Hi all
Sarah - lots of virtual handholding from here, sosorryformyself was with me a lot of last week and onbviously moved onto your tent, have got a flame thrower here and will be chasing him out forthwith, whyme also visited and will be dealt with in the same way! It’s bad enough having to wait when there is nothing like public holidays to hold up results/appointments! Fortunately, se’s have not made too much of an appearance since FEC3 last Friday, but if you have anything handy for indigestion, that would be good!
Headless chicken is so destructive and am glad it has been dealt with.
Now, can anyone sort out the Sleep Fairy for me? Sleeping fine for 3 days after chemo, when I finish the steroids, that’s when she eludes me, dog tired and wide awake, and there’s no cricket on in the wee small hours to keep me occupied!
Anyway, love to all, hope everyone is dealing with their welcome and unwelcome visitors in an appropriate way.
Hugs to all, regardless or not whether you feel like you need one at this precise moment.
Hi Lizzie, don’t obsess too much about the water. Just have as much as feels comfortable. I think the thing is, is that a lot of us prob go through life quite dehydrated, without realizing it. But you do after chemo! Fizzy water is good, esp after cocktails, when you have that horrid ‘dirty’ taste in you mouth. Elderflower cordial is lovely in both still and flat water too. Also, found a good pink ginger cordial in waitrose- also nice afterwards because the Ginger can help with nausea. Peppermint tea also settles a bad tummy sometimes- although it has an uphill struggle with FEC! Just avoid caffeine if you can. And personally I do not worry at all about having a nice calming glass of wine, or two, the evening before a session(although can’t say I ever fancy one afterwards)!
Beat the heartburn gremlin last night, but was visited by the I’mgoingtowakeupat3am fairy. What’s that about???
Tracey
Hi Sarah,
Oh the waiting! it’s so cr*p… of course it’s only the usual 2 weeks + a bit for the time of year, but it feels like forever doesn’t it. Will be here for you whatever the news is. Virtual hand holding with everything crossed for you on Thursday - no probs.
Cheryl
So glad I read this about the fluid. My OH was all set to have me walking round like some balloon full of water! I am hoping for a PICC from the off, but do you think they’ll try the first one without?
Sophie
Promise I’ll shout, and how often do I have to take my temp? My Dad died from infection during Chemo, so quite worried, but that was back in 1988.
LIF
My appt is 10am, so with it being the first we really will be ‘holding hands’. Got MP3 with relaxation tapes and all sorts of music on (dont have an iPod, and haven’t got my new teccie phone sorted yet) Syncronised Chemo coming up!!!
re: fluid …don’t forget that soup counts too. My onc advised 3 litres of fluid per day - but this is too much for me, I get really dizzy. The other thing is to splash out on a juicer as properly fresh carrot/apple/ginger - whatever you fancy - it’s much less acidic than shop-bought stuff.
Also, the horrid, disgusting taste in the mouth has been helped (since yesterday), when my daughter gave me some sugar-free chewing gum to stop me complaining. I’ve never had chewing gum before, but as we were out and I couldn’t get to my mouthwash or toothbrush, it did actually help.
Had a splendid kip by the camp fire and keeping it alight to greet those coming in on Thursday. Flame Thrower virtually un-needed but was more than happy to torch others’ Gremlins as they wandered ‘innocently’ by paying unwanted visits.
Lizzie - can i agree and blow the fact that the only liquid that counts is water. In a normal diet there is a good percent of water that the body gets just from eating everyday food - even bread contains some water that’s why it goes stale, so although not suggesting you get stuck in to the Hovis (!) any other Liquid will do, and lets face it, is much more interesting. I took advice from another thread where someone suggested drinking loads the day before, of and after chemo (and throughout won’t hurt)to get the excess stuff flushed away asap. Without too much detail, I did this and normal colour when i went to the loo about 4 hours later.
Peachez - V best of luck. Have sent you 'ICanDoThis-I’mAWoman! who always seems to step up when all else have scarpered.
SJ - Have you asked about sleeping pills? I know that the less medication taken at the mo’ is best but sleep deprivation isn’t a form of torture by accident! Even if you just ‘treated’ yourself to one a week? Not sure if your GP/Consultant will prescribe anything but worth an ask.
Sarah - Hang on in there. The Waiting is tortuous but try to do the positive twist: it 's better that they take their time and get it right than jumping and then realise there was a better course of action. Every day something is a step closer. Write down all the questions as you think them and make sure you ask, ask, ask until you are clear about what you are hearing. I for one don’t care if i take up a doc for 40 mins (apologies to those in the queue behoind me!) because this is SERIOUS!! x
Thanks to all your support, we might look like a rabble of new age travellers but we mean business!!
Peachez - so sorry to hear about your Dad - no wonder you have the worries over taking your temp. xxx. If it would reassure you, then take it daily - at least you’ll have a good baseline for what variation of normal is ‘normal’ for you. It’s only if it goes up to fever levels that you need to be concerned - can’t remember off hand what that is, about 37.4? Err on side of caution though, and do let your chemo nurse know about your Dad (if they don’t know already), as then I’m certain they’ll be hugely sympathetic to your concerns.
Lostpost fairy has struck again. (I’ll get her yet.)
Try again: the dental hygenist recommended sugarfree gum, as it promotes the flow of saliva. It’s just a pity so many taste hideous, but mint usually isn’t too bad.
Melon has lots of water and is usually kind to the mouth and digestive tract. Tomato juice is less acidic than citrus, and can be turned into a warm broth drink or soup as well, or you can start from a tube of tomato puree, can of pieces or whatever. I like the carrot/ginger reminder, and I think carrot and ginger soup is on the menu today. This is soup weather.
Hi Guys
day 4/5 and feeling better but very woolley still…sleep deserted me again but ok otherwise…nose a bit runny but temperature ok…coffee sweets and ciggies still on the menu…Love Alison x
I think the Sleep fairy’s been to Australia recently. Spent most of today dozing to get rid of anaesthetics I suppose, but I’ve now been wide awake, but tired, for the past three hours. Aarrgh! And the rain outside is making a lot of noise and OH has a cold so is coughing and spluttering and snoring a bit, and I’m still a bit uncomfortable from surgery and that’s keeping me awake too. Oh well, never mind, I’m sure I’ll find time for a nap tomorrow (yeah, right…)
No, sod it, I WILL have a nap if I’m tired!
Anyone else up and about? When I logged on there were 5 others on the site.
Hope you are all doing ok & that SE’s are being kind to you.
Am not doing so brilliant at the mo but know none of you mind me telling you that, waiting for the the further tests on my lymphs as first ones showed reactionary changes so supplementary tests have been ordered & finding out that my small grade 2 is now a more aggressive grade 3 & requires chemo feels like a whole new diagnosis.
I keep nipping off to smokers corner so no wonder these gremlins keep getting into our camp if part of the security keeps bug***ing off for a fag that i am trying desperately to give up but seem to be smoking more of instead.
If anyone out there has a spare 5 mins, please come visit me as need a hug a cup of tea & a chin wag from someone who truly understands this terrible feeling of fear that has taken hold & that could help me polish the flame thrower ready for use again & bring me a cpl of the nicer fairies out there. cant even get in my tent at the mo as some of the bad ones have taken over anyone got a spare sleeping bag & space in their’s till we sort the gremlins out?
Actually, having now written this i can see you all waving so am going to pick myself up, dust myself off & get on with the job in hand & am sure Positivethinking & Bringiton have just blown me a kiss feeling better already
Sarah- let’s share a tent shall we? Perhaps we can have a huge, central one in the middle, for those in need, and surround it by the fit and the brave! I can see it now- ideally one of those very posh, hotel like ones that you can hire, with a log burner, and lots of squishy cushions. Maybe a drinks fridge…
Seroiusly though, it is frightening. My onc slipped the grade 3 news in very early, and I naively asked, what the scale was, ‘1-10?’ ‘No,’ he said simply.
So, am all for some commeradery. Safety in numbers!
Tracey
Hi Sarah, I had a spell when the news just kept getting worse and worse, and my so-little-it’s-scarcely-cancer diagnosis (my version, not the path report) turned out to have reached a lymph node and to be twice the size of the original dx. Somehow, if it’s something that can just be cut out, maybe with some insurance rads, it’s not so bad and you’re not a sick person. But the word chemo seems to put the wind up (sorry for the pun) us all, perhaps because this is your whole body now. And we’ve all heard the horror stories and perhaps know someone who was terribly ill because of chemo.
I think I’ve had my turn with Positivethinking the last few days, so I’ll shoo her over to you.
Morning all - thanks for the advice re what to drink. I am now back on my mugs of coffee albeit very weak and watery but going down much better. I’ve had a bad couple of days curled up in bed most of the time. No pain, no sickness, but a general feeling of being unwell and also my mind is all over the place. I made the mistake of looking to the far end of the woods and realised just how far away it is and it made me feel very down. Am trying to snap out of it today. Hope the rest of you are coping better than me. Lizzie xx
SCACO’s Log (The woodland variety) Day 3:
Having entered the wood on Day 1 although feeling woozy headed otherwise fine so made my way to Trip’s original campfire. Here i banked the fire and settled down to see what the night would bring. Woke on Day 2 clear haeaded and fine. Used this time wisely: I retraced my steps and hoisted the ‘2-fingered salute’ flag at the opening of this woodland path so that fellow travellers know that this is a safe route. I also, rather cleverly I thought, left a trail of wine/gin bottles back to the campfire so know one gets lost (We can recycle later). Returning to basecamp I decided to make the most of my GetUpAndGo and headed further into the wood to find another place to camp. Found a lovely spot, it has a brook and a mossy log. I also spent some time in the company of a lovely, old deer (my mum!). Day 3 has found me a little dizzy so far (as expected) and so am getting my head down and zipping up my tent.
Sarah -
Consider me in your tent and yourself hugged, I’m shoving OhSh*t out of the way in order to reach your flamethrower. So sorry you’ve got all of the waiting and unknown in here have brought WeCanDoThis along with me.
I read the article suggested at the start of this thread yesterday (hadn’t before - not in the right mind set) about Positive thinking by CancerCounselling. Its good and might help. Through this i was introduced to our new guardian angel CompetantCoping. What a woman! She in not in the slightest frivolous (think librarian from 1940s), carrys a clipboard and takes no nonsense. She gave PositiveThinking a right telling off! Anyhow, she worked so well for me that i asked her to help our fellow campers and so she has set up a portacabin at the end of the field and is open for business! Pay her a visit, she talks a lot of sense. Take care honey, thinking of you.
Choccie - I couldn’t sleep either but was reading the forum on OH’s phone under the covers! I was going to join in but the keypad was too noisy and i didn’t want to wake him (felt like a kid!!)
Sleep well today x
Sarah, I’m throwing lots of hug pillows in the direction of your tent, you could probably do with them. They are also handy for helping you to get more comfy in bed. I’ve actually be using my rolled up fluffy dressing gown to “cuddle”, with the operated side on top and that was quite comfy.
I’m wondering who’s nicked The Plot though. I sure as hell don’t have it. It’s probably lying around out there under some root somewhere, surrounded by marbles. Most of them mine.
NeedAPoo is jumping up and down in my intestines but codeine has put its foot down and is saying OhNoYouDon’t like the nastiest pantomime baddie. And while I’m taking paracetamol, why do I have a bloody headache?
Harumph. (No, that was me being grumpy, not letting out one of your trumps, Trip!)
that i am trying desperately to give up but seem to be smoking more of instead.
feeling better already