Hello to everyone,
I’ve been reading through all the posts which I always enjoy. Hope everyone with children can enjoy the school holidays without getting too tired or feeling too ill.
Squeakymouse, sorry you’ve got mouth ulcers and a sore throat. I swear by a mouthwash called Retar Dex, it is a bit expensive, they sell it at Superdrug, but I haven’t had any problems. It does seem very good. Hope you enjoyed the Harbour Festival this weekend.
Doggirl, sorry to hear the fourth treatment was so harsh on you but glad you are starting to feel better.
Ambarose - a five mile walk and picnic with your grandson sounds lovely, very impressed with the five mile walk - my OH and me used to go for long walks once upon a time but unfortunately we haven’t been for a while and its surprising how quickly you lose fitness.
Langdon - I think you are a wonderful example of someone who, although suffering with chording, had the strengh to fix it yourself, it must have been extremely painful - again impressed with the netball to. I really am going to have to pull my finger out and start a fitness regime!
Rattles, was that horseracing? It’s a bugger isn’t it, you just get used to losing your hair then your eyebrows and eye lashes fall out - except the grey ones of course! They’ll be hanging in there to the end of treatment I’m sure.
I’ve read a lot of post about the steriods on Tax. I did something different last time because I was fed up with the Sunday crash. Instead of taking four each day I took three the first couple of days, two the next and so on. I didn’t get the crash although had much milder side effects which last a couple of days longer.
Had a wonderful weekend with OH. We went to Worm’s Head in Wales for the weekend. Spent all day Sunday on the beach. Trouble is the steps back to the hotel were so steep my calfs ache and I burnt my feet so am hobbling about the place like an old person. Still my bandanna made me look like a surfing dude so no strange looks!
Bit apprehensive about tomorrow. I get the results of my CT scan to see if the Tax is working. I’m trying to put it out of my mind until tomorrow and the sun is helping. I don’t dare to think what will happen if it’s not working.
Hope everyone is ok and enjoying the sunshine. I think meeting up sounds a great idea. I to am in Cheltenham but would imagine we’re located all over the place.
Love Claire x
Hi everyone,
Great news that some of you have managed holidays.
Em - it does sound like you are on a lot of steroids. I am on the same as Rattles - 8 day before chemo, another 8 on chemo day and the last 8 the day after chemo then none until the next chemo (no gradual withdrawal for me).
I am feeling better today (1 week after TAX) and am working from home again after taking last week off sick. I did get the tax trots yesterday and last night (Day 6) but luckily my wobbly legs had recovered enough by then for me to take appropriate action! Anyone a day or so behind me should watch out for this in case you are thinking of taking laxatives. I am also getting some funny rashes which I am keeping an eye on, may just be heat rashes. The bone pain is much better and sore mouth and throat are not raging like they were last week. I have been drinking loads of water which has helped. Also with the bone pain I found lightly pottering around the house helped rather than lying still for long periods of time.
I might be up for a meet up, I am in Bristol, although I am having surgery and rads in Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec so not sure what state I will be in!
Squeakymouse xx
Claire, I just wanted to wish you luck for tomorrow. I will be thinking of you.
Squeakymouse- your experience and response sounds very similar to how I have found the tax. I go from being utterly constipated to the tax trots as you so neatly put it, but I get tummy ache alongside it. Also the sore throat which I keep thinking means I am coming down with something.
By racing- I meant running, juggling, multi-tasking - taken daughter and friend out, cleaned, washed, repotted plants, stocked up. Not horse-racing (sadly). Trying to do a week’s worth for when I am laid low next week. Its a real b…r for me as it clashes with my sister coming down for the Olympics where she is volunteering for a week.
Enjoy sunshine. Love to all the poorly buddies. I will be joining you.
Rattles, x
Thanks Rattles, hope you don’t get the downers next week and can enjoy everything.
Claire
Hi Everyone,
Sunshine and heat what bliss. I have just been swimming in a friends outdoor pool and it was gorgeous. making the most of it as picc line going in in 2 days so no more swimming.
I suppose the steroids are different for Tax than for Fec. I take 4 each day for 3 days and thats all apart from the IV Dex that they put in before chemo. I feel very lazy compared to you Rattles as have just sat and read book this afternoon. I tend to get a bit of extra energy on the steroids for a day but then have the fatigue post steroid.
I am near Wallingford but go to Cheltenham often as daughter No.1 lives there so that is no problem to meeting up. I read on April thread that Radiotherapy is meant to start within 8 weeks of finishing chemo so I don’ know if that helps any of us try and plan anything. planning anything is probably not good for a while as we ar all at different stages.
Love to all
Sarah
Rattles - perhaps as you are feeling better than you have for months next week’s chemo won’t hit you as hard.
Squeakymouse xx
Felt like I was doing fine today , coping with the joint/bone pain and bad throat but then this evening OH decides to overreact to something (trivial) son had done and lets rip at him and I get really upset by it. I hate it when they lock horns at the moment. OH took himself off to bed early in a sulk cos he knows he was wrong and I’ve just bend crying in the garden with the dog for company!! Sorry but feeling sorry for myself tonight…x
Emylou9, You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself. My son and husband also clash over trivial things and I also find it upsetting even more so at the moment. I take it to heart as some things are not worth falling out over and I want them to help each other through this. Men react differently though and I know I am more sensitive to all this at present.
I rang up yesterday to tell the people I couldn’t give blood at the moment as I had a reminder come through. Stupidly I thought I would be able to again at some point and when they told me that I wouldn’t be able to do it again I couldn’t get off the ph!one quick enough as I wanted to burst into tears! I felt such a failure. (Total overreaction). These feelings just come at you from no where so I think we are all entitled to a bit of self pity?
Hope you are feeling a bit better today.
A xx
Alesha - I know exactly how you feel about not being able to give blood again. I’d put off ringing them up and then I had a phone call inviting me to a session - I’d prevoiusly given on the bloodmobile that visited my workplace. Anyway I took the opportunity to let them know - I knew that even just radiotherapy makes you not able to give blood - hubby had tonsil cancer 8 years ago he had surgery and then rads and he can’t give blood ever again 
I’ve not posted for ages - just been busy. Hope all the buddies are doing OK. I’ve been for my bloods this morning - I’ve got EC5 tomorrow.
Hope you are all able to get out and enjoy the sunshine (while it lasts!)
Julie
Hello May buddies,
I’ve just got back from seeing my ONC. Apparently my half way through scan shows the treatment is working and killing off the cancer cells. I’m so relieved. No. four tomorrow - feel much better about having it now I know it works!
Claire
Claire, that is such good new news. I was thinking about you on may way to get bloods done. Fantastic.
Em- dont want to minimise the impact of a family fall-out, but your reaction sounds like a classic post-steroid dip. I get one every cycle and the hsopital said its very common, esp if you are on a higher dose. We all get a bit tetchy and irritable around chemo too. I hate it as its the time I feel most vulnerable and want to know everyone else is okay so I can just be ill. Dont be too hard on yourself.
Alesha, its strange how we got caught out with our feelings. We think we are doing okay and then we find out that we are not as okay as we think.
Julie, you must be one of the first in the line? Good luck. I have four tomorrow.
Squeaky- hope you are feeing a bit more human, you should start to feel a bit better each day now, but my energy levels dont pick up til a bit longer on. You have no idea how much I am hoping that you are right. I am hoping that I somehow I didnt really notice getting so ill from the infection I obviously had for over 3 months.
Its hot, hot, hot. ! Ambarose, outdoor swimming sounds bliss.
Rattles x
hi may ladies im just wondering if any of u ladies have been on antobotics when u have had chemo i have been put on antobotics and my chemo is fri? x
Quinny, sorry not had the pleasure of antibiotics so far but there are ladies on our thread that can advise you, x Thanks for all the words of support girls, I feel better today(emotionally) - Im sure steroids may have played their part Rattles. It just seems to take such a superhuman effort sometimes to carry on as normally as possible for everyone else and the slightest thing can just break the camels back! Alesha, nice to know that its not just my family that have the warring males!!Well TAX truck arrived this morning and I’ve been in bed all day. OH took day off work to do all the stuff with kids that I’d planned and to administer me with ice lollies!! Feel about 100yrs old today. Julie, nice to hear from you, good luck tomorrow to you and Rattles. Claire- fab news re scan- wonder if we have same onc? Squeaky mouse, Day 6 for me and no tax trots so far but I maybe having delayed reaction due to my protracted steroid usage!!! Em x ps. Oh is planning BBQ so I plan to drag my weary body down the stairs to watch him and kids eat lots of meat products I won’t be able to taste. Keep the lollies coming!!!
Great news Claire , could all you ladies enjoying the sunshine and heat send some up here please lol , hope everyone having chemo this week are ok and not suffering too much , feel like I’m lagging behind , mine is not until next week .
love and hugs to everyone xx
Claire - that’s fantastic news about your scan!
Em & Alesha - I think reacting emotionally to things that might not normally upset you is all part of the fatigue thing. Hope you are both feeling better. I had a meltdown too over the weekend when my dad asked me to find a hotel for one of his church friends in Bristol after I had struggled through the weekend on my best behaviour entertaining hubby’s friends. I said yes to Dad then thought why can’t he ask my sister who does not work and does not have cancer? This is not like me, normally I would just find him a hotel without a second thought. I cried but not in front of anyone and am feeling much better now, it was just the thought of doing this after a full day’s work with achey bones and tax trots. And I sent him some hotel details (he’s 82 and not used to using the internet)
Quinny - I have not had antibiotics yet (touch wood!) but some of the other ladies on here have. However the doctor who prescribed then will know that you are having chemo, and they will take this into account when choosing them.
I am starting to feel normal again - I think the tax trots are over - hope everyone else is OK or OK-ish and enjoying the sun
Squeakymouse xx
Big hugs for you all experiencing the Tax side effects. I’m hopefully now over my third Tax, with fingers crossed for a high energy week before I start FECing.
My first Tax was by far the worse, side effects for Tax2 and Tax3 have been much less. Fatigue is the main issue, but I have just had to give and let my body rest when it needs it and this sees to have helped.
Squeaky, pleased your tax trots are over, they are horrid. Just in case, thought I’d tell you that after my trots stopped I had very bad constipation that just didn’t sort itself out. Finally was given Docusate Sodium which re-stimulated my system, and I’d recommend not waiting too long before taking something if this happens to you, but hopefully it won’t and you’ll be feeling good in a day or so. I do admire you, and others, for keeping on working when you can during treatment.
Ginger, I too feel that I am lagging, and I only just qualify as a bud as my first treatment was 31st May. Just hope that neither of us get any set-backs.
Em, I too hate it when there are stupid squabbles and ill-feeling. Sooo unhelpful and unnecessary. Pleased you’re feeling better today. And when we are feeling so low we just shouldn’t have to cope with it, though I guess our families are also pretty stressed out over what we are going through. I know my OH has just let off over the most trivial stuff, but then that is easier than worrying about the big stuff… Hope the BBQ is restorative, lovely evening for it and fingers crossed you’ll feel less aged tomorrow.
Good luck Rattles, Julie and Claire for tomorrow.
Jellipops xx
Hi Everyone. I hate TAX. So much for my walk in the park. It’s turned into a crawl thru the forest of despair (a bit dramatic, but I don’t care). I don’t even feel low this time just angry, frustrated and generally grrrrr! SE sound the same as everyone else, except constipated rather than trots. Taking everthing i can to keep things moving but not being that successful. Knees and feet hurt so much that can’t even walk sometimes. Ranting over!
So sorry you not getting any sun ginger, even tho I can’t sit out in it, it is nice to see it shine. Good news on your scan results Claire . Great that some can get away for a short break. Hopefully will b going to see stepson in Cayman Islands in January! Worth the wait. Hope you feeling better Doggirl. I don’t have many happy thoughts at mo but sending what I have to each and everyone one of you.
One thing that’s a step forward I suppose - my hair has started to grow again!
I live in Essex. NO I’m not a TOWIE. About 30mins fro London. Promise to leave my white stilettos at home! Xx
Hi all
Claire - great news about your scan.
Dorothy - sorry you’re suffering so badly with tax. I’m still feeling really rough after fec3 last Weds - can barely get off the sofa, very tired and dizzy. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before I get into the good phase… Can’t believe I’ve still got another 3 to go.
Ginger - you must be in t’frozen north too - it’s quite warm here in Cumbria, but not much sign of the sun as yet…
Got a lovely card and CD of ‘memory music’ arrive this morning from best friend from school who lives in Australia now - the CD is songs from when we growing up, and is really taking me back. What a lovely gift.
Love to everyone, and big hugs to the girls getting juiced tomorrow.
Alix xx
Haven’t posted for a while as I managed to get away for a lovely long weekend. Chemo arm is still stuck in the same postion despite all the swimming I did. Had bloods done this morning and GP is still a bit concerned about how long it has taken. Not looking forward to first Docetaxol on Friday, although some of your SE’s don’t seem too bad - but best not to plan any outings I think! Must remember to take all the nasty steroids tmrw as well! Hope everyone is doing ok and enjoying the sunshine
Take care
K M
Hi Everyone
Just had FEC 5 and picc line fitted successfully. I only spent 7 hours at hospital so now home and not too bad-bit spaced out but ok. Also having BBQ but will be careful in what i eat after the bad indigestion saga of last time. Just wanted to post to say keep going everyone we are nearly at the end of this part of the journey and we can do it. We will be experts in all sorts of things to do with cancer when we finish. Our collective knowledge will be vast!!.
Not looking forward to steroid lack of sleep but at least can sit out in early dawn and listen to birds if it happens.
Sarah XXX