Morning ladies.
Hope you’re feeling okay this morning Michelle.
A long weekend in Spain sounds like Just what the doctor ordered tatyana. You’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready for the next round. My brother lives in Alicante and I’ll be out there at the first opportunity. We had a few days in Majorca before I started chemo and it really did do me the world of good.
We’re off to York for the night on Saturday. Not quite as exciting as Spain. The company we’re buying our kitchen from only have one showroom and it’s in pontefract, so it would be a shame not to stop over in York on the way home. ?
I hope everyone else is good today. I’ve got my radio pre assessment appointment this afternoon. I’ve heard they tattoo you? X
Hi Ftf,
Good luck with your pre rads appointment. Yes they do tattoo you but sadly no butterflies or dragons, just a tiny fit in three or four places which you’ll be hard pushed to ever find again after a few weeks! Enjoy York, and enjoy the kitchen showroom too!
Tiny fit was supposed to be tiny dot. What on earth is my phone thinking?
Haha. Yes tatyana, a few tiny dots sounds much better than three tiny fits. Don’t we just love predictive text. X
Morning everyone had very little sleep last night thanks to the huge dose of steroids with chemo yesterday I don’t take the pills on this one was shattered when I got home so was asleep by 8.30 then woke 11.45 for an all nighter! Angela is it the Freeman for your rads meeting let me know how you get on my appointment is Monday coming we could be doing rads at same time x
Whilst I’m still not in chemo crash going to busy myself in house to take my mind off it! Just going to go with SE and hopefully I will feel more human next week ?
Morning Michelle. Last time for the horrible steroids. I hated them. Sure you’ll feel more human this time next week.
Yes freeman for rads. If you see anyone with hair that slightly resembles a mop, that’ll be me. ?
Hair? Oh yes, I remember that. Dimly.
I know. I shouldn’t really moan. It’s at that stage where it’s not mid length and it’s not really short. It’s just odd. Not the best look I’ve ever rocked. Very grateful for it though.
I’m rocking my thinning patch on top but the rest has mostly survived. Husband told me that I look like a monk, the cheeky sod. I’ve done various research into stuff to help hair grow back- please don’t take any as gospel but these are the things I’m trying-
- as a few have recommended silk or satin pillowcases. I got a pair on eBay delivered for a fiver
- Alpecin tuning shampoo. I’m naturally blonde and can’t risk dyeing my roots for a while. This stuff contains caffeine to stimulate growth and a mild dye which is meant to tone down greys but it’s working well at minimising my roots.
- Salon Science ProAccelerant Conditioner- meant to help with hair loss and to improve the quality and thickness of remaining hair- currently half price in boots
- Salon Science Thickening serum- again meant to help with hair loss and visibility thickens remaining hair. Definitely can vouch for this one. Also half price in boots.
- TecTrich hair building fibres. Basically keratin sprinkles that stick to the thinning hair and instantly cover the baldy patches. I got a 10g sample for £3 delivered and have been impressed so far. They stay put until you wash them out.
- Head massage and ‘the inversion method’ look it up on YouTube but some claim that a minutes head massage followed by 4 minutes hanging upside down so the blood rushes to your head every day for a week once a month will net quicker hair growth results (they say an inch in a week but a cm would be good enough for me right now ?)
- Supplements designed to help with hair growth. There are some super expensive ones out there but superdrug’s own brand seems to have the majority of the ingredients that the fancy brands do at a fiver for a month supply and they’re currently 3 for 2. Obviously check with your onc before taking any meds/vitamins as they can interact with certain meds.
Hope that helps someone!
How are we all today?
Thanks for all of the tips miss a. I’m not sure where I’m going to hang upside down for 4 mins, but I’m
Sure I’ll find somewhere suitable. ?
Ive heard mane and tail horse shampoo is really good, or maybe neigh. ?
I’ll give anything a go. X
Wow missa, impressive research! I’m trying to be patient as it’s early days for any regrowth, but the thickening stuff sounds like it would be worth a try when I’ve got something to thicken!
Anyone have any thoughts on when to stop the dark nail polish? Do I still need to protect nails from UV for a while? Nails are very discoloured and fingertips are sensitive, I’m scared of losing nails so want to protect them as much as poss, but nail polish itself tends to dry them out.
Other than that, I’m feeling good today. Hands and feet much less sore, hooray! Food tastes almost normal, hooray! Hubby comes back from 5 days away this afternoon, hooray! His trip was already postponed twice because of sudden hospital admission on my part, so it’s good that he finally made it and I was fine.
The fog has cleared (the literal fog not the chemo one!) and the sun’s come out. Have a good day everyone, Mishy enjoy the bit before the crash, and when it comes go easy on yourself and remember it’s the last time!
I think I have to keep the dark nails for radio.
I thought my nails and skin had managed to dodge any SEs. I’ve just been topping my toe nail polish. Decided to take it off this morning and was shocked to see that my big toe nails are yellow and look bruised. ???
They’re cracked up the sides as well. ?
Yes Angela, that’s what mine look like when I remove the nail polish. Purple bruising, yellow streaks, not a pretty sight. I think this persists for a while after chemo, you basically have to wait for the nails to grow out. It’s quite shocking and upsetting to find that some of the se’s continue to get worse after the drugs have stopped.
I’m trying to console myself with the thought that perhaps it means that the cancer-zapping effects also continue!
I can’t believe this has been going on without me feeling a thing. I had my finger nails polished at the beautician’s last week and they looked great when she took the gel off.
The chemo definitely continues to zap. Spoke to my bc nurse yesterday and she says they prefer to wait 4 to 6 weeks after chemo to start tamoxifen as it can change the way the chemo works, and it can still be going for weeks after the last infusion.
It’s yuck, isn’t it!
It’s gross. I’m still in shock. ?
I’m shocked that the chemo works for that long after last infusion suppose it’s good though that it is doing its job as long as possible really nails I took mail varnish off you discover I have disgusting purple nails with ridges and white rings going up them I have a disgusting yellow ridged toe nail which is lifting from the nail bed can’t cut them any more as so brittle and just filing them x sick of the sight of purple nail varnish!!!
Hi Ladies.
Back from few days in Wales, weather was kind & we managed to get out & about. Got home yesterday & I felt shattered, hope I can find some energy for the washing today!
Congratulations to the last of us finishing chemo, is that us all now? Thought I’d be elated, but feeling very down & tearful, another SE?
I had CT scan & RT assess last Friday, got tattooed, start 13/11, 15+5 boosts. Was told I’d only had node biopsy, not removal, so may have to have further surgery (that upset me, thought I was near finish) although was also told RT can be as effective as surgery, confused now!! Will need to talk to someone. Just worrying it’s still in there & running riot.
Fantastic info re: hair, I’m going to investigate some of those, I’ve bought so many things, but none of those, an inch in a week sounds amazing, I could be hanging upside down very soon. I have some hair but in 2 weeks it’s only a sprinkling, me & that wig need to part company & the sooner the better!!
Good luck to those of us starting RT, the rest are not far behind, hope SE’s soon go & food will start to taste better, & this tiredness soon improves. Hope the sun is shining where you are. Xxx
Morning everyone Kimi sounds like you had a nice time I had last chemo on Monday SE just kicking in now got my RT meeting on Monday don’t know how many I will be getting I had SNB but 5 were removed you must be very confused and annoyed also il keep everything crossed for you x
Hoping your OK today Missa how the SE for you I seemed to have dodged the nausea thus time only seem to get in on an evening which is good! Taking Ducosate for the constipation to stop sore bum!!
My new hair that had came back has started falling out again so I will have to start all over again xxx
Kimi you’re not alone, I also have had quite an emotional down phase after finishing chemo. I think it is a reaction to everything we’ve been through, you psych yourself up to get through it and then you collapse. Plus, the horrid ongoing se’s which even if you’re expecting it, seems unjust and wrong! This too will pass. Meanwhile, just focus on fun things. Like the washing.
Or maybe not that!
Hoping to go and see murder on the Orient express this weekend, anyone else?