yes Teresa, the black olives you get marinated with cubes of feta and sun dried tomatos, very yummy. Off to eat some now …
Christine xx
ooooh I have to be back for 10:30 but I reckon i could make it if I go now. Emergency dash to waitrose coming up…
xx
Lulu good to see you back 
Food who mentioned food, just in case I got peckish yesterday at the hosp I took, biscuits, sweets, crisps & chocolate and even though I wasn’t waiting long I sat in the car and scoffed the lot before returning home!! I’m with you Debbie, TUC yuumy can’t get enough of them, lovely with Primula cheese & chives and a bit of pineapple but basically it’s anything edible these days, I’m blaming the lack of full feeling on the steroid bloat cos now my tummy can extend much further 
Put my coat on the other day and couldn’t do it up, thankfully it has side vents that I could unzip!!
Well that’s my good days over for a while 
Had a really crap night after starting the steroids yesterday for TAX No.2 today, have hardly slept. Paula, remember not to take the second dose after 2pm or you wont sleep. Should find out if/when I can start Herceptin today, bit scared hoping they wont say they don’t recommend it but worried about the long term risks to my heart in a bit of a catch 22 situation and I don’t like it.
Still don’t know my exact dx but I’m S3, G3, HER2+, PR+ and ER+ (got the full monty!!).
For those having Rads I had my first meeting with them yesterday and met my Onc. It was very similar to the pre-assessment I had before chemo. Had examination, told about possible SEs and given booklets (more bedtime reading!) then signed the consent forms. Next step is a pre-rads CT scan (booked for 9th Feb, same day as last chemo) when they will set everything up and give me some small tattoos (have asked for a rose, butterfly and kite, but they said No, small blue dot :-() so they can line the machine up exactly each time. I’m having them to my chest wall, armpit and neck area. I will also receive my Rads timetable so will know at the start when they all are (provisional start date is 5th March, 15 sessions). There is an increased risk of developing Lymphoedema (only 10% for me cos I decided not to have axillary clearance) so they recommended I continue to do the exercises and def no heavy lifting, bloods or blood pressure taken from that arm.
Right got to get ready for todays infusion of White Knights, so looking forward to being able to say 5 down 1 to go Good luck to all those having there WKs today, tomorrow , may all your SEs be tiny
t.t.f.n.
L4W
I used to HATE olives but my husband took me to the dark side after akin me eat a mictues of black and green pitted olives mixed with feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes accompanied with a warm crusty bread…i was sold!
Now feeling hungry again lol
Hope you got your fix at waitrose Teresa lol
Hi All
Good to see you back online Lulu, we missed you.
Good luck to those having chemo today.
i went to unit this morning about the veins on my hand, it is most likely to be the Tax, and the fact i knocked my hand is just coincidence. I’ve got some hydrocortisone cream, and i’m to keep an eye on it. My next chemo will have to be given somewhere else, possibly even the other arm
i’m having left over lasagne for my lunch, and its smelling good, wish it would cook a bit quicker!!
Gill x
Well it’s official I can now say 5 down 1 to go, yeayyyyyyyyyyy
For those suffering with bone pain if you haven’t already ring your unit and they should be able to prescribe you stronger painkillers, I’ve got Co-codamol and if they don’t work they’ll give me something stronger
The good news is I’m starting my herceptin with my next session. To help reduce the side effects on my heart they have put me on Ramipril. My blood pressure is normal so I have to be careful they don’t drop it too low and have to be careful not to stand up too quickly but they don’t seem to have too many SE’s. Also got to have another MUGA scan before just to check my heart function is still ok.
Treated myself today On the way I stopped off and finally bought myself an iPad2 (on which I am now typing) quite impressed so far, got to get it set up for 3G (they’d run out of sim cards, boohoo) and movies etc, so don’t be surprised if I’m pestering you for help and advice
Hope everyone has had a good day, i’m off to make tea now cos I haven’t eaten for over an hour and I’m getting puckish
T.t.f.n.
L4W
Hi L4W
I too had no 5 today, just one more to go, it feels good. I also treated myself to an ipad2 over the Xmas break, I’m really impressed with it and use it so much more than my laptop. It goes too bed with me and when I can’t sleep on it goes. I ope you have fun with it.
As I am TN I won’t be getting any other treatment on my last chemo but I will hopefully find out when my mx will be on 31st not looking forward to that!
I hope you se’s are manageable, I think Lula is on her 5th one today as well, I didn’t realise the three of us were on the same timetable.
Weme
Good to see you back Lulu and that it was just an internet blip!
And well done all you who had another chemo session today. LFW/Julie, I’m soooo jealous. I’ve had 3 - only another 5 to go
But I’m intrigued . . . you said you decided not to have an auxilliary clearance? How so? Can you do that? When I had my SLNB, 5 nodes were taken out and 4 were affected, so I have to have a AC when I have my mastectomy
Lovin all this talk about food even tho my taste buds are still ever so slightly iffy. My tummy feels like something nasty has died in there. But I was the same both times I was pregnant (I had a caesarean both times and when babies were lifted out, I felt all my organs inside resume their rightful places and felt better instantly. The nurses used to come round with a trolley of sandwiches, sausage rolls and cakes, and whilst everyone else was queazy looking at it, I was in there havin a good ol trough!! making up for the prior crummy nine months lol. Anyway, I digress).
I’ve only just had my tea (a huge pile of pasta and veg in a cheese sauce with garlic bread), and I’m eyeing up the applestrudel and icecream that’s in the freezer. BUT applestrudel demands thick creamy custard, hmmm, maybe both . . . and I LOVE olives, yum yum, especially those stuffed with feta cheese . . . and then I wonder why my muffin top is looking more muffin-y everyday.
Teresa, how did you manage to lose 7lbs on TAC??
xx
P.S. Julie, you’ll love your ipad 2, I’m sure! like Weme says you end up taking it with you everywhere! You can even pop it into your handbag!
x
i stuffed myself with spicy chicken seasoned then tossed in the wok accompanied by large mushrooms, onions and curly kale…yummy in my tummy!
I have a lemon meringue for later…ooohhhh…its later!
I second the love of the iPad - brilliant piece of kit especially when curled up in bed or on the couch. The only thing that does my nut is the auto insert where it thinks it knows what you are going to type…so irritating trying to pre-empt me like its a man! lol
Fairy - I don’t know! I just couldn’t really eat as much, ate good meals but not hungry between meals at all - but then, I was quite poorly! I’m having same as you full ANC and Mx. 2nd March.
Oh I am envious of you all getting ipads. I’m sure I will succumb eventually - I love gadgets!
Yes LL I got my fix at Waitrose - a LARGE tub, crammed as many in as I could. Nearly finished them already - made it there and back in 20 mins, not bad!
night all!
xx
PS I was describing this thread to my husband as “food porn” !!!
Fairy, I think it was cos, they removed 4 nodes when I had my mx and only one was positive. I had concerns about
Lymphoedema and additional surgery causing a delay with chemo starting. My consultant was happy for me not to have full clearance as long as I had radiotherapy to the armpit and didn’t go onto a trial for Herceptin (hence my worry about not being able to have it due to my heart issues). He spoke to the onc doing my radiotherapy before he said yes and they were both happy with my decision.
t.t.f.n
L4W
Just realised I’ve done a silly thing on the spur of the moment and taken an Advanced Acidophilus Plus capusle, i.e. lots of teeny, tiny bacteria are now inside me and – although they’re supposed to be the healthy ones – I’m in my low immunity week (Day 6 after Tax). What was I thinking! Obviously I wasn’t. Will I make it through the night?!
I already visited the Quack today to get a prescription for oral thrush… even though Quack wasn’t sure I actually have it; nor indeed am I, just guessing. Now feels like I have to self-diagnose, phone the hospital to check what the Quack’s allowed to prescribe, then tell Ducky what to prescribe! Anyone know what oral thrush acutally feels like? I’ve got a waxy feeling in my mouth, sore throat, white lines along tongue and horrid taste in my mouth. But is this just the Docetaxel?
Well done L4W and Weme, getting number FIVE ‘done and…’ good luck for the next five days or so of the ‘…dusted’ bit.
Hang on in there Fairy. I’m thankful to be only having six now, due to wanting it all to end, but still worry it may be better in the long run to have had to endure eight. Only time will tell ehh… ;-/ ???
Made a great fisherman’s pie tonight but can’t really get into the food porn thing yet as can’t taste much and just eat for cell renewal and energy. No taste = no enjoyment. Booo-hooo! x
I’m on the same schedule as you Paula, starting 1st Tax tomorrow. I’m worried about coping next week when I’m really busy at work especially Thursday when I have a 25 mile drive through rush hour traffic for an all day meeting. I’d be more optimistic if I hadn’t been hit so hard by last dose of epi. Digestive system still hasn’t recovered though Onc says Tax is easier on stomach. Appt with Onc yesterday revealed I’ve put on 2kg since starting chemo even though I’m drinking virtually no alcohol.
I’m very envious of all of you who are half way through or more. I have 3 CMF after the 3 Tax. Hope you still pop in to visit when you’ve finished. Good luck to everyone under the cosh tomorrow.
Food Porn!! haha love it, and teresa, i don’t have an IPad either, i’m on a laptop, but its not a big one so easy to move around the house
LL - did you enjoy your lemon meringue, i have one in the freezer, how long do you think it will take to defrost? i could eat it now
Pleasant - i had mouth thrush, and it was like white “stuff” on tongue and gums, not sure about how sore mouth would be, as it was after 1st tax and whole mouth was wrecked!
i can hardly beleive some of us have had no 5, the time now seems to have flown by. it’ll soon be spring
Gill x
filosofie - if you are having your first Tax tomorrow then I would be prepared to cancel arrangements for working next Thursday - Tax is well known for its strong side effects that normally kick in 3 to 4 days after the infusion. I don’t want to scare you with this, just want you to be prepared for how you might feel. Driving 25 miles in rush hour traffic might not sound too bad right now - I struggled to climb the stairs at home!
Sorry to butt in on this thread! I am 8 weeks post Tax no 4 and waiting for Rads to start.
Debbie
Debbie is right, Filosofie, i’m usually fine the day after tax, day 2 start feeling off, day 3 feel crap, day 4 bit better, then gradually improve through the week. following no 2 and no 3, i was feeling nauseous for the whole of the week after.
are you able to postpone until the week after? x
Hi Filosfile
Yes I’ve got my first Tax tomorrow afternoon, bloods have come back as ok. I apprehensively took 4 steroids this morning and just taken another 4 - I know it’s late and I’m probably not going to sleep but I was so worried about popping any more pills. I’m already taking Metformin and Amlodopine so gotta have my glucose checked before chemo tomorrow as steroids can make levels higher, great!
've started to get thirsty and just eaten a tin of apricots lol. I lost 4 kilograms last chemo bet I’ve put that back on and more with all the weird cravings! I’ll be so glad when the chemo is all over, I hate it, I hate all the poisons in my body, I feel sick all the time at the though of more chemo just as I start to recover there’s another count down to the next one and the waiting for the side effects to kick in. I really don’t have a clue what to expect, the teleclinic said they don’t know either as we are all different.
It makes you feel like a zombie some days, on autopilot just getting through the days, sometimes not achieving anything at all, easily distracted by rubbish daytime TV, all the time in a strange twilight zone of waiting, and waiting, and waiting, working no longer seems an option at this point in time and doesn’t seem worthwhile anymore. I don’t think I can get my head around working again until the summer, it takes such a lot of effort to leave my comfort zone (home).
Are the side effects of Tax similar to FEC? Guess I will find out after tomorrow!
Hope everybody is doing ok
((hugs)) Paula x
Hi Teresa
Just seen your posting about your Mx on 2nd March, the weeks are going so fast, all seems to real now doesn’t it, we’ve all come a long way and gone through a lot as a group. 2nd March should be my last chemo day, then Mx 3-4 weeks after, if all goes to plan.
Trudi - hope you’re all ready for your 1st Tax on Monday, shame we’re not on the same day!
I’m usually in bed by now, but wide awake already! lol oh dear, messed up with steriod timing lol. I’ve been watching Celeb Big Brother, hate to admit it, but there’s not much else on tv! Denise and Michael situation - a psychologist could write a book!! lol.
Nite nite again
Paula x