September Sunbeams 2014

Lovely to hear from you Samps…don’t worry we’ll do this together. I’ve got all my timings wrong…too early to take daughter to school. I seem to sleep but wake up early in a weird headspace and then have to figure out the routine bit by bit…I’m looking forward to feeling a bit normal for a few days…don’t worry about about individual replies…way too hard babe! Xxxxxxx 

Gulp!  Just had call from hospital that my first FEC treatment is Monday 15th.  Arranged bloods with GP for Friday.  I still can’t quite believe that this is happening to me!  And I read a thread that said we can also get big spots as a SE - is this common?  Oh God, surely not.  How can I get spots at my age?  I am really, really  struggling now with all this.  I just don’t feel brave at the moment.  Obsessively doing ‘normal’ things and almost pretending that life is normal, though not really convincing myself at all. So sorry to moan. Sitting at work feeling as if I could weep. I had planned to work through this but realise I will probably have to scale down which is depressing as I worked so hard to get where I am and I love my job.  And if I take a back seat the vultures will crowd in and things will change irrevocably. And the wig was a disaster yesterday and I burst into tears and it had to be reordered. So another ten days.

Ladies - hope you are all OK today.  Minimal SEs!  Warmest hugs to you all.

P xx

Hey 1852, I’m in same boat as you, time wise, and believe me I had plans to walk, cook and be ‘normal’, lol, not happening, my head also woolly, spacey, and just took steroids and emend so hopefully might pick up later.
Please don’t feel out the loop, you’re not, it’s very new and weird for all of us, I feel bad that I can’t answer everyone but as Rachael said just being here and being able to be yourself is brilliant!!
I’m imagining this feels like being on LSD or something, not nice but could be worse, and probably will be ??xxxx
Got to go, Daughter freaking out that hubby has bought white bread and not brown, he’ll learn lol, and hopefully she’ll learn whats worth freaking out over and what’s not ?xxxxx

Hi 1852 I took daughter to school, came home and ate a Percy singles roll and crisps which is my now new routine and went to sleep…have had to prise self out of bed for hospital appointment. Could easily have stayed all day until time to pick up kids! On the US side I think I need to figure this. I need to sleep the worse days off and make time pass quicker! I’m a really manic busy person being a full time working mum so am used to cramming tons in. I think I need to sleep more as doing stuff and going out when feel weird makes me feel too odd. PAULS good you’ve got a date. So much anxiety in the wait. You will probably feel an anti climax on the day and just a bit of grottiness in the days to follow. See how you feel. I worked in class all through morning sickness ( all day) which I keep reminding myself about! Just so different mind set this time though. Well done J for the holiday. I keep saying I’m going to go on sooooo many next year…Need to find some bloody money first LOL XXXXX 

SAMPS it sounds like you’re experiencing similar symptoms to me. Long hangover mixed with morning sickness!!! Makes me think about how anyone can purposely put drugs into their bodies for bloody pleasure! Oooh the hangovers I had over the years!!! Why did I do it? Never again LOL! Spaced out man…

Have added a photo of me!  Never put photos up but like the fact that many of you have and I can put a face to a message.  We are sharing such hard things so decided you could see me!  I am in my office at work.

P xx

It really is nice to put a face to the new friends and stories, lovely PaulS!!
I managed to inject myself, then took dog for a 30 min bimble, then I am promptly back on bed, have taken some senokot aswell, ?, and it begins xxxxx

Hi Girls,

Day 12 for me.  still got sore throat, aches and pains, nose bleeds and intermittent sneezing with runny nose. Temp OK.  I had brilliant day yesterday and did loads, however, today I’m tired but still managing to do bits and bobs.  Your body dictates that’s for sure.  Hair still firmly in place…they say day 15 for it departing so that’s Fridays little treat.  Indigestion not so bad.

Guess what’s for dinner tonight…yep, swede and carrot!!!

Anyone’s feet cold?

Ade xx

Lady grey are you trying the cold cap? How often are you washing your hair? Do you count the actual chemo day as day one? Sorry to hear you still have SEs - surely they must go soon! P xx

Really lovely photo Paul’s . Well had mad day. Had to have an ultra sound on new mystery lump I found on top of rib under new reconstruction. Had a thought it was the expander port…but nobody had said it could be. Surgeon and radiologist didn’t know and then found out that it was!!! My goodness…what a fright. Felt instantly better. Scared the whole time I wouldn’t be in time for daughter. They were great in hospital though. My phone which is a couple of weeks old also has given up the ghost for no reason. So annoying when I need it! The phone company weren’t that sympathetic even though they must have given me a faulty phone. I have to get to a shopping centre to have it checked. Just what you want to do when you’re having chemo! Grrr! Nothing ever simple eh? Need my phone for emergencies! But a good result today so I should shut up! Need to curb the carb eating but as a friend advised me ’ whatever gets you through’ …lots of love sunnies xxx

started docetaxel and herceptin on 29th.  Not using the cold cap but been reassured by chemo nurses that my hair would def come out.  

Had the munchies tonight for the first time, had 3 dairy milk chocs and half a snicker.(evil smiley)  Up to now I’ve been sticking to protein, fruit and veg.

Side effects are sporadic and vary from hour to hour. They are all doable and treatable.  Out of the last 12 days there has only been 3 days I couldn’t make dinner…well, I could have but (shame faced smiley)

Must get a picture up and will try tomorrow when brain has had some sleep.  One thing I’ve not been is tired.

Ade xx

Would be lovely to see a picture xxx the food cravings are mental x im into bread but normally lay off the stuff x 

Good to hear you se are doable ladygrey, and don’t get me started on the carbs, all the old faves are back on the table!! I’m embracing it, marmite on toast, with butter, new potatoes with cheese grated on them, haribo tangtastics… Biscuits, and I don’t care,if my body needs it then it can have it, I’ll work it all off when I’m alive later!!
Slept ok, had a zopiclone which helped get a good 6 hours, just the baldy and bad skin to look forward too, and any random se that pop up,
Was going to get up, but I hear my bed calling for a wee bit longer,
Happy days Sunbeams xxxx

I’m joining e Sept group as a new member starting first chemo on Monday 15th. It’s been a roller coaster so far and it’s going to new a long journey. I TNBC with a 31mm lump and nodes involved.

Wishing everyone the best for their journeys. X

WELCOME and much love Whitfield xxxxxxx we’re all new to this rollercoaster process and it sure is that. Please post and we’ll all support you highs and lows. I think PaulS will be starting the same day as you? The wait is the worst. Day 8 am I feeling more human? Woke at 2.30 and made a peanut butter and jam sandwich ( sorry!) And tea. Went back to sleep till 7 and felt slightly better? Daughters school being really supportive and I’m so grateful. Still had to go to Percys ( unfortunately on the corner of my road lol) to get my chicken sweet corn and mayo roll and crisps!!! I am surrendering to it and will work the butt off when I am over this…xxxxxxx 

Welcome Whitfield!! As Rachael said, we are all here for you and each other!!
Woke feeling pretty chipper this morning, but it’s the last day of steroids and the mother of anti sickness Emend, so tommorow will be interesting I’m thinking!! Rachael like you I’m going with the food my body wants, sadly it not the vege, fruit and normal stuff I’d usually eat, but eating comfort food is obviously what the body needs to get through this, and it’s not the worst part is it!!! Getting in shower now and going for a nice walk up the fields with the dog, oh and daughter, then probably back to collapse in a heap lol ?,

Good day and minimal se all round, it’s a relief to finally get started, weird but true!! Xxxxxx

I did notice a dip in how I felt after the steroids finished day 3. From day 4 to 7 a bit ropey. Day 8 feels like the fog is clearing a bit. But we are all different. So hyper vigilant it’s exhausting! Think I’m going to get son to get us a takeaway tonight. Managed to eat some fruit today! I think I am obsessed with food. Apparently we are having pizza xxx 

Hi Whitefield, and welcome to the forum.  I’m one of the fortunate ones in that I only want veg veg and more veg.  lucky old me and poor old husband!!!

Day 13 and the odd drippy nosebleed and runny nose continues intermittently.  Sore mouth and throat gone.  I used a soft toothbrush but didn’t feel it cleaned my teeth so I put a new head on my electric toothbrush and did my teeth with a light touch. I’m paranoid, flossing and using a mouthwash 4 times a day.  And then we come to the handwashes etc. OMG I’m completely over the top…even got marigolds (pink of course).

Hair still here and no sign yet of it leaving.  We all seem to be on different treatments so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.

loads love Ade xxxxx

 

Yes it’s a great idea to resource yourself with healthy food and give yourself strength. When on chemo eating is good. It really stops you feeling sick. I’d say anything is better than an empty stomach. I’ve been using mostly salt water and been ok so far xxxxxxx 

Hey Sunbeams!  Busy day today!  I had my heart scan and was happily leaving when she said I would need to have one after every chemo!  So, 6!  Managed not to hear that one!  My sister assures me the oncologist told me though, so definitely a good idea to have someone with us.  Then went to my second nutrition session at Maggie’s Centre.  Just great.  The woman taking it - Kellie - had clearly listened to what we said last week and had cooked a lunch that all of us could eat.  Very low fibre (for the woman who had had bowel cancer) no/low carb (for me, the diabetic), light and tasty (for all of us, though especially for the to women who had had chemo in the last few days), something for the coeliac, and just lots of lovely healthy, tasty food.  I learned that I should not really be trying to boost my immune system at the moment, just to eat healthily, as the point of chemo is to break it down so the drugs can work.  The building up comes after chemo.  Lots of great advice on how to achieve this in two stages.   Here is her blog with some recipes:

www.kelliesfoodtoglow.com      Yummy!

Hope everyone doing OK today.  Strangely, I am SO looking forward to Monday coming so I can get started with this next stage - then finished!

P xx