@salbert Well done for prioritising you. It’s not easy and with your Mum and Dad needing your help, I’m sure you feel very pulled in all different directions. Hope all went well with respite today.
@carrie5 that is a long wait for results. Although mine said 3/4 weeks I actually heard after 2 weeks. So fingers crossed it’s earlier.
@arty1 life has a habit of getting in the way. Like @salbert you need to do what is right for you and your family.
There is a lot of support on here.
Life has ups and downs. Sometimes we need to just go with the flow and do what is right at that time.
Hi again. I gained about a stone during chemo as it affected my tastebuds and I craved sweet things like cakes and biscuits and bread to settle my stomach. I’m 3 months post chemo and I’ve lost half a stone already so now I’m eating healthier and my taste is getting back to near normal I’m hoping the rest will come off😊
Was supposed to start last Monday, but the pharmacy needs 48 hours notice and my oncologist has semi retired. Anyway, had an assessment and result of my blood test, all ok. Was going to start Thursday, then I developed a uti….!! So now starting Friday, after antibiotics finish. Collected my first bottle, 150 loperamide tablets and anti sickness tablets! Glad to hear you reduced dose is working for you. Have also joined the Facebook group you suggested!
Weight goes up and down for me within the cycle. Not so much physical weight, but what I think might be chemo bloat. I have lost a couple of kilos overall since starting, but today I look like I’m wearing a football.
How many tablets are you on to start with . I was in for a follow up phone call at 1pm today but so far heard nothing. This has happened before but it’s so annoying.
I am currently using Cetaphil which I got from Morrisons. It’s not perfect but seems to be ok. I used to use bio oil on my face but that’s off the menu. I tried baby oil instead, but that just caused spots. Others use E45 but I didn’t like the texture. Maybe have a play to find what works best for you on the face.
On the body, again E45 is talked about and works well for many. I have actually started to use coconut butter which I got from Holland and Barrett in the cooking section. It is really solid, but if you scoop out a handful and rub it on your palms it turns into a gorgeous oil.
I use that on my legs, feet and arms and now scalp. I am getting on really well with it and it is not too pricey, about a fiver which lasts for ages.
I guess with skin we are unique, so you might benefit from a patch test. I get spots on my face around week 3 of chemo, but they go again in a week or so, and are easily concealed under foundation (Clarins, my one luxury).
Enjoy the LGFB workshop. It was fantastic. Your trainer will undoubtedly have loads of excellent skin care tips as well. X
@sweatybettyhq26 I used some ‘moo goo’ products they do a cleanser for dry skin and some hydrating creams. Have you come across ‘little lifts’? Look it up, but its a charity that sends out little gift packs to people on cancer treatment and I got a few moo goo freebies through them. My weight was stable throughout chemo but Ive lost a bit on Letrozole. All the best everyone whichever stage you’re at.
@sweatybettyhq26 I’ve used Aveeno baby moisturiser thtoughout on my face and find it very good. At my first chemo I was also given a huge thing of moisturiser by the nurse which I’ve used for the rest of me!
I am sorry Ive havnt posted for a long time!
I went back to work shortly after my holiday in October and everything seems to be so busy!
I hope everyone is doing ok?
Today is exactly a year since my diagnosis and this last year all seems to be a bit of a blur!-Although I can remember exactly what I was wearing and exactly what was said this time last year!!
I am now well into halfway of my herceptin injections,And am on week 3 of taking tamoxifen(They took an age to be prescribed!)
Am not finding any horrific side effects from either other than the standard aching,fatigue and odd hot flush,But I am struggling with my weight,I seem to be putting it on for no apparent reason,And am finding it quite difficult to get rid of it,I dont feel ready to start running again,But I do have a very active job and am always walking around etc, I am trying to be kind to myself with regards to it but its starting to effect my body image now more so than loosing my hair and boob!!
Has anyone else on herceptin/tamoxifen found the same?And have any advice?
It’s interesting and quite timely that the weight discussion has just taken off on here as I was horrified at my weight gain when I finally plucked up the courage to weigh myself this morning. I wasn’t able to keep my jeans done up at work last week and was fortunately wearing a loose and flowy top so I could undo them, or I think I might have exploded! This led me to wondering whether it was the decision I made to myself over Christmas to eat everything in sight and more, my microbiome finally returning to normal after treatment, menopause, or a combination of it all. As from this morning I have cut out crisps, biscuits and cake. I KNOW… I KNOW!!! It’s drastic and rather tragic but then so is not being able to fit into any of my jeans. To answer your question @sweatybettyhq26 , I lost weight due to stress of diagnosis, repeated surgeries and scanxiety. I then kept it off during chemo and Phesgo but never got the steroid bloat as I was very sensitive to them so only got given an eighth of the dose I was originally given. (I went truly nuts! ) My bowels were a flipping nightmare until about November 2025 when they settled down again, then it was Christmas and I ate my own body weight in chocolate, puddings, cashew nuts and Pringles and now I find myself the heaviest I have been since I was pregnant. I will let you know how the diet goes.
@rainbowbrite10 hi lovely to hear from you it is a year today I was diagnosed as well!! Gosh what a year!! Pleased to hear you are doing ok and that you are back at work.
I am on Kadcyla had 5 so far not back to work as of yet but hopefully soon. I am too putting on weight when I went for my Kadcyla other day I had put another kg on and the nurses said it’s fine but it’s not really fine as it’s so hard to get off Xx
I put on 1 1/2 stone during chemo on Paclitaxel. It’s very common on that drug and I was weighed at every clinic. It wasn’t enough weight gain to concern my team. I wasn’t happy but knew I just had to live with it. Two years later, I’m now 2 stone lighter. I have reduced portion size, walk before breakfast and it’s really helped. I found walking the dog or nordic walking with yoga helpful. Some aerobic exercises are jarring on my joints, so I struggle with them. I still eat cake and chocolate but smaller portions, if I try hard!
Have hormone therapy can cause weight gain, if you are hormone positive. Eating normally wasn’t helping, so I had to reduce portion size and extend my non eating times.
I had a Scamp and Dude scarf, at the end of my chemo, as I helped organise my local Maggie’s centre to link to the charity. It took 3/4 months to get it set up but now more ladies will benefit from my little intervention. The team at Maggie’s hadn’t heard of it and they even have a little buddy for the children. They give them out on the Look Good Feel Better courses. The cancer centre didn’t want to organise this, they said they didn’t have the time or capacity to do so. I don’t think they are in all hospitals or Maggie’s. I have bought several scarfs and clothes. Clothes aren’t cheap but more affordable with discount codes or outlet prices.
@anb1 It really has been a year!!!How are you finding the kadcyla?
I booked the day off work today,And decided I needed to do something nice for myself,Am just back from my first post chemo haircut,Altho I feel like I look more like Paul Weller now than when I went in!
@naughty_boob I have had to confess to my portion sizes being way larger than necessary. I heard that you should only eat enough nuts to fill the palm of your hand each day but I tend to pour them fast so that they spill over both sides and I accept that I am fooling myself. Massive well done on the Scamp and Dude link to your Maggie’s. You are a very wonderful human being.
@sweatybettyhq26 I have to go for my zoledronic acid, blood test and meeting with my oncologist on 5th February. The last time I was there I was 9 stone 3 and now I am 10 stone 1. My forthcoming weigh-in is one of my incentives to getting back to what I was. You have reminded me to wear as lightweight clothes as possible. Good on you for ordering your wig. It’s so brilliant to whack on a perfect hairstyle. I really should dig mine out again for bad hair days.
@rainbowbrite10 I went through some decidedly dodgy stages while losing my hair and growing it back again but it must be said that Paul Weller is and always has been a damn sight cooler than Hillbilly Hicksville Sal was!!
Have a good weekend all. I’ve got my tissues at the ready as my Mum and I are off to see Hamnet and we were wrecked after seeing the theatre production so are primed. On Sunday I am off to The Lightroom to do that up close and personal with dinosaurs experience. Very excited about that!
) My bowels were a flipping nightmare until about November 2025 when they settled down again, then it was Christmas and I ate my own body weight in chocolate, puddings, cashew nuts and Pringles and now I find myself the heaviest I have been since I was pregnant. I will let you know how the diet goes. 
Massive well done on the Scamp and Dude link to your Maggie’s. You are a very wonderful human being.