I had no appetite either and only now, day 15/16 have i actually felt hungry, yesterday i nearly pushed the queue out of the way at the garden centre cafe because i was suddenly ravenous, and i cleared a huge plate of very stodgy food then went back for cake and ate that too. Until then i was forcing myself to eat and i too have lost nearly a stone, so now i am trying to eat loads to get ready for cycle 2 next week! I now chose the thickest creamiest yogurts, eat vanilla slices, buy chocolate to make myself eat it, is ridiculous! I couldn’t really tasts food til the last few days either.
my hair is on the way out definetely today, do i go to the party with greasy hair i can’'t dare to wash, or don the wig? Can’t bear to wear a wig to it as it feels like a big event to tackle that for the first time ( too big for a wig!) so will have to do fabulous make up to offset the birds nest above!
Had my sons trying on my “pretend hair” this morning, as i am gently introducing it to them. They both ran round with my wig on and looked so funny! They did not seem one iota bothered, took it totally in their stride!
Its so funny how it effects people differently i wonder if its the way the medication is taken i noticed that you are taking dexamethasone for three days after chemo and in my area we only take it for x 1 day ( 2 mgs four times for 1 day after chemo) then stop and ive been ravenous all the time too the extent i nearly choked myself the other day on a ryvita and coleslaw shoving it down my mouth too quickly ha ha or maybe im just a PIG hope everyone’s doing OK still since your 1st chemo .Ive got my check-up with oncologist on Wednesday am ready for my 2nd one the following week ( hope im OK again with this one ) xxx love and hugs to everyone Julie
P.S ive got a big posh wedding to go to in July so by then I’ll definitely be donning the wig but ive tried it with my hat ive got and it looks fine and the upside is i wont have hat hair just a little shake and fluff up in the ladies and ill be as good as new ha ha
maybe it is how they presribe the drugs like you say? Will ask my oncologist. My blood test is wednesday and i so so so hope they are back up sufficiently to have chemo number 2, i feel great though so hopefully my blood count will reflect that!
I have shaved my hair off today, i look like a cross between sue the cheerios coach from glee and ripley from “alien”. I actually really like it, genuinely, as i had so had enough of all the messing about, sore head, manky hair bit, and it was coming out in handfuls. My wig looks much better now there isn’t a full head of hair under it, and my hats look good too. I am waiting for the fake hair strip to be delivered tomorrow so i can try that with it.
The week after my first chemo i thought i never ever wanted to do it again and felt sick at the thought, but now even though i am nervous, i am thinking bring it on!
Hi there everyone
Everyone seems to be OK (Julie, Sue Tina and Vickie) but where is Scoobs? Hope you are OK too.
One week today and I feel almost good, I am starting Qi- gong this afternoon. Don’t know much about it, but as there are sessions in our little village I thought I would give it a go. The anti-cancer book says it’s a good idea.
Love to you all
Maria
Forgive me Ladies for butting in on a thread that l do not, as yet belong to!
Maria, l have heard a ‘little’ about Qi-gong, be interested to hear a bit more, what l have heard, whether right or wrong! seems as though it is a little bit like Tai Chi and even Pilates, where you learn to control the body from the inner core! sort of working inside out! I also ‘think’ they do a hands on approach, but you will probably be just doing the excercises! the thought of other peoples hands all over you!!! although again l ‘think’ they do not actually touch you!Lol! And yes it does say it is good for cancer, although not sure why, l suppose a bit of working with the mind, controlling yourself, etc, etc, as the ‘king’ says in the ‘King and I’ Love that film!
I will now butt out, look forward to hearing your QI-gong adventure Maria!
Lots of Hugs
Sandra xxx
HI Girls glad everyone is still OK i go for check-up tomorrow ready for next weeks 2ND chemo i cannot believe how fast its going hope i feel the same as this time and bloods OK don’t want to be delayed now ive got started ive had to have my hair cut and coloured today ( what a waste of money since its probably going to drop out anytime now but it was a mess and roots showing through but up 2 now still really thick and no hair in the plughole so its holding on there.ha ha xx been in the garden today its been lovely up here ( sunder land) for a change take care all and keep checking in and let me know how you all doing be good to yourselves ( you deserve it) xxx hugs Julie
PS Sandra you can but in anytime you certainly do belong xx
Ah Thank you Julie, Be here officially in about 3 or 4 weeks, looking forward to it!! Hope your check up goes well tomorrow!
An excellent time to get you hair cut, just before it is going to fall out!! but as you say, if it was a mess and roots!! heaven forbid! Have you a wig ready? Would love for someone to say they have wig that is comfortable, feel l am in for a long wait! Been a lovely day here too (Middlesex) lovely to see the sun, makes you almost feel happy!!
Gosh just realised, by the time l start you will be on your third!! Lucky you, Good Luck
Sandra xxx
Weather does make a big difference. Got some stuff done on the allotment today, wearing new sun hat I bought earlier! Am now wary of getting sun burnt too. Am sure hair starting to drop - scalp feels weird too.
Feel knackered too and had a snooze after lunch. Think it’s the time awake between 3 and 4.30 this morning that did it! Didn’t want to sleep in the day really though as it can’t help night time sleep patterns which are struggling!
Scoobs xx
Hi Scoobs,
Glad to hear you are OK, and working on the allotment. We have one more day of rain and then I can start in the garden, now m trees are cut down and cleared away.
My head feels quite normal, still orange.
Sandra, glad you had good weather for your good news. Thanks for the info on qi gong. No hands on for me thanks.
Julie, well done on the hair cut, its worth it even for a couple of days,
Hugs
Maria
all went well with check-up this am so all ready to go for next Thurs 2ND chemo ( fingers crossed its as good as my 1st).Its scary how many young people were there filling in them breast clinic assessment forms in the waiting room, and i know that 80% come back benign but it just took me back to the worry and fear at that 1st appointment which seems ages ago but was only 6th March ( all whats happened in that short space of time seems surreal)Did anyone see Sally Whittaker interviewed yesterday ( from coronation street ) she looked really well ( why don’t i look like that in a scarf) i just look like a fishwife ha ha.Hope you all still doing OK love and hugs Julie
Hi Julie,
Isn’t it strange the waiting seems so long and desperate,and all of a sudden we realize that is is already 2 or 3 months since our first fears started. For me it is as if spring didn’t exist this year. I feel in limbo, and I am always suprised to see what date it is.
I’m glad all is well for next chemo for you. I have not heard about my first blood test so I presume no news is good news. I see my onc 31 May and 2nd chemo will be 2nd June.
Any one knows when hair falls out. Mine is still firmly stuck to my head.
Hugs to one and all
Maria
I’ve been told hair comes out between day 17 and 20 - so just before next chemo. Am determined to strim before that point!
Hi, day 14 second cycle fec, hair went day twenty after first fec despite cc. Wish in hindsight I had a crop before it went, probably the worst day since dx in feb! Now eyelashes and eyebrows going, too! Getting used to wearing my trendy hats and got a wig, long and blonde, usually I am a shoulder lenghts brown.
iam day 14 1st Fec still hanging on to the hair x
I’m having my 3rd (of 6) FEC chemo next week.
My advice re: food is to eat regularly (every 3-4 hrs).
My nausea seems to be triggered by two situations:
- it’s time to eat
- I’ve eaten the ‘wrong’ thing
If I really don’t feel like eating in the morning, I have a banana. Often I get hungry an hour later and can eat more.
Dairy (definitely cow) makes me nauseous - I don’t have milk, cheese, yoghurt, milk chocolate and cream. I am trying sheep’s cheese and goat’s yoghurt (mega yum) but not yet sure of reaction.
If I feel nauseous after eating something, I have a handful of bran flakes. That seems to work.
I am given 2-3 days of anti-sickness pills after each session. I was also given two extra sets of anti-sickness pills if things get bad.
I was mildly nauseous every day after my first chemo and was actually sick four days after chemo two. I now take one of the extra anti-sickness pills (which much be taken before eating) if I feel icky. They work within minutes and I think I’ve taken just 6 in two weeks.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domperidone
Avoid shop-bought fruit juices such as orange juice or apple as they have a lot of citric acid in them which will aggregate your mouth and stomach.
Also avoid pineapple, as it contains enzymes that I think strip away lining of the mouth. I didn’t know I had any mouth sores until I responded to a pineapple urge!
With regard to wigs, they’re very cheap on eBay. I paid £22 for short wig at Gorgeous Look in Slough. I wanted to use the opportunity to play with colour and so I also bought a dark turquoise wig from Hong Kong for just under £16 with free delivery. eBay seller is onlywig and their web site (with delivery charges) is edstrade.com/
Friends are also knitting me hats.
I bought a crocheted wig from an Etsy seller that I highly recommend:
etsy.com/shop/punkerkas?section_id=5642564
They’re easy to put on and look lovely.
I’ve blogged more about my chemo symptoms and included a photo of me in my blue wig at:
pootability.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/its-only-a-colour/
Paola