carol
how many doses of chemo are you havin. i know you prob told me but i have forgotten and are you havin rads. do you drive yourself to and from chemo. i can feel that you are a really strong person. 2 doses of chemo and your still flying high. good on you.
hi gen hope your wound is gettin better, are you having chemo or rads. you have had a rough time but you are handling it really well.
hi sal thanks for your encouragement, we all need a little pep talk now and then. hope your feelin better.
old one lookin forward to those pancakes any chance of some raspberry flavoured ones. thanks for all the tips you really are a fountain of knowledge. your are our mentor.
That’s a really lovely picture of Jack, and you too.
I get 4 rounds of Epirubicin at 3 weeks apart (that was the second one today), so that’s 12 weeks gone when I start the next time with a 3 drug combo called CMF. You get the CMF two Tuesdays in a row, then the usual 3 weeks till the next one. So by the time I do the three week recovery from the last dose it’ll be 16 weeks, 28 weeks in total. Hopefully I won’t get delayed any. Then I do rad for 6 weeks. Not sure I’m liking the sound of that. I’m fair skinned and burn easily, but one step at a time, that’s what we keep saying. Then Tamoxifen for 5 years, and I’m still waiting for the Her2 results. Really hope I’m not positive 'cos that’s another year to 18 months of injections every 4 weeks. Yeuch, can do with that. Yes, I drive myself to and from. It doesn’t make me feel woozy till Day 3, so I reckon I’m safe on the roads.
Right, time for my first night bout with tiredness counteracted by steroids. It’s just such a yaaaawwwwwn!
Jack is lovely Martina - I love horses. I’m doing the same chemo regime as Carole, same doses etc but I start early next week (don’t know day yet but I assume Mon or Tues). Then I have 3 weeks rads then 5 years tamoxifen. I’m HER2 negative.
Your HER2 results are taking a long time Carole. I read somewhere that if they are borderline they are retested, so maybe that’s why.
I went to the cinema last night with a group of girlfriends. We saw He’s Just Not That Into You - I enjoyed it, but I’d have been as happy to watch it on dvd. However, it was nice to be out and normal - I even forgot about what’s going on with me for a good part of the film, it was a nice feeling!
thanks gennie, i havent had results of HER either and had surgery on 22 jan, must remember to ask them on Friday if they know yet. do you ride gen.
jane thankyou, did you have chemo. how many rads you havin, and it is affecting you. im sure you have spoke about this before but i do tend to get mixed up with what everyone is havin.
And another bad guy hits the dust! Good news on the HER negative Gen. One less thing to worry about. I might not be borderline, the nurses just sighed and said it can takes 3 months in this region to get the results in. Fingers crossed.
Virtually no sleep last night Jane. I probably accumulated about 2 hours in small dosing off bits. Only 10 wonderful first nights to go! Prepare yourself for that Gen and Martina. I’m guessing you’ll get the same with your chemo, ie steroids first then the antisick, then the chemo. Might as well forget about sleeping on that first night. It’s no fun, but then it’s no throwing up either. I did however manage to think up the next two segments of our story, including first appearance of a bad guy. Watch this space.
Let me know how the nurse tells you take the steroids over the next three days. If she tells you to take one at night, well, mine said no way, you just won’t sleep for 4 days. Take two in the morning and one at lunch, then stop. I’m starting to experiment with mine. I’m going to take them today and tomorrow then ditch them day three and see if I can do on just the antisickness. If that works, I’ll drop a steroid on Day 2 next time. I need my beauty sleep, really really! I can cope with a bit of nausea as long as I’m not actually throwing up.
I thought that looked like a fun film. I’ll get it on DVD when it comes out. It’s great when you realise you haven’t thought about it all for a while. Almost like meditation. I smelt the on coming of spring this morning when I was out with the dogs, and the snowdrops are up. That was a good boost. Oooh, must remember to right the coming of spring into Determination.
Jane - the movie was Ben Afleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and a few other “names”. I did enjoy it. There was a bit at the end that had all 7 of us wiping tears from our eyes, but it was mostly funny. Worth a dvd and a pizza night I reckon.
Martina - I used to ride when I was younger, I was pony mad but never had one of my own. It was the only thing I wanted every birthday and every Christmas, but Santa obviously never got my letter! My parents paid for me to have one lesson a week for years and I used to muck out at the stables in exchange for extra rides. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden now, though, except for the odd bit of pony trekking on holiday with the kids (I usually get them to let me sneak a bit of a canter in but that’s the extent of it, very tame lol).
On the no sleep issue - I’m a shocker if I don’t get enough sleep. Very grumpy. I rather hoped the days of sleepless nights were behind me when the twins started sleeping through (although Joey was 2 years old before that happened!!). I don’t relish the prospect of any more nights watching reruns of rubbish on UK Gold at 3am. Mind you, faced with a choice between hugging the loo all night and just being wakeful I think I’ll go with awake thanks!
I noticed a friend’s garden had snowdrops yesterday. There’s a National Trust place near here that is famous for its snowdrops in the gardens at this time of year - it’s full of them and it’s beautiful. I might go for a walk there at the weekend if the weather’s ok, I always feel better when spring arrives. February is such a gloomy month, I find.
Good luck for the rad appointment Jane. Let us know how it goes.
Doing my mad professor experiment bit. I don’t have much of an appetite for the first few days, so because I didn’t bother with lunch I’ve just realised I haven’t taken my lunchtime steroid or antisick (it’s now after 4). I feel fine. I’m going to pretend I’m a risk taker and adventurer and not bother taking the steroid. See if I can cope on just the antisick. My fault I know if I end up throwing up, but what the heck, experimentation always comes with risk! If it works though, excellent! No point in cramming meds down you that you don’t need, and I get a good night’s sleep tonight.
Obviously, everybody do what you’re told, not what I do! Jings, you’ve to caveat everything these days. Oh, trying out a new smiley I just learned. :-/ I think it means Erk! Ooo Err! or similar.
Hi everyone… Havn’t read everything just the last page or so…
Carol - when i went onto my second sort of chemo i had even more steroids and asked why… i was told they are to stop you having an allergic reaction to the chemo… so please don’t drop any tablets without discussing it with your chemo nurse…
I’ve not been on here much as i ended up burning really badly with the rads… I ended up with my skin splitting and weeping even before i had finished treatment… So have been having a few days feeling sorry for myself and trying to move as little as possible… Don’t want to worry those of you with rads still to come - i think it was mainly due to treatment i had to have… My form of cancer Inflammatory Breast Cancer also effects the skin… so i was having to have a higher dose than normal applied to the skin layer… My onc did basically say i was having the higher dose until it got too much for my skin… (Day 15 of 20 as it turned out…)
I was told the steroids act as antisick too and help the antisick work better. That’s all they do. I talked to the chemo nurses yesterday about not needing anything on day 3 and all they said was about the antisick prevention, nothing about allergic reactions. I’ll have a go and see what happens. Maybe the CMF needs it more. Maybe I’ll need to use :-S by tomorrow!
That sounds really sore on the rad! How are you treating the burning?
Ouch! That sounds painful Rhapsody. Are you all done now?
Old One, you lot are certainly fertile! And I’m next in line for cuddles.
You sound good Carole, but I’d be careful messing with the drugs. The sheriff might throw you in the slammer if you don’t toe the line!
The not sleeping thing is a pain. I’m back on that track now, having got a couple of good weeks’ sleep after my final diagnosis. But at least I don’t have the grims any more. I think that must have been really hard for all those of you who had surgery quickly. I had 9 weeks to get used to the idea before I went under the knife and although I’m having trouble sleeping again now, it’s purely because I can’t get comfortable. The armpit is feeling very tight today, so I’m constantly stretching. Odd; I got so used to the top front part of my shoulder being tight, now it’s in another place, it’s wierd.
We went to see Slumdog Millionaire last week and it was great. As you say, a good film takes you away from everything. The kids in the film were fantastic - made me want to give them a hug
The type of reaction i got has the lovely name of moist desquamation :lol: and i’m having to use a cream that contains silver called Flamazine along with some dressings… Because it contains silver you are not allowed to use it until the rads have finished… I finished last Thursday…
Must admit it is disheartning as i was so pleased i had managed to get all my arm movements back and now i am back to hardly being able to move my arm at all… My armpit area was the worst burnt… (Had all my lymph nodes removed when i had my mastectomy…)
Hi Girls. Rads planning took about an hour in all and wasn’t so bad really.There were four (very young) radiologist. They gave me a special gown to wear, that comes open just over the affected boob, so your dignity remains intact. You have to lie very still on a long thin table while they draw allover you and then run in and out of the room, whilst xrays are taken. After all that is done, the machine is then set up to move around you, going under the table and very close to your body but not touching. Its not claustraphobic, its only a very small machine and just goes around your chest area. Then the tatoo’s are done. I had six altogether, three on each side of my breast but I cant see them without my glasses, so very tiny indeed. And thats about it really, apart from pep talk on side effects i.e skin probs, lymphdema, scar tisue and fatigue.
There is going to be a delay on my start date, it should have been Monday but the onc I saw wants to do some checking up regarding my p.l.e and discoid lupus (another skin complaint of mine) Also she was surprised when I asked about my her2 result (because I forgot other week when I went to see a diffetant onc) and it was not there in my files, she wants to chase that up too. So I start next Wen for three weeks, providing she doesn’t find anything bad about my skin complaints. Fingers crossed!! Sounds like you had it really ruff Rhapsody, with your rads. Is your skin ok now?
Sorry you had a bad night Carole, what about a warm bath and hot chocolat always works for me. When I’ve been on steroids I’ve always taken them early morning and that helps me sometimes.
The movie sounds like a good chick flick, Gen and I’ll have to get a copy when the dvd comes out. We’re thinking about going to see Slum Dog Millionair at the weekend. Has any one seen that yet?
I haven’t had chemo Martina, they said I didn’t need it and so I have to trust them I suppose.
Carol i’ve just looked up steroids and chemo and it seems they have different uses depending on the cancer and chemo used…
"Steroids are chemicals that are naturally produced in the body to help control how it works. They are made by the adrenal glands above the kidney and by the reproductive organs. Steroids can also be made as a drug. There are many different types of steroids and they all have different effects on the body. Some types of steroids help destroy some types of cancer cells and can make chemotherapy more effective.
Common types of steroids that are used in cancer treatment are hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone and prednisolone. This information is about these types of steroids.
Dexamethasone may also be used in low doses as an anti-sickness drug, or to help reduce an allergic reaction to certain chemotherapy drugs, or to improve appetite. In these situations it is usually given only for short periods of time and the side effects described here will not usually occur."
So that explains why my nurse said it was to stop an allergic reaction with my second type of chemo… (I used to have to take tablets for a couple of days before i was given it and a few days after…)
You must have posted while I was typing Sal hehehe. I’ll take that as a recomendation for SlumDog then and me and OH willgo Sat I think. Maybe a bite to eat also. I’m like a hungry fox since starting on the tamoxifen. Munchies all night long. I’ve just opened a bag jellie babies and I’m half way through already.
Nearly forgot, the doc said I have to stop tamoxifen for rads. Just her pref I think. Anyone know why?
Jane - glad to hear that your rads planning went well… I remember being so worried about mine and then thinking “That was it…?” :o lol When you have the first actual session it will take about as long as they have to take xrays again first just to make sure everything matches up… But after that it is much quicker - often the biggest delay was just machines breaking down etc at the hospital i went to…
My skin is still really bad at the moment… The rads carry on working for about 10 days after the last treatment - so that will be this Sunday for me… I really don’t want to worry the rest of you though as i think my treatment was just having to be more intense than normal…
Ah, well its Dex stuff they’ve given me, so it will be antisick then. But don’t worry, Steel isn’t daft enough to end up in the Docs 'cos she picked the wrong herb for the grits and beans!
We’ve gone all medical today. Here’s a redirection back to Weirdsville!
A duck walks into a bar and says, “Got any bread?”
The barman says, “No, this is a bar, we don’t have bread.”
So the duck says, “Got any bread?”
The barman says, “No, this is a bar, we don’t have bread. I told you that.”
“Got any bread?” asks the duck.
“No, we don’t sell bread here… and if you say that again i will nail you to the table!!!”
The duck pauses then says, “Got any nails?”
“No,” sighs the barman.
So the duck says…“Got any bread?”
Prepare yourself for that Gen and Martina. I’m guessing you’ll get the same with your chemo, ie steroids first then the antisick, then the chemo. Might as well forget about sleeping on that first night. It’s no fun, but then it’s no throwing up either. I did however manage to think up the next two segments of our story, including first appearance of a bad guy. Watch this space.
Oh, trying out a new smiley I just learned. :-/ I think it means Erk! Ooo Err! or similar.
I ended up with my skin splitting and weeping even before i had finished treatment… So have been having a few days feeling sorry for myself and trying to move as little as possible… Don’t want to worry those of you with rads still to come - i think it was mainly due to treatment i had to have… My form of cancer Inflammatory Breast Cancer also effects the skin… so i was having to have a higher dose than normal applied to the skin layer… My onc did basically say i was having the higher dose until it got too much for my skin…