Dyane, I am on 6 x FEC - I also had a lump on my chest wall and no nodes - SNAP!!!
Linda , I still have eyebrows (and leg hair) but I gave my eyebrows a quick tug just now and some came out - so I suspect they’ll not last the course!!
Alison xx
Previous post only put half on & I can’t remember most of what I wrote but here goes !..
I had a WLE & ANC & have had numbness & pain since the op however I have noticed over last 2 weeks a stabbing pain especially if I fall asleep on that side (did I say sleep ?? )
my eyebrows are still there & although I haven’t noticed a loss of eyelashes they seem to be very thin, I think as I lose them naturally they are not getting replaced . I’ve just bought a liquid eyeliner never used it before but on that lgfb session they said it gives the illusion of lashes , not great at using it but it does work , I put it on top & bottom lashes up to halfway of my eye .
on nail varnish don’t forget to use a base coat as long term dark polish can stain the nails, I use a Rimmel base coat that also strengthens the nail
love the poem Kath made me laugh xx
hate the red stuff too I am so glad Fec has Fec’d off !! … Due to Fec my chemo arm is so sore with inflamed veins I’m not sure which one is my bad arm !!
So many of us are halfway or almost there ( sorry Linda I feel for you but your day will come x ) I can’t wait for the day when I have no drugs to take , no pain , no mood swings ( OH reckons that will never happen lol ) & just a warm sunny day in a beer garden with no worries or stress & next year the same but to be on a beach with hair & a mohito ( notice alcohol is involved in both lol ! )
sorry to be impersonal but hope everyone is coping with the SE’s & enjoy your weekend
Karen x
Angie after I had sent my message it occurred to me that it may have been you who had mentioned the sore arm & not Mandy. I am going to take your onc’s advice & keep trying the hot water bottle. I don’t know how much more my arm can take as it was painful getting round two administered.
Alison you & I are very similar with our interest in fitness & now our tumours. If mine had been anywhere else I wouldn’t have noticed it whereas on my chest I couldn’t miss it as the swelling was very obvious to the naked eye. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one having all six FEC, at least we’ll be able to compare SEs.
Dyane
FEC 2/6 day 11, Antrim Area Hospital
FEC-T; FEC2 day 16
My cold is still not really any worse and my temperature has only exceeded 37 on one occasion, so I’m hoping that this means my neuts have come back up a bit. Yesterday I went out for lunch with my Mum, was SO nice to get out, though I did look like a bit of a freak wiping the table and my hands with anti-bac wipes.
Angie I am refusing to step near the scales, in the first week after chemo I find that if I let myself get hungry then I feel sick, then I struggle to get food down and then the sickness spirals, so I pretty much graze constantly. The rest of the time I seem to be permanently hungry and I don’t really get much exercise at the moment beyond walking the dogs.
Kath, boob in a box made me laugh. I’m very impressed that you managed to make chemo day such a good day, the new hat looks good.
Funki, sorry to hear your FEC3 session was so bad, I hope that the SE’s are kind to you to compensate. I was told that I wouldn’t be given chemo unless my neutrophils were over 2.0, it’s amazing how variable things are round the country. I too have found my mastectomy and ANC arm have gone tight and much more sore than they have been, I put it down to not being so diligent about doing my exercises twice a day. From what I understand if we stop doing them at any point we should expect to stiffen up. My mum is now about 9 months post mastectomy, she doesn’t do them everyday but says if she misses more than a week or so then she still gets stiff and a bit sore.
Sarah, thanks for the Tax info, I’ve got one more FEC to go (next thurs all being well) and I’m starting to get nervous about Tax already.
Chris, I think you were very restrained with the woman in Morrisons, makes me mad just thinking about it.
Karen, Cactus poo is such a brilliant description!!
Jo
x
Fec T
Fec 3, day 3
Feeling absolutely MAGNIFICENT today, hope it lasts. Suspect it won’t though. I used to have quite thick hairy eyebrows (are there any other kind) but they are now delicately arched, and occasionally I can feel something fall into my eye. Think it must be the odd eyelash, although I still have some. I also have a random patch of hair on my right shin!! What’s that all about?
I had a mastectomy with snb, Only 3 removed, with one affected. But still get tightness across scar from time to time, and sometimes a pain that seems to go right through to my back!! Scary. I also get numbness under where the nodes are missing. Putting roll on deodorant is really weird, as there’s a patch where I can’t feel it going on. But I do use either Dove, or Nivea, it’s not liquid deo, but a stick one.
Chris, I nearly died laughing at the thought of you stopping at shop windows to watch your rear end following you. I’ve been doing that for years though, have weighed as much as 14 stone once and I’m only 5ft 2inches!! I currently weigh in at about 13, but my stomach is humungous!!!
Ohs he is my carer and does practically everything for me, I get a tad irritated that I can’t do them for myself and take it out on him. Housework is a bit sticking point, as he is OCD and I definitely am not!!!
Joan B, have sent you a message, hope you can find it in your message box.
I have fortunately not had any problems with Epi, and my red wee changes colour very quickly as I always have a couple of drinks of lemon juice with ice cubes in while the cyclophosphamide goes in. Blimey, I didn’t even have to check how to spell cyclowhatsit!! But I can’t say I’ll be sorry not to have those again. By the way, just found out yesterday that Docetaxel is a derivitive of Yew Tree. Did anyone else know that?
"** Docetaxel is of the chemotherapy drug class; taxane, and is a semi-synthetic analogue of paclitaxel (Taxol), an extract from the bark of the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia.[2] Due to scarcity of paclitaxel, extensive research was carried out leading to the formulation of docetaxel – an esterified product of 10-deacetyl baccatin III, which is extracted from the renewable and readily available European yew tree."**
quoted from Wikipedia.
Alison, glad you are clearing up on the fungal infection. Horrid things.
Ok, off to look for another poem. Not a new one this time though. So hope you will like it.
Sending big hugs and lots of love to you all.
Kath xxxx
Three short ones today, hope you don’t mind. Firt two are a bit satirical, the third a bit daft. Hope they give you a grin.
Ars Not Arse
A dead cow floats in Formaldehyde -
is someone taking me for a ride?
Rodin’s “Lovers” tied up with string!
Some people will pay to see anything.
If you want to look at an unmade bed
Come and visit my son’s room instead.
Bring back Waterhouse
bring back Rossetti,
don’t show me displays
made from cans of spaghetti.
The art world is turning into a farce,
What we all really want is Ars - not arse!
Cattle Song
We don’t have a name - just an ear tag,
as we stand here chewing the cud.
Where once there grew clover and buttercup
is now just a big patch of mud.
We flick our tails to the melody
of a swarm of buzzing black flies
and not one of us bats an eyelid
if another keels over and dies.
For we know where we are headed,
so don’t look too close at me mate,
for one day you must search your conscience
as I might end up on your plate.
Crumbs!
Eeeny meeny macaracca,
Malted Milk or cheesy cracker?
Its Garibaldis for Uncle Roger,
but Aunty Sue likes Jammy Dodgers.
Granddad’s in his garden hut,
nibbling on a Ginger Nut,
while Gran prefers a nice Rich Tea
she sometimes shares a pack with me.
Jaffa cakes are Jane’s delight,
she even eats them in the night!
Chocolate Chips, just try a taste
not one crumb will go to waste.
Wagon Wheels, Toffee Pops,
Cousin Joe thinks they’re the tops.
For me, before I go to bed,
some Ovaltine and sweet Shortbread -
crumbs!!
Take care, Love, Kath xxx
Jo you must be thinking of someone else. I havent had #3 yet
Thanks for the advice on doing my exercises though x
Hi Valentines,
Hope you don’t mind me popping in from the AAA’s due to start Fec-T 2/4
iam going to paint my nails black also but I’m going to use Barry M’s mosaic top coat to brighten it up… I’ve bought the gold one and it looks good over the black nail varnish.
Kath, your boob poem is sooo funny!
You girls are doing so well and a great inspiration for all of us following in your foot steps
take care, enjoy the weekend xx
Oops Funki, cut and paste doesn’t always work, somehow I ended up with comments to you and Yankee merged.
x
*Puts hand up* Kath I knew Docetaxel came from the Yew Tree, my Chemo Nurse told me. She also told me a story about how chemo was discovered after doing Autopsies on Soldiers that had been killed by Mustard Gas during the War but I cant remember it now.
Go to the top of the class Funki will be handing out sweeties later
Thank god for Kath every crappy day she cheers me up im having a bloody horrid day hot,cold,up,down bloody loose tooth,Son rings i start bloody crying,OH rings to see how i am tell him to bugger off,Mum rings to discuss the price of legs off lamb im biting my tongue,then im smiling thinking ill feel better tomorrow and be apologising to everyone ,good job they love me.And my tumour was also in my chest with clear Lymphs put im still sore and tender suppose it wont get right till treatments over,grrrr sorry ladies hope everyone else is well…xxxxx
FEC 2 day 12
Afternoon valentines - it’s been a while since I posted but read the updates every day.
Funki - when I was admitted to Hosp on cycle 1 with neutropenia the doc who was putting a cannula into my hand for IV antibiotics said that having chemo was like injecting ‘bleach’ into the veins - so no wonder we are having such sore sore arms
Louise - I am sure you are glad that FEC is over for you - I have had 2 FEC and another 4 to go!!
Linda - just to reiterate what the other valentines have said - DON’T LEAVE US!! You are a mine of information and we all class you as one of us
On the eyebrow and eyelashes front - I have all my eyelashes still but can see a definite thinning of the eyebrows - when in the shower in the mornings I very carefully wash around the eyebrows - trying to keep them for as long as possible - I think when we loose our eyebrows / lashes the we look very sick (and quite alien like!)
Penguin - good for you on the double mx - you are in control and that’s the way it should be.
Dyane - my veins are so so sore - raised and quite inflamed - sore to stretch arm out.
Karen - thanks for the tip of the liquid eye liner - must give that a go
Kath - as usual poems are amazing - and as everyone else has commented - I loved the ‘boob’ one too! Lol
So - down to the nitty gritty with what has been happening with me - FEC 2 - amazing - not one SE at all! Couldn’t believe it - had a very slight sore head for 48 hrs and that was it - nothing else at all - nurse administered my pink juice very very slowly which I think helped - also complete change of anti sickness meds BUT - there’s always a BUT isn’t there - had to go to Hosp yesterday as my chemo arm is very sore and swollen - veins are red and raised - doc looked at it and suggested a PICC line for remaining 4 FEC - this is something I didn’t want at all - don’t get me wrong - I know it will help me - chemo will now go in in 30 mins as opposed to 90 mins - it’s just the thought of the line being put in when I am awake - if I was knocked out I would have it in a heartbeat!
So valentines - who has a PICC line in and what was it like getting it in - would love to hear from anyone who has one
Also loaded with the cold - is this gonna be every cycle - at least not in Hosp this time around - feeling great - so good in fact that we managed a wee night away to Giants Causeway hotel last Sunday for one night
Also have a sore at the side of my nose - prob cause of all the blowing/wiping it with my cold - just hope it’s not gonna make its way down to my top lip! Lol
Weather here in N Ireland is horrendous - snow, ice, sleet, winds - a perfect spring day - NOT! Lol
Take care valentines
Kim xxoo
Thanks Kath!
Kim welcome back! I have have a PICC line and wouldn’t be without it. I had it put in a week before I started Chemo and i’m so grateful I did rather than have to suffer with my veins before having it. The only downside is you cant get your arm wet but I got a plastic sleeve off of ebay and can shower and bath no problem. The day I had it put in I was in a right state but it was fine. The only thing that you will feel is the local going in and that stings for a few seconds. After that you dont feel a thing. You are lying down and the nurse uses an utlra sound to locate the vein she wants to use, Once she has found it she makes a tiny cut in your arm and feeds the tube in to to arm and up the vein to where it sits just above the heart (which I thought was going to be the size of Tv cable) but its as thin is the size of the wire on an iphone charger. You wont feel a thing and when she said " that’s it ! i was shocked. You then go for an Xray to make sure its in the right place and all being well that’s it. You will have a DN come to flush it out and clean it for 2/3 weeks (3rd week it’s done at your chemo session) if you have any questions please ask x
Granny P, so sorry to hear you are having a crappy time, but glad my poems cheer you up a bit. It’s difficult to find a balance between coping with the sheer bloody horror of our situation, and also trying to remain as human as possible. I’m lucky in that I have always been a bit of an upbeat person with a deep dark and secret centre, where I go to empty all my angry feeling and disgust with life in general. I think that’s where the poems come from. It’s an outlet I relish at times.
Kim, good to hear you aren’t having any bad side effects this time, but STAY OUT OF THAT BLOODY HOSPITAL please. Hope your cold goes away soon.
Big hugs to you both as well as all other Valentines. Kath xxx
I forgot to say… The “Cartoon grey rain cloud” that has been following me has finally gone. I woke up this morning feeling like my old self. Going to be extra nice to Hubby tonight as I have been the bitch from hell this week.
Been steam cleaning my kitchen cupboards and tiles today and feel like I have had a productive day. I have become a little bit OCD since I was diagnosed, I think it’s a control thing and I feel it’s the only think I can control at the moment.
Thank you to all that offered me support and advice during my dark days x x x
Not read all today’s posts yet - my arm has never become un numb down the back since ANC althought it’s improving. I have however recently noticed tightening of the shoulder and pulling on axillary muscles and boob stabbing pain that weren’t there before. I’ve put it down to laziness and inactivity since chem started. Am certainly in ngetting doing more before I completely stagnate.
My numb area down the back of my arm has always been numb since my Node clearance and I guess it will stay that way now.
I’m going to start my exercises again tomorrow and see if I can get rid of this tight feeling.
FEC2 day 3
Thank you all for being there, particularly today cos, like Paula , I’ve had a horrid day. Couldn’t be bothered to get up til after 3 and only then when my OH started to knock plaster out of our bedroom wall (we’ve been planning on decorating in there for 2 years since we had some building work done and he starts now!)
Reading all your posts I’m sure I’ve not had enough fluid this session. Am now sitting with a bottle of lucozade like my mum used to get for me when I suffered repeated bouts of tonsillitis as a child. Drank loads of it and fizzy water last session but not bothered this time and feel so ill and smelly. Wee still red so am determined to dilute it today. Fecking FEC!
On the eyeliner front, I’m rubbish at that sort of thing but decided I needed to have a feel better hour in Boots. After roaming hopelessly in the make-up aisles for about 20 minutes I plucked up the courage to ask 2 beautiful young Asian ladies how they made their eyes look so lovely. They where absolute treasures and showed me all sorts of different products. I ended up buying a Maybelline, eye studio, lasting drama gel eyeliner. It’s in a diddly little pot and it comes with a great little fine brush which lets you get really accurate. It cost about £8 but my final checkout price was nearly fifty quid by the time I’d bought new foundation, brow colour, highlighter stuff and lippy. OH was not impressed with the bill but bless him he did say I looked glam once my BF and I had finished playing beauticians!
Kim , glad you’re doing well. My OH and I spent half term in Northern Ireland last October just after my lump was found but before DX. I really wanted to spend time there to see the places my son had raved about (as a geology student he did several field trips there). I still visualised the Ireland of my teenage years, all bombs and booby traps and wanted to see what he had seen. Am so glad we did. We stayed in Belfast but managed to do lots of traveling. Did the Antrim coast. Loved the giants causeway, had a wonderful meal a little pub in Ballycastle (I think), Learned the history in Derry/Londonderry and bought a fab coat in one of Belfast’s posh charity shops! Will be back some day soon to see more.
Having now read all the posts for today, I’m convinced I need to get back to my post op exercise regime. Sitting around on my arse feeling sorry for myself is not the way to be. Tomorrow OH and I are going to wrap up warm and take a walk in the snow to photograph the 5ft drifts the gales and snow have brought to the top of our lane.
Thank you all again. Poems , you’re a star! Linda , don’t you dare leave us!
Mandy xxx