@booklover1 it’s so difficult when you have children dealing with all of this, but even more so when they have additional needs. How do we even reduce stress in that kind of situation? I really have no idea and it worries me a lot. I’m definitely thinking about what needs to change in my life. Haven’t had the greatest support during all of this from my partner, he hasn’t been to one apt with me. I sometimes think I would’ve coped better on my own, but it is what it is, I suppose.
1 Like
Thanks for the studies I will have a look & see if I can get my head round it! There is so much to process & we all want to make the best decisions for our health x
I know what you mean. A counsellor told me once I needed to set boundaries but its hard when its family and it feels like there is no one else to step in. But we are important tooxx
Good luckxx
1 Like
@booklover1 I think unless they have lived with our situation then they haven’t got a clue. I’ve had lots of people offer advice and they just have no idea what day to day life is like. I have no one else to step in either, it always fall on me and it’s a lot. We definitely are important too, but more often than not we’re at the bottom of the pile, but what else can we do? There’s not a lot of help out there. Xx
1 Like
On the work subject. I only did a few hours a week cleaning but it was getting too hard before my diagnosis ive rhumatiod and osteoarthritis so wasn’t a hard decision to leave.
Just wondering what’s everyone looking forward to eating when taste is back to normal. Im still enjoying spicy food curries etc but not much else. Fruit, bread, chocolate all bitter. Don’t enjoy many drinks. Milkshake was ok. Trouble is im still eating lol. This could be a good time to loose weight. Think im only eating them out of spite 
xxxx
2 Likes
@idcand49 I almost hardly dare plan anything for my belated 60th but I definitely intend celebrating throughout 2025 as soon as I’m able. Hope you manage to get in lots of celebrations after missing out on your 50th.
@debi1 I’m due my last chemo on 4th Nov so hoping I’ll be able to get my 3 weeks of radiotherapy in before Christmas.
@olli3 pleased you’ve been discharged.
I’ve spent most of the afternoon at hospital. Rang helpline after having rash on chest and getting nosebleeds. They were worried about my platelets being too low but after lots of tests they decided it was all down to side effects from the Docetaxel.
Have any of you ladies had flu and Covid jabs? Oncologist said I was ok to have them the week before my next chemo. I wasn’t sure whether to get them both done together or just one at a time.
1 Like
@olli3 Im so happy for you that youre being discharged!! 
@debi1 i think the problem at the min for me is, everyone who would normally help with the school run etc is ill lol. Its that lovely time of year where colds, flu and covid are doing the rounds.
My mum was begging to help me the other weekend by giving me a break and taking our son to clacton for the weekend but her partner had covid. She said she was testing negative and would go on her own with him, but i didnt want to risk it at all. Our son was totally fine with the decision and hes 9 and autistic, but my mum just couldnt fathom why i was being so careful 
she thought because id already had covid recently that i wouldnt get it again… but surely its not worth the risk with zero immune system??
@idcand49 dont let anyone make you feel like you have to rush to go back to work!! Lord knows youve been through enough!! Take it easy and focus on healing. Just remember, if the shoe was on the other foot, other people at work would be focusing on themselves anyway.
3 Likes
I think we are all going to need time tot process these hard experiences. 2024 has been one of my crappiest years and I’m really looking forward to Christmas now and New Year. Roll on!!
Duvet days- I hope you can all relax at least some of the weekend.
@idcand49 yes- all those decisions yesterday. It was a lot but I think the surgeon steered me and didn’t debate any of my choices.
I’m not sure how many nodes they will take out. Im triple negative like @booklover1 and i think it was @fluffy888? I had one positive node.
Re stress…I’ve also got children who need additional help and i tended to get too involved (they are in their 30s!). I’m learning to back off a bit and look after myself.
Xx
Xx
3 Likes
@angieb1
Ive booked covid and flu together the week before my next chemo. I’ve been putting it off but my oncologist said definitely get the flu one- covid not so important.
Xx
2 Likes
I’m so glad I found this thread. There’s so many of us that seem to be going through the same experiences. Makes me feel not so alone.
@cf640 I’m TNBC, I think @debi1 is too but I feel like I can’t retain much information at the moment, so apologies if I’ve got that wrong or if I forget anything anyone has told me. The chemo brain is well and truly at play here.
@deb1 I think I’m just looking forward to really enjoying something. There’s not much food/drink wise that I’m really enjoying at the moment. Mind you, most of the time it’s not stopping me eating.
I don’t think I’m going to get flu or Covid jabs. I just feel like I’m fed up with pumping my body with more and more stuff at the moment. Xx
There’s a walk through at my GP tomorrow for flu jab and im going to book a covid jab the week before my next treatment. There is a couple of my friends who always asks about my immune system but my family see me trying to carry on as normal when i can but i wouldn’t knowingly put myself at risk. My mum mentioned to me about wearing a mask when she had shingles bless her. Xxxx
Look after yourselves ladies xx
1 Like
Im glad you join this thread love. Yes I’m in the Tnbc club. Yes this food thing is doing my head in. Tucked into a bar of fruit and nut chocolate bar. My face said it all. 
so bitter but it didn’t stop me finishing it off. What’s that about xxx
@debi1 i’ve just burst out laughing. I’ve put food in my mouth thinking it’ll taste one way and then thought what the hell is that, but still finished it even though it tasted vile. No idea what that is about either! xx
1 Like
@fluffy888 You two ladies have just made me laugh. Love your quote @debi1 about eating things out of spite - that’s me at the moment It should be a great help to lose some of the extra stone and a half I’ve put on since starting treatment but I’m still eating even though most things taste disgusting! I’m a chocoholic normally and I’ve got a big bar of mint chocolate in my fridge. Every time I go in there I break off a square to eat hoping it’ll taste normal, I think I’ll be finished it long before it does. I’ve found fresh pineapple and pineapple juice tastes good, also scrambled egg. My friend made a casserole for me with sausage, black pudding and haggis and it tasted delicious. Soups are ok too. Good to hear spicy food tastes ok, will give that a try. We could do with a list of food that still tastes ok.
1 Like
Glad we made you chuckle. We have to smile when we can. Oh mint chocolate my absolute favourite. I’ve been also eating skittles sweets. Not bad but making my mouth a bit sore. Ah well. Won’t be for evs. Night ladies xxx
1 Like
@angieb1 i’m not normally a sweet person but definitely have been during chemo. Cadbury’s caramel nibbles taste quite nice, but I always have to finish the bag. I had some salt & vinegar squares the other day but they tasted sweet somehow, so I’m now off those. Strong tasting things seem to be the best bet like @debi1 says spicy curries.
The casserole sounds delicious, but aren’t things alway better when someone else cooks for you? They just taste so much nicer somehow. Xx
3 Likes
Lovely night’s sleep in my own bed bliss! You’re comments about the eating made me laugh! I’ve suddenly developed a really sweet tooth, started baking in my good periods (I never do that normally!). Find spicy food is the best too for tasting ‘normal’, can’t drink water unless with squash…
Had a summer COVID jab in June before chemo but want to get flu jab I’ll ask oncologist next week at appointment. Does anyone know, can people who live with us get them too?
Back to the stress thing, I’ve got an adult child 30s with neuro diversity living at home (well she came back during pandemic and hasn’t left) who needs support but I am learning to step back a bit and look after myself.
Re work, I think we really have to be firm and do what is best for our health and not be guilted by employers into returning any earlier than we’re up to. We’re protected by law in this. (although self -employed I have managed to reduce my workload so it’s manageable and doing all from home, but wouldn’t contemplate going out to work anywhere until all chemo & radiotherapy well finished)
Happy Friday everyone! The sun’s shining ( for now at least!) I hope the weekend is a better one for everyone xx
2 Likes
Morning ladies
Loving our food chat !
I always had coffee with cream after chemo no matter how awful my mouth was / things tasted
Think I mentioned how one weekend my 17 yr old said I was eating like a pregnant lady. It was a random mish mash of a scrambled eggs brioche & ready salted crisps
Now I can feel the weight creeping up (after losing 10 lbs from stress) I’m blaming the forced menopause not the choc I keep eating
Like you @debi1 doesn’t even taste right so I keep buying thicker Tony’s chocs hoping it will change lol
How’s everyone getting on with their cycles?
X
2 Likes
Daughter made some blondies which were really yummy 
. My usual pick me up (the twirl) is tasting really stale but I keep trying just in case 
3 Likes