Friends needed please!!!!

Hi Joanne and welcome - if that’s the right word. Yes, my hair came out a couple of weeks ago, and my scalp felt as if somebody had gone over it with a cheese grater. It has eased off now, so it’s done its worst. I’m the grumpy, sarcky one(doesn’t look right without a ‘k’, but it’s still not right!). But I’m harmless enough, so long as you don’t live next door to me! You’ll be fine with all this, love to all. xxJacqxx

Hi All and welcome Joanne. Jacq, I could hug you!! Your post just said it all, yesterday I could have punched walls and today hasn’t been much better, but you made me laugh! Especially about the newspapers… Joanne, my scalp has been a bit sore, it’s also quite dry so I just moisturise it all with the rest of me. I do find that when I wear a hat or put on the wig it feels a bit sensitive, maybe it improves over time and exposure, I’m not sure. I watched Gail Porter on tv this am ( the lady with alopoecia) and her bald head is stunning! I’m not brave enough to expose mine to the outside world just yet. Everyone is great on here and the good thing is that you can be grumpy, sarcky (not right is it!) happy, sad, mad whatever, it doesn’t matter. All laughs are welcome, too. Hope everyone else is okay, love and big hugs Pat x

Hi everyone and lovely new ladies too!(sooooo glad this post is still running!)
Jackie! was getting worried about you as you have not posted? i’m so sorry you feel like c…p - but your posts do make me chuckle! why do people have to treat us like were leopars?? I feel like shouting’ hey, i’m still the same, it didn’t drop off, i need some friends! but theyre so involved in themselves they wouldn’t even notice.Hope everyone is coping with the weather ok, day off school for Thomas today as no teachers and now just bloody cold!
Threw the wellies across the lounge this morning as trying to fight to get them on, didn’t help matters with all the mud that came off, why am i sooooooo bloody miserable? Poor OH, don’t know how he puts up with me at the mo - must be love.
was looking at pictures from this time last year - we were in Thailand-maybe that didn’t help?
Catch u later, gonna take my grumps away for now, feel like crying,
love to all,
Lou xxx

Aaah, Pat and Lou. At least we can all feel ‘normal’ together. My grumpiness must obviously be catching. It must be the bloody chemo. (Sorry chemo - you’re not bloody, not if you’re working, otherwise you’re sh*t!) Have such a rage inside me all the time, good job I live alone, no b**stard could possibly put up with me. Well, I’d probably kill them anyway after about 30 mins, (alright then - 10). Lou, there’s contests - and prizes - you can enter with wellies. Where does everybody live? I’m in Docklands, East London. Could you imagine if we all met up, what wicked fun we could all have. You’d laugh if you could see me though, I look like an angel - really! I have(sorry, had) shoulder-length, natural blonde curls and big blue eyes and a nice, smiley face. People think I’m really nice. Mind you I think I am - it was just a vicious rumour put about by my ex! Have a good cry ladies, I did last night and feel fine(ish) today. Cheaper than therapy this site - I think I would go totally nuts if I didn’t have you lot here on my side. Love and hugs, yeah, I do mean it! xx Jacq xx

P.S. I did have another thread going on ‘newly diagnosed’ - ‘in a terrified tizz’, but - as I’m not really newly diagnosed anymore (and am boring myself by keep repeating stuff) - have decided to abscond with my verbal abuse to this thread permanently - if you can bear to suffer reading Mrs. Grump, that is. Tough - I’m here! xx Jacq xx

Jacq, your verbal abuse is welcome anytime, you keep it coming! Lou, Jacq’s right, I think there is a wellie throwing sport or competition! Sorry you’re feeling down, I feel like I’ve got multiple personality disorder or something because I feel fine one minute and the next I could do harm! Or like the other day when I cried at some silly advert that wasn’t in the slightest bit sad. I blame chemo brain, today I have felt so out of it and detached, and my taste has almost completely gone now which is the pits. I say almost, I just had a bit of really strong farmhouse cheddar and it hit the spot - I spose now I’l be up having nightmares!! It was worth it tho. Lou, hope Thomas had fun being at home, it is so cold but snow looks pretty. I’m in s e London so you’re just over the river Jacq, are you near Canary Wharf? Well, off to bed and glad to see back of today - hopefully tomorrow will be much better for us all. Have a good night, love and big hugs, Pat x

Hi Pat. You’ve made me fancy a chunk of cheese now! Mind you, I always thought it was an old wives’ tale about the nightmares, but I must admit that every time I’ve eaten it late at night, it does give me really weird dreams. I’m not far from Canary Wharf, nearer to City Airport though. Whereabouts in SE London are you, my daughter and her family live in Greenwich (she says) - but I call it Charlton! (Baby snob of the family!)I do know it’s not far, but if that bloody tunnel’s playing up it’s a nightmare! Hope you get sweet dreams despite the cheese. Night all. xx Jacq xx

Dear Jackie and everyone,
Thanx ever so much, thats made me smile this morning ( for 10mins anyway! lol!)Just wondering what sort of day i’m gonna have? feeling placid at the moment but that could change in a flash! As for the welly throwing…all the dirt came off the boots in the lounge as it got thrown, poor Thomas just silently got the dustpan and brush - i think he thinks i’ve gone completley bonkers.I’ts sort of comforting to know that when these things happen were not on our own,and thats where this site has been invaluable - thanx everyone x
P.S; has anyone had the most dreadful indigestion that won’t go?
Be back later,
Big hugz to all,
Love Lou xx

Pat, Pat, Pat … the cheese! The dreams, no - nightmares - all night long. Can’t blame anybody but myself, it might have been the olives involved as well. Ate about a box of antacid tablets during the night. Then there were the foxes making mad, passionate love on my front lawn at 3.00 am - they’ve messed up all my nice, smooth snow. What a racket they made! Still looks as if I’m housebound again today though, not that I mind in this weather. I think I’m actually turning into a bit of a hermit and quite liking it! Hope everybody’s going to be happy and chipper today, but - if you feel like it - have a good boo and be done with it! Much love, xx Jacq xx

Good for you Lou, up and at 'em girl! Yes, non-stop indigestion!

Hi everyone, well Jacq I didn’t have nightmares but the worst bloody indigestion this morning! That’ll teach me. Lou, my onc gave me something for indigestion (losec or similar) and I’m gonna try that. It seems to coincide with the constipation kicking in, it’s all fun here, right! Went out to local shops and didn’t break my neck, which was a bonus. Seriously, getting out and being in the fresh air does help when you feel a bit flat. Wore wig out, plus hat and felt so hot, tore it off as soon as I got back in. I think I should buy myself a punchbag and see if that helps! Hope everyone is having a good day. I’m off to chew on some prunes, yummy! and will check in later. Love and hugs to all, Pat x

Hi Pat, lou, Jacqui and all,
Just discoyered that below this is where you review past posts…has anyone else discovered this or is it just me being slow to catch on??
Pat I hate to hark back to certain things but at the moment the only probs I am having are at extremities!! Mouth full of disgusting yellow ulcers-agony to eat but I still do… I NEVER lose my appetite… and constipation! Only managed twice in last 9 days and was in agony this morning…reminded me of giving birth-aaaarrgghh!
Have been eating prunes and apricots…any other tips PLEASE??
Apart from that have been feeling quite upbeat the last few days, and reading all the posts on here certainly helps…keep it coming Jacqui! OH says I seem to be permantly glued to pc and given that before this I wouldn’t have been near it for days on end I suppose it is a change! And it helps relieve the boredom of being at home.
Well you folks down there seem to be getting a real touch of winter…ironically we have nothing up here today apart from rain,though I have no doubt we will see the snow yet.
Well off to finish knitting another scarf-got a production line going-next year’s Xmas prezzis?
Love to all,
Lyn xx

Hi all,
I too am suffering the constipation problems, once in 10 days. I’m not bothering to take the antibiotics cos they make things worse, just hope I don’t get a temperature. Have been in to school today for a meeting re redundancies, looks like wev’ve got to lose 2 full time TA’s total of 50hrs a week!!!Will have 4 week consultation period etc, then have meetings to see where we come on ladder re skills etc. I switched off then as I have very few qualifications, guess I’ll have to find out where I stand. Some of us agree that we should just share out the hours between us, but obviously others don’t agree, it’s not a case of last in first out these days. I know I’m covered by the disability act but still a bit worried. At the moment am still on full pay, then half pay then SSP, my GP reckons I could be off for upto a year!!
Still have ongoing saga of new cat, now had him 3 half weeks, can I get him to go out, he sat and cried on doorstep this morning when I shut him out, maybe it was a bit cold and icy but he won’t catch mice indoors!!!
Well it’s nice and peaceful here, eldest having 1st driving lesson. boy at football practice and youngest at drama, OH has gone to Scunthorpe for 3 days, so fish and chips for dinner tonight just hope it tastes OK. Still got a bit of hair left but have lots of spots on my scalp!
Oh well guess I’d better clear up lunch time dishes.
Bye for now
Alison

Hello everyone

Lynn and Alison - I too suffered terrible constipation - have never had children but could imagine the trauma having gone through that !!!
BIG TIP - I tried everything - prunes, apricots, fresh orange juice. A friend of mine suggested Fybogel. It’s a hi-fibre natural orange drink and quite nice to take.
I took 2 sachets one in morning and one in evening and golly do they work !!! (I will only take one sachet after next after chemo) but for those of you struggling maybe 2 to get you started so to speak.
(I’ve checked with the chemo nurse and it’s fine to take.)
Good luck and it’s definately worth a try - let me know how you get on ladies.
Love
Sue x

Hi All, Lyn, that old constipation just won’t go away, will it? And what with the mouth problems, it’s a wonder we do manage to eat! I think it’s so weird how I can taste certain things - brussel sprouts, strong chees, yet potatoes, rice, curry, lasagne all tastes the same - like cardboard. I find that sucking on a piece of pineapple helps a bit, also having lollies every night just to get some taste from something. Gone off tea and all other hot drinks. Prune juice helps with const, dried apricots as well, dr gave me senna which I’m taking each night and hoping for the best… Alison, hope it works out ok with your job. I’d love to be able to go part-time once chemo finishes but have to wait and see, not gonna do anything daft. Well, pizza is ready, lets see what flavour of cardboard it tastes like tonight!!! All the best, love, hugs Pat x

Hi all

It sounds if you are all having a nightmare with the constipation, i have been ok so far but i am getting the horrible taste in my mouth everything taste the same. Feeling very tired today the girls went to nursery all day so i had some time to rest.

The snow has come back here again in glasgow it was all clear yesterday !!

got to go and put the girls to bed

lol joanne x

Hi Everyone
My internet decided that like half the country it wouldn’t work yesterday. Thankfully we didn’t get as much snow as was forecast but we’re due more tonight. I’m in the midlands and apparently we’re likely to be one of the worst areas.
Thanks for the advice about losec. For me indigestion has been far worse than constipation and I have worried about taking anything as I know that antacids can interact with lots of other things.
A friend phoned me on monday to wish me good luck with my chemo yesterday - only problem was she was a week early! Please don’t wish it on me any sooner than it need be.
I’m shattered today. I went grocery and didn’t know how I was going to make it home. When I got home I discovered that I’d started my period so that plus chemo explained it. It’s the first since starting chemo on 30th december and I was hoping that in the words of my consultant my ovaries were “done for”. Poor people around me - chemo grumpiness and hormones all at once.
I went for my weekly blood test yesterday and made sure it was done from my opposite arm. I had only had 5 done before I found out that Ishouldn’t be having them on the operated side!
Well I’m going to try an early night. Don’t know if I will manage to sleep.
Nicky

What … antacids interfering? … gawd, I’ve been eating them like sweets. They’re only the local supermarket’s (ching, ching on the back pocket - or whatever it was they used to say on their advert) own 97p brand for about 3 dozen. Surely they can’t hurt. My chemo nurse told me I could take any tablets I wanted. Tut!

Thanks for the tips for constipation girls-made up for it today-3 times and agony each time-oh wondered why I was moaning in the bathroom-just as well I couldn’t move…!!
Joanne nice to have another Scot on board!
Am just home from playing table tennis and really enjoyed being out for a while-not quite as energetic as badminton but since that is ruled out for a while after the surgery on that side, it was better than nothing.
Pat I am away to have a bit of cheese despite ulcers and then off to bed. Sleep well ladies,
LOL,
Lyn xx

Lyn, leave that cheese alone, please - be warned!