well me ( yet again )
I did get ready to go but then Steve rung the nurse and she said it might be better to wait but it was up to me , so I am leaving it till Monday now, then my chemo nurse rung and said it wouldn’t have mattered cos they just want to know after I have had my chemo what difference the chemo makes to my count .
But she said if I am not feeling on par then it is probably best to wait.
Steve has taken the kids ( chloe & Owen ) to Asda , I have got my pj’s back on and lying on thr sofa.
I hope I feel better next week ? the nurse said it may be cos I have had my tooth out & have been run down by it all.
write back soon.
Hope you are back home Shelly and resting up !!!
love HUGS CARON XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A cross and chain sounds like a lovely present. Always difficult to buy for me - Jason likes books about crime, so that’s what I plan to choose for him. But I only have three days no before surgery: I am going in for 7am on Tuesday, and then out with luck on Christmas Eve. I should be able to access my e-mails at least through my phone in hospital once I feel up to things after the surgery. Are you taking extra care of your hair? Just wondering if it is worth rubbing almond oil or anything else into the scalp prior to the chemo, as I’ve read it is drying. Trying to enjoy my last six weeks or so of the long hair I had for so long taken for granted.
I met my former partner for lunch (we were together for 14 years) - in the end the age gap got too much (30 years) but there is still a kind of spiritual undestanding between us that comes with the years.
Hoping your decorations are going up… and that you are feeling better.
Bright x
Hello girls
Back from a very boring day at the hospital. I arrived as per my appointment at 10. They connected the canula at 11 and then realised that the Herceptin had not been delivered from the pharmacy. It was eventually all up and running just after 11.30. It took 90 minutes . Then I had to hang aroung until 3 to make sure I had no bad reactions. I just sat there feeling fine getting thoroughly bored. In the end they got fed up with me joking that I was bored and let me go. While there I had my bloods done for Monday and they are fine so chemo No.6 will go ahead then.
I have a wonderful bruise on the back of my hand where the first attempt to put a canula in failed. The second attempt further up my arm went in just fine. I should consider myself lucky - they made a mistake with the lady next to me and hit an artery. The blood went everywhre and another lady waiting nearly fainted. All good fun on a cold miserable friday.
We put our Christmas tree and lights up last weekend. Not too many because although I felt OK while I was putting them up I had to bear in mind that they will all have to come down again and I may not be feeling so good then. We also have lights at the front of the house. We only live in a short road and we all decorate our houses. We have a strong residents association. Last Saturday we hired a hall and had a big christmas party. Next weekend we have a gathering in the street to wish each other a Happy Christmas and to drink copious amounts of mulled wine and eat sausage rolls and mince pies.
I think you wondered where I live Caron. Its an area in South London named Anerley which no one has ever heard of. It’s between Beckenham and Crystal Palace.
Shell if you feel up to reading this I hope you were well enough for the next chemo and like the others send you lots of love and hugs. Those cancer cells should be getting a real pounding by now.
Have a good weekend everyone
LOL
Andie xx
Joy, just wondered what part of the country you live? I am in London - near Crystal Palace…
Hiya I live in a boring town ( apart from when the robbers are out ! ) called Grimsby
I have heard of Analeyse before which is a bit like your name ( and what a lovely name it is ! )
Bright I love crime books as well owt like that true crime ppl who killed together , owt like that.
Are you having your reconstruction at the same time???
I think I will cos if I had a choice I would never ever go under off my own choice .so that means I will have to have it done at the same time cos I have no choice so they might as well do it at the same time.
speaking of your bruise if they keep doing that to me ( cos I am a weak feeble person with the smallest veins you ever did see ! ) I might choose the line that you have in all the time ?
I think poor Shell will be ill again for most of the week she only had chemo 7 days ago so she must be really going through it.
Please keep wriring LOVE HUGS & CUDDLES CARON XXXXXXXXXXX
Hi Bright
If you live near Crystal Palace which hospital are you being treated in. A local one or one of the big London ones.
Andie
Hi Joy and Andie
I am having reconstruction at the same time - with implant/tissue expander, which will require follow-up surgery at the end of treatment to fit permenant implant, and to reduce other side to match. I am age 42 by the way, no children and have a partner who took early retirement, so someone to look after me! I actually live in West Norwood so close to you Andie. My hospital is Kings College near Denmark Hill, though having surgery at St Thomas’ because that’s where the plastics team is based.
No way I would want the permanent line for chemo - I think after a while the area can get sore and red, though of course I might be wrong. I like crime too Joy. Crime Channel on Cable is good. I like real-life crime rather than fiction. Other things I like are creative writing and reading poetry, as well as trying out new recipes.
Do you both work? I work in education research - quite interesting.
Just now watching Come Dine With Me!
Bright x
Hi everyone,
Bright - I’m recording “Come dine with me”…how sad am I!!! Just catching up on all the episides of Spooks I’ve missed. I think I might love TV too too much. I’m more fiction crime though - love CSI, Bones, NCIS etc etc. We caught a burglar at work next door last weekend… freaked me out a bit, but police got him and he didn’t get much. Too close to home!!
My poor Christmas tree is still naked. Can’t face it. It feels like 5 mins since I packed the tinsel away last year, but also like a lifetime ago as the last couple of months have gone so so slowly. I’m going to make a big effort tomorrow. My local community centre has a kids party on and I might take my little one to get int he Christmas spirit. Had a lecture from my BC nurse about not getting out enough yesterday, so plan to make effort next week as I should be feeling better.
Got my pal to cut my hair much shorter today. It’s still coming out, very slowly, but I’m not sure if it will continue or not…just want to get a step nearer in case it all has to go. But…the wigs arrived…yeah. I think they do look like wigs, but they make me feel like being a different woman!!! I feel more of a Celeste when I’m weraing them for some reason!!!
Chemo has been really drying for hair and skin. Lots of conditioner and don’t wash your hair as much or use strong products or hair dryers etc. BUT… at the end of the day… who knows whether it really makes a difference.
Andie - thanks for the info about Herceptin. I have to start after Christmas and didn’t realise you had to be in so long. Can’t remember - are you moving to Tax next too? Be interesting to know if the effects are different. Have you had any side effects from the Herceptin?
Caron - hoping you’re all snuggled up in your PJs and feeling better.
Also keeping my fingers crossed for Shell and hoping you feel OK.
Gailxx
Hiya all,
well I went to bed at 1/2 9 last night but then woke up at 3.40 am ! couldn’t get back to sleep so I got up then Steve got up cos of me I told him not to but he has gone to sleep on the sofa now.
Steve told me that Chloe’s hamster died last night ! Chloe will be really upset we got her this hamster cos she has got 3 ( well 2 now !) but one is really old called Lily and she has another male (long haired champagne ) called Champa’s ! so cos lily is old I let her get another long haired champagne one called muffin and she was going to breed Champa’s and Muffin ( as they are the same breed ) she was waiting till Muffin was old enough, she is only about 12 weeks ( if that ). Chloe brought her down cos she wasn’t moving properly so Steve gave her a rub trying to bring her round but she died ! ( aw well thats Steve at the petshop today ! ).
Chloe has got some Guinea pigs 2 females Salt and Pepper , then someone was getting rid of a male Guinea pig called Bob ! so we mated Salt and Bob and Salt had 4 babies but 3 died only 4 weeks ago but we have to take the baby ( not named cos Chlo’es friend is having him ) to Chloe’s friends today.
I think I know why I have been feeling off cos I have got a slight cold ( THANKYOU CHLOE ! ).
It’s pitch black outside it’s 7.16 now.
I hope my cold goe’s before Monday / Tuesday???
well I am off to hang the washing out (as long as it’s not raining? )
see’s ya later Love Caron x
Caron (apologies I have been writing to you as Joy before now),
Your writing about the family rodents reminds of the two golden hampsters I was given when I was a child. Both Hamish and Fredrick (F came first and H was the replacement) had really vicious personalities and would look for any opportunity to bite me or to escape up the chinmney, during the times we gave them free excersie time outside their cage.
It may be dry in Grimsby, but here today in London, there is driving rain and it is going to one of those days which is gloomy throughout, when it will lighten up - perhaps just a little - by 11am, and then sink quickly into darkness again and swallowed up by the night. It is the kind of day for doing comforting things at home, like baking or watching a black and white film on the television, or perhaps if brave enough to venture out to a cosy tea shop somewhere and eat raisin toast by an open fire. Me I am going out a bit later to pick up my repaired mobile phone, and then on to Kingston to buy nightware for the surgery, looming now around the corner on Tuesday.
I do love the North East by the way - especially Whitby and its rocky coves and the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Train. Grimsby I have never been there, but always up and down the country on my travels for work and for pleasure - so may get there one day.
Hope you manage to get some more rest - and that your washing dries.
Love Bright x
LOL ( this is Joy NOT ! )
was funny though,
no my washing will not dry as it’s grey and gloomy here too !
My wigs have comw today they are ok I suppose ???
I have my appointment for a wig fitting at the hospital on 2/1/09 ( I will prob be bald by then ! ) at 11.30 a,
listen to this I also got my appointment for my C T Scan ( which I am nervous about ) guess what day ??? yes you guessed right
2/1/09 !! at 10.30 am !!! have to be bloody quick ! no I will have to change my wig appointment to later or a different day .
I may go to Asda soon to get my son’s girlfriend her xmas pressy .
I work from homw too ( well it’s not work Steve does that I just count the money LOL ). and I get paid for it too !
I bet you are nervous about Tuesday, I am not thinking about that I have to get chemo out the way first.
I wonder how Shelly is ???
Take care all Love CARON (lol) xxxxxxxx
Hi all, hope you don’t mind me butting in, have chatted to Bright elsewhere and noticed that Andie also lives close by in Anerley, I’m in Beckenham & know Anerley well! Which hosp are you receiving your treatment at? I’m at the PRU but having my mastectomy and axillary clearance in Orpington on Tues.
Hi Girls
muv70 I am being treated at the PRU as well. I am finding them brilliant.Because of the nature and size of my BC I am having my chemo first. Since August I have been a regular visitor to the treatment suite and the nurses there are angels. I have an appointment with the surgeon the first week in January to discuss my surgery options. I had assumed that surgery would take place at the PRU attached to the Chartwell unit. I did not realise that some of their surgery is done at Orpington - did you have a choice?
Gail I can honestly say that I have not had a single SE to the Herceptin (24 hours on ). I initially had 4 x AC then moved to 4 x Tax of which I have had 1 so for. No.2 on Monday. My hospital send you home after tax with injections to give yourself. They are to help with keeping the bloods right for the ongoing doses. The SE to the injections happened obviously at the same time as the tax which made the first week hard. As soon as the injections were finished I got better fairly quickly.
Caron your Hampster tales reminded me of when my girls were little, aided and abetted by their dad they started breeding them. Trouble was they tend to have quite large litters and finding homes became a problem. In the end a local pet shop took some. Be Warned…
The weather here in London really is wet and miserable today. Definatley a day to watch TV or read a book
Love and Hugs
Andie xx
Hi ladies
Thanks so much for all your kind words and best wishes.Chemo went ok on Friday although i have felt sick and tired ever since. I am feeling better than i was though so thats good.
Hope your bloods are ok for you to have your chemo on Tuesday Caron.
i will be thinking about you too Bright when you go in for your op, you must be so scared…
Gail- have you got your tree up yet? we put ours up last weekend… well Simon did whilst i watched,looks good and the boys are getting so excited…
We have 2 hamsters, Smirnoff and Remmy. we have 2 guinnie pigs too Millie and Lewis.
My little darling girl though is my boxer bitch… fizzy.She is such a gem & she follows me every where. i love dogs.
Going to get some tea now as Simon is cooking a curry. yum
Take care,
Shell.xxxxx
Shelly so pleased to read that the chemo was okay - and that you are at least well enough to access the forum. I am a bit scared to say the least about Tuesday, but over the last two years I’ve undergone knee surgery twice after I broke it at work. St Thomas’ is a good hospital though I’m sure the PRU is too. Just sitting down now after coming in from shopping - on this grey and rainy Saturday, with the tree lights flickering in the half light (down to the low wattage light bulbs in the sitting room). I am really scared of dogs by the way, I have a real phobia, and walk or run for miles to avoid the chance of seeing one. When I was little I used have nightmares about them dogs - especially Alsatians, rottweilers and anything large and threatening. But I do have a cat called Felix whom I love dearly - black and white with perfect markings. I take him for walks on a lead, as it is too busy around here to let him out.
Caron - will you really be bald so soon? Are you trying the cold cap. Thinking of you in Grimsby - I expect there is great fish and chips where you are…
The curry sounds tasty - what kind? We are having roast chicken.
Bright x
Hi Shell
So glad to have you back with us and that you feel reasonably OK. When will you know that this new regime is working?
Andie xx
Andie - I have a scan booked for the 14th Jan… that should tell me if the tumour has shrunk. I have to have another cycle of chemo though on boxing day.
I took 4 of the chemo nurses fluffy animal socks in on Friday as prezzies so i hope they will wear them boxing day…(they always compliment my silly socks).
Bright - Who are you taking with you for your op? Your not going alone i hope. Sorry to here you don’t like dogs, cats are cool too.
Were having chicken curry, i would prefer a roast though. Mind you doesn’t matter what i eat at the mo it doesn’t taste right, crappy taste in my mouth all the time. Do you get that ladies??
(((hugs)))
Shell
xxx
We should swap then: I’d prefer the curry! We bought an expensive chicken for the roast - organic free-range so going to turn the left overs into chicken and mushroom pie tomorrow. My partner is going with me to the hospital. He took early retirement and so I have my own personal carer - lucky I know. But he has quite a few bad habits, principally about leaving the house in a mess. I suppose we cannot have everything though. Do hope the tumor is shrinking at last…
Bright xx
Hi girls,
So my tree now looks gorgeous. Took me forever and I almost felt a bit Christmassy (how do you spell that word??). It’s huge though…we always buy one that’s too big. Horrible day here today…rain rain rain! Lots of movie watching and Steve cooked home made chicken soup. Yummy yummy. Now feel a chocolate thing coming on. He is putting Kai to bed and then it’s XFactor (recording) night!!!
My appetite is really up and down. Rubbish for the first few days and then about day 6 i can’t stop thinking about chinese food. Happened both times!!! have had funny taste thing for a few days though too…particularly made me go off fruit a bit for some reason.
Andie - Thanks for the info about Herceptin and Tax. Will be following you closely!!!
No pets here I’m afraid. Love them though and just lure other people’s into my house. We are just really rubbish at looking after things. It’s a wonder Kai gets fed really. We had goldfish…but I can’t lie… it wasn’t a pretty end for them!!
Shell good to hear from you. Fingers crossed for that chemo to get fighting. Hoping mine will get working too. The nasty has been hurting a bit, but I don’t trust it not to be growing after they found the other lump thing.
Have finally said goodbye to my job. They were so vile in the end. Will probably start to go even more insane after Christmas. Need to find things to stop me looking at cancer websites and getting depressed. I’ll be on here all the time!!
Gailxxxx
Sorry about your job Gail, and hope if you are well enough you can pick something more suitable up in the new year. The chicken soup sounded good - we ate roast chicken, and I was weighing up whether to turn the left overs into a soup or a pie. Decided on the pie in the end - with mushrooms and leeks. I love chicken soup though - with tiny bits of spaghetti, carrots, onions and brussel sprouts (that’s the secret ingredient!). It tastes even better on the following day and good for making you stronger: it is sometimes called Jewish Penicillin!
I am sure your tree is looking lovely. Mine is opposite me and twinkling away, while I try to catch up on some work.
Bright xx