July 2024 chemo starters

Bananaā€™s any good? Hope you feel better soon x

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Been shopping in town with my boys. Hubby and sons. Its only really headaches that bother me but omg when i tried to climb some stairs felt like weights had been tied to my legs. But cant complain, some of you ladies sound like you had and are having it a lot worse. Thinking of you all. Xx

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@debi1 @belle1 think Iā€™m going to go a cut close to my head but not quite a shave

The hair on the floe today is insane

@lilo1973 i ate brioches, greek yogurt with bananas & protein powder + scrambled eggs when my mouth went all meh

It was my diet days 3-6 and I was really keen to keep the protein intake up

I tried Freya bone broth but tasted awful for me but may work for you?

@cf40 i am teeing my duvet day for Sat when I hit the steroid crash :joy: Iā€™m looking for a cancer cookbook too so if you find one pls post

X

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Hi @booklover1

I had 12 weekly Paclitaxel and had tummy issues every week. I was prescribed Loperamide/Imodium and advised to take it at the first sign of diarrhoea. It generally subsided after 2 days.

For all of you cold capping, I managed all 12 sessions, Iā€™d cut my bob into a pixie and bought a wig as the oncologist said Iā€™d more than likely lose my hair. I managed to keep most of my hair with two small patches above my ears, more likely from glasses being put on and off and some thinning. It wasnā€™t easy but doable.

Paxman have a great website www.coldcap.com and Iā€™d highly recommend the www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk course with Jasmin from www.cancerhaircare.co.uk which in itself is full of resources and offer online or phone guidance.

Hope this helps :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Having chemo means you are immune suppressed so you need to be more careful with infections from outside (coughs, sneezes etc) as well as inside (washing fruit and veg, ensuring food stored correctly and within date).

Some treatments can cause upset stomachs, germs from touching things (wash your hands frequently especially preparing food and the usual!) but also things you eat.

I wasnā€™t told to not eat such and such but just to be mindful, bland food was probably better. White bread and pasta, less fibre for your bowel to process that could also cause upset.

Just be extra careful while having chemo and for a time afterwards :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Can you makes smoothies? Protein shakes might be helpful to give you energy but easy to swallow?

:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Hi @belle1

Thanks for sharing your photo. Provides some positivity for keeping going with the cold cap xxxx

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Hi all,
The smoothie is a good idea, Iā€™m not hungry but very aware I need to keep the good stuff going in. The only thing Iā€™m really craving is watermelon, itā€™s like being pregnant all over again :see_no_evil:.
Love catching up on the chats xx

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Smoothies are so good for getting a healthy snack/ meal - Iā€™m trying them to stop me reaching for biscuits/ bread . Also trying to increase my iron intake so looking for a ways to do that . One thing Iā€™ve discovered recently is that Omeprazole can inhibit uptake of iron (courtesy of pregnant daughter suffering from heartburn and low iron) so need to leave at least 2 hours between tablet and my iron food .
My fav smoothie is based on kale ( I know itā€™s quite strong but this is a good way to eat it)
Use frozen easy peeler orange segments ( helps to absorb iron and makes smoothie cold without adding ice) and frozen banana for texture . - about 1/2 peeler and 1/2 banana
Soak some cashew nuts for 15mins in hot water - high protein and iron
2 chopped leaves of Kale
Tsp seeds - chia for eg
Some milk - I use almond - start with small amount 75ml - and adjust for preference
Blend until your preferred texture .
Add some dried fruit such as apricots/ dates/ raisins for more iron and sweetness if needed or some nut butter .
Just play around with flavours - watermelon also high iron but havenā€™t tried that in a smoothie yet .
For your protein the nuts are good if you donā€™t want to use protein powder .
Good luck @alisona1

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Thanks Bibi, Iā€™ll definitely give that a go :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Hi everyone! So I had blood tests this week and all are good for 2nd EC cycle tomorrow. Iā€™ve got 4 lots of EC every 3 weeks and then Iā€™ll be weekly Pac for 12 weeks. Itā€™s been quite a rollercoaster of emotions. After the fatigue, headaches, lethargy, chemo fog brain, nausea, stomach pain, S&D on days 4/5, and then a slow rise back up the hill and slow normality for me from days 9/10 onwards. Itā€™s made me very grateful for lots of small things. One of my friends gave me a key ring which said ā€˜Dear cancer, youā€™ve chosen the wrong bitchā€™ - made me laugh and cry equally! Love it though. I cold capped and have had lots of shedding since. I had my long hair cut to a short bob when I was told I was having chemo but itā€™s still a shock. One of the comments earlier mentioned wearing glasses? I definitely have bald patches above my ears, didnā€™t occur to me it was the glasses which were helping that! Definitely much thinner on top. Iā€™ll be cold capping again tomorrow. Has anyone found any good cook books yet? One of my friends mentioned drinking kombucha - Iā€™ve got one in the fridge but does anyone else know if itā€™s ok to drink? Apologies, Iā€™m waffling. Love to all you BC warriors!! x

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@naughty_boob thanks for your reply about tummy issues on paclitaxol. I gad my third treatment yesterday and the nurse practitioner also suggested loperamide/Imodium as soon as any issues. Fingers crossed, I have been ok this so far, I ate only light meals yesterday and will do today too which seems to help me!

Thanks for your experience about cold capping, I am perservering for now. Just need to find a to style it without straighteners! Your short hair haircut looks great @belle1!

@ldm and @idcand49 I hope you are both feeling better from covid. There is so much around atm!

@lilo1973 I hope you are feeling better too and the meds are kicking it. I had really bad tonsillitis a few years a go and found using straws for drinks & smoothies helped a bitā€¦

I had my third paclitaxel yesterday which went well, we were all watching the Triatholon on various devices which got us talking.

Thanks for posting the smoothie recipe @bibi. I am trying more smoothies!

Wishing everyone well! We are through our first month!!

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Guys thanks for the wishes and recommendations I made a fruit smoothie yesterday and it slide down a treat I have pasta and sauce from dinner but ate it when it was too hot I now know only to eat cold things so cold tea cold smoothies and ice lolly or cold dinner lol the meds work until I eat something I shouldnā€™t so learning a lesson fast I was told also on Tuesday not to take my fil injection as my nutrapina was too high anyone else had this? A lot of bloods came back high or low for infection but hospital never called me back for antibiotics so assume all was ok.
Apart from the mouth and being extra tired after this wrong I would say itā€™s uneventful. Lots of people have it much worse.

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Hi kms1
Im using the Royal Marsden Cancer cookbook. It isnā€™t brilliant- I donā€™t like the layout which is meal types rahter than ingredients- but the recipes are ok. I looked at one or two otheer and they seemed to have agendas or some ethos rather than balanced diet.
Itā€™s a shame we canā€™t share resources but Iā€™m wondering if some of the cancer charities have cookbooks to borrow.
Clare x

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@kms1 love the keyring
Well i woke this morning, nudged my hubby and announced i was going to book a holiday. Maybe a bit early as he was half asleep but one up all up lol. Well i think i was holding back to speek to specialist first next week but im sure he will say its my choice but be careful. The week ive chosen will be 2 weeks after my 3rd session of EC. Fingers crossed ill be fine. Xxx

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Iā€™ve just had my forth session, 1st of cycle 2.

Previously on treatment day, because of the steroids I have felt 110% - today Iā€™m am knocked out and so sleepy.
I canā€™t do anything x

So weird how the same drug can make you feel so different.

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Hope it all goes well for tomorrow. I have EC after the 12 weeks of paclitaxel. Love the keyring!

I have some komboucha in the fridge too but not sure whether its ok or not! Will ask next time I go for treatmentā€¦

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Good luck for your 2nd tomorrow :grin:
Iā€™m glad you mentioned the glasses as thats my first area on my head that has just started to clump out tonight. I want to add that in the shower this morning, got a handful where I certainly donā€™t wear glasses! :sunglasses::flushed:
Itā€™s definitely a ā€˜wash and goā€™ kinda day :partying_face:
PICC line going in on Monday, so that might bugger up my fairly good mood this week, but best option for my 2nd chemo next Friday, too agonising to try for a vein each time, especially when I end up on the weekly taxel.

Have a nice and comfortable weekend as best you can ladies xx :kissing_heart:

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Hey

Iā€™ve had my pic line in for 3 weeks now and from this week itā€™s not even bothering me now. Except when I have to keep it covered for showering. Iā€™ve bought one of those covers from Amazon which really helps keep it dry!

Xx

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@kerrylou1 @pipspops yah to the PICC
I wish I had one as didnā€™t take into account bloods needed for before each cycle or hiccups like I/v anti virals

Iā€™m feeling rather poked on my left arm

@debi1 my tbc trip is also after cycle 3 :crossed_fingers:t2:
Im desperate to get away

@lilo1973 never knew neuts could be high mine have dropped since my first chemo free bloods tests, still in normal range ie ok for chemo but those & wbc arenā€™t like pre chemo Ella
Glad the smoothies are working !

@bex1 so far steroids make me amped for a bit but then I crash. Hope youā€™re feeling better now

I had cycle 2 yesterday and had a reaction to the Docetaxel. My throat constricted & face got very hot & very red! I was surprisingly calm and it was paused so I could get me midday steroids in earlier and they slowed the flow the second time around so did the trick

Cold cap went well & I went smaller with drenched hair (my husband helped) and it did the trick along 0.5 lorazapem & codeine :wink:

Not sure how useful it is I see a lot of hair coming out :woman_shrugging:t2:

All in all I feel better today than I did last time which is great: few tweaks inc hydrating more 2 days before & on chemo day plus more protein and getting ice in my mouth as soon as Docetaxel was administered

Letā€™s see how I fare on the Saturday crash
X

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