good luck for tomorrow Lily. its our week
take care
Chris x
Hi,
well I obviously enjoyed lunch a bit too much as totally stuffed tonight !! Boo hoo 3 weeks before I will be able to enjoy puddings now. it was really lovely to meet you all. By the way it was Sheila. thatchemo has got to you already ladies!!! Sheila so pleased you came to see us and love to see you again when we manage to all be well together. Hopefully not too long from now. Keep in touch so we can offer support if and when you need it and also pick your brains for info to help us. Claire, you look fab and it is so nice to see people the other side of chemo, rads, etc. It was so nice to put a face to the name and for all the support and info you gave us too. Hope you will be able to join us again too. Sharon, everyone who is about to start TAC should chat to you and see how well you are. So pleased you are doing well and I remembered telephone numbers after you left, Moonshine has mine to pass on. Sorry. Just keep chugging along, knowing you are doing your very best, time will fly by. it was really good to meet up with you and Tracey again. Tracey I think you are doing really well an keep reminding yourself how many days you were yuk and how many you were ok, It helps to see you through the bad bits. The hair going is really emotional for many people so do have things ready as it is much harder to go out after the event to buy things. H & M is good for scarves, etc but a lot are disappearing for winter stock so it may be harder to find things in amonth or so. Take care and both enjoy this wek to the full. Happy memories for the next one!
Chris i wish you lots of luck with your next one and hope you ar ok or as much as you can be. I am in tomorrow but not until I go for my big fried breakfast to give me a cast iron lining to my tummy before the poison gets it. My daughter is taking me for the first time, so have to be very brave.LOL I will be fast asleep once the piriton goes in.
hi to everyone else and hope we might meet you one time
Lily x
Hi all
Well, you lot are doing very well on the chemo and all your lunches! Well done you all!
It seems a bit strange reading about those of you on the chemo - it is weird to say that even though I am only 6 weeks since my last one, it seems like another world now. Over half way through rads now and very tired. Hate going there, but it already seems like a routine.
I read the Wendy Richards thread recently and got so depressed with various messages that I swore I wouldn’t come back on this site again, but here I am. It is such a lifeline and so helpful, and of course I haven’t been able to make the Fox and Raven get togethers because of work, but it is lovely to see that this site has brought you all together and you are having fun. Brilliant.
Well, as long as I stick to the Essex Girls site, think I will be OK. Just fun messages. Lots of love to all of you, whatever stage, but especially to you chemo girls - not long now. Oh, by the way. Lovely male nurse at Colchester who had lots of curly hair until a few weeks ago, until he shaved it off. Today he has loads of hair. I finished chemo 29th August and this week look like GI Jane, so things on the up. As I said to him today ’ ‘I wish my hair would grow as fast as yours!!!’. Also ladies. Why oh why, when the hair on my head is growing have I now lost all of my eyebrows??? Had quite a lot still until last week. Ahhhhhhhh. So, TOP TIP - chose a wig with a fringe which will cover them if they go!
Bye
Rebecca xxxx
Hi,
Rebecca sorry about the eyelashes, I wonder why that has happened now. My hair is growing now I have changed chemo and is about 1 1/2 inches long but very fluffy like baby hair. I am thinking of dying it as it is jet black with grey. I have bought an organic dye from sainsbury as can’t see them in any other shop and plan to try it out just before the next dose. I have not read the WR thread so thanks for the warning, I won’t bother. It does get gloomy here at times but hope you will stay chatting and we hope to catch you for a lunch at half term( if we are ok) or Christmas perhaps, what do you think?Look forward to meeting the nice nurse!! Are you managing to keep up with marking and lesson plans without wearing yourself out too much? My friend just went back and she is shattered.
I had a poo day at the hospital yesterday and a under 2 hour visit turned into over 5, know how you feel now Sharon. They took 4 goes to get the needle in my port, frightened the life out of me by saying my line might be blocked and I did not know if that was dangerous so paniced just in case! Then just by chance I said ‘was that the piriton’ and they had written my drug charts up wrongly and forgotten it! So they went into a flap stopped treatment and even took the trolley, drugs everything off. They had a big chat, then my nurse had to be called, then the onc, then the pharmacy!! So more time wasted. How can they get your drugs wrong, now I will have to ask every time! I had missed my slot and so then had to have 3 big bags of saline till someone could fit me in. So I was well and truely busting by then. So when they said tou can go, I went straight to the loo. I though something felt wrong and looked in the mirror and blood was just trickling down my chest where the port had not closed properly. So then had to have it pressed hard twice to stop it. Not impressed at all. So now I am really worried about going back on Tuesday for more in case it won’t close again as it is in a very big vein. Glad to say I woke up feeling absolutely fine which has made up for yesterday. Sorry for moaning so much but they really should have sorted some of this out by now, it was my 9th visit. I plan to moan at the prof when I see hima s they have not even worked out whether I am pre or post menopausal to see which hormones to put me on and I will be starting them before too long. I really don’t want to go on to no pay so keen to keep going as fast as possible.
Hope you are all ok
Lily x
Rebecca, please don’t abandon us! you won’t find any depressing attitudes on here, us Essex Girls are a cheery lot!
Glad you are over half way with your rads, nearly there now. It would be lovely if you could come and join us sometime.
Lily, I can’t believe what an ordeal you had yesterday, poor you. Make sure old Neville knows about it, hope you are feeling okay today and not to sore from the messing about with the port. Hopefully they will get it right for you on tuesday.
Sharon and I went to the support group meeting tonight, and it was lovely to meet Superted and her friends. You all look gorgeous girls! Hope you have taken everything on board and you have got some nice lemons to suck on to help you relax ha,ha. Well what were we saying about the hair? this morning mine was firmly intact, now it is coming out in handfuls, quite thick and fast. Can’t believe how it has suddenly happened, of course now I keep pulling at it with some sort of weird fasination.
Catch up soon,
love to you all
Tracey xx
HI everyone,
Lily, My thoughts are with you for yesterday and hope you are not feeling too bad this morning. I thought the staff were well organised but maybe not. I hope you took food with you as it is a very long day when you are there for that length of time.
Rebecca, glad to hear you are half way through rads and not suffering too badly apart from the tiredness ( no burning). It is great to hear of those who are nearing the end of treatment as this helps me keep going. It would be lovely to meet up with you more than likely at Christmas as half term is the week following next chemo so keeping that free just in case!!! also I have my 7 year old to contend with - Bless him.
Tracey, snap about the hair but not so quick. Jack has a habit of twiddling with my hair and this morning was twiddling and some fell out. He did not quite know what to make of this so have got the wig out on its stand in preparation.
It was lovely to meet superted and her friends who all seem very nice. Our lunches could get very big and raucous!!!
Hope everyone is well. Love sharon xx
Hi,
I am on top form just waiting for the blurry vision to descend on Friday and sensitive tummy, but small stuff compared to some side effects. I just forgot that day as soon as I eoke up the next morning. Things go wrong and I can never tell if i will be in there for 2 hours or 5. Not wasting good days thinking about it until next Tuesday! Sharon we always go half an hour early to have a big breakfast in the hospital canteen next door to the unit. It is really nice, good value and fills my tummy up nicely to cope with delays if they happen. I would recommend a big fill up before starting treatment. It also means I don’t mind the journey there as I am having something nice first. Do you go out in your hour break? Tracey and Sharon, you will be surprised how many days you can lose lots of hair before it actually notices unless it is all in one area. Just a tip, I combed mine every morning before I took a shower so it doesn’t block the plug. Also it looks so much more when it is a wet clump and glued to your leg like a randy dog!! LOL. Lemons make you relax?? More like to make me rush to the loo on this treatment.
Hi to everyone, stay happy
Lily x
Rebecca, I’m not sure what it was about the WR thread that depressed you but don’t stop coming on here.
I also found rads very tiring and hated it but fortunately I wasn’t working.
Tracey and Sharon, that hair falling out all over the place is horrid, I couldn’t stand hair everywhere and decided if it was going I might as well get rid of it in one go…so I had it shaved. I agree with Sharon though it’s good to have some headgear ready.
Lily, sorry to hear about your not so good experience on tuesday…hopefully a one off!! At Southend I would always be there hours as their appointment system didn’t seem to work and you’d have to wait…my longest wait was 4 hours - just to get into the chair in the chemo unit!!!
Thinking of you all.
Take care everyone and hopefully we’ll meet up again soon.
Claire x
Hi Claire,
it was lovely to meet you and I am over it now but will be anxious when I go back on Tuesday as the port has been manhandled a lot already. I ordered the guy who finally accessed my port to be there for me next time too. He better be!It is such a waste of time hanging around when there seems no rhyme or reason to us, interested to see not just my unit.
Hope everyone is ok
Lily x
Hi all,
well I have been very brave and out and about in my newly shaved baldy bonce with my wig, which keeps slipping and I feel self concious in! does feel quite warm though, have also been using bandanas, I think my neighbours are confused everytime I go out! Anyway, quite glad that bits done now, another thing to cross off my list. Have been feeling very tired and cold last couple of days, and want to retreat to my warm bed with my cosy hat on, oh, I do look a picture. Have got to take my 6month old dog to vets tomorrow as he is still hobbling. We had hoped it was just soft tissue damage, but looks like he may have a joint problem. I feel awful about it, he’s my best mate. I do hope all of you are well and everything going smoothly with treatment (especially Lily for tuesday).
Take care
Tracey x
hi everyone!
you all seem to be doing really well!
Lily - I have a port too and I dreaded each visit when they had to fiddle around with it. Luckily I haven’t really had any problems.Now I have finished my chemo but may need the port for Herceptin I still have to go back every 4 weeks and have it flushed! A friend of mine’s port was blocked and she had to have it removed,luckily her hands are coping ok at the moment.If it’s becoming painful could they not give you some numbing cream(don’t know the name) to take home in preparation for the next time?
I’m about a week or two behind Rebecca and I wish my hair was growing! Everytime I shower I am rubbing my scalp trying to stimulate some growth! I keep asking the kids if they have noticed any coming through and each time the answer is the same- no!
Went to Rochelle house on Tuesday.What a lovely place,so calming.I’m going to have the massage for my arm,but it can’t start till after my rads,more the pity. I was given some exercises which have already started to help.The massage will last one and half hours and I have to go twice a week- where am I going to fit work in??? Have any of you been there? I was looking at the Bach remedies aswell,there is a potion for every emotion-ha! ha! Before I left I was given a list of do’s and dont’s re my arm. First on the list was my best : no washing up not even with gloves- helper or dishwasher, yes yes yes!!! Guess what’s top of my list for Christmas? Also told to lay in a position I used to sleep in when I was pregnant,on my side pillow between my legs and cuddling another.It has helped for a while,until the hot sweats started and constantly nedding a wee in the middle of the night! I honestly cannot remember the last time I slept the whole night-grrr!
Anyway onwards and upwards!!! thinking of all of you Jen x
Hi all, just an update on my hair! It is still there, thinning very gradually so am trying not to run my fingers through it. Am reluctant to wash it but may have to over the weekend.
Tracey, where did you get your wig in the end? at the market. I have ordered some headscarves and a beanie hat for bedtime - I will look a sight must remember to keep my false tooth in otherwise I will be boobless, toothless and bald - what a turn on !!!
Hope you are well Lily and that your port pain is easing up.
Have a great weekend - am off to football in morning with JAck - early start so will wrap up warm but warming the boys up prior to match will keep me warm.
Love sharon xx
Hi,
hope you all enjoyed the sun today although I am shivering tonight and will need my hat on in bed.LOL. Have we ever looked quite so ravishing!!! NOT. Tracey nice to chat on the phone today and see you soon. I hope little dog gets on ok, poor thing. You were very brave about your hair and at last I won’t have less hair than everyone else! Not that I wanted your hair to go but I was very envious of you two with your huge heads of hair and my stragglers. Sharon good luck with hanging on to yours for a while. It is a really tough time and I am thinking of you despite my bad joke about having less hair. Love the description of you, sounds so familiar and we will love you however you are, as will the family of course. Hope to see you soon, I have left a message with Bev and waiting to hear back.
hi Jen, glad to hear you sound ok. My port is always messing around. Either that or it is the staff! Yes I get the numbing cream to take home, so I can put it on before I get there but after they scrub it 4 times and stab 4 times it all comes back to life quite well. If they get it in one or two I am fine. Will have to hope for the best next week. When do you start herceptin, that is a long treatment isn’t it? I know they can do that through your port, which will be better than arms with your lymph. How is it now? No washing up, brilliant news! Best of luck with getting it under control and they really do a lot at Rochelle houuse, I should go some time.
Take care
Lily x
Hi all
Yes, am back! There was one particular message on the WR site which stuck with me - won’t put it on here but it was about what oncologists allegedly never tell you…
Anyway, Lily - what an awful experience. Poor you, but sounds as if you are moving on with your usual positive approach! Work is OK. As I work in a private school I have finished now for 2 weeks - hurrah! I don’t have masses of marking which is lucky as I have small classes, so so far so good. Good luck with the hair dye. I can’t tell what colour mine is going to be yet - not enough there.
Jenn- glad things going OK - just 15 rads - lucky you! Can’t do the maths, but when do you finish? Mine is a week on Monday as I have 25.
Tracey and Sharon - keep on in there. My hair started falling out when we decided to take the children to a Haven caravan for 2 days. It was dire. I will never forget opening the window of the ‘bedroom’ to brush my hair out of it and looking down to see masses of dog poo! I thought - ‘life has got to be better than this’ as my hair flew away in the wind and I had that scenic view!! I did feel better when I got my hairdresser to just get rid of it all and the wig felt fine. Just to tell you, that I have been in some REALLY high winds and it has never blown away which is a relief…
Have a great weekend all
Rebecca xx
Hi,
Rebeeca you sound really well, getting right back into school and marking. The private school longer holidays must be a blessing. How is your skin holding up with the rads? Not too long to go now. Prof originally said I need 15 so we will seee if he sticks with that or not. No news about which hormones I will get so far, so nudged my nurse to have a chat to him, then there is the problem of whether the port comes out before or after. I always thought I would have a week off to do that after it was all finished so a bit of a shock to deal with it now. I am still trying to work out when to have the flu jab and when to dye my hair, most likely this cycle. I have enough hair for a really short cut now but it would be only about 1 1/2 inches and very pixie like . Can we do pixie at our age? I am so used to hiding behind my hair. The caravan trip sounds like something you would not want to repeat! Yuk.
Take care and enjoy your time off
Lily x
Hi all,
well I am already used to my baldy bonce! coverage is divided between wiggy and scarves. Was quite pleased when some friends called round I hadn’t seen for a while and didn’t realise I was wearing a wig until I told them although to me it looks obvious. Have to be careful where I put it when not in use as the dog hates it and wants to attack it!
Rebecca, so glad you have stayed with us, to be honest, I don’t read much of the other threads as a few have given me the wobbly’s more than once. How lovely for you discovering your hair was falling out whilst looking at a pile of dog poo!
Has it started to grow again yet? I am to have 20 rads after chemo, which seems a lot more than some, so I will be asking why. Perhaps it’s because I had a lumpectomy, so more is needed.
Lily, hope you are feeling okay from last dose and not to sore from port bruising. I really hope it’s a smooth no problem dose on tuesday. It does unsettle you when things don’t go to plan. I thought I would feel more confident about next dose now I have had one, but I don’t! On my first one, they realised my notes were still at London Road together the consent forms I had signed. They were about to put me back in the waiting room to see the doctor and do all the forms again, but luckily my bcn was there and vouched that she had witnessed me signing them, so they went ahead. I think my notes arrived just before I left. I hope I don’t get the faint feelings again, last time I walked out of there like a drunk!
Sharon, wrap up warm today while you are putting the boys through their paces at football. Hope you have had a nice weekend (and not pulling on those strands) and see you soon.
Hi to Jen and Claire and anyone else, hope you are all well.
Tracey x
Hi Girls,
Tracey I can certainly empathise about the wig as although I know my wig looked fine and no-one would ever have known, I felt VERY self conscious and thought everyone must have known. I kept my wig for times when a scarf just wouldn’t do, for when I needed to feel glam. Quite honestly, for most of the time, I was very happy with scarves and the occasional hat.
Just a word of warning about epi, it gave me that spaced out feeling everytime…so be prepared!
Hope you’re all doing ok.
Love
Claire x
Hello ladies!
I’m back! Sorry it’s taken me so long to finally find this link. My mind isn’t what it used to be. lol. Does anyone else suffer from chemo brain?
Tracey and Sharon - it was really lovely to meet you last week. Tracey, I had 25 rads but had a mascectomy. Not really sure how it’s worked out.
I finished my rads a week ago now. I’ve been so emotional since.
Rebecca - how are you getting on at your rads? Any burning/broken skin or are you ok?
Lily - aww on your hair. Sounds cute, bet you look beautiful still.
Hello to everyone else.
By the way, is anyone going to the Look Good Feel Better do on Tuesday?
Lots of love to you all. xxx
Ps. I just thought I’d share this with you, a friend sent it to me, I thought it was lovely.
“A woman is like a teabag. It’s only when she’s in hot water that you realize how strong she is.”
Anyway, I just wanted you to know that you are all so strong, courageous, and beautiful (with or without hair) and I think each and every one of you is doing so well. It’s a tough journey for us but you should be so very proud of yourselves.
Right, I’m going now, before I make everyone sick of my cheesiness. : )
Hi,
thanks superted, you have given me a smile as I go to bed on ‘blood test tomorrow’ night . I wish I had come along too, but I am on a 28 day cycle so it is always the day after my treatment. Maybe after number 8 is done I can meet up. I have the worst chemo brain and filled my car with petrol and then looked blankly at the card machine as I had no idea what my pin was! I have had that for years and ended up searching for cash to pay. I went to the look good do in the summer, you will absolutely love it. I estimate my goodies at over £200 plus chocolate. I was given a large bottle of Dior pure poison and clinique, channel and YSLmake up amongst other brands. Then tea and biscuits. A really nice day out, I hope you enjoy yours as much as I did. Will check my teabg before I go tomorrow and for chemo on Tues, thanks.
Claire, i had that epi bubble feeling too, it is so draining isn’t it. CMF does not do that to me but lingers on for longer. I got on better with a hairband and hats but did not lose all my hair which makes a big difference. I think if you wear your wig daily, you get much more confident than when you only use one occasionally. Hope you are well. I am wondering about the flu jab, the GP says yes. Did you ever have one?
Tracey I am dying to see you in your glam wig, I thought you were very brave to take control and shave it off. Mine was more like Sharon’s falling really slowly so not in my teeth and sandwiches!! Could be a new line for the Fox and Raven. I wonder if we leave hair under our table when we meet in mass. LOL Sorry terrible joke!
see you soon and hope you are all in a good place right now. Hope to meet everyone some time
Lily x