Hi everyone,
Mrs M, sorry to hear you are having more side effects with your zometa. Surely we deserve a break from side effects!!! This is one long road…Glad you are still managing some gardening though. The fresh air and nature will definitely do you good no matter what.
I’m far more grumpy these days than I was pre cancer. I can’t abide noise, crowds and chaos. I need peace and space. Preferably a bit of time to myself every day. Fairydust, I often envy you living on your own. I love being on my own but during school holidays and weekends I don’t even get to have a shower or even a wee without interruption! Saying that, we do have lots of fun together too. This mini break has been lovely. Today we went to powis castle then to an Indian restaurant for dinner. The sun shone and it was a lovely day.
Jow - sounds like another fab dinner party. How did the jack fruit go down? We had it once but I wasn’t convinced it really pulled off the pulled pork trick! I was very relieved when my friends came over last weekend that they brought the food as I had completely exhausted myself tidying the house! We need to let others look after us these days.
Fingers crossed for good results for you next Thursday Jow. Let us know when they come in.
Well, feels like bedtime soon! Still tired as hot sweats and children interrupt my sleep every night - then the kids get me up at 5.45 am! We’ve decided to let them watch tv in bed from 6am in the holiday cottage so we might get a sleep in tomorrow! They love the novelty of a tv in their bedroom
I can recommend taking the herbal supplements withania/ashwaghanda(for adaptation to stress, anticancer and improving energy levels) an omega 3 supplement, turmeric and boswellia(anti-inflammatory and anti cancer) and vitamin D.
Jow - have you looked into melatonin supplement before bed to help with sleep?
Fairydust I’m pretty sure being true to yourself does not count as letting people down - it is important to give yourself permission to do whatever it takes for self-preservation - it wont be forever - our mental health is as fragile as our physical health and we are the main caretakers of both so we have to be very protective on our own behalf… In the same vein Cathy I hope you get a lie in a bit tomorrow - am hoping for more gardening weather and also that the only uncomfortable part of the day will be the Scotland/England score at the rugby… xx
Hope you get the car sorted in time for rads, Fairydust. I don’t think you should feel guilty for declining visits or help. Just tell them you feel tired and need to rest. It’s hard being social when you are exhausted. I tend to just glaze over if people talk too much! If they really want to do something for you( it’s probably because they do genuinely care and worry about you even if you don’t want them to!) then ask them to make you a lasagne or a dish you’d enjoy, then you don’t have to spend time with them and they still get to help you!
Enjoy the nice weather this weekend - apparently Siberia is hitting us next week and it will be windy, snowy in the east, and really cold.
Ps I got my lie in, but by 7am I was bored and needed to get up! Could have stayed in bed till 9 as the kids were happy
Hope you get the car sorted Fairydust. I start rads on Monday too as do about four others from the October group, SueW, DizzyBrummie not sure who else. The February rads thread is pretty active, something to do with us chatty October ladies I think ?
Well, we have 15cm if snow and the kids school was closed so they had a snow day at home with me. Great apart from feeling exhausted and and achey again
I have also developed worse herceptin rash on both my fore arms. It red bumpy scabby and itchy now. Not nice. Feeling a bit tired, low and tearful today, too.
I had my nhs complimentary gym membership sorted this week. I will be doing Pilates with the “quiet class” ie. oldies(!) on a Tuesday and supervised gym on Fridays. Hoping some improvement in my fitness will increase my energy. Here’s hoping!
Hope you are all well, and those new to rads are doing ok.
Mrs M - how do you feel and how is your skin post rads?
Fairydust - hope your car is up and moving.
Cathy sprry to hear you jave the rash. M8ne was on my forearms but i was blaming pertuzemab! Maybe its the Herceptin! I will know mext week when i have my next jab. Hope yours is better soon xx
Good luck with CT results Jow. I dont think we will.ever get used to waiting for results!
Jow - good luck with CT results. Is it today? Let us know how you go. Fingers crossed for you. Hoping your energy levels keep coming up. Let me know if you find a nice alcohol free wine. I’ve not even bothered trying them for fear of disappointment! I had some champagne on my 40th - really enjoyed it, but feel guilty when I have a drink now. One of my cancer books says a glass of organic Pinot noir twice a week is ok as it contains the highest levels of resversatrol which is beneficial for health I like that idea Better than giving up completely.
The snow just keeps coming here - hoping I can get up to grasmere tomorrow for my birthday weekend away (hotel booked and kids staying at home with grandparents!). Is there anyone in Cumbria on here? How are the roads?!?
Ali - I didn’t get the rash till my 8th herceptin. The nurse says it’s maybe because it’s now injected in my thigh rather than iv. I put Waleda calendula nappy cream on it last night and it’s a bit better today.
Hope the weather treats you ok,
Cx
Cathy its bad up north im in Newcastle and everywhere is closed schools uni etc Carlisle i noticed is pretty bad and Cumbria can be hit quite hard i would def give them a ring and see also for the roads x
Hope radiotherapy is going well Fairydust and that everyone is safe and warm. Been cut off here for a few days but all is good - so grateful that rads is finished for me as I would have been away from home all week with the weather. I seem to have turned a corner with energy which is much welcomed and long overdue - if you had told me a week ago I would be digging cars out of the snow today etc it would have been hard to believe. How are you doing Cathy? Did you get away? Hope there are lie-ins aplenty if you did. Jow did you get results? Mishy hope you not snowed under… Back to jobhunting - been signed off till mid April but need to start to have a plan - started letrozole yesterday which is a really weird thought that this is now my routine for the next ten years - good job is for a good reason! x
Jow, hope you are feeling ok. Waiting for tests and results has to be one of the hardest parts of this! Glad the lung nodules have been dismissed but to have new concerns with your bones must be frustrating and worrying. Hopefully you will get the all clear on the bones from your next scan and you can concentrate on moving forward again.
Here is a link to some studies on melatonin and breast cancer - it is looking to be beneficial for breast cancer patients. greenmedinfo.com/substance/melatonin?ed=1080#abstracts
Glad you got to enjoy some muddy sledging. I did a bit of that myself and had more fun than I expected to!
Well, I had a lovely weekend away. We stayed in a lovely gastro pub near Ambleside. The food was amazing, and I drank my monthly quota of Pinot noir in one night - oops! Went for some lovely long walks and even saw an otter - so beautiful. Now heading back to the kids and dogs. It was so peaceful without them but yes, we did miss them.
Fairydust- hoping your hip is better. I had a sore hip at the start of treatment and luckily it turned out to be arthritis rather than anything worse. Worth having the tests for peace of mind.
Mrs M - hope you are warm and cosy. The snow is melting down here. Are you still getting more snow up there?
Hi ladies
Sorry not been on for a while. Between resting and recovering from surgery I have been working and fundraising in the restaurant over the 15 days of Chinese New Year celebrations. I’m now to start rads this Weds 7th at Christies which has worked out well as now I can concentrate on myself again.
I still have aches and pains all over, probably a mixture from the chemo and the Herceptin injections and working. I have 12 more every 3 weeks. Hopefully now my busy period is over I can relax and the pains will ease.
I now have a nice patch of hair covering my head(not as cold now) and my wounds from lymph node and margin clearance are healing well. Rheres still 2 little thread ends sticking out in one and not sure what to do with them. Shall I try to them out?
Daughter is back next week. I have missed her so much but shes doing well at York Uni, with her first ever firsts and 2-1s after exams. I. So glad my situation hasnt affected her studying and it looks like the 2 counselling sessions we had together helped her…and us.
Jow, Merlot the cat is good althlugh he had an infection on his leg and was feeling very sorry with himself. My friend helped me get him to the vets and hes now ok after antibiotics and pain relief.
He has become even more attached to me lately and my daughter says rhat she has never ever seen a cat look at someone so adoringly. Bless him, he will find any chance to lie on my hand or arm and every morning he doesnt wake me until I move and then plonks himself as close as possible. He really has helped me through this journey!
Fairydust, have you looked for a cat yet?
I have booked a Reconnection Retreat in Portugal in June for one week with my friend. If anyone is intereated let me know as any ladies are welcome. There are 10 ladies(who we dont know)going and we stay in a villa in the Algarve. Something to look forward to.x
Just watched Call The Midwife from Sunday and The Karma Hospital from Friday. Love them.
Cathysid, Mrs Meow, Chaffinch, Ali, Mishy, Meesh, . Hope you are all well and treatment is treating you well. Lots of love.xxx
Nice to hear from you CK you sound really busy i think having something to focus on helps alot, hows everyone else doing, i hope you are all getting on OK with real life and moving forward from treatments ok, its along buggery process isn’t it ? keep well ladies and keep enjoying life ?
Glad you are doing well, CK, and energy levels are on the up. Planning a holiday to look forward to is such a great idea. Sounds like your week away will be great for continuing the healing journey, too.
Maybe see you tomorrow at the moving forward course x
Got the best news ever today! I had a complete pathological response to chemo and there was no cancer left and none found in the lymph nodes. Thank you God xxx
Thank you ladies for travelling this road with me and for all of the support, understanding advice and l9ve along the way. So grateful to you all xx
Wow, two lots of great news!
Ali - so glad you had a complete response! Wow! That really lowers your chance of it ever coming back
Jow - so relieved your spine was given the all clear. Hope you manage to put aside the worry about the reconstruction surgery if you have a long wait. Most people have great results.
Off to “moving forward “ -course - though I seem to be stuck in limbo waiting for results and rads!!! Snowing again too.
Hi,
I went for results from my second op yesterday. No more surgery needed, though they did find another precancerous area of tissue. Off to see my oncologist again next week, then radiotherapy I another 2 weeks or so. Off we go again!
