I also gave abandoned my wig this week as I can’t be bothered and also far too hot, I have been wearing pretty, cotton beanies from hats4heads,co.uk, could do with some more, if you could recommend a good website?
Hi ladies, debs hope you have few side effects after your Tax, must be frightening when you get a reaction, I go for my second in 2 weeks, I must say I really hate Tax and got on much better with Fec, I would be back to my normal self by now, but this week has knocked me sideways, even today I have no energy, sleep in the afternoon and ache, I do find also the soles of my feet have started to hurt too!!
Thankyou for tips on beanies, i am going to order a couple more from annabandana.
Good luck to you all, have a nice weekend with limited problems- onwards and upwards!! X
Hi ladies, good luck debs with feeling fairly good on your Tax, petal thankyou for your post, it is nice to hear from ladies who have come out the chemo end- and thankyou for your positivity !!
Cassa, hope you are doing ok, thankyou for the beanie on eBay info, I found her website, she is an ex cancer patient so knows what it’s like to be bald!!
Have a nice weekend ladies. X
Oh debs, that’s awful for you, do they know how you picked it up? Yes roll on July 4th, you must be really fed up with it all now!! I know I am, I finish about 10 days after you, hopefully. Take care x
Cassa, glad you are feeling good, great to make the most of good days! I haven’t had my surgery yet, so radiotherapy won’t start for a while for me, also herceptin doesn’t start for me either until after my surgery! Seems like a long haul!
Hi cassa, no am not sure, but based on other ladies the general time frame is about 4 weeks! Take care x
Morning Rosie, reading your post is like reading my own mind! Feel exactly like you! I am no wiser at all than you as regarding reconstruction etc, I also have read that reconstruction doesn’t usually happen until after radiotherapy and then I hear from oncologist prob a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction taken from muscle from shoulder ouch!! I also hear it takes a year to have a reconstruction if need to leave after radiotherapy!! I don’t want the stress of another operation looming next year either. I really don’t blame you for getting an appt with surgeon, I will be seeing my surgeon soon to look at lymph node lump so will try and get some direct answers too! Are you feeling ok after yesterday’s Tax? Today I think it’s my calm before the aches and fatigue hit tomorrow!! So am driving into local town to sort out my youngest sons birthday present, he will be 23 on Monday!
Felt quite down the last few days after various hospital trips as yesterday whilst sitting with the dreaded drip I was talking to lovely lady a couple of years older than me and she was starting the first of 6 Tax for a recurrence of her breast cancer that was picked up on her 5 year mammogram just before she was given the all clear, so found that very depressing although she was very upbeat and positive!! It can be really difficult can’t it plastering on your happy face sometimes and getting a bit worn down with it all now, and the surgery uncertainty doesn’t help either!! Have a decent day and limited side effects, I have a bright red face and neck this morning!! Xx
S
Hi Rosie, glad you are feeling a little calmer, reading cassa and debs and some of the other ladies I think we are all feeling a bit emotionally hit these last few days, yes it will be interesting to hear what your surgeon says on Monday!!- also I am concerned why we haven’t started our herceptin with the Tax as most other ladies have !! My shopping trip was quite short, just essentials before the fatigue hits tomorrow and then all
next week!!
Lovely lady I was talking to in chemo ward yesterday had double mastectomy 5 years ago at the age of 49, she had all clear for further 5 years and then on her final mammogram it was picked up again in the scar tissue in original area, I felt pretty devastated hearing it actually, so what she must be feeling I can only imagine, but she was incredibly upbeat and positive and said she intends to make a woman’s average life expectancy of 85 years old and I think with her attitude she probably will!! But must admit it has really knocked my positivity. But I felt fed up this week anyway!!
Thinking of you all. X
Rosie, yes let’s try and be positive and move forward! I feel exactly as you do , now chemo is coming to an end and all the uncertainty to come, we are in the best hands and have to trust in the experts etc, but for control freaks like me and I think you confessed to being the same !! It can be very difficult, onwards and definitely upwards!!
Yes me too!!
Hot flushes! Flashes I think is an American term! I started the menopause last year before diagnosis and had bad ones, since chemo I do still get them, especially at night! Good luck debs with last chemo!
yes I experienced hot flushes as soon as I stopped my HRT! the letrozole made them worse but they are now improving. My fan is my soulmate. If you use it as soon as you feel them starting they are much more bearable.
Fortunately they are not so bad at night esp as I invested in a silk duvet. Expensive but well worth it
I know this is a bizarre thought, but I found it worked last year during menopause,was recommended to try something called a lady care magnet, totally harmless, clips into your pants and gives off magnetic pulses, I am not into alternative therapy but gave it a try and it cut my flushes down from about 20 a day to just a couple!! Don’t know if it’s the placebo effect but it worked so didn’t care!! You can buy from boots, amazon etc and it’s about £20.00.
Hi sugar, yes maybe not use it whilst having cancer treatment, I used mine last year before diagnosis , but symptoms eased a little this year and haven’t had a period for nearly a year so assume i have passed menopause now! I hadn’t realised this wasn’t recommended, just shows how we have to check with supplements etc!
By the way tonight programme at 7.30 is looking into breast cancer and how women can cut their risk! Might be interesting to see the outcome!
Hi sugar, it’s on itv 1 at 7.30, Tonight programme with Julie etchingham! Am not feeling too bad , just achey and bit tired, hope you are coping well too, all the best!
Hello ladies,sorry its been a while! I finished my last chemo on thursday so looking forward to getting a bit of normality back in my life for a bit once these se’s have come to an end! Still radio,herceptin & tamoxifen to go but feel the worst is over?! So i am due to start radio in 4 weeks time - 18th aug - my birrhday! Have planning appointment on the 1st aug for that & get my little tattoos so i hear?! CT scan & oncology appointments coming up too. Hot flushes & fatigue the worst at the moment - i found out that evening primrose oil helps with this but when asked chemo nurse she said stay well away from it what with hormonal receptive cancer! Glad i checked!
Good luck with starting tax & herceptin cassa! I prefered tax to fec i have to say - even though it is still blooming chemotherapy after all!
Petal88 how scary but good job youve been checked & all clear - what a relief! Us ladies on the monthly april thread all found that programme not helpfull at all & confusing!
Sounds like we are at a similar stage debs - i have my 4th herceptin on 7th august.
Good luck everyone xxx
Oh no point in hoping il get rid of the hot flushes after chemo then debs! Great - i am on tamoxifen for 5-10yrs! Well got to do what it takes to reduce reoccurrance so thats what i will have to keep reminding myself!
How many weeks of rads are you having? Im having 4 xx
Hi cassa,yes that sounds quite normal - fatigue! Tax for me would be on a thur so would feelnormal that eve & the next day ( think it was the steroids!). Then absolutely whacked out for sat,sun,mon & hot flushes! A few aches tuewed but found better to keep moving. Sore mouth & nose would be from day 3 for a week. Also lost my eyebrows & lashes on tax so eyes can get a bit watery. Just a bit of an idea for you - obvs everyone different. Also used to get quite constapated on this one but on my last one i didnt take my anti sickness tablets & so didnt have this prob but then was more the other way - dont know which i prefer! Sorry you may not want to know! Iv had my herceptin by injection in my leg the whole time & been told this will continue every 3 weeks up at the hospital - i was hoping for a district nurse like you - my hospital is an hr away! Hope it doesnt get too bad for you. Thinking of you. Ps - for your mouth - no meds really worked for me & found it hard to know what to eat - drank full fat milk as suggested by doc & ate mousses. Good luck xxxx
Hi Cassa - just thought I’d let you know I had my first TC and Herceptin on Wed too so we are at exactly the same time! I too was fine thurs/fri and then fri night, yesterday and today have felt awful with really painful bones & joints, headache and just completely energy less. I think rest and patience is the order of the day - I tried to walk the dog this morning and got about 100 metres before I realised I just could go no further!! I had my Herceptin by injection - one down 17 to go!! Hope u improve over the next few days and no more SE’s sneak up on you!! Xxx
Cassa - just reading another thread about Neulasta. I had to inject myself in the tummy with this to boost white blood cells and wonder whether it was this rather than the chemo that has given me this horrendous bone and joint pain. Did you have Neulasta too? Ruby x