Thank you,
It’s ok - I’m finding it tedious and tiring, but my treatment is happening far away from where I live, so I have over 100mile round trip every day …
My boob is red and sore but skin not blistered or anything, my MooGoo and aloe vera gel are doing a good job!
I’m not enjoying the experience, feels quite undignified and vulnerable! But at least it’ll be over soon
Thank you @rbf x My BCN was suspiciously upbeat about radiotherapy as though it was tish pish, but I’m more cynical these days!
Yeah it seems common for radiotherapy to be sold to us as an easy peasy leg of the journey, but it has its own challenges!
Obviously chemo is more brutal and has way worse side effects, but actually having the chemotherapy was fine for me - sit in a nice comfy chair for a few hours, hooked up to a drip while lovely nurses chat and bring snacks 
I’m finding having radiotherapy is much more unpleasant. It feels exposing, vulnerable, lonely … and it’s draining going every day
But the upsides are it’s a quick session, and it’s over in a matter of weeks, unlike chemo. And less nasty side effects!
And we’re all different what bothers us aren’t we.
This too shall pass!!
@lumpybyebye Thanks so much for that - really useful. I like the look of most of those mocktails, particularly the Summer Sunrise and the Mocktail Mule 
Hope your poor mouth is recovering?
@Jaygo Ooh, the non alcoholic rhubarb and ginger gin and ginger ale sounds lovely. I need to get some of that gin - £11 on Amazon - bargain! 
I’m not usually a massive fan of aperol spritz but might give it a go seeing as taste buds change so much on chemo. Some days I can barely taste anything or everything tastes blah, so maybe this will hit the spot!
@rbf Yes! Now that you mention it, I remember my sister in law went through a phase of trying all the different Fever Tree flavours. Some were really lovely. I’ll give the Mexican lime soda a try. It sounds very refreshing.
Good luck with radiotherapy #9 today. 100 mile round trip is tough every day. Do you drive yourself there or get a lift? I was told radiotherapy can make you very tired so not to drive myself, but I know a few ladies who do and are fine.
How many sessions do you have to have in total?
@dilly Glad you are feeling chirpier since starting the antibiotics.
I know exactly what you mean about feeling unwell or in pain becoming part of every day life so it’s hard to know what is serious and what is just another side effect. It’s like I don’t really trust my own judgment anymore 
No one else seems to understand this!
@nib32 I’m so sorry you are suffering with the pain of neuropathy.
I know the very last thing you (or any of us) want is for the oncologist to dose reduce. The hassle of delays to medication, etc. But I do think you should talk to them to get their advice as keeping quiet could result in long term irreversible nerve damage. That would be worse, especially as you are a keen walker / hiker.
I don’t mean to sound preachy, but this is the one side effect I was always told to never down play as the long term effects can be permanent. That would be awful for you.
@Mairead_49 I’m keeping everything crossed for you that your bloods are all good tomorrow and those Filgrastim injections have done their job 
Let us know.
@poptart you can get cans of apero as well. My husband got one I think from Tesco, so you could road test with minimum waste if it doesn’t work for you. I wouldn’t normally drink it, but it did hit the spot during chemo.
@Jaygo I’ve got to pop to Tesco later anyway so I think I’ll do that! A little treat for a Monday afternoon
Thank you @poptart xx
Monday joy - referral for full allergen testing with yet another department at the hospital. Huge thank you to Docetaxel for completely fucking up my body and allergen responses. At the tender age of 54yr I now can’t have whole egg … swerved since mast cell reaction a few joyful months back.
Had a gluten / dairy free mini quiche yesterday for lunch as my mouth is sore from surgery on Friday and wanted something soft that wasn’t bloody soup. Nope. Tongue and lip reaction within minutes. Mega dose of antihistamine but took hours to settle. Thankfully didnt need to use my new post chemo epipen.
Just simply fuck this!!!
Karen 
In a mood!
What fresh hell is this @lumpybyebye!!
@lumpybyebye that is just so crap. I’m so sorry for you. Bloody docetaxel.
I heard someone refer to chemo as controlled poisoning and this is so true. It completely messes everything up.
Sending you strength to get through the day x
@dilly @poptart I have drug induced hypersensitivity reaction - bloody Docetaxel. Being hospitalised after #3 with hives, swollen hands and acute allergen responses to ‘air’ It has continued. As ive always been GF/Df with food im pretty careful anyway but this is another level. My immune response is in overdrive and miscuing food as dangerous so anaphylaxis reactions. I thought as no chemo now for 4+ weeks, as finished, i’d be able to eat normally again. Nope. My immune system is fucked and leaving me with a plethora of reactions to food. Need to be seen by a specialist to find if this is temporary or permanent. 
Fed up but not feeding up!
Taxanes are bastards.
Karen
I’m so sorry this is ongoing @lumpybyebye but hoping it will burn itself out in time xx
Gosh - i had no idea this could happen @lumpybyebye & am so sorry to read. Docetaxol absolutely floored me like i never knew possible… my fingernails fell off, i was red raw with a rash. Horrendous.
Yes. @poptart my husband and I went to the pub at lunch as the weather is so nice. The sunshine definitely enhances the flavour of a 0% ginger gin!
So sorry to hear the shit show is not over for you yet. That damn Docetaxel is such a bastard!!! It just needs to leave you alone now, you’ve been through enough with it. Hope you can get a specialist onto this v soon xxx
Been catching up on posts from the last week… so much going on. I have to write down names when I’m catching up as I have brain fog and can’t remember a bloody thing- and I don’t have one with me 
Sending lots of love @loupy and I know I read others about test result meeting not being as hoped. I’m really sorry about it all, and sending love.
@lumpybyebye sorry if I missed this in my catch up, but do they think all this hypersensitivity is a permanent thing now? You really have been through the ringer!
I’ve had a week wrangling emotionally with body image, clothes and packing to go away. Blood test before herceptin has been agreed to be every 6 week 
- I can’t remember who I was talking about this to
I did make it away on Saturday, with my suitcase bursting at the seems as I just couldn’t make my mind up. Cried about packing for my holiday… WTF… I should have been throwing it in with excitement
Anyway, allowing myself to be proud about how far I’ve come today- even gone out in public with a headscarf on today… something I’ve never done before! So…. the Christmas Holiday that I was gutted about cancelling was just postponed to when I felt up to it 
Sending lots of love
Need a laugh … got my referral date through from the hospital …
Only have to wait 20 mths on NHS and avoid allergens until testing. FML. Think I’ll have to go private.
@lumpybyebye thats unbelievable 
You are kidding me!
That is the first thing on here that made laugh in a while - and i thought 13 weeks was bad! X
