Well surprise surprise rheumatologist dropped bomb shell not only can I no longer take any medication for arthritis the anti tnf treatment I was having cannot be taken by anyone with a diagnosis of cancer for 10 years. 
… Apparently not alk bad news chemo can help arthritis woopee doo lol. Luckily for him he kept his hands to himself although was really looking forward to kicking him. Never mind there’s always next time lol xx
Actually feeling a bit better now so hoping it carries on in the future xxx
Elma, missed the bit in your posting about prescriptions and I’m definitely with you on if you don’t ask you don’t get. Luckily as a welsh patient my prescriptions are free but when I asked my GP today about anything I might need his response was just phone the surgery and everything will be sorted. So I take that as anything. It doesn’t hurt to ask . I do have a rather lovely , extremely supportive GP though. I’m one of the lucky ones I guess. x
Evening all!!! Busy lot today I see?welcome Maseo I have added you to our ever growing list!! As you can see you are not receiving the swamp juice alone, always good to have a few friends to drink with!! Nothing worse Han drinking on your own hehe.Kim hope you’re ok after your post about news that has thrown your plans for this week!! I have PM’d you about Facebook and if you still can… YES YES YES I’d love for you to sort it…yay!! So if anyone wants in please PM Kim/frenchfancy with your fbook details and she will add you to the secret group! Sam have you decided what to do about Greece? Feel for you! It’s rubbish when you’ve got all excited about it!! I have added your start date to the list! Nikki hope you got on ok today let me have your date for the list chick! Hope you are feeling better, and if over the head top sore it’s a good excuse to buy new shirts lol. Katepb glad you are feeling better today, its all very up and down this cancer lark isn’t it! Dtebbs welcome ? sorry you find yourself here but it’s a great source of support and we are a nice lot!! I have added you to the list so we can keep track of you, what actual date is your first session next week? Pips sorry you’re feeling it today, you made me laugh out loud with your kick the rheumatologist haha bit of a bugger about the drug situation interesting that chemo might help! Lets hope it does! Elma I’ve got wigs and hats in place…dreading the airloss but refuse to pay for a haircut if its gonna drop out shortly, I fact I haven’t bought any hair remover cream for my moustache as I’m hoping that WILL drop out!..mind you knowing my luck the head hair will go and ill be left with the rest haha rach great to hear you’re still feeling good, gives us all hope and long may it continue for you! Jo, I think you and rach had a good batch seeing as you’re both doing so well, hope they’ve delivered the same one to Lincoln lol. As for the wig, I’m sure it will look great and if not stick some sunglasses on and no one will know its you!! PTB,ally and Tracey best of luck for tomorrow…kickass and try and let us know you’re ok! PTB sounds like you had a great day out today, love a bit of retail therapy and bonding with the offspring!!! Annie nice to see you on here, you Maisie’s are old hands now and we are the newbies!! I have bought myself a little notebook so I can keep track of all pesky side effects so I don’t forget to mention them at the next dunking!! Bonnie hope today’s appt went ok, thinking of you!!
Here is the latest list girls xxxxxxxBarbs
NME/DIAG. DATE/TMNT. NUMBER. LOCATION
Avonlady/no details. 28/8. #1. No details
Rachelr/WLE gde3 ER/PR/HER2- 29/8 FEC-T. #1. Reading
HEvg123/MX/ANC(3/?). 29/8 FEC-T. #1. Kent coast
Jo43/WLE/ANC(2/20). 30/8 FEC-T. #1. Bucks
Gold63/MX. 30/8 no details. #1. No details
Pips64/WLE ER/PR/HER2- 30/8 FEC. #1. Cheshire
PTB/no details. 3/9 FEC-T. #1. Wrexham
Tracey46/no details. 3/9 FEC-T. #1. No details
Ally51/no details. 3/9 no details. #1. No details
hg12/no details. 4/9 FEC-T. #1. No details
Katepb/no details. 4/9 ??? #1. No details
Maseo/WLE/ANC4/18gde1/ER/PR+HER2- 4/9 FEC-T. #1. No details
Beam67/WLE gde3. 6/9 FEC-T. #1. No details
Thebatman/MX/SLN(0/2)gde2ER8-PR3+HER2- 6/9 TC. #1. E. Anglia
Barbarella63/MX ANC(2/16)gde2 ER+PR/HER2- 9/9 FEC-T. #1. Lincoln
Frenchfancy/MX/ANC(8/22)gde3 ER/PR+HER2- 9/9 FEC-T. #1. Chester
Hazey85/MX/ANC/(24/43)gde3ER/PR/HER2+. 11/9 #1. Warwicks
Samjs/WLE. 18/9 FEC . Northants
Lulu34/TBNC lung mets. ?? CARBO-T. #1. Unknown
Cinderssarah/WLE/ANC(1/16)gde2ER+ No date yet.
NIkki49/MX/ANC(0/11)gde3ER/pR/HER2- ". ". #1 Fareham
Elma55/MX/ANC(12/15)gde3ER/PR/HER2- ??? FEC-T #1 Chichester
Bonnie8862/MX/ANC(14/16)gde3HER2+ER/PR- ". ". Gatwick
Sarahsomething/MX/ANC. ". ". Berkshire
Jinxy12. Kent
Bonellie/MX/ANC(4/7)gde2 ER+|HER2? ". ". Unknown
Austigirl/MX. No other details
Dtebbs/MX/ANC2/? No date FEC-T. Unknown
Hey Stars
Just a quickie to wish _ PTB, TRACEY46, ALLY 51 _ Good luck tomorrow for your chemo cocktails, Let’s hope it all goes well for you and SE’s are minimal.
Big hugs to all the Stars
love pips64
PS Elvis like my headache have finally left the building 
Thankyou very much xx
Hahaha pips…glad to hear that xxxxxx
Just watched Corrie on catchup…so much for escapism tv ?
Evening Stars,
Can’t sleep so thought I’d give you all an update re onc appointment & test results.
CT scan was clear yay
Chemo to start Tuesday or Wednesday next week - waiting for confirmation, eek it’s all getting a bit real now.
Cocktail of choice is 6 x FEC - T
Was given choice of cannula, portacath or picc line - due to ANC I only have one arm that they can use therefore onc advised against cannula. I chose portacath cause once its in that’s it, no weekly flushing out, I’m also mildly allergic to those waterproof dressings (I get blisters if on too long). Blood can be take from portacath so no more needles for me Apart from the one you have in your tummy 24hrs after chemo, this is for increasing your white blood cells (I think).
Mirena coil - I had one to control heavy periods. He wasn’t overly bothered he advised me to leave it be, due to risk of infection plus he didn’t want me to have the added complication of heavy bleeding whilst having treatment. He said sometimes chemo can make your periods heavier! Since dx I’ve become suspicious of everything I put into my body, onc said if I want it out then get it removed one month after chemo ends.
Flu jab - yes have it, he says dont worry if you can’t get it done prior to treatment starting, its ok to have it during treatment he recommended 5 days prior to next cycle.
Cold cap - he says the cold caps used at my hospital are particularly good & work for 40% of people, he told me he has a patient with hair down to her backside, on her 4th cycle still with a full head of hair - so I’m gonna give a whirl…nothing ventured nothing gained.
Good luck to those of you at the bar tomorrow or I should say later today.
Right I need to go make a hot chocolate or something, I’m still not sleepy.
Take care xxx
Hi Stars, I’m awake early too Barbs, no change there then.
Lulu, sorry things didn’t quite work out. Hope you stay with the Stars. Take it easy at work today.
Nikki, Great news on scan results and thanks for info re flu jab. Hope you managed a decent nights sleep after the Hot choccie.
Good luck and best wishes to all you wonderful Stars whatever you have planned for your day . Thanks again for thinking of me while I knock back the swamp juice! x
Wishing PTB, Tracey & Ally big hugs today. Good luck ladies, see you on the other side (((x)))
FEC-T - 1st FEC - Day 5
Great news Nikki - I bet that’s taken a weight off you mind. Thanks for the flu jab info - I thought I had missed the boat for that but will ask my onc if can have it - one less thing to worry about catching!
Another night of a buzzing mind and a very loudly beating heart and therefore not much sleep but at least I have talen my last steroid - I wonder if they would let me reduce the dose next time as I have had virtually no nausea ?.
And I have washed my hair for the first time since chemo - such a fantastic feeling to have clean hair, altho’ without been able to even blow-dry it it does resemble a mouse’s nest!
Good luck to PTB, Ally & Tracey today - hope it all goes well.
Enjoy the sun if you can.
xx
Nikki that’s crap poor you xx
Nikki thats awful I read so many reports on how to avoid seromas before my op. eg to exercise straight after the op or to delay, drainage tubes or not etc. So i decided to delay the exercise a bit after the op. (Still not doing it to be perfectly honest!) Still didnt stop me getting a seroma though! I drained only 160ml, so half your amount. It must be awful for you. Hopefully the antibiotics & aspiration will sort it out once & for all. Try get some sleep whenever you can.
Hope everyone that had their 1st session today is ok.
Anymore thoughts about joining the Facebook page?? Dm frenchfancy to be added…totally SECRET and secure and you can say **bleep** without getting bleeped lol
I had ECMF x8, 11 years ago. The worse thing for me was the nausea. I think the anti sickness drugs are much better now. As well as ginger, pineapple etc I found what worked best for me was soft bread. It sort of soaks up the acidy sicky feeling albeit temporarilly.
Good luck ladies. You are fighting back now.
Hi, had my first dunking last Wednesday,nobody told me about the tingling it reached parts I had forgot about !!! Not been great since though S/E spent overnite in hospital on a drip took them 10 goes to get some blood ended up out of my feet getting back to normal? If I will ever be that again !! Bit tired though chins up girls onward we go. Jenny xx P.s. Hi Annie.xx
Hi stars,
Just a quick update. I haven’t gone to Greece. I was too scared of getting dvt as I am just less than 4 weeks post ops, also because I have had 3 ops in 8 weeks. I hate this bloody cancer thing for changing how I think about things, I would have just gone prior to this bloody thing! Spent most of the day in tears or close to tears. Haven’t answered any calls cos I don’t want to talk to anyone. OH went for a kip hours ago, just to get out of my way I think and he is still there. Kids staying out of My way too. Dad popped to see me earlier and I just cried on him bless him.
Rachel the burgundy book is pay and conditions booklet, not to be messed with obviously!
Nikki I am the same as you regarding about what we put in our bodies. After I had my mirena removed although I had the normal coil on prescription, I couldn’t bear the thought of having it put in and having something else in my body. Also I used to drink quite a bit of pop and a fair few coffees a day but now I have 2 coffees and water. Unless I am down the pub obviously!
Hope everyone at the bar today fares ok.
Glad others are keeping us posted and glad to see avonlady back.
All that is left to say is barbs is officially a potty mouth! Obviously on fb not on here!
Xxx
Just in case I’m not on again today good luck to the 3 stars up tomoz, plz let us know ur home safe & well as soon as you feel able- we’ll only worry otherwise , take care xx
Hi Everyone
Thanks for welcoming me to the site. I start chemo 10th September. Nervous to say the least. My cancer was Grade 2, 50mm, node positive (1/2). Although the consultant has asked that nodes be tested again, as there were two reports which contradicted each other. ER 95% pos, PR 50% pos, Ki-67 I 1%, HER2 neg. I was told what all this meant, but some of it has gone out of my head now. I know the HER neg is a good thing. I am seeing breast nurse again next week, so will go over the figures again. She will probably think I’m thick lol. Still new at all this. No doubt will be as experienced as everyone else in a few weeks.
As I said, dreading chemo, and worried about side effects. I am a strong person, so know I will get thr ough it, you have to don’t you. Just the unknown really. Thought I’d got away with not having to have chemo, as at first treatment was mastectomy, then radiotherapy. However, because of the node involvement - chemo here we come.
Again thanks for welcoming me, I will let you know how I get on.
x Deb
Hi Stars
Well had my pre-chemo talk today, also had a wig fitting, OH wanted me to try the long blonde wig, we did laugh. At present I have a bob, more grey than auburn. So have chosen a longer bob in a almond with hi lites that didn’t look too bad. OH very disappointed his dreams were shattered.
Well stepping up to the bar for my dunking tomorrow at 1:30pm in a ward full of others also hooked to IV drips, think I will take my kindle. They have given me some anti nausea drugs to take one hour before treatment and then one for the following two days. Nausea is my nemesis - rather hang onto it than throw it down the toilet. Anyway heres hoping the tabs will work.
Golly they really load you with info don’t they. Got CT results - clear - phew. But bone density showed osteopoenic in lumber and neck regions - I am post menopausal so was sorted of expected. Will deal with this when all treatment over, have looked up that diet, walking etc can put a halt or at least help with this. Now I know why I was always in pain after yoga - not my imagination, not me being too fat! Mind you I have now lost a stone and now weigh in at a svelt 9st 13lbs.
All my love to those stars doing the IV shuffle tomorrow. Lets hope SE’s are minimal.
Georgina.
Just read a posting about washing your hair after chemo? I didn’t ask that question, is it best to leave it for a few days then… appreciate any advice.
Georgina.