Hi Vokagirl, oh how u sound like i felt last week. I had my first chemo on friday & i thought i’d either slap the nurses hands away so she couldnt put it in or run away. I think its perfectly natural to feel this way i guess. but i didnt run away & it went fine. Im now on day 3 & feeling pretty ok at the mo, just tired & a tiny bit queasy, im making sure im taking all the anti-nausea meds as they told me & also drinking loads of water.I wasn’t scared of the needles, just the SE’s especially vomiting. Im hoping it doesnt get worse but who knows.
Glad u had a good holiday, at least u managed to get that in before u start.
I took my OH with me but i think i could probably be on my own another time. I wore the cold cap so it took a bit longer but went quite quickly. I think i would take someone the first time at least just to give u some moral support.
Good luck on tues, let us know how u get on,take care x
Vodka girl,
I would make sure that you have someone with you, there will be an extra seat next to you for whoever you bring.
I was told not to drive.
I felt ok afterwards but it wasn’t until the evening that it hit me and I took the anti-sickness tablets at the time the nurses told me to. Don’t wait until you feel sick, take them!! I didn’t need to take them for more than a few days, (they can make you constipated.)
xoxo
hi everyone and welcome to alison.
Vodka girl, you can take someone with you although I chose to be on my own as my OH is hopeless when it comes to waiting and gets really restless so I thought I would be better on my own. He stayed with me until I had approximate timings and then picked me up. Make sure you drink plenty on chemo days and after as I am sure this and the meds they gave me kept my sickness at bay.
Alibaba youre results are just like mine and like you every lump, twinge and odd feeling has me convinced that more is to come!!
17 days into chemo and am feeling ok still have the yuck taste in my mouth and am quite tired but am managing to do most things(slowly).
Kate I have had my hair cut short as well .
I take comfort from the rants as they echo how I feel.
I find it hard to answer honestly when people ask how I am as I think they will be fed up of me saying I feel c**p so I tend to say I am not too bad even on bad days.
Raining here in the peak district .
OH watching rugby.
Have a good evening girls
Fi XXX.
hey all
Had 1st chemo friday (told not to drive after 1st and check with insurance for other treatments) Doimg ok feel bit tired and slightly queezy so far. Some hip pain today but been busy (GCSF injection cause this bit) Can not inject myself then wouldn’t let jim do it either so have my friend coming to do it she’s a mental health nurse and did not hurt me but i had had a bumped head ice pack slapped on my belly for ages tee hee! what a wimp! My head getting shaved this week at hospital when i collect wig as we have gained some control of my skin condition but scalp is very sore so we decided between us (me and jim, wig lady and skin nurses) that it would be benefitial to get it stable asap - bit nervous tho x
In case you didn’t see my other thread I’ll keep repeating myself all over forums - please check your life assurance if you have critical illness cover - my mortgage getting paid off this week! Very happy that this journey has a silver lining and will ease the financial worry over sick pay etc so ladies dust off the storage box for paper work and check your policies! This will change our lives - mortgage free OMG!
Gotta get to dinner welcomes and well dones for everyone and I’ll come back tom and read in more detail.
Hello Ladies…
Interesting to read a few of you also felt really tired before you were diagnoised, as you say we always find something else to blame it on…
Sorry to hear about your hair Kate, does your head hurt, i’ve read somewhere that it does sometimes…
Curly, I am similar to you, trying not to think about it too much, but thats easier said than done, I am apprehensive I must admit, I’m not having it done until 2.30, I wish it was first thing in the morning really…
Sue, so glad you had a nice holiday…
My best friend is coming with me on Tuesday, I guess it suits some people to go alone, but I am quite an anxious person, so it will be better for me to have her there, she is also staying at mine that night, bless her…
Have a nice evening All…
Jay X
Hello everyone,
I had first chemo (AC) on Thursday and now - day 4 - finally feeling like checking emails etc.
Felt pretty queasy for the first 24 hours, threw up a couple of times, but since then the main thing has been a super-tiredness, like flu. In PJs till lunchtime, taking naps, but the afternoons seem better and I have managed a short walk each day.
Anti-sickness meds finish tomorrow so I am nervous that I will feel queasy again.
The chemo session itself was not too bad, with cold cap it took 9am till 1.30pm, felt a bit dazed & confused.
Very much hope that the tiredness gets better gradually.
Haven’t had the weird taste in mouth or other SEs - yet - except for constipation.
Very best wishes to all - Mynahbird xx
I had my first herceptin Thursday and chemo Friday. Was feeling ok apart from the odd queasy feeling, bad taste and tummy problems. Tonight however it feels like my glands are up as feels really tender round there. My ears ache and feels like it’s full of water and I have a sore inflamed throat. My daughter has had a throat infection so I guess me getting it isn’t surprising. Temp is up a tiny bit, but not enough to warrant a call to the hospital. Fingers crossed things are better in the morning.
Well I have terrible sore throat and ear so off to doctors at eleven! Fingers crossed it’s nothing serious x
Stargazer - how did you get on at the doctors?
Jay - I’m having line fitted tomorrow at 10am and chemotherapy at 11.30am. We can compare notes later on if we feel up to it. I’m dreading having the picc line put in because my veins just aren’t good.
I’ve had a good 3 days with no crying at all (very unusual for me these days) but I know I’ll have a major wobble today when I go in for the pre talk thing. Every time I have a hosp appointment or have to tell someone for the first time, I fall apart. BUT it was really great to have those 3 days when I felt almost 'normal’again.
Hope everyone’s SE’s aren’t too bad at the minute. It’s really helpful for those of us who haven’t started treatment yet to hear from you other ladies. It seems the SE’s vary enormously and nobody can predict how it’ll be for each one of us.
Curly x
SGL - good call. Hope it’s nothing serious but best checked out. During my FECcing I used to suck a lot of boiled sweets for the first fews days (and a few strepsils) as my throat got very rough and a little bit sore each time. I also drank gallons of water! Keeping the throat well lubricated helps avoid the soreness leading infection - or so I was told.
Hi all
Just want to wish everyone like me who are having their first chemo tomorrow all the best, and to those who have had theirs I hope the se’s are not to bad.
I am feeling very scared and nervous today not about the needles but the se’s I just wish I wasn’t on this horrible road.
Sue
Hi Girls
Good luck to everyone starting this week.
I’m still waiting to hear back about my Groshman line so don’t know when or if I’ll be joining you yet. Not sure whether to keep phoning and risk annoying them, or not phone and risk getting forgotten again?
Jay, I do a lot of running, and the week before I was diagnosed I was going further and faster than I have for about 10 years. Weird! Now I’m tired and achy all the time, but think that it’s mainly psychological.
Hope you’re ok Stargazerlily and they’ve made you feel better.
Nicola X
Hi Ladies…
Mynahbird, glad to hear you are now feeling a bit better, I guess we just have to listen to our bodies…
SGL, Hope you feel better soon, please let us know how you get on at the doctors…
Curly, I was panicking when I went but the nurse said we wouldnt be able to see the vein they use which is why the use a scan, so dont worry, you will be fine, I as you know am a complete nightmare with needles, but it wasnt that bad, good luck…
Rev cat, Thanks again for the tips, they are so helpful, any particular sweets you can recommend?
Sue, Good luck to you too, hopefully we will all have minimal SEs…
Have a good day everyone…
Jay X
Hi Jay,
I used humbug type things as my BCN told me to avoid anything with citric acid (or indeed anything citrus or acidic), which ruled out fruit sweets. If your taste has departed (as mine did) then mints, werther’s original, barley sugars or somehting like that is probalby ok. Best to try not to crunch them if your mouth/thoat are sore in case they scratch. I was going to type “you have to suck it and see” but that was too naff an unintentional pun for words. Honey is good for sore throats/mouths too.
As we keep reminding one another, we are all different, so what worked for me might not for you. May your se’s stay small.
Hi,
I found ice lollys were really good to ease my sore throat, I was going through 3-5 a day in the week after my chemo! I would avoid the ones with strong flavours, I went for the Tesco own ones and they were perfect, I heard you should get sugar free ones but my OH couldn’t find any. I also had pots of sugar free jelly and pineapple which were great and seemed to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth.
Tonic water gave me indigestion and I couldn’t stand the smell of ginger beer but soda water was good and this time I am going to try ginger ale instead of ginger beer.
I am going to Look Good Feel Better tomorrow and am going to wear my wig out for the first time since buying it! I can’t face going out with my super short hair (I am quite tall and feel like a man!)I am really looking forward to all the goodies they give you and meeting other ladies who are going through the same thing. Anyone who isn’t booked on a workshop, use the link below to see if there is one near you. lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/site/workshops.cfm?search=&workshop_location=all
I can’t remember who asked if my head hurt before my hair started to fall out, sorry. Yes, I had a bad headache the day before that wouldn’t go away with tablets, my hair felt bruised too. It still does feel bruised but the headache has gone now thankfully.
Good luck to all having chemo this week, it really isn’t as bad as they make it out to be on TV!!
Kate xx
Hope you enjoy the Look Good Feel Better session Kate, I did - got some good tips and came away with a lovely bag of make-up goodies.
Definitely a positive experience. Look forward to hearing what you think and how you feel in your wig.
Good luck.
Hey Girls.
Well I went to see my lovely oncologist today, she is so reassuring.
Alison , welcome and my details are very like yours and my oncologist is very positive as it has been caught early, chemo is just a precaution. If I had been hormone positive then I wouldn’t have needed it!
I also met a girl who was wearing the cold cap during her 5th session and she had long , thick hair!!
I don’t think she had BC as her sessions were 2 weeks apart but obviously on meds that affected the hair.
I am defo trying the cap and buying a wig just in case as I think that you ladies would agree that the hair loss situ is what really gets to us!
I saw my plastic surgeon today and my skin graft has taken, so phew to that.
Chemo will prob start my birthday week of beginning of Oct now!
Oh and my mum has just told me that her cousin got BC about 40 years ago , had mastectomy and chemo and is now nearly 80!
Don’t you just love stories like that?!
Big hugs.
Sarah xxxx
Hello girls
Really good luck for those starting tomorrow… had portacath fitted and first hit today. So far (so early, I know) so good. A bit queasy but that could well be OH’s driving on way back from hospital…
Advice to any having port fitted - take the sedation! I didn’t and found it all quite grim, but the lady opposite me did and said she’d even dropped off.
Best wishes, thinking of you all. xxxx
Hello ladies, hope you are all doing ok.
My gp sent me for blood tests today just to rule out infection, but wasnt too worried as my temperature was normal. I still have the most horrendous sore throat and after reading all posts on here, have come to the conclusion its just a side effect from the chemo. Great I have another 11 sessions of this!!
I was supposed to be having a PICC line fitted on Weds, but have spoken to quite a few of my bcc friends and have been advised not to have one as there prone to infections, and that I would be better with a portacath fitted on my chest wall. I rang my Chemo unit and this is being arranged for me. I have to go next weds for a consultation.
Fitzimum, I am having mine done under a general thank goodness, and reading your post has made me realise its the right decision. Are there any dos and donts once you have one fitted?
Good luck too all having chemo this week.
xxxx
Sorry! Just butting in from June just to let Sarah know that some have fortnightly chemo (I am - 4 AC and 4 Tax) and some even have weekly!
I used the cold cap and had a good head of hair until my 6th treatment as tax took it’s toll and it started to thin. Waiting to see just how thin it’s going to get, but pleased with the results so far!
Hope all of you ladies are doing ok.
X