This is for all those gals who are trying to contemplate starting or getting thro chemo, everyone went on at me about “Positive Mental Attitude” and at the beginning I felt like telling them to P*** off but then I thought No, you can’t let the B***** get you down so lets tackle it head on, so this is my guide to Chemo (I am now at No 6 out of 8 - 4XEC & 4XTaxotere)
COPING WITH HAIR LOSS - Yes, I had my hair cut short bob style and lots fell out between No1 and 2, quite hard going but look at the bright side;
BUY A WIG - You will never have another Bad Hair Day - just put it on and out you go!
IMMAC IN YOUR PANTS - Very disconcerting to begin with but hey - think how much you will save in Bikini & Underarm waxing. (Save the money for something nice)
GOING OUT - You now have the perfect excuse to say No to all those boring parties you had to go to before, or you can now ask people to leave when they are boring you (I might carry this one on past treatment!)
HYPOCHONDRIACS - We all know them, the ones that never have a cold but always have flu - you know, they come into work with a box of tissues and the lemsip that they plonk loudly on the desk - Listen to them sweetly (obviously without getting too close) and then smile and say “Try Chemotherapy” and give them as many horrible side-effects as you can or say “So glad I only have Chemo to contend with and not your cold!” - I promise it will make you feel 100% better.
NOT TONIGHT DEAR, I HAVE A HEADACHE - You can now give any number of excuses
BLUE TONGUE (Otherwise known as oral thrush with Taxotere) its a fantastic excuse to eat as much Ice Cream as possible (but I would take the drugs too!)
NAUSEA DRUGS - Domperinone was renamed Dom Perignon as it made me feel better
FRIENDS - You will really realise who your friends are - use them to listen, to laugh and to take your mind off things - try also to find someone who is going thro it or has been thro it to talk to - it makes a difference to laugh at your comparisons!
THE C WORD - If you have these side effects - just think what it is doing to the cancer cells!
Yes, of course I have suffered from the same as everyone else with what I call my “wobble days” but you can get through it - it is only temporary - haven’t we all had a bad stomach bug that seems unbearable but you get over it, well this is how I have tried to deal with chemo (Especially when blue tongue became infected wisdom tooth!). There are a couple of things which I would say,
Don’t look at Chemo as a whole thing, eg after 2, I was quarter of the way thro, then it was only 4 weeks to half-way, or only 4 weeks until the end of this drug etc etc
You will soon get into a routine of good days and bad days - plan for the good weekends
When you need to sleep do - your body rebuilds itself when you rest
Between No3 & 4 - This is quite tough as you are not quite half way so try and plan something good like a weekend away or a night with the girls that you only have a week until half way etc (I couldn’t as my husband is a farmer and was flat out with harvest from 7 - 10 each day!)
For me, lying in bed all day made me feel down, so I now make myself get up and have a shower first - then if I want to lie on sofa I can but at least I’ve tried! (And you don’t feel such a slob when there is an unexpected knock at the door, I looked like a hamster who had stuck its finger in an electric socket one morning to the postman!)
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY - LAUGH AND SMILE - ITS A GREAT HEALER - BELIEVE ME!!! GO FOR IT GALS - YOU CAN DO IT
I have just had FEC chemo number four this morning only 2 to go. I agree wholeheartedly with Catflap.
But extra practical things I have learnt from our friends on this website
Drink Lots. Lucozade is a great reviver, Dandylion and burdock doesn’t taste to sweet to drink.
Aloe vera toothpaste from Holland and Barrett is a great mouth soother. Buy yourself a nice soft toothbrush Try watering down difflam or corsodyl mouthwash as I find they are too harsh for my mouth.
Discuss anti-sickness drugs with consultant if you have difficult side effects. Ondansetron gave me a terrible headache for about a week and another Lev…?? gave me twitchy arms and legs. I had the drugs changed and chemo 3 was OK. Still got the hiccups though.
Wear a hat in bed!!!
Its only a small part out of our lives and we have just got to think positively ond get on with it.
PS a little weep every so often does me the power of good
I’ve had both taxotere & FEC at different times and, despite spending 5 days in hospital with septicemia, I still think that gastric flu is worse and you don’t get a fraction of the sympathy you get with breast cancer.
And the chemo actually works, which is nice …
Lots of love,
Lynn
what a great message from catflap. I will be starting my chemo F E C x 8 in about 10 days, this really made me laugh and i am sure this will give a lot of support to all of us. Keep up the good positive attitude.
Lots of love
Kate x
Thank you, a good boost for me, just had cycle number 6 postponed for a week due to bronchitus. Hopefully will go ahead monday, actually looking forward to it to get one more out of the way. Now i can see an end in sight i just want it done and gone.
Your advice was really helpful and has given me a well needed boost. Thank you.
Glad it made you laugh - I just know that on some of my ‘wobble days’ I could have done with a giggle, it really makes you feel like you have achieved something
I have to agree, laughter has to be the best medicine. I’ve always had a good sense of humour, which disappeared for a while when I was first diagnosed, but luckily came back halfway through chemo, and has stayed with me since.
Had my Nadir bloods today and the doc said that I must have a really good attitude to be coping so well.
I said… Nah I’m just stubborn and I like my walks
Whatever works I say and right now that’s eating strawberries straight from the garden. God I love June. Yes my immune system’s really peeved at me but I read strawberries are good for the liver so that’s me happy.
I’m 6 hours after my first FEC - feeling a bit woozy but other than that okay at the moment… I’ve been to the pub with colleagues to eat chips, then cooked and ate dinner with my lovely hubbie.
Angie - I’ve seen how well you are doing after your first chemo by following some other threads - they’ve kept me from getting too wobbly all week (although did have a few tears when I got in the chair today) and will definitely help me over the next few days as my competitive streak will mean I’ll want to do as well as you especially as we share a name!
This isn’t a competition so don’t be too hard on yourself… at least that’s what everyone’s been telling me as I blatantly disregard all their sensible advice while sticking strips of wood to the roof of my new van
Seriously glad you got through the day. I felt a bit not there day 1. I’m pretty sure the steroids have only just started wearing off so don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself just living in the fridge for a week
What part of the country are you in. I’m Lake District so I do have beauty around me inspiring me to get out there which I think might be cheating. Really hard to be miserable when you live in a village like mine, they just won’t let you.
Good luck for the next few days hope they’re nice and uneventful for you.
I’ll try not to be too hard on myself - I meant that it would be an incentive to not give in to being ‘lazy’ but since this journey started I have been learning to take things easy when I need too and resting, which I’m sure has helped.
I’m in Nottingham so medical treatment has been excellent, my parents live close by and lots of friends who have all been superb - again this has helped. I have tried to keep up with the exercise - swimming - to improve the movement in my shoulder but have been told to stop now the chemo has started so will try to up the walking, restart swiss ball & perhaps dust the bike off!
Right, off to get some sleep if I can drag my husband away from Jonathan Ross!
Angela x
This made me smile too. I know some people have a really had time with chemo but it seems that most are still able to rise above it and get on with their lives and most of your observations are really true. I was talking to two people in the chemo room who had forged a really strong friendship over the last year (they are on herceptin) and were saying how lucky they were to have met as now they both have a social life…I thought what a nice thing to come out of such a cruel disease.very
I have just had my 4th epi and am doing very well - or am half way thouough as I think about it (same as catflap!)
XX
