Just a quick one before my oldest friend comes over with her family (my godchildren) for the day, can’t wait to see them.
Just wanted to wish those at the bar today good luck and send healing vibes to all feeling low xxx
It’s sunny here, I’ve got a nice headscarf on and a bit of make up and feel almost human again. May even try a medicinal cava with lunch 
Chelle my hair is not as thick as yours but lots of wispy bits and definitely has grown between cycles, will be interesting to see if it drops out again in a few days. Couldn’t go scarf/wig free as I do look odd- but would probably do so if I was completely shiny neat bald!
Lots of love to all. Can’t wait for York next year x
Tax / Carbo 6 cycles Herceptin 18 cycles - Cycle 4 Day 14
Fiona - For sickness I have Ondansetron for 5 Doses and Domperidone for 5 days then as and when. I have never felt sick but I take the above as prescribed. I have thought about not taking them at all and see what happens but not brave enough. I take take Omeprazole for acid and also Gaviscon if its bad which it usually is for 1st week.
I take steroids for 3 days staring day before cocktail.
My reaction to TAX was really quick, i had only had 3ml. Nurse said she had never known such a quick reaction, but there again, I do have a lot of alergies.
Ann - I have definitly been more tired after cycle 4. Had 2 days when I barely moved off the sofa which hadn’t happened before. Been feeling really good 2nd week though and not looking forward to be knocked back again next week.
Chelle - That is a good covering of hair. Perhaps the cold cap did help a bit. I just have standing up spikes. If you threw me at the wall I’d probably stick to it.
Emma (Peachy) Wierd dreams have happened to a few of us. Not nice. Hope your back to yourself soon.
My new wig turned up this morning. Its much shorter than I normally have my hair as had decided to have my own hair shorter when it grows back. The wig is nice enough, just can’t decide if I like my hair short. Guess it will just take some getting used to.
Marion
XXX
Hello all
Hope everyones days as good as it can be with this rubbish disease. Im back from the bar, hangover headache not far off…usual anti sickness meds and found out that I should have been given steroids from the get go but for some reason they were missed off the original prescription. However as ive been fine without them then i won’t have any until the tax dose next cycle. Will be asking advoce about how you guys take them and side effects etc. Chemo nurses said my hairs still pretty good considering so fingers crossed. Was a horrible cold cap experience tho, got very bad shivers and shakes but the staff are really supportive.
Boyfriends now snoozing on the sofa, bless him he took a days leave as my chosen chemo buddy was unable to come. Hes really stepped up for me and I feel guilty as we don’t even live in the same city.
Well my mind is wandering hopefully catch up tomorrow, big hugs to all…
Xxx
Hi everyone,
Safely back from the bar with no ill effects so far. Started off badly - had to wait 3 hours before being seen, burst into tears when I did eventually see the chemo nurse, telling her all my woes about lump not shrinking etc. All got a bit better after that - I’m getting used to all the waiting around for appointments but 3 hours was a bit much today especially as I was worried about first Tax.
Anyway, no allergic reaction - hurray! Sent home with Fomoeridone, WBC injections to take from day 5 and steroids for next cycle.
Vicki, glad you’re back in one piece. I’m sorry you were feeling down earlier in the week. You have seemed so strong through all this. I hope you start feeling better soon.
Hope all my other fellow drinkers are back safely and have a pleasant evening. Old friend coming round later - looking forward to that.
xx
I’m back too! Got the single shot injection AND a slightly reduced dose - anti fungals for 10 days this time from day 4. Antibiotics, steroids, more difflam, naproxen for the joint pain - i’m like a walking chemist! Hoping it all adds up to a better time this cycle.
Now just sitting around feeling a little restless. Trip today took 3 and a half hours so had a really late lunch (tea time) and not sure what to do tonight…
Good to hear from those at the bar today - hope you all have a good night. xxxx
Good to hear all the jewels got back safe and sound today.
Good luck tomorrow to NicJ, Fi, Katherine and Fiona xxxx
Just wanted to say good luck to all those going to the bar tomorrow, havent heard from NicJ for a while hope you are doing ok.
Evening ladies,
Good to see the lushes at the bar are returning in a safe and orderly manner!
I’ve been cleaning - suddenly realised I haven’t filled the empty drawers and wardrobe space in the bedroom since ex departed so have had a massive clear out of the spare rooms (where half my clothes reside normally) and filled them up!
I got a call from the hospital and still no results but they’ve booked my CT scan in for tomorrow which is good as its just before my onc appt so saves another trip.
Right need to shoot as the steamer has just heated up an I need to do the tiles downstairs.
Night Jewels x
Evening Jewells,
Well what a day makes…….I feel like completely different person today. Been out for light shopping with my mum plus visited my sister, her OH and the 4 children this afternoon, feeding the ducks at Marlow Park.
Maxie – 3<sup>rd</sup> and final session of FEC this cycle. Next onto docetaxel, bit nervous to be honest as the number of steroids I have to take are significantly higher – my prescription says 8 per day for 3 days (less time but higher dosage), that will be a question for the onc. Wonder what the sleep patterns will be like then!!
Jayney – I’ve not found a wig and have given up. The two I ordered were terrible, given them to my nieces to play with!!! Scarfs when I’m out, nothing when just at home. Got used to it and answer the door with head bare.
Starting to get a little worried about Docetoxel (Tax), some of you have had problems and others have raised similar concerns that I have. Going to see the Onc next Friday so I will go armed with plenty of questions based on some things that have been raised and others experiences.
Good luck to NicJ and Fi for tomorrow. Hope all goes well for you tomorrow Chelle.
Hoping the sleep fairies come tonight and I have one of my mammoth sleeps (9-10 hours) which normally comes at the end of the first week. Fingers crossed.
Enjoy the rest of your evening jewells xxxxxx
- NicJ - NicJ 08/8 (cycle 4)
- Glasgow Girl - Fiona 08/8 (cycle 4)
- Satsuma - Fi 08/8 (cycle 3)
- Gussie-WW - 09/8 (cycle 3) TBC
- Katherine10 - Katherine 09/8 (cycle 3)
- Janet C - Janet 09/8 (cycle 3)
- jmeg - Jill 13/8 (cycle 3)
- LinsLleisio - Lins 13/8 (cycle 4)
- BeckyJoan - Becky 13/8 (cycle 4)
- jayney234 - 13/8 (cycle 4)
- ChelleB15 - Chelle 14/8 (cycle 4)
- Marionblue - 15/8 (cycle 5)
- Spurs79 - Claire 15/8 (cycle 4)
- TaylorJ - 15/8 (cycle 4)
- Jackiebee - Jackie 19/8 (cycle 3)
- ethel1 - Elizabeth 19/8 (cycle 4)
- Esther_1986 - Est 19/8 (cycle 4)
- Meggy-moo - Agnes 21/8 (cycle 4)
- MarthasSOS - Martha 21/8 (cycle 5)
- pat_1949 - Pat 22/8 (cycle 4)
- Melrose15 - Emma 22/8 (cycle 4)
- Deedee215 - Deedee 22/8 (cycle 4)
- Flip Flop - Faye 22/8 (cycle 4)
- March13 - Ann 22/8 (cycle 5)
- LaineyK - Lainey 23/8 (cycle 4)
- Linsey 50 - 23/8 (cycle 4)
- Trish1303 - Trish 23/8 (cycle 4)
- ambercatz - Jan - 23/8 (cycle 4)
- PeachyPal - Emma 27/8 (cycle 4)
- Cassie1 - Jayne 27/8 (cycle 5)
- Izzy1969 - Izzy 27/8 (cycle 5)
- Maxie - Sandra 27/8(cycle 4)
- pointy - Debs 27/8 (cycle 4)
- flippantfox - 27/8 (cycle 4)
- Artemis17 - Vicki 28/8 (cycle 4)
- Suffolklady - Cress 28/8 (cycle 4)
- cazzer1970 - Caroline 28/8 (cycle 4)
- Fimbo 123 - Joan 28/8 (cycle 5)
- titus4t - 28/8 (cycle 5)
Good Luck to NicJ and Fi for tomorrow.
Thanks Chelle for the updated list - you are so efficient at doing this for us - we really appreciate it x
I’m feeling really tired so hoping the steroids don’t keep me up all night! Hope everyone is feeling ok and that the sleep fairies are liberal with their magic tonight.
For those of you worried about Tax - i feel the same about FEC!!! It will be interesting (if that’s the right word!) to see how the switch goes!
Off to LGFB tomorrow - so I really do need my beauty sleep - don’t want to frighten everyone with my Uncle Fester look!
Night precious ones xxx
Good luck Nic & Fi for tomorrow.
Changed my pic to one of my god daughter as she’s much prettier to look at than my bald head!
Looking at the list for the bar we seem to have lost a lot of the Jewels from the forum. Hope they are all ok x
Night my lovelies x
Well the sleep fairies abandoned me early this morn, hence early post.
Awful day yesterday with fatigue & nausea, can only think its cumulative effects as Ive not done anything different this cycle. Also got the bright red chest & face this time (prob steroids) not had that before either but know some of you ladies have.
Anyway main reason for popping on at this early hour is to wish NicJ, Fi & Fiona with her 1st Tax ( sure you said it was Thurs Fiona but could be my fuzzy brain!!)
Reassuring Joan that you had no reaction, hope your s/e’s are few…xx
Vicki glad you got back from bar relatively unscathed, you’re very brave persevering with cold cap & it does seem to be working well for you! Good of your b/friend to take time off…brownie points to him!
Chelle Godaughter very cute but I loved your hairy head pic too!!
Can’t scroll back now but glad all others back from bar ok yesterday, will try to have proper catch up later…xx
p.s. just looked at my new profile pic & it looks so like me ( including expression!)…I must have a monkey twin!
Morning Jewels up bright eyed and bushy tailed (not) first day back in work after 3 wks sporting the monsters inc look today trying to be happy happy the one I should be wearing would offend to many customers lol and feel I am going to need to a lot of humour today,
Called at mcmillan centre yesterday think I had reached an all time low felt as if one more person said I was brave,think positive or any of the other usuals I would of made the national if not the international news lol struggling with having to have line fitted and what effects it will have on me felt as if my body was saying failure but after a chat she helped me see the POSITIVES (god I hate that word now ) should I say benifits or plus side,but anyway got a bit of slap on eyebrows drawn on cant hide the brusied arm so off to work I go maybe I sould do the 7 dwarfs on the banadas but think it would only be grumpy or dopey going on show dont think happy would be out much lol,well a**e in gear smile plasterd on bring it on
Catch up later Jill xx
Good luck on first day back Jill…would love to know which bandana you’d really like to wear!..could think of a few choice phrases myself…x
Morning all
Awake quite early, trying to stay calm for first Tax this afternoon- P.S. Chelle, I’m on the list for tomorrow (9th) but I’m at the bar today. Prob my fault, gave you the wrong date before.
Popping out with daughter this morning to local fabric factory outlet shop. We ordered a new sewing machine online yesterday, the old one (which is my Mum’s) had smoke coming out of the foot pedal, it is nearly 50 years old. Daughter is in sewing mode, made lovely bunting to decorate her room in house she moving into for 2nd year at uni. Now going to make cushion to match and offered to make me one too, to replace one in the lounge.
Chelle - hope all OK today with scan and onc AND you’ll get those test results back too.
Re steamer, OH bought one online few months ago. Told him he bought it, so he can use it - so far he being using it to clean bathrooms, I am impressed both with him and the steamer’s results.
Emma (peachy) - glad you picked up again after a rough time. That’s correct with the big steroid dose for Tax- see Marion’s post and I’m having the same too.
Ann - hurrah, you are feeling a bit better at last. I’d heard that too about chemo drugs staying in your system for a year after, passed on to me from the experience of a friend of an ex-colleague. So much for my fantasy world, when I dreamt I would be doing the conga and partying the day after my last treatment! Well, I’ll save it for York.
Sandra - sorry you are feeling worse after this bar visit. Hope you’ve managed a decent sleep and will be a bit better today, look forward to hearing from you soon.
Jayney - shame you have been feeling so unwell. Hope these few days, before next Tues, will be good ones and you can do some nice things.
Re wigs, I am fairly pleased with mine, see my piccie, though only wear it outside the house and for certain visitors. All the ones I tried in the shop, except this one, looked like birds’ nests perched on my head. Some of our ladies not really bothering at all with wigs, am sure you look great in the scarves and bandanas.
Marion - thanks for meds info. Steroids for 3 days same for me. Took 4 after breakfast and lunch yesterday and that’s the same for today (D-day) and tomorrow. Surprised I got about 4-5 hours sleep last night, probably more due to having visit from 2 of son’s friends. They are such a lovely young couple, we chatted about anything and everything and they made laugh so much I was relaxed when I went to bed, for a change.
However, had been feeling bit spaced-out and bleary-eyed after that 2nd dose yesterday. Did manage to make a rhubarb crumble, spurred on by the thought of your gooseberry one. Not tasted yet, will be treat after chemo today. Also made some date and pecan scones, recipe from BBC Food website. I had some dates and pecans to use up, so did a search and found a recipe, substituting pecans for walnuts. They were lovely, much enjoyed by family and last night’s visitors. Usually my scones are like biscuits but these rose beautifully, I must do all my baking when in a steroid-induced fog.
Glad your wig arrived at last, you going to model it for us?
Vicki - glad to hear yout hair is hanging on, but cold cap must have been so tough, well done persevering. Think you the only one having success with it. Hope you slept well and feeling ok today.
Cress - hoping you will have an easier time this cycle, you’ll be rattling with all those meds. Enjoy LGFB today, heard nothing but good reports about these sessions, enjoy!
OK, girls, I’m off for breakfast, steroids, quick shopping trip with daughter. Then a manicure and pedicure at home, trying to relax before this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll post again later, post-Tax number 1, cycle number 4.
Fiona
xx
Morning wenches 
Still being “medieval” hehe. Glad my fellow drinkers returned minus traffic cones and shoping trolleys to get home in. Good luck Nic and Fi today. Thanks Chelle for superb admin as always, you do it so seamlessly that i dont want you to feel its “your job” and you just have to do it. It brings us all togther & without it it would be lot harder to keep up, so a big squeezy hug chick!!.
Re nails, mine have never been better, ( tho never been long anyway) and im not yet doing anything to them apart from usual clear varnish, i also dont have a dishwasher so wash up by hand. I will get some dark nail varnish for the start of T though as although it seems to be hit and miss, it cant do any harm if the T is light sensitive.
Like you say Cress, it will be interesting when some of us change regimes, especially as you and I are on the same days, ill have your T you can have my FEC. AS you know ive been lucky on it re SE’s so hope i carry that with me to “T”.
Sanda sorry youre having steriod side effects, i do wonder what will happen when i start to take them as i have quite sensitive skin, get urticaria often and already “rosy cheeks”. As ive not had them for FEC T will be a whole new ball game. Whats the general advice from those on the front line ie all of you that have been taking them??.
Jill, good luck with work, you have to do a lot of customer interfacing (see my corporate training paying off lol) so it must be incredibley hard at times anyway let alone feeling poo. I admire your strength. At least my jobs only office based so i dont have to deal with too many people and the lary ones are only on the phone.
Cant scroll back as on phone, my pc is so old it takes ages to start up so only worth doing if ive other stuff to do like online shopping, which i may do later if i perk up a bit. The effects have dfinately been more accumalative, andi definately CBA today. Plus its the thought that once the chemo is over theres still such a long way to do rads, herceptin tamoixfen, and what changes they’ll make to my life…but hey no negativity.
Joan thankyou for the lovely comments, i do feel bright and breezy and strong most of teh time, because if i let the doubt, lonliness and worry out of the box then i dont know how i’d lock them away agin. hence the working, going out, keeping ok for my son. I am thinking of going for the counselling that the hospital offers, just so i can speak to someone not involved, as because i do look so well and carry on regardless, i cant let my demons out…Oh that sounds like im a accident waiting to happen, im not its just i dont want you guys thinking im strong when you are having your own doubts and fears. I admire those of you that do lean on others, ive been a single parent for 15 yeaars with no long term relationship until 4 years ago so find it hard to “let people in” etc.
Wow sorry for the emotional sharing, not like me really but blame it on the FEC!!!
Right better go before i alienate anyone with my mush!!!
Big Love
xxxxxxx
Chelle - forgot to say, your god-daughter is lovely. Also loved your previous pic, you got lots more hair than me.
Crossed posts!
Sandra - am sure you not as red as, or have any resemblance to, the monkey.
You’re right, I am at the bar today for my first Tax, not tomorrow as on list. My fault, not Chelle’s, she is our super-administrator.
Jill - you ARE amazing getting off to work today. It’s ok - and normal - to feel low, good you got a chat with a decent nurse to boost your spirits. Hope work ok today, go and rock whatever bandana you choose.
Fiona
xx
Oops sorry Fiona, cross posted, youre a bit of a super mum too all the stuff you do.
Good luck with T, hope its not as bad as you expect and will be interesting to see how you fair compared to FEC as switcher next cycle too… Impressed with the cooking, im not a baker at all and can do hearty man food but nice sweet treats elude me. Myabe i should give it a go. I love rhubard crumble and actually had rhubard and custard sweets in the unit yesterday.
Also feel a bit guilty cold capping as i still have some hair, although believe me its not pretty!!. Im sure by the time we do the meet, we’ll all be sporting something to be proud of, i may be able to stop using marker pen on the roots too lol.
Anyway writing too small to do much on without my contacts in…
xxxx
Fiona good idea keeping busy today…sure you’ll be fine, looking forward to your post later if you’re up to it!..xx
Vicki you ‘mush away’…you’re a top ’ wench ’ in my opinion & I love reading your posts!!!.. xx