Hi
i feel like a tenager again, zit central on the back of my head and there sore, My hair is still all in place but as im only 10 days in i know i have maybe a week left with it, OH and my friend have both offered to shave it for me when im ready, but i will never be ready. why am i more bothered about losing my hair than i was a breast, i mean my hair will grow back without the aid of further surgery.
I find im not sleeping like i used to, i put a music channel on the telly when i go to bed and set the timer for 2 hrs, OH just sleeps through it, this morning i was awake at 6am came dowmstairs but there was nothing to watch on the box, so i put in some washing in the machine made a cup of tea, and watched a repeat of a fim,
very windy here today, daughter is in a typical teenager mood today, Boreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed, she has skating at 4pm for 2 hrs but she says she dosn’t want to go, i said its up to love, see how you feel later, she will go, she never misses her skating, but she should have been in a competion in Scotland yesterday but her coach cancelled it,
enjoy the day
Shirl
Hi sorry i have not been on for a while had the kids to visit. How are you feeling? I am off to the metrocentre tomorrow to get some new sit about clothes as i like to call them something i can lie about in but not my pjs. Got the wig yesterday was well pleased with it i have very long curly hair but gone for a short cut makes me look really diffrent still don’t need as yet but like you only on my 11th day. my eyes are really sore and dry but i feel if you get up every day you find some thing diffrent so now i get up and don’t look in the mirror i just think i feel ok thats good.
Hope your daughter went skating a bet you are so proud of her to get up to competion standed she should try keep it up.
take care
Poppet
Hi
well i had a scary night last night, we went to a local italian for tea and on the way home i couldnt get warm, I had a hot bath when i got in but it didnt help much, OH insisted that i take my temp and it was 38.6 scary, i didnt feel hot, he phoned the hospital and they wanted me to go straight in, but i was reluctant to go out into the cold, he told them that i’d had my bloods done earlier in the day, so she checked the results, said they were fine and that i could stay at home, i burnt up for a few hours sweated it out, then at 3am i went to bed, got up today temp 36.5 and felt good, Hair really shedding day 13 today, think the clippers wil be out before the weekend is over,
Hope you had a good time with the kids visiting, and yes i am so proud of Emma and her skating, when she came to us 2 n half years ago she lacked confidence and now she skates in front of hundreds and is so positive, i would recommend skating to anyone, the teamwork is great but it does not come cheap.
2nd Epi at 10am tomorrow morning, but im not nervous at all about this one, I hope they offer me a massage again, Emma is coming with me tomorrow she wants to see what they do to me.
my Onc said she is going to give me anti sickness pills that will send me to sleep, and im to go to bed as soon as i get home, her theory is if im sleeping i wont be throwing up.
Have a good weekend
Shirl
Hi hope all goes well and you are not sick. My next one is on Friday 7th i am not on trials. yeah hairs coming out in handfuls went to bed with pubic hair woke up stuck to pj weird OH and me had a good laugh.Been feeling very tired last two days but saying that have been out and about.
Going to try start some xmas shopping after my next cycle and get my self organised. We don’t have anyone massage us i might book myself in for one as a treat i could do with a head massage to sooth the scalp thats one thing when you are not working you get time to treat yourself.
Take care
Hi all
well 2nd epi went wel, so far so good, i went to hairdressers on way home from hospital and she has cut my hair really short, it looks ok (just), cmae home took new meds and went to bed, slept until OH woke me at 6.30 for my tea, i feel really fantastic at the moment, but will take next meds at midnight and they should knock me out again,
The BCN said the Onc must really want me to rest, she has prescribed some serious anti sickness tabs that make you sleep.
I hope i can stay awake long enough to at least do some shopping, i might get withdrawal symptoms, ha ha.
OH will have to go to Costco on his own for monthly supplies, but at least he can bring me home nice cakes.
Poppet hope you have a good week coming up,I am slowly losing hair down south, OH said he will trim that when he does my head, he thinks he is entitled to at a perk, He keeps my spirits up, dont what i would do without him, he made a lovely victoria sponge tonight, bless him
Shirl
HI
I hope you are feeling ok ? I have shaved my hair whats left but i have not been upset by it i just think well the chemo must be doing its job if it had not fell out i would be worried something was wrong.I have been busy this week decorating the now spare rooms. Went shopping bought some nice hats so that i don’t have to wear my wig all the time at momment my scalp is to sensitive.
I find that my OH is a piller of strength and he keeps my pecker up kids are the same son is back home from London again and he brings little prezes some nice hand cream hes going to paris for his birthday fetching me wine back that will help the blood (hehe).
Get bloods done on weds ready for 2nd chemo on friday hope i am not as sick this time but at least they are treat my ulcer which has decided to object and cause me pain and acid.
keep eating the cakes they are good for mood lifting
Poppet
HI poppet
have you noticed how most of us on here have taken to decorating, i find it very spirit lifting, and im sure the wine will be greatly appreiated, now that i have shaved my hair my wig appears to be stuck on solid, i feel i could go wing walking and it wouldn’t fall off,
I have not been sick at all since my second epi, i just appear to be awake all the time,
and the cake eating is all very nice, but i dont need the weight gain, but i will sort that out later,
good news today i got a nice cheque from my well woman insurance, so a happy xmas we will have.
Shirl
Hi Ladies,
Do you mind if I join you? I have chatted with the other ladies on the 2nd Oct and other chemo thread but they are fairly well established and there are quite a lot of ladies already posting so that I am struggling to keep up with who is who.
Whilst I am not doing E-CMF I am doing FEC and had my first of 6 on the 28th Oct so am a little behind you ladies (about 11 days)
I had grade 1 18mm tumour behind the nipple and had a mx ld recon on the 22nd Sept and had 1 lymph node of 9 with micro metastases. My boob is healed (hooray!) but my back is still not and has an infection (boo!) so I am a bit worried that my 2nd FEC will be delayed.
I am just starting to feel a bit normal again - day 8 after first FEC but still get tired easily (maybe due to infection), hair is starting to shed more readily (always been a shedder) and head is a little spotty and having just eaten a bit of hummous realise that my tongue is not as happy as it was previously!
I am not sure to be honest what the different side effects or regimes are for FEC, E-CMF etc so whether we can share experiences but here’s hoping,
Love Ostrich, xx
Hi Ostrich, and welcome
how is your head, mine is driving me crazy, i find now that it’s shaved i cant lie on a pillow, but a friend has suggested i lay a silk scarf over my pillow first, so i will try this tonight, I just want to sleep, what is it about 3am in the morning, there isnt much you can do at that time without waking everyone in the house, and TV is rubbish,
I drove yesterday for the first time in a while and today my arm feels very heavy and swollen, i have been doing my exercises and gentle massage, but i think i wil need to mention this to the onc next Tues,
Poppet, how are you doing, are you sleping ok,
Lots of fireworks here tonight, but my dogs didnt seem a bit bothered,
take it easy ladies
Shirl
Don’t know if it will help, but I sleep in a thermal hat! My head gets cold and this keeps me cosy - it might stop any prickles too
X
PS sorry to ‘butt’ in - I’m on Eu/CMF too but started mine mid September which is why I looked at the thread x
HI Ostich and welcome
I am sure we can all share what we are going through. My head is sore but Louise my daughter cut one of her dads t shirt up and made me a little cap to sleep in and it works well.
Up till now had no probs with my mouth and OH would vouch for that acid and sickness the first few days were my problem. and constipition which was before but V8 juice works well.
Had bloods done today ready for friday 2nd chemo got my stash of goodies in ready for to eat and tablets for the acid have bought a little basket to put them all in so i can carry them upstairs and down when i can not sleep with steriods.
take care hugs Poppet
sorry Georigbella did not see your post as i must of been put mine on that sound good i might try buy one when i am out tomorrow
Thankyou take care poppet
Hi Trojan and Poppet,
My head is okay, a bit spotty and still a bit more shedding but not enough to make my normally fine bounceless hair look anything other than normal. Probably will have hair for another week (famous last words!) as I am only day 10 today. A friend of mine who went through kimo said it was more comfy (and warm) to sleep in a hat.
Sorry about the kimo bit - my 10 year old made me a card to wish me luck through chemo and spelt it kimo and its kinda stuck!
I have just been to pick up my wig and am sat here wearing it feeling very odd. Its fuller than my hair (cos you cant get wigs that fine) and looks far better on my polystrene head than my real one. It just feels so odd to be wearing a wig - anyone would think I have cancer! I am expecting Jeremy Beadle to burst through the door and say “got ya, it was a joke and you fell for it - you even went and got the wig - ha ha ha!”. I don’t know if I’ll be able to wear it but I think I will know better once I am bald and shiny (like the polystrene one)!
This isn’t how I imagined I would be with cancer/chemo etc. Not that I ever imagined it but I’ve seen Stepmom with Julia Roberts and Steel Magnolias etc and I think I must be in the wrong movie!
My tongue is the smoothest, pinkest I think I have ever seen it (can’t tell the amount of tea and coffee I drink) but still very sore. I dont have a problem with constipation thank goodness cos I suffered big time post surgery and was dreading it.
Good luck for your 2nd kimo tomorrow Poppet. When is your 2nd Trojan?
xxx
Hi
I like the word Kimo it sounds less frightening. hope to get my 2nd tomorrow but ward been on the phone 1 of my blood counts abit low so i have to take temp all night and then they will decide tomorrow i have a new symptom today the bottoms of my feet have a burn tingling sensation i feel since been dx with bc i am always complaining.
Got myself a chinese for tonight and a few magazine going to try chill.
Have you getting anything of the hospital for your mouth as my friend is having fec and she has a sore mouth she has getting mouth wash of hosp.
Well i might not be on for a couple of days going under the bed clothes for a day or two
Poppet
Hi All
Hope you dont mind me joining in, but I could really do with some support. I had my mx, immed diep recon and ax clearance on 23 Sept. After about 3 weeks felt great and everyone surprised by my speedy recovery. Was just feeling my normal self again until I had my first chemo on wed 5 Nov.
I am on Epi-CMF accelerated and am trying the cold cap. Had terrible brain freeze and headache for the first 15 mins but felt nothing after that. The nurse battled to get a vein at first, but after everything finished didnt feel too bad - until I got home! The nausea and constipation hit me straight away, and I havent beeen able to eat anything. I also have a constant pounding headache and havent been able to sleep at all, even with sleeping tabs. I had to get up at 4am this morning to be sick, and had also got my period!
I am feeling so down and cant stop crying, I sailed through surgery so I wasnt expecting to feel this bad now. I dont know how I am going to get through this, sorry for all the negativity, but how do you stay positive when you feel so bad?
Love Anne x
Dear Anne
In addition to the support you will receive here, please call our helpliners for further support and a ‘listening ear’, they can also refer you onto other support we can offer you such as our peer support service. This telephone service aims to quickly put you in touch with one of our trained peer supporters, who has had a personal experience of breast cancer. Our peer supporters are from diverse backgrounds and ages and have experienced different types of breast cancer and treatments. They are ready to listen, offer skilled emotional support and share their experiences and understanding. The number is 0808 800 6000 weekdays 9-5 and Sat 9-2
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi Anne,
Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad, virtual hugs to you!
I don’t know about the lack of sleep but it could be because of the streroids - they do make you feel wired. Try not to take your last dose after 2pm and you should find you can sleep tonight.
If you are feeling very sick or being very sick ring your kimo unit and see if they can give you some other anti-sickness, there are different ones they can give you and there is no need to suffer so badly.
Have you looked at the top tips for chemo sticky? There are lots of ideas for coping with things including constipation. Its not a side effect I suffered but I can sympathise as I was plagued by 8 days of constipation post surgery and it was awful!!
You are still very early days and the first 4 or 5 were the worst for me, after that it was mainly the tiredness and irritating other symptoms like sore tongue etc. I have been an emotional wreck too since my kimo and started my period on the same day as my kimo too so I am hoping that I won’t be quite so emotional next time.
It is horrid, it seems a long time when you look into the future and think how many more times you have to do it but try to take it one dose at a time and be kind to yourself, you will feel better and can make the most of the good days (before the next one LOL). I felt truly “poisoned” and my last FEC on the 10th Feb seems a long way off but on day 11 now I am feeling pretty much like the old me and determined to enjoy the next 10 days.
We are all here for each other, xx
Hi all
Ann you will get through this with the help of everybody here, we are here for each other on the good and not so good days, Please let your onc know about the sickness, i did and i have been so much better since, I have my 3rd session on Nov 14th,
My main problem is not sleeping of a night it is really starting to annoy me, even a glass of baileys isnt helping,
and Ostrich i like the word Kimo it sounds much more oriental and nice, if only,
I went to the bank today to pay in my insurance payout, I was a bit put out when the young male teller 20ish, asked me where i had acquired this money from, i replied thats my business, i just didnt feel the need to explain to him and all others in the bank that i had breast cancer, He said i need to ask, and i said and i dont need to tell, My sister thought it was amusing, we wondered what he would have said if i told him i was cashing in on my TIT,
take it easy all and enjoy the weekend if you can
Shirl
Hi ladies
I called my kimo unit this morning about my sickness and they told me to come in straight away. After 2 different iv anti sickness drugs and some fluids and 8 hours later I am home. Still not 100% but hope the worst is over, they said they will have to change the drugs next time.
Thanks for your thoughts, I am going to try and get some sleep in my own bed now.
Love Anne x
Glad you are feeling better Anne, sleep well!
Shirl, I would have gone for it and told him just to see his face! LOL!
I expect he was thinking along the money laundering lines as they have to check about where large sums might come butI I am pretty sure that isn’t done by asking the person paying it in! As if you’d tell him - its dirty money mate!
Its funny I have had no trouble sleeping since my kimo only one night, Monday night, when I gave up at 5am and got up. Usually find my wine sleeping draught works pretty well!
At what point did you ladies loose your hair? I have always “shedded” lots, and have suffered from patches of alopaecia intermittently. Am now day 11 and the shedding has definately increased and I am looking a bit thinner on top but don’t feel its enough to go for the big shave yet. Its funny, every time I look away and look back to where I was looking a rogue random hair appears there. Its like they are jumping out one at a time almost as if they are hoping I don’t notice! They also seem to be jumping off in an organised manner as I don’t have any bald bits just as I said generally thinner and thinner.
Maybe its just my hair is special but I didn’t know hair loss could be such an organised affair!!! LOL!