Hope everyone’s had a good today, although poor Gen! I’m doing my apothecary channelling now and sending you medicinal, ward off infection demon vibes. Reeeaally hope it doesn’t come to anything. Echinacea, quick!
Question: Anybody on chemo got eye probs? My eyes have been a bit nippy for a week. Nothing obvious to see, just hot with resultant watering. Very annoying. I’ve got a GP appointment on Monday about an elbow strain, so I’ll ask. Just wondered if it might be a chemo thing, or have I picked up a mild infection. Anybody?
That’s an excellent wee poem there Di, exactly us! Don’t worry about feeling tired and trying to pull yourself together. Just let your body tell you what it needs and do it. I often start the day thinking I’m ready to jump the moon, and then I have to go have a little lie down in the afternoon. It’s just the process, let it happen.
I agree Sal, that Welcome thing is a great idea. I think they just dump us there on Day 1 here. Keep up the running! I’ve got a similar thought for rads. I’d like to be a bit fitter. I know the chemo takes it out of you, but I’ve got a gut feeling it’s going to be the rads that whack me out.
You’re all not kidding – petrol heads! I’ve got a Shogun Sport (basic model). Does me and the dogs fine. It’s four years old and feels like family. Lol. Never really hankered after fast. I like sturdy, strong work horses that the dogs can drool in and cover in muck and I can just scrub it out again.
Hey Ros, I don’t have a social life either, so don’t feel left out. Personal revelation moment here – over the last few years I just got more and more detached, partly where I live which is way out there, and partly just me. Anyway I decided to force myself back into society last autumn and joined the local theatre group. Now have a new friend. Result! And because fate saw fit to dump a lump on me, I now have loads of new friends here. Am no longer a social pariah. Like Sandra says, you’ve got friends kiddo.
I joined the local gym in November hoping to meet people - 3 weeks later I was told I had BC, now can’t swim because of the Hickman line. Would love to do ballroom dancing too but I guess that will have to wait as well.
I love travelling but have to go alone since I lost the OH, but now have to wait until treatment is finished - b*mmer isn’t it ?
It was Nigel’s birthday yesterday so didn’t get online much - we went up to Alnwick in the morning, we were going to go out last night but in the end decided to just order the special 2 person menu from the chinese takeaway…
Ros - you have had a tough year, i suppose that before he died your husband was the person you did most things with? I have a couple of friends here who have been suddenly widowed young and i know they have found it hard - let alone been diagnosed with cancer only a few months later…
Alot of my friends are people i have met online… mainly due to the scrapping… but some of them i have gone on to meet in real life at the crops and retreats…
Hey Ros, bummer indeed! But you’ve got the plans, so don’t lose sight of them. I’ve got a few of mine on temporary hold too, like the theatre group, and I’d love to go to ballroom classes too. I’m going to start a class in September after the summer break (and rad) if I can find somewhere nearby. Have to go myself, but what the heck. If I can dance around the house pretending I’m with Johnny Depp, I can do it in a class till somebody picks me. Uh oh! Memories of school dance class coming flooding back. Erk! Meanwhile I got a couple of DVD’s, one on standard ballroom including the latin, and the other on salsa. Might as well know a few steps before I enter the Colliseum!
I used to go to dance classes when i was young. There was a dance school about 10 doors away from where i lived. I went from when i was about 11 until i was about 15 every saturday morning. We used to latin american for 6 months and then ballroom for 6 months.
Ooh and during this time - was when saturday night fever came out lol so for a while on a sunday afternoon we also did classes to the songs off that. lol
Ros, as the others say, we’re all here for you if you need us. And I think what Carole was saying is true. We have to make the effort to get out there and socialise. It’s all too easy to put off doing things and never end up doing them at all. I’m resolved to get out there more too. I personally think the gym isn’t a good place to meet people. I’ve been going for years and don’t have any friends from there. I just turn up, work my butt off, shower and come home. I sometimes see the same people there and say hello, but don’t really get to chat to them. I think something like evening classes or as Carole said, dance classes are much more sociable. As for the travelling, why not use the waiting time to plan a really good trip?
Gennie, hope you’re taking the echinacea and not going down with that cold. Kids! Can’t trust 'em.
Well, I don’t need the results of that blood test the onc organised - I’m not menopausal. Grrrrrr. First one since Christmas, so I was hoping…
How was your night out Jane? Did you stay awake?
Thanks for the sponsorship, Theresa. x Glad you had a good day yesterday.
Right, time to tackle some more weeds in the garden!
Hey all,have just been swearing at some weeds in my garden ! Not picking them…just swearing at them,well,tried pulling them but they are suck fast and as had op on right boob and I’m right handed was getting a tad peeved at my lack of pulling power… though maybe not with the bartender,ha ha ! Don’t know if I thought by swearing at them they would just jump out and land at my feet,would be pretty damn good if they did though !
The only dancing I ever did was that forced on you at school and was of the lovely scottish country dancing variety,but is stood me in great stead at various weddings etc,in fact at my wedding in Wales we had a ceildh band and all my mates had our non Scottish friends up doing “strip the willow,eight some reels and dashing white seargents”, was enjoyed far better than the usual disco,especially with all those flying kilts swirling around lol.
Yep Sal, Grrrrr on the period front. Thought I might get a break from them, but no. On the up side, along with the teeniest bit of growth on the hair that stayed, it makes me think the old bod might be pretty strong. Good news!
Hmm weed pulling. Heading out in a minute myself. One thing this Tigger doesn’t do best is digging and weed pulling.
So, seeing as Scotia might be about to have a little liaison with the bartender, not to mention that there’ll be cowpokes in town, and we have loads of dancers and potential dancers, the spring festival in Determination could be a whoopy do! Can’t wait for the Easter weekend to see what happends.
Talking of tattoos, mine will be left shoulder starting about an inch down from the curve and about 2.5/3 inches long. What were you thinking of for colour Gennie, Sal, anybody who’se musing on the possibility? I was thinking silver, or as close at the tattooist could do. I should check out the Harry Potter one shouldn’t I. I’m also going to see if I can work in an S and an R, just small, but twined in somewhere. Thought I might get it done after rads as soon as the docs give the all clear for that kind of thing, so maybe October.
Yes I was thinking as close to silver as I could get and a S on one side, R on the other. Maybe we should put our heads together and come up with something!
I think your eye thing could be chemo related because I’m having problems with my right eye. I had a bit of an infection in the eyelid last cycle and it’s flared up again in the last few days. My Onc said I probably had a bit of an infection in it before we started and it will probably keep coming and going during chemo, so I’ve got antibiotic drops for it. Both eyes are also a bit watery and I notice in the first few days my vision isn’t brilliant either, but that resolves itself. All good fun innit?
I do have a touch of the cold, but hoping I can keep it at a low level. The kids aren’t ill, just snotty, so hopefully it’s not a monster virus.
I’ve been to Oxburgh Hall with the kids and my mum today, National Trust property in Norfolk. Very nice it was too - I do love wandering around these places and imagining what it was like to live there. They even let the kids get into the priest hole, which they were thrilled to bits about!
On the issue of friends - I’m not a great mixer really. I have a group of friends who are fellow mums of children the same age as mine, but if I hadn’t had the children I’m sure I’d never have met anybody when we moved here because I don’t do anything in the evenings. I did have a gym membership until Christmas, but like you Sal I never really got to know anybody there even though the same old faces would always be there.
Right, I must sort out school uniforms etc for next week. Back to work tomorrow. Boo hiss.
Had a shot at designing something earlier with the bottom of the flash running through the loops of the S and the R. Not sure I’m getting the shape of the flash right though. I’ll pop it up as an avatar sometime this week if I can make it look a bit better.
Glad you had a good day. I love doing that in old places too. When I was a kid we toured loads of old castles, and I remember trying so hard to kind of will myself to feel the ghosts around the place.
I’ll mention that to the GP tomorrow about antibiotic drops. I’m thinking it’s a mild infection that the chemo has let in and my system can’t tackle itself. Sounds similar to your thing. Always another new and fascinating development round the corner!
carole - my eyes were playing up just before the second chemo last week - felt that horrible feeling you get when you’re startting a cold in them - dry sometimes and the then over watering - the nurse said it was the chemo and I treid some of that optrex spray thats on the tv at the m that you spray onto closed eyelids - it had a bit of relief and then passed off…Boots had £5 off it but it was still about £9, I know Val - Horace/TOO used clarymist which sounds similar, its small bottle but lasts well…
Sal I’ll find the name of the monty programme soon…re Applecross
Sandra - I did wave from Tywyn beach but it was very wet n misty - today was nice though…mary x
Thanks gals. Think I’ll start with the assumption there’s a mild infection seeing as it came on really suddenly, and see what the doc can try for that. If it doesn’t work, at least we’ve eliminated that so I know it’s the chemo and Tuesday is the last Epi. Maybe it’ll clear up with the CMF. I thought about basic eye drops from the chemist, but they’re watering so much I don’t think I need to add more fluid!
I guess Steel got some of that darn prairie dust in her eyes there.
Meant to add, I was in Applecross years ago. Great place, wonderful views, and that road down into it is definitely a wacko road. Burns the brakes out big time!
What I’d really like for the tattoo is an amazing picture of Steel and Runner with the lightning flash in the background. Steel is proving to be a big help. It’d be cool, if perhaps a little wierd, to let her out as it were. That however would be for another life when I’m much braver!
Evening girls, not much to report. Managed to stay out until 22.00 last night, then the day caught up with me. (Bet you think I’m a right party animal…Not!!!) Had a good night though and managed to catch up with some good gossip.
Like all the girls have said Ross, we are all here for you but I do understand its not quite the same as picking up the phone or having a brew with mates. Are there no support groups in your area?
Hope you manage to keep the cold at bay Gen and sorry your having problems with your eyes Carole. Love the idea, your both having for tattoo’s. Maybe I’ll pluck up courage sometime.
Well, spruced the car up this morning and took it to a local dealer. I wont say what they offered for mine but I was not impressed. So it looks like I’m sticking with the family modal for now. Need to get back in work and start doing some overtime. Trouble is when I visited G.P on Friday, she didn’t seem too keen on the idea and told me to go back and see her in two weeks.
Angel, loved your blog. Wish I was creative. I’m not a bad cook though.
Hope everyone is ok? good luck to anyone having treatments tomorrow.
Maybe she could still see the radioactive glow coming off you and thought it safer to keep you confined. lol.
10 o’clock is good going, don’t knock it. I’m in bed by 10 latest at the moment.
Big week for a few of us I think. Lizzy, op on Thursday. Wonder if they’ll let us all in if we promise to put those bootee things over our boots, check our guns at the door, and wash out our bandanas? Gotta make sure they take good care of you.
Di, what day are you going for results? I’ve missed it somewhere in all the chat.
Sandra for onc. Got your questions ready I hope. Anything any of us can add before you go?
Has Helen not got something this week too, apart from having a whizzy break?
my list of question gets longer by the hour for my poor onc,mostly re my pre menopausal state, gosh am thinking best make the most of next couple of days, as from Tue looks like will prob be on various drugs for the next 5 years,hadn’t really thought of it like that b4.
For any interested,Monty Halls’ great escape, BBC2 9PM, off to watch it now.
Was waving back at you Mary,didn’t you see me ? Been lovely and sunny here but very chilly,catch up in a bit .
Me too. And something weird is going on because I had my period 2 weeks ago and for the last few days my boobs have been tender as if another one is imminent. Goodness only knows what’s going on inside my body at the moment, it’s a law unto itself.
One thing i am finding… each month boots keep giving me a different brand of tamoxifen (they just get whatever brand happens to be at their supplier that day…) and each month i am having a couple of days of feeling a bit queasy when i start a new packet / brand…
i was chatting to my bcn on friday and she said they often have women commenting that that happens to them - they don’t understand why it happens as the tablets should all be the same… there are a few threads in the hormone therapy section on here where people comment on it…
So i am planning on asking my gp if they can make my repeat prescription for a few months at a time - given that i am going to be on them for 5 years.
My last period (on Epi No 3 week - not recommended!) was a week late, so I thought maybe the chemo was shifting it around and it would all move on a week, but nope I’m bang on cycle which means I’ll get it 3 weeks after I had it last. Pooh! Thankfully it’ll miss No 4 this week. I’m trying not to think what’s going on in there. What with the eyes, and my hands drink about half a bottle of lotion a day, I’m starting to feel like I’m slowly degrading.
Hmmm, that sounds weird Theresa. I wonder if it’s the way the different companies put the pill together, eg the coatings, casings, bindings, whatever they do. Maybe in combination with the drug it’s enough to upset your system.
Like Sandra says, you’ve got friends kiddo.
