Thank you all for your supportive comments…it is so good to hear every one’s experiences. I have been trying to be positive all day…but keep imagining the worst !! I am definitely going to push and see if I can get someone else to administer the GCSF …
Have had my hair chopped off already …so it won’t come as too much of a shock… Worried about the nausea and sickness …but the after effects of the GCSF sound rather traumatic too…
Will keep posting and let you know how I get on…
Hugs,
Jill xxxxx
Jill, don’t panic- I was an oddity when it came to the GCSF. 1 in 25 react - I was the 1 . From Memory I think Mal had No reaction at all and others just a few aches and pains. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you feel anxious , so don’t worry and nothing that a couple of paracetamol can’t fix.
Fiona#
Been thinking - where are you Jill. Are you in near Manchester? If so my chum is a nurse and she would do it for you.
Fiona x
Hi girls
Hope you’re all keeping well and making the most of the sunshine today.
Jill - hope it went well on Friday. You’re one down, three to go! Hope your side effects are manageable and that someone gave you the injection. I had no effects from the GCSF and hope you’re the same. Just go with the flow and do whatever your body is telling you. If it’s telling you to sleep, don’t fight it, just sleep.
Take care ladies
Mal x
Hi Ladies, Hope the weekend went well for everyone.
This is last day of first cycle of xeloda and what seems like being a drug addict with loads of tablets each day. Looking forward to a week of not taking pills.
Mal - I think you are pretty lucky with the side effects - My hands look like leather and have started to crack along the creases, with my fingertips and some of the fleshy bits of the palms red and a bit sore. I think they would be awful if I hadn’t been prescribed B6…more tabs! Ha aaaaaarrgghh! LOL.
Haven’t had the nausea or sickness like you did but get a bit queasy about an hour after taking the tabs. The bowel bit, which they warn you about has definitely commenced, but it’s not bad yet and def not bad enough to take the pills they gave me …just in case…!
I mean this chemo bit goes from one spectrum to the other…constipation and then …well you can figure it out…just reminds me of changing nappies…say no more!
How’s the plans going for you big shindig? Have you marzipanned your cake? I may get round to finally putting the ‘week long’ soaked fruit into a cake this week. Last week was manic with children - I just was all over the place with their activities, plus spent each morning with a chum having coffee or was a lady that lunched…as you do… and then felt knackered, but hey ho it was v enjoyable and it meant that I SAT down.
Jill - Been thinking about you over the w/e. How are you? Hope all went well with first session and you feel okay physically and especially emotionally. Did the hospital sort out the GCSF injection?
Going to be mrs mop - and tidy house, iron etc after w/e now that children are at school. It looks like a Mt Everest job and will go on until feel tired otherwise it just won’t happen! Couldn’t really do this 2 weeks ago but Xeloda seems to be ‘kinder’ to body…will reserve judgement until get ironing done esp with hands.
Hope the rest of you are doing okay and that you are all out and about having fun.
Hugs to all
Fiona x
Just checking in to let you know how it all went…
The staff were great and brought us tea and choccies whilst we sat there …and I had very few side effects with the Epi , which was great… a thick head and a little queasy …but that was all…drank lots of water. I went back to the hospital on the Sat morning to the main Oncology ward for my GCSF injection , so that was OK.
That left me with mild aching, in my thighs shoulders, knees and elbows…and for a couple of days I was so tired I just slept all the time…I have tried to cut down on my anti sickness tablets…and I feel a bit more alert and normal now. I am a little emotional…but better than I was .
All in all I feel very grateful that I have felt as well as I have…I feared that it would be much worse…hope I am not tempting fate…LOL
Hope everyone else is doing OK too.
hugs,
Jill xxxxxx
Hi Jill, that’s great news. Once you get the first session out of the way,everything seems to settle down a bit as the unknown is not unknown anymore. I am so relieved you managed to sort out the GCSF injection. I think we were all a bit worried for you.
I expected the side effects to be really bad and was almost waiting for them to happen overnight, but the first 2-3 weeks was not bad at all- very much like you. For me and I think a few others the side effects became more apparent the more Epi’s we had - the cumulative effect, but for every side effect there seems to be drug etc to help and they really did help me. So if you do get say some mouth ulcers later on tell the team and you’ll get something for it.
Tea and chocs - Ha lucky you… I get a cup of tea (great tea maker at the hospital ) but no foody bits. I know that Mal, (goes to Christies) gets nothing - she even takes her own water…! Somebody on this thread or the other Tact2 thread had a massage ans some serious pampering…just can’t remember who though.
Glad to hear you have 1 epi down. Take care
Fiona x
Hi all, just thought I would post to see if you are all okay… Assuming everyone out Christmas shopping…well not Mal - she’s done all her’s and wrapped…lol only jealous Mal, just not as organised as you.
I keep looking at the boxes of Xmas cards and that’s about it -same with the tidying…look! Waiting for my family to chip in!! I think hell will freeze over before the house would be tidied by my lot!.
Anyway off to bake another Christmas cake or 2 - done mine - doing this for my chum!
Hugs to you all
Fiona x
Hi Girls
Glad you’re doing OK. Jill that’s the first out of the way and as Fiona said, I remember sitting there waiting for the side effects to kick in after the first epi. Was fine the first week then had the sore throat from hell, like swallowing razor blades. But each epi was different for me with the tiredness and chemo fog building up with each. Nothing unmanageable though.
Fiona - hope you’re still coping with xeloda OK. You’re right I don’t even get a cuppa at Christies, so lucky Jill. Went to Christies this morning for my last xeloda!!! Yippee. They also gave me Femara tablets which I should start in 3 weeks time (for 5 years) and then told me that’s it 'til next June! I’ve still got the daily trips to be fried (rads) but what a wonderful feeling. She also said that xeloda dosn’t stay in your system so should be getting back to normal (whatever that is) after my week off in 3 wks time. For the first time in nearly 6 months I don’t have an appointment card on the memo board in the kitchen.
Hope you’re all getting in the Christmas spirit a bit. I’ve got more wrapping to do yet but mostly done. Grandaughter coming round to ice the cake this week-end(not like Fiona who’s finished hers).
Great news Mal, to hear you are on the last lap…I am on Arm 4 , so will also be on Xeloda after Christmas sometime… three more Epis to go before then of course !!! Next one due on Thursday PM , and GCSF on Friday
Pressies bought and wrapped…WOW…I have a few bought…but only a few…and as for baking cakes Fiona and Mal …RESPECT. I think I will go to Tesco’s LOL.
Hope you are all keeping well.
Hugs,
Jill
Hi Ladies
just to let you know that it is me who gets treated so well when i go for my Epi, my appointment is usually at 10am, the nice red cross lady comes in about every 15 min offering us coffee, free for me, 30p for OH, then i get offered a head and shoulder massage, and at 12 they bring round soup n sandwiches., this is at Clan Clwyd they are having a new extension put on, it should open in Jan 09, it is so nice and even has lighted art work boxes in the ceiling,
I have my last epi next Fri, I have been so lucky with all this, no sickness and have mostly lived the same life as before, except for the insomnia, but now my arm is soooooooooo sore, it hurts to straighten it and it has gone all hard and lumpy in the muscle just above my elbow, has anyone else had this, im using Ibuleive Gel and a hot water bottle to ease the pain.
also lots of respect to those of you who are baking, i just go to MnS, i tried to bake a cake last week, put it in the oven then because i had been up all night i fell asleep, not a good result it ending up on the garage roof for the birds,
I think we should all get the pampering and deffo get served with drinks,
enjoy the weekend,
Shirl
Sorry to hear about your arm Shirl , the nurse did warn me the vein can harden and stiffen…is this the cause of your pain ? Your extra care and attention sounds wonderful , lucky you .
Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
Jugs,
Jill xxxxx
Hi all…
Um sorry, not actually finished cake just baked it! Now plying it with alcohol over next few weeks then will marzipan and ice. At least I can stick in the sugar paste stars made from last year etc so no extra hassle. Doing other cakes tomorrow as didn’t get round to it last few days. Been baking apple cakes - 3 so far as have so many apples given to me. I’ve sort of said s*d it to the tidying and cleaning and doing what I like. Baking but then my family does seem to woolf them down quickly. Did leek & Pot soup yesterday…yum!
Hands are getting so sore that some things getting hard to do. Going to ask to see the onc on monday to discuss hands as already taking B6 tablets and after checking the xeloda website, I think I’m bordering on stage 2 of hands and foot syndrome and that’s only after taking 1 cycle.
Done some Xmas shopping in Sept/Oct but still have quite a lot to do - all OH’s family as I lost both parents and as only child no one to buy for!! Wrapping should be interesting with these hands. Feeling very jealous that you’ve done yours. I MUST get on wiht it as gotta send loads thru post too.
SHIRL, I’ve had pain in my arm too but not in the same league. My chemo nurses told me to gently keep massaging the arm and keep trying to straighten it as much as poss. I’ve also put the wheat bag on it and also cooled it with a cold pack too. I also thought if i kept drinking more it might flush out the drug sooner…it still feels bruised and if I stretch too much I can wince but time seems to be helping it though.
MAL - HEY HEY…no more chemo…You must feel so relieved and well done as you have been so helpful through your journey. What’s Femara? Is it a hormone therapy like Tamoxifen or Arimidex? I know I have all that to come so the more info I have the better to discuss with Onc.
Loads of hugs to you all. Keep the hats on its bl**dy cold outside!
Fiona x
Hi everyone
Well done Mal it must be great to be at the end.
Everything has been fine this cycle but my feet have started hurting now. Nights are awful. Slleping with feet out of bed as cannot stand the heat and the rest of me is frezing. My hot water bottle is up by my middle to try and keep warm. Why is something always wrong very cycle
Regards all
Liz
Hi Girls
Hope you’re all OK and tolerating the chemo reasonably well.
Shirl - your last epi this Friday? You’ll be relieved to get out of the way. Hopefully you’ll be even better on the tablets although you don’t seem to have been too bad. The sore arm I had too (not as bad as you though) but it has eased a lot on xeloda although I still seem to have a ridge down my arm from the elbow to the wrist. I just used ibruprofen gel which did help a little. Hope you didn’t spend up in John Lewis.
Fiona - hope you’ve got the cream for your hands & feet now. My hands are a bit strange. The fingertips are very smooth and I feel as though I’ve no fingerprints! My thumb nail is coming off too. Lifting away. I had heard that it’s a side effect but thought I’d got away with it. Nice! Femara is an Aromatase Inhibitor like Arimidex & works slightly differently to Tamoxifen, blocking the production of the hormone. It’s strange how we suddenly become experts. The first thing I did on Friday was googled Femara and then phoned my son (he’s studying pharmacy). It says on the information sheet to avoid alcohol. No way. Five years?
Liz - sorry about your feet. I think I’ve been really lucky, just nausea which is kept under control providing I take the meds. But you’re right each cycle is different. Won’t be long now though.
Jill - hope you’re still OK after the epi. Have you got them all marked on the calendar? I cross them off as I go. A week on Saturday I take my last Xeloda and I can’t wait to get back into a proper sleeping pattern.
My grandaughter helped me ice the cake yesterday. It’s a bit lopsided and Father Christmas is leaning over as though he’s had one too many, but I’m sure it’ll taste OK. Just the stuffing to make and freeze now.
Off for my rads planning on Wed so see what treats I have in store. Is anyone else having rads?
Take care ladies & don’t do too much.
Mal x
Hi Girlies - I’d actually typed a load a couple of hours back and caught the tab button as was typing in gloves and lost the whole lot as the tab button took me back to all the discussions. My scream of oh no brought all the family into the playroom (where the main pc is). I did say a few other choice words and hope the children’s friends didn’t hear me!!
Anyway…hope everyone is feeling generally okay and trying to be positive,which can be difficult can’t it
Liz -SO sorry to hear about the feet…it’s really hard when it’s something you use every day. Like my hands I took them for granted and hadn’t realised I used them so much.
Mal, my fingers started off like yours the week before starting cap., so after 2 weeks, they just deteriorated. Were pretty bad today and found driving Saw Onc today and he’s deferred this cycle for a week. Back on Mon next week to see if this week helps my hands to recover. B6 tabs 3 x a day and LOADS of moisturising cream. Not got the Udderly cream yet,but have E45 hand cream, Aveeno hand cream plus lotion, Dermol lotion, and now a cream suggested by the chemo nurse used for cracked nipples- boy that takes me back! has ha ! So spent fortune at Boots!
Have a good week everyone
Fiona x
Hi all, am off for blood tests tomorrow morning and then if all is OK, will have my second Epi on Thursday afternoon ,plus GCSF injection on Friday . I am just hoping that I will keep as well as I have over the last two weeks . Still have my hair, although it feels like straw …but will collect wig tomorrow too…so all ready for the big fallout …LOL.
Sorry to hear about your feet Liz, and your hands Fiona hope they improve for you…
Hugs
Jill xxx
Hi girls.
Hope your chemo went OK yesterday Jill and you’ve not descended into the chemo fog.
Fiona, have you got your Udderley cream yet? I’m surprised that they haven’t suggested reducing your dose as they did with me. Hopefully your hands are improving.
And Liz hope your feet are also improving. The mental picture of you lying with your feet stuck out of bed made me laugh although it’s not funny.
Had my rads planning session on Wednesday so I’ve now got 2 red tattoos! It was nothing. Just a matter of lying still for ages while they do all the measurements. Start on 2nd January.
Have a good week-end and wrap up warm.
Mal x
Second session done…hurrah !! Two more to go …and last one is on Christmas Eve…what joy . I have managed to avoid the fug this time for some reason Mal …maybe I drank more water , but I did take some paracetamol too as soon as I got home.
Liz hope your hands and feet are improving , and Fiona too.
Good luck with the rads Mal.
Hugs,
Jill xxx
Hi everyone
Hands and feet a lot better but feet still going from hot to cold at night so they are in and out of bed???
3rd cycle tomorrow so will see what onc says
Mal great that you don’t start rads until new year so you can enjoy yourself. Your tabs sound rough tho no alcohol for 5 yrs…
Fiona hope your hands are better wioth all the creams etc. I know am using gallons on my feet and hands
Just think Jill half way through epi
Snowed today and its freezing cold
Take care all
Liz