Sept 2025 chemo starters

[dizzy3]

Merry Christmas to you all.

Not the Christmas any of us had imagined a few months ago!

We’ve all done so well navigating this new diversion in our lives.

I’m sure like me you’ve become very knowledgeable about a largely unknown field but still at times baffled by the whole thing and definitely unable to predict every twist and turn as our bodies adapt and react to the poison in and being added to our all the time.

We won’t be celebrating in our usual way but let’s still celebrate - we’re all managing so well.

You guys have been a wonder over the last 3 months.

Let’s keep the charge going as we power on - sometimes more of a limp!! - to 2026 and hopefully the end of this diversion!

Love to you all

[buggeringon]

Wishing you all as great a Christmas as possible.

Am so grateful to have had you all around for the last few months.

Xxx

[emsd2025]

Happy Christmas everyone!! Hope you’re all able to enjoy it! Someone at least got to enjoy smoked salmon this morning

[naughty_boob]

Hi @poptart I finished chemo (Paclitaxel) two years ago. I was already menopausal on HRT, which I stopped abruptly and hot flushes/surges came back worse than before HRT. I have also checked my temperature when I have a hot flushes and it rises about 0.5C so not enough for a big temperature change. I agree with checking your temperature in both ears, as well as gently pulling your ear back. I also was given a mercury mouth one so I could triple check.

Towards the end of my chemo I have a high temperature that was from an infection of unknown origin. I had oral antibiotics after visiting the cancer centre and was sent home. After 3 days the temperature hadn’t reduced, even with 8 paracetamol each day. I was the admitted and had IV antibiotics, that didn’t work. Then they tried a combination of two different antibiotics by IV. The temperature eventually started to come down. So if you still don’t feel better after 2/3 days on antibiotics phone for help again.

Menopause can cause hot flushes and chills (seems to talked about much less). Feeling under the weather and having chemo can cause a strain on your heart, so that could explain a racing heart as well as anxiety. But again something to mention to your helpline. I was always told better to check earlier rather than later.

Hope you are feeling a bit better today.

[story1]

Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for being such a source of inspiration and strength the past 4 months. This is a huge milestone. Today was different but no less special and I was spoilt for my birthday too. Long snooze after lunch in front of fire and It’s A Wonderful Life. Feeling lucky and blessed and ready to get the job done in 2026 alongside you wonderful ladies,

Lots of festive love,

Rachel xxx

[molly.m]

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas. Hope you have all had a lovely day.

Thankyou all for just being amazing.

Amazing time spent with family. Even managed a toddler portion of food got to take the little wins aha

Xxxxx

[anim4l]

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas.

I had a good nap this afternoon while my family were eating Christmas lunch and then went over afterwards to exchange gifts - my lovely family all wore N85 masks so I could take part.

I have my 5th weekly paclitacel tomorrow so will be high on steroids tomorrow evening- . when I’ll catch up on some festive tv . I told my daughter I’d caught Father Christmas on the ring camera leaving her gift -at 10 unfortunately she’s tooold to be fooled …

She was obviously very excited with all of her gifts - highlights were a personalised Stanley cup, a dry robe and a multipack of mini bounty bars…

[poptart]

Thank you @naughty_boob

I’ve finished my antibiotics today and still my temperature is a steady 38.

Going to call the helpline and ask their opinion.

One of my biggest fears is having to be kept in hospital, but I suppose if that’s what it takes to get to the bottom of this

[naughty_boob]

I hope you get the help you need. I really understand the not wanting to have to stay in hospital, I was exactly the same. Before my cancer diagnosis, I had stayed in hospital twice the night before a surgery and then home the day of the surgery. So my 6 night stay during chemo was the first real hospital stay for me. I was lucky to be in a side room alone.i prefer my own company and sleep really lightly. My chemo was delayed a few weeks after the stay until all my bloods were good.

If you need to go in, try to think of it as they are trying to make you better and stop the temperature. I know it’s hard, I get it.

Keep us updated.

[anim4l]

@poptart - hopefully a hospital stay won’t be necessary but I’d recommend a packing a bag just in case - eye mask, ear plugs, layers, slippers, and n95 face masks and anti bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, phone charger and a big water bottle.
Keep us posted and good luck xx

[bellbert]

Good morning all, well another Xmas over. It was quiet here, just my parents, me and my husband and 2 dogs. We did play a lot of games though ( sitting down games this year!). We broke tradition and had salmon for lunch, with fondant potatoes, samphire, spinach and watercress, trying to keep all the bloods in good order

Morning @anim4l sorry to read you were feeling bad before Xmas, hope that has all passed. Your little girl is so sweet, she did a great job with her tree. Great idea on the annual pass to Warwick Castle, when I lived near Whispnade zoo, I had an annual pass, I used to take my sone most days, he was 3. Eventually he said ‘ I don’t want to go and see lions and giraffes again today!’ Not something you usually hear

Morning @buggeringon So pleased you have your full treatment plan. Very odd about the blood results, hope you get to the bottom of it.

Morning Rachel @story1, so pleased to hear you had a great birthday and Xmas. I have started to draw on my eyebrows, but you have done a much better job than me! I still have the rash on my face, going to try the anti histamine cream you had mentioned, as the hydrocortisone one they gave me isn’t working.

Hello @cathie2, very pleased to hear the first EC went well. Hope you are still feeling ok.

Hello @emsd2025 hope you had a lovely Xmas with your Mum. What a cute little girl you have.

Hello @cridders, nice to hear that you are feeling well, long may it continue.

Hello @dizzy3 Hope you had a great Xmas?

Hello Ailsa @molly.m, so pleased to hear that you had a great Xmas. Well done on the food, any amount is a good amount!

Morning @poptart I hope your temperature is coming down. It is such a worry when this happens. I only had it happen once, after my first EC, eventually I went to A & E and had slightly raised infection markers, so went on anti biotics, but they did work and bring my temperature down. I was told by the nurse up there, to try and keep my body cool by reducing my clothing ( I was very well wrapped up and I felt cold).

Hello @naughty_boob , hope you had a great Christmas.

Almost 2026, the year we all get to finish chemo!!! Hope you all have a great week and New Year. Jane x

[poptart]

Just an update for everyone who was so kind to give me advice previously.

I called the hotline yesterday morning and they sent me off to A&E.

Spent the whole day in hospital (luckily in a side room as the waiting room was heaving). They were very thorough - blood tests, chest X-ray, CT scan, ECG, urine test - and they stared me on the IV antibiotics again.

Several hours later the blood tests showed raised infection markers, but they’re not sure where the infection is originating from - possibly sinusitis as I do suffer from this and have been getting very blocked up at night.

They allowed me to go home as I wasn’t neutropenic. I have more oral antibiotics (same ones as before - Co-Amoxiclav).

The thing is, I’m pretty sure whatever this is must be viral, as the antibiotics didn’t work before

I’m seeing my oncologist on Monday and I also have to go back to the hospital on Tuesday to repeat the bloods. So they are looking after me. I’m just worried as I’ve already had a whole 7 day course of these antibiotics and they didn’t work.

I’m due my first Paclitaxel on Friday. Does anyone know if they will go ahead if I’m still on antibiotics?

I’m assuming if I still have a temperature they will cancel?

[bellbert]

Good morning, I am pleased to hear you are being well looked after. I did get EC chemo, whilst still on the antibiotics, so you may well get Paclitaxel if your blood results are ok. Hope your temperature starts to go down now. x

[naughty_boob]

Glad you were seen in A&E. Let’s hope the IV antibiotics and Co Amoxiclav do the trick. They will look at your bloods to decide if your chemo can go ahead.

Take care all. Hope you all had a good Christmas whatever you did. Next year will be better.

[buggeringon]

Hi All,

Hope you’re all in best possible place/state.

That was a different Christmas . Just the two of us, a quiet day. Nice food - but two days post double whammy treatment day. Probably a good thing, would have eaten far more if further away I think! I had a little bit of Prosecco- loved it!

Tuesday is last paclitaxel treatment. YAY!!!

Have got most of January free - just an herceptin injection in the middle. Might have radiotherapy planning appointment in January too. We’ll see.

Am feeling really upbeat. This phase is ending. Get radio out of the way and then it’ll be finding feet with next new normal - ongoing herceptin, zelo acid, letrozole and any (hopefully vanishing) after effects of chemo and radio. So looking forward to building some fitness back up.

My new Christmas experience was hitting the Boxing Day sale at m&s I won’t do that again in a hurry. I was there for store opening (had a very limited list ) oh my word, very focused people, no warmth - can understand how fights break out sometimes! Still got the bargains I was after and back home for a cooked breakfast by 9.

Really looking forward to having picc out - the bath is calling me - I haven’t had a bath since the 10th August, showers just not the same. Candles, smellies etc await.

Sending love to all of you xx

[buggeringon]

@bellbert Jane, you are so good at tagging everyone in! Bravo

I’m going to unashamedly piggyback!

It sounds like you had a lovely Christmas and that you ate well for your health. Paring Christmas back to a more simple affair seems to be a good recipe. We enjoyed dancing to our own tune and not hosting or travelling we do however plan a family gathering for Easter instead

@anim4l i hope you and your family had a Christmas that exceeded expectations. This year has had to be different for all of us, but in there are some pearls and good memories hopefully x

@story1 ive now lost eyebrows too. I just keep pulling my twat hats low and push my glasses way up nose to obscure! Tomorrow, I hope to make a little space for brow painting and drawing- fully expect mishaps - I have form in this area (early attempts at home shaping years ago that still makes my friend laugh when the topic comes up). Hope your skin is clearing and you’re feeling better day by day.

@cathie2 hope you’re doing better than you expected.

@emsd2025 Hope you managed to eat some of your favourite treats ? Hope you and your family are doing well.

@cridders Hope you have stayed well and that you’ve made more happy memories and enjoyed your traditional family activities.

@molly.m hope you enjoyed an abundance of little wins over Christmas, especially an improvement in tastebuds. Sometimes I find a salty mouthwash seems to improve taste temporarily.

@poptart hope you are on the mend. Have loads of fluids to help flush the infection out and help make you feel better.

[cridders]

@buggeringon @story1 Re eyebrows… mine disappeared a few weeks ago and I’m getting the hang of this eyebrow pen…. Fyne Strokes Brow Pen. – Fyne Art Beauty It has one end with 4 fine tips and one end with a single tip.

So many people have said they can’t believe they aren’t my real ones… I over draw them and then “carve” them out with a bit of micellar water on a cotton bud. Even the monobrow looked convincing

[bellbert]

Morning @buggeringon , yes it was a lovely low key Christmas. So pleased you had a good one too. We are having a bigger rerun of ‘Christmas’ in late February/early March, as it is my birthday, so everyone who normally comes for Christmas will be here then ( we are also doing the Xmas presents then). I should be finished with chemo, fingers crossed and had or about to have the radiation therapy, so hoping I am at less risk of infections, so can relax more, as you will be able to, with your Easter bash. Isn’t it nice to now be talking and visualising the end point ( well, end of chemo anyway )? Hope you have a good week. I am off to have my bloods taken today and hoping to get Paclitaxel number 7 tomorrow….. Jane x

[bellbert]

Blimey Kim, you are good with that pencil! You could start a new career as a makeup artist with talent like that. Mine are very hit or miss. Jane x

[dizzy3]

@bellbert & @buggeringon great tagging!

I’ve just made notes before trying to remember a few direct responses!

@poptart let’s hope things calm down for you and if your body is up for it, you are able to have your treatment this week.

@story1 a belated Happy Birthday and I hope your not feeling too wiped out at the moment.

@buggeringon you were brave to attempt the sales! I made the mistake to pop to Tescos Extra at 3:45 on a Sunday recently - that was manic enough with massive queues for the closing tills.

All of you drawing in or stamping your eyebrows are doing a great job they look so natural - @cridders @story1 @anim4l

I’ve still got most of my eyebrows but they’ve always been really fair so I do a combination of eyebrow gel and pencil to define them.

Anyone who’s trying to recreate missing eyebrows have a look at lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk

I’ve attended the skincare and makeup workshop and we were shown how to draw in eyebrows. On their website there’s a link to lots of really good YouTube tutorials.

I had a good Christmas. I didn’t trust my concentration on the 2 hour drive so my 21 year old did the driving, I slept for about half of the journey. It was really strange being a passenger in my car! It was my first time in 3 months seeing my mum & sister which was amazing. It was almost like a normal visit - just less walks with Mum and the absence of alcohol with my sister and brother-in-law! I was sensible and took myself off for naps when needed. I had a particularly long nap on Christmas Day afternoon as I had a food coma from eating too much Christmas lunch! I avoided dairy, so no tummy issues. I had Eton mess with coconut cream rather than the regular creamy roulade everyone else had.

My PICC line odd pains have stopped and I’m embracing the lack of itchiness from the dressing for a good few weeks now! Hopefully only 9 more days before my last chemo and the PICC line removal.

@buggeringon you say you’ve not had a bath since you’ve had your PICC line. I’ve been having baths most days but it’s definitely not as relaxing as an unemcumbered one! Waterproof sleeve on and arm propped on bath pillow on side of bath!

My next job for today is to email the breast care nurses to ask them to chase for my surgeon appointment. When I saw the Oncologist 15th Dec he requested it but recommended I chase it up. I want to make sure my case is included at the MDT this Friday (assuming it’s happening this week!). I don’t want to get to my next Oncology appt Monday 5th Jan and find I still don’t have a date for the discussion ahead of February surgery.