Starting Chemo in October

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Hey ladies can I join you?

I am seeing my Onc on 7th but don’t plan on starting Chemo until at least 17th as I have a weekend away on 14th. Also wanting a central line put in as my veins are knackered from Chemo 2 years ago. I had Epi-CMF last time and been told it will probably be tax this time but not sure if it’s on it’s own or in combination with something else.

I pretty much sailed through chemo last time compared to many so hoping I will do the same this time. My Dx and Tx to date are in my profile.

I still have a few scarves and my wig but wasn’t a big wig wearer but was bald during the summer might be different this time seeing it will be winter. Didn’t worry too much about the hair loss last time just a tad annoying for it all to go again just when it got to a nice length. At least I know it grows back lol.

Lulu xxx

Ps you guys can’t half chat thought there would only be about 3 pages seeing as the thread is only about 10 days old and almost on page 10 already lol xx

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Hey Ladies, thank you so much for your hugs and kind words, very much appreciated.

Wow, Clare Christmas shopping, I’ve been even more organised and told everyone that it just isn’t happening this year and they’ll get double pressies next year!!! heehee!

Phew on the Al Murray tickets Jules, glad you got to use them, hope it was a good night, he is really funny.

Alison, hope you zap through your antibiotics and are able to crack on with the chemo asap. The delays must be really frustrating for you, big hugs to you xxx

Hey Lulu34, welcome to the October Posse, and fingers crossed you do sail through the process again xxx

My sickness tablets seem to be working now, just feel a bit delicate but at least I am eating more than dry toast and dry cereal!!! Unfortunately, I have picked up the awful habit of burping like a navvy, I’m guessing that’s due to all the giner ale and sparkling water I’m drinking!!! Poor neighbours!!

Love and hugs to all, Simone xxx

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Hi Good Luck to all just starting their chemo, I have finished mine. Some tips I found was get yourselves sorted the day before your chemo, buy plenty of magazines and shop for foods etc you may like I found I could not concentrate to read books. Get in soups I found the Heinz weight watcher soups nice and light. But be guided by your taste buds as what you like now may change, go for what ever you want its your body telling you. If you get bad sickness ask for EMend/Amend not sure of spelling - it is brill, you take 1 tablet just before chemo, one on the following 2 days - sickness is controlled. They dont like giving as want to try the old methods but this one works.

Just get it in your mind that the first 3 days all you want to do is sit around and sleep - and do that.

Good luck to everyone, just think every treatment is another one finished.

Sanray

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Hello october girlies

Back in beds now home sweet home. Had fab weekend shopping and catching up with some friends but always nice to get home.

Jules - Fab that you still getting to go to see Al Murray, hope you have a ball x

Alison - How c**p that you having a tough time with infections. Must be so frustrating having to delay chemo again, i know we dont want to do it but there is a sense of just wanting to get on with it. Hope all is well soon for you x

Lulu - So sorry you are having to go through this again but lets hope you sail through it again x

Simone - Thats a much better idea having a non christmas hehe. We havnt gone too mad just wanted to get a few token gifts for people really, i love christmas and dont want it completely spoiled by this bugger. Glad you feeling a bit better now and you burp away my dear, better out than in!(well maybe not for the people around you) hehehe

Edit - Nats are you starting tomorrow? Hope all goes well for you, what time is it? will be thinking of you x

Love to all
Clare x

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OMG my tastebuds have gone on day two after chemo!. Cooked a lovely chicken roast with veggies and it was tasteless, apart from roasties and seasoning on the chicken. Sprouts tasted like sludge and petit pois were “woody”.
Thought I was doing well with side effects but I suppose I will have to go with the flow. Appetite gone a bit too today. Got a smoothie maker arriving tomorrow hopefully, so I am going to be drinking my nutrients I think rather than cooking.

Lulu - sorry you are going though this again xx

Alison - hope your infection clears soon so you can start your next stage of treatment - sending you a big hug!! xx

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hi ladies can i join you i had my surgery 3 weeks ago so round one done .appt on 6th to find out about chemo. enjoying the support of this site aready and look foreward to a chat this is all so new to me x

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Hi Girls,

Just popping into to wish everyone starting the week my very best wishes.

One week one from FEC 1 and I’m feeling ok - a little tired but on the whole quite good. I would recommend that you use ice cubes, lollies or pops whilst your having your chemo - it worked for me, no mouth ulcers or loss of taste (yet!).

Good luck to you all

Axx

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Dizzycloud - bummer about ur tastebuds hun, hope returns soon, happy juicing x

Annie - thanks for posting, its very reassuring that you are ok a week later, hope you carry on with minimal SE. Got lollies on my list to get! Im starting 14th but weirdly wish it was sooner just want to get on with it now x

Joy - welcome to october posse, glad surgery done and dusted for you, best of luck at your appointment on 6th x

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hi girls just popped on too wish you all good luck for october. I am 10 days in to fec 2 and have not been too bad. THe thought is worse than the deed.
Listen to your body, and put yourself first, accept all help and stop trying to please everyone else.
Sending cyber hugs
Fi xxx

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Morning Girls…

I too and popping in from September to wish you all luck…
Take all offers of help, and take the tablets they give you…
You will be fine, its nowhere near as bad as we all imagine…
Take care…

Jay X

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your kind messages. Sadly, I put it off as long as possible but last night came back into hospital . I won’t go into detail, some of you may be eating, well if you’re taste buds are working! But I can see what I think is my tissue expander peering through the hole where the seroma was coming out. Yummy…

At the point I thought I could see it I thought I should come in again. I didn’t want to, I’ve got ill at the weekend before and there are no surgeons around, so they put you in a holding pattern til Monday. Which is what happened - back on intravenous antibiotics. See the surgeon this morning , which I was due to anyway.

At least I have rather a nice room this time! On my own next to a window and a tv/radio that works. But Soooo hope this gets resolved soon. I suspect they. 'll take the implant out which I have mixed feelings about. It’s caused me nothing but problems but on the other hand I’ve had chemo delayed by more than a month in an effort to try and save it. And I’m not sure how good a reconstruction they can do without it. Poor husband is just clinging onto that hope. He’s seen more of my deformed breast or what’s left of it, and all the things that have happened to it ,than any man should have to see!

Hope you’re all feeling as good as can be expected this morning.

Thank god for iPads!

X

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hi everyone, hope you are all doing well?

Impatiens I’m so sorry you are going through all this extra stress I really hope they fix you up ASAP!! And they do whats best for you and what you are happy (if you can call it that!) with.

Just wondering who is going to or is using the cold cap whilst having chemo. I start mine on Wednesday. I just pray that it works!

I have absolutely nothing ready whatsoever!! Going to spend the whole day tomorrow tidying up and shopping.

I hope you are all feeling not too bad

Big Hugs

XxxX

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Hi Girls
I was supposed to be having my chemo in Sept but it is now starting tomorrow so thought I would pop over and say hello.
Gosh what a journey this is! Bloody awful I know but good to talk to others going through the same.
I just want to get going and get my life back although I am apprensive about the chemo but I’m sure that the thought of it is worse then it is (or I hope so!)
Still can’t believe all this , it’s always someone elses story isnt it?
Oh well I am determined to go into chemo with a positive attitudeand try to carry on as normal with lots of naps in between.
Hope that you are all well.
Lots of Love
Sarah xxx

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Flutterby80 My hosp has a new Paxman cap which gets a good right up. The last girl who used it kept all her hair and I know that this is true cos I saw her so I’m going to give it a go.
Make sure that you take some pain killers or use that headache stick that you can rub across your forhead.
Fingers crossed eeh?
xxx

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Well, I can’t get over what a delicate little flower I’ve turned out to be, after all this time I never realised I have a softer side!!! lol! Feeling weak and want to take myself to one side and have a stern word, but I’m taking the listen to your body tip seriously, got to give myself a break I think!

Sanray, thank you so much for the encouragement and tips, much appreciated xxx

Dizzycloud, gutted for you, not tasting a fab chicken dinner surely is illegal!! Hope the smoothie maker’s a hit, sure it will be xxx

Joy49, big welcome hugs to you and good luck on the 6th, keep us informed xxx

Hey Annie, glad it’s going well and thanks for the tips xxx

Hi Fi and Jay, thanks for the encouraging words, got to be honest not feeling fab but certainly not as bad as I thought it would be, so result! xxx

Alison, really feeling for you and your husband, hope everything picks up and cracks on for you really soon. Aren’t the gadgets an absolute blessing, loving my kindle! Best wishes to you xxx

Hey Flutterby, thanks for the hugs and have a good shopping trip, but I’d delegate the tidying up surely!!! heehee! I did try the cold cap first time, but the stink of the conditioner they put on first really upset my stomach, so contemplating whether to have it again, not too bad really though, first 10 mins a bit of a shock to system but really is doable. Good luck xxx

Hi Sarah, get what you mean about somebody else’s story, I’ve always been the supporter/primary carer not someone who needs to be cared for, bizzare feeling!!! Gotta be completely honest though, the nana naps are a bit of a perk, hope that’s not too offensive, but they really are!!! Good luck tomorrow xxx

Can’t thank you Ladies enough, you really are a sanctuary

Good luck to all and let’s keep those se’s to a minimum

Hugs, Simone xxx

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Hi all,

Good luck Sozza and Flutterby for the next couple of days.

I used the paxman for my first session last Friday. The first 15-20 minutes were truly horrible but try to get through them because after that I found it really ok, no problem at all. I think my cap was a little small and some follicles by my ears were not covered so I am going to ask for the next size cap next time. Make sure it is pushed right onto your scalp especially at the crown and that they wet and condition your hair first. Too early for me to make any judgement but there was a lady on her last treatment who had a fair head of hair, not amazing but she said it wasn’t thick to start with.

I have had a horrible day today. Had a lovely time at Al Murray and then had a complete meltdown in the middle of the night, gave oh complete hell and couldn’t sleep at all. Have spent today crying at anything and everything. I’m sure it’s the anti sickness meds that are messing with my head and they are finished today so hoping to get on a more even keel. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Hugs

Jules
Xx

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Hello Team October

Jay & Fi - thank you for your good luck wishes, most appreciated.

Impatiens - So sorry youve had to go into hospital again and having a rough time with things, i really hope you get some respite soon x

Flutterby - Good luck with the cold cap ive heard its quite good really hope it works for you. Im not using it, ive got loads of lovely headscarfes and hats to experiment with and my stepdad is treating me to a nice wig next week. Hope you get everything sorted tomorrow but make sure you have some ‘me’ time. Best of luck for wednesday x

Sarah - Welcome to october posse, thats a great attitude i know its a cliche but i really do believe that it will help. Best of luck for tomorrow x

Simone - Aww dont you be too stern with yourself lovey, this is mega and you are entitled to be a softie if you need to be. Take it easy and hope you feeling better with it soon x

I dont ‘want’ to do chemo but wish i could just get on with it, feel like im being left behind im not starting till 14th. Me n hubby have decided to have some quality time together sat night, no phones/telly/internet just us nice meal, few drinks and cuddles ;o)

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Just like to say good luck to all the October girls about to start.

Best wishes

Ali x

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Had CT scan tonight, bit tired after a long day. Should have results in a few days. My SNB was clear but a micromet was found in a lymph node during my mx. Cancer was grade 1 and slow growing, so hoping for no spread but mind going into overdrive as is usual when waiting for results!. Wish they had done the scan when they got the pathology results through six weeks ago, hate waiting for results…

Welcome to all new October ladies. Will catch up more tommorrow when energy levels have returned xx

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Hi all

Well been told this morning by surgeon that I must hav the implant out, they were going to try and save it but not salvageable. So going to surgery later today. Was in tears after he’d gone, feels like the first diagnosis all over again for some reason. I think its because he didn’t sound very optimistic about what sort of reconstruction I can have when it’s all over, I have quite large breasts, breast, and the tissue expander was to save as much skin as possible for the eventual recon. I suppose you get used to one new you, albeit one with a horrible scarred and blotchy breast with damaged skin from the infection, then you have to come to terms with what will be another new you, one completely flat on one side with no prospect of ever being restored to doubly what you looked like before.

I know that I should just be concentrating on getting the chemo and with any luck knocking the cancer on the head but finding it hard not to feel sorry for myself just now.

Ha ha Simone - please dont stop posting, your posts make me laugh. I know exctly what you mean by being surprised at the frailty of your body - ow annoying is that?! But sorry youre not having a good time - I don’t think you should take it as a judgement of your strength or otherwise, it all seems to be the luck of the draw when it comes to reactions, recovery time, and dealing with the whole bleeding thing.

Thanks for all the good wishes from you and everyone else, hope you all continue to prosper!

Xxx