This looks amazing!
@2kittens when I asked my sister (nail technician and all round expert makeup wearer) this question she sent me to order brow transfers from Amazon since I do not typically draw on eyebrows so have no experience. She tried them out on my behalf having plucked all hers out in the mid 2000s, and was very impressed. Iāve not used them yet as mine are so far still on but perhaps something to consider, I have a pack that were less than Ā£4 for multiple sheets I think. Iāve also ordered a pack of stick on false lashes designed for people with hair loss, Eyelure C-Lash Naturals. I doubt Iād bother all the time but I thought Iād get them just in case I feel compelled to dress up for something.
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I had a great therapy session yesterday. I went in thinking we would talk about one thing and came out with totally different homework than I expected. My therapist is getting used to the chemo pattern, the good and bad days and she asked me what I plan for the good week. Well to be honest I dont. Other than getting out for a walk my plan is to just get through the week. To eat right, move and avoid people haha. A solid chemo plan but perhaps a missed opportunity. I dont work at the moment, my previous job was inappropriate for picc lines and low immune systems so I have a lot of time to myself. Sometimes I sit there with that bored feeling but Iām surrounded by activities I can do. So she said itās not really boredom then, its lack of something else. What do I do thatās fun and exciting? Not because its getting my steps in, its healthy, its passing time or its a chore. What do I do just for excitement and fun? Ermā¦. Iām not sure anymore!
So thats my homework on these good days/weeks. Set aside time for something just because it makes me happy. A very hard task given the situation haha
I thought id share this as a reminder incase someone feels the same 
I welcome any free child fun activities that might be chemo appropriate. I started by watering my plants yesterday in a mindful way, not because they needed doing but because they bring me joy. Not really exciting but its a start maybe
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Oh l hear you, l have trauma counselling organised by my local charity cancer care centre. (My Family were wiped out by covid) I went numb and could not grieve. Every damned hospital appointment had me collapsing and keening as if someone had just died ( trauma response but at the time l had no idea what the hell had hit me) Ćt was made more complicated by having a sister with antisocial personality disorder who was an abusive piece of work who steadily isolated me. thankfully l actually have a compassionate oncologist who spotted it was far more than cancer going on. She has moved heaven and earth to get me setraline, moves her appointments so I can get to counselling and provide extra support by informing chemo unit who in turn now go the extra mile to try and help me feel a bit safer.
thanks to people here I finally spotted my eating had become pretty none existent. Snakcs are easy but not something to be living on. WOrking hard on improving that as I know it helps. trying to use the slightly better days to make simple breakfasts and lunches. accepting others cooking for me in the evening as thatās still too much. ELdest DD has made me some frozen small fish pies, some fish cakes and bought me some haddock fish fingers and some frozen pop in the oven fish. DH has an allergy to fish so does not think to buy it. THe suggestion here for porridge with added easy extras has been so helpful. IT gives me enough energy to get up and make a simple lunch.
LOvely neighbour and SiL are doing my front garden, younger DS is giving me his Friday afternoon off work to upkeep the back garden. gardening is my passion but I can only manage to lightly hoe currently. Good call on looking after houseplants, going to give that a try later.
CAncer care centre have also organised a hypno therapy session for me to help me come up with some better stratergies to manage how hospitals make me feel thanks to so much trauma. ĆTs no where near the hospital, has a coffee bar and is chemo safe to be in. They took the line of they are not the NHS and they will sort this out for me now as I need it now and not wait for two years as I would with the NHS.
I can now manage to read a chapter of a book, last month I could not read a simple paragraph. play simple kids math games including learning how to do sudoku, knitting some around bloody eczema flare up, managed to get some shopping yesterday but paid for that all afternoon, tbh most of the time right now I am grieving for my family which makes everything so much harder and in honesty the excema flare has left me feeling pretty miserable on top. AT least itās now started to calm down with strong steroid ontiment and lots and lots of dermal plus anti histamines. have it restarted doing any art yet, I cancelled all the work I had for this year as I could not face it.Oncology nurses are encouraging me to restart with simple sketches but thats had to do when you have cannulas in your hands. using mindful simple mediations, breathing excercises and walking when I can On better days I fit in arm excercises.
FOr now My limited energy is going into basic self care with any left over trying to find something on top. ITs okay to go for the small wins when your at rock bottom.
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THis is this mornings breakfast thanks to tips and encouragement from Sam and others on the Cancer made me eat thread. it helps with post chemo blargh too.Tip: go easy on additional roughage if you end up with dynorod side effects till they have given way to normal.Going to try and get up and make some Chanko broth as that is easy, contains everything and to be honest delicious even with shot down taste buds. (INsulasuccres recipe)
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This looks perfect! We had porridge today also and both my teenagers actually ate and finished it so a big win for me haha
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Glad your therapy went well @foxgem 
.
I keep myself busy by learning Spanish (free Duolingo app), baking/cooking, reading, walking (and other fitness stuff but I know not everyone can), listening to podcasts and occasional tv watching. Also planning but not booking yet future holidays!! Meet the occasional friend for a walk and/or coffee. I even knit occasionally - my mum and I make baby hats for the maternity ward where my sister is a midwife.
Hope these ideas help!
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@foxgem I hear you. Been quite wiped today (2nd round/day 2 EC chemo) didnāt sleep and then stayed up (sofa and TV - the Sound of Music!) waiting for the district nurse who didnāt come! Now pooped and havenāt moved enough. However bar a flushed steroid face at 4:30pm (no temp!) I am doing ok.
Me stuff:
- I am crocheting a āblanket of āf**ā¬āsā a square that says that sweary word a hospital visit or infusion. Not sure what I will do with it but it focusās the more ragey moments and I am doing it in pastels
- I am knitting baby hats for impending births of my nieces babies.
- My Friends and sons are going to give me some gardening sorting repotting time which will help as I have not touched the garden which I miss.
- I love reading but post chemo my mind wanders so I am enjoying podcasts and Audio books.
- I take daily walks most days as have two beautiful labs - one of whom is now on twice daily āold ladyā walks which suit me as can be no longer than 15/20 mins.
- I have a shell my yoga teacher gave me and I hold it and say out loud three things I am thankful for each day. I miss yoga classes which fall on my infusion day and wipe out at least 2 out of three class every three weeks plus not sure I can attend when I go into my weekly infusions so will look at online options for semi-sedentary PICC friendly options! Any suggestions?
Anyway thatās my list! Good to see everyoneās and get new ideas. Have a Happy Easter/good weekend all.
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These are great lists good reminders
I miss my yoga also. I had been going for nearly a year and finally considered myself a bit better than beginner. Ill have to start all over again. If you find anything picc friendly please share!
Happy Easter all
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Good homework @foxgem. I took my daughter to the garden centre today and Iāve ordered a book of easy garden projects. Sheās expressing interest in making bee and insect and wildlife friendly garden and I want to grow some veg so weāre going to have a joint project. My normal hobbies are a ballet class and running a community singing group, both on hold during chemo - but I notice that once I escape the chemo fog I do sing more around the house and my friends have offered to pitch up at mine with a karaoke machine one day soon for a sober singalong. Otherwise Iām trying to be outside, read actual books, colour, draw, paint, and cook when I feel better. Mum also bought me an ambitious crochet set and book to entertain me 
Tomorrow weāre baking husbands 50th birthday cake.
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Managed three walks today, went to small independent coffee shop with very good hygiene took DH. Staff made me a steamed milk instead of a latte. Coffee tastes bad,
Got to local TK MAXX bought100% cotton pjs and some lovely seam free cotton socks. My eczema topped feet are thanking me.
Explored new Sainsburyās that has opened at the top of the road. Ćt stocks ingredients and food l can face. Will head back Tuesday night and stock up before chemo on Weds. Bought some flowers. Bought some GF chips and a small cod at nearby chippy as a treat.
Home and tired. Oh and l did check on all my house plants too.
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Thatās really good homework! When do we lose that fun/whimsy attitude to life and why!? Work? Kids? Just growing up? I was actually talking to my brother about this only yesterday, heās still into his games, lego, painting warhammer, still has his pokemon card set and heās 38 BUT he works full time, has a great social life and for some reason people WOULD find his hobbies weird but we donāt find doom scrolling social media or not having hobbies strange!? So Iām determined to find some 90ās style fun!!!
Since I was diagnosed itās made me think alot about priorities and what I do for fun too!
Something Iāve been doing/planning to do to bring abit of child like whimsy back into my life:
-Reading childhood books
-Growing veg and flowers in the garden
-Working on a fairy garden
-Been redesigning my house on AI to add some fun personality to it
-Redesigning my hair on AI for when I have thick head of hair again
-Went abit wild and wacky on Temu ordering the most whimsical little home accessories, I had little mouse house stickers, flowers and all sorts turning up 
I did also get some new little boho style accessories like rings/headbands etc Iām going for a boho vibe this spring!
-Bought one of those transparent stick on bird feeders for the patio doors so we can hopefully watch the birds whilst we eat our dinner
-Planning fun summer trips and a big summer garden party once chemo is done!!
-Tryng crochet but itās not working out for me so far!
-I love getting out for slow woodland walks too and taking it all in
-One thing all of this has really made me realise is how important it is to slow down and actually take the good moments in so I am trying to live a little slower too, less tech and more enjoying the little joys Iām life (which I now realise are the big joys) Xxx
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Hope you have better luck with the bird feeder than l did. The small garden birds were lovely but the local raven spotted the bird food, ripped it off the window and then dropped it until it broke to get at the food.
I spend most of my time trying to outwit it.
Oh noooo!! How long did it take before they started using it? We have so many birds in the garden but they arenāt going for it yet!!
Letās hope thereās no Ravens near me xx
Vicky Fox online āyoga for cancerā is gentle & do-able during treatment & with a Picc even if it feels a bit scary at first. Truly kept me going & made me feel better but more than anything gave me some confidence that my body is still capable of movement. Live classes a few days a week x
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Love all the thinking about what do we do for us that we find fun. Itās quite hard to think about ourselves isnāt it which makes me feel a bit sad. It my week 3 of my first cycle (2nd EC due on Tuesday 
) so Iāve been feeling more like me and had lots of friends come over to see me at different times - some for a catch up and coffee, some for a walk. Itās been really lovely to see people and feel almost normal again even if just for a little while. I did see some people in my other weeks but it absolutely wiped me out ! Trying to keep active and have a walk most days or do some other kind of exercise including some gardening. I find reading really hard too - one of my friends brought me an RHS paint by numbers which Iāll have a go at and also had colouring books and crochet sets and things to try my hand at -like the idea of learning a language too. Whatever we do weāll all come out of this differently I guess. Trying to keep healthy with good nutritious meals I can face (lots of cottage cheese !) and checking out the tips of the cancer made me eat thread also seems to take up lots of my time. Iām trying to look after elderly parents too as much as I can so somehow the days do seem to go but Iām not sure thereās enough of the fun things - something for me to think about. Hope everyone enjoys their Eater whatever it holds for you and hereās to progressing through this
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Thereās some really wholesome and lovely ideas going on from you guys 
I normally balance my day between video games, cross stitch, audio books, walking my tiny tiny yorkie and programming for an inclusive business directory project I co-founded with my best friend last year.
HOWEVER I turn 34 this weekend so I had 3 double gin and tonics last night - getting reasonably drunk - and stayed up until 1am partying in Virtual Reality with a group of absolute weirdos I love to call my friends 
I havenāt drunk in 3 months, going from at least weekly to nothing. I did ask the chemo nurse about drinking and she didnāt give me more than āwe donāt advise drinking on treatmentā which yeah - I know. I figured fuck it itās my birthday, I made sure to hydrate well and not go too mental and had a great time.
Feeling a little grotty this morning, and will need to be back on the bandwagon but it felt good having a bit of normality. Especially since I donāt want to go out anywhere crowded (everywhere on a bank holiday!) being a weirdo who socialises in VR has itās upside
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Sometimes you need that āāF*CK ITā attitude and why not on your birthday.! I hope you ate some cake also. Happy birthday 
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Thank you I have some mini colin the caterpillar cakes and a big box of M&S fancy biscuits to eat this weekend - between that and a couple of Easter eggs I might have a bit too much chocolate in the house
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@demimiray happiest of birthdays! Colin for the Birthday Wins! And sounds like a great alternative birthday arrangement. As a lover of Gin and Tonic - which I too have not touched for many, many months, I too would have a birthday gin or too. Hopefully by my October birthday I will be out of active treatment and I intend to have a large one then!!
I have to also admit to my love of Minecraft - initially started to relate to my sons in their younger years but we now have a family server since two went to Uni ! It also helps with my day job relating to my lovely SEN pupils I support. Yes, we are a Neurospicy household!
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