Hi there @mags3
Paracetamol & Brufen or like Leelee cocodymol regularly worked for me. Maybe keep laxatives such as Laxido handy as many people get constipation with chemo and cocodymol makes it worse!
Hope your pain improves, oddly, my pain bone pain was worse on day 6 after the injections.
@mimik12
Hi there, just picking up on your new chemo start post.
It’s an unknown and scary time for all of us, so if you would like some January starter buddies, come and join us.
Hope today goes well for you. Come and tell us all about it when you feel up to it.
We can do this!
Katie
Thank you- great advice. I’m going to go walk the hound and see if that helps. It’s weird isn’t it, a lot of the time I find myself in observation mode…‘this happens if I do/ don’t do/ eat, etc. this’. I’m constantly telling my family, ‘No, that’s normal’ and then saying, ‘Well…not normal, but nothing to freak out about’. I hope everyone is okay. Take care. x
So i had my second EC treatment on Monday and have been cold capping - today my hair has started to shred! I have a lot of hair follicles per sq inch, but am guessing from the amount of shed that this is the start of the end . Who did you ask for a wig voucher? Need to start looking at my options xx
you ask your unit about a wig voucher and a list of places you can use, do also look at shops that do wigs and hair products too that are on high street, not sure where you are in the country but they will help you too hang on in with the cold cap if you want a couple that went through chemo sane time as me back in Oct17 did shed a bit but did retain hair it just thinned a bit Shi xx
Big hug @dragonfly2. So disappointing when you were cold capping but I’m sure it has onward benefits too.
Don’t think I’m far behind you, 2nd cycle tom and the whole of my head is sore and itchy.
Hang on in there, you’re not on your own.
@indigo2 Yes, my scalp itched a bit for a few days and my hair feels strange to touch. Good luck with your second round xx
I cold capped with Paclitaxel and kept most of my hair, I shed and had two small patches above me ears. Overall nobody would have know I was having chemo. I think they were caused by wearing my glasses underneath the cap instead of over the top. The nurses didn’t tell me it was the Paxman website/YouTube videos that I found out after having 3 sessions. Different treatments and your hair before can depend on the outcome. There is a link on Paxman’s website that you can put in your regimen and it gives you the statistics of potential loss. Mine potential loss was quite high and I kept much more, although I do have a lot of hair and I cut it into a pixie.
I did have a very sensitive scalp for a long time and even after treatment finished. I needed to wear a hat outside as the wind felt painful blowing through it.
Paxman’s website www.coldcap.com
www.cancerhaircare.co.uk are a great charity to support people going through cancer treatment. They can send you some free eyelashes if you contact them. Lots of no nonsense advise.
Evening all, I’m due round 2 on Friday but got a call from hospital saying my liver enzymes are too high got to go back tmw to check them again and might delay things. So frustrating. Anyone had anything similar? Xx
Blood results are checked regularly to make sure you are ‘fit enough’ to have chemo. They will double check and if they are too high they may delay chemo. Your liver has to process the chemo so if it’s too high it can make you very poorly.
I was hospitalised with a temperature in Nov 2023 and my liver bloods were very high, I had a delay in chemo for 2 weeks. My liver results dropped but were still a bit high for a month but low enough for chemo to continue. I had to have liver check 1 month after finishing chemo to ensure it was back within normal ranges. A short delay in chemo is normal if your bloods aren’t within the normal range they expect.
Hope they will be better tomorrow
Thank you @naughty_boob as soon as they told me I made a green smoothie and have drank about 4 litres of water I’m hoping it miraculously fixes itself by in the morning!!! How are you getting on?
I’m doing ok. I have a few ongoing issues but nothing compared to having chemo.
@naughty_boob thsnks, ill see how mucj i lose over the next 10 days before making a decision xx
Hi Dragonlfy2
I tried cold capping on round one and am now considering whether to for round 2.
I found it quite difficult and disorientating as I could not get my glasses on properly nor hear anything clearly with the cap and cover over my ears.
My hair started to shed significantly from day 15 so I cut it off this week with clippers. My scalp was hurting and the shedding was leaving chunks of hair all over the house but I did have long thick hair.
After cutting I could see I had some very bald patches although there is still a lot of hair in other areas. Bit shocked at the shape of my head!
I’ve got some head coverings from wrapdinlove etsy and some scarves that I have learned to tie.
I don’t think I am going to continue with the cold capping now its all off. Not sure about getting a wig…I’ll probably see how it goes. The nurses have told me that if you carry on cold capping it grows back quicker and better but I’m not sure what the data is. I can see that with the amount of hair I had and some careful styling I could have persisted with hair providing I didn’t lose much more so it might be worth you persisting if that is the case for you.
P x
@pickle the data the nurses are quoting are from Paxman the makers of the cold cap machine mainly used in the U.K., they are independent studies. See the Coldcap website I quoted above. If you do continue with bald patches ensure they are covered by gauze or a surgical cap to protect your scalp.
I also struggled with my glasses which are varifocal, but I managed to get them sitting correctly outside the cap with a bit of adjusting.
Hello everyone, just joined and need advice, terrified at the moment.
I’m HER-2 positive and start chemo next Wednesday. Phesgo SC x 18 cycles and Carboplatin and Docetaxol IV x 6 cycles.
Is anyone on the same regime and how are they doing with the side effects?
Any advice on what to buy in preparation?
Many thanks in advance
Hi everyone, had my second infusion of paclitaxel yesterday. When the steroids went in at the start, I had a bit of a fainting fit (I didn’t actually faint as I was lying down but I could definitely tell I would have done had I been a bit more vertical!). The fab team managed it all well, gave me an extra bag of saline and took the main infusion slowly, and obvs I will discuss this with my oncologist at my appt on Mon. But wanted to see if anyone had (or had heard of) a similar reaction? TBH I struggle with medical things in general (I have been known to faint whilst watching hospital dramas on TV!) so it’s probably just that but any advice welcome
Ladies, I am really excited about this.
Primark have launched an adaptive range of clothing which you can order click and collect from 28th January. The range includes tops that allow access to PICC lines etc. Also includes front fastening bras with magnets to help close them. Heres the link for more info. (Click on any of the pink words for the video) …16.166 Aufrufe · 3.859 Reaktionen | Clothes for EVERY BODY And that’s just how it should be 👏🏽 What a collab?! @victoriajenkins x @primark - #primarkadaptive 💜Congratulations on your new collection guys, it’s absolutely incredible… and so very needed. Got a bit emotional seeing it all today 🥹 This collection has been years in the making, just hearing everyone talking about it today… you can tell it comes straight from the heart and it’s a labour of love. The clothes are soooo sick 🤩 So many cool details and design features… and a wide range of clothing too… from underwear, to sports wear, PJs and even evening wear. The black dress that Victoria is wearing is stunning and has an accessible compartment at the front. Perfect for any fellow ostomates or anyone who may need that feature 🖤 Thank you for making the you high street a more inclusive, accessible and welcoming place! Please make sure you check this range out too lads… I get so many men ask me about stoma suitable clothing all the time. It’s here 👍🏽 And as you’d expect, all the above comes at Primark’s fabulous price points too. Get in 👏🏽 | Adele Roberts.
Sorry to hear you had a reaction, I can’t speak for your chemo med but been a few of us over the years had a reaction on docetaxol. It can be but as you say your team dealt with it swiftly, they’ve seen it all before and took care of you your onc might offer you an alternative chemo that’s what mine did and I know other were offered an alternative chemo too just wanted to share, I’m sure others will pop on too with their experiences Shi xx
Hi @fimac1
I am having 3 EC followed by 3 Docetaxel. Also every 3 weeks. Then radiotherapy
I have had one cycle and having second one Tuesday.
I wont lie the first week was a bit rough but I was surprised that I bounced back and now feel in a good place to take on my next round.
Hope all goes well for you