Great minds think alike Lola I got mine from Amazon, two for £8. Great for peace of mind. I have a lung disease that sometimes puts me in hospital for 14 days at a time on iv anti-biotics, I have been ‘out of it’ before now, so don’t want anyone stabbing the wrong arm with a cannula while I’ve slipped away for a while. I have a metal bracelet with the legend ‘Rheumatoid Arthritis’ and ‘Bronchiectasis’ on one side with ‘Methotrexate’ and ‘Leflunomide’ on the other. Also have a dog tag with same. Not as easy to wear as the silicon one though. I’ll just show everyone my bald head to prove I’m a chemo patient. 
@ PG. Your humour keeps us going! You must be weighted down with all that jewellery!
I just hope I can keep the humour up Lola. I’ll try to keep my smiley head for the forums, but to be honest, this is the only place where I feel really happy as I can forget my woes reading about everyone elses. OMG, that sounds awful, I hope you understand what I mean.
As for the jewellery, I keep most of it in my drawer at the moment, along with with my missing teeth.
I didn’t know that we are supposed to avoid needles in the affected side’s arm? Is that because of the lymph nodes? I didn’t have them all taken out, just two for the SNB. Or is that only if the lymph nodes were affected?
Hi Blue Rose,
When lymph nodes are removed there is a risk of lymphodema. If only 2 or 3 are removed there is less risk, but nonetheless, a risk. It is important not to get any infection in the bad arm or hand or you could have problems. I read that even having a manicure on that hand can be risky if you have your cuticles done, so you really don’t want anyone sticking needles in that arm! I’m sure your BCN can give you the low down on it. Mine gave me a Macmillan booklet on lymphodema right at the beginning of my diagnosis.
Thank you Lola65. I do remember my surgeon mentioning lymphodema right at the begining now but there was so much to take in I think I must have forgotten about that. And when I was in hospital after the MX the nurse on duty at night saisd something about only having my blood pressure done on the left side from now on - but I was dosed up on morphine and didn’t ask why. So thanks - Ive just looked it up.
You are welcome BR. Talking of nails, has anyone else seen that chemo can, in some people, cause you to lose some or even all of your finger and toe nails? At best, they go dry, brittle and split vertically. I have read about this, and have also read a tip about how to help prevent it. I think it may have been on another forum somewhere. Apparently a good tip is to paint your nails with either black or dark purple varnish. I don’t know how or why this helps, but it’s something to do with light sensitivity. Worth a try anyway!
Just on the discussion about nails , I read somewhere that eating jelly can help due to the gelatine , again not sure if it works but I’m sure I won’t have any problems with that one
Hello to all - and thanks for the help on ‘Chat’ Lola.
I start Taxotere/cyclophosphamide & Herceptin on 31st of January. I have had FEC treatment before.
My nails developed black lines on them, so it’s good to put nail varnish on. They became weak too - lost a toenail, it grew back OK. Re. dry nails: treatment made my skin VERY dry and flakey, as well as nails. Use lashings of body lotion and face cream!
Hi Jen, pleased you made it to here, and really sorry you are having to go through all this again. I haven’t got a start date yet, although several others on here have.
Thanks for the tip on the body lotion. It’s something I rarely use apart from face cream because my skin is good and rarely dry. I must add it to my ever growing shopping list, along with jelly (Thanks Karen!!)
Kath shared with us that wonderful poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I thought, just in case some of you don’t know it, that I would share Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer. My Mother was an alchoholic and whenever I accompanied her to Alchoholics’ Anonymous meetings it was used to start off the evening. I have always found it very comforting when you are dreading something – like last year when I had to have all my front teeth taken out (kicked in the face by a horse when I was 11, teeth only survived for 54 years because I married a dentist – then the blasted man went and retired, and all hell broke lose!) The final stanza is a bit much for my personal taste, but I find the first two just right. Anyway –
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonalbly happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amem
Hope you like it as much as I do, Good luck to all of you on the brink of C-day, and hope those of you who have been there already feel better fast. With hugs, Louise
That’s a beautiful prayer 
Went into a bit of a melt down yesterday! Think getting start date brought it all home to me that this is actually happening to me! My imagination went into overdrive and wasn’t helped by very icy conditions outside. I slipped and slid my way to and from school drop off and picking up, thinking all the way that if I fall and hurt myself everything could be delayed, possibly for months!
Anyway no slipping and friends picked up on my distress and rallied round so I don’t have to leave the house without an escort until ice has melted! Feeling a bit of a muppet today :-/
Any dates for Sarah, Karen, Lavendersun, Kath or Funki yet? Sorry if I missed anyone, will have more time later to read the many new posts. Good luck for the 6th Louise!
I’m not doing cold cap and was advised by a friend who’s gone through this to use a hair catcher on plughole in shower as the majority of hair falls out during washing and styling. Think I will be pinching my OH’s hair clippers when this starts. Been offered several fancy dress style wigs from my friends, including a pink frizzy one, have politely told them I will let them know if needed but will probably stick to scarves and hats! 
Had a few arrive yesterday and had some fun playing with styles, they are nice enough to start wearing now to get everyone used to it!
Thanks for dropping in Sandytoes it’s great to get advice and encouragement from those in the know!
Hello to Ness and Jenanne and anyone else having to join us! Sorry you are in this position but glad we can share the journey.
Ordered my bracelets from amazon too, great tip Lola and Kath!
Karen, have you sorted the glitter yet? That stuff could probably still be around long after we’re all through this, I find it impossible to clear up, months later there will be a bit winking at me from somewhere! But I do like a bit of sparkle
Lovely poem Louise, I’ve been collecting thoughts, quotes, poems and prayers in my journal that I’m keeping. Some for inspiration, some to just make me smile. It’s a good fall back for those days when I can’t think of anything else good or positive to write.
Have nearly a whole week next week without any appointments for Hospital, doctors, dentists etc. Need to find lot’s of things to do to make the time pass so I can get this under way.
Hugs to all you Valentines
Elaine x
Still no date here yet grrrrr!!! Might get them next Thursday when I visit the chemo clinic - unless I get a letter before then. It’s beginning to niggle me now.
Yankee, loved the prayer you put on, but can’t remember sharing a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, must be going dafter than I thought. Actually I SHOULD try and write one myself. I used to write a lot of poetry, not done it for ages, but it takes me all my time to write my diary just lately. Will have a look through my collections for a suitable one.
Glad you got your bracelets Elaine. Very important to keep your bad arm safe. Talking about manicures being a bit risky, does biting your nails cause any damage to your bad arm? I’ve about chewed mine up to the elbows just lately. Oh I’m certainly revealing all my bad habits to you now.
This is my first visit here today, will be back on later. Hugs to all you Valentines.
Kath xxx
Hi ladies,
how is everyone doing? I got appointments for CT and heart scans yesterday for next Friday 1st Feb, had flu jab today and have dentist on Tuesday, feel good (in a very peculiar way) that dates are finally coming through!!
Elaine- know what you mean about slipping over, I’ve been exactly the same, very wary of anything that may delay treatment starting, one of the mums at school lives over the road from me and has kindly been taking me to take my little girl to school& family have helped out picking her up! I’m so independent so find it really hard relying on others especially as I haven’t been able to lift my one year old, although I know I have to accept help where it’s offered!
On the subject of nails - has anyone got acrylics? the lady who usually does mine said I can’t have them on chemo, however my Macmillan nurse said she has seen loads of ladies have them on chemo?
Karen - totally understand issue with Disney princess snow globes - my daughter found them really difficult, I had trouble helping her myself, how complicated- think we got one out of three done without leakage ha ha I caught my daughter putting glitter on her eyelids for school the other day!!
Jenanne - I’m also havin taxotere and cyclophosphamide x 6 every 3 weeks, also can’t have FEC as had one of the drugs during previous chemo. Thanks for the tip re dry skin x
Hope you all have a lovely restful weekend!
Sarah xx
Just found this one I wrote a while back, thought it was quite apt, hope it gives you a bit of a boost. The last line says it all really. 
How Much Longer?
How much longer will it be
before this fog will clear?
And how much further must I walk
to free me from all fear?
I don’t want life to be a party,
I’m sick of sounding arty-farty -
maybe I should give in now
or fall down on my rear.
There’s many who would laugh I know.
There’s many who would cheer.
There’s many more would walk away
and never shed one tear.
But I stopped caring long ago
and think it’s time they knew
that they can do just as they please.
_ I’ll still be here next year. _
Kathleen Thorpe
Kath,
your poem is AMAZING!! You are so talented, brilliant - i really relate to it, it made me smile & want to cry at the same time!!
Sarah xx
Dear Kath – whoops, it’s the pre-chemo Chemo Brain in action – it was Elaine who posted the RW Emerson poem on the first page of our thread – daft brain just told me that Poemsgalore must have posted a poem!! Sorry Elaine, I liked it!!!
Went off today and got my ears pierced. Had them that way for 40 years and then stopped wearing earrings as one got infected, so they eventually closed up. Figured that if I were to be bald, I should at least be able to wear some of my pretty earrings! Hope I haven’t made a major mistake, as the girl mentioned after she had done the deed that it would take 6 weeks for them to heal throughly. Hope that is not true – doesn’t seem right as allthe major trauma from the 2 breast operations was throughly healed in less than 10 days! I will be very cross with myself if my actions were to delay the start of my treatment! Much love to all you lovely Valentines – Louise
Whoops again!!! Sorry, Louise