Welcome to the sparklers rockydog - your post wasn’t showing last night ehen I was waffling on in the middle of the night or I would have welcomed you then. Everything has moved for you so quickly that it must be an awful lot to cope with in such a short timeframe - I really feel for you. I’m sure you’ll find this a comforting place where you can share your ups and downs eith us all.
Take care. Love, Col xxx
Welcome _ rockydog _, sorry you find yourself here but as _ Col123 _ says you should hopefully find comfort and help here. You can now class yourself as a bonifide Sparkler! I know what you are saying about surreal, I felt that I was out of sync with everything around me but now on _ Day 19 _ feel in the real world so to speak Take care, big hugs, Keep calm & sparkle on. CK xxx
Good afternoon sparklers,
Day 10 after chemo the nurse came and took a blood tests this morning, my ulcers are much better today, I washed my hair this morning, all ok until I was drying my hair and it came out in clumps, I have thick hair so not such an issue yet, but it was a bit of a shock, emotionally I just wanted to cry 
but I feel much better now hugs from friends at lunchtime, I guess it is time to have a look at wigs.
Welcome new sparklers Rockydog we are all here for you, we share our experiences together :)x
CK how are you feeling today hun? A big hug from me, stay strong and keep sparkling 
x
Col 123 how are you today? my ulcers are feeling much better today my dentist prescribed antibacterial mouthwash (Chlorhexidine – dilute this with water if your mouth is very sore) and gel the name on the box is corsodyl. It was recommended in a previous month’s thread, for my sore lips I am using blistex mediplus for lips £1.99 from boots tastes a little funny however it is be working at the moment. Stay strong J x
Shazza me too I defuzzed yesterday evening too, madness I think! How are you today? 
x
Jellymould,Pacal 48, Dealbeach and Lucypenney - how are you feeling today? I send you my best wishes and a big hug x
Jennym welcome back, I would be the same; I am too shaky, I would stab my eye by accident hehe! Good to hear you tablets are working for you. x
Tantania thank you for the hair tip and I hope the SEs are to the minimum today for you. big hug x
Jellymould,Pacal 48, Dealbeach and Lucypenney - how are you feeling today? I send you my best wishes and a big hug x
Kerry 1981, catzoo, weesharon, moon&moon, Susann, Nik1967, slm272, newstsart, Nadine20, lizzy09, kentishgirl, stellabraska, mags2710, PhilBM, pauline48, littlebear, cam21, saz2012, a1fie, we haven’t heard from you for a while I hope you are all hanging in there, we are all her to help support you through your journey. keep sparkling x
A big thank you to all the previous months’ friends for sharing your experiences it really helps us all. X x
Love to you all, keep sparkling and take care of yourselves x 
Afternoon sparklers
I’m still doing ok. Woke up with thrush this morning so rang hospital to check it was ok to take a tablet for it. Hopefully it will sort it out before it takes hold. I usually get it when I’m run down so not unexpected, justy a bit of a nuisance. If thats all I can complain about I’m cant be doing too badly.
Welcome to Rockydog, sorry you had to join us but we can all support each other
Hope everyne else is keeping as well as they can
Keep strong and carry on sparkling
Shazza x
hi all im feeling exceptionally well considering it is day 13 and this is when you are at your lowest and vunerable. going to put my christmas tree up today, love it and as im gonna be having more chemo end of nov beginning of dec i will prob feel like not doing much so at least i can chill in my pj’s and look at all my sparkly decs and lights. hope everyone is well. hugs to all xx
Thanks _ mummybear45 _, a big hug is just what the doctor ordered! Hair coming out more today, have got to stop fiddling with it. Appointment with oncologist tomorrow to see if all go for FEC-T #2 on Friday. Fingers crossed no issues.
Am trying to build up courage to go to work for a few days this week.
Hope everyone else is OK today. 
Love & hugs to all, Keep sparkling xxx
Hi Mummybear,
I have been reading the thread but I suppose for a while I have been trying to bury my head in the sand and pretend that it isn’t really happening, but D-day is rapidly approaching. I’ve had my MUGA scan and thats all good so appointment with onc on wednesday for last run through and bag of tablets, herceptin on thursday then my 1st chemo (taxotere + caboplantin) on friday. I am going to give the cold cap a whirl, I would just like to get through christmas looking a little normal.
Feeling very nervous but it’s probably more so the fear of the unknown. I am so sorry to hear some of you are suffering with SE’s but I was impressed with Jellymould’s zumba.
I will post a bit more often but I have to say just reading everyone’s posts is keeping me sane xx
Hi Everyone
I have just come downstairs after another sleep, switched on the laptop and mummybear you have made me feel so much better - thank you x
Today is day 5 for me and I have slept most of it. Also feeling a bit sick but have taken one of the stronger anti sickness pills and hopefully that will sort me out.
Jellymould - Christmas decorations, great idea. I work in a school and I sorted out all the Christmas card making before I went off so I don’t think it’s too early. Do it when you feel like it because you might not again for a while and nothing cheers you up quite like sparkly Christmas decorations!
Starting to feel better already - must be the thought of putting up my decs. Wonder where they are …
Lots of love
xxx
It’s nearly time for my second dose of FEC on Friday! I found with the first cycle I had 5 rotten days of sickness and fatigue but I got steadily back to my old self. Day 15 scalp so tender it woke me up in the night and there are sprinkles of hair on the pillow now. I got a mobile hairdresser to cut it all really short and I am wearing turbans around the house. Sore lips too, splitting nails but energy levels not bad at all now. Then it will all start up again!!
Hi all
My week seems to have been dominated by toiletry issues 
(I know I can safely share that with you all as we’re all in the same boat) so I put another daft ditty together to try and smile about it (I did forwarn you that I’d carry on!).
Sparklers, sparklers all burning so bright,
I just went to the loo and got quite a fright,
Those naughty wind pixies had been dancing a jig,
With such an effect it nearly blew off my wig!!
Nite all and good luck to anyone tomorow with appointments, etc.
Love, Col xx
Night all
Keep them ditties coming Col
xxx
Ha ha love it!!
Ok this sounds like a daft question even for me but any tips would be great! It has been nearly 4 weeks since I had my op and I had under my arm drained last week but it has come back but the fluid build up that is really getting uncomfortable is my breast I don’t feel it can strech much more besides exercise and massage is ther any thing else I can do to relieve the pressure ?
col your poem was so funny it made me giggle out loud thank you x
newstart we are here for you when you are ready to share or need us to listen take care of yourself, stay strong and sparkle x
nite nite everyone and good luck you all who have appointments in the next couple of days, sweet dreams to you all x
oh col, my husband thinks your nuts, your ditties are so funny lol and yes i did say ditties and not titties. 
xx
I’ve just had an idea of real genius.
It should become mandatory for all oncologists to undergo a short course of chemotherapy as part of their training.
I think that would help them all IMMENSELY with the whole empathy thing.
Hi sparklers,
Day six. Thrush seems to be easing off but had a bit of an emotional blip last night and ended up crying myself to sleep. Hope it was just the steroids wearing off, I’m exhausted. Feeling a bit better today after a good sleep. Got physio this afternoon so that should distract me and a bit of light exercise will help too. Arm is feeling a bit tender today so probably need it too.
I’ve been waiting weeks for my prothesis to come into the hospital and can finally pick it up today. Yay! Hopefully a bit of weight in my bra will help me feel less off balance.
Keep strong and carry on sparkling!
Shazza x
Hi one and all. What a difference a few days make, I must admit I have lost track somewhat except I know this is day 13 for me and for the last 4 or 5 days I have felt more or less normal. Whether this is the pattern I don’t know, as the doctors and nurses all tend to say that each person is affected differently. Just to re-cap on my experience so far, I found the first couple of days immediately after chemo to be OK until day 5 when the cumulative effect of insomnia, constipation and not much food, resulted in me fainting in a cold sweat. The SRU at the hospital told my husband to bring me in, fortunately all the tests they ran were normal, even though I had a second faint whilst being wheeled back from chest Xray. The benefit of the hospital stay was at least I came home with a supply of laxatives - lactulose and senna.
Fortunately I have not been sick or felt sick, the insomnia was the worst. Keeping hydrated is key, and all manner of fluids count according to the hospital, so it doesn’t have to be water all the time. The other aspect I found alarming but thankfully it has passed, was the brain fog, the spaced out as though I had been lobotomised, staring blankly at the ceiling feeling. During that period I became the woman in a dressing-gown with an erratic sleep pattern.
Sunday we went for an autumn walk in the country air, but decided to forego a pub lunch due to infection risk being high till middle of next week.
One tip to pass on, apparently there is a chance you can lose your nails on chemo, but I heard of a lady who retained hers by using Rimmel Rescue Nails. I have got some just in case, and at only £4.99 it’s worth a try.
Christmas is a coming, and it has meaning and importance in different measures for our November group. Those with children in particular I feel for. Our usual routine is our small family come to us, but as I have a 3rd chemo round potentially on December 20th, I have decided Christmas is a write off this year, including my husband’s birthday on New Years Eve. We had our names down for a black tie do but of course it is during the time I have to avoid crowds in enclosed spaces. At least by December I should be half way through with the light at the end of the chemo tunnel getting larger.
This morning I have ordered a new tumble dryer, which proves I am compus mentus, couldn’t have done that last week. For the readers amongst us, in this situation you can find you become one - I have just finished A Street Cat Named Bob, I found it to be a wonderfully uplifting story, although it made me cry a few times, it is a good read.
On the hair front, I am a cold capper, no losses, no scalp itch or tingle. On the evening of the faint, I washed my hair in Simple shampoo and rough dried with hairdryer and also used heated styler, without any ill-effect. Have washed it a second time using a regular shampoo and styled in same way with the same result. I am expecting after the second cycle I will have to be more careful. I go tomorrow to try the wig I ordered, I want it styled as close to my own hair as possible, so I have it on standby for the future.
So that’s all folks for now. Just one thought has struck me, I noted one of the other groups arranged a get together post chemo, and wondered what you all thought about us doing something similar next year. It would be spring or summer, the dark, grey winter days behind us, we may even feel regenerated, hopeful, dare I say happy? I realise we are probably spread far and wide but thought I would pose the question for the future, as I for one prefer to look ahead and beyond.
I hope everyone is finding their own way through this mire, embrace the good days and survive the bad days.
Lots of love, Susann
hi susan its a great idea to meet up and i would love to meet you all as we get to the end of our chemo roller coaster. ive noticed today on day 13 my hair is starting to shed a little, really itchy so i expect to be completly bald in the next few days. lol we will all have to wear a pink carnation so we know who we are meeting up with. sparkly hugs everyone xxx
Thanks Jellymould, I hope we can fix something. Although I know this is all about us and our feelings, thoughts, emotions, battles with treatment that we all share in common, I would not exclude partners from a social event as they are very much in it with us and play such a vital part in holding us together at times.
In the meantime cheers to the Sparklers wherever you are.