Hi I think its day 4 (Friday) after 1st chemo and I still feel really whacked,just hope i come out of it in the next few days. Off to bed in a mo for some more rest. Good to have you around as buddies. Anti-sickness tablets seem to work, hurrah!
Energy gone see you again soon.
Hannah
Hi Girls…
I was up at 4 a.m. after a couple of hours sleep. Did all my chores whilst I was ‘charged’ and was back in bed by 9 a.m. Had cleaned downstairs, sorted the dog, packed lunches ready, dinner in the slow cooker and brekkie done plus some computer work that needed seeing to!!!
Then slept til 1 and have been dossing about since. Need a shower and clean clothes to get me back on track.
No sickness or nausea but I have 2 different ant-sickness drugs which I’m taking but those steroids are the ones keeping me hyper, I think.
Thanks for the tips…will be waiting for that bulldozer!
Laters x
Hi Pheebster
My god woman do you ever stop! I’ve been feeling quite hyper but have so far resisted urge to do housework! Hubby worried that I might overdo it and wants me to conserve my energy incase I have a relapse, not arguing at the momen but not sure how long this lady of leisure malarky will remain a novelty. Still no sickness, day 4 for me so no anti sickness or steroids this morning and still feel fine and full of enegy. Have also been reading thread about starting chemo on 2nd Oct so ladies there are a couple of weeks ahead and I’m more than aware that some are now experiancing problems so know that they may be on the way but am not gonna sit round waiting for them to happen. Decided to have a look at some websites for scarves and buffs today, not sure what they are but they seem to be popular. Think I may be on differant cold cap to you as mine is a plug in one which they don’t have to change, its kept cold by an air current I think. Want to have something in reserve just incase it isn’t that effective, also seem to be having bad hair day everyday as cant blow dry or straighten. Am starting to scare the postman I think!Am getting a new fridge delivered tomorrow - a nice big american one - so am off to do a big shop today to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables for my new juicer!
Hope you have a good weekend
Cazz x
Yep…those anti sickness drugs seem to be doing the trick. Cazz…I have domperidone for about 8 days. Also some other ones (Gest…) for 3 days too.
Feel more relaxed today - not as hyper as yesterday. Just took the dog for a walk for an hour - I love walking - and going to chill out until this evening.
I’d love one of thos big fridges, but it would mean moving cupboards and really can’t be doing with that right now. How exciting though! Good luck with the juicing. You need to find a fruit market and get down there around closing time for all the bargains!!!
Have fun
Hi
Good idea about market, we’ve actually got a farm shop really near to us so might try there. Think I might have same anti sickness tablets as you thet seem to be doing the trick in fact, can’t stop eating. Will be the size of a small house if I carry on at this rate.
Have a good weekend.
caz xx
Hi
Oh I wish I had the energy you all seem to have had at sometime in these last few days. Day 5 and still whacked out. Got up at 3pm, ate, watched a bit of TV then back for a rest for a while. Up again now and trying to do things on the computer but am finding it hard to concentrate. Have managed to put some bread in the bread machine so we won’t quite starve. Sons both out and not sure when they will be back, missing a bit of company from them if not their help! I do hope I have some more energy soon, not sure how to go about getting any. Any tips?
Best Wishes
Hannah
Hi Hannah,
Sorry to hear your still feeling quite low, it does seem that differant people react differantly to this treatment. Not sure if I have any tips other than what I suppose is quite obvious in that eating and drinking will hopefully keep up your energy levels. It may be worth speaking to BCN she may have something a bit more useful. I have been having a spoonful of lifemel honey each morning and evening and have also had a concentrated juice drink each day, not sure if they’re helping but they are nice. Maybe a bit of fresh air might do the trick although I know its a bit chilly now. Hope you start to feel a bit better soon Hannah,
Sending much love
caz x
I had 2 hours deep sleep this afternoon. Only got up as my parents turned up!
I forgot my steroids this morning and had some real acidy feeling in my stomach all day. Caught up on them now (shame I just had to take the last two but felt I needed them) and feeling a bit brighter.
Heating up some stew for dinner (last nights left overs) and I am so gagging for a glass of white, that I think I may have one while watching X Factor tonight!
Anyway, just on the anti-sickness now. I hope you get some energy back soon Hannah. You seem to be doing fine Cazz…are you getting that big fridge to keep up with your extended appetitie? I seem to be getting larger by the day!!!
Have a nice evening girls
Hi guys,
Thought I’d add my comments to this thread, coz I went through what you’re all going through a couple of years ago. I remember it well! Pheebster, it is the steroids making you hyper. I was a total insomniac whilst on them. It drove me nuts! And yes girls, they do increase your appetite unfortunately. I put on rather a lot of weight during my treatment. But once you’ve all got through this, which you will, you can do something about it then. In the meantime, try not to worry about it, (I know that’s easier said than done) and put all your energy into getting through the treatment.
Hannah Tate, I know it’s hard feeling so tired and the total lack of energy, but try and just accept that this is how you’ll feel for a while and go with it. Don’t give yourself a hard time, and if you need to rest, then rest. Your body is going through a lot at the moment. And so is your mind. Dealing with cancer is exhausting both mentally and physically. So don’t let anybody tell you you’re wrong for feeling tired and needing lots of rest. Listen to your body and do what it tells you to do.
I wish you all the very best and hope your treatments go well. Keep us all informed of how it’s going and if anybody has any questions, I’ll do my best to try and answer them.
Take care.
Thank you Jodie…some good solid advice gratefully received.
So glad you are on the other side of this x
Thanks Jodie for the advice.
Glad to hear that you have not been too whacked out Pheebster.
I think I have finally come through it. Got up yesterday pm and still felt whacked. Ate and watched a bit of TV. Then thought I needed to rest so tried to go back to bed. Lay there for a while but I did not fall asleep. So got up watched more TV, checked my emails etc, mad a couple of calls, fed myself again and settled down to TV. Hey presto I could concentrate a bit more. Finally went to bed quite late compared with the past few days and read. Result could not get to sleep! I seem to have gone from one extreme to the other. Made Butternut Squash soup at 6.30am, watched more TV and pottering on the computer ever since. I may have had no sleep but I do feel relatively normal compared with the previous days since my first chemo. I only hope that this fatigue thing is not cumulative as I go through the chemo cycles which does seem to be hinted at in what I have read. Hopefully tonight I will be able to sleep and get back to a more normal routine. So much for the steroids making you hyper, they seem to have had the opposite or no effect on me. I am now with it now I am off them.
Hope all continues well with you all.
Hannah
Hi Jodie,
thanks for the comments and good wishes. Always nice to hear from someone who’s been where we are and can give some good positive advice. I totally agree with you saying to just accept that we are going to be feeling pants and will need more sleep and rest than normal, and to just give ourselves what we need. Whatever that may be for each individual person.
Love caz x
Hi Hannah,
I’ve posted on the 2 Oct thread to you…hopefully you’re coming out of the ‘bulldozer’ now and will start to feel steadily better over the next couple of days. The impoartant thing is to not over do it when you do feel better as you’ll get tired more easily.
I’ve been tempted this week to do loads as I’ve felt absolutely fine (now on Day 13 after 1st FEC on 7 Oct) but have found I’m tired mid-afternoon so indulge in a spot of feet up on the sofa, a cup of tea and good book for an hour - my siesta I call it.
Take care all, Bella x
Hi Bella and all.
Thanks for your kind words. I have just typed a long spiel and lost it all trying to edit it. Want to cry.
Feeling weary and tired today - day 7. Got up 10.30 am this morning as I overdid it yesterday. Had to go and see Doctor at occupational health. Visit somewhat worrying. Up to chemo I had been feeling really well and could see myself back at work. My reaction to chemo has not that on the head being so wiped out last week and tired now I could not work, but I did envisage say off one week and then working about 2. Doctor did not think this a good idea as thought my workplace would find it difficult to manage. He is also concerned as to how I am really going to be with the chemo and infact whether I will be fit to be at work. We agreed that he would report that I would probably be off during chemo and then need a phased return at the end of January or beginning of February. This is very worrying for me as I am not sure I can manage on a reduced income and possible none at all before this illness is dealt with. I have spoken to my manager and she says there is no problem from the library’s end with off one week in the next two, but I must be fit and well enough to work when I come back!. I must try to be patient. I will have to see what Human Resources say when they hear from occupational health. They are the ones that hold the rulebook and could even suggest that they end my job. My GP was also concerned when I saw him last week that I might need the time off during chemo if I was this whacked at the beginning of treatment. Oh what a pain this is - the treatment to prevent its re occurrence effects you more than the disease at least at this stage.
Had a moan at my 22 yr old son too. I really needed some TLC yet get up to a mess and everything needing doing. In trying to explain my feelings I got the ‘its not fair argument’ and that it always seems to be him rather that his older brother who has to do things. I’ ve struggled to do the meals and washing up in the past week apart from one or two occasions and all he thinks about is using my car to visit friends and make mess that he will not clear up baking. Be realistic I tell myself - their men and their sons!!!
A good friend did come round this afternoon and do the washing up and tidied the kitchen up for me. I did put most of the washing up into soak beforehand. I do have some good and supportive friends, thankfully.
Also got a sore throat and mouth today and my head got a bit sore and itchy earlier. Off to shop for a wig tomorrow. I hoping I can come back looking younger - there must be some good points to this illness if I can say goodbye to the old grey hair for a while.
Best Wishes
Hannah xxxxxxx
Hannah,
I think you need to get your son to read your post, maybe then he’ll understand how you feel and realise what he’s been like! What is it with men and domesticity, or lack of it?? Why can they not see what needs to be done and just do it?!
Glad you’ve got a friend to help you and have fun with your wig session. Mine’s great although a bit itchy so think I’ll only wear it when I go out.
Take care, Bella x
hannah,
I agree with Bella, your son needs to be told!! A bit of tough love needed here me thinks! He’s 22 so am sure he can take a little honesty. You really do need to put yourself first, if he helps out in first week of chemo then maybe you won’t be so whacked next time so all will benefit. Don’tfeel that you need to put him first be selfish Hannah YOU are the important one at the moment.
Take care
caz x
Hi Ladies,
Hope you don’t mind me butting in.
I have my first FEC next Tuesday, 28th and hoped I could jump on your thread for advice and support. I know I will be a bit behind you ladies but hopefully you can give me some useful tips.
I have a question that I hope you can answer, being as you are further down the line than me, as I am a bit of a planner (I know its hard to do with this BC but I do try).
On what day(s) of your cycle (I am having 6 x FEC every 3 weeks) do you;-
- Feel ill if you are going to
- Feel good if you are going to
- Have low white cells and need to avoid people with colds etc
- When does your hair start to go if its going to?
Thanks in anticipation, xxx
Hannah - i have a 24yr old so I know where you are coming from. Nothing we can say can make it any better, but it’s my bet he doesn’t know how to deal with everything going on so he has turned it all on its head and it has become all about ‘his’ problems now and not yours. Perhaps they could take it in turns to wash and dry up for you after dinner…might be a start.
Ostrich…join us on the FEC thread. I had my first one Thursday and I honestly didn’t realise how whacked out I was until I got up this morning and felt normal. I’ve had no nausea or sickness (yet) felt crap Friday through to yesterday early evening. Low cells start to kick in on day 7-10. Hair is our most discussd topic…usually starts to thin around the time your next FEC is due, but different for many people.
Come over to the other thread and join us - we are only a few weeks ahead of you.
Ostrich, have answered you on the 2 Oct thread.
Hello Hannah - how are you feeling today? Did you get your wig?
Hi
Got the wig after a long wait. Went in wanting to come out the mid brown colour I use to be before I went grey! Anyway started with the owner’s suggestion which was short how I like it with a general light brown tone, with hints of auburn and lighter browns, almost gold when you get the light on it. Nice style with a bit of body. Initial thought was too light but quite impressed as style made be look younger. The other ones she tried on me were more blond and didn’t suit. Finally got to a brown one and it looked awful. So tried the first one and my friend and I agreed it really suited and had the best shades of those we had tried so I got that one and am very pleased. Prefer it to my own hair particularly now she’ s trimmed it round the ears. Very pleased, the person who dealt with me has a very good eye for style and colour and was very helpful - it was worth the wait. Can’ t wait to try it on some friends.
Day 8 and have a very sore mouth, think I got ulcers forming. Any tips on dealing with them. Also head is a bit sore and I think some of it maybe a rash or at least some spots on my scalp. So may need the wig sooner than I thought.
Hannah xxxxxxx