Hi Darling Buddies,
just a quick question… is anyone else out there having trouble making saliva. I seem to have a permanently dry mouth and throat. I keep swallowing and slicking my tongue around but cant seem to make enough to stop the slime forming or tongue sticking.Ginger beer helps for a short while but thats it. I drink at least 2 bottles of water plus tea and coffee. Chris
Morning May buddies,
I hope Ninja and Rach continue to make good progress following their ops - hope the arm pains are behaving themselves more… and bend 2…3… and stretch 2…3… keep up with the exercises girlies…
Angielav - hope the shingles are settling more, and don’t forget your knicks - it’s windy out again today…
LMW - sorry haven’t had your saliva problem, doesn’t sound great though… smell some vinegar? - that always makes my mouth water, as it knows it’s about to receive some chips mmmhhhh…
I’m now on 3rd batch of antibiotics for nail oozing - they did clear a bit but the pressure build up was immense until the gunk exploded from down the side of one nail. Onc wasn’t really helpful, just winced and said ‘they don’t look too good do they??’ - looking bad I can do with black varnish, it’s the foul smelling oozing and numb/painful fingers I can do without, beginning to grate now (sorry Ninja and Rach). Just hope they stay attached…
I’m rubbish at juggling, can’t do buttons and still using toothbrush end to push the flush on loo, and I can’t pick my nose either (sorry)… I’m struggling to walk far, legs like lead and skating uphill through treacle - maybe the Tax truck was saving everything up until chemo was finished??? Sounds like I’m whinging, but I’m doing ok, just want to be back to normal a bit more and get off the couch…
I’m 1/3 way through Rads now, and apart from lack of parking, it seems to be a doddle at the moment.
Hope everyone else is doing ok and getting on with some sort of post-chemo normality, if not, big hugs to you x
Hello Ladies,
I hope things are gradually improving for you Ninja and Rach and you are both getting lots of TLC.
Angie - good luck returning to work, sounds like it might be a bit too soon. I wasn’t going to mention the kn…!
Beverlie - your nail situation sounds horrid, painful as well as yucky.
I’ve got one more chemo to go and my feet are much worse than my hands.
Some of my toes are going black as well as the nails. Looks as though both the big ones will come off, but lucky for me no oozing gunk - yet!
Fingers are numb and back of hands sore, but they look okay.
Little miss Whoops - I don’t have the saliva problem, just a constant horrid taste in my mouth.
Wandy, I’ve still got the pleasure of rads planning to come. Waiting for the appointment letter to arrive. Sounds as though you were Exhibit A. You should have charged £1 a look!
Cherry Orchard- good luck with the rads. I’m hoping I can request mine for late morning as it’ll be about 3 hours driving round trip and into middle of Brighton - don’t relish rush hour driving at the moment.
Hello all… Jo’s around in the Woods… good to hear you are surviving Ninja, but the seroma sounds grim… anyone heard from Rachel recently?
Bev - my nails are grim, but not oozing or infected, so I’m lucky! I had a toenail that got caught and came off, and i’d no nail varnish with me… When I had a shower it all flaked off, so I didn’t feel I could/should varnish. Did a bit of googling and some said to oil nails… others said tea tree was a natural antibiotic, so I’ve been putting tea tree oil on… didn’t sting and there’s no sign of infection (which BCN was concerned about)
had saliva problem during chemo, but not since, thankfully. Not nice…
Angie - SHOULD you go back to work with no knickers on?!?!?!?! They might talk, you know!
Hugs to everyone… especially those I’ve missed… Jane
Hello ladies,
Getting better every day, have driven the car too and not too painful as long as I stick to main road and no lanes! I’m still being spoiled by my Mum, and have lazed around watching DVDs and reading today. Still find it hard to get comfy in bed.
Bev-my nails are gross too but not oozing. Hope yours get better soon!
Ninja-keep stretching girl!!!
Wandy and Co-good luck with rads-don’t know when mine start yet!
Hope everyone is okay.
love Rach x
Rachel,
My goodness!! Driving, wow!!! Is it ok to do that so soon??! Do take care! Lovely to hear from you tho, glad you’ve still got your Mum with you. Hope you are also doing ok Ninja.
Seems like a lot of people on other threads are saying ‘au revoir’. I am certainly posting much less now, really only here. I guess its natural to start to move on. Feels strange to be coming out the other end of this year.
I don’t intend to leave here tho!
Anyway hope everyone is in good form
Love
Wandyx
Hi all … first day back … only did four hours in a department I don’t usually work in - so it was all new. And I managed knickers and trousers!
You all seem to be suffering terribly with nail problems … is that the TAX … cos (TOUCHES WOOD) I seem to be ok but I only did EC. Got two black toe nails but none dropping off.
A shingles sufferer told me she gets it every year … lovely! I wont go into whats happening with the rash now - but needless to say its pretty revolting!!
Rache, driving so soon - blimey, sure it took me a couple of weeks to venture out. Do be careful…there’s so many numpties out there!!
Love to all xxx
Greetings
Glad to hear that your day at work was OK and that you wore your knickers, Angie.
Rach - keep stretching!
Sorry to hear about yukky nails; mine are brown but not so tender any more and I only lost one.
SeromaWatch (like SpringWatch but with fewer sheep)
Today the seroma has been examined officially and it is now “small” so it remains undrained. It’s not so bad today, actually.
Had all dressings off today and I’m healing really well and can now SHOWER. Had physio and I have 90 deg movement so she’s very pleased, too.
AND
I am now in the LAND OF NED!!!
Main tumour shrunk from 80(eighty) mm to 1.5 mm; the two primaries were 4mm and 1mm. Excellent response to chemo. Just rads, Tamoxifen, herceptin to go - belt’n’braces. Very aggressive type of bustard (that’s a type of bird, doncha know) so likelihood of recurrence in first two years but if nothing happens then, I should be sailing free.
I have to admit that I hugged the posh man in a suit…
And I want to hug you too Ninja, great news.
Well done Angie - knickers and trousers. I haven’t got shingles and I’ve only managed PJs all day today.
It must be lovely to get out Rache, but be careful not to overdo it. You’ll be harping again in no time…
ninja-that’s fab news. You must feel so relieved. xxx
I am being careful ladies and wouldn’t drive if the steering on my car wasn’t so light. Don’t know when to go back to work. I need to contact them to let them know when I will be going back and arrange part time hours. Don’t know how rads will get me either. Any advice?
Slendablenda-I played my harp today! Standing up not sitting down-but felt so good.
Wandy, you’re right, it is weird being at this end of the journey. Suddenly time is going quicker again and we are getting our lives back aren’t we?
Love to all
Rach x
SO glad you could play your harp today Rachel! I was driving after a week - an automatic… Hugely relieved you managed knickers and trousers Angie!!!
It does feel odd to be at a different edge of the journey doesn’t it? I log on and find that there are loads of posts/people I don’t know/am not involved with. Some feel appropriate to drop in to, others don’t catch the imagination or I don’t have time. Feels funny too to be facing going back to work (two weeks today I hope) and not to be consumed by all the things you have to do post-surgery/during chemo etc etc.
Personally, I found rads easy… no fatigue afterwards to speak of (despite all the warnings), but I was still recovering from the chemo, so may not have noticed the difference! I was also very lucky in that loads of different folk drove me, so I had a lovely catch up/chat each day with different people, which was life-giving, rather than draining. Some of them I hardly knew/know! None did it more than twice… and it meant OH only had to come twice. Felt very blessed… night ladies…sleep well…Jane
Hi Buddies
Thanks for info on saliva guess I’l just keep drinking the ginger beer and hope…
Finished rads now but must say I’m tender in the area tonight. One of the techs told me to be careful as it continues to work inside for up to 10 days. Also minimum factor 30 for 2yrs. Skin is in good condition although slightly red told I can use my own stuff but keep a watchful eye. Nope will continue to use simple for the time being.
Ninja so pleased for you its about time something nice happened.
Angielav well done 4hrs is quite a feat on day 1.
Rach isn’t it nice to be independent when you want.Glad you played your harp its something normal in your life.
Wandy the rads went so quickly had a great team but told them I don’t want to see them again (LOL).
It does feel really strange to know that it’s almost over and my time is mine to do as I will. No coherent thoughts yet.
Love to all, keep walking the walk Chris x
Evening everyone
Sorry haven’t been on for a while …
Ninja - great to hear you had such good news, I’d be hugging men in suits too. Rachel, I’m glad you sound so well and it must be fantastic to start playing your harp again. Angie - sounding a bit Superwoman-ish back at work still with the shingles, but glad it went ok (and look, didn’t mention k******s at all!)
Have been getting on ok with phased return at work, luckily have great colleagues who are in full mother hen mode and keep checking I’m ‘not doing too much’ so I know I’ve had it a lot easier than many. First rads today - for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to have 7.45am appointment… But all went fine, apart from me having the odd panic that they’ve discovered something sinister on the CT (am developing a whole new gift for hypochondria these days - or is it a healthy body awareness???)
Does feel like lots of moving on happening, hope everyone is feeling ok and stronger each day,
love to all, Jude
Hi all,
Just dropping back in and catching up on everyone’s news.
Rachel so glad you’re doing so well and have your mum looking after you.
Fantastic news Ninja!!!
Lovely to hear some of you have finished rads.
I am starting tomorrow for 5 weeks so it feels like I’m reaching the finish line.
Feeling so much better now that chemo has finished, joined a running club and now running 3 times a week.
I hope everyone else is ok.
Big hugs
Smiles xx
Morning everyone,
It does sound like we are all starting to move on a bit. Good luck to all starting rads.(Smiles). I start next week and it really feels like the end is in sight, although like you Jude, wonder if the CT scan picked up anything sinister. Guess I would have heard if they had!!
Hope everyone has a good day.
Wandyx
Good afternoon.
Smiles - running 3 times a week? Bliddy marvellous!
I’m banned from cycling for at least 6 (maybe 12) weeks post-surgery so I’m peed off about that.
Enjoy my new avatar - that’s how much of my natural dark ash blonde has come through since I took the other photie about 3 weeks ago. You can also tell (hopefully) that the pigmentation is still patchy.
Good luck everyone and keep well.
Hi all … another day at work (wearing you know what) and managed four hours again … tho admittedly the shingles pain has come back with a venegance and the blisters are coming off revealing raw flesh! Nice!!
Strong pain killers and lots of calomine tonight … see how I feel tomorrow.
S’funny, now I’m back I’m missing all that time I had to myself… shame I wasnt feeling a hundred per cent to enjoy it more!
x
Oh Angie I do feel for you!
First rads done…24 to go (yawn).
Ninja so much hair! I’m jealous!
And yes, I wouldn’t have believed I could run…I’m loving it
Hope everyone is ok. Good luck for next week Wandy x
Thanks smiles, and glad rads went ok!
Just thought I would share for one day only, a piccy of me with hair!!! I still look like a convict but at least its appearing!!!
Rachel and Ninja, hope you’re both doing ok and bev and all other nail girls and Angielav, hope the shingles are continuing to improve. Its strange isn’t it, we’ve all had this ‘year off’ from our normal lives but have not been in a position to actually enjoy!! Think I’m looking forward to having my ‘real’ life back tho!
Have a good day all.
Wandyx
Wandy-my hair is like yours too. So nice to see it growing again isn’t it?
I have a meeting about going back to work on Thursday, plan to go back after half term, and suddenly I realise that I have been at home for 8 months and done nothing normal. Now I have time and need not go back just yet but really have to cos we can’t manage without the money. So now I have time and energy to do things and no money, whereas for the last 8 months I’ve had money and no inclination! Typical! Am looking forward to getting life back to somewhere near normal though x