Just been for a lovely dog walk and felt normal even called at the pub on the way home for a hot choc. I didnt pass out and the boys didnt run off. Hope i still feel this good later x
Well hello all you darling buds:)
Just hopping in from the April 12 thread to see how you are. I haven’t read all the posts but if you are anything like us lot, now is the time when one of the major topics is hair loss, shaving ang wigs. Goodness, we were obsessed for about 3 weeks!
Now we are all bald and hardly mention it, just seems to have been another step in our journeys. As for me, i spent a fortune on wigs and only wear them occassionally. Have found i have a real knack for scarf tying and have bought loads, makes me feel rather exotic for once. Have to be careful not to do an Isadora Duncan as I drive a convertible 
Some of you may be up to chemo 2 now. When my chemo 2 was due, i went along feeling very upbeat and was devastated to have it cancelled as the onc noticed a slight swelling in my cheek, sent me off with horse strength anti-biotics and told to get to a dentist asap. Chemo re-scheduled for 10 days hence.
So saw dentist, have a cracked tooth but he won 't do root canal unti after chemo. So upshot is, I now get precautionnary anti-biotics at each session.
Reason i am sharing this, is about a third of our group have had a chemo cancelled and we were all upset. ( how mad is that - we should be march hares not april bunnies) howerver, it turned out to be a blessing for all of us.
Me and my oh managed to get in a weeks holiday on the isle of wight and enjoyed the most amazing weather, another lady had another week for her badly bruised paw to recover, so if you do get cancelled, take it as a gift, thats why we call today the prsent.
Now talking of presents… My oh is taking part in the Relay for Life on 14 july and i am doing the first lap as a survivor resplendent in official t-shirt. Oh is raising sponsorship so I didn’t want to dilute his efforts by asking the same people. Instead, i am making ‘Happy Bags’.
These are little purply organza bags, very pretty and contain the following:
A marble - for the days when you loose yours
A teddy bear - so you can always have a hug
A piece of string - for when you can’t hold it together
A heart - to remind you that someone loves you
An eraser - to rub out those little mistakes and start your day over
A coin - so you will never be broke
A silver 4 leaf clover - so you will have all the luck in the world
They have a little laminated card tied on with ribbon that explains the contents, I am selling them for £2 each and a 100% goes to cancer research ( just a nominal postage cost)
If you would like one/some please pm me, and i will send you my address and payment details.
I have my 82 year old mother and her twin sister putting together 500 of these as i hope to raise £1000. China has nothing on the assembly line me auntie mary has created in her dining room!
Laughter is the medicine of the soul. Keep taking your daily dose you beautiful buds.
Much love
Pixie xxxxxx
I love Harryduck, a cup of hot chocolate in a pub, brilliant, glad to hear u didn’t pass out ( always a good thing) lol, I’m having 2nd juicing this coming Wednesday, hopefully bloods being ok, it will be 2 down and 4 to go hope u all r having better weather than we’ve got here, it’s cloudy and keeps raining, typical bank hols really :-D, ok have a good one x Toni xx
Evening lovely ladies.
Well after a good start today of a spot of retail therapy , I am feeling a bit poop. I feel like I have caught a bit of a cold and I’m knackered. There’s huge free music vintage festival on in Portsmouth this weekend and I’m having to keep away due to the large amount of people there. My OH is working there and it sounds like great fun. Booooooo to missing out.
On the plus side I’ve been treating myself with all the money I’ve been saving by staying in. Clothes, stuff for our new house and some posh chocolate as my taste buds are on the way back. Yum.
Hope you are all having a lovely long weekend xx
Well the brilliant start to the weekend has just gone to s**t. I have 2 step daughters who are now 11 and 14. There mother is not easy but we have managed to get through the last 10 years. The youngest and i have alwasy had a good relationship. The eldist is more complex. She is very very close to her mum neither have any friends and we have had times when she wouldnt come here for months on end. This is obviosly really hard for my OH. They had split up when we met but only just and i was kept in the cupboard for two years before he told them about our relationship. I think his ex just expected them to get back together and the eldest blames me for the reason they havent. Its hard work. Any way along comes a baby and eldset thinks its great really loves her and has been coming as much as poss. Happy days. Today she kicked the dog and i said dont kick the dog we dont do that here. In a strong voice i was cross. Next thing i know she is having a full on panick attack. It lasted ages and guess it really frightened OH. Turns out its not the first one and she has an inhaler (not here). Long and short is OH has taken them home to there slightly crazy mother and will blame me for all of this. Im not sure if he knew about the other attacks and has not told me or its the first he knows but the rest of the weekend will be awful. I really dont need this right now.
Oh Harry duck, what a nightmare.
She sounds like a little madam, I’m not surprised you were angry, if anyone kicked my cat I would be livid, it’s not acceptable behaviour.
I have suffered with panic attacks since I was a teenager and I’ve never heard of having an inhaler to help, it sounds like she got herself I a tizzy and wanted some attention. She probably feels between you being sick and her Dad now having Elizabeth that the focus has shifted from her (just guessing. That added with teenage hormones = hell for you)
I’m stuck indoors this weekend, so if you want to vent on here or private , please message me, I’m a good listener.
My suggestion would be to pour yourself a huge vino and have a big bubble bath. It should be about you at the moment and your OH should support you in that.
Sending mahoosive hugs xxx
Harryduck u have my sympathy, teenagers can be hell, and kicking an animal as Josie says is NOT acceptable behaviour, and it does sound like she’s attention seeking, but don’t worry about it pour yourself a nice big drink, and pamper yourself, as far as I’m concerned u have done nothing wrong, so no need to feel bad, I have only one teenager left now, and she’s 18 and very heavily pregnant, ( little boy due in just over 3 weeks), but she used to put me thru hell when she used to visit as she was living with her dad, but she’s great now
Harryduck I hope you have had a quiet night and that your OH has not given you a hard time, I think we would all have reacted the same as you did, no matter what age she is it is not right to kick any animal. I had a good day yesterday, out with family for lunch and some shopping, shattered when I got home but felt great to do something “normal” for a change, brought down to earth with a huge bump this morning, jumped in the shower, got out and was getting dried, lifted my right boob to dry under it and without thinking went to lift other one only to realize it was not there 
you would think after 9 weeks I would have remembered) had a good cry ( again) and now trying to show my happy face to everyone again, don’t want them all to know how stupid I feel , hope everyone is having a quiet and peaceful weekend.
love and hugs to all of you xxx
Thank you so much ladies. Things are very quiet but i can cope with that. I is all my fault of course but i dont have the energy to discuss it.
Josiejo looks like i will be indoors all weekend the weather is just awful. I have the heating on and the telly!
Bikerchic bet you cant wait for baby to arrive. What a great distraction from all this yukkyness
Ginger hope you feel better after a cry. It is such hard work being cheerful all the time.
Love to all xxx
Hope you are all doing something nice for the weekend.
Harry duck- sorry yours got off to a stressful start. Families and step/relationships can be difficult at the best of times, and this is probably one of the most difficult of of times! Whatever happens, try to take a step back from all that stress and emotion and make a safe little place for yourself at the moment.
Josie hope your cold is better. I share for your frustration about wanting to do things but not being able to do so…
Ginger - big hug. I still find it hard to have a bath etc and see myself too.It is a massive loss.
My left breast is swollen and red again. I am trying not to panic and hold onto the fact that it might just settle but I am really scared. I did not expect it to happen so soon after stopping the steriods.
Oh well, the rain seems to be lifting here in London. If it stays dry I am going to the garden centre to buy lots of geraniums for my balcony. This year I declared it a veg-free zone!!
Lots of love, Rattles, xx
Good morning all.
Rattles i really hope it settles down.
The sun keeps poking its head out for a few mins at a time.
Hope i can manage a big dog walk today.
Cooked brek first.
Lots of love to all x
Rattles, hope things settle down real soon, enjoy the garden centre, Harryduck hope you get to have your doggie walk. I’m just relaxing, having blood test tomorrow ready for 2nd juicing on Wednesday :-/ , hope bloods come back ok, bit nervous
Hi Bikerchic. Have been on a lovely dog walk thankyou. OH sister has come over so i left Elizabeth with them and went alone. The boys were really good. Looks like they will be here all the time now since the fall out with step daughter i dont think they will be going back there…! Im pleased really but it might be hard work somtimes. We had a dog walker 2 days a week when i was working so will have to ask her to come back. Its just so expensive. They are to much for my mum. My dad could do one day if his knees are ok 
. He has his own crazy dog to walk twice a day already. Mine only get one walk but it has to be long really. They are fast asleep again now. We have a play date later with next doors collie Dougle 
Lol bless, I love dogs, OH wanted to get one for me, to be company for me whilst off work, which is a lovely idea and oh I really do want a dog, but reality sets in, don’t know if able to look after a dog if I’m not feeling well, ie tired, no energy,feeling sick, I know they pass, but wouldn’t be fair on the dog, so I said when all this yuckiness has finished we can get a doggie then 
, can’t wait lol x
Hello everyone,
Harryduck, just been reading your posts, very stressful indeed, just what you don’t need. Bikerchic, good luck with the bloods.
I had the pleasure of a weekend away at my local hopsital, temperature on Friday evening, went for bloods and they kept me in until this afternoon. I’m neutropenic at the moment. After all that I was relaxing on the sofa after I got home and my hair has decided it wants to move, it has started to come out. Apart from that my SE have been slight which is the only good thing really. I’m going to really enjoy my evening and watch a bit of telly and then sit in the garden I think.
Hope everyone is doing ok.
Love Claire
Claire im sorry you have had a trip to hospital. Cant be nice. And your hair starting is never nice. Thinking of you.
Things much better this end. OH more talkative as his sister is here and the friends from next door have been round with the dog so it has been good and busy. Hoping it continues. We had a bad night with Elizabeth last night she was awake from 11.30 til 2.30… yuk. She has slept for most of today so hoping she dosent do the same tonight. We are having a Jamie 30 min mustard chicken special tonight. Hope it goes ok. OH has never used this book and i find it tricky to follow. Love and hugs to all xxx
Darling Buds!
Lovely to read all your updates and to see that life still goes on regardless of BC.
Hairy - I completely concurr on the dog front. As an animal lover, I spend a lot of my time working with an animal welfare charity and I have to say that for all the intelligence attributed to the human race, I am still trying to convince myself that we deserve the friendship, respect, and love of our animal friends.
To all the new people posting and joining the exclusive chemo clubs (am thinking there may be a June thread now too?), welcome. I would hateto think of anyone struggling to cope with not just the physical effects of this, but emotionally too. There are so many times I think I am loosing the plot these days - some days I feel invincible, and others I feel more fragile than my own elderly mother. But the one thing I always try to keep in mind - I AM NOT ALONE, and I am not the only one. Yes this journey is personal to each of us, but that is where our strength is. Together our defences stand strong.
Rattles et al, Hugs and stuff.
Special note to Vivibell - will give u a call later. Hope you understood my post.
Luv 2 all,
Merc
xxxx
Hello buddies,
Merc- good to hear from you. Just a quickie from me. Daughter on way home. Meant to be cooking- if you consider boiling new potatoes cooking?!-lunch for arrival- quite a challenge these days. Harry duck - your Jamie Oliver recipe sounds pretty impressive. Hope it was tasty. Wish I could help walk your dogs. Hope Elizabeth had a better night.
Claire- sounds like you are feeling a bit better now? Sorry you ended up in hospital. Hope you are coping okay with the hair loss. Our previous posts might help?
To all those going for blood tests etc today/tomorrow for the next cycle- good luck!
Rattles, xx
Hello all.
Much better night with Elizabeth and i stayed in bed this morning while OH got up at 6 with her. Im sleeping so much better now. The drugs really do muck up my sleeping pattern its such a pain as things are so much easier to deal with sleep. Im off in the garden now to pop in a few plants and empty the pots ready for re planting on thurs with my mum. Will be nice to have the patio looking colourful. Off dog walking later with my friend and her crazy basset hound Archie. We have to really think through the route as he cant do styles or get under gates or steap banks. He also cant be let off the lead as he doesnt come back. Not that mine always come back but they do know their way home from most places 
. Hope your all having a good day and feeling well. Lots of love Mrs Duck xxx
Hi all,
I had my bloods done this morning but they were so busy they couldn’t give me the result straight away - they said they would ring if there was a problem, so fingers crossed all is well now. The doctor (a different one again from last week and the time before!) thought my FEC2 was delayed due to me feeling too sick!! I pointed out that it was actually due to my neutrophil count being too low (at 1.1) and that I had actually felt really well - doesnt’ fill you with confidence does it!!! oh well, all being well FEC2 on Thursday followed by injections to boost my white blood cells - anyone else having these? Im hoping I can administer them myself…Feel fed up as was at hospital for over 2 hours to been seen by a doctor that hadnt bothered reading my notes and then having to go different part of hospital again for blood test as oncology dept was too busy to do it!! When I politely asked a volunteer helper how long the wait was to be seen I got an angry, defensive rant about it being a bank holiday and they were really busy!!!
Getting my doggy back Thursday morning - yippee (!) and then rest of family return early hours of Friday morning - not great timing as I will have just had my second dose. Hopefully SEs will be ok again this time. Hope you are all managing ok with your treatment and SEs and have managed to enjoy the bank holiday, Em xxx