Excellent to hear from people who have not posted for a while, and hope you have recovered from your unscheduled hospital visits. Hope everyone’s juicings this week go OK.
I am currently having post-steroid crash after Monday’s Docetaxel and prolonged steroid doses and have finally been able to sleep! I think I have now stopped babbling insanely at people and am now starting to remember names of people, places, household objects, where I live, what I went into a room in the house for (on one occasion this was to use the loo so kind of important!).
I had no bad reaction to either the Herceptin or Docetaxel while they were being given. When I had the Docetaxel the nurse told me to watch out for various symptoms including hot flushes, dizziness, tight chest feeling, I said I was having those symptoms anyway from the steroids so they ran the Docetaxel in slowly.
Docetaxel SE’s not so bad so far - no nausea or sickness but then I didn’t have any on FEC. I haven’t taken the Dom Perignon since last night as I think it may have been contributing to the stomach cramps. I am feeling very tired and with wobbly legs and just starting to get some headaches and achey joints but no worse than a bad hangover at the moment. I have stocked up on hand, foot and nail products in case of problems - my job involves a lot of computer work so if my nails are sore it will be difficult.
Em you will not be sick, you will not be sick. Im chanting with you!
Have had a really busy day at home alone. Elizabeth has slept alot as she had her injections yesterday.
I have cleaned out the fridge, The cutlery drawer, Two kitchen cupboards, Done three loads of washing and ironing and written a shopping list. I had to do the list as when i cleaned out the fridge i found 4 packs of tomatos and 56 rashers of bacon no milk and no bread. Think chemo/baby brain may be effecting my tesco shop!
I also discovered our tin opener was a major health hazard, I have scrubbed it and bleached it before any of us become ill…
Raining here now AGAIN!
Hi to All. No news from the hospital so assuming juicing with first Tax to go ahead tomorrow afternoon. You are quite right Doggirl, must get rid of the guilt. What you get being brought up a Catholic and going to catholic schools. No matter how much you think you finally think for yourself the guilt thing creeps back in. So raspberries to guilt! Hi Rattles, didn’t mean to mislead you. I have a portacath inserted, makes me look a bit like Sigorny Weaver with a little alien trying to surface through my chest. The cost is using the special needle they need to withdraw the blood. So they try to use the feet first. Only took 3times! Apparently veins collapse no matter where they are in body. All juices put thru the port during juicing time. Glad the tax went well Em, will try the mantra too.Although I had no nausea on my last FEC. Had my 8 steroids today,hopefully will sleep tonight. Got a stinking head cold today. Hopefully be better tomorrow and they will go ahead with it. Loves to all.xx
Dorothy good luck with you TAX tomorrow. They told me that any adverse reactions would happen in first 10 mins of infusion so after that you can relax. Mine only took an hour to go in. Still feel ok no sickness so I’m risking a lightish dinner…x
Hi ladies, just popping in, bloods were good in fact neuts were higher than last time, but SE’s kicked in very quickly, before I’d left the hospital, arms are aching at the moment and the usual foggy head, but it’s 4 down only 2 left to do, DOGGIRL, hope your juicing was ok and SE’s are kind to you, that’s it from me to sleepy, will post again soon love to all Toni xx
Good to hear from you Squeaky mouse- hopefully you will get some proper sleep now you have stopped taking the dreaded steriods. I get stomach cramps post chemo too, for me this was accompanied by diarhea (someone else said is this too much info?!!- the April thread share alot more intimate information!!!) but immodium helped with the cramps, its just quite a delicate balance to manage the transition from being constipation to diarhea. I think its amazing that you didnt feel sick on FEC, but for those that did, the good news is that you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised by the fact that you dont feel sick…So Em, fingers crossed… Harry Duck, good to hear from you - would you like to come and stay?!! I wanted to tell you about a really good book for toddlers/young children called the Paper Bag Princess. The main character is called Elizabeth and she is feisty and independent. She goes to save her Prince from a dragon but all he does is moan about her wearing a paper-bag. So she tells him he is a bum and she wont marry him. My daughter loves it. Dorothy- very glad to hear you are not having chemo through your feet !!! The thought was enough to give me nightmares. The trauma. But still seems very mean to take your blood from your feet. Jellipops- the trip to Oz sounds amazing… Lou and Claire, sorry you have been to hospital. I was so scared I was gonna have to stay in on Saturday. I had a letter today from the gynaecologist and from nowhere started crying- he is expecting me to have my ovaries out. I realised I am coping with this by denial.
I think I have done more today than in the last week. So, so great to have some energy. I had a makeover this afternoon by a lovely lady who is setting up a new charity. I really did look amazing and learned lots of tips about applying eyeliner (I have lost almost all my eye lashes). A real treat.
I had a surreal experience in a cafe. The guy making my coffee engaged me in conversation about cancer. He did a dance and started undressing. I was like ‘no, no, I just want coffee.’ He proceeded to lift up his shirt, show me his back and said ‘you are looking at my testicles.’ Turned out he had suffered from testicular cancer. Now, that WAStoo much information.
Doggirl, Biker, hope you are doing okay.
Rattles, x
Hi, my previous update got lost in the Internet ether so will try again.
Had first dose of Herceptin on Monday then Docetaxol Tuesday, ok so far although metallic taste arrived already which I hate but I’m sure worse is to come but I shall be positive. Still seems like such a long way to go at the moment.
Hoping not too much lethargy or I won’t be able to keep up with the girls on holiday but at least the sun is due to shine again soon.
Good to hear from everyone and stay positive
X
Good morning ladies , day 1 of feeling " human" , been really down this week but decided today that I will put my positive face on again !!! So fed up with people saying " well done , you are halfway through now " when all I can think is OMG I’ve got 3 more to do , thought I would feel so different , dissappointed in myself , I am normally the one who holds everything together and right now feel like a failure , I know it will pass but it’s so hard just now , going to try and go out today if my legs will let me , had really heavy feeling at bottom of legs , like there’s a weight attached to them , not so much sickness this time tho so that was a bonus , right positive head on , go for shower , get dressed ( always a good idea if you are going out ) hope all you lovely ladies have agood day today and SE’s are not too bad .
Love and hugs to all of you xxx
Morning everyone
Had fec3 yesterday (my week off saw my neuts go from 1.2 to 5.1). District nurse coming today to give my first neulasta jab. Feeling much less nauseous that on previous 2 feccings - long may it last, and god bless Emend!
Usually I can’t use computer, read or watch TV for the first few days, but hoping settle in today for the Tour de France, which I’m really getting into. Go Brad! Maybe next year we will see Mr Doggirl taking part on his fancy new bike!!
I’m intrigued by the guy in the coffee shop with the testicles on his back - how does that work?!
Hope everyone juiced this week isn’t suffering too much, and that everyone is getting some good times.
love & hugs, Alix xx
FEC done yesterday. Don’t actually feel that foggy today but have been kind to myself and stayed in bed. I stink though! I have hot flushes. Just went down stairs to let the dogs out into the garden and it’s beautiful. Typical!
I haven’t got the omoph to write much more. Esp on iPhone
Hello buddies,
Alix its very reassuring that those neuts improved so quickly. To all those who are feeling b…h, hang on in there. I am still feeling good, trying to forget that this time next week I will be waiting for that truck to hit-enough to make me weep. I know I ve said this bs before, but its a good job we dont all get juiced at the same time. What a sad thread it would be. I know I get alot of hope from hearing that everyone is recovered when I feel ill.
Em and Alix and anyone else interested, the guy in the cafe had had a lesion removed from his back- he removed his shirt to show me his scars, hence his comment ‘you are looking at my testicles.’ I assumed it was testicular cancer that had spread, which was really sad, but still I was actually trying very hard not to imagine his testicles…!!
Ginger- I have a def. cycle of emotions during chemo. I am quite high the first few days (the steriods?), and also cos I have had another chemo and survived. Then when I stop taking the steriods, I feel really down and miserable and dont really feel any better until I start to feel physically better. Then I get all excited cos I can go for a walk and just generally do some normal stuff. At this point, I have another low as I have to grapple with the ‘new me’ but never quite process this before its time to start gearing up for the next cycle.
I am thinking of you all, holding virtual hands. It doesnt take away the pain, but it makes it easier to bear.
Rattles, xx
Thank you Rattles , I am feeling more positive today, I think while I am on the steroids all the negative thoughts creep in , when I was originally diagnosed in March I was told only MX needed , then when they did it they found another tumour, and had to have node clearance 20/20 nodes were infected, grade 3 aggresive and invasive , so chemo then radiotherapy, then wait and see what happens, think the bad reaction I had to chemo last week was the straw that broke the camels back , been trying to stay really positive but only had 3 chemo’s and been hospitalised twice , thought I was stronger than this , try not to show my weak side to family , its so good to be able to vent on here and know that no-one is judging you, also good to know that I’m not the only one who feels weak at times , hope everyone is doing better today and that you all have a lovely positive weekend .
Love and hugs to all of you xxx
Morning buddies, sunny and drizzly here in chelt today but better weather on the way so get that sun cream out!! Still on steroid high- did load of jobs yesterday - even put lots of kids minging shoes and trainers in washing machine and they came up like new. Still no sickness-hurray!! Didn’t sleep too well last night though, lots of tossing and turning going on and weird dreams (won’t bore you with them). Got a relexology session at hospital today so mil coming to stay with kids who broke up yesterday, while I go. I’m now on reduced steroids for next three days so not sure when tax truck will hit…have already lost taste buds as lovely oh made me a bacon sarnie this morning with brown sauce and I couldn’t taste a thing- boohoo!! Ginger1, I think the half way point hit us all like that- still seemed such a long way to go- we need to take one day at a time and give ourselves little treats along the way to make this whole journey more bearable. Glad you are feeling better- I can relate to those ‘dark thoughts’ too, par for the course with this bl***y disease I think! Doggirl, Bikerchic, alix, Dorothy,squeaky mouse, Polarbear and everyone else I’ve forgotten who were juiced this week, I hope your SEs are bearable, love to all, Em ps. Hope our quiet buds are ok too- thinking of you all, xxxx pps. Rattles thank you for clarifying ‘testicles on back man’ - lol!!!
Hi all just wrote a post and looks like itgot lost. Must take the dogs out as driving me mad and will try again when get back. Been awake since 430 again! So feels like afternoon already! am feeling great though! Will fill you in later.
I just had a big bowl of ice cream for my sore throat and mouth ulcers and it worked like magic!
I am feeling better today. Yesterday I had the shakes and kept dropping things and my legs were so weak and wobbly I nearly had to resort to shuffling down the stairs on my bum instead of walking, but this is much better today. I still have bone and joint aches and pains like flu but paracetamol seems to be keeping them under control at the moment.
I have also been having dark thoughts, weird dreams etc especially during the post steroid (or St Eroid as they call them on the April thread) crash. The tiredness is the most difficult thing to explain to other people, especially when (like me) you are meant to be the strong one in the family who is never ill and looks after everyone else - I just don’t want anyone else to see me like this and am trying to rest during the day when no-one’s looking then do normal stuff when other people are around (with the help of energy drinks etc.). If you are sick, coughing, sneezing etc its obvious to other people that you are ill but tiredness and bone ache is difficult to explain without sounding like you are just making it up. I’m sure hubby thinks I just took to my bed this morning feeling sorry for myself because I had mouth ulcers and he is probably just waiting for me to get over myself.
I am just trying to clean the house at the moment as I forgot hubby had invited his friends over for the weekend! Oops! We are going to the Bristol Harbour Festival tomorrow so might have to pump Red Bull into my PICC line to keep the Tax truck away.
Hope everyone else has an OK weekend and those of you with kids are enjoying the start of the school holidays.
Well, the school holidays are here and it seems very surreal to be stuck with the endless chemo treck while everyone else’s lives seems to be carrying on with direction and purpose.
Ho humm, no wonder we feel glummm.
Taking mil out to lunch for her birthday today. And that means a day off from cooking something I can’t taste And the sun is shining at last.
Saw something in a card shop yesterday that made me smile…
If life brings youLEMONSBreak out the SALT AND TEQUILA
Hi all. Squeakymouse I just want to squeeze thru and give u a big hug! The bone ache and tiredness is so destructive on my emotions too. Physical pain seems so much easier to deal with. Hope you feeling better and the dark thoughts letting some sunshine in today!
Had my juicing Thursday and was a walk in the park compared to the FEC. Thanks for the heads up Em on the first 10mins zone. Was a bit anxious thru this then just sat back and let the poison flow thru. Took so long though. The FEC session only took bout an hour, I was there for over 2 hours! No nasty mouth, no weird nose, no nausea and managed to walk out width a clear head. The crazy chemo brain is thinking “maybe it was just water they pumped into me, they’re just playing a game with me”.
Mind you woke up looking like a great big tomato today. Skin very red. Oiling my finger and toe nails more now. Taken on board the Tax effects to the nails. Someone mentioned wearing socks - were these special socks. I’ve lost my breasts and hair and don’t fancy losing the nails too.
Finally got my cardiology appointment thu for next next. My last CT scan showed had fluid in heart area and an echo confirmed. Need to get this checked out before the radio starts. Feeling confident it won’t turn out to be a big thing as the breathlessness has subsided.
Love, hugs and happy thoughts to everyone. X
Hello buddies. Hope all are as well as can be.
FEC 4 has broken me. Am stuck in bed. Cannot seem to sleep anymore but cannot be up for longer than half hour either. Prob need to eat something and get some energy. Sooooo fed up.
Still tomorrow is another day xxx
And the sun is shining at last.
Jx