In bed can’t sleep so just a quick note. Jo, I realised as soon as I’d posted that my chemo brain had nixed you up with Jackie and I edited my post quickly but you were obviously quicker 
sleep tight all.
Mandy
x
grrrrrrr knew it wouldnt last…sleep that is…also tummy playing up xos i managed chicken dinner tonight…oh well out come the tablets and blanket for the sofa…again!!!
Me to wide awake Mandy I think you go same hospitial as me Royal Oldham I am up worrying about when I need to go for my bloods before my next chemo on Thurs. Going to ring chemo nurse in morning. well better try and get some sleep. Oh and Kath I love your poems.
Nite all you lovely ladies hope se are minimal x
Dear All – I’m having a sleepless night, too! Shouldn’t complain, as it is virtually the first one of this cycle! Haven’t posted for a while. Have been in a very strange mood. Feeling quite well and several rather good things have happened to me lately – but I have been feeling very detached – almost as though I just can’t deal with it any more. I suppose it is a sort of depression.
I was very moved by the postings of you younger ladies with fertility issues. Very moved indeed. It all made me remember 25 years ago when as a fairly recent bride I realized that I was never going to be able to produce a child. Long and complicated story that has nothing to do with our current mutual illnesses, but a difficult time which I have moved on from for years and years. It all has come back into my mind of late! I’m not in trouble, just in a very strange mood!!!
Anyway, like several others of you, I am for it this week. Oncologist tomorrow and then Cycle 3 on Friday. Still sticking to the CC, although my hair is very, very thin. I didn’t really believe the things I read on the Forum early on about how quickly things moved – but I am flabbergasted that the mid-way point is already looming! So far I have not had any injections and have not had any problems with neutrophil levels, so hope it will continue. My love and support to all of you.
XXXXXX
Louise
Sandra, Mandy , Louise and now me joining the sleep depravation club. What is it with chemo that does this, mind you i did have a few hours this pm. Flaming acid is doing my head, it also seems worse late evening. Had a silly evening with my sister, i cant believe how childish we were, but laughed our socks off. What a tonic. I am sure shes lost a few marbles, and shes not had chemo. lol.
Hopefully sleep will sneak up on us, sofa and snug blanket yet again. xxx
Hi all x sorry not been up to posting but I have been reading all posts , day 8 Fec 3 , a sleep fairy stayed the night last night wahey !! My SE’s have been a bit of nausea , constipation , dizziness, sore veins on chemo arm & very very tired but all of them manageable err except for my ever increasing thighs turning into a blimp !! Going to try a Pilates class next week . Had a bit of joint pain too didn’t expect it on Fec . Oh yes & I’ve been very grumpy absolute no patience at all , hope sleep will help eradicate that one , I had huge " roid rage " in the park on Sunday , my oh totally said wrong thing & I just screamed about " stop moaning about it & do something about it " which included a few profanities !! Worked a treat though , once we started speaking again our guest bedroom has been converted into a playroom ( cause of roid rage argument ) everyone happy especially Scarlett ! Just wonder how many people heard me ranting & think what an awful woman lol !!
problem with not posting is I now have a lot to say to everyone ! Chris & everyone in first week hope ur SE’s are manageable , Dyane I sometimes take an extra omaprazole if my stomach is playing up , Angie good luck for round 3 Cornwall sounded fab , I too love rick stein ! Good luck Louise , I’m with you on that detached feeling , not all time but every now & then , Fingers crossed for you Jo & hope you don’t have to go back inside this time
im so sorry Gill to hear you lost your husband just before dx , your world has turned upside down & I’m pleased you have found some support x
Chris , hope you & everyone else I’ve missed are coping with SE’s ok & Kath still loving the poems x
take care everyone & sorry I’ve missed a few of you out but thinking of you all
Karen x
I also had a visit of the sleep fairies done quite well,but round 2 on Thurs so suppose i better make the most of it.Just brushed my hair in the back garden,imagine chicken running around with a beakfull grandaughter laughing like a Hyena im trying to catch the bugger they eat anything it looked like it had a comb over ha ha,think the clippers are coming out tonight.Ladies whos periods have stopped are you still getting the symptoms i have a terrible time with mine so not going to miss them at all seems to have stopped but terrible stomach pains,Hope everyones SE stay minimal…xx
Hi All,
Been a while as I have been feeling really tired lately and have just about managed to get out of bed each day. Thankfully the pup is the reason for doing this as without him I may just have hibernated. Still feeling really tired, but getting up and about. Pup is fast asleep now cuddling his snake on this bean bag (lucky boy).
I am on Lenograstim GCSF injections - which I think is unique here as most seem to be on filgrastim or PEG-filgrastim. I have been OK on them and have managed to inject myself without hitch. I am glad to not have to do this any more - last injection was on Sunday. However, I did get the ‘bone pain’ - which isn’t how I would describe it. My pelvis felt like it had been put on back to front and throbbed and I got twitches (painful) throughout my torso for the whole of Saturday evening. It ruined my plans for a romantic Sunday (our wedding anniversary) - we just had leftovers and an early night (apart). I also got a dreadful headache during this time too. However, paracetamol did take the edge off it and sitting up was better than lying down. I had loads of pillows in bed to try and keep my more upright.
I have been reading all the posts - but will probably not have time to get back to everyone personally - but you are all in my thoughts all the time. I often tell my husband about things said one here - both happy and sad. We are thankful for what we have as some have been to hell and back with this horrid illness and we both feel for you and send you love.
One post does stick out though - and I think it was Tup. Chemo brain!!! Well I can beat your shampoo/shower gel dilemma. I am on immodium as since taking antibiotics things haven’t been well in the bowel department (and it’s still not good). I opened the drawer got the medicine out - took it (with bottled water) and went to have my breakfast. I had taken the wrong tablets - there is such a huge selection now it’s no surprise really. Thankfully I had only taken 2 paracetamol so no harm done, but I am going to have to watch myself now when taking medication.
I think I may be coming down with a cold. It’s a surpised as I haven’t really left the house or met anyone - and certainly not anyone unwell. I am keeping an eye on my temperature, but I am not feeling myself and cannot get the energy to do anything. I feel a day on the sofa with DVDs is all that is happening today.
I hope everyone else is doing well and this dreadful weather isn’t getting you down. Chins up - I think nearly all of us will have started soon (and have dates) - once started then we’re on our way to the end of it!!!
Alison xxx
FEC 75 Starting 21 Mar
Hi all, first post here from Marchies. i was awake for ages last night n I haven’t even started!
Below is just my experience so check with your medical professional for your circumstance.
Linda , I had the exact same concern about ECG and MUGA/ECHO. Been trying to get hold of someone at hospital for a week but none gave me a satisfactory answer. Got hold of my sister who’s a gp in US. My concern was that I’d need a baseline cardiac evaluation which included ECHO in order to compare heart function with during chemo as whats normal for me might be unique. She said you don’t need ECHO before chemo if you have no issues with your own heart. I have heart problems in the family n a heart murmur when I was a baby (very common n I’m finer n healthy). She assured me that if my heart starts having probs due to chemo drugs, it would show up in ECHO clearly. So it’s not something you measure n compare with original if you get what I mean.
ECHO will show problems with LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) clearly.
so, just ECG before chemo if fine. For me.
hope that helps!
FEC1 day20
Hi Val, Have PM’d you. Hope we can catch up on Thursday.
Tup, everything crossed for bloods today. My head’s a bit chilly, this takes som getting used to. Slept in a buff but woke up sweating cobs so chucked it then woke freezing. It’s very difficult to get a buff on in the dark when your only half awake. I nearly strangled myself
Have a good day all of you.
MMM xx
Ooooooh! How did I do that? Has come out in the font my iPad note uses!
Nipinuk
Thanks for popping in from the Marchies, and thanks for the above info. Just to confirm what you say, I spoke to the chemo sister by phone this morning. She said a MUGA scan will have been requested when I went to clinic to see the oncologist 2 weeks ago, (this is routine), but there is a longish wait for them, and rather than delay treatment another week or two they go ahead with the first chemo and herceptin because one session of chemo and herceptin won’t cause any heart damage. She said in an ideal world, yes, we would have our scans before first treatment commences, but the Consultants prefer to go ahead with cycle one rather than delay it. She is chasing up the request for my scan to make sure I am in the pipeline.
I feel really bad - I’m not starting till next Monday and have already used the emergency number!!!
Did you copy and paste?
Wey heyyyyy Linda - great news you have a date - cant believe I just typed great news but there you go, at least you’ll be on your way to the finish line.
Dyane- have PM you back.
Feeling tired today so making this post short- hope everyone is having a good day with minimal slide effects 
Sarah xx
Whoa and when did the tiredness fairy decide to hit me today?..not managed to get off the sofa today
TCH minus 6. (LOL)
I am so sorry many of you are feeling rough at the moment, and too many are in the sleep deprivation club, but am so relieved Karen, Alison and Louise have posted. I think we were all getting a bit worried about you.
Tup - glad you are making friends with your wig. I wore mine to the pre-chemo talk yesterday, but by the time I got home the front had slid backwards a bit. Might have been because I was forever touching it.
Jo - hope the neuts are behaving and on their way up again. Keep well.
Kath - good luck today with the bloods. Yay! Halfway through almost. I had to get my surgery path report from my GP. They have access to our electronic hospital files and can downoad anything. I got it the same day I asked for it but did have to go to the surgery for her to give it to me. I could not have made it thus far without my path reports. They have kept me in control, totally.
Mandy - you are a girl after my own heart. I cannot abide being fobbed off with filtered summaries, vague explanations, and being treated like a 10 year old. It’s my body and my treatment, and I need to know everything.
Elaine - good luck with your bloods and next round. Like Kath, almost half way.
Jackie - are you still in Stalag?
Gill - well done on shaving off the rest of your hair. That must have been so traumatic for you after all you went through with your husband. No wonder you had a melt down. Glad you have found a new form of support.
Feather - hope you are feeling better today, and keeping infections away
Chris - hope that temp stayed down
Angie - big relief your liver is OK and good luck today with number 3. Yet another almost halfway there.
Caroline - at 49 you are a Spring Chicken and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Sandra - keep safe and take good advantage of the sleep fairies.
Mandy and Val - have a fab meet up on Thursday! Tell us all about it.
Take care everyone, lots of love, Linda xxx
Worried sick now.
I have my date for my portacath fitting - it will be on day 9 of my first chemo cycle. Should I be worried about the low immunity? It is invasive surgery with local anaesthetic and sedation. Not a happy bunny.
I’m going round in circles and getting cross. I rang BCN who agreed not wise to have port fitted on day 9 of chemo. She advised me to ring the Radiology team responsible for the port fitting and ask if they can bring my date forward to before chemo starts. Rang Radiology team who also agreed not a good idea. Can’t fit me in this week before chemo but need to talk to chemo unit or oncologist to see when it will be safe to do it. Asked me to ring Chemo unit to ask them to ring the radiology team to see what they can sort out between them. Why the hell couldn’t the radiologist team ring the chemo unit, why do I have to do it!!! This is all the oncologist’s fault. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Lola The 2 ladies that I am having Chemo with both had their Portacaths fitted on the morning on their second Chemo. I’m really surprised they have even given you a date mid cycle. Left hand right hand springs to mind.Hope you manage to get an answer and at least if they cant fit you in before your 1st chemo that they get you in the day before or on the day of your second when it will be safer to do
Thanks Funki. I was thinking the day before because it is at 2 different hospitals about 25 miles apart! I shall suggest this when I ring tomorrow. I have no intention of having it fitted in low immunity week. I would rather the chemo is delayed. I am still fuming!!! It is definitely lack of communication between the 2 departments, and even 3 departments because I haven’t had the MUGA scan yet either!