I went to John Lewis and got measured for new bras. No underwired ones as they irritated to wounds last time I tried them. But the ones without wires are fine. I had a WLE lumpectomy not a mastectomy but then a node clearance so wounds still a bit to go before redness completely disappears.
This will soon be over! We are all ticking them off one by one. Onc told me very few delays with the tax as we are getting these injections.
P xx
Morning sunbeamers
Has anyone experienced what I’m experiencing on Tax? I’m day 10.
I feel absolutely fine when sitting or lying down, but when I get up I get these painful palpitations that are like my whole torso seizing up. I don’t know if it’s my lungs or ribs or what.
Anyone, anyone…Bueller?
xx
Peegee I had similar but nowhere near as painful as yours sounds? It was mainly in my lower back/kidney area and sort of went really tight shooting upwards, still get it a bit, I’m aware of it lurking but I don’t need the painkillers in the day anymore, just a couple at night, maybe call your nurse/chemo team and have a word, I also took piriton tablets on advice from a friend, they helped aswell, hope this stops soon for you, it’s a weird pain I know xxxx Sam
Hey Pam, I also had a pretty bad time with back pain on the injections and it still hurt after painkillers. I found lots of hot water bottles and hot baths helped take the edge off. How many are you having? The aches eased off a couple of days after finishing, but after a week you get pretty fed up of it! On the plus side the back pain means it working though :smileyhappy:
Sam its good to hear your friends eczema didn’t stick around after chemo, I am doing my best to stay calm now!
Emma xx
Helloo, sorry to hear about the Tax/injections and pain … don’t like the sound of that, my sympathies to all Tax girls.
Re bras, I agree, it’s probably time to pack away all those lovely old bras … now I wear those stretchy sporty seamless ones without fastenings, that you can actually pull up rather than down, if you’ve got reduced movement post-surgery (Peacocks, ASDA etc, about £6). They are soft on scarring, very cheap, in nice colours, with matching knicks and you can adjust the padding in the little pockets to suit what is, or isn’t there! Helps smooth over poor ‘Stumpy’ nicely.
Love Anna.
Well!
Have just spent the day in the hospital:
Rang the chemo team, they sent me to a&e. Chest X-Ray, ECG, hours on a heart monitor, bloods taken. They were really looking for signs of infection and/or heart damage. Everything looked fine eventually and they sent me home,
Just going to be a long couple of months ahead I think.
Sigh.
xx
Re bras:
I took mine to my local bra bank. Amazing. It’s inside a lovely lingerie shop locally. The bras go to women in Africa, the charity gets £ for breast cancer charity stuff, and the shop gives 10% discount on your next purchase. Win win win.
xx
Peegee so sorry to hear about hospital trip! But reassuring you are fine. Day 4 for me and legs and hips aching now. Just taken some painkillers so hopefully will be ok. Might be because of treadmill though so need to watch. Felt absolutely frozen last night and was in bed with the electric blanket on before 9! Fell asleep so have had about 7 hours which is good. No steroids today thank goodness so sleep should improve now. Don’t like being awake at these ridiculous hours. Hope you have a good day ladies and all the best to those getting treatments this week. P xx
Pam and Paul I feel ur pain. Paul that’s how I felt it’s like doing a huge run. I have a wheaty microwave bag which lived on my shoulders for a week it really helped. Hope ur day goes ok. Cx
Morning Sunbeams ?, Peegee I’m glad you got checked out and all ok, it’s bittersweet though I imagine, in a way you want them to say " oh it’s this, here’s a tablet and it’ll go away", but instead it’s just the joyful side effects of this crud!! Not forever but pretty tough going! My doctor I see before chemo told me not to put up with any pain and that if the codeine didn’t stop it to ask for oramorph, I haven’t needed it (so far) but I wondered if it was worth you asking about it if your pain doesn’t ease up???
Fingers crossed PaulS that it stays as it is, it certainly is different to FEC, at least you’ve gotten some decent sleep, always helps a bit!!
Anna I wish those bras helped me but as I’m a 34 G it’s a full on sports bra for me lately, I’ve got 4 good ones, quite expensive but I know I’ll get a lot of wear from them, and they are very supportive, thank god lol
I’m feeling back to normal since Saturday, day 12 tax 1, so a week till next one, just a dry mouth and tired if I do too much but that’ll do fine!! Hope your back pain is easing Pam, as Emma says it’s doing it’s job, sad but true xxx
Have as good a day as poss ladies, lots of love xxx Sam
Hello Beamies, good luck to any coctktail/tax girls heading to the cocktail bar in the next few days. I get mine (number 4 FEC hurrah) on Thursday. Am psyching myself up for the fun day that it will undoubtedly be, ahhh will this pleasure never end!!
Peegee how truly frightening and horrible for you. Thank goodness you got out, and after they checked you out properly, and found no serious things to have to treat too … but what an exhausting day for you, hope you can rest up and gather strength once more. Good luck to all of you having revolting pain as a result of the Tax, sending you hugs…
So lovely, crisp and cold today, am going to drag my slug-like self of the sofa, try not to look at the biscuits for at least one hour, and go for a walk round the park. Later, I’m having an aromatherapy massage at the Cancer Centre. I do hope she won’t mind me keeping my bra on; am a bit shy in letting the world take a peek at Old Stumpy…
This will make you smile … today I got a letter inviting me to come fto the Breast Clinic for a routine breast screening mammogram. Ha ha, talk about shutting the door after the horse has bolted!
Lots of love and good wishes to all of you, Anna 
Morning Beams,
Am a bit alarmed - has anyone become aware of the problems with eating fresh grapefruit and having chemo? Beware! Lots of info out there about adverse interactions and worsening side effects. Saw a post on it on the October thread …
BCC Moderator Lucy, what advice do you recommend?
I think we need to know about this. Love Anna
Hi Sunnies, I’m of for my 1st Fec today. Not looking forward to it much but at least it will be another one down. Thanks for the Grapefruit warning - we don’t need worsening side effects . Good luck to everyone else going for treatment this week - Take Care xx
Best of luck today nutty, hope it’s a smooth in and out for xxxx
Yes Anna I was aware of the no grapefruit rule, with chemo, also with the tamoxifen after, it speeds up the metabolism of a lot of drugs in the liver, making the drug almost double in strength, so yes definitely avoid the grapefruit!!! Xxx Sam
Hi Anna
I was told by the doctor not have grapefruit when taking lorazepam as it increases the amount of lorazepam in your blood stream and can therefore increase the side effects, so this might be similiar for chemo drugs? They upped my dose of lorazepam anyway for yesterday, and I felt absolutely WASTED by the time I got out the car to arrive for chemo (luckily mummy was driving). Sat in the chemo chair like a grinning wreck with a very vacant expression on my face for a while! Will be sticking to just half a tab in future!
Back in bed snuggled with hot water bottles. Just woken up (if you ignore being awake from 4.30am - 8.30am) so a fairly ‘full’ nights sleep! Pam I have 7 days of injections and I felt generally very yucky for the first few days, headaches, feeling a bit queasy etc, but I found the headaches went away after a couple of days and the aches and pains became a bit more manageable - or I was just getting used to them! All the best
Emma xx
Oh goodness, I’m glad I don’t like grapefruit!!
How is everyone feeling today? I am having a sofa day, feeling like crap really. Lots of aches and pains. How long will they last I wonder? Also very bad cardboard mouth. Might force myself down to the shop to by some Chilli crisps, can’t think of anything else I want to eat :-( Feeling a bit sorry for myself. I hate TAX.
Hope your FEC goes OK, Nutty xxx
Thanks Moderator June, have just posted a question to ‘ask the nurse’. Wd be good to get the grapefruit issue clarified, as Internet v confusing. Have a good day Sunbeams, weather raw and horrid here … Anna XX
Yes I had heard about the grapefruit. Avoid it - and we should also not take it if on statins. Day 5 post TAX for me and pain has now kicked in and my chest feels tight as well. Mouth awful! Soapy taste. On good side went to bed at 8 and sound asleep by 9 and slept until 6 so feeling better. Taking lots of painkillers. Back to work tomorrow do hope I can manage.
And my teeth seem to hurt!
P xx
Hello Sunbeams still here and have read through posts Xx had bloods yesterday. Good and ready to go for number 5 tax tomorrow. Eeek! Always get anxious xxx. On the steroids…nice to have some energy. Tax completely stole my energy. Amy came for weekend. Lovely but the cleaning etc finished me off xxxx
Grapefruit a no-no for quite a few drugs including some chemo drugs and Tamoxifen. NHS choices list some of the drugs affected by grapefruit - link below
BCC advice was best to avoid it and bitter Seville oranges too.
What a pi**y rotten day. Dark already and it’s only 4pm. Love Anna