Remember spinach can be wilted into any meal. Big handful melts to almost nothing. Whether you home cook or buy ready made, a handful or two stirred into the finished hot dishes so easy. Obviously good to have raw but with our risk of infection needs washing well. I have a salad spinner about £5.
@frazzledmcsazza glad your infusion today was much shorter, it makes so much difference. As I cold cap I’m usually there for 4 hours and every 3 weeks another half hour due to Herceptin injection. Add to 50 minutes each way drive depending on the time of day.
I am still sat plugged into my cold cap, 15 mins to go but good lord today has dragged. I was in at 10:30 for bloods, knew I had to wait a couple of hours, fine. They came back ok, cold cap went on at 1:30 and I was then waiting until 3:30 for the chemo meds to be mixed/ready. Just so frustrating. I was put in a little room on my
own today which I’ve hated, just felt totally forgotten about. Bet they have my card marked as the grumpy cow in room 303
Counting down the minutes and then I’ll be jumping in an Uber home- where my parents have let themselves in, am sure they’ll have lots of helpful advice too. I wonder sometimes how they think I survive adult life, some of the “helpful
suggestions” my mum comes out with!
@plum1 boy that is a long day. Where I am they get you in two days before for the bloods which means more trips but at least on chemo day if your temp and blood pressure are good you are good to go. Hope you have a good book or tv on the go to keep your mind occupied. Nearly there and then hopefully some TLC along with the side order of helpful advice when you get home. At least you can say you are tired and go to bed if its all too much! Just don’t tell them about my partner’s sugar advice…sometime a chocolate biscuit is as necessary as the medicine.
Gah hope you get out soon @plum1 ! Bloods on same day as chemo sounds so inefficient, everyone must be waiting for hours. At Christie you go day before if you’re local, or at somewhere near your home.
I’m just back after my final EC (docetaxel next time). Was all ok, though they struggled to get a cannula in (tried three different veins before it worked). The unsolicited advice thing is hard… my husband doesn’t do it but some people do. Well meaning but infuriating! @frazzledmcsazza one of my relatives is a nutritionist and she said cake was “psychological food” and I shouldn’t beat myself up about occasional treat during chemo, just have a varied diet. We need some treats to get through this.
@milly156 yey to walking! There’s nothing better than putting on a great tune or podcast and getting out to blast away the blues, particularly now the days are drawing in. Xxxx
Plum1 that’s a long day. I had paclixatel and carboplatin today so was there from 10am to 3.30pm. Weirdly it went quite quickly today as I was in a busy bay.
Annemanc, really good to hear you’ve managed 4 EC without a Picc line. Do they syringe it in? I’ve been pencilled in for a Picc line the week after half-term. I’ve managed 7 weekly infusions so far without a Picc line in the one arm - the nurse today was fantastic - in first time. Like you though, I’ve had a few times where they’ve tried 3 places and it starts to get stressful then doesn’t it?
We are also watching Gone Fishing- nice, easy viewing for when you want to fall asleep on the sofa. Having said that, will probably be awake tonight after all the steroids.
Much love to all of you
xxx
Ps frazzled, I think treats are essential, choccie biccies, choccie, cake. We need to have something nice if we fancy it. I’m into dark chocolate covered ginger. Delicious xx
@daffodil1@frazzledmcsazza@annemanc
To be fair to them the blood test same day is my choice, I’m in London so it’s just a bit of a faff getting the train in and out another day, I don’t actually mind that bit as it’s a known wait. It’s more the delay with the chemo once the results are in- I couldn’t understand it when I was booked in, they were expecting me I think I was extra tetchy after being shoved in a room on my own- I know they meant well but I liked being on the busier bit with people always passing and checking in. Very much felt like I had to bother them every time the beeping started as they were miles away.
On the upside, I swiped all the Temple Spa toiletries from the en-suite, that’ll teach ‘em! I won’t be invited back haha
It was three rounds of EC for me in total, all went in fine @daffodil1 (phew!). I did get worried today as the Sister thought she’d got the cannula in the second time but the little wire looked misplaced like it was about to poke through my skin. Initially she planned to go ahead as was as her and the woman in charge suspected it was vein trauma (not even sure what that is), but it started to sting so they eventually opted to go again which I was relieved about. Don’t want any leaks!!
Am in that weird hazy wired/tired phase post chemo. Have sent my husband out to get an Indian takeaway (all this talk of sag aloo)! Hope you all get sleep this eve xxxxx
Take all the toiletries! I had my op privately and you got a fluffy robe and slippers like at a hotel ). Back in nhs now, I kind of like the solidarity and companionship of being on the chemo ward. Met some nice people xxxx
Morning all, how did you all sleep, particularly those of you had chemo yest? Anne, v glad to hear they managed with the cannula. I felt more nauseous and tummy ache and wired last night so very little sleep. I’m also sneezing quite a bit. Steroids today, tomorrow and Sun. They’ve given me one different jab to have today in place of the 3 filgastrim I normally have on days 3,4,5 so I’m a bit worried that’s going to cause lots of aches. Paracetamol at the ready. Good luck to anyone having chemo today too. Met a really nice lady on the chemo ward yesterday.
I love it when you get sat next to a nice chatty person. The lady yesterday was grumbling about everything (sandwiches, nurses’ tattoos) so I pointedly put in my headphones til they put on the cold cap.
I didn’t get to sleep til 3am, guessing it’s the steroids. Nice lazy day planned though so some snoozing on the agenda. Hope everyone doing ok xxxx
@daffodil1 and @annemanc same here not much sleep but just chilling today. Found last night tough. Feeling hyper vigilant of symptoms after last cycle not going so well but so far all vitals okay and the prunes seem to be keeping me in check. Have as good a day as possible. Much love. S
Please don’t ever apologise! I find the forum sooo helpful and it does make me chuckle as my mum is excalty the same about do this/don’t go and ride, you’re gonna be tired, be careful blah blah, yes but I enjoy it!! I’d rather be tired from riding than chemo tbh! Unsolicited is annoying and I call people out on it, or when they say oh it’s such a crappy situation you’re, oh thanks didn’t notice I call them out and send them the mountain lion and how to support cancer patients from cancer care parcel site. Looks like you can look back and smile or winge about it, which is amazing! Let it out!!
At genesis care, I go on Monday for blood tests and it means I go for Tuesday for weekly chemo but at least I don’t wait for results. The cold cap dors take a long time @frazzledmcsazza As for the treats, I am gf and lactose free, but I’ve had cakes and sourdough pizza. My skin broke out but I wanted them it was someone bday and I am eating the greens too so when the nauseas kick in I don’t fancy anything anyway do not going to deprive myself when I am “well”!!! xxx
Haha love it! The classic headphones move. I am in a room on my own so I don’t hear or see anyone except the nurse, I have the TV but the last 2 times snoozed due to the amount of anti allergic.
The steroids are obviously working for me too but god they do keep me awake too or wake me up. Massive headaches in the evenings this week , probably withdrawal symptoms from it or may be anxious bout next week as it’s the big combo pembro carbo and paclitaxel. Check up w oncologist later, and hopefully no rain so I can squeeze a little ride. Currently snuggled in bed in my oh, resting and watching this morning and treated myself to breakfast in bed (followed by mouthwash obv as tiny sores appearing!!!) Xxx
Terrible sleep. Had steroids just after 5:30 bed at 10:30 but woke at 5 couldn’t go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried. Using Headspace app. Had diarrhoea and cramps so loperamide doesn’t help with sleep either. I even took a sleeping pill. Hopefully better sleep tonight with no steroids.
Ended up staying in bed til 11 just resting. Watched England Red roses rugby second half win against Australia in New Zealand on ITVX. Ended up ordering all manner of stuff from TEMU with a mega discount code including two more jigsaw puzzles.
@annemanc headphones are essential on my chemo days, I don’t mind a bit of a chat but I need a distraction when the cold cap goes on. Some people don’t have a personal volume control and think everyone wants to hear their conservation, not to mention those that take calls on speaker phone on the ward!
@daffodil1 Cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) is used apparently to monitor response to breast cancer treatment and disease recurrence. I saw oncologist this week just before final EC and she said that given I had an infection (bronchitis) this could make result unreliable and also I went to a different lab which could also make it unreliable… so I am not to worry apparently and will recheck (going back to the previous lab) next week. So as a number of you said- probably best for blood results to go directly to doctor so we don’t freak out with Dr Google
With the end of EC I now have a 3 week break (not sure if yay or argh!) before starting on taxol for 9-12 sessions every week (argh!) depending on how I tolerate it. So I will also be on here until end of January and going stir crazy having to go in every week. Good to know a few of you will be on here still… it’s a tough old road and it’s good to travel with you all. xx
Hi Louise07, that’s really interesting to know about that CA 15-3 test, thank you for sharing. It’s never even been mentioned to me. I guess different trusts have different policies on what gets discussed. It sounds useful potentially though as because we have had our ops pre-chemo, they can’t see whether tumours are shrinking or not. Sounds like your oncologist was reassuring and two good reasons why those bloods might be up.
Hope you’re all hanging in there. I have felt really sick this time after paclitaxel and carboplatin on Thursday, despite orak steroids and metoclopramide. Not vomited yet thankfully. Also very overwhelmed, I was close to tears yesterday trying to do something on the computer which was taking a long time. I did at least get some sleep last night, maybe 4 hours, which was much better than the night before.
Much love to you all
xxx
Sending love @daffodil1 sometimes the little things are the ones that get to you. Passwords are my nemesis this week, can’t remember any of them!
Might be worth asking your hotline if they can up your sickness tabs or offer another type (my oncologist mentioned they have a sliding scale). Guessing you may have done this already but thought I’d mention just in case. Hope you feel better Xxxx
@annemanc songs for playlist Girl on Fire Alicia Keys, Hold on by Wilson Picket, I am Woman by Helen Reddy, Stronger by Kelly Clarkson, You don’t own me by Lesley Gore or Dusty Springfield. cancer doesn’t own us!
I think I was extra tetchy after being shoved in a room on my own- I know they meant well but I liked being on the busier bit with people always passing and checking in. Very much felt like I had to bother them every time the beeping started as they were miles away.
I won’t be invited back haha
Initially she planned to go ahead as was as her and the woman in charge suspected it was vein trauma (not even sure what that is), but it started to sting so they eventually opted to go again which I was relieved about. Don’t want any leaks!!
). Back in nhs now, I kind of like the solidarity and companionship of being on the chemo ward. Met some nice people xxxx
I’d rather be tired from riding than chemo tbh! Unsolicited is annoying and I call people out on it, or when they say oh it’s such a crappy situation you’re, oh thanks didn’t notice 
I call them out and send them the mountain lion and how to support cancer patients from cancer care parcel site. Looks like you can look back and smile or winge about it, which is amazing! Let it out!!
when the nauseas kick in I don’t fancy anything anyway do not going to deprive myself when I am “well”!!! xxx
