Hello Valentines.
I had my first chemo yesterday, FEC-T. Had to wait 3 hours before starting as one hospital had lost the ECG and I had to have another then it was faxed over to wait for the oncologist to approve it. Then 2 hours to actually have treatment so a long old day. I was excited about starting my treatment though as I just want the cancer zapped and the sooner the better. I’ve been very frustrated in the 9 weeks since my operation so pleased now that something is happening.
My lovely, lovely friend who came to support me said she was proud of me and how brave I was but actually I’m not being brave, you just have to go through it as there doesn’t seem to be an alternative. BUT - I do consider myself lucky as my super-fit husband died 17 years ago when our son was 5; he had bowel cancer with liver secondaries and didn’t live to 51. At least I’ve been able to watch Christopher grow into a lovely young man.
Just waiting for the side effects to start. Yuk. And wondering how I can last out the next 18 or so weeks without visiting my favourite Chinese buffet - my treat of choice when I feel low. Also hoping that chocolate will taste horrid but sad this morning when my favourite cereal didn’t taste the same at all.
Good luck to all of you
Morning Valentines
Day 10 cycle 1 FEC
I hope you all had a peaceful nights sleep… well as much as we can :-). Im longing for the night that I am not clock watching every hour… not took anti sickness tabs for a few days now… seems to have eased… just got this sneezing and runny nose syndrome at the moment… temperature is ok…I seem to have developed a taste for meaty dishes… I can taste!!.. mouth still bad but at least Im eating a bit better now
Summer… I cant even look at chocolate at the moment 
Morning Valentines,
Welcome on board Summer.
Blimey - not being able to eat chocolate must be the worst ever side effect! I can’t even think about that scenario!
I hope you all had a peaceful night and have a good day today.
Linda xxx
Morning all
Just went to local Drs to have blood taken ready for round two of FEC tomorrow. After several attempts to take blood she informs me that they can not get any out! So off I had to travel several miles to the hospital for them to try and once again after several attempts they managed to get some. Not a happy bunny and one sore arm. But hopefully bloods will be ok for tomorrow.
I have about 10% of my hair left now it looks really weird the 10% left is all around my hair line, I look in the mirror and just shake my head and walk away !! making no comment as I pass on by.
Hope every one is ok and all the best for those either starting tomorrow or having round 2.
Annabelle x
1945(FEC3/Tax3)Cycle1/Day16/Southampton Univer. Hosp.
Linda - good luck tomorrow with your long awaited surgery! Are you all H;bi Scrubbed, or doesn’t your hospital indulge in that particular form of torture?
Annabel **and anyone else of whom I may have lost track (**if I don’t keep proper notes of everyone’s postings, it all goes in one ear and -----) I hope Cycle 2 goes well and that any problems encountered in Cycle 1 have been addressed.
Angie - hope your blood count is building and that you are still on track!
Karen -hope that you are feeling better! And what about you Jan, weren’t you one of the first ones to start Cycld 1? When is your Cycle 2 beginning?
Can’t believe how good I am feeling today. Even managed a good session in the Nursery preparing plants for our first Garden Fair of the 2013 season, next Thursday. Good weather is predicted for that day, and it would be a mercy to earn some money, as we are finding this cancer business to be rather expensive. Being retired from offficial work is a good thing in this situation (don’t have all the hard choices to make that some of you ladies are strugggling with), but retirement income just about covers our basics, not endless traveling back and forth, headcovers and the infinite list of things that would seem prudent to have on hand just in case! Oh well, winge, winge, I’m sure that we are not in as dire shape as some people who are struck down with this, so I should be grateful. Especially as I managed both a cup of coffee and a chocolate bar today for the firsst time since I started treatment (sorry to tell you that Kath, but till now the mire idea of either has been turning me green!!!)
Hugs to you all, Louise
Hi Louise,
Fantastic you are feeling so good, and long may it continue!
No scrub, not even a pre-op assessment. I just turn up tomorrow morning, hopefully back home in the afternoon. I did query the lack of pre-op assessment and was told it isn’t necessary as little will have changed since my first op 4 weeks ago, and anything they need to do will be done when I arrive. I had an MRSA swab 3 weeks ago when I last saw the surgeon. It is only cavity shave - a small op. No messing with wires or dyes or radioactive stuff. Quick in and out through the original excision, and hopefully clear tissue. Must admit the thought of cutting open the original excision makes me cringe!!
Hi
Louise- cycle two should be next wed 27th but I have cellulitis again and although on antibiotics I have to see my consultant for the second time this week, tomorrow. Fingers crossed it will clear up and my bloods on Monday say it’s ok to go ahead. I have a feeling it may be delayed. Not the best scenario when I’m already three months behind due to late second pop and cellulitis that had me in hospital over Xmas and new year ,yes my Christmas dinner wtin half a tin of peaches!
wishing everyone a good nights sleep
Jan x
Day 14 1st FEC of 3xFEC 3x Tax
Good luck for tomorrow Linda and Annabelle.
Linda, I had to have a second surgery in the same place so they partly used the original excision and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I imagined! I kept on top of the pain relief for a few dats but it seemed to heal more quickly than the first time. Will be thinking of you xx
Hope the SEs aren’t too bad today for those in the first 9 days, glad you are feeling better Louise, good luck with the fair xx
Gill, thanks for the Anna Bandana tip, they are a good price, waiting for order of sleep hats and another headscarf to arrive xx
Keep tugging at hair but no sign of fall out yet, it must start soon as been looking really good the last couple of days!
Unfortunately my taste for chocolate reurned with a vengeance around day 10 so put back on the weight lost due to nausea and some!
Hugs to all
Elaine x
Hello Valentines.
Louise - I am happy to see you are having a good day!
Linda - hope it goes well tomorrow.
I had to have a liver ultrasound today as my liver function tests (taken end January) had a couple of unusual results. Well that sent my brain into overdrive. Thankfully it all looks fine and I can relax but I could do without these blips.
Also today my lovely hairdresser gave me a number 5 with the clippers as my hair the now quite thin. She still won’t charge me so I gave her some chocolates and a bottle of wine.
Will have to see what happens tomorrow re chemo. I do hope it goes ahead.
Angie xx
Meant to say hope no delays for Angie and Jan xx
Thanks Elaine! I too have been having a love/hate relationship with chocolate. I’m off it again at the moment but know the craving will return!
Angie xx
CT x 6 - cycle 1 day 3
Hi everyone,
i haven’t been online for a while, everything started moving pretty quickly for me last week, had Hickman line fitted on Thursday then started chemo Tuesday. I feel very very weak and generally wiped out. Had no sickness, bit of nausea and diarrhoea which made me nearly pass out but otherwise doing ok. I have started injecting today to boost white blood cells, have to do this daily til day 9.
Hope everyone’s been doin ok and side effects haven’t been too bad. Mandy - so sorry to hear what you’ve been going through, will be thinking of you x, Linda - good luck for your surgery tomorrow x
Love
Sarah xx
I have a date… I have a date… I have a date!!! 4th March here we come!
I know, it is ridiculous to be so excited about starting chemo at last but have been given the green light for 1st cycle on 4th March (have i mentioned that already?!)
Jan & Mandy - thanks for work advice; think I will consider going back very part-time and seeing how it goes. I only get SSP so it’s quite a big incentive to get back to work ASAP, but definitely not full time until probably January - oh, thats just too far away to even think about! I’m still involved in some volunteering stuff but consider this more of a hobby so trying to hold it together for the moment.
Who was it that introduced us all to “Keep calm & chemo on”? Me… calm…? Impossible!
Caroline x
Hi Linda - my experience of 2nd WLE is similar to Elaine’s and was a breeze compared to the first Op. I only took painkillers for 2 days after and it has healed really well. Just keep doing gentle exercises… I was very nervous about these at first, but they were fine. Good luck. Will be thinking of you. Cx
Oh well done Caroline!!! It is ridiculous, but I know how you feel. I am so jealous!!! Bizarre. What regimen will you be on?
Thanks Caroline and Elaine - I sailed through the first WLE and SNB and never needed any painkillers, so I am hoping this will be similar, especially as no armpit surgery involved. Fingers crossed for a clear margin.
Good luck with the Consultant tomorrow Jan , and with the bloods on Monday.
Sorry about your liver blip Angie. You must have been terrified - I certainly would have been. Is that it, or do you have to have anything else done?
Hope your strength returns soon Sarah , and good luck with the injections. Are they the Filgrastim ones?
Linda xxx
Hi Vals
hope you are all doing ok.
I haven’t managed to catch up with posts for the last couple of days but have a quick question.
My daughter seems to be coming down with a cold and my low immunity starts this weekend.
What on earth are we supposed to do? Of course I will avoid crowds but what if a family member is sick?
Worried
Jackie xx
Congratulations Caroline on news of your date, at last!!!
Forgot to say when I posted earlier that my hair is still hanging in there – including in the nether regions – on Day 16. I seem only to have lost it in my nose, which is runny. Still sleeping only 2-3 hours a night, but weirdly it doesn’t seem to be bothering me too much.
I have gotten so carried away by feeling well today that I even put in a bid on a reclining chair on E bay. Never even looked at the site before, but the ladies at the drop-in centre were right, there are hundreds available! This one is located only 35 miles away from us and looks small enough to fit into our rather bijoux cottage, so I’m hoping I am the winner. During Cycle 1 I couldn’t find anywhere in the house to sit comfortably, so something had to change!!!
Well Ladies, love to each of you in the manner according to your needs. XXXXX Louise
Hi guys… Im starting chemo tomorrow! Not sure im prepared or what to expect. Diagnosed on 16 jan. found a lump last year but so flippant about it, really didn’t expect it to be cancer…had ivf to freeze eggs, which went really well…all very surreal…
Welcome maya x it’s a very surreal journey & yours has been very quick from dx to chemo , it’s not that bad actually getting the chemo itself but only natural if u feel nervous , be kind to yourself during the first week to 10 days & anytime you need a rant or question about side effects etc then this is a lovely thread for help & realising your not on your own going through this
good luck for tomorrow x
Jackie, I had that same concern over the past few days, my son had a nasty cold, he’s only 2 so my conclusion was I can’t avoid him completely, just made sure to wash hands lots, made sure we didn’t share cutlery, used separate towels etc. End result - I was admitted to hospital last night (day 14 of FEC1) with temperature of 38.2, a really sore throat and low neutrophils. I’m in till tomorrow at the earliest. Temperature is now under control, but throat is really sore.
In other news, my hair has started to shed, not in huge quantities, but if I run my fingers through it I come away with 5 or 6 hairs each time. My scalp is really quite sore.
Jo x