I lost 7lbs first cycle and haven’t put it back on. I seem to lose weight the first week then it returns ready for the next cycle!
Extra steroids to get me through half term have completely knocked out sleep despite sleeping tablets. I am wide awake ALL the time.Finished them yesterday and managed 5 hours unbroken last night. Bliss!!!
My nine year old has broken his collar bone so keeping me company at home until fracture clinic tomo, then back to school sling n all!
OH had a panic attack/ allergic reaction and was taken by hospital to A&E on Friday. Needs follow up appt with some clinic or other. Just waiting for the 5 year old to go down with something.
Don’t they realise that it is MY time to be ill!!!
Damn and blast! Everyone seems to be losing weight, not putting it on. Must keep an eye on it and possibly watch what I eat more carefully. But am I the only one being measured for height here? Am I THAT special? lol
Something funny just happened. I went to my acupuncture session this morning. Had to remove shoes and socks so that the acupuncturist could stick his needles in my legs and LO AND BEHOLD there were unsightly hairs on my legs!!! :-0
How embarassing! I thought they had stopped growing, the evil blighters. Must get my Epilady out then! AND QUICK!!
But why is it that all the side effects I wouldn’t mind from chemo I don’t get and the ones I don’t want I get with interest??
Take my periods for example. Weren’t they supposed to stop? Mine are still coming:heavier and more frequent. Hey ho!
The joys of chemo,eh?
Lulu XX
P.S. Andy, sorry about your house of sorrows!! You should open a cottage hospital in your house…
Lulu, you are not the only one gaining weight. So far I have put on 1/2 stone per chemo dose, but weight has stabilised with number 4. I have noticed my appetite is returning to normal, cannot believe how much I have been eating but have been REALLY hungry. Tiredness has finally lifted and have far more energy so part of the weight gain has been because until last week I have had no energy and spent days going from bed to sofa and back again. I’m hoping that as energy grows and appetite returns to normal levels some of the weight gain will go. Have spoken with bcn about this and have been advised not to diet or return to gym until Easter next year. Which gives me the perfect excuse to eat what I want at Xmas after all I will only be following “medical advice”
Ali.
x
Hi everyone - finished my chemo in March but thought I would just reassure Lulu and anyone else. Put on over 10lbs during chemo and rads and started Tamoxifen April so worried that I would not be able to lose it. BUT joined Weight Watcher (always said I would never join a fat club!) in August and have lost 1 stone to date. So there is hope but I think we need to be kind to ourselves during active treatment. Lulu - I too was measured at each appointment. Just prayed that I had not shrunk as only 5ft and 1/4inch. Take care all. Marli
Hi
I have been told I can eat shop bought mayo (Hellmans’) but not fresh. Also advised not to eat mayo when eating out as we don’t know how it has been stored once opened. The little sachets you get in some pubs are ok though,
Ali.
Thanks Marli
I’m glad I’m not the only one who seems to be piling weight on (mind you I’m making an effort to check what I am eating at the moment, without going on a diet though).
Had my third EC yesterday. Felt nauseous last night and went to bed with a plastic bowl at the ready. Mercifully I didn’t need it.PHEW!
Just before I was due to go to the hospital for my session yesterday I started thinking about what was awaiting me (I HATE IT WITH A PASSION) and my stomach decided to contract and churn. It ain’t nice, is it ladies?
Anyway, I have ordered myself a couple of sea bands from Ebay as suggested by Isobel. let’s see if it can keep the feeling of sickness at bay.
I had the not so clever idea of looking at the leaflet that goes with my antisickness tablets this morning. I was trying to see whether I should be taking them with food/after or whatever. TWO pages of information, including very likely, likely (constipation…oh YES!), possible (seizure, upper movement of the eyes…sounds like a horror movie), uncommon (muscle cramps, blurred vision) and rare side effects (temporary blindness). HELP!!! Enough to scare the living daylight out of you (then again you wouldn’t see it if you are blind…ha ha). It reminded me why I never wanted to take any pills or meds before DX unless strictly necessary.
I feel so sorry for my body (as if it was a separate entity! lol) for having to subject it to this vile concoction of nasty chemicals. I feel like I am basically TOXIC WASTE at the moment. I even joke with OH: “careful not to come too close to me or you might get poisoned”.
I’ll have to make sure that when all this is over I pamper and cosset this body of mine and bring it back to health and happiness.
Hi All
I found FEC2 & 3 the hardest, only seemed to get over the se’s of number 3 day before number4 but then got over 4 very quickly and been feeling really well since. Should have known it wouldn’t last. What started as a swollen gum early wed evening turned into a raised temp and after a phonecall to ward some antibiotics by midnight. Good thing my local Boots has the pharmacy open till midnight. Next morning temp still not going down and beginning to feel achey all over so ended up in a bed on the chemo unit having iv antibiotics all day and loads of blood taken for testing. Luckily temp did start to go down enough for me to allowed home early evening with more antibiotics and also antivirals as well. I know we get told about what can happen as our immune system is so weakened but I found it scary how a small thing
like that could make me so ill so quickly. Now understand why I’m better off not working through chemo.
Hope you feel better soon AndiFloss
Hugs and positive vibes to all
Ali.
x
Hey Ali
so sorry to hear about your misadventure! As if we didn’t have enough on our plates to cope with! I hope you are recovering now and feeling a bit better.
Big hug and hang in there…
Lulu XX
I have a temp spike each cycle on day 16. I just take paracetamol and ibuprofen drink loads and go to bed. Only seems to last 24 hours and I take my temp every half an hour. I just put it down to another side effect along with the cystitis days 8-12, sore throat days 12-16, watery eyes day 14-21…
Oh the joys!!!
My nine year old is reading this over my shoulder and has reminded me of the bad moods too!
Hi all
Had 2nd FEC last Monday and it hit me harder than the first. Tonight is the first time I am feeling slightly better. Have had queasy tummy all week and a fuzzy head. Very frustrated can’t do what I want when I want. Went shopping last night felt awful sat in supermarket toilet crying with frustration.
Prior to 2nd C had been feeling great, have heard it gets worse before it gets better. On a positive note only another FEC to go then it’s the three T’s and apparently side effects not as bad.
I am also piling on the weight usually swim at least 4 times a week can’t now with PICC line in my arm. To be honest some days alls I can do to Hoover.
Finding wearing wig unbearable only put it on for occasions prefering to wear hats.
Well here’s hoping for a better week were i can get out more. Going to try and weight watch ha ha .
Hope taste buds come back and I can enjoy a cup of tea.
Sending good health to you all
Maggie xx
Hi Maggie
Your story so far sounds so similar to mine. FEC1 for me was a breeze but 2 hit really hard and I also have piled the weight on. Energy levels were very low which i think didn’t help with weight gain but was told by bc team that they are far happier for us to gain weight as weight loss can lead to chemo delays. I have been promised physio and dietician referrals after if i want to help me get back to the gym and pre bc dx weight. Se’s now easier again (due number 5 tomorrow) and energy levels getting there so hang on in there, the end of the road is getting closer which each day and dose and roll on 2011,
Sending hugs and positive vibes,
Ali
x
what a sorry bunch we are,eh ladies? But hopefully one day we’ll be able to look back and not quite laugh at this but certainly be glad it’s all over.
My main SE so far is nausea. I have this permanenent feeling of queasiness plaguing me. In order to mask it, and not to feel that vile taste in my mouth, I eat. Then I feel sick. A bit of a vicious circle, wouldn’t you say? Is it any wonder I’m piling the weight on???
And now to some light and welcome relief. The other day I had posted my constipation (and wind) woes on another thread when another lady alerted me to an old thread called WIND which must be one of the most hilarious thing I have read in recent times. I seriously recommend you read it, particularly if you are feeling a bit down. But beware: you may need incontinence pads as you will wet yourself (with laughter). Guaranteed!
Hallo September Starters,
May I join in please, I had my first of 6 FEC on 21st September, and have found your posts so helpful, particularly to read why they prefer weight gain. I have been very fortunate with general side effects, very little nausea, tired of course, and hair gone. Had a funny spell in cycle one, when the white count was low and was admitted to hospital for IV antibiotics for a couple of days, with no actual infection found. Had felt I was getting used to it all but very fed up today,this too shall pass.
Hi lavendar lassie
Welcome to the forum.
You are entitled to have a wobble we have all been there and I had one only yesterday. I dont think the dark november days help.
Chin up you can do this. Love and hugs. Kim x
Saw the onc this morning ready for FEC 4 tomorrow. Had a moan about feeling sick all the time and how each cycle is getting worse. He prescribed Emend to see if that does the trick.
But, he also said it does get worse but they won’t tell people as they may decide not to go through the treatment.!!!So now we know.
Can’t say I am looking forward to the last three cycles but at least I can prepare myself for them getting worse.
