March 2026 chemo starters

I have booked the. First Mon to Friday in August away. Okay so it is only 150 miles away, self catering so l can have what I can face as and when and near to a majors hospital on the advice of oncologist but it is not home nor is it the blasted hospital. Dh will have to take his work phone and pute away too but his leave to accompany me as a carer has been approved. This is something I never imagined being able to do

7 Likes

2 treatments to go - but I bought some of that oil already!!:crossed_fingers: Treatment 3 was supposed to be tomorrow but has been put back to Friday at the end of the day, leaving the cold cap time still timetabled for tomorrow. I think I may be leaned on to do without. But I wont agree… had a rough week totally unsupported by the hospital (think pressure sores, carbuncles, high temperatures) . The best bit of the week was the bone scan. 25 mins of yoga nidra with a cool breeze playing across my face. Asked if I could stay but they said no​:frowning:

4 Likes

Goodness @katie91 Very thankful all is ok. The dreaded waiting room! Another box ticked for you though. Do you feel better knowing you’ve had a full boob MOT?

Glad to hear your eyelashes are coming back, that gives me hope. Has your hair stopped shedding now?

1 Like

Is anyone dealing with menopause symptoms yet?

My periods stopped for the last 2 rounds and I started getting the odd hot flush (I think people say hot flash but for some reason I say flush haha) these definitely ramped up after my Zoladex injection

2 Likes

@katie91 that’s such a relief for you and good that everything is being checked. ā€˜Knowledge is power’ and all that! Hope all goes smoothly for your radio tomorrow. :heart:

2 Likes

@foxgem I suspect your about to find out why woman over 40 look forward to the winter months. Sorry you are having to go through an enforced medical and early menopause. hope your body finds a way to settle down so the flushes become less annoying and you can keep wearing clothesā€¦ā€¦ĆŒt is that or buy a walk in catering freezer for your bedroom……

5 Likes

Hiya @foxgem … yes, treatment has forced me into menopause … I’m 51, so I was perimenopausal for 5-years before my diagnosis but I only suffered with the ā€˜darkness’ as I called it every-other month of which was a very dark mood for about 10-days before my period … I had no other symptoms! I had a period during the first week of treatment at the beginning of March and nothing since …. I have had ferocious hot flushes :flushed_face: during the early hours of the morning, every single morning for about 4-months!!! I’m hoping that come-August when my chemotherapy finishes, my ovaries will kick back in … my periods restart so that my body can finish the process off naturally and I’ll go back to not having hot flushes … we’ll see!! I do take the WILD NUTRITION Magnesium every evening and I have to be honest, they have helped a little bit … I find that the hot flushes are worse when I have the 7-days of Filgrastim (bone marrow injection) :two_hearts::two_hearts::two_hearts:

3 Likes

Hey @foxgem

Yes I think so. My last period was 1st June and nothing since plus pretty intense and regular hot flushes for about 3 weeks now.

I’m 47 so I think that may be it for me but yours might come back. I think you’re on the borderline agewise for it being permanent.

I don’t have coping tips as yet either, but I’m planning to discuss with my oncologist at my next appointment. I just huff and blow and furiously flap my face at the moment. It does nothing by the way!

3 Likes

It’s taken me by surprise a bit too but as you say it might be the fact that chemo is behind us that gives a sense of relief !

Haven’t really thought about what I want to taste first - just something really fresh and tasty would be sooooo good. I’ll be thinking about that one now :rofl::wink::heart:

Been for another MRI today pre-surgery so be interesting to see what it shows when I see the surgeon in 10 days. Hard to believe I’ll be having my op in a fortnight when I’m still so wiped out from the last chemo !

2 Likes

Thank you :heart:. Bet it was lovely to get away. Even though there’s still things going on when you have a change of scenery somehow you can forget about it for a few hours and enjoy just being where you are.

I asked my surgeon about maybe booking some time away - she said well maybe a few days or even day trips so didn’t inspire me to think too far ahead yet ! Will see what surgery is like but would love a few days just somewhere in the UK for a different view !

Good to hear that all your results came back ok @katie91. What a late entry nightmare !

Good luck with your radiotherapy tomorrow - let us know how you get on won’t you. How many sessions are you having ?

I’m crossing fingers for your eyebrows and eyelashes to come back in quickly. I haven’t started on the Rosemary stuff yet as still only a week since last chemo but planning to give it a go this weekend all being well :heart:

1 Like

I think I’m in ā€˜chemopause’ - I skipped a period (2 months with nothing) then had a weird little light one this month, accompanied by awful hormonal skin for a few days. But hot flushes are here, and I am grateful to live in Scotland… I’m guessing left to their own devices my ovaries would turn back on in time but I’ll be on endocrine therapy to turn off my estrogen once surgery etc is done so at that point it’ll be medical menopause. Good times.

1 Like

Sorry to hear about your rough week @twink1 . The side effects of chemo are so difficult for anyone to really understand unless they too are in the trenches. We’re all here supporting you to your finish line :heart::heart:

1 Like

Chemopause :joy::joy::joy: thats amazing. Yes thats how mine started. I’m medical menopause now with the injections and taking my first Tamoxifen tonight (dreading it a little bit) then the next step will be surgical menopause. Craziness

1 Like

@kawan i had no EC and 12 weekly paclitaxel. My eyebrows and lashes didn’t fall out till around 2 weeks after chemo ended. But they started growing back almost immediately. I’m 2 months post-chemo now and both are almost fully grown back (along with other facial hair, underarm hair and pubic!). I suspect everyone is slightly different but rest assured yours will come back!

3 Likes

Thanks so much, this is really great to hear. Apart from giving my family the occasional jump scare (I literally resemble a boiled egg with no lashes or brows) I’m happy enough to pencil in my brows, but the blepharitis has made my eyelids so swollen and watery it’s just really uncomfortable. Cannot wait for some lash regrowth, would be happy enough if the rest of my body hair is slightly delayed however!

4 Likes

Haha I look like a boiled egg/alien :joy::alien: same, I’m fine with my eyebrows but the eyes are still abit too watery, thank god for the sun so I can hide behind my sunglasses for the next week!! Xxx

4 Likes

Ha ha I maintain I look like George Dawes from Shooting stars especially if in my PJs. My son was like ā€œDon’t say that Mum, you rock your baldnessā€ā€¦.googles George Dawes….ā€To be fairā€¦ā€¦ā€ he starts :woman_facepalming:t3::joy:

5 Likes

last Chemotheraphy before surgery in six weeks DONE!

My lovely oncologist had organised for a Specialist chemo nurse and chemo nurse to oversee the one off change of drug right next to the doctors station ā€˜just in case’ as I have a history of adverse drug reactions. Specialist chemo nurse read all my notes noted I really struggle with heat that is made far worse by chemo and I have had heat exhaustion before so arranged for me to have the only fan on the unit.
Hb is slightly lowered and advised to continue taking magnesium supplements. oncologist has organised another blood test and consult for three weeks time to try to ensure I can be fit to go away for a few days at the start of August. had agreed to go Monday to Friday and near to a hospital with a regional cancer centre so they can organise any transfusions or infusions I need over the first weekend of August. ȚBH knowing hey are doing all they can so I could go away and have some R&R after a horrible seven months is humbling.

hoping this time the side effects stay as just annoying side effects rather than horrible ones.

14 Likes

Congratulations on finishing @wibbles You’ve had a rollercoaster :flushed_face:. We’ll done!