September 2017 Chemo Starters

Going through breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy monthly threads
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Morning everyone,
Mrs M, sorry to hear your op site is still a problem. It must be so frustrating. Maybe once the chemo stops the healing will accelerate.
Ck - ugh sardines! I couldn’t! Good source of omegas though .

I’m on day 8 now and as usual feel better with more energy. We have managed to pack and are en route to the Scottish Borders for the half term halfway through chemomoon. My head is not normal yet though - the chemical hangover seems longer this time. Feel like I’m in a bubble and can’t think clearly still though it is improving. I’m very noise sensitive - just want peace and quiet and calm. Tricky when you have a 4 and 6 yr old vying for attention! I can’t seem to control my body feeling hot/cold either - lots of hot sweats - maybe my hormones are being affected now.
Hope the lows of day 4/5 pass by quickly - I think we all must struggle the most at that time with side effects, no energy, guilt, lack of sleep, but it will lift soon , I hope.

I’ve just finished a full week of steroids so hoping I’m not due a crash!
Take care, lots of love x

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Hi Jo Cathy and Nikki - hope you all have good days - I have tried to send you a pm Cathy but probably clumsily as fingers are sausages today! Still on steroids today until tomorrow and have now had to add ondansetron in as the azynkeo wears off so that was the instruction (and feel more nauseous today) so hope the ondansetron doesn’t make me flush more or I will be scarlet haha. Steroids stop tomorrow so maybe more sleep although the night waking went on to day 8 last time.
Need to spend longer in bed for the next few days because of wounds so really glad of this forum and will head for more box sets- so frustrating as I have a big garden which is where I top up my wellbeing and can only look at it at the moment - thanks for being there ladies xx

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Morning Lovelies!!!

 

Happy weekend to us all.

 

Sorry I’ve been awol from the forum for ages. That’s the thing about working during chemo, I miss out on all the merry banter here!!! So far I’ve been very lucky again during this second cycle - very few side effects and have been at work every day feeling perky. The only real side effects have been a sore wrist and discoloured hand where my trainee chemo nurse was digging for potatoes in my veins. I really think the fact that I’m having neo-adjuvant chemo (before any surgery) helps, as my body isn’t also trying to recover from surgery whilst fending off side effects.

 

MrsMeow - really sorry to hear you’re having a tough time with your wounds. Hope you’re feeling a bit better today. 

 

Morning Ali - hope you managed to get back to sleep, chick. 

 

CK - great to hear you’re still eating for Britain (and HK!!) Not sure about sardines as an early hours snack though. Ha ?

 

Chaffinch - thanks for your kind thoughts, wishing you all the very best for Wednesday. 

 

Sue - I dip in and out of the October and September threads as I know people on both so want to keep up with how they’re all doing. 

 

Chasanddave - lovin’ the fact you have a legitimate reason to eat pies!!! 

 

Jencat - how you doing, lovely?? 

 

Jow - sorry you’ve had to resort to sleeping pills. It’s odd as I’m normally a very nocturnal animal but since starting chemo am now falling asleep earlier and sleepIng pretty much right through, even on the steroids. I always make sure I take the steroids at midday though. 

 

Rhona - welcome back and glad to hear you’re doing so well.

 

Cathy - fingers crossed for your MRI scan results. I haven’t had surgery yet either and my oncologist has informed me at my post chemo check ups that my lump is definitely shrinking. 

 

Meesh - how you doing?? Hope all goes well again on Tuesday.

 

Michelle - hope you’re feeling ok after yesterday. 

 

Apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten. I will try to be a bit less of a slacker on the forum in future. It’s tricky though  when you’re not really having any side effects, as you don’t want to be on here overbearingly perky and chipper when others are having a tough time of it.

 

Lots of love to everyone 

 

? Bakewell xx

 

 

PS  Day 11 of cycle 2 and still have what looks like a full head of hair (despite Bay City Roller modifications)

?? Go cold cap!! Am now experimenting with root blur concealer products. I’m sure that won’t look crap at all… ?

 

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Hi Cherry, was beginning to think you may have dived into the Mersey after your wig! As that’s the last we heard of you! Cold cap seems to be still working it’s magic as my hair is all still pretty much there and hasn’t run ? for the hills yet!

Hope those of you recovering from chemo are doing ok. Have a good day ladies!

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Hi Jow, I’d be interested to hear how you get on with the sauerkraut and kombucha. I was eating sauerkraut prior to chemo along with drinking kefir (fermented milk drink) but was advised against it during chemo as both were unpasteurised. I’m not sure though as there is other research to suggest it is ok as both are good gut health and are probiotic. Difficult to know what to do really ?

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Cherry, can understand not being able to get the wig on with all that hair, I’d have been the same prior to my chop. I also have a wig which I’ve called Shirley (as it looks a bit Shirley Bassey) and I really should get the top trimmed as it’s a bit bouffanty there but I’m reluctant as I’m hoping I won’t need it!

Have good weekend!

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Hi cherry and meesh - I took mine for a haircut to the hairdresser who ordered it for me and then used my own products on it to make it look a great match, bought wig tape to make sure it stays on and have used a couple of small clips on the top to calm it down. I am a very curly girl! Have had lots of compliments on the match and even wore it to chemo as was fine all day. I find it helps to keep a hat on it while on the stand - all tips to stop it being too puffed up! Good luck x

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MrsMeow, thanks for the curly wig tips! The wig consultant didn’t think she’d be able to match a wig to my hair, so she let me order 3 (2 curly and 1 straight). I think she was a bit worried as she’d never had to provide a curly wig before. None of them looked like the pictures I ordered from, 1 was no good, she didn’t even get it on me properly before I said no! Looked like an old lady with a dodgy perm! The other curly one was pretty good and was much curlier than the picture but a bit too bouffanty on top. She did suggest I could get a hairdresser to cut it for me, which I think I’m going to do. The straight one was a nice wig but just wasn’t me and thought I’d then end up with way too many comments and questions from people. Will have to look into the wig tape if the cold cap doesn’t work ?

 

Good thing about bout curly hair is that you can fluff it up a bit to hide any thinning patches (well I’m hoping anyway) ?

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Good morning September ladies! Im quite pleased to have been resting through those stormy two days we had in Cheshire. It seemes to have calmed down a little today!
Cycle 3, day 6 today. Still funny taste in mouth, tired and achy body from GSCF in jections but otherwise,not bad!
I went into work last night for a few hours, cant believe its a week since my event for Prevent Breast Cancer and had another cycle in between! Once the funds are in, it should be near to £2,000 raised! Thank you to those who have donated❤

Anyway, halfway there with 3 cycles to go! I know it will get harder and my body and mind will get more tired but I have realised that rest, really is the way to do it! Please try not to overdo it at the beginning of treatment even if you dont feel tired! I think we want to tell ourselves that we can do this and do that and can be stubborn but I do advise plenty of rest whenever you can!

I did have a slight pain going up my arm which the cannula goes in and have found that the rubber hand and arm squeezer has helped! A good investment! Just squeeze as watching TV!

Taste buds different yet again! Potatoes, steak and Lamb chops this time round!

More long soaks for these poor aching bones and muscles too and walks around the block with Merlot the cat following me!

I hope you all have a nice relaxing Sunday!
Lots of love❤

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Ck, glad to hear you’re doing so well after chemo 3! I love it that your cat follows you, obviously doing nurse duties and making sure you’re ok! Pets are such a comfort when you’re not feeling great. The week after my first session my cat loved having me at home all day especially as I spent most of it in a blanket on the sofa and she rarely moved from my lap. The second week she brought me a shrew (obviously thought I needed it to build me up or perhaps as her equivalent of giving me a box of chocolates)! 

 

Have a good day even if the weather is lousy!

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Hello ladies

Sorry it’s been a while since I posted. Like a few others, I’ve been doing so well that I’ve been working between treatments and therefore haven’t had much time to post. I’ve been keeping up with your posts though and it’s good to hear most of you are doing well.

I’m now cycle 3 day 11 and still have hair thanks to the cold cap. It’s much thinner now but still just about covers my whole head. I am largely wearing bandanas when I go out to stop it shedding in public and avoid bad hair days. I did wear my wig a few weeks ago when I went out for a Michelin started meal with my best friends, just because it didn’t look right wearing a nice dress and makeup with my hair as it was. The wig kept riding up in the restaurant though and I got to the point where I kept pulling it back down and drawing a few odd looks however I guess when you’re paying that much for food nobody cares what you look like! My friends were pretty sozzled by that point so it was an entertaining night, despite me having been alcohol free since the start of chemo.

Apart from doing way too much work and not spending enough time on myself, I’ve been trying to embrace the ‘anti-cancer way of life’. For me this means I’ve had to massively cut down on mainstream wheat and smoked/cured meats (I miss bacon and chorizo!), and eat way more nuts, seeds and oily fish as well as the masses of veg I already ate. I feel so much better for all of this and intend to stick with the changes permanently. As well as alcohol, I have given up caffeine too as several chemo booklets I read said both should be avoided throughout. I’ve found clipper organic decaf tea is just as nice as normal tea so haven’t really missed it. San Pelegríno sparkling water is my prosecco equivalent and I’ve discovered how much easier (and cheaper) nights out are when you can park at the door and drive home at the end ?. I suspect once chemo is over I will occasionally have an alcoholic drink but it will be very occasional and only one, rather than the heavy nights out I used to have once every month or so.

I am now used to my own experience of the FEC cycles - constipation and tiredness days 1 &2, spaced out, bloated and weird glassy-eyed crazy look days 3&4, total emotional downturn days 5&6, back to feeling the new normal days 7 onwards. Hair loss peaks day 15-18 after each round (from chemo 2) and I’ve had one of the rarer side effects of cyclophosphamide since cycle 2 - tinnitus (constant fire station alarm in my ears). That’s one for the symptom bingo!

So now I’m used to it, it’s all about to change as I’m half way through -it’s time to start on Docetaxel/Taxotere on 2nd November. Joy!Hopefully the tinnitus will stop on the next set of drugs but I’m nervous about the new routine and side effects. It’s a brand new bingo card! My oncologist has prescribed me the steroids to start the day before instead of the day after. She’s prescribing codeine to add if I get joint pains (which are very common with this drug) and in case paracetamol isn’t enough. She’s also said that I am far more likely to get diarrhoea than constipation and is giving me some meds for this too. We are sticking with the Akynzeo on the day as it’s worked so well so far, although she’s said nausea is much rarer with the T cycle and I probably won’t need the metaclopromide next time. She’s also said the cold cap works better on T so hopefully less hair loss and it might even start growing back a bit. However she has said there’s evidence to show T is light sensitive in our nails so it’s time to embrace the dark nail polish. Several fellow chemo’ers who are further on have told me to have gel nails as it worked for them. I’m a bit nervous about this though as gels have wrecked my otherwise very good strong nails in the past when it’s been removed. However I can’t do my own nails and am so clumsy anyway that normal nail polish comes off my nails within a day of it going on! I normally wouldn’t care but I’ve seen other people’s chemo nails and how they’ve come out and really want to try and help myself on this as much as possible. Wondering what you other ladies are doing for this and which way to go?

Geordie x

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I’ve just finished her book too fairy dust. I was amazed that she worked through the chemo. the first week after each cycle I literally stumble from bed to the bathroom and back! and munch pies…and watch Homes under the bloody hammer!

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doodle to see you back on Geordie! Your fec side side effects/cycle are almost identical! except the tinnitus which sounds bloody awful. I hope the new chemo sorts it. I too start my docotaxol (with herceptin and pertuzumab) on 1st November and apprehensive about learning to cope with a new cocktail! I too have steroids to start the day before and pain relief but am nervous about letting go of my super anti sickness Emend!
fingers crossed we sail through the next few cycles and look back and wander what all the worry was about!

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Morning ladies,
Mrs M, hope you are feeling better today. Lots of love, you will turn the corner soon. Have you had your scan yet? Maybe try homeopathic arnica 3 tines daily - post pregnancy it really helped my bruising. Also arnica ointment if the skin is not broken. Waleda do both. Worth a try!

Welcome back Geordie. Glad you have been doing ok. I’ve had 3 rounds of taxotere/docetaxel now. I have left my nails polish free and so far nothing too dramatic has happened! My nail beds get sore about 2 weeks after chemo and I have a white line on my nails for every round but they are healthy otherwise, so far! I felt it better if my nails were bare so they could breathe and absorb moisturiser(they can become brittle with tax). Hoping they hang on in there! I think completely losing nails is a rarer side effect, though it does happen to some people.
Jacqui and fairydust- thanks for the book recommendation. I’ve head a couple of radio interviews and am going to buy the book now!

Well, day 2 in the Scottish Borders. Yesterday we had a lovely walk in the morning. Unfortunately I had another attack of dramatic diarrhoea. This resulted on me having to dash off into the bushes every 10 minutes! How glamorous. I had a nice 2 hour nap in the afternoon to recover. Let’s hope today is less eventful. Venturing to Berwick upon tweed - let’s hope the public toilets are nice!
Cath x

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Mrs meow, sorry to hear you are feeling down but yes itvis completely normal. I am 9n day 6 and have just loked back to my last day 6 in my book and it says ‘feel very down’! I think it is the crash after the steroids!

Anyway i have had quite a good night and apart from a bit of backache, feeling tired and a bit fragile i am not feeling too bad. I hope you feel better as the day goes on.

Hope everyone is doing ok xx

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Ladies I know I a month behind you but day 6 for me all I did was sleep and weep x I thought it was a steroid come down too
You are all inspirational and by following your thread it helped prepare me for my first chemo and I will continue to follow you all and rejoice in your good days and sympathies when you are struggling x
Hugs to all xx

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Fairydust, you made me giggle. It’s mad the feeling of panic you get when someone nearly catches you unexpectedly with your hair off!

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Hello lovely ladies! Just had a catch up and a smile after being on one today:0
I took ages writing a thread so I’m posting it here too:D

I just want thank you ladies for your words of support for me and each other which really helps us get through tough times!

We all find ways of coping through life on the whole, never mind what we are going through now and the words of encouragement for each other on here really do help us.

Whether we cope by still working, raising for charity, donating time, exercising, eating habits, exercise or by simply offering words of comfort, we are all not just trying to get through this difficult time day by day but when I read the threads I cant help but realise what a bloody good bunch of ladies are on here sharing anything which may help someone else!

My diagnosis has really change my outlook on life! I worked hard for the past years non stop becaise I had to bring up my daughter, but now I have realised she is 20 and I need to concentrate on myself and my health and continue to fundraise in between, of course! This will never stop! It’s my way of motivating myself and using what I have to be able to help others have a better qualitly of life, but I will take it much more easier, do the organising and let others do the running about?

There is going ro me more me time in store and doing what I want to do for a change!

I used to worry about what people thought of me or how they judged me! Not anymore! Couldnt give a toss! I will do what I feel?

I dress up to look good and feel good for myself now! If anyone doesnt like what I wear, tough! But my self esteem and confidence isnt as high now which is what treatment has done to me, but what I do know is that it will come back!!!??

My tolerance with people has changed! I used to be very tolerant and give people and situations plenty of chances! Not anymore!

I had a ‘friend’ who we knew was a drama queen and couldnt control her drink but I would guide her and tell her if she was a laughing stock! She tried to turn my situation into her drama, tears, getting pissed, shouting and making a fool of herself but when I had it out with her she went very quiet and stayed away. I told her she didnt need to but just accept that she was wrong but no, she is so stubborn by the time she had realised how wrong she was and I’d given her 3 chances to see me it was too late! Im actually relieved her negativity isnt around anymore and hope she can sort her head out! But the last straw was when I was told by her sister that she made the family think for montbs thst she had ‘C’ for attention! How sad is this!!!

Then I sacked my date who decided to tell me he had depression when he found out about my diagnosis! Yet he was out til all hours getting sloshed and fit enough to do go to work, business meetings etc! I look back on things and realised he use to blame me for his abnormal behaviour after a drink!

And the last straw was when a gossiper(we all know for this) went to my hairdresser a couple of times to get information about me and actually said ’ My friend told me CK was ill!’ Has she been? Has she had her hair done? What did she have done? Reslly? Long? Short? Etc etc etc! My hairdresser was uncomfortable and told me…so I sent her a text to tell her to button it and if she wanted to know something why not ask me herself???She couldnt help herself, even if we didnt invite gossip she would just talk and put everyone down. Before this, I gave her excuses that she was unhappy but not anymore! Rid!!!

I dont know about you ladies but when I hear someone complaining about something trivial it really winds me up! Really, you are complaining about the floor being dirty and having to clean it again!!! Or you are really dying of a cold??? ITS A COLD!!! I know everyones problems are their own but…

Anyway I’ve told the mates(the ones left?) apart from my change with tolerance and patience I am still the determined, kind, generous lady who wants to be here for others too but beware…DO NOT PISS ME OFF( excuse my language???

Hope I’m not the only one feeling like this!!! I am nice really???

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CK Hahaha love it isn’t it funny how things that didn’t used to suddenly grate on you ???

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Oòoohhhhh CK we aint gonna mess with you today lady!!

But i do know exactly what you mean! No time to suffer fools at the moment! This does invite us to take stock and see what is important and what is not!

I have a great family and great friends who are getting me through and i am absolutely gtateful for all of the. I was only saying today how a little text, gesture or message can mean the world at times. It has certainly made me think that i need to be more thoughtful in future.

I dont even think about work! I love my job but its just not important right now because others can do it!!

Anyway CK you just keep doing what you want to do and planning that me time. Lots of love xc