I’m so sorry to hear this. Hope the antibiotics get to work quickly and you can get back home to rest soon.
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Hope you get home soon x
Oh dear. That looks so sore😢
Hope you get oral antibiotics to go home, hospital can be very daunting for those on chemotherapy.
Thinking of you 
Missed my treatment today as I tested positive for Covid this morning. Started to get a runny nose yesterday afternoon but had a temperature this morning. My blood count was ok so I didn’t need antibiotics and the covid team have rung me and said it doesn’t sound as though I need antivirals at the moment but they will keep in touch with me for the next 7 days. Will have a review with oncology on Friday to check I’m ok for treatment next Monday. Resting up in bed now, annoyed at another weeks delay - still got 6 more paclitaxel to go.
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@dragonk thank you,so sorry to hear you have Covid.I know how frustrating delays to treatment can be.You will get there though❤️just be kimd to yourself and rest up. @tori123 @naughty_boob Thank you both,so latest update, I have a blood injection too.I will now be moving over to the cancer ward in the hospital im treated at to have the reminder of my IV treatment.They are also worried about my kidney function.I cant see me having the last two treatments due to all the side effects.I think we will be having discussions around surgery.I honestly dont know how much more my body can take with chemotherapy. I think now its time to close that chapter and move onto the next to be honest xx
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@rosa1 congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful baby girl!
@kiltie try to not get caught up on neuropathy, like i said, if you feel any changes, speak to your team. They will advise you on what to do and can reduce your amount. I have reduced feeling in my toes and my fingers but it has improved a little bit.
@budsbails2301 oh no! I hate to see that you are in hospital and struggling! I am so sorry. This journey is so cruel and can take a turn so quickly. Please look after yourself, try not to stress if you dont get the last two treatments, your overall health is more important and your team know what they are doing.
@dragonk im sorry to hear you missed your treatment. What a nightmare. Rest up🥰. Covid is horrible so i cant imagine what its like going through treatment too.
Update on me: i had my last chemotherapy on Friday! Feeling pretty wiped out from it but still managed to get out and about. Went to a food festival on Sunday and ate lots of nice things haha. Its my birthday tomorrow, so going out for dinner! I have my surgery booked in for the 1st October which seems too close to me finishing chemotherapy but have to trust the experts! I had my final meeting with my oncologist last week (providing all goes well with the operation). She finally explained to me why i wasnt getting immunotherapy, its because i have a hormone imbalance and she said the side effects could be life changing so she decided against it. Im getting my PICC line out on Friday so im super excited for that and then its all systems go with pre-assesments, getting a magnetic marker put in and radioactive dye injected!
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@budsbails2301 I hope the antibiotics are kicking in and things are stabilising for you and you get home soon, if you’re not already 
@dragonk i hope you’re doing okay too and the covid is not causing you too many issues
@glitteryrainbow fantastic news on finishing chemo 
and hope all goes well with surgery for you. I thank you for your advice too, as I was becoming so fixated on neuropathy that I’m sure I’m going to manifest it, so am just going to go with the flow. I’m also hoping my arm doesn’t flare up in an infection again as I’ve just noticed tonight that a small Nick in my skin where part of the picc dressing was rubbing has now turned red and is weeping and has spots around it 
can never really relax going through chemo can you…
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I never relaxed when on chemo. Both me and my girlfriend had a runny noses last week and I panicked thinking my bloods wouldnt be ok for chemo, so i went in early to ask my chemo ward if they were okay haha. Turns out it was hayfever haha!
How is your arm looking today?
@dragonk @naughty_boob @kiltie @glitteryrainbow thank you all for your lovely well wishes.So im now on oral antibiotics from IV. Im having a blood transfusion tonight, which could explain why I have been so tired.Im also on potassium tablets as that is also low.They have decided my last two chemotherapy’s will not go ahead and we will know be moving onto surgery.In the words of the oncologist your body has had a right kick in😁 xx
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@budsbails2301 sounds like they’re beginning to get on top of things for you, which is a relief! But it’s obviously been tough for you which even your oncology team have recognised, I hope you continue to recover and get home soon though 
@glitteryrainbow I can imagine how difficult it is to shake that mindset when you’ve been going through chemo for so long; but you’re good to have a worry free runny nose now lol 
As for my arm it’s not behaving itself unfortunately, it’s definitely another allergic reaction sigh oncology team will have a look at tomorrow before chemo, but hoping this one doesn’t end with me in hospital again
Hope everyone else is doing okay 
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Morning all,so i came home from hospital on Thursday.I am on antibiotics for a further 5 days,my eye apart from a bit of redness is back to normal😁.I have an appt with my oncologist on Thursday to finalise wjat the next steps are now.I know the oncologist in hospital said no more chemo,im just worried my oncologist wont agree with that.I cannot tell you how much better I feel not having had any for two weeks.I would have been having it on Thurs but that has changed.Hope everyone is okay, @glitteryrainbow have you got a date for yoyr surgery yet xx
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Glad you are back from hospital! Must be such a relief and always nice being in your own home! Your oncologist will know what is best for you and will guide you through the rest of treatment. Try not to stress.
My operation is for the 1st October! So next Tuesday, i am absolutely bricking it, i hate the thought of being put under. I am so scared i am not going to wake up 
. Ive got my pre assessment tomorrow so will discuss with them how i am feeling.
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@glitteryrainbow aw hun,that is only natural to feel that way.It is out of our control which then causes us to panic.Definetly speak with your team,im sure they will be able to reassure you.They do these operations day in and day out.I know they can give a premed that will settle you before the operation.You will have a lovely dream then wake up and start your healing journey❤️ xx
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Hi everyone,
@budsbails2301 im glad to hear you’re back home and your eye is much better. I hope you have a good meeting with your oncologist this week and get a good plan for going forward.
@glitteryrainbow when I had my surgery the anaesthetic was what I was most worried about but in the end I was fine, I remember being really annoyed when they were waking me up after surgery because I felt so relaxed and comfortable
My oncologist didn’t want me to have treatment this week to make sure I was properly recovered from covid so it’s 2 weeks since I’ve had any chemo now. I’ve got to have a blood test on Friday and I’m meant to have my 3 weekly review with the nurse team but they booked me into the wrong clinic so I’ve got to try and find out what’s going on. I’ve still got 6 more paclitaxel to go and now I’m really worried about picking up more germs that could delay treatment.
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@dragonk Hopefully you will stay germ free and get your treatment completed. I had my chemo from Sept to Dec 2023 so decided to wear a mask to protect myself, I took the mask off to eat and drink for short periods and then put it back on. I also bought a portable HEPA filter with battery storage for the power to clean the air around me when I was eating. I was very concerned about catching infections as I already had underlying health conditions that a cold could make me really poorly. I also worked in a school and wore my mask (FFP2 not a blue surgical) unless I was outside. I caught covid once as I ate my lunch for 30 minutes in what I believed to be a unused classroom, to find out they had used it for small groups in the morning and a child had covid. Proving it lingers in the air. The mask protected me after that with staff and more children testing positive and I ate in my car. I would also open windows at school and home if I had visitors. Prof Trisha Greenhalgh who co wrote The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer with Dr Liz O’Riordan has provided much evidence that masks work.
You can catch infections internally from germs on your hands, so good handwashing/handgel in your pocket, aswell as food you eat. During chemo I had a UTI and an infection that hospitalised me with a high temperature which no known cause (they thought it was another UTI but the dip test was negative)
I know there is a lot of debate still about masks, even the ongoing Covid enquiry was pushing medical staff who had written reports about airborne transmission of a close infection to Covid had suggested staff should wear FFP3 fitted masks. But as always the NHS funding and they thought staff wouldn’t be able to wear all day. I wore mine for 6 hours in the class with a break for 30 minutes outside or in my car with mask off. I’m asthmatic and I could breathe quite happily and teach a class of 30. My health was priority and it worked.
Most other people have gone back to normal and have been for a long time but when you’re immune suppressed during chemotherapy I think it’s important to protect yourself as much as you can. I hope sharing my experience will help you and others that masks can help.
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@budsbails2301 hope you’re much recovered by now and have caught up with your oncologist to find out what’s happening for you regarding chemo.
@glitteryrainbow I hope all goes well for you with surgery. Having gone through a couple of surgeries relatively recently (one unrelated to cancer) I, like you, dread the thought of going under, but each time the expectation is worse than the reality.
@dragonk I’m glad you’re over covid and absolutely understand the anxiety about further delays to chemo, especially coming up to the time of year when it seems there’s so much more bugs around. I find myself caught in constant conflict of wanting to avoid mixing socially to minimise infection risk and of not wanting to let cancer put my life on hold.
Which is why I read with interest what you said @naughty_boob. I actually felt like I was being over dramatic putting on a blue face mask on a busy train the other day, and now I’m reflecting maybe I was a bit cavalier with just using a blue one! I’m very scrupulous about hand washing and hand gels when I do go out and about, but feel more self conscious with a mask on, especially when wearing my wig, but I may need to reevaluate my priorities, and have more courage.
On my own personal journey at the moment, my allergic reaction to my picc dressing is no better, and they’re suggesting a portacath be put in for my remaining paclitaxol. I just keep thinking “eek” 
but the nurse tried to assure me that it’s actually the ‘gold’ standard way of chemo treatment, they just don’t roll it out to everyone because not enough nurses are trained - which means it will be pointless if I end up in hospital for anything. But as ever I don’t see a lot of options, as I can’t actually have an adhesive dressing on my arm at the moment as my skin is weeping so badly, so I’m having to have it cleaned and bandaged daily which is an infection risk and has also caused the line to travel 1.5cm. So frustrating
Anyway, keep on keeping on everyone💕
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Hi @kiltie Thank you,I have my meeting today with the oncologist Hopefully should have more Idea re surgery too.Sorry to hear you are having such a bad time with the dressing for your picc.It must be really painful.Hopefullly they can sort it out for you. @dragonk Thank you,i see my oncologist today for the next steps of my plan,glad you are over Covid now. @glitteryrainbow Hope you’re okay and feeling a little easier about surgery xx
Hello everyone!
I have been just plodding along. Im getting so anxious about my operation that it is impacting my sleep. I keep trying to tell myself that everything will be okay but im struggling. Last time i had an operation, everything went fine, apart from i woke up crying and begging the nurse to get my mum (i was 18😂). When i went for my pre op the nurse wrote in my notes “wakes up teary” hahaha!
Im getting the magnet thing inserted today and then getting the radioactive dye injected monday.
My taste is finally coming back and my hair is slowly growing, ive got a little bit of spikey hair now after shaving it all off at the weekend.
@budsbails2301 good luck for today, let us know how it goes
@kiltie oh no! I had an allergic reaction to the dressing used but switched to a sensitive dressing and it was fine. Dont be scared of the portacath, i know lots of ladies with it. How many more do you have to go now?
@dragonk I am hoping i wake up and feel very rested haha! I am stressing myself out so much that i cant sleep, so i am excited for this last bit to be over. Regular hand washing, keep distance and dont go into crowded places. Thats what I done when I was having chemo, although I did get a bit ballsy towards the end and go into a restaurant twice 
felt like i was breaking all the rules!
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Update,so went to my appt.Oncologist wants me to have the last 2 EC.She said it will give me the best chance of a complete response.Good news though she cannot feel any lump,which is the first time since I was diagnosed 
so last chemotherapy will be OCT 31st.I feel an uncle Fester fancy dress coming on:rofl:
.They are reducing EC by 15% and not giving me immunotherapy until Chemotherapy has finished.Im assuming then Surgery will be middle of DEC xx
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