Hello everyone, there are soooo many names, I dont think I will be able to keep up. But until I do manage to remember everyones name on here, I want to wish you all the best for all your treatments.
I have my first herceptin tomorrow and 1st chemo friday, I am feeling tearful and drained, but if there is a positive out of this, its that I dont have to take the dreaded tamoxifen all the time during chemo, every cloud eh!!
Hugs to you all and especially to you HJV as we both start our chemo on Friday, I will be thinking of you hunny.
Sozza, my hair was quite long, below my shoulders, I had it cut to about chin length (the length in my picture) I am thinking of having a crop at the weekend but I will see if it starts to fall out by then or not. I think it is easier if you do it in stages instead of all in one go.
hjv123, they did not put anything on my hair under the cold cap but they recommended not washing it that evening (i was so tired after the chemo I don’t think I could have washed it even if I wanted to!) I have heard of people wetting their hair or putting conditioner on bug I think it is your choice.
My lovely clock has just struck midnight which means it is Thursday already.
Just wanted to say good luck to everyone having chemo tomorrow - if it is your first one then don’t worry - the thought of it is worse than the experience!! Just make sure you come back and let us all know how you got on. I found that keeping a diary has helped me as I can look back and see that the side effects follow a pattern.
Hugs and positive thoughts being sent to you all xx
Really sorry that so many people are feeling a bit down. I’m the same, keep thinking to myself that I’ll feel better, mentally anyway, when I’ve passed the half way point. Hope so.
My breast care nurse is trying to arrange an alternative to the picc for me, not sure what it’ll be yet. Another lovely surprise to look forward to!
Hi Nicola - Paxman do a cold cap in the uk - didn’t work for me but I only tried it once. I blame the nurse on poor preparation. Not all oncology nurses are good - but they are all human and have their own problems?
I thought the halfway point would be a good place to be - turned out to be a rather hard place. Not sure why but I got messages saying that a lot of people felt the same way too. Same goes for when you end chemo and end all treatment. Why is that?
Sorry that the picc line didn’t work out for you - I have one - it wasn’t easy having it fitted but we got there in the end. Maybe you will get a central line? They sound really good - no bits hanging down as all is under the skin from what I have read.
Hello all
I’m still scabby skin but improving still going every day for a 2 hour appt… Very grumpy as porrtacath ref still sat in cons intray and now as it’s thurs (just) it’s too late and they think my 1st chemo on fri now needs to be postponed aghhh! I just want to get on with it.
Hair - mines being shaved off next week so we can treat scalp better before my tiredness kicks in so could even be shaved before I have 1st chemo at this rate. Lovely wig on order (NHS) and wig lady is doing my hair chop when it arrives. Got all my scarves ready and lots of flowers etc so everything ready but the hospital grrrr! OK must try to sleep but head spinning.
ONE last thought have you all checked your life assurance for critical illness cover - my mortgage gonna be paid off! One piece of excellent news received today at least!
All the best to you all and good luck all round xxx
Jo, I feel a bit like you, just dont think I want to stay there an extra 3 hours for the cold cap, saying that I might change my mind on Tuesday…
Good luck to you for today as well…
Ginge, I hope you’re bloods sort themselves out…
Nicola, I really hope they dont take too long to sort something out for you, you must be so frustrated with it all…
Sandi, so glad your skin is improving, but what a nightmre not knowing what is going on with your treatment, I really hope it gets sorted very soon…
SGL, good luck to you for today too…
I am off to Chichester for the day with a friend, and the sun is shining…
First chemo tomorrow so will be thinking of you sgl and hjv. Will be quite glad to get on with it now, have been worrying about it for so long. Might not think that when I am heaving on the moor whilst walking the dog.
Giving the cold cap it’s best shot and having my hair cut on Friday morning to chin length. Have been to see wigs but they are all so neat looking. I am someone who comes out of the hairdressers and can’t wait to wash it again to get rid of the foofyness (if that makes sense) and all the wigs do the straight out of the hairdresser look. There is a wig supplier in York that is linked to Trevor Sorbie scheme (loveyourhair) I think it’s called who are trained to cut the wig to frame your face, think I will give that a go. I had promised my girls I would get a Chrissie Hyndes wig. I am not sure of what happens with the cold cap either, am just going to go and see what they do and suggest.
One other tip I got from my lovely dentist who checked my teeth for me and said that if I get gingivitis to use Chlorhexidine mouthwash, have looked it up so would advise anyone using it to read instructions on bottle. This is the nurse in me coming out, it has been very odd to see the NHS from the other side.
It’s a horrible business (would use something stronger but the moderator would be down on me) but it will pass, so glad to be able to read everyone’s comments and support.
Eldest daughter’s wedding last Saturday which was just gorgeous, lots of the photos seem to be of one of the younger daughters playing with my hair which at the moment is still pretty long. Youngest daughter going off to Uni for the first time this Friday. So first wedding, the “Andy moment” (if you have seen Toy Story 3 you will understand that term) of youngest leaving home and first chemo all within 7 days.
Have a lovely/good/ok/ish day everyone. Thinking of you all
Chemo off chemo on chemo off and as of right now chemo back on for tomorrow but no portacath yet so have big load of GCSF and warned of potential in pt IV antibiotic spell - i am pleased of no further delay but scared too - FEC bring it on!
Oh boy what a day!! Pre-chemo went well and I start the first Monday after we get back from holiday (26th Sept). At least there was one point OH and I agreed on when asked about fertility - we both said “No” at the same time!!
We then got home to receive a letter from the banks insurers for a critical illness claim that sent me through the roof! Anyway, we went to the bank and I played the “cancer victim” - not happy about it but when needs must! We got an apology from the bank and £20 as compensation to boot!
Right, less about me (even I’m getting sick of my whinging these days!)
Good luck to Julia, SGL, HJV and Sandipants tomorrow - I hope that all goes well for you x (and anyone else if I’ve forgotten them - there are so many of us now!)
Nicola - I hope you get your start date soon!
Jay - I hope you had a great day in Chichester. I’m off for a mornings shopping with my friend who’ve I’ve not seen since before I had my dx - I’m really looking forward to it!
Good luck, Friday girls! Wishing you all well. Let us know how you get on.
Am due to have port fitted on Monday and first of 6 x FEC at same time. Hopelessly disorganised and utterly terrified. What a dreadful 7 week wait post surgery this has been. Hoping above all that what they say is true… the waiting is the worst part.
Thank you ladies for your kind wishes. I am in bed now as the first herceptin today wiped me out!
I want to wish everyone who is starting tomorrow and next week lots of luck and hugs and to all the ladies who have started I will keep my fingers crossed that any horrid side effects don’t last too long.
Thanks from me too & i’ll join SGL in sending u all a group ((hug)). Good luck to all us Friday ladies, im not as nervous as i thought i’d be at the moment but that may well change tomorrow. I have to choose my wig at 12.30 & chemo at 2. My hospital has a Paxman so i’ll check out that link, thanks for posting the link Nicola.
Supertrouper.I bought a book to use as a daily diary as well, thought that would be a good idea.
love to everyone xx
Good luck for everyone going through chemo tomorrow. I saw my Oncologist today and she confirmed that chemo is doing its stuff and my tumour is a fraction of the size it was when I started. Well worth doing then!
Hello everyone, I hope I can join your gang too! I have been lurking for a while avidly scouring your posts which have been very helpful. I had mast and recon in August and first FEC last Friday 9th. Queasy and a bit hungover feeling for a few days but not too bad and went back into work on the Tuesday. My main side effect has been insomnia - often only managing a couple of hours - which makes all the other SE’s feel much worse! I am going to ask for some sleeping pills (Nytol does not cut it!) for the next cycle and try and throw every complementary sleeping therapy at it! Otherwise, day 7 and I am feeling relatively normal and thinking about going out with husband for dinner tonight (he needs a night out!) Like a lot of you I am freaking out about the hair thing - I didn’t do the cold cap - however I met a lovely girl yesterday who used it and managed to keep a good covering (with a few baldy patches she could cover) and 4 months post last chemo she had a thick cute pixie cut and looked amazing - it was so encouraging to see someone a few months ahead of us all having come through it. I now slightly regret not trying it - think it may be too late but will ask the chemo unit if there is any hope!
I hope that all of you starting in next couple of days have a OK time and do not suffer too much Love LL
Hello ladies - not planning to call here too often but as it’s my start-of-chemo-anniversary today all the very best to those starting today - you can do it, as those ealrier in Sept have already discovered.
To echo everyone else, good luck to all ladies starting chemo today.
Good luck also to Ginge having your portacath fitted today, I hope your blood is ok so you can have it done.
I am having mine fitted today too and am feeling unusually nervous about it. I haven’t been nervous about anything so far so I am not sure why!
Excellent news Supertrouper, when did you start your chemo?
Hair update (after cold cap) - Day 16 still no head hair loss,(can’t say the same for the rest of my body) eyebrows and eyelashes are still also unchanged. My head is starting to feel a little bruised so I expecting hair loss to start soon, arrrgghhhh!!!