Thanks for sharing your experience @caz591 x So did you have bloods taken a couple of days before each Kadcyla infusion similar to before chemo then?
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Love your āalternative humourā @Jaygo - these things just happen. I guess its all helping us get through this rubbish. Iāve come to the conclusion that trying to be sensible, our former selves or what other people need us to be, takes energy better used in getting through and snatching the better moments when they come. Take care all.
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@dilly yes you get your bloods taken just like chemo, my bloods were always ok unlike chemo where they were too low once and chemo had to be delayed, no delays with kadcyla x
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Thank you x
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Hello my friends!
Wellā¦ after putting us through hell and all gathering around his bedside, my father decided to sit up and ask for a beer at the weekend. He got himself out of bed on Saturday afternoon and struggled to the lounge and then tucked into some fish and chips. The Urgent Response Team who were dealing with him have just done a blood test and announced that there is no sign of infection. He was at deathās door and we had been told to prepare ourselves. Now we are all absolutely dumbfounded and he is proclaiming that there was never anything wrong with him as he doesnāt remember what he has just put us through! Last week I lost a friend and my aunt, so I was thinking it would be a hat trick of sad goodbyes. I slept properly for the first time in over a week last night. Soā¦..sorry Iāve been a bit quiet. I even forgot to tell my brother that my aunt had died, so scrambled was my brain.
@dilly You are certainly not the first person to say that they felt blindsided by the news that there was residual cancer and more treatment on the cards. Some have said that they wished they had known this was a possibility. I feel that this is feedback that we should be somehow giving our teams.
@sbee Sorry you have one of those people blessed with a wonderful medical brain and zero empathy as part of your team. If only they could be taught what and what not to say and how to do it, as part of their training.
Hello @catlover2 As others have said, I am sorry you find yourself here but we welcome you with open arms. We have all been where you are and we understand how terrifying it is to be where you are now. It DOES get better and you will get through it, I promise. As @carrie5 says, you will just keep putting one foot in front of the other and with your team for the medical stuff and us for the mental support, you will come out the other side. I finished treatment in April of last year and since then Iāve been to Scotland twice, New York and am off to Iceland towards the end of this month. (Me too, Carrie!!) Two years ago I had just started chemo and my hair was falling out. I was feeling scared and a shadow of my former self. Now I feel like a better and stronger version of the person I was pre-bc. My son did his GCSEs last year so I was also going through it at an inconvenient time. I told his Head of Year but my son was actually annoyed with me for bringing him to her attention! He said he was fine and actually, he was. I was always honest with him but it was obvious how happy he was when my hairdresser left the last time and had got my hair looking similar to how it had been before I lost it. That was when I realised that it had affected him somewhat; he just didnāt show it. I was given lots of COOK vouchers and deliveries from them which were a great help when I didnāt feel like cooking. Also, I made sure that I had a walk every day after I finished work (I was able to work from home) even when I didnāt feel like it. It definitely helped. Although remember itās ok to also have duvet days and stop completely when you feel like it. Definitely do the Look Good, Feel Better workshop for that amazing goodie bag!! Iām still using the lipsticks I got. Donāt Google is excellent advice. DONāT GOOGLE! I had 4 x EC and 12 x weekly Paclitaxel. I also had Phesgo x 18 and Iāve had 4 x zoledronic acid so far, just 2 left.
@Jaygo You saying that you turn into the class clown resonates with me. I also use humour to help get me through. So much so, that the first consultant that I had (the one that I left) seemed to think I wasnāt taking it seriously enough and would deliver his doom-laden news with a look of terror on his face which I couldnāt help but try to counter by trying to turn it around and offer the positive spin on the situation. I hate to feel down so I do all I can to make myself feel better, itās self preservation really. I get it, I really do.
Iām trying to quickly type this at work but keep getting interrupted and being asked to do work. (FFS!!) 
So Iām going to wrap up and scarper.
Love to all,
XX
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Well done to your dad @salbert for rallying with a pint and a chippy tea! Sorry heās put you through the mill though.
XXX
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Thank you @salbert x Yes, although I feel I have had excellent care, compassion and treatment so far at my hospital, I do want to feedback a few things (in a positive way) when Iāve finished treatment.
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@salbert the situation with your Dad just came to mind and I wondered how it was going, then your message popped up. Is he trying to outdo the rollercoaster of your treatment journey? So glad things appear to be stable for now.
Another one going to Iceland, brilliant, full report required.
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Glad to hear your Dad has rallied. @salbert Some of these old folks have strong constitutions. I
We are about to book a trip to iceland also for later this year, should have got myself organised earlier and booked for this time of year, but didnt get around to it. So any tips would be helpful and look forward to hearing all about it.
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@salbert - I hope that you were able to relax at least while you were away , it sounds so stressful.. what care package does your dad have in place ?
You are so right about continuity . It makes a huge difference when you are able to build a relationship with your gp, I feel locums are only interested in the presenting symptoms and not you as a whole person
@naughty_boob yes apparently under active thyroid is a known potential side effect of chemo .. and itās more common in breast cancer patients .. I had under active thyroid already so I guess I was already monitoring things , it did go out of range during my chemo but initially seemed to recover after I finished treatment
@jayb73 - I also have an ongoing complaint with my gp .. itās just disgusting isnāt it when you canāt even get a decent level of primary care when you have a cancer diagnosis 
Re your reactions , I think you should speak to your BCN as they may suggest a dose reduction
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@catlover2 as @naughty_boob said , your chemo regime is 100 personalised based on your type of cancer , stage and grade and other health factors you may have .
I had Stage 2 Grade 2 IDC her2+ ER-0 with no lymph nodes , shower I had multi focal DCiS high grade too and due to having heart issues it was decided , removing any need for radiotherapy was best (left sided cancer) and I had mastectomy followed by What was initially going to be 12 weekly paclitaxel but this was changed to 4 cycles of abraxane (nab- paclitaxel) due to me having allergies , accompanied by herceptin .
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Great recommendation on Dr Liz OāRiordanās 25 things you need to know about breast cancer - watched it last night. Thanks! 
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Yeh I know.. well this round has been crap..
I have come off my sickness meds on wed as cyclizine the thought of it makes me nausea and nausea is wasnāt great till today my toilet issues has been awful again. Sat night up all night in agony and walked today and the pain started again.. on suppositories, hot baths and paracetamol.. a lovely side effect that I never expected .. piles and fissures ..
been trying to catch up with the posts and failing.. but itās such a good forum for coming and getting some assurance your supported xx
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Hi again, i have my date for chemo now and i will be having 6 cycles of TCHP every 3 weeks. So scared! Dont think i could cope with the cold cap either.
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@catlover2 when do you start? Donāt worry about cold capping if thats too much, check out wig information instead and hopefully you can find something you like and maybe have a bit of fun with - well a girlās got to have something good. There are fabulous pics on here of our ladies.
Just get to your the first chemo, thatās scary because you donāt know how its going to be, but tell the staff how you feel and let them help you through. Iād have the diarrhea remedy in the cupboard in case, although they may send you away with something. Keep a notebook handy because it will help you see any patterns in side effects, you wonāt get them all, and what remedies worked and when to take them. Most people manage better when they know what to expect each time.I know it feels like a very long time but it does count down.
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Thank you for your reply @carrie5 ! I start on 17th march. Have to have pre assessment and picc line etc before. Just really hope I can cope with it and not have any bad reactions etc x
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@catlover2 good luck with your treatment, you will get through it!
@salbert so glad to hear your Dad is improving, it must be such a worry for you x
Well Iām coming up to my 1st ācancerversaryā and have been trying to close the door on it all. I have just received my appointment for MRI to check the second area of concern that was found at the time of diagnosis, biopsied and was satisfactory at the time. It had been missed on my records that they want to recheck it, Iām glad its being checked, but it does feel a bit āhere we go againā Also dexa scan has revealed bones at risk so Alendronic infusions to follow. How has anyone found them?
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Hi everyone, hope everyone is coping well with whatever treatment they have going on.
@catlover2 good luck with starting TCHP, Iāve now done 4/6 treatments and am doing okay. It is challenging at times but Iām getting through and you will too.
Before I started my chemo I had an ECG and echocardiogram and was told I would get another one during chemo. Does anyone know when they went for another one? Iām just wondering if I should be chasing this up or if itās fine Iāve not been again.
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@bally8 I think it is every 3 months you have one, but do keep an eye on the timings because they nearly forgot to do my second one and this would have delayed my chemo.
x
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Afternoon all
Sunshineā¦Spring! How lovely! This lifts my spirits and I hope it does the same for everyone. It prompted a discussion with my husband about how this time 2 years ago, we took a camper van trip to Henley-on-Thames and managed to really enjoy it. I was 2 or 3 rounds into EC and was fast losing hair so was sporting my fabulous Hat With Hair. We knew the first weekend after EC was a write-off so booked to go on the second. We had a really good time and looking back, it was the right thing to do. The daffodils were out and the sun was shining. Definitely grab those minor victories where you can, lovelies.
@carrie5 My Dad is hands down outdoing the BC rollercoaster and continues to do so! @pennyp Iceland seems to be the ātrip du jourā! We can compare notes once we have all returned.
@arty1 Dad now has three carer visits a day and my Mum is under strict instructions to stop lifting him and trying to haul him around herself. I admire her spirit and the way she rails against old age but I donāt relish the trips to A&E every time she falls over and damages herself!
@kcim Dr Liz OāRiordan is our worthy and wonderful figurehead, is she not? I hope she always continues to make her excellent and informative videos.
@jayb73 Keep going. You are having a rough ride, make no mistake. Sending you love and strength.
@catlover2 I cold capped but ended up with no hair as so much fell out that I shaved it all off. Wigsā¦.LOVED THEM! As Carrie says, there are loads of great pics on this thread of us lot showing off our fantastic headpieces. There are some really reasonably priced ones if you shop around and go to some pre-loved sites. Do the Cancer Haircare course and check out this site - https://www.cancerhaircare.co.uk I was very scared before my first chemo but stopped being scared once the first one was out the way. Itās normal. Big hug to you.
Hey @sassy3 I have these zoledronic acid infusions. Itās all I have left now - 2 to go. I had flu like symptoms after the first one but nothing after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I take calcium supplements every day and have been fine. Good luck with the MRI.
@bally8 I had regular MUGA scans throughout treatment to keep an eye on heart function. Definitely worth checking with your team.
I went to Dance Fitness last night and cooked dinner before leaving and also had my hair done in the kitchen whilst wearing my workout gear. Bear with meā¦.youāll see where this is leading. Well, my husband was having smoked haddock which was cooking away and then sort of steamed all over me when I served it up. So there I was, hanging over from the waist, swinging from side to side in the studio about an hour later, when I suddenly and distinctly caught a waft of fish! As this was a dance based fitness class, we were then put into pairs for the dance routine. At this point I had to announce loudly to the class, āIām sorry, but I feel I need to establish that my husband ate smoked haddock for dinner tonight and I seem to have picked up the scent. This is not my natural aroma!ā Wonāt be doing that again. 
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