Hi @Jess_ such a great attitude you have. It all sucks but somehow amazing people get through it. Love the red warrior and that has helped shift my mindset to that part of my treatment. Future Dreams is great - hope that really helps you too.
hugs x
Hi everyone. Hope you’re all OK. Had my second round of EC chemo today. Didn’t sleep well last night and feeling a bit queezy, but am good, thankfully. Had liver for dinner to try to get my iron in yesterday. Found a good vitamin boost called Floradix which is cheap and has iron in.
@Cali and @Jess_ all respect to you for your amazing attitude. You’ve spurred me on to try to keep positive and look for the good things in each day, like lovely friends. I think that’s going to be key in fighting this disease.
If anyone is able and wants to do some good, safe Pilates the following routine, (about 30 mins), is good. After 11 minutes 35, some of the exercises aren’t advisable for ladies who’ve had recent reconstruction surgeries, or for people with back pain. The instructor, Emily Elgar, is really good. The site she posts on is called
Katie Bell Physiotherapy & Wellness
youtube.com/watch?v=DDUdf9ij_Gg&t=9s
@rachel60 Here are some good upper body stretches which are good for mobility
Upper body stretch
youtube.com/watch?v=jYabAZrjNTk
youtube.com/watch?v=kBA1ppsIMcc
youtube.com/shorts/xRtGQb223-4
youtube.com/watch?v=of4Yl5q9cUQ
youtube.com/shorts/wusOM8PW-r4
youtube.com/watch?v=-L2VDQLikhc
Hope that’s a help.
Hi @Geo23 @thanks for checking in.
I’ve been digesting my treatment plan. Chemotherapy being delayed until August.
plan changed due to family history and my own health conditions. MDT decided as my largest tumour is 2.1cm they would do surgery first as they were worried I may not be able to cope with the chemotherapy and Phesgo before and if there was a problem it would have a knock on effect on surgery. They decided it was best to remove the cancer then do treatment.
Even though I’m bilateral primary cancer they will still do lumpectomy, the Pacitaxol for 12 weekly cycles with Herceptin only 3 weekly for 18 cycles, followed by radiotherapy on both sides (they debated the left side due to more heart issues, but oncologist was happy with targeted radiation). With Tamoxifen. They thought this treatment plan would produce less problems.
Was advised could have just hair thinning but I’d already booked to have hair cut, so my bob is gone and now have shortish pixie crop. The hairdresser is an ex pupil now 25 and he booked his last slot of the day for 1 1/2 hour slot in case I needed it and he was working alone that afternoon. So grateful, I took my husband for support which was good.
I hope your last cycle was ok. How are you feeling today?
Hole you are all well? I will pop in and out of this thread to keep up to date with you all but will probably now be joining the August chemo starters!
@naughty boob Wishing you so much love for what comes next. You have a plan and hopefully a surgery date soon. Take lots of care and hopefully will hear how you are doing.
xxx
Thanks so much @Geo23 . Loving the pilates. Pre bed seems to help me sleep too and i finish with a bit of meditation breathing from insight timer app
hope EC is ok and you are managing the side effects
Surgery is next Wednesday. Wires in and tracer on Tuesday as they can’t be done by radiology on the morning of the operation. Still having lumpectomy on both sides with sentinel node biopsies. MDT have suggested same outcome as mastectomy. The await for pathology.
I started June 23rd, 2023
Hi @naughty boob ,
It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it, but it sounds like your MDT are really on top of things. Sounds like you’re taking each day as it comes, and doing pro-active things like having your hair cut, so you’re in control of what’s going onto you. It isn’t in control of you. Ever. You are not defined by cancer. You are still you.
I had a lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy, then had to have a second surgery to take out a bit more tissue around the lump, and a total lymph node clearance. Not ever, in 5 months of this process have the amazing medical teams inflicted one bit of pain on me, they are so expert at what they are doing. Breathing exercises and concentrating on all the good things I have during guide wire process etc really helped me to stay calm. If that can happen to me, a person who has a tendency to worry too much, I know it can happen for you too.
Bwell recovery exercise plan app and the exercise plan on Breast Cancer Now Site give you exercises that can help you right from day one after surgery, as did seeing an Oncology Physiotherapist when I got cording. She sorted me out with some great light manipulation techniques and stretches, and I recovered quickly from surgery. You’ll get through this, you are so strong. Sounds like you’ve got a great support network. Keep us posted how you’re doing.
Thanks for asking and thanks to @rachel60 for asking too. The night after my 2nd round of chemo I became more well acquainted with my toilet bowl than before! Not my finest moment, but after that I felt much better and got an amazing night’s sleep. Today I feel like I’m on Speed, the steroids kicked in and I had a lot of energy, so made the most of it!
Hope the Pilates really help @rachel60 . Hope you’re doing OK? Take care.
@Geo23 great you have more energy. I did smile at the toilet bowl! Not always our best friend although my family laughed when i proudly announced success two days after chemo. Carboplatin makes you constipated! So two days later was unheard of. My family said I was like a proud two year old !!! It might be the 30 minutes each evening pilates helping too!
hope you stay on upward path after round 2. You’re ticking them off the list.
take care x
Hello @Ambersandiego hope you are doing ok. I’ve found this group - the only one I’ve joined - really helpful. Lots of questions and some great tips in the thread.
Hi @naughty boob it’s good to have a plan. My plan has changed twice since my diagnosis. And they got it right both times. We need to trust the team. All the best on Wednesday ❤️
Hi everyone, I had my second EC on Thursday. They gave me lorazepam beforehand and this stopped me from vomiting afterwards and I feel less nauseous, so anyone suffering from this I would definitely ask your breast care nurse. I’ve started (a really painful!!) period, evening though I’m on Zoladex which is adding to the fun this chemo cycle… I’m hoping it will settle down soon. I hope everyone is doing as well as can be, sending positive energy. I’m looking for gentle exercise tips, so please send anything my way X
Hi, @rachel60 and @Geo23 thank you for all the tips. The Pilates is great and I’m doing it twice a week. I had my second EC yesterday but it was at 5 PM and it messed up my sleep. I was still working at 3 AM…Constipation is my main side effect and it is terrible. I’m talking 5 days for my first poo, followed by another 7 days for the second. I’m taking laxatives since Monday daily (prescribed by the team) but I poo so little in pellet-size stools- even my cat does better. Yesterday they told me to double up the dose in the morning and before bed. I don’t have any pain and I have an appetite ?. I’m just bloated and scared constantly of impacted stools or a downpour. I’m drinking 3 l of water, prune juice (homemade), wholemeal everything, vegetable soup daily, daily walks + yoga. Sorry for all the ? talk… I even felt a bit jealous of your toilet smile @rachel60 ?
Hi @Jess_ I’m glad this time, you had a better experience❤️. Check the link that @Geo23 posted earlier (Sunday) for gentle Pilates exercises. I practice also yoga online - I try different YouTubers but if your starting Adriene is great youtu.be/jsLAc-2y0bE
@Guida ? talk is important! The reality of chemo. That is awful, and I was the same. Days went by. No pain but really concerned. I’m not sure what changed other than sticking with the prunes, yoga, pilates, laxido, apricots. Maybe it just sorted itself eventually. Its still not great.
i have to drink more as my liver is not enjoying the toxic drugs. The team are watching it but 3litres for me daily. Maybe I can put fruit in it. I boiled some with fresh ginger yesterday and then cooled it. That was nice.
take care x
Hi @Guida and @rachel60 and @Geo23 and @naughty boob
I don’t know if any of you remember me. i have been reading through your threads this am and am praying for you all.
I am actually due to start chemotherapy on 12 July after having a Mastectomy with implant reconstruction on 31 March and a full axillary clearance of lymph nodes on 12 May. Since then I experienced terrible cording in my arm-pit to mid arm which is being managed with physiotherapy sessions. I also had underarm seromas drained 4 times. I have stage 2 invasive carcinoma breast cancer in my left breast. Several of my nodes were cancerous hence why i had the full clearance.
I have been away as I had the most harrowing week of my life last week. I was admitted to Accident and Emergency when I experienced an expanding rash and swelling over my implanted breast. I was prepared for surgery to remove the implant WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION of what was happening to me. An indian junior on-call doctor came to see me at midnight and asked me to sign the consent form for the surgery. It was SO SCARY! Early in the morning the BC nurse came to see me and the rash (diagnosed cellulitis) had reduced greatly due to intravenous antibiotics. I asked her to take photos WITH MY PHONE. Later I sent them to her and asked her to show them to my consultant. This way I avoided surgery. I managed the situation. I spent a week in hospital on intravenous antibiotics.
I was discharged and think I have DBC (Delayed Breast Cellulitis). The rash has reduced significantly and I’m now off antibiotics. However, it is must better in the mornings and I think the blood is being obstructed by scarring and henceforth showing as a rash. As when I stand the rash gets worse! Throughout my time in hospital my bloods were clear of infection, my serous fluid (aspired) had no germs and I had no fever.
So this is me. It was such a horrible experience. I am seeing my oncologist on Monday and want to delay the chemotherapy until the redness has completely disappeared. I hope she will agree.
I know you are all going through chemo and I’m maybe not on the correct thread, but I feel like I know you as I’ve been reading through your threads.
Big hug to you all,
@Beeza66 Absolutely remember you but so sorry to hear your news. What a traumatic time. So great you spoke out and thank goodness for your BC nurse and hope you have a positive conversation with your oncologist. I’ll be thinking about you.
thanks for sharing the experience. We are all going through something so challenging and I’m certainly finding these experiences here are helping me. I’ve got an amazing support network at home yet there is nothing like some sharing with people living it at the same time
take care and hope next week brings answers
x
Thank you @Geo23 for your post.
Your comments about being more acquainted to the toilet bowl made me laugh! The thought of being on Speed and wizzing around getting everything done made me smile. It’s silly things and comments like this that make us get through this.
I’ll be checking out the Bwell exercise app, I was given a breast cancer now leaflet for post op exercises.
I reached out to a few friends I don’t speak to that often, one of which is in Australia, their responses have been so supportive. I’ve decided it’s best everyone knows and then it’s up to them how much they support.
work sent me a fantastic bouquet of flowers, it was a lovely surprise.