Good luck with the shave Reddi, can’t wait to the pics. Bloomin periods… I feel so hormonal today just to add to everything else and period pains too that’s before I get chemo tomorrow. I never got told about periods beforehand either, I’m gonna ask at chemo tomorrow,
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Reddi 
For the shave if I’m not too late to advise get your makeup on before you buzz, makes a difference when you take hair off beautiful ???
shi xx
Kip if im still there at 2 tomorrow i will come and look for you. Usually with my sister but shes got a cold so told her to stay at home!! Will talk to the lovely Salvation Army man instead, he makes me laugh x
Reddi ?? well done today ??with your pixie, it’s good to take control over the hair situation, it’s a big thing for all of us but empowering too if that makes sense. Good tip for regrow the when done with treatments is the lush new shampoo bar (looks lovely me a red dot) and rub Jamaican black castor oil onto head for 10-20 mins before washing with the shampoo bar, loads of us have had great hair growth results with this combo??a silk pillowcase will help heads too during the hair loss phase and hair regrow this phase of the chemo. Lots of us painted our nails with black polish during the t Chemo and lots of us kept nails ok so another tip if anyone wants to try ???shi xx
Sorry the predictive text gremlins out again tonight the shampoo bar looks like a red dot ???shi xx
@Shi – thanks! I’m sure to lose one big toenail as it has a pre-existing bed injury, but hoping to hold on to as many others as possible. I’ve been using so much moisturizer, nail strengthening cream, cuticle oil, and sunblock that they look healthier and stronger than ever. More incentive to get them through T(PH)!
Totally noting the regrow regime – sounds great. And I bought a silk pillowcase on Amazon a couple weeks ago after reading a rec on here (during the time I was in hospital for neutropenia and hating the stiff bed pillow) and love it. So soft and cool.
Good luck today Kip. Think my body is coming out in sympathy as having not had a period for 2 months (and being really regular before) I’m now bleeding heavily!! Sorry if that’s TMT!!! Just weird having told everyone it had stopped. Oh well. Just another thing to deal with. Hope you get seen quickly today and SEs are minimal. 1/2 way through- yahoo! xx
Well done Reddi with the hair cut,i had a brutal pixie too before the great shave and everyone loved it. Must look out the lush soap recommended by Shi too.
Cdc seems you did come out in sympathy for me, how strange is that. It’s really messed with my head as k and major meltdown last night, leaky eyes big time. I think the thought of next chemo hit home even tho it marks half way I have been able to put scary thoughts away for a few weeks and then found myself reading an article about survival rates for BC and it brought everything flooding back and made me feel that this scariness will never truly be over. Just seems a long road to go. I met so many friends over last couple of days who were saying “hooray so glad it’s school hols” and j felt “great just more chemo and hospitals and injections and pills to look forward to”. Feeling envious of normal lives of others. OH didn’t know what to do with me bless him just kept reminding me that at times others may have been or will be envious of me too… doesn’t feel like it at present… bloody hormones.
Enough of my misery tho… it’s absolutely roasting here again so hoping chemo unit is cooler… Juju I will look out for you just in case You are still around… ive met the Salvation Army man too!,
Take care all Kip as
Very tough Kip. Hormonal symptoms on top of chemo SEs are not what you need. I’ve been avoiding reading up on anything recently but when the girls in front of us the other day said ‘and she died’ it really did upset me. I’m having a good week before bloody chemo next Tuesday and I can already feel the nerves kicking in.
Sending huge hugs to all those who have just had a cycle and those about to have the next one.
We will get through this and will continue to support each other even when the treatment is finished. There are threads on here from years ago and people still keeps in touch which is encouraging. Xxx
Meant to say Salvation Army Man??? I’m intrigued? Is he a patient or volunteer?? Xx
Good morning all
Interesting to read that some of you are still having periods. I’m now 10 days late and hoping that I never have another. Time will tell I suppose but at 54 I’m certainly ready for them to end. Counting down to T number four on Wednesday and absolutely dreading it this time, mainly because I’m stressing out about becoming neutropenic again. I’m still dealing with the thrush from the last lot of antibiotics and feel very low. This forum is a godsend as I’m trying not to add to my families stress by not complaining too much. It’s great to be able to vent here. Sending lots of best wishes to you all.
Jacq x
Cdc the Salvation Army man is a volunteer who wanders the Chemo unit offering chat to those poor bored souls sat connected to chemo… he’s very sweet. Thanks for the support just can’t hold back tears today haven’t felt like this for ages and it’s awful… to top it off just got letter in post to invite me for cervical smear test… another appointment to make. Not sure if they can do this whilst having Chemo?
Jaqb how have you found the T part?
Hello Kip. The chemo unit is lovely and cool today so you will be fine. Im in the bay opposite reception so easy to spot today. Everything so far going on time so not sure i will still be here later when u get in? Shame you are having an emotional day, it gets like that sometimes but stop reading stuff on that internet. It messes with your head even though you want to read some positive stuff theres far too much negativity out there. I have stopped myself from searching stuff now as too much doom and gloom. Stay strong xx
Kip, ive left unit now!! Gonna do some retail therapy before i go home!
Hi Kip
So sorry you are having a down day, I hope tomorrow is a better day for you. I’ve been absolutely fine with the Docetaxol apart from neutropenia, which is unpredictable and does not affect everyone. I have done all three rounds in a fasted state so I think that has helped. I’ve not had to take any anti nausea meds and I have no major symptoms apart from tiredness. All best wishes for your treatments.
Jacq x
@JacqB That is inspiring. I have been very interested in the research from the Longo lab, and have been doing something more like the fast-mimicking diet plus loads of water for FEC (aim for 5-6 litres per day). I might try pushing further for T.
May I ask how old you are? I have heard T can sometimes be harder on younger women, but with no definition of what “younger” means. I just turned 47, so middling age.
Hi all well round 3 done that’s the FEC done and dusted. Had a minor blip at clinic today, had drip jn and ready to go then a delay of about 1.5 hours the nurse then came over and said there was an issue with my liver function test and they needed to seek advice from a doctor so, might not be able to have chemo… Well went into meltdown, imagined all sorts of things and had myself booked on for liver transplant. After another agonising wait she said doc was happy it was fine to proceed just raised due to drugs and chemo… phew. White blood cells were very good though so I’ve come away with no injections this time. Strange cos j thought I’d get them every cycle now?
I asked about periods and she said it’s not unusual to get the sporadically through chemo but they tend to become more like ,menopause .
Also got pep talk ready for T cycle next time… hmmm sounds tough. Effects mouth, most things taste like cardboard (lovely) eat pineapple, ice lollies (particularly whilst administering chemo), use salt water mouth wash after eating, watch out for fingers and toes hurting, could affect hair or not, nail problems, more tiredness than Fec so lots to think about… oh and loaded up with steroids ready to take prior to next chemo. 2 x 4 twice a day for three days (day prior to chemo, chemo day and next day) although she said they may give less for cycle 2 if not had much sickness to help with post steroid slump. What joy now off for good shower as roasting hog here.
Take care all Kip
Hi Reddi
I’ll be 55 in October. With regards to docetaxel, I made a deliberate decision not to google and I skim read the leaflet from the hospital so I went into it with few preconceptions. I have no idea if the fasting is the reason why I’ve had only mild side effects but I’m not prepared to risk eating for this last dose on Wednesday. I’ve found the SE’s from antibiotics to be much more troublesome. I’m happy with my decision to fast but every medic I’ve broached the subject with has immediately dismissed it and told me not to do it, but I’ve always been a bit of a rebel!
All best wishes
Jacq x
@JacqB My lead onco was open to it, but everyone else was resistant. But I have a bit of rebel in me, too – they wouldn’t let me shower when I was admitted for febrile neutropenia because my low BP made me a fall / fainting risk, despite all my indie shuttlimg to the toilet across the hall while drinking 6 liters of water a day in an attempt to raise my BP. I ended up washing my hair alone in the sink in my isolation room – far more likely to cause me to faint. But I know my body.
Evening all
Not posted for a few weeks but have been keeping up to date with you all. Just had my 5th week of pacletaxol and have to admit I feel really lucky that my se have not been to bad at all.
Day 1&2 I am up ridiculously early but have not had nausea and bodily functions have not been to bad either. Day 3&4 The achy legs and the tiredness kicks in… bit of advice from the chemo nurse was don’t take the paracetamol as a cure to the ache take them early as prevention and that has worked for me.
I have continued with the cold cap which really has kept my hair loss to a minimum but I don’t miss the shaving of legs and armpits…and it has been a god send in the heat we have been having.
Have even been up for working to try and retain some normality Have booked a couple of weekends away to look forward to as well…
Take care everyone.
Kellie x