Carol, bit slow tonight, ‘thick’ l thought who said l am thick, boxing gloves were on, then l re read my post!! haha
Looking forward to the sweetpeas and all the happy memories of my grandma and granddad in Yorkshire. looking forward to the sweetpea smell, in fact l will go hunting for some tomorrow, then relax in my rocker and think of my grandparents
sweet dreams
Sandra xxx
Hi
Well Carol as l said in my other post, you made me cry, with the happy sweet pea memories, so thank you xxx
Woke this morning wondering why l felt so good! but didn’t complain too much, but just thought next time l will ask the onc if he thinks l am having strong enough chemo!! paranoia woman that l am!
Hope you are all feeling as good as l am today, and if not l hope tomorrow will be brighter for you
Lots of hugs and love
Sandra xxx
Glad you’re having a good day Sandra xxxxx
Ah Suze, well done! your hair looks beautiful! colour looks really good. Does it feel comfortable, cant believe how comfortable mine feels. Love the getting up in the morning and just putting the hair on! save me a fortune on shampoo’s and conditioners, not to mention the hairdresser!!
xxx
Yeah it’s much easier now just popping your hair on instead of having to wash and dry it! Everyone loves the colour, i like it and that’s what’s important. It’s fairly comfprtable…very light you easily forget you have it on sometimes, gets a bit itchy occasionally and hot in the sunshine but on the whole it’s good xx
Suze-can see you now! the hair looks lovely, I’m hoping to get an additional wig-a longer one, when I can find the time-means going into Manchester.
Hi all,
Just popping in to say hi! Finally feeling normal after 1st FEC am now day 10. Been out with the boys to the beach today. Managed to find a patch in the shade of a tree and had a fab day.
Boys were so excited that I was out with them and kept coming to check if I was asleep!
The toast and honey were about all I felt up to for the first week. But I was on ginger ale not ginger beer. My nan’s suggestion she said she used to drink it for morning sickness.
Can I just check if anyone elses skin has peeled off on their hands? My mouth has been left feeling a bit weird too v. rough, have any of you found anything to help with either?
After some advice about going back to work too. I’ve got a job I love and a great boss so I’m not worried about the work itself just worried about the infection side. Has anyone gone back to work between cycles and if so on what day. Onc said was my call and not sure which way to go.
Cheers lovely ladies,
Love Joxx
Hi All
Hope you dont mind me jumping in. I had my first session on 16/6 snd due to have my second on wednesday. I think the day of chemo was the worst. I was fine until mid evening when I kept retching and feeling sick and dizzy but wasnt actually sick. Then felt waves of nausea for about 7 days.
Felt great the last few days and not looking forward to next week. My hair has start coming out in chunks the last 2 days and I feel like Ive constantly got the hoover on. My 2 yr old asked me today if the road sweep was coming to the house to swwep up mummys hair!!!
Just picking up on bennyboos post. My tongue had an ulcer for a few days and my strange rough feeling. Any one have any ideas for dealing with??
Hi Jo,
Glad you’re feeling better now. I’m stil struggling with tiredness after 9 days post FEC2. Glad the boys had a good time too. Bless them checking to see if you were asleep:-))
Thank God for toast and honey or we would starve lol
you need to report to your bc nurse about peeling hands I think, my onfo says that’s what you need to do…same info for feet, maybe ther is a remedy to help with it. My moth feels like bottom of a budgies cage and did on 1st Fec too…pineapple juice sorts it out, drink about 4 times a day and hold in mouth first before swallowing.
I’ve returned to work part time…1st FEC I returned 4 days after but was like only there in body!! My head was not there at all although everyone was fine with that and just left me to sit and chat…it was just great to be there, 2nd week after was much better, felt more normal and could think better. Just working half my hours was plenty enough then went home and slept alhough things imprved as the days went on. The 2nd week is when your neutropils are at the lowest and you are the the most risk of infection, I used antibac handwash and gels every hour, avoided people with ‘germs’ and they avoided me. Took vit c, selenium and iron and manuka honey to boost immunity and I was fine. This time I had a week off after FEC2 and went in 2 days this week…very tired this time but I managed. My work are fab with me letting me be very flexible with my arrangements.Only hve 1 more full week and 1 day to go in then its the school holidays and I’m off for 7 weeks:-)) Wish you well with your return if you decide to go ahead.
Hugs Suze xx
Hi, Jo-I was warned about the hands but didn’t get the peeling. I have always sworn by neat TCP for the odd mouth ulcer, doesn’t seem worth doing the mouth wash as it tastes disgusting.
I have 2 jobs-one at a garden centre ( I’ve worked there 24 years, but now part time) and one doing admin for a freind who has a a shopfitting business. I’m not going in to th GC as I don’t think I could cope with the customers, I am now on SSP there, but I go in to the other job when I feel up to it and work as long as my body tells me. The friend is paying me my full wage right through treatment so I feel I should do a few hours, keeps me out of mischief! As I don’t come into contact with the public the germ aspect doesn’t worry me too much
Carolxx
Hi Jo,
Have you tried Aqueous cream on your hands, may help! my breast care nurse is always telling me to splash it on all over!
Have you tried the Bonjela adult for the mouth, my friends got so bad she had to get antibiotics from the GP.
Hope you are keeping an eye on your temperature?
afraid the mouth is one of those things, we all get, some worse than others, hope you are drinking lots, l am but still get the woolly mouth feeling xxx
Happy73, make sure you tell the onc about the sickness, they can change the anti sickness pills, something else might work better for you.
Oh the hair! l had mine cut very short the day l got more than 12 strands putting my fingers through it, couldn’t stand the thought of hair in food and all over the place, mine is very thin, but tommorow l am going to get the OH to cut it to an inch of its life! was going to get is shaved, but all the hairdressers say NO, because of skin infection and so on xxx
Suze, l have noticed you have put about your mouth tasting like the bottom of a budgie cage before! how do you know what the bottom of a budgie cage tastes like? perhaps we don’t want to know your funny habits!
Like you l am forever washing my hands and always take antibac handwash out with me! l think l will end up with OCD! xxx
Carol, two jobs? no wonder you sleep well! xxx
Hugs and Love
xxx
Sandra…that my dear is between me and the budgie hahaha xxxx
These are the signs they told me to look out for with regards to the neutropenia:
The risks being at their highest 7-14 days after dose (nadir)
Unusual redness, pain, or swelling around my wounds
Fever greater than 38 celsius
Diarrhoea
Burning sensation when urinating, sore throat
Shortness of Breath
Shaking chills, flu like symptoms like muscle aches, unusual bleeding or bruising, chest pains
Neutropenia: x < 2000 = slight risk of infection
Mild Neutropenia: 1000 < x < 1500 = minimal risk of infection
Moderate Neutropenia: 500 < x < 1000 = moderate risk of infection
Severe Neutropenia: x < 500 = severe risk of infection.
With tax your neutrophils need to be >1500 to have chemo.
Difflam is good for mouth ulcers! It has a local anaesthetic in it, too. Hope everyone is recovering from chemo day! Hugs to all, Tina. FAB hair salsasuzi.
Hi Jo - Glad you’re feeling a bit more normal. Am sure you’ll feel loads better from now to the next one. The next one will be a dread, but in a way it’s easier because you know what you’re facing. I told myself I knew it was going to be a week of nausea and then it’s over. Somehow knowing how long I had to put up with it helped! Tell the Onc you suffered though and they’ll adjust for next time. Top tip from me is don’t underplay it. There are levels of anti sickness drugs and they seem to start everyone on the lowest one. Really probe them on what they’re going to do to up you to try something else and why.
Welcome to Happy. Good name!! Sorry you’ve been sick too. It’s grim isn’t it. Mouth wise, I think keep gargling is all any of us can do and keep your mouth as clean as possible. After your levels go back up the mouth improves. I’m on day 10 of FEC cycle 2 and had a cup of coffee today. Still didn’t feel right but it was right enough!
Suze, great hair!! You won’t want it to grow back next - well maybe that’s an exaggeration! I’ve managed to work throughout, but am lucky as I work at home, so can take it at my own pace. I haven’t told my work what’s going though, as I’m freelance and take short contracts. I’m worried if I tell them about the BC they might decide to give someone else the contracts as I’m too high a risk not to deliver. Been hard to hit deadlines, but in a way good too as it’s given me a huge distraction! Great you’ve got a supportive employer. I’m looking forward to the summer holidays, but dreading them a bit too. How to find the energy for six weeks of play?! Any tips anyone?!
Sandra, great you’re still feeling good after no.2. Must feel good to be through another?
Am wishing you all a sunny Sunday. Julie x
Juile, I am sending my boys on a PGL holiday for a week after chemo so I can recover, hopefully, by the time they get back my energy levels will have recovered again! Had more energy on FEC although sickly, tax is a bit of a killer on my muscles/bones and everything feels such an effort, 6 weeks of high energy boys to entertain is a grim prospect for me, too!
Hello ladies!
Well the mouth ulcers have calmed down which is good, I only used Bonjela on them in the end. Sense of taste is back to normal as far as I can tell, and my appetite, so I’m having to be careful and not pig out too much.
Off to see the GP tonight to get my sick certificate, chase up my endocrinology appointment about my thyroid and get something to finish off the mouth ulcers altogether.
Hair is now going, it started on Friday, came as a bit of a surprise when I ran my hand through it when I got up because it was standing on end and a small clump came out! Now it’s just annoying me. Coincidentally I got a call from the NHS wig people on Friday about going in to be measured up, but I missed it as I was out buying more hats (Poundland, bargain)! Sorry, “Surgical Orthotics” is what they said they were called - wondered who on Earth they were at first!
I have my blood test this Wednesday morning, then wait to get a call from the oncologist’s registrar in the afternoon to see if I’m going ahead with Chemo 2 and portacath fitting on Friday morning. Part of me wants it to be delayed, part of me wants it to go ahead and get it over with!
Apart from being a bit tired, and moulting worse than a grey old cat, I’m fine at the moment.
Still haven’t started making any Christmas cards yet though!
x
Morning,
Day 3 and all is good! had a bad night Saturday, not sure if that was the steroids or just me! only got about 3 hours sleep.
Still got a yuk taste in the mouth, hardly any sickness, so that is good. Trying to eat healthy, sometimes it is a strugle, just fancy what l see! not really hungry as such, eat because l should, although for someone that is not eating much, l have put on 3lbs in 10 days, so not happy with that, will have to cut down on the fizzy drink, that is the only thing l can think of. just gets my taste buds going.
Julie, pleased you are coping with work and all this rubbish, easier when you are working from home, have a rest when needs be.
Tina, sure the children will love the PGL holiday, have they been on one before? Not looking forward to the TAX, although the sickness bit will be good, just don’t like bone and muscle pains, but if it does the job!
MrsSloth, Oh that hair loss, when l woke on the morning of my hair loss, that first handful that came out!! phoned the wig lady straight up and booked for her to cut it to 3" and put the wig straight on, hated the thought of hair all over food, house, me!!
Now chemo number 2,and 3 days and hardly any hair, we put scissors over it yesterday, to cut it really short!! actually bald! but it does feel better, if possible! just pleased l cant see any more falling hair.
Jo how are your hands? have you spoken to anyone about them?
Have a lovely day ladies
Sandra xxx
Sandra, you probably have the right idea but I want to hang to the hair a bit longer, even if I am moulty. Didn’t think I’d get sentimental about it, but I want to keep things normal as long as possible!
I had the weirdest thing just happen, I got a message on Facebook from a girl who used to be my penpal in the 80s/early 90s, we lost touch as I got married and she was busy in her new job, life, that kind of thing. We met at a Doctor Who convention in October 1984, we were both there on our own and pretty much the only girls there, too!
Turns out her sister-in-law is married to the brother or cousin (not sure yet)of a friend of mine, so she saw me come up and wondered if I was the same person (my christian name is Evelyn so it’s quite unusual).
Turns out also she had breast cancer in 2006, so now we’re busy comparing notes!
It really is such a small world!
Tina, that’s a sound idea to send your boys away for that week. Mine’s a bit too little to do that with, as he’s only just 6. I spent last night plotting a chart in terms of my treatment through the summer so we can see when we’ll need more help. Have lots of friends who are more than willing and my other half’s job is being brilliantly flexible too, so am sure we’ll cope somehow.
I start Tax mid August. Can’t say I"m looking forward to it, as I’ve heard it flattens you. Still, will be over half way through chemo by then, so that’s something to hold onto.
Sandra, might well be the steroids which kept you up. Glad you had a better night last. Fizzy drinks work for me too. For the first time in my life I’ve been craving Coca Cola. Have switched to diet for same reasons as you though! Carbonated water and lime’s calorie free-ish though, so might be worth a try?
Mrs Sloth, I hope your bloods are good. After all why delay this misery?! On the hair, I’d say if it’s not coming out too drastically it might be worth persevering. I wanted to shave mine when it started to go, but here I am well past FEC 2 and still have a pretty full head (big bald patch on top mind!). Had very thick hair to start with, so though I’ve lost loads, there’s still lots left. I’ve been lucky so far I know, but I’m glad to have hair for a little while longer. Buy a drain cover for your shower though - really helps when washing hair!
Waving to all others, and wishing you a very well week.
Hi all
I have just been plotting my way through the summer too. My children will be 3 and 5 by then so quite hard work. I will have (as long as bloods ok) 2 chemos while they are off 1 Fec and 1 Tax. I phoned the local children’s centre to see what they had to offer and they saiid they could have offered my 3 year old some child care if I was unemployed but as I’m not they can’t. Luckily my family will help in the post chemo days and my mam is taking the kids away to scotland for a little break at the beginning of the hols… At least I know kind of what it will be like after Fec- 10 days of yuk. But Tax is unknown- so worried a bit about that.
Fizzy drinks work best for me too. Appletiser and Peartiser are nice iwth lots of ice and tonic water.
Thanks for the food suggestions for boosting bloods have been drinking lots of pommegranate juice, eating tones of spinach, oranges and carrots. Had a teaspoon of manuka honey but it makes me shudder. I know the chemo docs dont really think all of these things work but we have to try.
Good luck and hope the ‘yucky medicine’ as we call it is doing it’s job. debx