@arty1 - We are also in that same financial boat that will absolutely sink unless we are both working. I have never been more grateful for having a job where I can work from home. I can only begin to imagine how much it must take out of you to be driving the distances you are having to do and also perform a physically demanding job. I absolutely second the motion @sms that any weight gain just means more glorious you! Brilliantly put.
@munchkin1 - This sounds like a step in the right direction. Anxiety is just horrendous and so debilitating. I hope and pray that the change of anti-sickness meds makes a difference. Itās good news that this is on your teamās radar and you are being heard.
@carrie5 - Your support and words of wisdom are always spot on. I see another Community Champion in the making! You are going down another cave! Some may say you are crazy but I think itās ruddy marvellous!
@jobieejo - YES! Elderly parents are super stressful. Itās always such a relief when Mum or Dad get sent home from hospital again but Iām always aware itās only a matter of time until the next occasion. I always say that I should get an Annual Pass for the car park. I would definitely save money. Many of us hear you with regard to the pre-chemo nerves. Apologies if I am repeating myself but I had a sofa, duvet and pillow in my little snug ready for the weekends directly after EC. My chemo day was a Thursday and Friday I was carried through powered by steroids. It was Saturday and Sunday where I crashed so I allowed myself those days to retreat from the world and took my anti-nausea meds so that I was never actually sick. I just felt nauseous for those days. Then I would gradually climb back up again until the next EC. I had 12 x Paclitaxel over 12 weeks and that wasnāt nearly as bad. I found that manageable but daily gave thanks for loperamide! I stopped drinking (not a bad thing if youād known what an old lush I was) so I didnāt miss going out to the pub as it wasnāt the same. That said, I did still do plenty of socialising but I was just sensible about large crowds and keeping away from situations where I would be inviting infection. I had plenty of people round and entertained in the garden. I was lucky as my oncologist said I sailed through and some people do. Hereās hoping you are one of those people, but if you get any bad reactions then just make sure you have the phone numbers handy so that you can jump on them and deal with them immediately. Above all, be kind to yourself and allow yourself time out. Like arty1 says, do what you feel up to doing.
Over to hair! I have purchased some curl cream to try to coax this bouffant into something resembling presentable but am failing miserably. I just had to drive down to our other office to fetch a delivery and caught sight of myself in a mirror. I have what can only be described as a 1980s wet look mullet. Take a look at this pic and imagine it without the moustache. Help and advice gratefully received. This is an emergency!
Hello everyone, My name is Hasnae 38yo mum of 4yo boy,I got diagnosed with IDC HER positive on February and I am having chemotherapy now just finished hard third round (6 in total)of Docetaxol/Carboplatin plus Phesgo Injection for 18 cycles, plan for single mastectomy and then radiotherapy.
My first round of chemo I had UTI infection and bad diarrhoea for 10daya and my oncologist lowered my doze.
My second one had inflammation from my port stitches and still recovering as itās not cold img properly.
My third one had to suffer from all the sides effects like nausea/sicknes/headache/hot flushes/sleepless nights/fatigue/shortness of breath for 5 days in raw.
Now I am on 6th day finally being able to play with my son.
I wish if someone had same treatment to tell me itās getting harder or easier after third round.
Sorry for my English writing as I am Moroccan
bless you! Hey start a new fashion trend! They all start somewhere you know! You could be the next big trend setter! (She says whilst busily trying on a wigā¦just in case) x
Hello! I had exact same treatment as you and i hear you with all the side effects feeling out of breath etc! I know its hard but you are half way there! Just 3 more to go. Hang in there! Better times are coming. You are in the thick of it atm but it does get better i was only her2 positive. I did 6 rounds with phesgo and radiotherapy i just have 4 more phesgo to go. I had a double mastectomy too. Jemma
Hi @hasnae87 and welcome to the group. Sorry you are having all these side effects. I found it useful to write each one down and the duration. I could then tell my oncologist in detail before the next treatment. Based on this they may adjust your dose and or side effects medication again. Some women have had their doses infused slower, and this has helped side effects. Even though its the same dose! It must be really hard having a young child and coping with this but please donāt push yourself and you must ask for help, a four year old wonāt remember much of this later so donāt feel bad. Keep in touch and let us know how you are going along.
@salbert its wonderful isnāt it i treated my self to wuthering heights book and jayne eyre as i love the films but never read the books! Was hard work taking little one in bronte houss luckily i went with my parents so she went round with my dad while i did all the readingā¦ i heard my dad upstairs saying no come back you cant do thatā¦ i felt myself cringe and expected Eden to appear with a Charlotte bronteās bonnet on lol turns out she did decide to go under line into room but came straight back luckily she only 3 so she dont understand fully as yet lol.
And as far as blaming ourselfs for whats happened i tend not to nowā¦ i spoken to loads of women who go to the gym eat healthy etc and still end up with it! Also theres all these fowk that abuse themselves too injecting every day and drinking and still plodding onā¦ think its just bad luckā¦ not saying it cannot contribute to it our life style but still. @arty1 sounds such hard work! Racing around and be kind to yourself reguarding the weight your here and thats all that matters! Life does get in way i keep saying i going to go on treadmill and its still covered in coats and by time i get time to my self its late and i cant be arsed. I do try and do some hoola hooping in living room and Eden cheers me onā¦ just finding the energy too i got tonsilitis again and on antibioticsā¦ bored of it now! I guess it takes a while for our bodies to get back to norm after all chemo.x
Thank you Jemma for the nice words, yesterday I was sobbing and thinking how hard itās can be later.
The good news is I am half way now, will try to hang in there for the sake of my only son.
That a really useful advice Jay.
Thank you so much, I will tell my oncologist to slower the infusion but really while I am smashed I canāt even think of holding a pen.
Hey @salbert do know that mullets are back in fashion, channel that young vibe! I too struggle with the poodle frizz but dont like the crispy curls with gel or cream. Searching for a soft curl cream recommendation.
Meanwhile struggling to manage 3rd Kadcyla treatment as liver levels up again and with the 10 day fatigue they have bumped it a week again. While discussing all with oncologist she mentioned the 14 rounds. I thought it was only 11 as Iād had 7 phesgo already. But Iād got that all wrong. Luckily Iād got some free counselling to deal with the original Kadcyla blow so Iām actually taking it better than I thought. So i guess Iām saying counselling really helps! Next week iāll be discussing being peed off I cant really book anything in case treatment gets moved AGAIN! Hence not daring to buy a ticket to the London glitter meet up. Darn it.
Your welcome! Just so you know you are not alone in this! Because i know it can feel like you are at timesā¦ i had lots of support around me and a 2 year old to think aboutā¦ but i found it very helpful and comforting to speak to someone who as been through it. Have you tried the someone like me? Its on breast cancer now and they match you up with someone who can call youā¦ i found that service really helpful. As mothers we defo push through stronger! We do it for them 100% more than anything. You got this! Celebrate the fact you are nearly thereā¦ its a milestone to be half way through chemo. Sending love
I donāt know if itās been mentioned here before (a lot to scroll through), it was recommended to me by my first BC nurse when I was diagnosed and I can honestly say itās been so useful. If writing things down is tricky itās a great way to document things along the way, such as appointments, medication taken, other treatments (such as radiotherapy or surgery), you can record side effects and general observations (like weight or blood pressure).
Itās totally free, it also has articles about cancer related stuff and recipes etc.
Me and mum went to Willis Wig yesterday and mum got her wig. Its nice the fact itās been funded by NHS she still got her hair but itās nice that it is all prepared in advance.
My mum after first chemo had on off pain where the lump is. Is that sort of like treatment response. Lump has significantly shrunk and redness gone
1st chemo complete! Much slower infusion, antihistamines given, cold capped, did have to wait for consultant in the end as bp was high, home now, long day, but feeling a bit more empowered, box ticked!
@sms -Well Iād rather there was just a little less of me I know everyone keeps saying. Donāt worry it will come off after treatment but I literally look like a weeble unfortunately I was already overweight so the two stone weight gain which happened at an alarming rate has thrown me into morbidly obese, which obviously itās not good
@salbert - I nearly spat my drink out at that picture ā¦ if you could possibly adopt the same expression and maybe get a stick on moustache I think youāll rock it on a serious note ā¦ maybe treat yourself to a hairdressers trip ? They can advise you x
Itās rubbish isnāt it when you have to work through treatment ā¦ Im working from home in the week tied in with school run and physically out at weekends . Today I had hospital for bloods and then parents eve so Iām now fit for nothing
@carrie5 - you say such lovely things ā¦ you are so supportive
Another cave ?! Iām in awe ā¦
@hasnae87 - welcome to our group x I hear you on all the side effects , I suffered especially with crippling fatigue and breathlessness , donāt forget to report all unpleasant side effects to your team x
@jeml - Oh gosh tonsillitis is rotten look after yourself ā¦ good excuse to get ice cream in ! Itās funny isnāt it how gym equipment always ends up
Becoming a clothes horse
@jayveebee - so sorry to hear liver levels are out again ā¦ Iām glad you have had the chance to have counselling . I think everyone should be automatically offered it on the spot with a cancer diagnosis ā¦ in an ideal world
@sassy - well done on getting that chemo ticked off ā¦ now take it easy x
@hasnae87 i was on same treatment as you my side effects were awful especially sore mouth, i couldnt eat which is why i lost a stone and a half in weight. My third cycle was the most intense, you will get there, look forward to your good days, its a long hard journey and you can do it. I start my radiotherapy tomorrow for 15 treatments the end is near x
I have just had a fabulous evening at a G4 concert and got to catch up with the boys. These guys have been so supportive of me on this gruelling journey. This time last year I was having EC and wearing a wig, petrified as I was in a theatre and immunosuppressed! A year on about to have cycle 12 of 14 Kadcyla- 6 weeks to go
You are going down another cave! Some may say you are crazy but I think itās ruddy marvellous!
bless you! Hey start a new fashion trend! They all start somewhere you know! You could be the next big trend setter! (She says whilst busily trying on a wigā¦just in case) x
i was only her2 positive. I did 6 rounds with phesgo and radiotherapy i just have 4 more phesgo to go. I had a double mastectomy too. Jemma 
she only 3 so she dont understand fully as yet lol.
I know everyone keeps saying. Donāt worry it will come off after treatment but I literally look like a weeble 
Iām glad you have had the chance to have counselling . I think everyone should be automatically offered it on the spot with a cancer diagnosis ā¦ in an ideal world