Elki,
Might be joining you with the old thrush. Mouth just feels horrible. Ice lollies do help though. Going to see nurse just in case though nothing def. yet.
Oh and period is mental! Typical-thought chemo was supposed to knock all that on the head.
Here’s one for the cold cappers - today, as my chemo was cancelled, I decided to go and get a haircut! I checked the calendar to see when I last had one - it was November. I have to ask the calendar as, thanks to Chemo Brian, my memory is now outsourced to the calendar and the mobile phone. If it is not on the calendar/phone it is not happening, or it might happen but I would not know. I thought I was going to more concise in my posts, but it seems not. Anyway, the point is, that 6 months on from FEC-T (with cold cap) I have so much hair that I need regular haircuts like a regular person. Woohoo.
Excellent news, Cress xxx
I have some nice news , about the blog - now up to about 500 hits a day, a lot of positive feedback, and just now the Haven emailed to ask if they could put a link to it on all their social media, because they like it so much, and think it will help other breast cancer sufferers, especially ones about to go undergo chemo who are as frightened as I was.
My answer was of course yes! yes! YES! This should really help with publicising, and also give a boost to the fundraising, so I am really, really happy.
In the last week since I started the fund-raising page, have raised 655 pounds (incl gift aid) for The Haven, with more promised, so am v. happy about that - the Haven has given me so much help, and it is great to be able to give something back.
And to get something positive from this whole cancer nightmare…
Talking of which FEC2 is very much making itself felt. Bleurghhhhhh. Keep thinking about week 3, when I will be feeling Ok, and we are (god willing) going to go to Yorkshire for the weekend to stay with my sister, which is always highly entertaining…
Love and hugs to you all, my Sisters in Chemo xxxxx
Had my first TC today , had the cold cap which I didn’t feel painful at all only cold for first 10 mins and then wears off, I don’t think my nurse calculated the times right though I only had it on 30 mins after infusion and I’ve just read on website needed to be 1 to hours after infusion, so I’m not holding out much hope , fingers crossed anyway , I’ve also seen the wig woman and go next wk to try them on , I just feel shattered only had 3 hrs sleep last night , I don’t feel sick yet , does the side effects kick in the day after , it’s been a very stressful day but I’m glad I’ve got my first session over with , hope all you ladies are ok , I’ll try and read all your posts later when I’m not as shattered , I’ve developed a nervous twitch in my eye , is that the first sign on madness arriving , love to all of you xxxxx
Lisalou-don’t think TC is as likely to give you any sickness. I had no nauseau at all with it though I did have nausea with FEC. Make sure you take all your pills esp the heartburn ones. I hope you get a deep sleep tonight as it makes all the difference. You might feel kind of achey esp. legs. Mines throbbed. Actually the closest I can get to describing my reaction occured to me as I was drifting off to sleep. My nerve endings were jangling and it felt like I had a set of randomly pulsing fairy lights inside my legs.
I found it difficult to relax sitting down so I either stood or lay down. Lying down relaxing always made me feel better and refreshed esp if I managed even just 10 mins of sleep. My granny always said " a sleep’s as good as a feed".
Bear in mind I’ve only had one TC session 8 days ago so I’m no expert but at day 8 I feel considerably better. I am absolutely knackered but at least I feel like a knackered version of myself and not a demented alien being.
I’ve also just blended some pineapple and frozen it into cubes to give me something cool to suck on as my mouth feels horrible and ice really helps. (Not confirmed as thrush but I have medicine on stand by just in case)
Good luck Lisalou, that’s one down. You can give yourself a big tick on your list (We all have one. Right?)
Oh and Cybele, have done a dance-with wig- to appease the nausea demon and keep him/her distracted from you!
Hi Marie , thanks for the tips , I feel a little heartburn now , I wasn’t given anything for heartburn only anti sickness but I do have omaprazole 20 mg as I suffer indigestion anyway , I’m wondering whether to double the dose and take 2 tonight , all they gave me for my mouth is some antiseptic mouthwash , suppose I’ll have to go to my gp if my mouth gets furry , I feel like could sleep for a wk so lets hope the frantic legs don’t start as soon as I’m in bed , it’s hard to rest for me as I’ve a 3 yr old boy and on my own most of time , I have moved in with my mum for a few days though just to see how I’m coping so I’ll be able to have a lay down when I want , glad your feeling a little better , the twitchy eye still remains , very strange , watch me develop a nervous tic on top of everything else , one step closer to the straight jacket me thinks xxxx
Oh yes I have list, in fact I am list queen, have them for everything , I would be a lost women without , and I’ll be putting a line through it , well done to everyone , hugs and kisses xxx
Maire, freezing cubes of blended pineapple is a totally genius idea, which I am about to go and do now, as my lovely BF got me a fresh pineapple from the market today. After a day of nommy-Nystan, the gob-fuzziness is already calming down a bit. Plus I’m not eating anything sugary, so as not to feed the fungus.
I also liked your description of fairy lights in the legs. That pretty much captures it.
E x
‘Hold your head up, hold your head high’ :
today’s post on [color=#290cd4]http://chemonights.blogspot.co.uk/
Cybele-I’ll be eternally grateful to you for introducing me to the ‘Dogs in Snoods’ website (and I thought I had seen it all!!).
I also wanted to say congratulations on the success of your blog and fund raising-you go girl! x
Morning ladies,
I should have had chemo yesterday but had to miss it due to failing blood test. Now feel like a naughty school girl playing truant. Luckily, I have an appointment with my lovely MacMillan therapist so we can discuss my guilt at avoiding the poison that I need.
Just had a read back and wanted to thank Maire for mentioning her period - if I can talk about my bowels you can def talk about your period. I think we should all own up to something embarrasing and get it over with. I had a couple of periods before they stopped and I have not seen them since. The last one can be a bit severe. Some people keep on having them. Once again, we are all different.
Cybele - the blog continues to be fab. Congrats on it being recognised by The Haven. Is it only for people in the area nearby or can people with cancer choose to travel to one from further away? We don’t have one.
Lisalouw - I twitch when I am tired, stressed etc (so, most of the time, really). Side effects for me usually worst day 5/6.
What to do with my truant self? Hang about in the precinct? Shoplifting? Any ideas?
xxxx
Cressida, I’d live it up if I was you. Please get up to all sorts of naughtiness and report back!
good morning fellow warriors , day 2 of TC , been up on and off in night wanting a wee and my face is burning and red , not sure if that’s the steroids though, other than that just very tired and have brain mush , one positive my 3 yr old slept though which is not very often , he keeps asking me if my boobies are better yet and he pretends to phone the doctor to ask him to make me better , such a sweetheart , bless him , hope everyone ok today
cressida, can’t wait for day 5/6 , not , I think now I’m a little paranoid and I’ll end up giving myself side effects which are in my head , thanks for the advice x
cybelle , keep meaning to read your blog, everyone says how good it is , now I’m at mums a few days I may get time to have a look, by the way how long did you have your cold cap on for after infusion , I know eveyones different and your on diff chemo to me , I’m having paranoid thoughts it wasnt on long enough after post infusion , and I know it’s very vain but the hair thing is the thing that may send me into a sobbing wreck , so far I’ve been handling things pretty well considering
xxxxx
Afternoon all.
Day 8 after 2nd FEC and actually feel miles better. Felt really low this time… physically and emotionally. But ok now! Back still a bit sore but GP gave me some mega knock out pills that relax muscles and nerves so have been resting at night…
I seriously thought that I had been reduced to wearing leggings for ever!
…I cancelled my appointment with clinical physcologist today as couldnt really be bothered as am bored now…
…like the idea of causing nautiness Cressida! I really do…
Hope SE’s not too bad for everyone…What i found hard was rationalising that it was the chemo making me feel terrible and not the cancer…
…and thank goodness we have some sunshine!!!
Lots of love and keep well…
xxxxx
So sorry everyone have not posted anything lately. To be honest and I think I can here, I found myself just focussing on negative . I am due for second FEc next week and now getting worked up because on the whole first one was not as bad as I had thought. I thought i would get all side effects pretty quickly. Now my hair starting to fall out which is really upsetting and is also upsetting my 25 year old daughter who is really struggling emotionally. So I don’t know what to say to you brave ladies. I dont feel brave, I feel fed up and frightened and want to just be a wife and mummy again. Now I’m crying again so signing off.
Cathie C xx
Cathie, so sorry to hear your having a bad time , i have off days too where I have a sob , and I think the hair debacle is the worst thing to get over with , ive got that to come , even though i did try the cold cap but im not holding out much hope , it is easy to focus on the negative , I like to stick my head in the sand a little and not think about it or read anything about this dirty little parasite we all have , and you don’t have to brave , I’m certainly not, my son is only 3 so he doesn’t understand , I’m worse when I’m home as I’m on my own alot , I’m at my mums at mo, has your daughter got anyone she can talk to if she’s not handling things very well, hope tomorrow is a better day , have you spoke to your breast ca nurse or you like me and don’t like to bother anyone , lv to you xxxx
Hi ladies, I am having chemo on the 15th of January (was previously delayed as should have been in December) but the nurse told me I would not be having steriods with the FEC but would have them with the t. Can anyone clarify if this is right? Im sure ythis is not right.
Regards
Caroline60
I got steroids with fec, Caroline -just a few days dose. Why don’t you phone them back to query.
Cathie -I just typed you a big long post and lost it. I too have just had a major weep so please don’t feel alone. I actually feel better for letting it all out because it can be overwhelming. You seem a decent person who’s had a rotten roll of the dice but you are getting on with it. How many people genuinely refuse to go through the chemo bit? Lots of people must refuse, or give up somewhere down the line. Right now, I honestly don’t know how I’ll ever let them put anything else into my Veins. EVER! And don’t feel bad about being ‘negative’. We’ve got to be allowed that sometimes, right?
After my own meltdown I had a couple of paracetamols and a mug of soup and I felt better-not sure if it was the soup or the sob or both!
Oh and another wee thing: I bumped into a friend in Tesco yesterday-she had chemo a few year back, used the cold cap and didn’t lose all her hair but had some bald bits. She said her son (then a teenager) got upset seeing her bald bits so she used to wear a clown wig about the house in the mornings so as not to distress him. I just loved this. Think we should all have at least one clown wig around the house as an alternative to our usual head gear!
She is some lady, by the way, and has a lovely thick head of hair now!