Hi, I am an interloper…I am due to start chemotherapy on 4th July 2018. I have two small children (a nearly 2 and a nearly 3 yr old). I am worried how I will be able to care for them. I thankfully have a lot of family support but I’m terrible at asking for help and I am fiercely independent. I know the fatigue will/ may stop my in my tracks but I still want to mother my babies!!! I’ve been told that chemo stays in sweat and saliva so hugs and kisses for my babies are going to be tricky.
Is anyone a mother of toddlers in this thread ? How did you cope with looking after your children? Any tips?
Morning lovely ladies. Yesterday was great. The first time I have really felt ‘normal’. Went for a gentle walk in the evening and then popped into the village pub with some friends. Actually stayed up until nearly 10pm! Whoop whoop!?
Only minor (!!) issue is severe constipation. I’ve upped the Laxido and might try Senacot, as suggested by some of you, although it hasn’t really worked for me in the past. Anyway (don’t read this if you have a delicate constitution!) as a result my piles, which I gave birth to with my daughter 21 years ago, are very uncomfortable!!?
As you know I am going fly fishing on Sunday. I had booked a campsite for the Saturday and as I am feeling so well I have just booked the Friday night too. I am soooo looking forward to it! ??
Hi Ktk
Great that you are feeling so well ? Have a wonderful weekend camping I can highly recommend Sudocrem, great for babies and ladies! Happy fishing in the sunshine ?
Jacq x
OOh KTK, that sounds painful, Sennokot did help me, I also ate prunes every morning on my cereal. .not sure which did the trick, lots of fluids too.
In response to the lady with small children, I have two children but mine are 15 and 13 so a different situation but with regards to the actual side effects… I was still able to be Mum (albeit mine can help themselves too) but you may find you just need to rest more, lay down and watch tv with them, read books… but please ask for help, your family/friends will want to help, I think they feel useful and it makes them feel better, even if its just someone to put the washing on/out or make lunch, hopefully the side effects will be mainly the first few days, after 3 days I was able to work again and by 7 days felt pretty much nomal. Take all the medication they offer you and don’t be afraid to ask the helpline any questions if you feel unwell or have other symptoms. I wasn’t told about chemo being in sweat etc and wasn’t advised to not hug or cuddle children only to be careful around them during the second week when your immunity is low. Please speak to your BCN or chemo nurse and she will be able to asnwer all your questions. Big Hugs Kip xx
Anti-constipation tip from me is overnight oats using All-Bran instead of oats. I use 50g all bran with 100ml almond milk, fruit and yoghurt all layered up. Pop in the fridge overnight, drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup over in the morning and enjoy. Slimming World friendly too if any of you are on that journey as well.
I find it it really easy to underestimate how much I need to drink in this weather and that deffo has an effect on my ‘performance’ ??
Thanks for the tips girls. I am drinking loads. I have never been very ‘regular ‘ so hadn’t noticed that the problem was ‘building up’!! I like the sound of that recipe. I’ll give it a go! I have some nice ripe black currents in the garden so will pop them in.
Well had my ONc appointment this morning and have never been so scared to get results back. Heart nearly beat out of my chest. But glad to say bone scan, CT and heart scan are all normal… yipppeeee the relief is immense. So onwards with chemo, next appointment with Onc. is 28 August so have a breather in between appointments. I have to decide by then whether I want to have lymph nodes cleared or just treat them with rads? Anyone have any ideas? More decisions! Apparently the outcome is the same either way but peace of mind having them removed may be a factor. Both options have chances of lymphodema, and I will still be having rads anyway to chest wall and under collar bone. More scary things to think about, but for now the relief is good and as a bonus I asked if I can drink alcohol and she said yes… so Pimms for me to celebrate tonight.
I hope everyone had good days… oh Onc also said that a a gauge the 4th cycle is the toughest as this is the first of the T part (if you having FEC-T) and your body adjusts to the FEC and then you change, so a bit more tired on this cycle but should then follow a pattern on the home straight…
You must be so relieved Kip. Personally I’d take radiotherapy over ANC. The node clearance op has caused me far more trouble than the original mastectomy. The lack of feeling and tightness I could well do without.
I had my first day where I felt a bit off today but I think that’s more the heat causing lack of sleep (still waking at 3.30/4am) and a subsequent bit of a headache. Still went to work but a bit later today and fell into Joules and got a dress in the sale for being such a brave soldier I am really suffering in the heat because I can no longer wear the sort of cool clothing I could before, there not being enough material to cover what it needs to. Thankfully I’ve not had any constipation problems, the metformin I take for diabetes make sure of that!
I’m going to treat myself to a nice bit of quiche and salad followed by strawberries and cream.
Great news Kip. I’m raising my G&T to you ?. I’m sure you will get some good advice about the ANC. I do agree that I have felt that more than anything else and it is still a bit tight sometimes.
CDC, really interested to hear more of your story. It is interesting that we had our first session together and are still mirroring each other even with your lower dose. It might well benefit you later. So you don’t start T until cycle 4. Who will I compare with?! Very interested in you genome history too. What an interesting project to be involved with.
Enjoying a G&T, watching the sun set and listening to the Twenty20. What could be better?? I know, not having BC ??
Night all. Sleep well, at least for a few hours…xxx
That’s fab news CDC and interesting about your genetics. Sounds like your meeting was very productive. I asked my Onc about injections and she said our hospital don’t give them but provide antibiotics each cycle instead but if my white cells get low I may get them then, I may get them on the T part but may not… so it’s a waiting game for me.
OMG! Spoke too soon. Woke in the night literally screaming with pain in my back and hips. Ibuprofen had no effect. Luckily I had some codeine phosphate left over from surgery which helped a bit. Will have to contact GP today to get some more. Better this morning!
Good morning all, chemo went ok, no allergic reactions or major issues. Was just nerves and apprehensive. Felt sick last night but have taken the multitude of tables and have injection waiting for later. 5 tablets in all today and some to taken later. Injections shouldn’t be that bad as I had them for the egg collection but was feeling well then. Do you ladies have this amount of tablets? How do you remember if you have taken them? I have heard chemo brain can be quite bad. Though about writing days initials on the back of the packets. So apart from feeling like hungover, aching all over and heavy ness in limbs I done feel that bad. Next hurdle, hystroscope, genes testing and braving the shave and wig shopping. I looking forward to catching up on all of your posts, hope you are all doing ok. Your such a great group of ladies xx
Hi All, KTK that pain sounds horrendous, my Onc said yesterday that when you change from one type of chemo to another that the first new one can be the worst because you body had kind of adapted to the first lot and then it has something else to deal with… hopefuly the next ones won’t be so bad. Have to say, I am hoping not to have the injections as my hospital don’t automatically issue them, only if your have trouble getting the white cells back up otherwise its just a course of antibiotics.
Lisa Marie - I find to that to remember what and when to take all the drugs I keep a diary and write in when I have taken them, the nurse wrote on each box when to take them too, so that helped. I had anti-sickness for three days, steroids for 3 days and then anti sickness ones as and when required. At day 7 I had to take 2 antibiotics a day until day 15, again I wrote on the box! Its a lot to remember but you quickly get in teh swing, I know some people use one of those boxes with the days of the week on. Glad the chemo went ok, now rest for a few days and you’ll pick up again soon.
I enjoyed my Pimms last night, delicious! Only had the one though… being very good! Also getting used to seeing myself bald, actually makes me laugh now and feels quite naughty wandering around the house, not brave enough to go out bald though, I still have stubble in places so a bit patchy, nice and cool in his heat though. The wig takes some time to get used to but everyone thinks it looks nice and you couldn’t tell, but its quite warm!
GP was really helpful when she phoned. Has given me a script for codeine phosphate, macrogol, and something for the dreaded piles!! She said that the codeine can be taken with paracetamol and ibuprofen, and that it was worth taking some before bed. It is the filagrastim injections that are doing this. Otherwise I’m ok.
Good to hear everything is well with you all. So interesting to hear the different experiences.
Ktk, that hip and back pain sounds like what I had the middle Saturday between chemo. It was like being in labour. I took codeine and it did go away, made me tired though. I only had it the one day and touch wood, it’s not been back since. Hopefully it’ll be a one off for you too.
I’m more than ever convinced the headache I’ve had off and on the last couple of days is more heat than chemo.When I put the A/C on at 18c the headache went. Came back a bit on the stuffy train home. I was half tempted to stay up by work as they have big screens showing the football practically outside my work in Waterloo and all the food stalls are staying open late tonight. It’s a shame I’d be too knackered to enjoy it after getting to work at 7.30 this morning.
With the drugs I leave mine on the table with the hospital thing telling me what to take when. I keep saying I’ll do myself a spreadsheet but forget. I only had some of my injection last night as I knocked the needle taking the lid off and bent it. It partly worked then stopped. Half a dose for a day will do. Normal service will be resumed tonight, if I’m not cack-handed again.
Aagh! Just wrote a long reply to everyone and my battery died before I posted it! In brief Glad the GP was helpful Ktk. Great idea to lobby the PM Linda. Will consider doing the same. Hope everyone is doing ok. This weather has wiped me out this evening and I’m only just keeping my eyes open for the England match. Take care everyone cxx
I was 46 when I found the lump and it apparently had been there for 2 years ( and so had spread) and is requiring everything throwing at it. It would have shown up on a mammogram but hard to spot as a lump.
Anyway yes they should lower the age and do mammograms more frequently, so anything I can do I will…
Am on day 4 of second cycle, so probably a bit ranty today, sorry!
Sending love to you all ladies,
Xxx
Morning all, sorry for the no reply yesterday. Was so tired and sleepy had difficulty seeing screen without blurry eyes. For these first few days I have emend 80grm for sickness one in morning and metoclopramide half hour before meals to continue with throughout for sickness, Ondansetron 12hrs apart, co trimoxazole and Dexamethasone and have had the zoledex injection for suppressing my ovaries. This is all after taking Ivf drugs to stimulate them to collect eggs before chemo as it will probably send me into early menopause. After day 5 I have ciproflaxacin and injection of Filgrastim to take. Presuming the barrage of drugs is either due to my age (39) or the fact I have no children yet (hence the egg freezing) or that I’m triple negative?. Clare you asked about the hystroscope, when having egg collection they found my womb lining to be thick at 22mm which they said at my point in my cycle needed investigation, and a small fibroid. Obviously bricking it now if you excuse my language thinking that and my ibs is not that but undiagnosed cancer down there and because the genes test has not come back yet I don’t know if I have the Brca 1 or Brca 2 genes. It’s been a lot to take in with the WLE an SNB and egg retrieval operations, my body is aching and feels like a piece of meat rather than me. But! I am feeling ok today, no wobbles or watery eyes and remaining ?? strong. How old are you ladies? Would love to hear more about your journeys on this roller coaster ride. Just getting used to the forum but as new on hear and hope I’m doing it right. Sending much love and positivity to you all ?. You are a great help and inspirational ladies xx
Well done Lisa for your positivity. My drug regime was similar, without the IVF things as I am post menopause. Just watch the Filgrastim. Just as you begin to feel better in the second week you might get chronic bone ache. Make sure you have got some strong painkillers.
I went hashing last night, although I only walk, leaving the running to OH and son. We then had a lovely picnic on Woodbury Common overlooking the Exe estuary. It was the furthest I’ve walked and we didn’t get home until 10pm which is the latest I’ve been up!!
Today’s niggle is a huge ulcer on the inside of my upper lip. It has grown bigger over the last three days and my lip is swollen. It looks like I have had lip fillers. Unfortunately it is only on one side ?. Xx
I am really suffering in the heat because I can no longer wear the sort of cool clothing I could before, there not being enough material to cover what it needs to. Thankfully I’ve not had any constipation problems, the metformin I take for diabetes make sure of that!