferable to vomiting! Don’t worry ahead of the injections, I’ve had two lots of seven so far and no side effects so you may be lucky. I’m going for round 3 of my fortnightly EC tomorrow.
That’s reassuring Dramaminx, thanks. Good luck with your tomorrow xx
Thanks Fiona, hopefully I can sleep tonight although I’ve got bumper loads of steroids so hope they don’t keep me awake. xx
Rabbit28 and Dramaminx - good luck wirh your treatments tomorrow. Im right with you with cycle 2 of EC tomorrow morning. We can do this! ? x