Essex Girls!

Hi ladies

CT scan today…and broke the machine! 20 min scan turned into an hour…oops…should get results in a week. Got the other scan at some point, seemingly they are very busy - well so am I!!

Back Wednesday for the ‘tour’ and 20 questions, then chemo Friday. Am not really bothered about it, just want to get on with it now.

Will note the good/bad days and see what side effects I have,then complain about them!

I know its jumping the gun, but, what sort of gap is there between the last chemo and the start of rads?

Love to all & keep smiling

Daisy xxxxxxxxx

Hi Daisy
sorry cant answer your question, as I had my chemo Arse about face ie before my surgery. prehaps it was all those Bas Vagas Vibes that broke the machine, hope you had a good night. Chemo was no problem to me plently of rest and deaing with the pooing and poss thrush. but you are well looked after during Chemo. hope you will be fine. everyone is more supportive when you are having chemo in my experience. lots of luck.

Hi Helen
hope you feel better, the problem with your veins sounded awful. good luck
Sharon C

Hi lily
hope the family birthday went well. thank you for kind messages. How is work, hope it is going fine. I am dreading going back, trying to feel normal!
best wishes Sharon C

Hi Tracey,
thanks for WARM WELCOME,
hope next implant is less painful thinking of you
Sharon C

Hi All

Thanks for asking Sharon C, I’m much better today, had a moan to the lady in charge at the chemo unit about the miserable chemo nurse (don’t be put off Daisy - most of the nurses are lovely) she took the complaint seriously and said that from now on it’s the hot bucket of water for me, (to ensure they get a vein! If that doesn’t work it’ll be the other arm which I am reluctant as I’ve had lymph nodes removed (they’ve insured me it’ll be ok, but i’m not too happy about the idea) or a port inserted in my chest, which I don’t fancy either - what a choice eh? Feeling a lot better, veins aren’t so painful today, I’m just tired and have over-done it a few times this week and have paid the price.

Daisy - I’ve been told it’ll be 3 weeks after my last chemo when the rads start, not sure if everyone is the same. Good luck with the chemo on Friday, once I had a look around I just wanted to get on with it. You have the right attitude towards it. My side effects have been pretty consistant each time - sick the evening of chemo and during that night, two good days when I am taking the steroids, bit of a slump on the third day and then nausea, tiredness, oral thrush, constipation and awful wind (thought I’d share that with you)for the next two weeks!!! . But you may well be fine and sail through it, everyone is different.

Washed one of my wigs for the first time last night as it’s been about 3 weeks, got a bit panicky…it looked like a dead rat in the sink but thankfully it dried ok and and looks fine today - phew!!!

Lily - just realised we have a support group meeting on 15th April so I’ll get to meet with everyone in the second week of the Easter holidays anyway(I know you can’t make that week though). You never know I may be perfectly ok after chemo and be able to meet you all for a meal the first week??!!

Julie, I’ll give you a call, hope you are ok and getting that pain under wraps!

Hi to everyone else, hope you are all keeping well

Take care
Love Helen x

mmmm…3 week wait after chemo before radio??? I am thinking a little holiday may be in order. My Dad lives in Gran Canaria, so it might be visitng time! HOLA…

I was hoping to go straight onto RADS. That way I would be done by Aug 7th (my 40th is Mon 10th) and I didn’t want to spend it in Colchester! Oh well, will just have to wait and see.

Cheers for all the info…wind, bum squirts and poo pebbles…oh the joy of chemo.

Off now to try and fathom out how to use the new washer/dryer.

Love to all.

Daisy xx

Hi there ,

Thought it was about time I chipped in again…I always read this thread ( in fact its the only one I bother to read!) Anyway I’ve decided that I will fianally come along on the 15th at meet you all in the flesh!!

I’m half way through chemo at Springfield, I’ve had 4 lots of myocet and have got 4 lots of taxotere to look forward to!! ( bit scared of that as it sounds even tougher). I have been a bit ropey on Myocet but agreed this time to take dexamethasone ( steriod) this time and it has really helped. Feeling a bit fat etc but suppose its worth it! My hair ( whats left) is driving me mad…and I wouldn’t mind your honest opinions on whether or not I should forget the cold cap ( it is starting to look like old lady hair and I worry that it makes me look poorly…?)

I’ve got loads of questions for you all but think I will save it till I meet you all…
love to you all, keep writing coz I love reading about your experiences , good and bad. Off to buy new bloody hat!!

lally
xx

Hi Lally, sorry you’ve been feeling a bit ropey, me too…good and bad days! The cool cap…Mmmmm well I was dead set on having it before my treatment started but at my chemo assessment was told that is only 60% effective, so you could go through the proceedure and then lose your hair, or it could thin anyway.

For me, I opted out of it on the morning that my chemo started (mainly because I didn’t want to spend anymore time than I had to at the chemo suite), it was the right decision for me. I have a lovely wig and feel quite confident in it when I go out. I know some of the other ladies in the group have had the cool cap and it worked for them so I honestly think it is a really personal decision. There is a lady having chemo at the same time as me and she is having the cool cap and mentioned ‘frost bite’ on her ears - ouch! Try and get all the info you can before you make your decision. You could always give it a go and then abandon it if you aren’t getting along with it!

Hello to everyone else, hope you are all keeping well
Take care
Love Helen x

Thanks Helen,

Think I will stick with it for now…just back from my shopping trip with 2 new hats…trilby types that look ok ( I think…?) Was starving so had to go and have eggs and bacon in carluccios…so much for not pigging out today.

lots of love
Lally x

Hi Everyone, hope you are all doing okay!!

Daisy, just wondered what time you were due up the chemo unit for your look around… I am there today at 2 for treatment… may see you there.

Lally, had taxetere a few years ago… not too bad, did not lose my hair due to the cold cap which was well worth it. All good wishes for your treatment.

Take care everyone

Love
Debsx

Hi all, Lally nice to hear from you and hope the chemo’s not been too harsh with the SE’s. Lily used the cold cap and had some thinning and used to wear a very wide hairband which worked well. Still maybe with your new hats you will feel better about it, I love hats!
Helen, sorry you had a miserable chemo nurse, I have been trying to think who it was? Good job you complained, Lisa V won’t put up with any of that. Hope you get star treatment next time.
Daisy good luck for chemo this week and to Julie for next week. Hope the seroma is going at last Julie.
Debs, thinking of you for chemo today and hope they can reassure you about some of your worries x.
SharonC, how you doing? not long to op now, soon be over with, hope you are feeling better about it.
Sharon2, sorry you are not sleeping well, think like you say it’s probably side effect of Tamoxifen or the Zoladex.
Lovely Lily, hope you are not tiring yourself out with all that marking.
Fabulous Flora, hope you are okay.
My hair is growing back, quite thick but no length to it yet. Some people look okay with it this short, but GI Jane I am not. I look more like a butch convict! So wiggy still around, which is becoming matted and I have cut it a bit shorter (not very even, but past caring) so will have to stick with it a bit longer. Can’t seem to shake this cold off and still feeling very tired one week post rads.
Love to all, hope I haven’t forgotton anyone.
Tracey xx

Hi Everyone,
this is the second time i’ve written this did not seem to come up so I will write again,
best wishes for todays treatment Debs and hope the tour is useful Daisy.
I have been rather tired last few days and somewhat emotional. I went for my pre op assessment yesterday and I thought I was ok but ended up weeping and wailing so much so staff got my breast care nurse to come and speak with me, she does not think I am coping very well and is worried about me so she and my onc have referred me to a psychiatrist, Oh dear, well I hope they have prosthesis pockets in their straight jackets, I’ll let you know how i get on. Had some reflexology today, my first time, very relaxing.
Hi Lally hope you make the meeting you will welcomed warmly, I went to my first last month and found it very helpful and comforting. Wont be able to make next one as only 11 days after my surgery, unless a miricle happens.
Hi Tracey , sorry to hear you are still snotty nosed, you could try tying little pink bows in the hair to bring out your feminine side lol. I have been sneezing a lot too but I think it is hayfever that
would be new for me too.
Hope you all get to meet up for a good meal
best wishes to all

Sharon C
hope

Debs - I was there at 2. I was the miserable looking woman (I was VERY hungry and tired) in the wet, green parka!

Back again for chemo on Friday at 11.30.

I have been told I can go to my concerts in May which is fab news!

Hope everyone is well, and if I get the moody mare on Friday God help her! She will have her P45 quicker than you can find a parking space! ha ha

Daisy xxx

Hi Daisy,

Sorry, if I had known it was you I would have said something perhaps I should have asked you to wear a flower in your hair!! I was with my daughter in law Zoe who is pregnant. We must have been in the waiting room together cos I was there at 2 but I don’t remember a miserable looking woman in a parka!! … but sometimes I don’t like to stare at people if you know what I mean.

Anyway good luck for Friday, hope all goes well, I am sure it will they are so nice in there.

Take care everyone else

Love
Debsx

ps. I am going to Spain for a week … it is raining, but a change of scenery!! Love to Allxx

Hi everyone,
how are you all? Helen hope you are getting over the latest dive down the dark hole and coming back up to enjoy yourself. How many more to go? I will miss the support group and seeing everyone as going away, can we meet during the first week please? Sorry to hear they have a moody person there. Just wait till you see the receptionist at the rads unit. She could turn you to stone with her miserable face. Daisy big hugs for Friday and make sure you eat and drink a lot that day. Your wee goes pink/red on epi immediately so you can tell when you have weed it out your system.LOL. I used to get mine out that same night as it irritates the bladder. Rads is 3 weeks after chemo and to be honest by the last one you will probably need it. The prof likes his 3 week changes, to do with keeping you protected. You may get the rads planning appointment before that and when you go they will put you on hormones and give you all your appointments, already booked. They take about a week or 2 at the most to plan your rads treatment, depending on how complicated it is. They tell you to take 3 weeks minimum off after rads. Anyway thinking of you on Friday, who is taking you? Room can be cool with the air con so have a few layers as the next time you go it is the opposite! Def see Claire for reflexology to relieve the boredom of waiting for them to get to you. Sometimes it is quite quick and other times you can be there for 2 hours and not have got out the waiting room. Lally hope Springfield are treating you well. I guess myocet is not a NHS drug as I have not heard of anyone else on it, good for you. Sorry I won’t get to the meeting but hope to catch up with you for our next eat up or the time after.I used the cold cap for 4 doses of epi and then stopped when I went on to CMF as it does not make your hair fall out. Mine got very thin on top, like a monk.LOL. The good thing was I had a pixie cut before I even finished chemo and never actually wore my wigs because the thin bit filled in really quickly. Try wearing a wig (beaver)on your head in the summer!! The others had sweat dripping off their heads some days. Why don’t you see how you go?Our unit don’t really push the coldcap but other posters say their areas spray their hair so it is wet before they start and that the success rate is over 80%. Personal decision. I was more anxious about losing my hair than the actual chemo drugs - for me, keeping some hair helped me to cope with all the other changes. Good luck with your decision. DebsH well done for getting another one over with and hope you are not too bad on this one. Hi Tracey, yup marking for England! I do what I hope others do for my kids? I hear snippets about you from your daughter, not directly but when she is talking to others. I think she is still sizing me up, will I dob to Mum??? I am raising money for Helen Rollason by collecting old mobile phones and they are all excited about doing this. Hope she was ok with it. Also hope O is starting to get back to normal. So I guess you will be the one baring all when we meet so we can check out the butch convict stubble.LOL you have such a way with words!! If it is not someone chucking their wig off, it is Sharon2 getting them out!! Wouldn’t catch me doing that!! Miss you guys please can we meet soon x x ? Rads make some people very tired, I just caught fire. How is the heat on yours? Hope the cold shifts soon. Everyone seems to get a big cold just when it is all done - really annoying. Sharon c, well we all need the shrink so maybe you can give us some tips and sort us lot out too. We must get you more heavy calorie foods as that is the best cure. Big hugs for getting through all this, it will be fine.If you right click and copy before hitting submit, you can click and paste to get it back when the thread eats your post. Does it to me every single time. Flora how are things with you?
Huge post, hope I got everyone
Lily x

Hi,
please excuse the current photo, which all of you know is not exactly like me.LOL LOL.Well I can dream and maybe you all need glasses!!!
I am on a cyber hen party for another thread but it changes all my photos
Lily x

Well as long as you don’t turn up in class dressed like it, can you imagine. You should be in bed by now, you’ve school in the morning my dear xx

Greetings - just popped 4 steroids with another four at bedtime, same again tomorrow and Saturday. So, Rave party in the field behind my house this Saturday night, I will be the one is the smiley face t-shirt with the whistle shouting ‘aciiiiiiiiid’…8 steroids a day…I will be off my face! Oh it takes me back…(thats another story!)

Got a fry up in mind for Friday, it would be rude not to!

Hubby is happy that I am being sent home with DIY injections to stimulate my bone marrow as it gives me a reason to dig out the nurses outfit!

Out today for lunch, then having a carvery tonight. Steroids + lots of food will equal moonpig.com face… ha ha

Will post again once I have been ‘done’ and come down from off the ceiling.

Love and best wishes to all. Especially that sexy lady Lily…get you! xxxxx

Er…excuse me Mrs. Lily, was that not you who threatened to get her radiated boob out in the middle of Debenhams Cafe?..LOL…Me, I know how to behave myself when out, well that is apart from taking my drink with me when moving to another Restaurant!

Daisy, you do make me laugh! I could do with some steroids at the moment, got chores galore awaiting and what am I doing? sitting on here. See you at the rave then and thanks for the new e-mail ha,ha.

Hope you are all well and have a lovely week in Spain Debs.
Tracey xx