Just a quickie (those were the days!) re: the honey. Tesco’s have Manuka Active 10+ with Clover Honey for £6.99. Have been stuffing a tblspn down my throat every day for weeks - so sweet, it’s disgusting. I’m sure if the chemo doesn’t get my teeth, this honey will put me on the right road for dentures! x Jackie x
Good Morning girls
Like the rest of you I have been trying anything to keep as healthy through these troubled times as I can including the Makuna honey. Over Christmas I went down with a cold which became a cough. I had stopped taking the honey mainly because I kept forgetting and I had a tooth problem and was worried about the sugar content. The cough just would not go away and a blood test was due before my next chemo. I went back to the honey - one spoonful daily and within 3 days there was no sign of the cough whatsoever. As well as the major supermarkets M & S sell it but I am not sure of the strength.
Bright I did smile at your description of Thornton Heath. It is quite near us and one of those places you go through to get to other places but never actually stop at. Your eyes have seen it very differently to ours. If you are looking for a large Tesco have you tried the one at Purley Cross. It is probably larger than the Thornton Heath one with a car park out in the open. I never go to the one in Thornton Heath because I hate the underground car park.
Caron How is the hamster? One of my daughters breeds those gigantic rabbits and sometimes her vet bills make me wince. They far outweigh the value of the animal. How soft are we English with our pets.
Hope Shell is OK and goes home with her questions all answered and a surgery date.
I had a really good weekend catching up on some of the chores that just go by the wayside following chemo. Even down to cleaning out cat runs and fish tanks. The house even looks reasonable and the washing and ironing are up to date. OH at work today and I have the house to myself to do whatever I like!!
Have a good day everyone
LOL Andie xx
Sorry to butt in, I always read your thread so I will know what to expect if I need chemo when I get my op results. I Have just noticed that you suffer from p.l.e Caron and am now wondering if this has caused you any extra side effects with chemo ie skin problems. I was told, I will be deffo having rads and due to the p.l.e there is a slight risk of cracked rib, I am now also wondering if there is a conection because no history in familly and chest area is where I always suffer most with p.l.e. I have had to take steroids reg, during summer, is that the case with you?
Thanx and good luck to all of you ladies on this thread xx
Hi jjane123
Aww I don’t know I never heard of a cracked rib to do with it ??
No I started with it when I was 13 I went toi the Doctors he said " IT’S SUNBURN !! HELLO DR I had only been out 10 minutes ! anyway I asked to see the hospital who diagnosed me , It was awful cos I would get the blisters on my ears and my nose and I was worried of scarring anyway the hospital gave me 25factor ( that was the strongest at the time ) but now I but 60 ( if I see it ) or 50 otherwise.
And also there are 2 types 1 type when you have it all year and the other where u r bad at first but gradually get better ( that i I have ).
I am loads better with it now cos I always wear 50/60 reapply it constant !.
But imagine getting sunburn in NOVEMBER !!! ( I have ).
So why do you get a cracked rib I have no idea soz ( let mw know how you get on though Love Caronx
I have not started rads yet Caron but when I mentioned ple {i have type 1 by the way and lots of other skin probs) to my bc nurse, she contacted christies in manchester and it was the radiologyst there, who said slight risk of cracked rib with rads. He also said that he had only treated one person with ple and there had been an improvment in the ple. So that has to be a good thing, yes? I go for op results on 19th. If not having chemo I will start on rads end Jan. I’ll let you know how I go. Please do mention on your thread if there are any probs with your ple and chemo. I will keep reading.
Thanx xx
jjane123
I will do but so far none as yet , but my eczma has cleared up nicely !!! only I have been told it will come back after chemo finishes!
I hope you get on alright and your op results go well for you !
So you have it all year ? I do too only it gets a bit better in the middle of summer then worse again !
I will mention it to my chemo nurse but I can’t see why you could get a cracked rib ? ( I don’t see connection )
keep us informed and I will you xx
Victoria,
it was lovely to speak to you today , try not to worry , I am sure it is just routine that they do the bone scan .
You had your CTScan and with it being near that date you have probably put 2&2 together & made 12 !! ( honestly I really think it is routine ) .
Shelly said before in one of her posts that they are worried that it has spread to organs ( not bone ) so it wouldn’t make sense to do a bone scan first and then a CTScan would it ( do you see what I mean ?).
I am not saying it can’t have spread to bone first ( but I am sure it goes to organs first , maybe another lady will clarify? ).
And yes if you did happen to have a cancer cell that has broken off elsewhere yes the chemo would certainly destroy it .
( it destroy’s everything else ! hair lol )
In actual fact you are better than us ladies who have to have chemo first it’s just that your’s was contained ans small enough even with your 5 lymph nodes ( they are no more ! ) try not to worry I will write later love Caron x
Caron,
I had very bad eczema on my hands for years but it disappeared completely during chemo - think it may have been due to the steroids they give on top of the highly toxic chemo ! It took ages to come back - was hoping it wouldn’t but no such luck - I finished treatment in March and it was back at the end of summer.
I have small bone mets (well they were last time they checked !) and in a lot of lymph nodes they took out but no spread in organs so far, so it can go to the bones first - it’s such an unpredictable disease unfortunately.
Shell - hope you got on ok today at hospital and had some success and feel better.
Hope all the rest of you ladies are coping with all the chemo etc. I’m off to discuss my case history with a GP tomorrow so she can write a report for my retirement case with HR - hopefully she’ll back me like the consultants do !!
Liz x
PS Meant to say I’ve been and got next jar of manuka honey from Morrisons - £9.49 for 340g at a factor 10+. Have it on toast in morning and think it helps - this size jar has lasted about 2 months with daily use so I suppose it’s not that bad value. Will look out for anywhere it may be on offer and stockpile !!
Liz x
Hi Lizcat,
Its just that Brighlight is worried cos she had a ctscan and when her appointment came through for her bone scan ( well it was dated the day after her CTScan ) so she is worried that they had found something , but like I said they wouldn’t do the results that quick , mine were quick ( well actually it was my chemo nurse who rang me so maybe I wouldn’t know yet ?? ) with the results , I had mine on the Friday and my nurse rang me on the next Tuesday evening ( but I think she only rung me because I said I was dreading the results ? ).
Like I said I am not saying it can’t spread to bone first but I think it is more normal for organs to be affected first ( I may be wrong? ).
But there is no point worrying yourself stupid just because different tests coincide , Us brilliant Ladies have enough to worry about !!!.
God I am so peeved at Steve today !!! I sometimes wonder if he has a brain at all ???
firstly I saw him looking at my ( well ours ) fishtank and he said that its making a noise ! so he fiddled with it ( only doing the minimum as is usual !) I looked today (he’s gone back to work today ) the filter hadn’t been cleaned so it took me ages to do that ( wouldn’t of minded but he must have knew ! ) then we come to Jordan’s Drs appointment he wants a wart removed we have 2 surgerys one up Cleethorpes and 1 in town ( grimsby ) so Steve tells poor Jordan that he has a appoinment with the surgery in town ( unusual ! ) so off he goes , he rings me up he can’t find it so I tell him he goes only to be told Steve has made a mistake & it’s up Cleethorpes surgery ! ( poor lad is on foot ) so I rings the surgery to tell them he’s gone to the wrong one so she says "well can u tell him 2 get here asap ! " so poor sod is still on his way he is now 35 minutes late !
Then there is lunch boxes ! ( god don’t get me started ! ) Steve says there is nothing much for lunchboxes . I don’t put crisps in for them as the school don’t like it so I said well you will have to put some crisps in it ! ok he says ! ( DURRR )
Owen comes home " didn’t have much for my lunch " I say why ??? " Dad said he was putting crisps in I say yeah , oh no thats too much trouble that is ! he forgot just gave him his lunch half bloody empty !!!
Hi
Just a quick up date…
Had all my pre op tests today but got no op date, looks like its going to be a phone call at short notice so im going to pack my case…
Iv had terrible pain and bleeding from my nipple all week end, the Tramadol pills dont seem to be working i could scream !!!
Any way i mentioned this to the surgeon and she says i dont have to suffer and gave me a prescription of Morphine… I feel a whole lot better now i can tell you…
I do feel a bit woozy and tired so im off to bed to rest/sleep.
Thinking of you all,
Shell
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aww Shell I hope your alright ?
How long would it take for you to get from yours to Marsden???
I would pack my case too just in case ,
At least u got some good pain relief now ( should have given you it sooner if you ask me !)
Keep us informed take extra care Shell love Caronx
Dear all,
Will write tomorrow - as just so tired tonight. A full day in the office and then out in the evening may have been a bit much after surgery a week ago. I also had an accident today- slipped when getting on a bus and fell backwards on the curb and banging my shins upward on the front of the bus.
Shell, glad you are not in pain… do pack the case… and let me know when you are going into hospital. I do not know how to send you my phone number - but Caron has it and I would gladly visit you.
I will write tomorrow - just falling asleep now on the keyboard…
Bright xx
Hi Shell, Even if you only get a moments notice, please try and let me know on here when you will be at Marsden and on Which ward. Unfortunately I can only visit if it is the Sutton Marsden and not Fulham as my arm still in sling and cannot yet drive so have to rely on lifts, will be there tomorrow, Wednesday and next tues, weds also! Take care and keep taking morphine!! Best wishes Jo X
Caron, really hit hard by this 2nd FEC and not really doing so well so will write later! Jo X
Hi all ,
I did go to bed early . I probably did more than I should have but I had to get the house squared up after xmas and Steve can’t do everything that I would like him to !
Listen to this then !!! before Christmas one of Steve’s customers rang me and said " Is everything alright “? I presumed Steve had told her so I said " we have just found out I have got BC anyway she said " I had a feeling something was wrong " that was that .
Steve hasn’t seen her since ,first time he went yesterday and she said to Steve " Did Caron tell you I rang up “? Steve said “yes” so she said " did she tell about my dream " ??
I said to Steve I don’t think she told me , I can’t remember "
anyway Steve said she had a dream 2 nights before she rang me up and Steve was at her door bringing terrible news , she said she rang up because she knew something serious was wrong and that she doesn’t know why ( even though she has never met me ) she feels really close to me and can’t get me out of her mind !
How strange is that ???
Also yesterday a lady on facebook invited me to support a young ( well younger than me ! LOL ) with BC and to read her blog so I was just reading bits here and there when I noticed ( now this is strange too ! ) that she was just going for her results and a white feather fell infront of her ,
The week when I found out I was coming back from my Mum’s & Dads when a white feather fell just infront of me ! so Steve picked it up ( don’t know where it is now though ? ).
Strange things happening here too ( I reckon it’s Steve’s dad ! ) things falling last Saturday we were watching TV when Steve said " Didn’t you see that”? I said " what ?” he said that Glass ( it’s a special plastic glass with lights in the bottom , I wouldn’t use if I had epilepsy !! LOL ) I said what about it?
he said it just went off on it’s own , I said no I never saw it , it went off again and I did see it well Jordan ( even though he’s 6 foot 3 ) is a right scardy cat and he was nearest to it , said I’m not sitting here ! so I said to Steve turn it off which he did , then I said “I’d laugh if it went off now” ! About 1/2 a hour later there it was lights on even though it was turned off , I just started laughing !
Bright hope everything goes well today for you XXXX
Poor Jo I know it takes longer this time doesn’t it tell us how your feeling when your up to it XXXXX
Goes without saying love to everyone XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX caron
Hi girls,
Well spent 8 hrs in chemo suite yesterday waiitng for and then having herceptin and 6 hrs today cold cap and Tax. Don’t feel nauseous like I normally do straight after FEC, but am tired. Saw Onc and she thinks there has been a slight clinical change in the nasty. She can’t measure it as well, which is a good sign apparently. and it seemed slightly smaller. It wasn’t much of a reduction…but it’s something. She also broke it to me that I would need a mast cos of other lump, but had to tell her that I wanted that as soon as diagnosed!!!
Shell - so glad you have stronger painkillers and are a step nearer your op time. have been thinking about you lots.
Caron - thank you for your fab stories. I went to Ephesus too …a few years ago. It’s lovely. Can’t wait to feel well enough to travel somewhere hot and lovely again. Anyone actually thinking ahead and planning hols? Dare we??
Booked to have my nails painted properly at the shop up the road this week.They are going to give me a nice hand massage and trim my wig for me too!! All good!!! Will feel like a treat.
Hope everyone isa doing OK. I’m going for a cup of team…try to sidestep the chocolate flake (I had to buy because of someone planting the idea in my head!!!) and watch some mindless TV.
Love to you all,
Gailxxxx
Gailxxx
Hi
We have actually booked a holiday in September. 1 Week in a bungalow that we adore in the Dorest Town of Swanage. Not everyone’s cup of tea but OH will not fly or go on a boat so we stay in the UK. We rented this bungalow last year and had an amazingly relaxed week. It is in the grounds of a hotel so we eat there everyday.I am so looking forward to it. OH has said that if we get a reasonable gap between surgery and rads he will take me to the coast for a few days. I really hope that comes about- I crave some fresh air.(As well as copious amounts of chocolate) London is OK but I would like some sea air.
Andie xx
Hello all,
Andie, I have enjoyed two very relaxing holidays recently in Dorset and Somerset. There is a very special light in those counties that gives rise to reddish golden sunrises and sunsets that seem to last forever. Things I particularly enjoyed included: walking to the end of the spit (strip of sand) that reaches out into the sea at Teignmouth; visiting the ancient abbey and crystal shops in Glastonbury and climbing up to the top of the Tor; walking around the grounds of the tropical gardens of Dunster castle (and having afternoon tea and excellent sandwiches in the tearoom in the medieval town centre); browsing the antique and fossil shops in Lyme Regis; and visiting the street market and watching the morris dancers in Wells.
Gail, we seem to have quite a lot in common - horror films, love of Brighton…a love of chocolate flake cake…
Jo, sorry that you have been suffering more this time with the chemo.
I went for a bone density scan today which meant being injected with a radioactive substance that gravitates to any areas of weakness and tumour growth in the bones. The hospital sent me away for three hours, during which time I explored the small shops on the Walworth Road near Camberwell and East Street Market. I noted that Charlie Chaplin lived there at one time - as did Charles Babbage who invented the computer - so I felt in great company. As we were eating lunch in one of the cafes (me a sausage sandwich on crusty bread and no butter, Jason - a jacket potato with cheese and butter) - Jason said I looked like I was positively glowing. I think he meant it as a complement - but I told him it was probably a cross between feeling quite hot - as the cafe was overheated and also being radioactive from the dye.
The scan lasted about thirty minutes and wasn’t too bad. I just had to lie on a very narrow board and have the scanner move over my head and body within a centimetre or so from my form… I was worried that the machine might squash me - but the technician said she would not allow that to happen… she herself had been through the same scan, as well as MRIs, CTs, and others as she was being treated for liver cancer… at least I said she could empathise with the patients, even though she was experiencing her own scary journey with the same overarching disease as us. I do hope one day medics find a universal way of eradicating cancer -as I wonder sometimes if I will ever have a normal life again…
Today we went shopping in a giant Somerfield - until which time I thought they only existed as mini shops, nothing more to say than that really - but I spent about half an hour browsing all the magazines. Have you noted that most of them have bright pink somewhere on the cover… a colour I am naturally drawn to. I bought ‘Closer’ which is my current favourite.
I thought I’d share one of my favourite paintings - it is called the Travelling Companions. It is the same girl - and one way she is wide awake, expectant and going out for the day, and the other way she going home again and weary from the trip. I love pictures that tell a story, and where there is more to it than meets the eye. rmtbristol.org.uk/AitAoS%20travelling_egg.jpg
I hope everyone enjoys a restful evening.
Caron - will be writing to you in a little while - wish you could save some shepherd’s pie for me!
Love Bright xxxx
Hi all,
hope everyome is ok?? JO ? SHELLY ???
I am terrible for remembering what people have said and when it gets to the next page ( BCC page ) you don’t know what they have been saying ( forget ! )
Anyway I have come up with an ingenius plan ! open notepad and copy & paste ! ( you can’t go wrong !! )!!
GAIL… Any amount of reduction is FAB !! ( even if it is the same size ( IT IS NOT GROWING ! ) you are winning the war !!! which is fantastic think of it that wat it’s not growing !
I also ( well didn’t even consider there was any other option other than to lose my breast ) so expected it ! ( tell you what I would have been surprised if he said " no just a lumpectomy "! Hand my heart on my hand I mean that ! )
glad you are sticking with your coldcap ( I hope it works ).
ps don’t u let too many of them chocs fall into ur mouth ! lol xxx
Andie seems to have gone on writer strike ??? ( you need to write more than that !!!
& you need to live near Cleethorpes !! only 25 mins away ( thats if I am walking ! ))
Victoria have you got room for a small one ?? I have never been to Brighton ( probably cos I am next to Meggies ! ( Cleethorpes as we all call it ! ))
My Dad found some fossils once ( he still has them ) they are quite big and of a snail thing ( I;m sure you know what I mean ) they are common anyway)
You are always shopping ! lol
I am going to buy the Breast cancer T shirt ( speaking of pink ) !
had to laugh you know that lady who I have been speaking of ( who Steve knows ) Di anyway her results have come back good ( she only has cancer in 1 breast ! lol )
and her other is fibrosis ( or summats like that ! ) she said to me " oh next year we will go on the walk for life " ( for breast cancer ) anyway she says " I DON’T DO PINK NORMALLY !! but she said I will for that ! she is living with a lady partner ! I had to laugh !!!
Travelling Companions !!! well what can I say what a beautiful painting !!!
God I see I am really ignorant I have never taken notice of paintings before ( I would love to tell you who painted it but I can’t ) I would have loved to tell you who painted it but I can’t ( I could lie and search & tell you but I hate liars ! , I will search now though !
think of it the other wat around !! tired before vibrent after !!! ( IT’S US !!)XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXX
Lots of Love Caron xx
Gail, is that your first TAX. Interested to know how it differs to FEC as only 1 more FEC for me before I change to TAX.
Shell, how you doing today. Hopefully more comfy with your super duper pain killers!
Hello All
Feeling slightl better today but oh so tired. wot is wrong with me I didn’t think FEC was supposed to be so bad for fatigue. Haven’t even started TAX yet then I’ll know wot tiredness is!!!
Had a huge row with OH this afternoon. He works from home which is great especially all this going on, but I said to him "just going up for a rest for an hour, but if i’m not down by 2.30pm come and wake me up. Had to be a first support group meeting at hospital by 3.30pm. Got all kids shipped out and looked after and being picked up from nursery etc so he had nothing else to think about today for a change, Even got all their dinner ready for them so he could just heat it up and feed them when they got back from school. Can you believe I woke up at 3.20pm the bloody idiot forgot all about me, LIVID!!! is not the word. still not talking. I decided to take my sling off and drive myself, as couldn’t bear to look at him, drove like a maniac(decided to take his precious car, to really pee him off) to the hospital and sobbed all the way with a wonky head scarf as didn’t have time to fuss with it or faff with bloody awful wiggy WHICH I LOATH AND DETEST!! Then turned up half and hour late for awful support group meeting where they were all introducing themselves and getting to know one another! When it came to my turn I just burst into tears and couldn’t speak so now I feel like a prize turkey in frount of all the other woman that are going through exactly the same thing! AND IT’S ALL HIS FAULT!!
Aaaah feel better for that rant, sorry girls!!
I was born in Devon but grew up in beautiful Dorset, so I have a very special feeling about the place. I’m lucky as Mum still lives there so we get to go quite often!!!
We actually booked our Summer holiday last year when we we’re in resort as it’s very difficult to get anywhere that has rooms big enough for families of 5, don’t know why though, we’re not that freaky uniquey I’m sure. The kids are too young though to be in a room by themselves so we do have to book early. we’re going to cyprus as it’s our 10 year wedding anniversay and that’s where we went for our honeymoon. thought it would be quite nice to go back with the kids. The idea was to have a little ceremony with just the kids and renew our vows, but he’s got BOB HOPE after today!!! Anyway wot would be the point in getting dressed up and spending a load of extra money and buying a new frock, and looking like a peanut in it coz i’m sure I won’t have any hair back by July!!!
Aaah he’s just bought me some fresh pineapple to help with my mouth ulcers!! His way of saying sorry!!! OK I’m starting to thaw a bit!!
Right must go, I’m missing my sad fix of BB!
Night Night all.!
Jo X