Work are being brilliant. I work for a government arms length body (not civil service but equivalent) so flexibility and sick pay/leave is excellent. I can be very flexible, within reason, and my manager has already rearranged pieces of work to give me admin type stuff or things I can dip in and out of to reduce my feeling of not performing well enough or pulling my weight. I know I’m very lucky.
I’m hoping I can get advice on hours and days I work being super flexible. Last cycle, some days I could have done a full day, but others making it to lunchtime was an effort. I just don’t want the OH to say work half hours and I then feel I have to force myself on days where I might manage a couple. I need to work, at the moment, for my mental health and so I don’t feel like my whole life is about cancer.
Ah that’s great that your work is really good! On the hours can this depend a bit on your manager? For example if they say work half days but you maybe spread the time out based on how you feel on the day? That’s what I do, log a half day but sometimes spread those hours out over the day (or sometimes over a couple of days )
@foxgem hope you’re feeling ok after your treatment? Don’t worry about the neutrophils too much, these can change hour to hour, might have just been the day you had your bloods x
@sam1204 how’s the skin doing? Did you find a better product to try?
I haven’t paid much attention to my bloods but thought I would check after the neutrophils chat above..before EC 3 it was 9.4 then 8.5 before EC4! Will see what it is tomorrow and if it’s on a downward trajectory.
Thank you @herts82, had a wobble this morning and decided I was DONE with chemo after my hair started shedding ALOT last night but I’m here and ready for round 2 I’ve not done too bad though that’s been my 1st wobble and trust it to be over my hair
But I’ve woke up with still a full head of hair which I’m grateful for and I’m here waiting to get going! Good luck for tomorrow! Xx
Edited to add… I’ve been here since 10 and it’s now nearly 12 waiting to see if it can go ahead as I had some heart palpitations with the 1st round.
This is so lovely to read these spaces really do mean so much, there’s something so comforting about knowing you’re not alone in it all. Sending you lots of love
Oh no how frustrating I hope you’re ok to go ahead. And I’m sorry to hear about the wobble but all my wobbles were over my hair so completely understandable, and also necessary as we need to get those emotions out!
I felt much better after my meltdown this morning and although I wish none of us were going through this I’m glad I’m not alone in the wobbles over hair people who haven’t been through it keep telling me it will grow back which I of course know but doesn’t make it any easier!!
Have you managed to keep much hair? I’m only 1 ec in and shed so much last night I was sure I was going to wake up bald but still had a full head when I woke up!
They have let me go ahead today, despite really wanting to throw the towel in this morning, I am now feeling grateful! Hope you’re doing OK xx
Well done, this is definitely a mental battle as well as a physical one, take it one day at a time x
I have lost a lot of hair, most of it between cycle 2 and 3 but still amounts coming out every day, I feel like I’ve kept about 30% of my hair I think. I’m doing the equivalent of a comb over keeping it all tied up and hiding the bald patches! Once you get through those 3/4 days of big shedding it will calm down. It is very traumatic but you do get through it, I felt a lot better once it had calmed down and could then accept what I was left with and what more might come out over the rest of the treatment.
@katie91 i also felt like all my hair was coming out at once but it clearly wasn’t, as after I braved the shave it’s still coming out (in 1cm long bits ) but much more slowly than before. So I’m sure yours will slow. I’m half way through my chemo and I’m far from bald, it’s just thinner and has pretty much stopped growing. I just avoid mirrors !
Thank you as always for your supportive words @foxgem
I’ve been so positive throughout the 1st cycle, no tears and feeling pretty good but I just lost it abit when handfuls of hair started coming out last night! But chemo cycle 2 is DONE just sat with my cold cap on now. That means only 1 more EC left and then I move on to docetaxel!
Wow you all have such high neutrophils ! I know some of you have been on the injections which will obviously be a massive help. I totally agree there’s no need to obsess about them at all, I’m just a bit that way as mine have been low enough to delay my treatment once and mentally that was very hard and I can’t bear the thought of it happening again. Hence my daft obsession .
@herts82 I’ve bought and collected today La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo and Toleriane moisturiser. I think even without using them it’s looking a tiny bit better today…maybe the daily antihistamine kicking in? Anyway I shall use the LRP stuff and see how I get on . Boots have a good offer (15% off) and it was not much more expensive than Aveeno in the end
I feel ok. I’ve taken all the meds they sent me home with, I’m just a bit tired. Surprisingly I slept all night though.
I have a very red face, going to assume this will be the standard now the first few days after chemo. Thankfully I’m not a super model that relies on my looks see there’s a positive for everything!
)
I’ve not done too bad though that’s been my 1st wobble and trust it to be over my hair 
these spaces really do mean so much, there’s something so comforting about knowing you’re not alone in it all. Sending you lots of love 
) but much more slowly than before. So I’m sure yours will slow. I’m half way through my chemo and I’m far from bald, it’s just thinner and has pretty much stopped growing. I just avoid mirrors 
!
just sat with my cold cap on now. That means only 1 more EC left and then I move on to docetaxel!
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. Boots have a good offer (15% off) and it was not much more expensive than Aveeno in the end