January 2016 Chemo starters

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy monthly threads
521

Ellie, hopefully it’s not cellulitis - fingers crossed!

Saw the oncologist after rads today  and got my tablets to take for the next 10 years (only a months supply - not a whole 10 years supply :wink:  )  I’m on Anastrozole so I’ve made an appointment with my GP as I need to take other medication to help prevent further bone loss. Take the first one this evening and if I have any side effects from taking these tablets, please, please don’t let hairloss be one of them!! How vain is that?!

Eyebrows are growing back, but no sign of eyelashes yet.  My opinion of the speed of hair growth changes daily from being pleased and then disappointed!

Right, I need to get the wig back on and drag myself out for a walk, otherwise I know I’ll be asleep on the sofa.

xxx

522

Hi all, fifth rads done today, skin is looking ok, however it feels like it’s tightening up even though I’ve been moisturising twice a day. I’m feeling more sore in the arm pit area which i think the bra and heavy prosthetic is aggravating. For some reason the fear has got on top of me a bit the last couple of days, every time I feel an ache or pain I keep imagining all sorts of scenarios. The logical part of my brain tells me that it’s only 4 weeks since my last chemo and that what I feel is the SEs of that and rads as well as normal body aches etc. However I get a bit panicked about it all, when I’m occupied and busy I don’t feel any aches or pains! I’ve noticed my shoulder and arm on the side in being zapped has stated to stiffen up over the last couple of days, mentioned to rads team today and they said I should have been continuing with my post mx exercises, have the rest of you been doing these as well? Also, hot flushes, I’m still getting a few of these each day, is anyone else?

Claire, I’m interested in the hair dying and what to use. Once mines longer and one length I intend on doing mine, just having my brows done has increased my confidence? Xx

523

I’m the same Sissy, before rads my armpit felt tender which I think was the lymphoedema because it did ease. My shoulders and neck aches too still. I can’t say that I’ve been doing my post op exercises everyday but I have more often than not to help relieve the lymphoedema. I can feel my arms stiffening up more today, so I guess I should get back to it twice daily…
I’ll be dying my hair as soon as its long enough for me to go wigless but I do have a patch on the top of my head towards the front which is still pretty much bald so not sure when that will be!!
Hope everyone has a good Bank Holiday weekend!
Xxx

524

Four weeks post chemo for me too and usually I would be an achey mess so it’s great to be feeling normal (ish) again! Just got home from rads no5 - still going well, skin looks as it should, although early days perhaps? Also had 5 doses of Anastrozole and no side effects yet… Taking it at night so maybe I’m sleeping through them! Again, early days! Pretty sure I’ll need to take bisphosphonates to combat bone loss and I am really concerned about the side effects of that more than anything else at the moment. Mechele, . Letrozole sounds similar to Anastrozole - wonder if the side effects are similar too and what the difference in the 2 drugs are?
Removed the nail varnish yesterday and my nails look pretty wrecked! Seem strong enough though, so I decided not to re-paint them but start back on putting nail oil on them 3 times a day in the hope that the condition of them improves!
It’s sounds great going out kitchen shopping and planning Claire - something to get into and look forward too. Hope you also find the horse you’re after too :slight_smile:
Hope everyone else is doing well? How is it going Elizabeth?
We’ve had beautiful weather over the past few days and this morning but it looks like it might change … So ironing it is for me today!
Xxx

525

Hi All,
It’s so nice to hear that we are getting on ok. Rads seem to be going well too.
I’m doing ok, improving each day, I’m trying to do my excercises 4x a day which is helping and bruising seems to be going down. I meet with my surgeon on Thursday for my pathology results, I am a nervous wreck, I really really hope I don’t need more surgery for full node removal, did anyone else have to have this done?
Fiona, when do you have surgery?
Elizabeth, hope you are doing ok and what is your last chemo date?
Love to everyone.
Debbie xx

526

Hello all,

Debbie, I had 13 nodes removed, six positive but only two had micromets in them, I saw it that the nodes were doing their job and catching the stray cells.

Had my 6th rads session today, 9 left to go. Skin is looking okay, just feels sore when bra runs and I’ve moved over to wearing my soft prosthetic as the other one kept sticking to my skin where I’ve been moisturising it.

Claire, I met with Dr M today before rads. She’s not starting me on tamoxifen yet as she wants my arm vein problem checked before hand so I’m waiting for an ultrasound appointment for that. I mentioned as well starting them after my holiday end of July, she said there was no real rush as I’ve only had two periods throughout chemo, the last being around cycle 3. I also asked about hot flushes and how long they’d last, to which she replied 2-3 years. She also seemed to think I was in early menopause, not sure how she’d know that though unless they’ve checked my hormone levels during blood tests, everyone do you think they do that?

I talked to Dr M about my worries about aches and pains and the C returning, she thinks that one of the other FB forums I’m on isn’t helping me as it always seems to be doom and gloom, so has advised me to come off of it, she also suggested I enrol on the moving on course sooner rather than later and get some counselling etc. She also mentioned my percentage chance of it not returning today, not something she’s mentioned before and I think she said it to help me worry less, it’s higher than I thought it would be so that’s good I suppose, though if I’m honest I’ve always tried not to think about percentages as we’re all different and the stats they use are quite old I think.

I hope everyone else is okay, we don’t have too long to go now ladies. Love to all xx

527

I’ve just searched online and enrolled on it too. There’s also another course which is run by Macmillan and held in Chartham, it’s a health and wellbeing clinic.

I met Amanda today for the first time, she was was finishing rads as I was going in. Maybe she’ll come on the course as well, we did talk about us local ones meeting up for a coffee xx

528

To those that had the full node clearance, how was surgery compared to single mastectomy, is recovery the same time, and how long did you have to wait for 2nd surgery?
I too need to look into doing a moving on course. I try to stay positive, but every so often I have a really bad day and my mind wanders. Waiting for results doesn’t help either!!!
It would be great to meet up but I’m near Newcastle!! Maybe a little far!
Debbie xx

529

Debbie, I’m hoping to be up your way end of June, my brother lives at castle Eden which is just near Peterlee xx

530

Ellie, Im eating all the bad foods again, though I must admit I never stopped eating runny eggs or shellfish at home!

Just had my email back from bcc and I’m booked on to the moving on course that starts in October xx

531

That’s good Claire, Ellie are you going to enroll on that course? I’ll message Amanda and see if she knows about it as well.

Claire, when do you start rads? Xx

532

Good news, just met with surgeon to get my pathology results and all is good. He took 4 nodes and all were clear, my tumour was 40mm compared with about 70mm before chemo , he is meeting with his team on Monday to discuss whether I need radiotherapy, he thinks probably and I said I would prefer to have it. I also got my prescription of tamoxifen to start, didn’t expect to be taking that until after radiotherapy. We are out for lunch celebrating, with a glass of wine of course! Such a relief as I was sure it wasn’t going to be so good!! ?

533

Great news Debbie! When will you hear if you need rads? Have a fantastic lunch xx

534

Sissy- The team are meeting on Monday, they didn’t have there normal meeting last week as it was bank holiday. Let me know when you are up north and if I can I’ll meet you for a coffee and chat. Xx

535

Hi! This thread has been very busy, taken me a while to catch up!

Really good news Debbie, hope you enjoyed your celebratory meal and glass (or 2?) of wine!

Elizabeth, good luck with your last 2, not long now!! How did your appointment go with your lymphodeima therapist? I have the sleeves to wear, mine also cover my hand, leaving the fingers and thumb free, but I find that my hand still swells up as does my fingers and thumb when I wear them  I stopped wearing the for a while because as my nails were so sensitive, I was unable to get them on andso  my husband has been bandaging my arm up at nights (specially shown how to!) but that is also uncomfortable!! The therapist has said that I shouldn’t really expect any real improvement until at least 4 weeks after radiotherapy has finished and my body starts to get back to normal.  I have an appointment to see her again on the last day of radiotherapy and them I guess 4 weeks after that.  Having real problems wearing tops with tighter sleeves :confused:

Mechele, I’m having radiotherapy on the left hand side and don’t have to do any holding of breathe which is probably fortunate as I have a cough and I don’t imagine I’d manage it!!  Don’t know if that’s because I have a silicone reconstruction? Or if my scar is in a different place? Hope your finger is starting to heal well!

I’m back to eating the banned foods too. Some of them I ate anyway, such as runny eggs because I just didn’t think!  Nice to be back on the soft cheeses :slight_smile:

Fiona, my house is in chaos too - ordered new furniture for our ‘dining room’ which has been used as an office and general dumping ground, so we’ve started a major sort out which seems to have just made things worse!! Hopefully by the end of this weekend we’ll have a tidy house again.

Radiotherapy is going well so far.  Have had a different friend driving me to appointments all week, it’s been more like a social occasion than a hospital trip as we’ve gone and done a bit of shopping after and stopped off for a coffee on the way back.  My skin looks fine, and they seem to be getting quicker at getting me into the right position, so I’m not having to lie still for long.

The hormone therapy tablets aren’t giving me any side effects yet either - long may that last!! I went to see my GP today to get a prescription for another tablet which should help with the bone loss side effect. I really wasnt keen on having it, but I’d be daft not to and my GP was quite positive about it, and I do trust him.  So that’s me sorted with my medication for the next 10 years!!

It’s great a few of you are getting together to do the move on course.  I’m in Shropshire, so I don’t think any of you are near me.  I’ll be looking forward to hearing all about it!  I have the ‘Big C and me’ on record to watch on my own one afternoon.  I wasn’t going to watch it, but decided I would in the end.

Well the weekend has come round again quickly - think its the daily trips to hospital that are making the week go quickly!  Hope you all have a good one!

Take care, xxx

536

Hello all, I’ve had 9/15 rads now and if I’m honest the last couple of days I’ve been shattered, mainly because I’ve been driving myself to rads and then off to work after for a few hours.

Claire, I’ve managed to get a space in the on street parking bays for 8 of the 9 sessions so far. I tend to go over a little early and drive about a bit until I find a space. When you drive down the old Dover road there’s a turning before the road leading to the hospital, it’s a residential dead end road but there’s a walk way at the end that leads through to the hospital, there are sometimes some spaces along there. I find it all depends on what time the appointments are, mine are all for around 3pm or later. If you’re going after 4 I imagine you’ll find on street spaces. Good luck for Monday xx

537

I have mine at 3.30 tomorrow Claire. You may find that there’ll be some time changes which they let you know about when you check in. Because of the bank holiday last week my last one will be next week. I’m thinking of taking them a tray of Krispy Kreme donuts as a thank you xx

538

Good Luck tomorrow Claire, so far I’ve found radiotherapy fine. I’m tired but I’m not sure if it’s the radiotherapy, the travelling or that I’m doing more during the day and napping less!  Maybe a combination of both. It’s quite a social occassion in the little waiting room where we wait in our dressing gowns after we’ve been called from the main one.  There’s the men with prostate cancer drinking water - they have to have 37 sessions!! But then they havent had to have the chemo. There’s about 4 ladies I see regularly with breast cancer, one had her last one Friday, then a lady with a brain tumour and a young man, late 20’s who has to wear a mask for his radiotherapy, but not sure which cancer he has.  We all have a good chat and everyone is in good humour - it certainly helps with the waiting!! 

Getting impatient (again!) with how slow my hair is growing!! What I have is growing at a decent rate, but I still have a couple of bald patches which I’m getting concerned about.  Think it’s going to be a long time until I can discard the wig :confused:

Hope you have all had a good weekend :) 

xxx

 

539

Good luck Claire with your 1st rads and keep on trucking everyone else you are fast approaching the finish line.
Fiona how are you feeling about surgery this week? Is it on Wednesday?
Not long left for you Elizabeth. Are you having rads?
I’m getting fed up wearing my wig too Kim, my hair is growing but it’s a while before my scalp is going to be totally covered. I’m not sure when I’ll be brave enough to stop wearing it!! I want to buy some new glasses but I’m waiting as I want them to suit my short hair!!
It’s a beautiful day here too and the kids have just gone back to school after half term hols so I’m going to do some sorting!
Have a good day.
Debbie xx

540

Well done Claire, it’s good to get started isn’t it ?
Tina, would your GP be able to help? Maybe s/he could hurry them along or at least explain what the different tablets/injections are for and how they help in your particular case.
Elizabeth I think the glove would be a good idea for me, I go back next week and I’ll suggest it.
Xxx