Hi,
Sharon great about Wed and how are you getting on this week. No doubt your son wil keep you busy and hope you can manage a good old normal half term out having fun with him. I used to love it when my 4 were young and we would plan the whole week doing things and catching up with friends. I always needed a rest the week after though! Mine has just woken up at lunchtime, ordered a giant cheese and sausage omelette and gone back to computers/ loud music as usual with his friend. He is eating like a horse at the moment so obviously about to do another big growth spurt.
Tracey is Wed ok for you?
By the way I had the itchiest night ever and woke up in the early hours like a blooby beetroot and baking hot. Phoned in the unit this morning, said I am not coming in as the rash has gone. My lovely nurse had already consulted everybody and they were puzzled as it only appears at night. The treatment is steroids though, so when I said I had forgotten them, they think that is the most likely reason, and maybe a heat rash. Going to buy myself some piriton for tonight just in case. I guess I might have had this reaction all along on CMF without the prof’s piriton iv on the day. Who knows. Anyway, that is me back to being good and following orders, if I remember!!!
See you soon
Lily x
Hi All,
still seem to be okay so far, nothing unbearable so I am not complaining! was better from the start this time, maybe because the steroids were given in a different way. Have some twinges and aches and pains which sets the old mind gremlins off, but I think I had this in the first week after last chemo so trying not to panic. Double dose of anti-acid has stopped heartburn which was quite bad last time.
Lily, hope the itching has stopped now, don’t forget the steroids, does sound as though it may have been missing them which started it off, and perhaps when you get hot at night. Is the cooler nights helping you? I was freezing last night and put heating on in my bedroom which usually I can’t stand. What about those hail stones yesterday, I was driving home just before and the sky was eerily black, felt like I was in some sci-fi film! Think I have a clone of your son in my house, as mine lays in and gets up starving, except mine has the cheek to phone from his room to order what he wants to eat!! room service is NOT provided I told him!! Girls have not been too bored, have done lots of baking cakes which they have become very creative with, but not so hot on clearing up afterwards.
Sharon, hope you managed to get an early night and had a good sleep and feel more refreshed today, you must rest when you need to, although I know it’s not so easy half term. Brilliant that we can probably have our rads together! it will be a double fry-up!!
Hi to everyone else and hope you are all well and getting on okay.
Tracey xx
PS - sorry forgot to say next wednesday fine with me too!
Hi all
Sorry, not keeping up with the messages - are there 2 Traceys??? My mind has gone completely…
Anyway, half term, and life very busy, but I actually finished it all on Monday - hurrahhhhh. (Jenn, where are you? Finished yet?). I know you are all, in the main, still in the middle of it all, but not long now… The rads did make me a bit tired, and I did get used to the place after about half the treatments. The nurses are lovely and you are in and out in no time.
The next step now, 5 years of the hormone treatment, and in my view, the most important and perhaps challenging aspect, is locking away in my head somewhere the thought that this thing may well come back. I just have to live my life to the full and try not to dwell on that for a second (OK, I know I will…) - that is my aim. I will still be checking in on this thread I am sure, and of course, if I can make the Christmas get together, would love to see you all.
Have spent the day at Adventure Island - so off to slob on the sofa… I am still cold from 4 hours hanging around waiting for children and the odd ride where I worried sick my wig would fly away! My hair is taking AGES to grow back - ahhhh!
Lots of love
Rebecca
xxx
Hi,
Rebecca fantastic that you are finished, congratulations and hooooooray. What hormone tablets do you have and did he start them the same time as rads? I hope we will still hear from you and that your hair gets a move on and makes a big appearance soon. Mine is doing well and very close to a very short cut, currently in badger shades of black and grey, so fetching! Christmas would be good too if you can make it. I am chuckling at you on the rides hanging on to your wig, sorry that kind of thing always makes me laugh. How long were you generally at Colchester as I am trying to plan my travel. Still surgery to do first but I have my planning booked for end of Nov. They gave me 8.50 on a Friday morning, fab for getting up early and rush hour traffic on my first one! I don’t think you will struggle with getting on with your life as you went back so quickly and enthusiastically. You sail away to a better place, you deserve and earned it x.
Tracey and Sharon, so next Wed at 12 at the Fox and Raven as soon as they open then. I met some school friends including Bev this week and they have replaced the strawberry cheesecake with lemon meringue cheesecake!!! They all ate big dinners and pudding infront of me and I was still on chips and bread and butter, boo hoo, and I paid for that (tummy wise), later on, even having that! So it will be mine next week, to hell with my stomach!!!
Tracey I am glad they are sorting the SE out and that they are a bit better, I found number 3 better too. Sharon hope you have stayed ok but see that you may be very tired or was it the lovely steroids keeping you buzzing about. Get a jigsaw going, I found steroids like them! Don’t talk about acid to me, my guts are a cesspit. Hey that weather was mad. We had a short hailstorm but my daughter in Boreham had 1cm of them covering the ground and was out walking her dogs when it started. Tracey, I always knew O was very clever and had a lot of unused potential, the phoning for food is hysterical. I will not be passing that info on to his clone, who would be trying it on all this week. I did take him cereal in bed to get him to the dentist on time this morning though. He has his first A levels in Jan so thought I would do a bit of searching on the net and discovered that his first exam in January is actually 60% of his AS and the only paper, as the rest is coursework. Yikes. I passed this on to my horizontally laidback son, who said how many weeks do I have to learn it (10) and went back to his computer. I have done the teacher bit and ordered him books to revise from. He has no textbook for one subject and it is a 2 hour written exam??? He is in big trouble when the books I ordered and I meet up!!!
As always an open invitation if Claire and Sheila want to give us the pleasure of their company again on Wed and also anyone else out there reading this. Love to see anyone and we don’t bite, just really casual mutual munching and chatting.
Fox and Raven, Barnes Mill Road, Chelmer Village, CM2 6NL at 12 next Wednesday. This time I will put a teddy or toy on the table. We are usually in one of the rooms on the right as you go in. Just look for the best selection of wigs and fading fast hair in the room, (except Claire who is back to her former glory)
Take care
Lily x
Hi Girls, sorry for not posting for a while…I have been popping on to read but not really had a chance to post!
Lily’s right when she says that it takes a while to get the SE’s under control because of course they don’t know till after the first one quite how you’ll react.
I hope that you’re all coping ok with the kids around, I had my chemo through the summer and found the holidays quite hard going, a time to call on friends and family to help out I think.
Lily my son did his AS’s last year, it started off ok and ended ok but the bit in the middle was spent with me ‘nagging’ him and him telling me to ‘get off his case’! He seems to be taking the A2’s a little more seriously.
Would love to join you on wednesday but is it ok if I let you know by tuesday, not sure what’s going on yet.
Take care girls.
Love
Claire x
hi everyone,
where has the time gone??!! Hope everyone is ok. Seems like ages ago now that I was going through chemo but at the time I felt like it was never going to end. I’m enjoying eating again (perhaps a bit too much!) It’s like discovering new tastes again and simple things like satsumas taste wonderful! My hair is growing quite fast now too. My last chemo was the Sept 12th so about 6 weeks so keep your chins up!
Rads are the next challenge,had 7 out of 15 and not to bad.A bit nauseous and tired but a doddle compared with chemo.Had an upset stomach at the weekend so a session behind now.
Lily - my port sticks into my neck but I only notice it if I turn round to quick,and yes a beetle on your chest is a very good description!!! I start the Herceptin in November so won’t be having mine removed for a while.
I was hoping to go back to work soon but I still have so many appointments! When I finish rads I then have some manual lymph massage on my arm,2 sessions a week and my clinical trial starts 19th November too! I’ve decided to go back after Xmas now,I only work 4 hours a day and it’s just not worth it,my employer is still prepared to pay me too.I thought after Xmas I will have more hair and feel stronger then too.I’m such an anxious person at the best of times!
Half term agghhhh!!! I have a 13 and 7 year old and all they are doing is bickering! It doesn’t help having to go to the hosp everyday. My son is so relieved he will not have to do his SAT’s this year,although he is better at exams than assessments! My daughter had her 1st sleepover last night,it was better than I expected,both girls asleep by 9.30- not in a rush to do it again though!
Well must go and break up ANOTHER fight, just finished making gingerbread halloween cookies for tomorrow - burnt some -whoops! Trying to get together for Xmas would be nice,
speak soon take care everyone Jennie x
Hi everyone, I will have to meet you later at about 1 on wed but order your food and I’ll do mine as soon as I walk in the door. I have work colleagues visiting.
I have decided chemo and school holidays with an active 7 year old are not a good mix. Wednesday I had no energy at all which is hard going but a good friend took Jack out for the day yesterday so I SLEPT and today I am meeting up with a friend who has just been dx and is having lumpectomy next week.
Lily, how are you doing? how is your rash or has it gone as quick as it come. It must feel really good knowing you have 2 chemo sessions left. I keep thinking that after next one Tracey and I are half way through. I met the prof on Mon, he is a man of few words isn’t he. I think I was in the room 4 mins if that!!!
Rebecca, you’ve done it well done, you must be so relieved. Did you feel more tired with rads than with chemo? Hopefully you will log on occassionally to see when we are meeting up at Xmas.
Jennie, hope the rads continue to go well. Are you having yours at Colchester ? You will have to give us tips on where to park as I believe it is the pits for parking, let alone driving an hour each way for a 15 min treatment but needs must!
Tracey, how you feeling? I hope you continue to feel well. I think I am developing a chesty cough so will be phoning the unit later for advice. I must say I will be glad when schools go back next week. Saying that JAck brought me tea, biscuits and weetabix in on a tray this morning (6.45).
Hope each and everyone of you are feeling well today and hopefully for those who are unable to meet up next week watch this space for a xmas date.
Love sharon xx
Hi,
Sharon I wondered why you posted so early, when it is half term - the breakfast in bed explains it. That is so sweet. even though I am sure you wished it was a bit later. I have really annoyed myself by waking up really early every day this week, when I don’t have to set the alarm. His Lordship crawls out of bed after lunch! Later is fine of course, just be glad to see you. What is the state of play with your hair at the moment. It does slow between doses and then the next one triggers hair loss about the same time in the cycle. I never had a day I lost no hair but lots of days when just about 10 went. Half way soon, that is good fighting talk to see you through. I am on my countdown, 178 days of chemo done and 18 days till I finish - hooooooray. Yes def get the chesty cough sorted or they will postpone the next one, you might need antibiotics. You may get sent for blood tests if they think you are at a low neuts point too. Fingers crossed it is not an infection. By the way the prof gases away when I go in, he must have been running late!
Tracey expect twinges, you are being poisoned, and our creaking bones have a moan. If worried call in and check with someone though. Hope you stayed reasonable, well as much as you can, this time. My itching just lasted 2 evenings and I have pirioton tablets ready if I get a repeat next time. Have you had breakfast in bed this week? I haven’t! Sharon is obviously a better trainer of boys than me. I am absolutely frozen all the time as my body temo has dropped again. By the evening I have 3 jumpers, the central heating on full blast and wrapped in a blanket and I am still shivering and hands cold to touch. Perahps if they started my hormone therapy it would warm me up! I am starting to read up about this as it is tricky for people in the years around menopause, knowing if chemo knocked you over or not. I will have lots of questions for the prof as to how he decided what to put me on. Surgery then rads next. I have lost my nerve about surgery and feel like it is the first time again.
Hi Jen, great to hear from you and you are getting on well through rads. What hormones did he out you on and when did you start them? Do you have to cancel rads if you are unwell or was that your choice? I have been wondering how you would manage with having to go to the hospital every day and go out. Life sounds wonderfully hectic and noisy in your house, never mind half term is nearly over and you will get a quiet house back. My tube from the port sticks in my neck too when I turn. It didn’t use to but moved up my neck vein after one chemo and scared the pants off me. I can’t see how they can pull it down the veins with me awake and me not get the wobblies as it pulls through! I think I will have to be knocked out, even if it is temporary as it makes me feel odd just thinking about it. You will be really glad to have yours in with a year of herceptin to do.
Hi Rebecca - I didn’t ask, which hormones are you having and how are you feeling on them? They are supposed to be very effective I read. Good luck for the next half term in school. Claire please just arrive if and when you can but it would be nice to catch up again. Sheila will you pop in again? I know you don’t post but may read this.
Anyone else, you must come and experience the world’s best cheesecakes next Wed if you can.
Take care
Lily x
Hi,
are we all ok for Wednesday at 12 ? Looks like just Tracey, Bev, myself and Sharon coming later on,so far.
Anyone reading this welcome to come along as always, details of the venue above somewhere!!
Love
Lily x
Yes. Wednesday at 12 is fine for me, I will see you there.
Lily, I have only just finished your puzzle!! my eyes are definetely not as good on chemo, well that’s my excuse anyway!
Have been quite busy last week with kids home and doing taxi runs everywhere, then my lovely dog ate a stone which got stuck in his intestine and had to have emergency surgery. Gave me quite a fright, luckily he is fine now. Had to spend a night in an animal hospital to recover from op. Seem to have been so busy lately, I sometimes forget I’m on chemo, that is until I crash out on the sofa of an evening wondering why I’m so tired!! Anyway, just grateful really that I feel well enough to carry on as usual, just aswell with my lot! Lily, O has had the busby cut!!! can’t get used to seeing his face, had forgot what it looked like! still, not as short as mine ha, ha,.
Look forward to seeing you, Bev, Sharon and anyone else on Wednesday, hope everyone is doing okay.
Tracey xx
Hi,
Tracey sorry to hear about your dog and relieved that he is ok. You didn’t need extra to worry about! Do you want another jigsaw to challenge your eyes, because I can bring one on Wed if you like? They work really well on my steroid days when my brain is so active but my body feels like it is made of lead.
You must catch a shot of O for me to see what he looks like underneath!! Tell him I said it will release more brain power! Take it easy this week to get over half term. I only have one still at home and he is enough work when here all day. Non stop plates and dishes from eating like a horse.
I think it will be just us at 12 with Bev and Sharon later on, unless Claire, Sheila or anyone else joins us
Looking forward to it and I can eat !!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
Lily x
Hi Girls,
I think I’ll be able to make it but probably would need to leave earlier than last time as my son can’t be sure he’ll be back to let my daughter in.
Hopefully I’ll see you all tomorrow.
Love
Claire x
Hi,
great, see you there Claire. Anyone else reading please feel free to come and join us and say hi, we have all come together individually, not a clicky group. They are quite accommodating. Last time I could only eat bread and chips!
Fox and Raven, Barnes Mill Road, Chelmer Village. CM2 6NL from 12 till 3 most likely.
If we don’t see you hope you are ok
Lily x
Hi All,
Thanks for lovely time on Wednesday, I really enjoyed it and it was good to see everyone. Sorry you couldn’t come Clare, hopefully next time you can join us.
Well I have to say, so far on Fec No.2 I am feeling really well, apart from tiredness I have had no side effects at all!!!
This worries me, I’m thinking No.3 will be hideous!! can’t believe Sharon and I are nearly half way it seems to be going quicker than I thought it would. Lily, I will be thinking of you next Tuesday for final run, is it the Tuesday afterwards that you have the last? you’ll be jumping for joy I’m sure. Do you have a break before Rads? Your hair looks fab, and I am so jealous you have some and don’t have to wear a wig. I can’t wait to have my own hair again. By the way, aches and pains seemed to have eased off, so I’m taking that as a good sign!
Off to do the school run now, dreading all the fireworks tonight because my 3 cats will all be terrified (usually hide in my wardrobe) and dog? well don’t know how he’ll be yet. Do you know I had to remove a small stone from the monkeys mouth this morning!! Warned him he will be muzzled when he goes out soon, otherwise I’ll be more of nervous wreck than I already am, if that’s possible.
Hope everyone is doing well,
Take care
Tracey xx
HI,
Tracey thanks the hair is still looking ok, shame about the podgy bits below it!! I had a really nice time on Wed too. I think your calmer state, or the tablet made your last one better. Just remember to keep eating and drinking to dilute all the effects. There is no reason why 3 could not be the same, just go with the flow and hope for the same. I think your IBS plays a part too, so staying calm must be helping. Lots of luck with it and to you Sharon. I am excited about Tuesday (stupid fool) as it will be number 11 and the end feels within my grasp at last. You see how fast you and Sharon are catching up with me, that is because my 2nd half was a 28 week cycle. Glad the aches and pains have gone and don’t panic Mr Mannering!!! Ring me any time if you feel the panic coming on. I have to go for surgery next and then rads can start 14 days later. We went to Colchester today and I love the shops in the little lanes there. I am going to make the most of my visits there I think. Hope woof gets some more brain cells going before he bankrupts you, definitely a dog to be insured I think. The cute ones are always the silliest! Hope the fireworks are not too loud but I know the school have one on. Sharon I have the jigsaw ready for chemo nights next week, thanks. Your wig is really fab and the highlights really suit you
Hi to everyone else
Lily x
Hi thanks for a great afternoon on wednesday - I always feel better after meeting you lot. I must say I feel really good about the wig and have got used to it now - the amount of people who come up and say where did you get your hair done boosts the confidence I must say,
tracey, wot is your dog like!! tell him next time it is the muzzle. I am so glad you are feeling better this cycle and you look and sound so much better. Just think this time next week we are half way through - that is what I am holding onto.
I am not that naive to think that next week may be the same as 1 & 2 but even if I am really bad I am thankful that 1 & 2 were SE free apart from losing hair!.
I will look at my diary tomorrow and speak to Tracey about a date for a Xmas meal at the Fox and RAven. They do a Xmas menu that I will put on here but you do need to book for that or we can just pick na evening and have their normal menu bit watch this space.
I am so grateful for the support on here and look forward to as many as poss coming to the meal - could get quite rowdy!
Hope you are all well
Sharon xx
Hi,
Sharon I thought your wig looked fantastic, hope it is behaving and feeling more comfy. The highlights really suit you. I really enjoyed meeting you all again too. Heading in to the last 2 weeks of poisoning now. I am really keen to get the next one, number 11, in but anxious about the finale as a lot of people seem to struggle with the last one and its SE dragging on a bit. I will hope for the best though. Blood tests tomorrow, how lovely - not! Put me down for the Christmas meet, but hopefully will squeeze another one in somewhere too. When is the next HR date, my mind has lost it again. I know it is the day after my treatment but not sure which dose? I think if you have been ok on the first 2, it would be unlikely to suddenly change a lot. Maybe slightly worse but for lots of people it stays the same. Hope for the best and see how it goes. You and Tracey will soon be half way, think how good that sounds. You are catching me up fast! Especially when I go off for surgery again,
Hope everyone had a good weekend
Lily x
Hi Lily,
Just to say hope all goes smoothly for you tomorrow and I will be thinking of you. Have you got puzzles at the ready for the steroid insomnia? I guess next Tuesday will be your last, or have I got that wrong (you know what I’m like!) hopefully side effects won’t linger too long and you’ll be leaving chemo behind! Have you got a date for your surgery yet? will you be able to have it done as a day case? it’s much better if you can. When I had my re-exision I went down at 9am and at 1pm I was back home eating lunch!! I know it’s worrying, but you will be fine, just get it over with and then you can move on to rads.
I’m not sure when the next HR date is, I have to rely on Sharon to tell me these things, she is much more together than me!! Hope we can all meet again before xmas.
Take care
Tracey xx
Hi
thanks Tracey, yes number 11 tomorrow and the big finale next Tuesday. It seems unreal I can’t believe I am that close to finishing it at last. I have the puzzles ready as I will not be allowed to drop steroids after the reaction last time! I have 10 am appointments for these so that always makes me much better than a ate morning one. I just hope they are on time and nmot lots of sitting around this time. I am planning a giant breakfast before I go in to cheer me up!! I see the Prof next Thursday so will know more then about my next dates. I have a lot of questions so hope he is more chatty than Sharon found him. I will be a day case in fact he wants me to be awake. Well we will have a bit of a discussion about that first. I had my op at 9 before but did not wake up for about 6 hours!! Just about anything knocks me out for ages, especially morphine. Hope you are enjoying the last few days before your next one and eating lots of nice things.
Thanks for your kind thoughts
Lily x