Good to hear JC hope you continue to feel okay ??
Hi Jc, it was tatyana from the May thread who found the udderly cream and passed the tip onto us on Oct thread ??again I was just sharing tips passed to us lovely ??good stuff isn’t it, so soothing ???
shi xx
Hi Otter try not to worry about the injections, the needle is so fine you don’t feel a thing and will retract perfectly cleanly, you will be fine. Sending hugs ???
My last one tonight for this cycle.?
Hi otter I spent 20 mins working myself up to my first jab and then felt a bit of a Wally cos it was so easy!
xx
Well done Otter. I find I wake up achy but sleep okay hopefully you won’t even get that ?
Hi all,
Harryfiddler here, in Australia but originally from England. I’ve just found this site and hope you don’t mind me jumping into this group. I got my diagnosis on 30 October and started chemo – FEC + D – a week later. I’ve been smashing through the FEC. Deeply unpleasant, concrete bowels and the nausea makes me feel like the dementors are visiting, but getting through worst of it by day 5 and feeling relatively human by day 9.
Next one is the dreaded D and I’m terrified. As much as I tell myself that anticipation is far worse than reality, I’m terrified I’ll panic, I won’t cope etc. Anyone of you brave ladies had trouble with pre-D nerves? (I’ll deal with post-D SEs later…)
H
xx
hope everyone is ok - sending love and hugs to all and to everyone heading in for pre-checks and treatment this next week!
?? ?? ?? ??
Feeling tired, but wish everyone well for this week especially those crossing over xxx
??? ?
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No cold capping for me - I really didn’t fancy it!
Hope everyone is ok after coming down from the steroids ??
I’m off to Hampshire for a couple of meetings ?. Fingers crossed the M25 is kind to me!
Take care everyone
Xx
Hi harry fiddler, you should be able to ditch the cold cap when you switch to t. It’s the fec that takes your hair. On the t you may find it takes your eyebrows and eyelashes and nails. Put black nail polish on fingers and toe nails and rub vitamin e oil into cuticles, like Lesley says these are all tips passed on that have worked for ladies on previous threads, so everything is worth a try. Can I just ask both you and Lilienthal with you both being in Australia and USA have you found much about cbd oil, it’s gaining quite a bit of good press over here for being something that is seeing cancer off. Just thought I’d ask. Thank you. I’m from Oct thread. Keep ???and sending ???shi xx
That should have said lizabeth below, sorry typo. Good morning Lesley ???have a ???day ??shi xx
Hello and welcome Lizbeth and HarryFiddler. I am afraid I didn’t cold cap. I just went with the hair loss. I am about to have cycle 4 of EC before moving onto 4 cycles of Paclitaxel. I never actually lost all my hair (yet). When it starting coming out, my hairdresser friend didn’t shave it as she said it would be gentler on the scalp if she just cropped it tight to my head and I was left with a velvet coating of sparse hairs about a cm or two in length. She thought it would drop out within a week, but it never did and even seems to have grown a bit! It is far from fit for public consumption, so I alternate between petunia the pretend hair and hats/scarves. I have got used to it and really don’t think about it much now. I also have a gap on my left eyebrow and I am told that the eyelashes and brows may be next to give up when I move to Paclitaxel. I am doing a ‘Look Good Feel Better’ course this month to learn how to disguise that when it happens.
Lesley, you had a super-early start. I hope you have a good day and aren’t too apprehensive. I am guessing as we are usually on the same schedule that tomorrow may be checks/outpatient appointments for you before chemo on Thursday? I always take great strength from knowing you’re out there doing similar things to me.
Otter, you poor thing. I am afraid I am v. unscientific about doses when it comes to Epsom/Magnesium Salts which I used before diagnosis for post-exercise aches. I just slug a chunk into the bath and swish! You may want more expert advice than I can offer. I really feel your pain with the weight gain. I worked really hard to lose weight and exercise more in the year or so before I was diagnosed and cannot believe it is going to be undone after all that effort. I am trying to maintain a healthy diet and exercise, but it is so hard and I have the sort of body that just piles on weight if I even glance at food. Yuk. It really sucks. I guess we have to keep telling ourselves, all that matters is treatment now and we can lose the weight further down the line. Not much comfort I know, but we have enough to cope with for now.
Now, I need some help from my team. As some of you know, I have a port which was fitted in December. It was too swollen and sore to use when I went for chemo last time, so it has yet to be accessed. I am a complete coward about needles and I am pretty terrified of a hooked needle going into my chest. I also did the thing we are never supposed to do and googled port access. I got lots of stories about how agonising it is and what a terrible painful experience people have with it (plus assorted other horror stories about ports in general). I have been advised that EMLA cream will help, but google insists it makes ‘no difference’. I am now in such a tizz about it. I feel so stupid, but I have been awake much of the night and I am really anxious. The most I have been during treatment. Can anyone give me a talking to and help me move on from being so foolish? I know I need to get on with it and that in the broader scheme of everything else, I am focusing on something small, but I am generally terrified. All wisdom, advice, support most welcome this grey Monday morning. xx
Poor you otter & Annakarenina 
Firstly Otter I just slugged some Epsom salts in warm bath. I too have sore gum area which my oncologist said was an se due to the injections - I have 3 different mouthwashes to use- difflam, soda bicarbonate, which I mix with cold water and another one I mix with warm water (they jyst gave mouthwash solution on the bottke). I’m to use a mixture of the 3 throughout the day every 1-2 hours.He also said to take cocodimol xx
Annakarenina, I have a port fitted which has been used about 3 times now. They firstly clean the area then there’s a little scratch whilst they put needle in & then a slight scratch as they pull it out at the end. It has made the giving of my chemo a lot quicker as they don’t have to faff looking for my narrow veins. I haven’t used any creams - my port is under my arm, which was my choice. I look away when they’re doing the needles and in the great scheme if what we’re going through it’s only a slight discomfort. Tell your nurse how you feel xx
Good luck for this week ?????
I’ve just gone back to ? for a couple of hours. Legs feel a bit shaky
Annakarenina, dizzy posted to you on Oct thread about port ???shi xx
Good morning all
The November 2014 ladies used udder cream, onicliffe drops and manuka honey cream on our hands and feet during T. We mostly kept our nails. My onc said not to paint the nails dark as this masks any problems.
Read up on Epsom salts in the bath as the recommended dose is different for muscle ache and detox and also other uses - can give you diahorrea!
I had a port between my right collar bone and breast (covered by bra strap). I found it very easy for all my 14 rounds of chemo, the nurses didn’t like to use it for blood tests though. I didn’t use any cream on it.
I was very tempted to stop cold capping during my 11 paclitaxol rounds but the nurse checked SEs and hair loss is still common. Although mine seemed to thicken up during it!
I found I lost a lot of weight in chemo a I juggled nausea and cardboard mouth. I have put it back on (and some!) since though. Blame it on chemopause - I’ve never had a belly before in my life and weigh what I did when I went into labour!!!
Keep going - you’ll have hair and nails by the summer! X
The nail drops are called OnicoLife drops for chemo nails but they seem unavailable to buy. I read on one post about Defiant Beauty Nail Oil, just ordered one from Amazon to try. This is sold by Beauty Despite Cancer and is suitable for chemo & radiotherapy patients xx
I went to exercise and shower (a relief to everyone) and came back to so many splendid messages supporting me with my port nonsense. Thank you JC, Riversidedawn and Shi for alterting me to the replies on the October thread too. I feel much calmer and less blotchy from being tearfully anxious! You are all wonderful.
Re: nails. Although I am not on the Paclitaxel bit of my treatment yet, I do have the defiant beauty nail oil and love it. I also use the hand balm which is incredibly rich so too greasy to do much after applying, but that can be a blessing! I was recommended a product called Si-Nails by Auriga by a friend who went through treatment last year, but haven’t used it myself - she said it was miraculous when Taxol did its thing on her nails. Maybe another one to add to the list, but can’t vouch for it personally yet.
Huge thanks again for being out there you marvellous people. xx
Annakarenina - yep checks tomorrow, then steroid boost Wednesday and T on Thursday … we’ll be sat in the chairs together, holding hands!! ?
My friend who lives in France - her husband had a port fitted 2 years ago for his chemo treatments. 26 rounds later he and the port are still going strong… he has completed the ultimate manning up exercise!! But he thought I was brave having a PICC line!!
He said it was so much easier sand helped his life no end.
Get the Bridget Jones knickers on and know we’re all behind you!! ??
Hllo ladies, good luck to everybody on ? this week xx
no chemo for me this week too weak after the infection gutted
take care xx