Starting Chemo, June 2010

Public Archive
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hello, ladies

second attempt to post-finished up on Halifax web site st first attempt! don’t know what happened there.

satp-we have headstrong ladies at the Mcmillan drop-in centre I go to

moth ulcers- I havn’t been bothered by them as yet but I often got them before, I always use neat TCP on a cotton bud sveral times a day, works for me

Julie-super list of foods, I was told to avoid dairy so I have soya milk, yoghurt etc. plenty of pomegranite juice

Suze-no new picture yet? you "shameless"person. I’m getting fed up with mine-time to change it again, still can’t find an “interesting” backdrop-not sure about head down the loo!

Sal-my daughter has had a chillow for a while, she has problems with anxiety, which affect her sleep but finds the Chillow really good

Don’t know how much she paid for it but I’m sure you could get from Amazon

Sandra, best wishes for tomorrow, at least you know what to expect.
my SE’s were not quite so bad on second time, could be because my dose was reduced, I must ask at the next one if I have to have more than the 8-hope not

Hugs to everyone

Carolxx

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Carol…
If I had put a new pic up this week it would have been of me asleep lol…I will put it on my list of things to do at the weekend…watch this space
Suze x

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Suze, we could start a new theme-slumbering postures, nearly as exciting as sheds!

Hope you sleep tonight-I don’t seem to have any problem sleeping, in fact I was late for my physio this morning cos I overslept

Carolxx

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Hi All -

That’s interesting about dairy avoidance Carol, why’s that then?? So much to learn through all of this, and so many different theories.

Tina, I haven’t a clue how much juice you’d have to drink, but still it’s worth a go. I haven’t had a problem with my WBC levels yet, but noticed they fell from 5.4 at chemo 1 to 4.8 at chemo 2, so thought I’d try and reverse the trend. Does anyone know how far they have to fall before they refuse to give a treatment?

Sal, your nurse sounds awesome. I’ve been a bit disappointed with the chemo nurses. I have my own BCN, but she’s at a different hospital to where I have chemo. The Nurses when I go seem to be always different and though they’re lovely and i have a number I can always call, you don’t get the same 1:1 care somehow. Great they sorted your nausea though. How fantastic.

Suze, hope you’re gaining more energy as the days pass. I hear you on the dizziness and the nausea: me too! I got the Emend this time, but had a bad reaction to it. Can’t tell you how annoyed I was! I’m on day 8 now though post second FEC and feeling a lot better, so hope you are too. Am sort of celebrating today, as I have enough taste back this morning to enjoy a cup of coffee. Small things make me smile these days!

Sandra, am wishing you safe home and no SE’s. let us know you’re okay when you can.

Sorry if I missed anyone. Julie x

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sorry managed to double post previous message, so have self edited myself to take it out!

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Juile, for tax the neutrophils need to be greater than 1.5, after my first fec they went down to 0.6 and I had neupogen to bring them back up in order to have chemo. You should avoid any unpasturised, live dairy. Normal dairy is ok, particular if you are premenopausal and need to protect your bone density, calcium is very important. I was at the Breast Cancer Care YWF in Swindon last week and a Nutrition Specialist Nurse who supports Oncology patients gave a talk on diet and stressed the importance of a balanced diet including dairy.

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Hi all

Yippee my taste buds have returned and now I can’t stop eating. I have just devoured half of an m+s apple pie with double cream and I could taste the apple. Wow- might have to go back for the other half. 10 eating days until the next chemo. Must plan my menus. By the way are we susceptible to infection all the way up to the next chemo or just at this mid part? Can’t remember. Debx

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depends how your bloods are, which you don’t know unless you end up being tested like i was om first cycle, ut generally is between day 7 and 14 we are at most risk apparently. Is wonderful when you can taste again, i ate loads on catch up. lost weight in first ten days and put it back on last ten days! But my taste buds were worst on the the first cycle so there is hope for you it will not be as bad next time!

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HI,
Well although my appointment was for 10.30 with waiting for pharmacy, and waiting for the nurse then waiting for the injections to bring home, l left at about 2pm.
Went to sainsburys to get some shopping, then went to watch grandson with his swimming lesson. then went to make sure my Mum was ok! she gets a bit stressed on my chemo days. as well as other days!!

So home and feeling ok, not hungry, just slightly yuk, slight headache, but that might be all the waiting around and it was very hot in the swimming pool! could feel the sweat under my wig, thought it was going to slip off!

With all my 10day of wbc injections mine had still dropped from 6.8 to 4.9 but still well within the range, hopefully they stay like that.
Here with my glass of pomegranate juice! xxx

Carol, why would you have more than 8? you being greedy!
l think if my dogs didn’t wake me l would sleep longer, my Bliss seems to have a built in clock that says get up at 7am, probably her steroids tell her she is hungry, poor girl! xxx

Suze. watching this space…xxx

Gill Hope you will soon be ‘more’ awake, don’t think the heat helps! xxx

Julie, l do the double posts a lot lately, not sure it is us or the website a bit slow, and we double press, we will blame the website, we have enough problems! hope you are good? eating all the right things and drinking what you should be drinking? xxx

Tina, gosh your wbc did drop! did they take you into hospital, or injections at home? xxx

Deb,sorry had to pass your post, saw the apple pie and double cream, and stopped there! my tummy is saying no don’t ready anymore, so you are obviously feeling well? Good for you xxx

Vicke, Pleased you are sounding well and ok today! take your time and a little bit of pampering is needed for you xxx

Hugs and Love to you all
Sandra xxx
Hi to anyone l have missed, hope you are all doing well xxx

PS My head tells me l am hungry, but my tummy tells me no, any suggestions, do l ignore or try toast perhaps? x

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Sandra…toast and honey xxx

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Suze,
You sure Honey? l love it, but thought a bit sickly with me feeling a bit yuk, not sick just yuk!
xxx

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haven’t eaten toast for weeks, makes me sick to smell it! Biscuit and your juice!

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I eat toast and maukua honey seem to manage it on FEC for first few days!
Sandra you dont look old enough to be a grandmother!

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Have tried ginger biscuits, but they don’t really fill a hole! not that the hole is very big, but!

Well if l dont look old enough to be a grandma (63) must be that manuka honey l love! might try toast and just show the honey to it!!

Thanks girls
xxx

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Sandra-toast & blackberry jelly, not quite as sweet as honey and I’m sure you’re sweet enough anyway, I have taken a liking to ginger beer, hated it before-can’t stand the smell of bananas now let alone eat them!- my sense of smell just after chemo is very acute-can smell alsorts of wierd smells in the house. OH says “I can’t smell anything” mind you his sense of smell is shot anyway from workin with silk sreen printing inks for 40 odd years.I am keeping my vase of sweet peas topped up, they smell loverly.

I think I will be a very old woman by the time I have any grandchildren, if ever. My daughter is in charge of the babyware section in Tesco but it’s not making her feel broody!

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When I don’t know what to have I eat a toast with a trickle of runny honey…it was just what came to mind when you said you didn’t know what to have:-)I think the sweetness works for me, then again its only a trickle
S xx

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Carol…I have loads of ginger beer here and can’t stand the smell of it never mind the taste!! I stocked up before treatment thinking it would be good…will have to sell it on ebay lol.
I keep smelling weird smells in the house too…I got all the windows open and air fresheners and candles to get rid of smells which no one else can smell!!
Grandchildren…my daughter informed me that I am to be a granny again on Dec 26th. That is around the time when my treatment will be done…do my kids not want me to have a day to myself lol…mind you what a xmas pressie xx :-))

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Hi Carol, I expect all those little screaming charming little ones in Tesco’s are a bit of a put off! think your daughter needs to change jobs, perhaps to maternity wear, all those lovely blooming pregnant ladies!

I will be eating at midnight the way l am going, just can’t make my mind up, yes l love jam too!

And l also LOVE sweetpeas! my grandma always had sweetpeas in the hall and ‘back’ room! my granddad had an allotment and grew so many lovely flowers and veg, and the sweetpeas were beautiful and the perfume!!

Suze when l can get up! the toast will have a little of what l fancy, yes l would only have a trickle, not as l usually do ‘thick’
What wonderful news Grandma! just what you need, something happy to look forwards to after all this rubbish! xxx

Love
Sandra xxx

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Suze-I will probably go off ginger beer soon-so don’t send it to me!
you future grandchild could be a Christmas day baby! my OH was born on Christmas day-he tells EVERYBODY that he’s only ever had one present-not one for birthday and one for Christmas-not true-he makes sure he gets both!

Sandra-you don’t seem thick to me, you seem very intelligent! I am sending you some sweet pea smells. will take a photo and replace my Irises with it. Don’t think a change of job would make any difference.