Happy Birthday Lisa-T!
Hello ladies!
Man Alive the boredom!!! Now that I’m sort of over the trauma of the initial diagnosis, yes I totally agree bored beyond belief!! I sort of ‘write off’ the first few days but them make myself do things I like even if it’s as silly as going for a cup of tea and a walk around the nearest Waitrose!! Sounds daft! But I’m actually enjoying doing little things that make me happy!! With Christmas around the corner I’m focusing on planning to make it exciting and memorable for my little boy…he’s 4 so this is really the first year he gets it and is actually excited about it…have a great week all ?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!!!
Im so pleased your mammogram was good news and nothing to worry about last week. Yay!
Whereabouts in the Lakes are you hoping to get away to?
Hope everyone else is good. Boredom is crappy isn’t it. I had my first T today and the nurse told me to pack a hospital bag just in case. It’s made me think I shouldn’t be attempting to go out in case I catch anything. More boredom! Saying that tho, my chest is killing me (steroids I think) and I’m absolutely fatigued as hell so currently in bed!
The T itself was OK tho. I’m just waiting for the onslaught of SEs. How is everyone else coping with the T so far?
Sorry to hear about the funeral Jacqs ?
Glad the meeting with ur surgeon went well MamaTony. Keeping pushing for what you want. I know it’s such a lot to think about tho.
Hi to everyone else and hope you’re all keeping well. Lots of love xxxxxx
I’m the same about Christmas Aley. My daughter is 10 and we all love the Christmas vibe. I actually wrapped lots of pressies on Saturday…I’m usually a Christmas Eve wrapper ?
PulaPula,that’s brill news about your SEs for the FEC. Hope it lasts for you.
I’m hoping I can get my mojo back and start making jewellery again. I love wire wrapping, but I’ve just been where I can’t really concentrate on anything. Chemo brain is ridiculous at the mo! ?
Thanks everyone ? Going to Newby Bridge with hubby and our 3 girls … it’s just what I need at the moment.
So far I’m doing ok with my first T. First few days I felt surprisingly fine but for last few days I have been aching everywhere and have a sore throat. Not enough to keep me in bed tho and I’m still eating plenty ?
I actually feel quite organised this Christmas for the first time ever! Just need to remember where I am hiding everything and what I’ve bought ? My chemo brain is definitely getting worse!
Hope you all have a lovely night 
Xx
You’ll have a fab time in Newly Bridge. It’s beautiful and you’ll only be down the road from me. I’m up on the West Coast of Cumbria!
I have the same problem hiding pressies. We’re only in a small cottage and there’s not much storage…at the moment pressies are all piled in bags in the corner of my bedroom. I made a list of what I’ve bought and wrapped cos my chemo brain is terrible!!! ???
Ahh not far at all ALittlePixie … will give you a wave on my way past ??
Thanks Jacqs. Good luck with your bloods tomorrow. Love a Christmas Market … especially the mulled cider ? … hope you have a fab day xx
Ooh I’m jealous of the Christmas market in Manchester Jacqs. Hope the bloods and oncologist goes well hunny.
I’ll wave back from my bed Lisa ?
LIsa - HAPPY BIRTHDAY for yesterday! I hope you were spoilt rotten by your loved ones! How lovely to be going to the Lake District. Hopefully the weather will be kind and allow you to go for some nice walks and enjoy the stunning scenery.
I’m just “talking” about courses and the OU, Lisa! Not actualy doing them, that would be far to organised! I had a look at the OU website yesterday and there weren’t any short courses that I fancied - anyway, I kind of panicked, when I read all the stuff about essays and deadlines! I am really not sure that I want to commit to that sort of thing right now.:smileylol: I did find a one-day jewellery-making course in London which sounded fun and rather less serious. May book myself on to that in Jan/Feb, once I know how things go on the new regime of EC. Little Pixie:are you a professional jewellery maker or doing it as a hobby? I’ve always fancied doing something hands-on and creative, so maybe now is the time to give it a go - for one day at least, which is about as much time as I can concentrate for I think!
Christmas - well, you all inspired me, so today I ordered some presents online and went shopping for my kids in our local art shop. Both of them love drawing, painting etc. and I was quite sucessful in getting them lots of little interesting bits to keep them busy. Need to get more stuff, especially as I have several December birthdays to sort out as well, but at least I can now fill the next few days with shopping, wrapping, and then, yes, Christmas cards - hurray, I’ve got something to do! I don’t usually get my cards off until the day before Christmas, sometimes even after Christmas, but this year I should manage to get all of them out on time.
Bloods and Picc Line care this morning. My Picc Line has got a bit blocked again (fluids go in, but no blood comes out :smileyfrustrated:), so they injected something that should clear the line by tomorrow. THis shouldn’t cause any problems for the chemo tomorrow, just a bit of a nuisance today.
Gx
Evening you lovely lot
Well, so far my T hasn’t made me nauseous today, just very very fatigued. I can cope with that so far. It’s so nice not feeling so grim, especially after the horrid FEC SEs I had for 2 weeks every time. Is this the calm before the storm?!?!
Hi GabyF, no I’m not a professional jewellery maker but I do love it immensely and I do sell at craft fairs etc. I love anything creative with my hands. I’m actually an antique upholstery apprentice, but I haven’t been able to go since I got BC in June. It’s just too manual and hard so I can’t wait to get back to it once all the chemo, radiotherapy is done etc.
Hope everyone is keeping as well as possible xxx
Ha ha thanks GabyF … had me worried there for a minute ? Hope all goes well tomorrow ??
Hope you continue SE free ALittlePixie … the tiredness and aching hit me a few days after but I’m hopefully over the worst now ?
Good morning all you lovely ladies,
My bloods were OK, so am now hooked up for premeds and chemo. What a relief ?.
I’m loosing loads of hair now so am wondering whether to brave the shave ?. I don’t actually find the idea of being bald that horrific, but I am worried how to cope with the actual process. Do I go to my hairdresser, who I’m sure will be lovely, but then I will have to deal with the other people in the salon, both staff and customers - that thought really bothers me somehow. Or do I ask someone in my family to help me with this at home, but that might be rather upsetting for them (I’m thinking of my dad, who would do it I’m sure, but the thought of him getting upset makes me feel so sad). How did those of you who have gone for the shave deal with this? Also, can you set the shaver to a setting that leaves the hair very short but doesn’t actually chop it all off? I’ve never shaved any of my hair, so feel completely ignorant ?.
Hope everyone’s week is going reasonably well.
Gx
Morning!
Braving the shave - I went thru a very similar process to Jacqs. The hairdresser cut it in a very shirt pixie cut, then when lots more came out, my husband used his clippers and kept going gradually down in size. The next few days, I soaped my hair in the shower and the lasagna bits came out.
I actually like my bald head, although I do have some fluff slowly emerging now. My daughter, she’s 10, was really worried about me being bald but she quickly got used to it and likes it too.
Great news about bloods and chemo again Gaby.
Fab news about chemo stopping at Christmas Jacqs. I’m so pleased you had a lovely time at the Christmas market.
Thanks Lisa, so far so good with the T. I do have a horrid taste in my mouth and my chest is tight, but no nausea which I’m happy about.
Love to everyone. It’s peeing down here…it’s called The Lakes for a reason I guess ???
Thanks so much, Jacqs and Little Pixie. I’ll mull things over for a few days and try to find someone with a clipper (hubby doesn’t have one!). I’ve already got a Pixie cut - got that a few weeks ago, but my hair has rather surprisingly grown a bit since then while at the same time falling out, so I do look rather odd now with a few longer bits and quite a lot of thin patches, lovely! :smileywink:
Little Pixie: what an exciting career you have ahead of you, plus a a lovely creative hobby (actually sounds like your rather good / advanced at the jewellery making, if you’re selling it, brilliant!). But yes, I can imagine upholstery is physically tough. Still, you’ve got something wonderful to return to next summer!
Jacqs: How nice you can drop that last chemo session! I’ll be interested to hear how you get on with the genetic counselling sessions. I’m due to get my results on the genetic test early next week and may be going down the same route. I had my double dose today - I usually feel fine on the day and even the next day; the carboplatin hits me on Fridays and particular Saturdays. i.e. just in time for the weekend.:smileysad: I hope everything goes smoothly for you tomorrow.
Gx
It is possible to do your hair yourself, but it takes ages!! I attached my shoulder length hair with (nail!!!) scissors, then started with OH’ s shaver. I hadn’t realised that it wasn’t very good/sharp. My husband, son and daughter all had a go. We had loads of laughs and no tears!! We managed it in the end and I was happy with the result! I actually went to the year 11 Prom the next day! Good luck, but perhaps seek professional help first!!! Kxx
Morning everyone,
we all seem to have gone a bit quiet! I am feeling a bit rubbish today, as I had my doubledose of carboplatin and paclitaxel on Wednesday. Didn’t sleep well, horrid taste in my mouth and generally just very off-colour, so nothing unusual there :smileywink:. I’ve got two more session of Paclitaxel and then I switch to EC, which I am rather apprehensive about. Some people don’t seem to have SEs that are too awful and others really have a rough time. However, it’s not as if I have any choice in this, so I’ll just have to see what happens:smileyfrustrated:.
Not much to report here otherwise. Just hope everyone is ok?
Gx
Afternoon Gaby
Sorry to hear you feel so crappy after Wednesday’s dose. The horrid taste in your mouth is the pits isn’t it.
I started with the T side effects on Weds afternoon and they’re kicking my ass at the mo, so I’m stuck in bed, in pain and feeling sorry for myself! I’m hoping the next lot of T won’t be as bad. My chemo nurse said this one would be bad cos I’ve still got FEC in my system.
Try not to stress too much about EC. You’re right that it affects different people in different ways. Most people seem to get a good couple of weeks with it tho, so I really hope you do too.
It’s quite a bright day here today so I might try and shuffle outside for 5 mins of fresh air. I feel like I’m 100 and I’ve been run over multiple times, it’s ridiculous!
Anyone on T…did you get really severe rib and back pain?!
Hope everyone is as well as can be. Lots of love xxx
Afternoon ladies,
Horrid taste is awful isn’t it … read on another post that having ice lollies before and and during treatment is supposed to help … not tried it tho. I keep eating to get rid of the taste ?? probably not the best solution ha ha!
Sorry to hear you are both feeling rubbish today ??? ALittlePixie are you taking anything for the pain … ask your nurse for stronger pain relief if you need it (my nurse mentioned codeine) I had rib and back pain too but it wasn’t too severe and paracetamol took the edge off it.
GabyF - I was ok on FEC too and had a good couple of weeks. The unknown SE are always scary but try not to stress … hopefully you’ll breeze through it ?
Sending big hugs … we’ve got this ??? Lisa xx
Hi Gaby, I was head of Y11 last summer, and couldn’t go to school once chemo started because of the risk of infection! I wore a big hat for the arrival at the prom, but took it off for the meal. As I decided not to have a wig, I think they noticed!!???xx. The next time I went in was on results day, again bare headed. This was the first time most of the parents had seen me. It was fine! I’ve been off school since May, but I guess I’ll have to go back sometime in the new year!! Kx
Little Pixie: I hope you managed to get a bit of fresh air and that your SEs are starting to ease. There must be something you can take to lessen the pain a bit?! I agree with LisaT, contact your Chemo nurse and badger them for help - I don’t see why you should have to put up with so much discomfort and pain! I had a sleep after lunch and am feeling a little less spaced-out. This morning I had a really bad bout of chemo brain, not being able to remember words, what I had said/did etc. My kids just laughed and groaned :smileytongue:
LisaT: Thanks for your encouragement. I’ll be on EC, with out the F (whatever that stands for!), but hopefully it will be okish. I just want all of this to be over :smileyfrustrated:
Ktk: Gosh you’re brave. I don’t think I’d have the confidence to do all that at school functions, well done you! Mind you, I think I definitively saw a couple of mums at the parents’ evening who seemed to have rather thin hair and were wearing scarves. Sadly there was no time to introduce myself (they were new to the school I think) and anyway, what would I have said “Excuse me, I notice you’ve lost your hair. etc etc” Not a great conversation starter! :smileylol:
Am planning to visit the Maggies Centre at St Barts on Thursday, if I feel up to it. They’ve got a drop-in walking session, hair care (for what’s left!) and general advice day then, so I’ll give it a go. I feel I could do with a little more socialising and my local Macmillan Centre doesn’t really offer that.
Hope everyone has a reasonable Sunday. Might go out for a walk with my husband, if the weather improves (very grey and dank here in London).
Gx
Good morning ladies,
I’m from the September 2013 thread, I’m not on here much these days but I do like to pop in particularly on the September group to see how you are all doing.
When you get that rotten mouth - Some of the girls in my group drank tonic water prior to eating they swore it made food taste near to normal, unfortunately for me I don’t like it.
I had awful pain on the ‘T’ part of FEC-T, I complained to my Onc to try to score some stronger painkillers for next time - I didn’t want a reduction in chemo strength because hey that’s why we’re doing this… to blast this disease to kingdom come. Anyway he prescribed what he called the steroid tail, yes it is more steroids but you take them in ever decreasing doses daily rather than just the sudden stop. It was like a miracle cure.
PS Top tip! I was told to take my steroids at 8am & noon, they never interfered with my sleep ?
As for me now, I had skin sparing mx, then reconstruction surgery once chemo finished, then had a reduction on good boob to match, had a nipple made and then tattoo’d - haha I now got the boobs of a 20 yr old, every cloud and all that ?
As I was triple negative I’m not on any meds which was a bit scary as I felt left adrift without a life belt, my Onc signed me off this year and my consultant will now only see me annually as opposed to 6 monthly for another 5 yrs (he did say he could discharge me but I like his reassurance).
So life does go on, you just appreciate it a bit more.
Best of luck ladies x
PS my hair grew back curly, was dead straight before lol, it’s not so curly now more of a kink. I used to have quite thick hair but alas it’s quite thin now 
, on a plus note, leg & armpit hair is really sparse ?