I did ring the unit and said they will discuss at my next onc appointment next Tuesday, but that is only 2 days before FEC3, so it looks like I’m going to have to suffer again next week, whilst they struggle to get a vein, already stressing.
Hope you are all having a good day and Audrey hope you are able to come to a decision without too much stress about your hair, it’s very difficult, I was adamant about what I was going to do ( and I did do it), which was shave it off as soon as it started coming in handfuls, and I thought I would be fine about it, but on the morning the clippers came out I did shed a few tears ( I had long blonde hair which was one of my best features). Now it does feel much better, the sore head went straight away, and I wasn’t forever picking hairs out of everything. Don’t get me wrong, when I look in the mirror I do sometimes feel a little sad, because it isn’t me looking back, but it will grow back, I’m already planning my new pixie cut for when I go to Portugal at the beginning of June.
My picc line was very last minute Jayne. Saw the oncology nurse on Monday, received a phone call Wednesday afternoon telling me I was having a picc line on Thursday afternoon and chemo had been moved to Friday. I’ve got everything crossed for you hun.
I am from the November thread I had my first Chemo today x I have already met some of you elsewhere on the forum so I know you are lovely and helpful
Can I ask what is the best time to take the 2 steroids I have to take tomorrow , the pack just says before 6pm but I have read somewhere that some people find even that too late for settling down to bed so I thought I would ask, I was thinking brekkie around 9:30 and 4:30ish would that be OK. I have Dexamethasone
Hope everyone is as well as can be and big hugs to those that need them. I have been reading all your posts and they really helped me psych myself up so thankyou x
Welcome to October. Glad you have found our ramblings helpful.
Not sure that I’m going to be much help here because my instructions from the chemo unit are just to take the four tablets “in the morning” for the three days after my chemo. I’m on dexamethasone but unfortuantely can’t remember what dosage is per tablet. I guess some people have fewer tablets at a higher dosage. I’ve always taken them around 9.30am. I tend to have an anti-sickness when I wake, breakfast half an hour later then the steriods just after that. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve not had any real sleeping problems with them. I’d say the earlier you can take them the better but that’s going on my own experience. I have read some people say they have been told to space their dose out over several hours but that’s not the case for me.
Good luck and hope you get through tonight okay. You sound pretty perky!
Thanks Ruth im on 2mg and I have 4 to last the 2 days, I think im still wired from the IV ones today my session finished at 11:00 and if I had a gym membership even unfit me would have been trying to use it I am so hyper. They deffo said to space out so but didnt say a time but I really wont be taking at 6pm
Jen, I think I’m going to check with the unit next time I’m in to make sure I should be taking mine all at once! Perhaps I’ve been doing it wrong the last two times. Anyway, the upside is that in the few days after chemo I actually have loads of energy and my house has never been cleaner. xx
Well thats a bonus anyway! You can come do mine I bloomin hate cleaning, have even tired the C word as an excuse to get a cleaner but that didnt work because the booklet from the hospital said moderate cleaning and tidying counted towards my daily exercise x I am sure I have seen other ladies saying they take at same time too so maybe your unit does things different x
Hi Jen, with the FEC, I have Dexamethasone to take for 3 days after chemo, I have 4 tablets to take twice a day, my oncologist said don’t take the second lot much later than lunchtime as it can effect your sleep, so I have 2 when I wake and 2 with my lunch at 12.30. Hope this helps x
Hi all - my instructions are to take all 4 desamethasone with breakfast, for the three days post-chemo (so same as Ruth/Peggycat). but even taking them all together I’ve never felt hyper, so sadly no cleaning done in this house (well, not by me anyway). Weird how much these things vary between us isn’t it?
Well done for getting through your first chemo Jen. Hope everyone else is doing ok today.
I have my third chemo on Weds…wondering what delights this cycle will bring! But after that I only have one more so will hopefully be done by Christmas (sorry to all of you who have longer to go). X
Thanks Hazel, Janey, Em and El x
I think I will go for 7ish with my brekkie and 1ish with my lunch or if I wake up early (if I ever sleep im bloomin still boucing around like a tigger) I may do 6 and 12
will pass on your hellos to the November ladies xx
Thanks Caffy x I am waiting for hubby to come home on his leave his standards are way higher than mine so itll get blitzed enough for the 3 weeks x its certainly something I have had I am usually an in bed by 10 asleep not long after girl and I could literally go out and party the night away!
Thanks Kazzer x You are right so much varying information and differences with the same drugs x I will try one way tomorrow and the other the next day.
As some of you already know, I have developed quite a few painful spots this week located on back, legs, head, bum and armpit. They seem to linger for ages. Glamorous, not. I’m trying tea tree oil, antiseptic cream and TCP but if anyone has any tips I’d be glad to hear them. It’s a long time ago since I was a spotty teenager so I’m probably well behind on what’s good to use these days.
Hi Ruth x I tend to put tea tree on spots or witchstick which is a bit less harsh on the skin but given tea trees antibacterial properties id be using tea tree at the mo x make sure you can moisturise though once they clear up it drys out the skin a bit
Thanks Jen and Sandra for your tips. Interesting to hear you had them too Sandra as it makes me feel a bit less of a freak but at the same time I’m sorry you had to put up with it! xx
Hi Barry, yes I saw that. I noticed it was said she would be back on the programme tomorrow morning so it’ll be interesting to see what she does with her hair bearing in mind she said she hadn’t done much with it for the video today. I know I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be on telly with my cold cap hair!!
Hi everyone, just back from my third chemo. Had a lovely foot massage while I was in the chair today…wonderful lady who has done this as a volunteer at the hospital for 34 years!!
Ruth, the spots may be folliculitis, if they are all in areas where you had hair which may have fallen out? (Not suggesting you have a hairy bum, but you know what I mean!) You can google an image if you can face it, to help identify if it is. I had it on my scalp just after I clippered my hair. Looked horrible! I used my son’s antibacterial face wash and then just left well alone and after a few days they went. My scalp was itchy rather than the individual spots being painful though.
I would suggest a trip to the doc’s if they don’t go in a day or two though.
Hope everyone else is doing ok. Jojo I assume you also had your third today…hope it went ok, and hope you aren’t so poorly for so long this time.
And just watched the Victoria Derbyshire vid…she’s good for vlogging all this isn’t she? Though I wonder a bit who would watch other than people already affected by breast cancer? But still interesting/helpful X
The only problem I have with her over it is that it doesn’t show the tears and fears etc enough that everyone has when diagnosed, treatment SEs etc. Third already Ele, Halfway! x