First FEC 2nd October

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Morning Girls. I am still in bed…have been totally KO’d this weekend. Talk about emotional roller coaster - I think it hit me head on. Feel a bit brighter this morning - I just hope the feeling lasts past 11.00 am!

Liz…i just got the planning appointment through for rads. Mine is 28/1/09 - day before final kimo (what a week I’ve got in store)! I was under the impression I had 5 weeks as they are treating my collar bone as 4 lymphs involved (had it been 3 involved treatment would have been different)…no boosters though (whatever they may be). Rads normally start 3 weeks after kimo ends. Quite a few patients at the Practice where I work are under Dr Sims…he’s quite popular.

I only work Mon, Tues, Fri (various shifts) so perhaps we can link up on a Wednesday (our mutual day off)? Pheebster 4 Legs is always up for a trip out, if you fancy bringing your wellies along! She’ll happily wait in the back of the car for half an hour while I get zapped! As soon as this is all over we are planning on registering ourselves in the Pat Dog Scheme. We’ll have to pass a few exams and stuff, so need to get my head together before we get back to training, but it should be rewarding enough to cheer up a few kids stuck in hospital…

Looking forward to hearing about everyone’s romantic getaways…

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Cazz…how did the soup go? Also, what’s the latest on your hair. Mine is still ok - thinner but there - but my head always hurts the week after kimo…

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Morning everyone

Gosh, loads of posts in the couple of days I’ve been away. Thank you for all your lovely messages :slight_smile: We had a lovely time, James was completely surprised and hadn’t sussed my cunning plan at all. We had a fabulous dinner, but it was slightly spoiled by the fact that I felt so wiped out all the time, I could happily have been in bed by 8pm instead of in my glad rags attempting to be polite as a slightly obsequious m’aitre d’ served me with fine dining worthy of a three Michelin star restaurant! Gosh, wish my taste buds weren’t so knackered that I could have tasted it properly.

So, how’s everyone doing? I know Tanya’s in hospital at the mo, big love and hugs to you so you get out soon.

Liz, glad you had a fabby time in Amersham despite the weather.

Lorna, I hate it when they rush you through without enough saline, it happened to me on FEC3 and I’m sure that’s why I’ve felt rubbish on it. Hope you’re doing OK.

Soo, how’s you and Tortie?

Caz, you doing OK on the soreness?

Pheebs, how are you doing? Sounds like FEC3 hit you hard, also. Stay in bed as long as you can and need to, girl!

Irina, how’s your arm? You’re on to FEC4 this Thursday? Lucky you (not lucky getting the drug, but staying with FEC) to know roughly what you’re facing. I’m starting to get nervous about starting Tax next week.

I still feel exhausted but will sort through the photos of the weekend and let you know if I post some online. Let me know if you want a link and I can PM it to you. Alas, nothing romantic was shot, mainly just me mucking around with the camera.

Catch you all later, and if I’ve missed saying hello to someone, apologies, my brain is mega-kimo at the moment and I can’t think straight!

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a quick hi from the slow and cranky hospital bedside internet service from a bored Tanya with no real view and little motivation - admittedly envious of you lovely ladies managing to get out and about. Rest well and enjoy. Will be in touch soon properly. had picc line today - fed up of waiting for confirmation of placementso off to hassle docs

Best wishes everyone, Tanya x

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Tanya…so sorry to hear you are in hospital…I know you were worried your temperature was high.

Get well soon - wishing you a speedy return to your home and family

xxxxx

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Tanya, how are things in hospital? Apart from being very boring … there is never anything to do is there? How was the PICC line? Hope they are treating you well and that you get out soon xx

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Hi Tanya, hope you’re sorted out soon and get back to this strange ‘normality’ we are blessed with in the outside world. How long are you/ will you be in for?

Lots of love, Bella xx

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Sending Best wishes Tanya… hope they discharge you soon!

L x

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Hi

Tanya, hope all ok with you and you’ll be home soon.

Cat glad you had a good weekend and hope you enjoyed it as much as you could, look forward to seeing the photos.

Pheebs, hair is ok, I think its getting quite thin although no-one else seems to have noticed - except other half that is, we were coming down an escalator in town the other day and I was in front of him, he looked down and said ’ blimey, you are going thin aren’t you!’ luckily could see the funny side of it. My head doesn’t hurt after cold cap but I must admit using it doesn’t get any easier!

My arm is incredibly sore today, popped in to see bcn and she gave me some hirudoid cream. Am hoping it will help. Asked what would happen if veins were bad, she said they would try for some higher up but may have to use other arm which I DON’T want. Will wait and see what happens.

I hope you’ve had a good day and not been too wiped out, I normally start dipping about day6/7 and must admit have been feeling a bit weepy today. Am going shopping to Cribbs Causeway tomorrow with a friend so am hoping that will keep me up.

I think its fab about the Pat dog idea, I’ve heard that they make a huge difference to people I remember watching a programme about it once and it made me quite emotional to see the difference these dogs make to people.

bye for now
Caz xx

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Hi again and thanks for good wishes. So pleased to hear about everyone’s ‘normal’ happenings. Thrilled with the PICC - couldn’t bear the thought of repeated attempted cannulations on those oh so sore veins. A real release of worry for the rest of the chemo and my community oncology nurse will be thrilled too as getting blood is not easy. A nurse put the line and it was very slick and atraumatic. My biggest trauma is the persitent temp - still 38.4! need to be apyrexial for 36 hours to go home so could be battling with this internet till Friday. reckon I am not yet on the right antibiotics for whatever bugs are lurking. Hopefully the blood cultures will come back tomorrow and the drugs can be changed. Hey ho.

Keep well everyone and enjoy resting/shopping/whatever

Hugs from here - Tanya xx

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Morning ladies
Hugs (((((()))))))) Tanya

Hugs everyone who is feeling low ((((())))

Thanks for info Caz on cream for the sore arm… turns out I already had some in my o so filled medicine cupboard! notice note cabinet… cupboard! Got in when a young horse I had kicked me in the thigh! see my belief of “Everything happens for a reason” stands… Thats why the little shit kicked me!!! just so I would have the cream here and ready when I had sore veins from dreaded kimo!!! LOL got to laugh!

L x

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Hello Everyone
Sorry I,ve not been around for a couple of days but yesterday I felt really shite. Feeling much better today. Just wish I could stop the nosebleeds. Anyone else get them??

Tanya, as you know from Facebook, I,m willing you better LOL.

Cat, hope you manage to catch up on your sleep.

I hope everyone is OK,. and not feeling too low.

I,m going to rouse myself and go for a walk, its still sunny here. Hahaha I need someone like Pheebs to chivvy me along.

Soo x

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Morning everyone, and hope you’re all doing OK at the various stages in chemo.

Tanya, will give you a buzz later when I can get the sprog settled, had to keep him off school today because his eyes are bad.

Soo, sorry you’re still feeling rotten and having nosebleeds, please please get someone to give you a hand, I worry that you’re struggling all on your own.

Had a pants night, couldn’t sleep and the sprog was up and down like a yoyo with conjunctivitis, poor little sausage. I am grumpy and tired and my eyebrows are falling out, I just feel mega-depressed this morning, almost to the point of stripped of everything, does that make sense? I know the stuff like eyebrows, body hair, it’ll all grow back, but sitting here right now, I feel that bc is taking the most fundamental bits of me away, bits I’d never even appreciated until they were gone. In the scheme of things, it’s unimportant, but I am fed up of friends telling me how much I save on hairdressers and hair products, how I can get an eyebrow pencil for £7.50 and have perfect eyebrows (they were perfect already, albeit a bit unplucked and mad but that’s how I liked 'em), and the jokes about Brazilians are wearing thin, as is my need for one. I know they’re desperately trying to put a positive slant on it all for me, but gosh, I am fed up of it.

Sorry for the moan…

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Wishing you well Tanya…keep away from all those bloody germs in there, we want you home soon xx

Oh Cat. I am so with you on everything you said. It’s lovely not having pubes (oh come on, let’s be basic here) but who else finds the toilet paper sticks to the crack of their arse and what about the nose hairs. Who realised what a help those little buggers were before they all fell out…I’m forever having to blow my nose as it seems chugged up with crap all the time. My head (though still a pretty much full head of hair, so I’ll not prattle on about that one for long, cos I’m one of the lucky few) is itching to f**k and I daren’t bloody scratch it incase my hair falls out…OH MY GOD!!! Eyebrows make such a difference to anyone’s face, so to all those of you with dark lovely brows, it will be a big change. Mine are so fair they don’t really notice that much…but I love my eyelashes. Mascara is the only eye make up I wear, and as you say Cat, bc will take that little pleasure away too…I don’t think I will ever shave, pluck or cut another hair on my body again…I just want them all back…pleeeeese

My friend from work has just been round and given me my first wbc shot…another new drug to add to my battered system.

Well…this has been a miserable post…sorry to be such a moany cow today, but you know…i quite enjoyed that. Now I’m off for a bacon sarnie, might as well get fatter too while I’m at it!

Anyone else fancy a moan…Let’s make Tuesday ‘Moanday’

Laters xxxxxxxxxxxx

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Pheebs, you and me both being moany cows, mooooo mooooo. Hope the wbc shot wasn’t too bad and that you don’t get side effects of any variety.

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The shot was easy…when my friend suggested getting me a sharps bin though I wasn’t too enamoured! Decided I’ll dispose of the debris at work but I suppose if I need another course next kimo, a sharps box will be the best idea.

Bacon sarnie was luverley. Pheeb and I have the house to ourselves today so I’ve decided to go back to bed and read for an hour or so between getting the laundry done. I’ve just done all the dog beds (yes, she has one in every room…) and managed to give the bathrooms a clean…definitely feeling much much better today. FEC takes about 5 nights out of me…wonder what TAX will be like…anyone else getting nervous about the unknown?

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Yep, dreading it!!!

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HI Cat And Pheebster

sorry to hear about your hair storeis - i did not shave my head so now i started second round of hair loss( painful scale etc). My eyebrows still hang on there but if i pull it with my finger it will come off ( really wired)

I used to have some little hair above my lips - but now they are gone - lol the only hair i want to get rid of has gone!!

I donot sleep well either due to hot flushes etc… also i have so many wired and dramitc dreams … could make some use of that and write a book!!

How are everyone else?? I am not on often but thinking of you and hope all are well

take care
xxx

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Hello all my fellow moany cows. So many of us low at the moment. We’re a lot of us half way through kimo now, but that doesn’t feel as good as it should, does it? More ‘my god so much misery still to get through’. And yes, Cat and Pheebster, I am ‘bricking it’ about Tax. FEC wasn’t a picnic, but I knew what to expect. Would like to read something positive about iTax. The only thread on here that deals with it is bloody scary.

Pheebster, I didn’t know how much lymph nodes affect your rads. I had 5 out of 10 involved?? shall we perhaps speak after Christmas about meeting up in Romford. The Pat Dog Scheme is a great idea.

Tanya - poor you. Thinking of you stuck in ‘hoxible’ as my daughter used to call it when she was little.

Aslansmum - so envy you the sunshine. It’s so cold and wet here that it’s adding to everyone’s misery,

Cat - sorry you feel so low - especially after your weekend treat. Isn’t the body hair thing weird? I am very aware that all the down on my face has gone. You couldn’t see it before - I’m not a very hairy person - but my skin now feels so naked. Bald head, no pubes, I didn’t have much in the way of eyebrows anyway BUT my favourite is my eyelashes - I’m a complete mascara junkie. They seem to be hanging on in there, but they itch every day.

Hugs to all
Liz

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Oh flip, help us all!!

I hope my eyebrows don’t go, they now pluck brilliantly (i.e. fall out when touched) so I now have perfect Nigella’s instead of Nigel’s (Lawson, that is) - shall I sellotape them on?

Re. down below (and why not)…yes, paper gets stuck up bum!! While we’re being basic, does anyone else finding it hard to get a tampax in or have I just dried up!!!

Sorry if TMI, Bella xxxx