Bythesea, which center Parcs are you going to? I managed some cycling, 10 pin bowling, mini golf and a little bit of badminton. I couldn’t go swimming or to the spa.
We were at Woburn, where there is a steep hill down to the plaza - ok for cycling down but tough for pushing the bike back up.
It was a nice break for my family to be able to let their hair down & have some fun. I did what I could - caught up on games, reading etc xx
I am going to take dexamethasone - 4 every morning & 4 at MIDDAY (printed in caps)
Hi LAdies just moving over to first T this morning after two seperate 1 week delays - I knew you would be catching up on me soon?
I love that Kate Bush song here is a link for today’s theme tune ?
youtu.be/wp43OdtAAkM
I have had a few issues with steroids as had already taken 1/2 my dose last week b4 chemo cancelled. I asked what was the earliest I could take them this time and they were happy with 8am and 12pm to leave as long a gap b4 night time.
Yesterday I couldn’t take my steroids until 4 as I had more delays and issues with bloods but I managed to sleep between 2 and 6 having also taken lorazepam. But I know a few ladies have also requested sleeping pills from their docs to help on the steroid nights and that has been helping.
I also got to experience the steroid SEs last week without chemo and can report there are plenty! Not awful but they definitely bring their own gifts to the party ??
Wishing everyone all the best of luck in this and your next cycles XXX
Hi Lesley same steroids as me, I’m in bed by 6pm then just sleep as I can, because of all the water we need to drink and then after each pee in the night, I drink more water so I don’t dehydrated, so I’ve not had full night sleep through since sept. But on the plus side it does bring out the ???and we were on our Oct roof to phorever people by the shamen last night and this morning we are Miami sound machine Congo and yazz and the plastic population the only way is up ???keep ???keep ???and nov girls you are getting there too, we’ve got hold of your gold hot pants too ???
shi xx
Otter - I too had chin hair, which has disappeared!! Yay!! And also seemed to have continuous toothache during the last cycle.
Am now just waiting to do my bloods ? xx
Hi Lesley
I had expected the sleeplessness, over eating (I find the steroids stop my off switch so I eat more than I need), emotional rollercoaster on and then anxiety after steroids. I also had at least 3 panic attacks on the two days after steroids stopped this time due to higher doses and no tapering. Also much more clammy hot flushes on the higher doses.
But the gastric SEs were a bit of an eye opener as I had put them all down to FEC. In fact I know think that the acute nausea etc was FEC but that the bloating, bad gass, bad taste in mouth and lack of good food tastes is definitely contributed by steroid SEs for me.
Am “interested” to see what happens this cycle when I take the full 48mg ? I don’t think we will be able to blame all the ??? on the weather!!!
Hello lovely ladies, ?? Happy New Year ??
Good luck to all who are having their treatment this week xxx
Otter, please let your team know about your toothache. I ended up in hospital yesterday on intravenous antibiotics x I had a cold that was getting worse and worse, sore throat then really bad dry cough (my stomach muscles still hurt from coughing), I decided to phone my unit yesterday and scared them as my temperature was going up x they checked my bloods as well and because they were happy with the results I was sent back home with antibiotics for the next 7 days.
They were all so busy yesterday at the unit as they had normal Tues patients plus Monday ones but they looked after me so well too ? I’m feeling better today x
Look after yourselves ladies xx take care xxx
Lesley ask for akynzeo for antisickness you take 1 hour before chemo, it’s the dogs whotsists of antisickness. Thanks for saying that about the reaction, it’s this ???journey the chemo can impact different each round. There is a nice big bell to ring at our trust for when you finish chemo, I’ve been looking at it longingly since the first one, so going to do a few pushups so I can ding ding ding loud and ??? on the 18th ???shi xx
Hi ladies my steroids for FEC were dexamethasone and as far as I am aware will stay the same for T just a higher dose. I was on 8mg a day for two days but not sure what they will go up to as onc hasn’t said yet. Also I am given them intravenously at treatment time prior to the chemo it’s the way my onc likes to do it not as tablets pre- treatment. I had this dose increased last treatment to help with nausea and it really did the trick and I didn’t have too much trouble sleeping either. Hopefully the steroids will be kind to us xxx
Shi love the bell idea too. I’m sure you will ring it loud ! ??? ?
Hi ladies am back from seeing my oncologist. Not the young handsome one I saw last time 
Anyway, regarding my 'toothache/sore gums ’ he thinks it’s down to the injections I have - am on 10 per cycle as apparently I 've been flagged up as at risk of infection. I now have 3 different mouthwashes to use throughout the day, along with cocodimol.
He wasn’t interested in how apprehensive I felt about starting T - his comment was let’s wait and see how you react and I’ll see you in 3 weeks. Nice!! He did say there should be less nausea, more tiredness, prickly sensations in my fingers, less chance of picking up an infection, maybe sore hands & feet. I asked what to look out for - you’ll have to wait and see!! Oh and I could get diarrhoea but the daily cocodimol could give me constipation!!
So I’ll start on my steroids tomorrow & I guess I’ll have to wait & see …
?
The thing that scares me most about T is anxiety and panic attacks … I’m anxious enough without it … But well, one more Fec for me next week x
No one has mentioned anxiety to me. I’m feeling it but will tell my nurse on Friday.
Apparently I can only take Imodium if I have mild diarrhoea as anything else I need to phone the hospital!!
Oh well … xx
Hi ladies Lesley I agree on the anxiety and panic attacks that in some ways it helps to know that the drugs are causing it and in mamy ways you can ‘breath through it’ until it passes and managed the attacks that way. But just be careful not to underestimate it - the emotional feelings are still very real even if you know why they are happening. Definitely seek help and discuss with docs if it happens to you. I had a pretty crappy weekend emotionally last weekend but think it was even harder for my family as I was quite irrational and shouty with them. At one point I told OH we were getting a divorce in front of my 7 year old.
If I cope with T well I hope to explore reducing steroids if that is possible.
?? They treat you kindly 
??
I’m on 8mg twice a day & was also warned quite firmly by nurse about the importance of taking these AS INSTRUCTED - she even wrote on the box!!
Hi Otter I am one day ahead of you so we can share the weekend highs and lows together ??
I know I am getting away with myself … but I rang the radiotherapy unit to speak to them about my appointments.
NHS appointment planning is something I know inside and out and I know that they would probably be working on the schedules before long … I wasn’t proved wrong.
I spoke to a lovely lady, and explained that I would ideally like to attend as early as possible in the morning, regardless of site, just so I could have the rest of the day back. She said the earliest was 0830 and would that be ok - I said yes, perfect. She confirmed what I knew already that the early appts aren’t popular so to have a willing recipient was great.
She then went on to give me my dates - they are there with in pencil at the moment but as long as chemo 4 happens on time then we should be go to go.
So very unexpectedly I have a provisional CT planning date and start date for my rads!!
That’s cheered me up 
And yes I am going to be realistic… it could all change!!!
xx
Lesley that’s brilliant, it’s nice to get organised and a slot you want and perfectly normal wanting to be on rads rather than this bit. From what was said on our thread last night we will all be ???sizzling , so get the barbecue sauces ready to slather on ???shi xx
Hope you have a restful night otter ??
Hope treatments are kind to everyone this week. ??
Good luck tonight Otter ?? See you on the other side ?