Hi Lorna
Cheers! will probably join you for one later - and good luck for tomorrow.
xx
Hi Caz!
Cheers back :o) am wolfing down M&S Banofee Pie now!!! and Red wine in other hand!
x
Hi ladies
Bella, so sorry you had a rotten time with the canula, major ouchies, I hope your veins are feeling better now, though I know how long it can take. Only two more to go, hoorah!
Caz, hope London was its usual vibrant, bustling and wonderful self! And yes, it’s blooming cold.
Lorna, good luck with number four tomorrow, you’ll rock it, girl! Good idea to pig out, think I might send James off out into the freezing night to get me some cheapo plonk so I can imbibe tonight and tomorrow with a glass. Can’t be doing with eating at the mo, gone right off food.
I got my blood results back, neuts are 2.9 so I’m on for Tax on Thursday morning. But get this, last time they moaned that I hadn’t been drinking enough so I was told to up it to 3 litres a day. Today I get told I’m drinking too much and that my urea is low. Blimey, can’t win.
Hi Cat,
Bl**dy typical isn’t it, sometimes feels like we can’t so anything right. Wish I could say gone off food, am still eating for England!
London was quite quiet today as it goes. Didn’t do Oxford St but Selfridges was what I would call empty, Credit Crunch was very evident today - not that I minded tho,no queueing at tills and no shoving and bumping. In fact I would go so far as to say it was quite civilised. Had nice lunch and sat for a while people watching (which I love ) Had nice leisurely walk round got a couple of crimbo pressies and back to collect kids from after school cluc by 5. Not bad at all. Went up on train too so no stressful motorway traffic.
Am now going for nice hot bath then a glass of something naughty but nice while watching Enders and Survivors.
Caz xx
Oh, forgot Survivors was on. Showing my age but I can remember being very small but fascinated by the original TV program. Have a naughty but nice glass of something for me, husband does not show any signs of going out on my behalf.
Hello Girlies…glad everyone is sounding a bit brighter today…excepting Ostrich…who seems to be up against some major ass*oles. My god the NHS really scrape the barrell at times when it comes to staffing (me included at times I suspect!!!). Hope the concert went well for your daughter.
Tanya…Hope you are riding the TAX tonight…you go girlfriend.
Cat…too much water; is that possible! I drink gallons of the bloody stuff pre kimo just to get my veins to perform. I dare not even drink a glass of wine the night before as it dehydrates me so much…so I am envious that you can chill with something nice the night before the poison does its’ work.
Irina…sounds painful…have you made any decisions yet re: the hickman? Perhaps Tanya would be the best one to give you guidance on that one. Hopefully our veins will recover in time.
Cazz - eastenders…bit heavy going tonight wasn’t it. God that Tony is a creepy git…vile!
I went to lakeside with my eldest this morning and finished off the crimbo shopping. We don’t get to spend too much time together on our own, so it was a nice change. he bought me a lovely Brics Suit Hanger too which I am thrilled with, as I’ve been collecting their luggage for a few years now. Hopefully I will get to use it when we meet up for our posh piss up in the Spring!!!
I had my last jab this avro too, so pimms o’clock was doubly nice today.
I’ll say goodnight now. Fancy an early night as I have some reading to catch up on.
Nite Nite All…Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Cat, my urea was low last time, the onc said it was because I hadn’t been eating much but sadly he was wrong, I have put on half a stone!!!
I have arranged for my Dad to take me for the line tomorrow but I am not deciding for sure until I get there and will not be doing it without sedation that is for sure. It is the aftercare I am more worried about, my local A and E was apparently full on Monday afternoon, they were treating peope in ambulances which were queued around the block.
We are all struggling with veins aren’t we? Did anyone have the vein thing mentioned to them before chemo? I didn’t.
Keep warm everyone and speak soon xx
Evening All (flexes knees at the same time LOL)
God Ladies it sounds like you are all having such a tough time. I feel embarrassed to even be on this thread as I,m not experiencing half of what you are going through.
(Don,t worry tho, I,m sure him upstairs is going to seriously give me pay back time with my next programme)
Irina - my heart goes out to you, you are so obviously petrified, I wish I was there to hold your hand.
Cazz - Glad you enjoyed your day out.
Pheebster - Please don,t give too much away about Enders. I get it here but we,re about 2 weeks behind you!
To everyone else - I hope your day has been good and that tomorrow will be even better. And if your day was shit then kick that shit into someone elses backyard…
Soo xx
Hi Irina
Just to say good luck with whatever you decide to go with tomorrow, will be thinking of you.
Soo - ooh eastenders is good at the moment and thats all I’ll say.
Hi Pheebs you sound well, hope you get good nights sleep
Thats where I’m off to too.
Night all
Caz xx
Hello everyone, sorry I’ve been a strangert. Tanya, hope you had a good birthday, so glad you’re home. Irina - very relieved you’re going for the line rather than giving up on chemo - didn’t like the thought of that. Cat, your party sounded brilliant - I remember how exhausting my son’s one was, even though I was fit and well - and that I had OH in the shower for an hour trauma to face that morning, too!
Just off for my first tax now. Saw onc yesterday, who said I will definitely lose my eyelashes - one bit of hair I was grimly nanging on to and nurturing - my eyes and nose will be runny and I’ll hurt. Added masses of Tramadol (morphine-based) to my prescription - wjhat a Merry christmas it will be! Good luck to everyone else partying soon. You’re out playing today Lorna I believe?
How will we feel next posts? Liz
Morning Ladies,
Belated happy birthday to you Tanya and glad the Tax went in okay.
Good luck for your line Irina.
Had my 3rd FEC yesterday and a nightmare with my veins! I have had darkened sore inner arm after FEC 2 and hoped they would be ok, even sat with a microwaveable teddy bear on my arm before going in. Veins have gone hard and thinned and muscle around them wont let them get the cannula in. Eventually got a cannula in halfway up my arm towards my elbow and then, OUCH, sudden horrid pain. Chemo nurse went off to get a wheat bag whilst I sat with toes curled. She came back and decided that my vein had collapsed and leaked but that she didn’t think any of the E had gone into the tissue only saline! After discussion with head chemo nurse and me saying I didn’t want them to use my operation arm they tried again after sticking my hand in a bowl of hot water but no go. I had to let them have a go on my operation arm which did play ball except for the last 15 mins it really started to hurt and the chemo nurse said she could see it narrowing and hardening! Great!
They are hoping that by 4th FEC my “good” arm’s veins will have relaxed enough to have chemo and given me some steriod cream to massage my arm with and that my “bad” arm’s veins wont have decided not to play otherwise I will be looking at a pic line!
Sigh! Have had to take 8 tablets this morning to combat SEs and feel cra**py. My mum is coming over in an hour to check on me as hubby has been away since Monday and not due back till late tonight, I really don’t feel up to company and her lovely dog keeps pi**ing and cra**ping on my floor.
'Glad to hear you enjoyed xmas shopping those who have been or hope you do those are going to be.
Have a drink for me (uck thought right now).
Good luck for Thursday Cat.
Love to everyone else, xx
Firstly just let me say good luck today Liz…I will be thinking of you. Bugger the eyelash dx…could have done without that little gem. And they gave you tramadol…god help us!
Irina - will be thinking of you too. All I know about the line is that they will show you how to flush it every day to avoid infection and that all the patients in our practice who have had them, said that after the intial upset of having it put in place, it was the best thing they have done. I know that’s not going to make you feel better but it’s all I can add. I know I would be feeling exactly like you.
How are you holding up Tanya…a belated happy birthday from me (sorry, I’ve been a bit self engrossed over the last few days).
I’ll keep it buttoned about E.Enders Soo…don’t want to ruin it for you!! How many weeks are you behind us?
I’m beginning to feel human again nearly 2 weeks post FEC #3, and now all I can think of is bloody TAX #1. I’m going to get some housework done this morning and pop to Sainsburys later. Four Legs will get a good blast out this afternoon too, as we have the plumber in finishing the heating repair, so we’ll escape the mess and get some fresh air.
Hope all those receiving treatment today have a problem-free session and those who are post treatment are not suffering too many SE’s.
Love to all
xxxxx
Hi Girls,
Liz - hope tax goes ok for you today. It’s a shame about the eyelashes, sometimes it feels like one thing after the other doesn’t it.
Ostrich - oh my god what an horrendoud time you’ve had. That is my one big nightmare having to have kimo in op arm. My kimo arm is still very painful if I try to straighten it and by bcn says their is trauma to my veins, now today my wrist is bad. Its swollen up and sore to touch and if i bend it to far forward OUCH!! My concern is that if I have kimo in my op arm and those veins play up or I get Lymphodeoma then thats both arms hurting and weak.
Hi Pheebs - enjoy your walk today, hope plumbers manage to fix heating brrrrrr - too cold to go without it.
Have good day all.
Caz xx
Hi guys 
Liz, hope your first Tax goes well, am thinking of you. Your oncologist sounds so much better than the junior doc I saw who had no interest in me whtsoever when I saw him .
Ostrich, you are having a tough time of it, sweetheart, hugs. I hope the cream can help you through the pain of this. Everyone talks about wheatbags, never seen one of these when I’ve been going to chemo. Do you bring them along yourself, or are they provided? I get a weird heat pad that bugs me because it’s uncomfortable. No idea what it’ll be like at the new hospital.
Pheebs, so glad that you’re feeling a bit better now. I think we both had a similar FEC3 experience. Don’t worry about the Tax, it’s short-term in our lives, we can both rock this!
I’ve been off for acupuncture this morning, feeling relaxed, calm, energised, tonified. Like Pheebs, not looking forward to the Tax but determined to rock it. Girlies who’ve just done it, please can we have your feedback on how it went for you, but only when you have the time and energy to manage.
I’m hoping for a nap this arvo so probably won’t get one because James is always so busy, but I live in hope…
Have a lovely afternoon, ladies
Hi girls
Sorry to see Ostrich and pheebs have a rough ride. I just done my FEC4 yesterday- my nurse had to try 3 times to get my blood and another 3 times to get my vein for the chemo drug… What an odreal that we all have to got through !!
Cat, About the Wheatbags- my kimo nurse normally give it to me. But you could get your own from aromahome ( amazon does it and it is cheaper)
On a brighter note, my wbc go up to 5.4 this time ( which was normally 4.0 with the booster) i have been taking manuka honey for a month now- not sure if that helps.
Feel a bit crap now so have to dash. Sorry could not greet everyone indivadully but lots good vibes to you all - we are all brave girls in a way as we have been though so much and so far now!!
much love
xxx
Hi everyone,
Just to let you knoe that it definitely feels so much better to have had kimo 4, regardless of what it is, and to know that there’s only 2 more to go. If it’s any help, the lovely kimo matron that I had my consultation with said it’s very common to feel low after no.3 as that’s the common time for everyone when everything catches up with you. At least we’re not alone.
Ostrich, I forgot to say I’m sorry you’ve had such a sh*t time. What is it with these people? I have to say that my team have, on the whole, been great. My only complaint is being kept waiting so long but the unit is tiny and they are planning to build a new one, so hopefully things will get better for those who follow me.
Best of luck to all of you starting TAX, and to Irina with the line. You’re a very brave girl.
Bella x
Hi there - just logged in with loads of messages to read. Everyone has been really busy.
Some feedback on the Tax - after FEC the Tax so far is great. So much nicer psychologically just having a single clear coloured infusion and certainly no nausea. Felt wiped out yesterday but that could be the after effects of a week in hospital with heavily disrupted sleep - and the shingles I guess. Feel absolutely fine today. No bone pain or anything though I guess it might come. I have done the dark nail polish thing in the hope of keeping my nails. I am hoping as I have been told by several people that after the FEC the Tax could be a walk in the park - time will tell and I will keep you updated with any developments.
Best wishes to everyone kimo’ing today and tomorrow and to irina for your line.
Best wishes to everyone else and hope the SE’s are staying at bay
Catch up again later as waiting for District Nurse to come and dress my line this arvo
Tanya x
Avonlea - thanks for the wheatbags info. I have microwave wheatbag teddies lurking somewhere, might take one along tomorrow on the off chance. Well done getting fEC4 out of the way!! Fab news about your wbc, too!
Bella, yay, only two more to go for you, too!
Hiya Ladies,
Just back from the party room! FEC4 for me… think they wondered why I looked so glum (as I’m usually so upbeat) well I really really didn’t want to be there! afraid my veins agreed too… I had the dreaded problems… 2 attempts to get in… then had to find another vein when starting to put the red poison in as it was stinging! chemo nurse said my veins are on their way out! effects of the red stuff… SO… have been booked for a PIC line :o( will have on next cycle. so will only have in for 3 weeks… doesn’t seem so bad when I look at it like that…
SE to come… but 4 down… 2 to go!
Good luck those on Tax! x
We’re getting there :o)
L x
Hi Lorna - the PICC line will be so lovely after the pain of epi on sore veins - go for it… Sorry it was so awful today for you and for ostrich and avonlea yesterday - so hidoues. I was warned about the need to have good veins but had hoped they would hold up. Not at all bothered now I have the PICC - wish I had it from the start but never mind. My eyebrows have got a lot thinner and my eyelashes (dreaded) are on the wane for sure - not looking forward to losing those but it does look highly likely. What a bummer. What with the runny nose and no boobs and haor feel a complete freak of nature at times.
Thinking of all my good friends on this thread and sending out hugs
Tanya x