Hi All
Had my second TAX today bloods were fine (thank goodness)! Thankyou for all your kind messages they are a great comfort at this sad time.
Seen my breast care nurse Jan today in unit I told her my sad news
I was with my sister ( who I love to bits) and Jan came back a little later with two little bunches of flowers for us (what a lovely touch)!.Been busy on phone sorting care help at home for my dad who s 86 it may take a week which is quite quick. I am pleased that mum stayed at home together till now, and I am trying to think of the good times.But it is early days so I will be an emotional wreck. I did so much to ing and fro ing which was a good thing at times to keep me occupied at this time. Now I will have more time on my hands.
Pat I am crossing my fingers that you have your last TAX so you can start to get your radio over with and then have a chill out.
Lyn I may buy an easy cook book and start doing some decent basic cooking which I havent had much time to do Mark my hubby won t know whats hit him!!Keep it up
Thanks once again
loads love Ange x
Hi all, how you doing Ange, you’re in my thoughts. You seem like a strong lady - I believe we all are on here - just look after yourself as you’ll need extra tlc over the coming days. Well, my onc phoned this pm and bloods and x-ray normal so going ahead with last TAX tomorrow. Relieved but strangely tearful, damn steroids again methinks. Jacq, hope you’re doing okay, I found 2nd TAX slightly worse than 1st but still keeping open mind. Aches and pains not too severe but they’ve gone on for the whole cycle virtually and I’ve also noticed slight oedema at ankes. Oh well, will just see how it goes. Onc said that it was helpful that I’m on 2 wk course of strong antibiotics as, what with inj as weel, should heop protect from further infection. Nicky, I feel for you having to wait til July to finish, but I really can’t believe how quickly the weeks and months have gone, and yours too will fly by. I look fwd to the day when we can ALL look back on this as a distant memory. Lyn, Snap with the waistline and bum! I’m expanding as we speak, ate 2 breakfast today and had big lump og bread pud earlier. Hope this changes when treatment stops, altho have heard there is weight gain on tamoxifen - happy days! Lou, you ok? All the best to everyone else - has spring finally arrived? I do hope so. love and big hugs, Pat x
Good luck today Pat! How lovely to be done with the dreaded Tax! Head and throat started to play up last night, but had a good night’s kip for a change. Don’t know why they don’t put us all on anti-bios before our troubles start. Still, they’re the experts.
Doubt if I’d be able to get to hospital even if I needed to this week. I live a stone’s throw from Excel(G20) and you have to show 2 proofs of address to get out of certain streets around here.Bloody waste of time and taxpayers’ money!
When do we get our eyelashes back? Hairs on arms have grown back overnight but I’m still losing lashes,have about 5 left on each eye -don’t like it! All our problems, and I’m bothered about a lack of hairy lids!
Hope everybody’s doing ok, xx Jacq xx
Hi All,
Feeling so much better now, i can’t believe the difference!! Apart from a major dose of thrush, everything seems better - or is it just cos weve got easter weekend booked to go camping for 3 days? I’m so excited - yep, i know, i really need to get out more!!!
Glad to see this thread is still going, it’s a real lifeline xx
My eyebrows have gone completely now, it looks really odd without them, and like you Jacq, the bottom lashes have gone apart from the very odd one or two!
Thomas came home from school on Wednesday saying he had a sore tummy,mmmmm two hours later - GROSSUS VOMITUS!!! bless him, i was trying to be comforting (while he had his head down the pan) - from the hallway, need to catch that like a hole in the head! needless to say, this morning he’s ravenous but school rules say 48 hours home after last bout, so that’s that before the hols begin on Friday.
Little does he know, he will be subjected to daytime telly with me!!!
Anyway, lovely ladies, back again later, hope you are all ok today?
back to the hoovering before i park my bum on the couch with the next lot of knitting,
Love Lou xxxx
Aaaaagh just lost it all!
Glad to hear that in the main everyone is doing ok.
Pat glad to hear that all is ok for your last Tax today. Hope that there will be some celebrating as soon as you feel up to it. I have decided that the “don’t you look well” comments are due to expanding girth. Everyones idea of chemo is of losing weight( mine too before all of this) and it a shock not to see less of me.
Jacq I was promised that my hair would start to return on cmf but all that has happened so far is the overnight disappearance of the last few strands of my eyebrows. I still have a few stubborn lower lashes but my upper seem to be intact. Start a new fahion? If you want to get away from G20 you could always come here. A village in Shropshire where the biggest topic of conversation is the road works that have been goin on for 15 months to prevent a repeat of “The Flash Flood” of 3 years ago.
Lou I hope that Thomas is ok. He does seem to have been in the wars recently.
Had 2nd dose of cmf yesterday and it was a little traumatic. Took nearly an hour and 5 attempts to get the needle in. I had to be given a break at one point cos I just couldn’t cope any more. Nearly got to the point of saying no more for today. At one stage I had all of the staff stood in a semi circle around me. I thought that they were all watching but now I wonder if it was to shield me from all of the other patients. In the end they managed to get in at the front of the wrist on my operated side. Asked again about a Picc as i still have 6 doses to go but it was greeted with less than enthusiasm. Apparently veins around my elbow are no good either.
Ange thinking of you.
Nicky x
Hi ladies, and Lou I too am glad this thread is still going, as I have been feeling a bit low the last few days, and don’t feel I can burden family or friends…they all expect me to be soooo positive all the time and I feel guilty for feeling crap!
Combination of things…feeling bloated and legs swollen…no energy…eyebrows disappearing fast, tho hair still hanging on-feel sick at thought of cold cap twice more but I suppose should be thankful that it has worked! Nicky like you it will be July before I am clear of treatment-just hope it’s before the 16th as daughter graduates then and I want to be feeling a bit more normal!
Beautiful day here so forced myself out for a walk but felt so alone and sat down beside river and felt like weeping-just as well I didn’t meet anyone-they might have thought I was going to top myself!!!
Jacqui think our areas shared the news last night as the helicopter that went down was just off the coast from us and an awful lot of people rely on oil for jobs here so it has had a big impact. My brother is off shore just now but not in that area fortunately.
Anyway sorry for being a misery guts today…will hopefully get out of this chemo fug soon.
hugz to all,
Lyn xx
hello everybody - been a bit quiet since last chemo but getting there…Ange - so sorry to hear of your news and send hugs to you and yours. Nicky - hope the arm manages - I sat for 2 hrs in chemo unit today for blood test as they told me to always come to them as I have bad veins blah blah…and they forgot about me so I offered at the 2 hr point to go to the phlebotomist dept where there was a) no wait and b) they got vein first time in elbow area!! They’d tried wrist area and side of thumb last week in chemo unit!! So I’m going to go there form now on, the girl I saw said to come after 12 and there’s usually no queue!
Oh camping - I want to go, Nicky have a great first weekend and Lou enjoy your break too - I might pop in and stop overnight with friends camping this weekend - I desperately want to bring the trailer tent but oh is being a bit over protective and thinks its best not to…we’ll see!! Mary x
Hi Lyn, sorry you’re having such a crap day, it’s an awful feeling and, at the time you think it’s never gonna change - but it always does. We’re all entitled to a down day - it’d be impossible to be up all the time. Two more to go, it’ll fly by, honestly and July you’ll be feeling that much better to enjoy your daughter’s graduation. At times - misery guts is my middle name! You just continue sharing with us, get it off your chest and the damn chemo fog will eventually lift. I’m sending you a big, gentle hug, hope you feel it. It’s so great that the cold cap has worked for you, I didn’t think I would tolerate it, but I have used the cool mitts for hands and feet and omg they were icy today! Long as it protects feet and hands, I didn’t mind. That was soooo sad about the people in the helicopter, thank goodness your brother wasn’t anywhere near, a blessing. And hey you, you are NOT a burden, you’re not a burden to your friends and family and you certainly AINT NO BURDEN HERE! Right, glad we got that out of the way. Just blame it on the fact that I had my last chemo today and the SE’s haven’t hit yet so I feel a bit high!!! Take care, love and hugs Pat x
Hi everyone, hope all are ok? Mary, glad you’ve finally found someone who can find your veins without all that hassle. If you don’t make the camping trip, at least try and enjoy the sunshine we’re due to have. Nicky, it’s so true about the ‘you look so well’ comments. I piled on about half a stone since being on the Tax - so that’s in 6 weeks. I can eat for England - no nausea unlike with FEC. I’m currently eating 2 breakfasts as I have first one at 6 to take first lot of steroids, then I eat again about 10! As soon as I can’t button up my clothes I’ll do something about it! Promises promises… Sorry it was so traumatic yesterday - 5 attempts is 3 too many. Today at my chemo the nurse put cannula in but then realised it hadn’t actually gone into vein, so had to take it out and try somewhere else. Thankfully she succeeded 2nd time round. It’s just something you can do without. Lou, so glad you’re feeling better - so sorry little Thomas was poorly, they bounce back so quick as well. I’m sure he’ll enjoy some snuggle time on sofa with mum! You’re near the G20 conference - bad luck! And yeh what a waste of our money. Apparently eyelashes come back up to a few months after chemo finishes. I also read that you should look to see when your nasal hair comes back as this may indicate when other hair - including head, will return permanently. What with the snotty (apologies) runny nose and permanently runny eyes, it can’t happen too soon for me. Yes, had last Tax today, collected appt card, walking out of unit with OH then realised they had booked me for TAX NUMBER 4!!! OH thought I was in pain! I went running back to reception and said ‘I don’t think so’ and she looked at me as if I was crazy, which I was. ‘I’ve finished chemo today, I’m not coming back’ Well, she was so casual - 'Oh we just get so used to booking the next chemo - me wonders are there poor patients out there having 100’s of chemo cycles they shouldn’t be having? Sorry, feeling a bit hyper, it won’t last lond as SE’s will kick in soon. Ange, hug for you, hope you’re okay. All the best to everyone else, love and big, hyper hugs from Pat x
Hi Pat and ladies,
Thanks for that Pat-it is reassuring when you know that you are not alone in feeling down. Still not feeling great today and though I haven’t been sick, whenever I think about anything to do with chemo…coldcap…sucking ice etc, I could just throw up…wierd huh??
It must be a great feeling to know that you have come through and survived-do you have to have rads now? How long do they leave you after chemo before they start rads…anyone know?
Another lovely day here-great for all you people going camping-hope it lasts!
Off to try and eat some lunch though don’t feel like it!
Hugz,
Lyn xx
Hi all, Lyn, hope you feel a little better. The weather seems to be on the up and somehow that seems to lift my spirits a bit. Damn chemo just puts a downer on everything. I was walking home past out local florist and a photographer was taking a pic of a huge floral tribute for Jade Goody (she previously lived quite nearby when she was at school)and I just cried! Thank goodness I had my sunglasses on! Anything sets me off with these steroids. Yes, I’m glad to be done, had a shock last night thou - got undressed to get in bath and ankles had swollen up. Had pain in shin as well so phoned onc to get advice and he said, as both ankles were affected it was almost certainly down to the Tax, just said to look out for any chest pain. Went out earlier and don’t feel too bad, yet. I have planning appt for rads next Wednesday, and then I think they start rads 2 wks after that - usually it’s done about 3 wks after completing chemo. I’m having 15 sessions over 3 weeks and i think I start my Tamoxifen at the same time. It’s all good I guess as you feel that things are moving along. We’ll all be there v soon. Hope everyone doing good today, love and hugs Pat x
Hi Everyone
Well the caravan is on it’s summer pitch and my dad, sister and her family are having a barbie while I’m sat at home. I didn’t feel up to towing this am so a friend took the van and my dad. I’ll hopefully follow on with the dogs tomorrow.
I feel so guilty. I was talking to a friend on the phone last night when i noticedd the dog trying to lick her chest. When I looked she had quite a gaping wound there. Managed to get her into our vet in the village today who said the wound was a couple of days old and I’d never noticed! Couldn’t be stitched in the village so I’ve had to take her into town where it’s been debrided and stitched under general. Just waiting for the call to go and fetch her. She won’t be running free in the woods tomorrow.
Well cmf seems to be better than the epi. Not feeling nearly as sick - but I have had more steroids and if food stands still it’s eaten! Mouth, hands and feet seem to be holding out aswell.
Pat sounds good for you to be so near the end. Including rads it’ll be august for me. Went for an asthma review this am and last time I was there was when i was waiting to go in for WLE and she could’t beleive how much longer there is to go.
Hope that the weather is helping to lift everyones spirits and Mary hope you get away for the weekend.
Nicky x
Hi one and all! Hope everybody’s good! Came out fighting the last couple of days after the side effects of 2nd Tax threatened to swamp me like last time. I tell you, there’s definitely something to be said for mind over matter - 'cos I just wasn’t gonna let it get to me this time!
Temperature = 37.1 = normal, and that’s after scrubbing bathroom from top to bottom and changing beds. Yeeeeaaaah!
Hope you lot in tents and caravans are enjoying yourselves, I remember when my kids were little packing up every weekend to abscond the city. My girls, great friends - and me - had the best, funniest times ever. Great memories - enjoy!
Much love and hugs to all, xx Jacq xx
Hia All
O M G did I have C O N S T I P A T I O N this morning!!!
I ve never felt so uncomfortable in all my life. I think its the ondasestron sick tablets. However later it was the best £1.75 I have ever spent - on suppositories !(not sure of spelling) Within half an hour I was sorted. Sorry to share this with you all but I felt like I had won the lottery!.Never again, next TAX (and last hopefully) I WILL B PREPARED !!
Hope your ankles have gone down now Pat.
Loads luv Ange xx
Hi all, glad you’re feeling better Jacq, it’s a lovely feeling when you feel that shift. Take it easy with the scrubbing tho!!! Ange Hope you’re doing okay. The ondasetron tabs are the queen of constipation tabs! I only took them on FEC, didn’t need them on TAX - I take Domperidone for 3 days after chemo but don’t really have any nausea. I found Movicol was good for constipation, too and prune juice! I know that feeling of relief, fantastic! Yes, we can talk about ANYTHING here! Yep, ankles have gone down a bit so that’s good as they looked really peculiar. Nicky, hope dog is okay, poor thing. You’ll get to the caravan soon. Glad the nausea is being kept at bay, it makes such a difference. Lyn, hope you feel a bit better today. Well, sun STILL shining! so hope we can all get out and enjoy it. love and hugs to everyone - Lou hope Thomas is better. Pat x
Hi ladies,
Hope you are all having a good weekend? Glad to hear you seem to have more energy Jacqui and that your ankles have settled Pat. Ange I can sympathise about the const-it has really bugged me too and it takes multiple doses of laxatives with the resulting stomach cramps to get me moving!
Nicky I hope your dog is ok? We had a similar thing with our little cat a month or so ago and he had a gaping wound inside his thigh which he kept licking-had been there for days and we never noticed-had to be stitched under general too. Felt really guilty not noticing.
Think I am beginning to feel a bit better today but still not sleeping well so completely shattered which is not helping-will have to resort to sleeping pill tonight.
Off to hang out washing while it’s nice and may force myself out for a walk-oh is having his exercise round the golf course!
Hugz,
Lyn xx
well, didn’t get camping, was just soooo tired and had horrendous indigestion type pain so decided to saty home and lie low and chill!! Weather was lovely though so it wasn’t hard…hope you all had a good’un too…mary x
Decided on a new name … SpongeMouth ThrushPants. Say no more.
Idiot - meant to say … SpongeGob ThrushPants! x Jacq x
Oh Jacq, the joys of Taxotere…I have the sludgy gob now, and sore tongue but the sore throat etc seems to being kept at bay, maybe by antibs? Maybe they should give them prophylactically to protect when on Taxotere. Still have bad aches and pains but they’re manageable at the mo. This time last cycle I’d been in bed for 3 days so there has been a shift, maybe it’s all to come… Hope all are having good day, love and hugs Pat x