May 2026 chemo starters

Morning girls :heart_with_ribbon:

Footwear can be a tricky one, @baldiesrus and @poppy261 . I’ ve had a lot of luck in the past with Rieker, very nicely made shoes, loads of choice, comfortable, lightweight yet sturdy. I’ ve still got loads of pairs but because of my spine I now need something with a raised heel/back otherwise it’s impossible to walk far at all. Skechers Slip-Ins work for me but they can be expensive. And they tend to look like Granny Shoes . And not really winter- friendly.

You managed to slow that mustang down yet, @poppy261 ? You’ ve got a lot to think about but there’ s time now, while you concentrate on getting the Rad out of the way. One bite at a time, like eating an elephant.:elephant: You’ re coming to terms with Letrozole, which is one of the really significant ones for post-menopausal oestrogen-positive women, so you’ ve kind of ticked that off. Bisphosphonates…again, you’ ve almost decided it’ s not going to make any huge change to your situation, so that one is clearer in your mind. The CDK 4/6 ones are perhaps the most worrying for many of us and appear to carry most risk, so they do need considered thought and deeper discussion. But you’ re getting there. The elephant is diminishing….long may it contine to do so.

Steroid Rush over, alas, but I never stopped yesterday! Bonkers. Cleaned, cooked, scrubbed, tidied..oh, yes , and rescued a saucy silver-eyed Jackdaw that had fallen down the chimney into the flue pipe of the wood burner. That involved husband taking stove to bits while I opened windows, closed doors, shifted houseplants from sills….and managed to catch, pinion, check and release Jacky once s/he’d stopped panicking. Flew off into trees, unscathed. Plus it managed to clean the chimney on it’ s way down, so that was a bonus. Why do these dramas and unexpected events occur on my one day a week of almost-normality? It’ s every blasted Thursday!

Am away now, otherwise I’ ll be sending you all back to sleep. Where is everybody? Wherever you are, lovely girls, I hope you’ re coping as best you can, and getting on with all these post, or near post-chemo treatments and managing to jump through the many hoops they throw at us.

Sending love.

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Oh my goodness @bea4 Jackdaw down your chimney, serious car accident outside your house, roads closed !!! Whatever next is going to come your way ??? I think you are needing to have some rest time for sure. Forget the chemo, that sounds like a breeze in comparison to ā€œlifeā€ :joy::scream:

And jackdaws are the clever birds, so what was it doing falling down your chimney? Probably wanted to catch a spider :spider: and leaned over too far. :joy:. Nice of it cleaning your chimney.

So pleased it flew away safe and sound after being looked after so carefully by yourselves.

:people_hugging::people_hugging::heart::heart:

What lovely people you are.

:heart::heart::heart:

Why is it steroids make you buzz when they make me sleep. :person_shrugging::thinking: I would manage one thing on your list and be pooped in 10mins. But I bet you suffer the day after. That must be hard :people_hugging::heart:.

Yes, drugs are tricky :nauseated_face:. What are your concerns about Verzenios?. ( I hate the names, they are so tricky to remember :person_shrugging::person_facepalming:). Its such a new drug and they promote it so much. But that makes it harder to decide. I know Ive got to take Letrozole. (Only after Radiotherapy though…my choice on that front, Oncologist wanted me to start it this week) Verzenios is suppose to compliment, and , work with, Letrozole. But goodness its a minefield. I just dont want a life with debilitating side effects and Verzenios is the worst for chronic gut problems (oh and hair loss again etc). I would be so tired.

Some Facebook users advised taking a toiletry bag with spare pads, knickers,wet wipes, imodium etc when going out. It left me in the pits of despair. I know us women are strong and we cope with garbage being thrown at us, but surely that is not a way to live for 2-3 years.

I thought going through the menopause and having no periods would be liberating not having to use any sanitary products ever again. It would be such a backward step, but worse if I soiled myself. No wonder some patients stop going anywhere. That for many of us would really push many women into depression.

I know its cancer, I know cancer is serious, I know medics are trying hard to help us live, so I dont want to be too dismissive, nor critical. I am eternally grateful to them for keeping me alive. But the brutality of some of the treatment is tough. And medics do make mistakes. Shown by the Trust that did over 20 unnecessary mastectomies (in the news today). So we do need to question things. We do need choices.

I hope you manage to rest today. Goodness its not long before Monday, then Wednesday. But you only have 2 more left whoop whoop :tada::tada:

Sending love and hope to all you lovely ladies. :heart::people_hugging::sunflower:

Hope your Radiotherapy is going to plan @daffodil_dream . :heart:

Hope your weekly Pacs are being kind to you @alannah172 and @elastigirl . :heart:

Sending you hugs @baldiesrus and hoping you get answers re: foot pain. :people_hugging::heart:

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Hey ladies! Thanks for checking in on me @poppy261 :waving_hand:

I’m here just getting through it and focusing each day in keeping healthy so it doesn’t get delayed again!

I had chemo on Tuesday :tada::tada: so now just 5 left to go :flexed_biceps::flexed_biceps:

My feet are still playing up with the neuropathy, but I have a lower dose, so will see if it makes a difference. My joints and muscles hurt today, as always on a Friday Saturday and Sunday, but it’s manageable.

I’ll have a read back on the thread as I think I’m about 100 posts behind!!! :rofl::woman_facepalming::flushed_face:

I hope you’re all doing ok?! I’ll make sure to keep checking in more regularly or I can’t keep up …. I love how we’re all so active in support :heart_hands::raising_hands::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Good to hear you are getting through it @alannah172 and had no more delays so far​:crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers:. Wow only 5 left to go… that will go in a flash. :heart:

But yes, weekly is tough, as you never get any time off. Good to hear they have reduced your dose. I think the cumulative effect over time, really builds up doesnt it. Especially with Pac. So a reduction is seriously welcomed. I know I was grateful for the reduction.

Sorry to hear your feet are still creating problems with neuropathy. You sound like @baldiesrus whos still having sore feet. My heart goes out to both of you. We need our feet fit and healthy dont we. Xxx :heart::people_hugging::sunflower:. I really hope your Oncology Teams help you get ontop of that soon. :crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers:

Pacs an odd one. Ive had my last chemo yet for the last week Ive had a sore mouth. But had been fine until now. It seems to make our bodies abit unpredictable at times.

I hope you are managing to give yourself lots of TLC. Its what got me through the last 4 weeks, which I found really hard. :people_hugging::heart:

Sending you lots of love and strength to get you through your last few weeks.

:heart::heart::heart::people_hugging::people_hugging::people_hugging::flexed_biceps::flexed_biceps::flexed_biceps::sunflower::sunflower::sunflower:

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Jackdaws nest in one of our chimneys every year, @poppy261 , so they do sometimes fall down, though not often, thankfully. And the woodburner wasn’ t lit, otherwise he’ d have been toast! Always happy to help any bird in need here!

Steroid crash. Knew it’ d come. I’ ve already had to deal with a mis-written cheque to a local supplier this morning, then had to ring them back because of another error I’ d made and rectify it….not a good start. Think I might just go back to bed and give in to it today.

CDK 4/6 inhibitors. Seems there are 3 types, and they all come with mega side effects and issues from what I can see. My Oncologist didn’ t specify which one I’ d be prescribed, IF I decide to take it. Like you, I need far more info first before going down that rabbit hole. Apart from all the side effects, it’ s the seemingly endless testing at hospital, blood tests, heart monitoring, etc, often every two weeks initially. What sort of life is that? Especially if you’ re lugging bags full of spare clothing, pants and liners, wet wipes etc with you everywhere in case the dreaded runs strike…..no thank you. We’ re left with no dignity at all. And no promises from the powers-that-be that it will ever get any better. I’ m too old and tired to face all of it now. But…big but….maybe that’ s just me today. Might feel more positive by Sunday……hard to tell.

Paste on a grin, even though I’ m fooling nobody, certainly not myself! :smiley::thinking::roll_eyes:

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Good to see you @alannah172 ! You’ re getting there! Agree with @poppy261 , Pac is a sneaky b@$tard, and cumulative, certainly. Peripheral neuropathy seems to be the biggest ā€˜ threat’ as far as the docs are concerned, certainly one of the most common and potentially longer-lasting ones. I’ m not even sure whether I’ ve got it or just slightly sensitive cold toes and poor circulation in my feet! I’ m taking that as a ā€˜No, you’ ve not’ then. I hope yours will settle and disappear sooner rather than later, they do tell us that it does improve, so I hope it will for you.

You’ve got a lot of back-reading to catch up on, girl! Feel free to scroll past mine, they can get a bit long-winded and ā€˜rambly’. That should save you a few precious minutes!

All best with the next five chemo blasts! Soon be done!

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Cant bypass yours @bea4 . They are too lovely to miss. :heart::heart::heart:

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Just a big shout out to all the ladies in the North East who were found to have had unnecessary mastectomies. My heart goes out to them. :heart::heart::heart::people_hugging:

My mastectomy was needed, so I am not worried about that. And I applaud the Trust for coming clean and contacting all the relevant woman. That wouldnt have been easy on those people who contacted the women. In the past, that may have been covered up and buried.

But goodness, what an absolutely devastating thing to find out. They must have gone through a living nightmare once they found out. It is incomprehensible.

I can only hope, being the strong women they are, that they can pull through this, support each other and find the answers they so seriously need.

My heart and thoughts are with them all.

:heart::heart::heart::heart::people_hugging::people_hugging::bouquet:

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Hi @dcfc84 have you started you radiotherapy yet​:thinking:, if so…. Hope it is all Going OK, and just letting you know we are all thinking of you. :heart::heart::heart::people_hugging::people_hugging::bouquet::bouquet:

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