February 2017 Starters

Mornning ladies,

 

Hope all feeling ok today.

 

Well D day is here! Great tips from you all, thanks. I think I’ve got everthing…warm stuff too for cold cap. Had bloods & echocardiogram yest and all ok to go. Not got aloe vera juice yet! Just had egg on toast & a banana, as not there till 12.30 & I’m going to be quite a while with cold cap. Hope SE gentle from tomorrow!!

 

Ann - I’m your chemo buddy then, as I start today. I was diagnosed 23rd Nov, so only 1 day diff! Good luck today. I was advised not to drive on own, as one lady took a turn & fainted & although was perfectly fine after, she wasn’t allowed to drive her car home. My friend is taking me & staying. She’s used to it as me and her went with our other friend to hers. I didn’t want OH taking more time off work either.

 

Jo- no I’ve not heard of Kettleshulme. I’m in Urmston, near the Trafford Centre. I’ve been with family history clinic at Wythenshawe for years & so now with my family history they want to do genetic testing. I was told originally that it takes up to 9 months, but were going to rush it. Went for a simple blood test Monday & they said 5-6 weeks, which I queried & it’s because they just doing BRACA 1&2 for now, not the whole genetic testing. You’re supposed to have councilling too first, which I’ve not had as they wanted to do bloods before I started chemo. Depending on the results, I may want to go for double ms after treatment. Also, it has an affect on my 2 kids then too in the future, even my son!

 

Hugs to all and take care,

 

Max x

 

 

Hello lovely ladies!

 

just thought I’d say hi as I have my first chemo session on 15th Feb … eek!

 

any tips welcome :relaxed:

 

love to you all xx

Ah, Zena, I have exactly the same re mouth. The skin feels dry along the gum line and it’s tiring eating at times. Have you tried scrambled egg and avocado? Not a combination I’d usually eat but it’s easy on the mouth and quite filling. I tried giving it to my kids to save cooking yet another meal, but let’s say it didn’t go down too well! Or what about some warm lentil soup?

 

let me know if you find anything new to eat, I don’t have too many ideas other than trawling the supermarket aisles!

 

tessa

Hi all . Someone reccommended manuka honey , and they never suffered mouth soreness , is anyone taking this xx

Home made Baking soda mouth wash helped a bit for an hour …getting worse though- just had some tinned cold peaches … lovely and soothing but now I have to brush as the sugar !!!
I wake in the morning and it’s like my mouth has turned into the doormat ?X

Hi Zena, have you called your nurse to see if she can give you anything? On chemo day I was given Difflam mouthwash, which numbs the mouth. You only need it twice a day, and not what it says in the leaflet ( every 2-3 hrs), so not sure if my initial overuse has contributed to my problem. You could also try biotene gel - although I haven’t tried this yet. It is very frustrating isn’t it :smileysad:

 

Tessa

Hi tessa ,
Yes got boitene it’s ok actually… just weird ! Worth a go to see if it helps you Hun , it’s quite moisturising very odd ! Someone wrote Vaseline but that’s sounds a bit difficult to get on.
Il ask for the one you mentioned as more the merrier I’m sure ?And I need something for lizard gums …
Just had a big pain au raisen and tried a cup of tea but too hot … the bun was amazing but I know il pay for it …
Craving all bad stuff … so Annoying , but I’ve got to just eat when I feel like it( that’s my excuse ) …
Thinking if my mouth is this delicate now what will it be like after 2-3 …
Big hug Hun … this is a proper fight it seems x

Zena and Tessa, sounds like you are both suffering with your mouths. How soon after chemo did it start? I’m only day 4 so a little bit behind. My mouths ok so far but I have been taking Manuka honey for a while. Don’t know whether it’s helped or whether I have the sore mouth to come?

Jo xx

Morning ladies!

It’s FECing FEC Friday! Sorry so bad at keeping up lately, been so busy!

Sooo I’m off to hospital in a bit after I’ve had my anti sickness tablet, my millions of supplements & put my face on.

I’ll catch up properly later when I’m in wet rag mode. I’ll also break out the jigsaws!

Love to all

Jojo xx

Hi ann , spoke to the lady who put my picc in yesturday she said also it could be anxiety, not something ive suffered with before , but could also be animia regarding lightheadiness or dehydration been told to try up my water intake . Off to work today so hopefully take my mind of things and short haircut later eeek hair not been short inabout 25 years x

Regarding manuka honey what level do people buy , was looking but confused by the numbering system x

A massiiiiiiiivvvvvve hug jojo … Fec is fecin awful …
But we need it lady : so has to be done …
Thinking of you and glad you’ve Been busy and able to put this away for a few days before starting…
Can’t help with the honey but it’s know jo c can Hun .
Biggg Hun Ann too you lovely lady xxx
And of course all the other amazing ladies
Ps shaving my hair today too so il post …
I’m still in bed and not coping but nothing new there ?
Xxxx

Good luck at the hospital today Jojo.

Have a good day at work Maria.

Ann

Thank you ann , lol close to walking out already today …me and the boss will be having words later ? x

Aww Maria, why is that? Are they not helping you in any way?

Hugs…

Hi everyone,

 

Hope all ok today.

 

Good luck JoJo today & anyone else whose treatment today too.

 

Well I had my first EC, no F for me and all went fine. Apparently I’ve got very good veins! My appt was 12.30 & I got in the chair at 1pm, so not too much waiting around. Then my chemo nurse asked if I’d had my sickness drug, which I knew nothing about & should have had an hour before?! So only took it then, but with getting my cold cap sorted & it has to be on 30 mins before treatment, the hour was soon gone. At least I know for next time! Was a bit wary when she started putting stuff in as she was saying this & that can happen, so braced myself, but all was fine & that’s when she complimented my veins haha! Treatment done by 3 but you then have to sit for 90 mins after with cold cap on & another 15mins after that for warming up, before taking cap off.Bit of a mix up at this point with one nurse’s wrong info & I ended up with an extra 35 mins!! So finally left about 5.30ish, thought I might feel weird when I finally stood up, but was ok, just desperate for loo! So cold capping does add a lot of extra time on! It was bearable, once 10-15 mins gone it’s numb anway, but before that I was thinking can I stand this if it gets worse. The worst bit actually is the tightness of the helmet and the neck strap, as feel like someone is squeezing your head. Me & my friend were just laughing at it though! I had some butternut squash & sweet potato soup (which I had made in morning ready) when I got home. Felt fine. Had a shower to rinse stuff off hair. Started to feel shattered from 8.30ish. Had a great sleep, only waking twice for toilet (due to extra water consumption!). Alarm goes off at 6.30 for OH & I stayed in bed till 7.15 before getting kids up, felt tired but no more than usual really when getting up early. Had my tablets in bed with 2 belvita biscuits as knew you had to eat with them but wanted them as early as poss so can have steroid at 2pm, going by what others have said. Have since had a bagel and I’m feeling normal at mo, but only day1! The thing annoying me most is not being able to wash hair, which I do daily and couldn’t style it last night after rinse off, so it’s looking delighful, as dries wavy and not how i like it! Anyway 1 treatment down, 5 to go!!

 

Zena - Hope you feeling better soon. And sorry to hear about you & Tessa suffering with your mouths. Big hugs for your hair shaving later x

 

Pinkloz - Welcome x

 

Ann - Hi chemo buddy x. Glad went well for you yesterday too. Hope you feeling ok today. With regard to the genetics, my gran had BC at 50 & had MS but no chemo & then lived till 80 & my mum had BC in both breasts at 42, so had double MS & chemo and is 69 ths year. So positive outcomes really. Do worry on results for me though, as ok I might go for double MS and hysterectomy, which I’m fine with, but I worry for my kids. My son is 15 & daughter only 11, so when testing would start I’m not sure, but sure it will be when they get older & will be monitored very carefully. Even my son would be tested as one of the BRACA genes can be linked to prostate cancer too, if my memory is correct. My daughter is already asking will she get it now after all the family history. It shouldn’t be something she has to worry about & that upsets me.

 

 

With regard to manuka honey, is that the best way to take it in hot water (think that was you Ann?) or are there any other ways to take please? Jo, I think you mentioned taking it?

 

Hugs to all and take care,

 

Max xx

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Max
Super message … brilliant it’s all on track and funny cold cap story but yes guess you know for next time …
all the recipes sound so good I can wait to make them …
Maria ??? What’s your boss playing at ?
My friends said they’d make me a big badge saying I have cancer so get out of my way and do everything I want …
Are you working through chemo you total trooper ? Or just up till next week ? Xx

Well done Max and good in you for beating the cold cap!

Good luck today Jojo.

Welcome pink (I know I say it every time but welcome seems wrong but of course, you are very welcome).

Zena, how are you feeling? Hope you’re a bit better.

Sorry I’m not quite up to date as I’ve kept myself quite busy over the last few days. Grateful for feeling ok and making the most of it.

For those of you considering Manuka hiney, the higher the number the better…and more expensive. Holland and Barrett do a penny sale do even though it’s expensive you can get another jar for a penny. Almost feels like a bargain. I’ve been told to take it near rather than diluting in hot drinks. I love hot lemon and honey but have been sticking to it raw from the spoon. I haven’t got a sore mouth yet but only on day 5. My mouth feels funny today but I’m just drinking some freshly squeezed orange and lime juice and the sharpness is really helping. I think it’s because it’s stimulating my salivary glands. It’s freshened my mouth yo if that makes sense. Hopefully I’ll get a big hit of vitamin C too!

Jo xx

Thank you jo .i got confused by the numbers on honey which one from h&b have you got x

Hi zena , more lazy staff than my boss , plus i do cleaning before my shift where i work .some customers are horrid pooh on toilet floor like really … no more of cleaning after this week .but hoping to do few hours here and there if i feel up to it , going to play it all by ear .ill go stir crazy being at home xx are you feeling bit better today ?