Iv just finished 6fec 4wks ago,i was tired during chemo but find im even more so now iv finished?I dont understand why.Anyone else having this…Sarahx
yes very very tired still post chemo - sleep been disturbed by hot flushes too which doesnt help tiredness
claire
Thanks4reply i start tamoxifen2moz im sure i wil then have the flushes and sleepless nites.I sleep like a baby at the mo at nite,and all day if i could…Sarahx
i start rads tomorrow, 6 weeks after last chemo.
happy to say taste buds seem to be back to normal, digestive sytem seems better and my hair is growing back all over. twitchy eye seems to be happening only in evening and if i am tired now
on the flip side, i still ache all over and my eye lashes and eyebrows are still not putting in an appearance yet.
how is everyone else doing?
claire x
I ache2,mainly in the hips and back,no sign of eyelashesrows started rads yesterday…Stil sooo tired but then the treatments nearly finished.Yippee!Xsarahx
18 months after finishing treatment I have been feeling so much better and not thinking about cancer everyday. I had my 2yr mamm at the beginning of April and after 6 weeks chasing the result eventually told on phone yesterday that they have seen something they need to check again and have to go tomorrow for repeat mamm and ultrasound scan!
So back to being terrified !!!
hi everyone,
sorry to hear about your results dolphin1 good luck hope everything turns out ok, keep us posted,
love liz xxx
dolphin - sending you a “hug”
how are you doing dolphin?
Hi
Just happened upon this thread, well when do we really feel better ?, I know what you mean but what is better ?, I know we have all been through the mill i was diagnosed last July, 2 ops inc node clearance, 6 sessions of TAC (ooh dont get me started on that lol) and 15 rads.
I found its now after “all of that” that im now struggling, its like folk are expecting you to be normal but whats normal ?, someone asked me think last sept if “it” had changed me i couldnt answer because i knew i had such a long way to go, but now after its all done with i feel a whole lot different. I cant look back at the minute as its too painfull but i keep asking myself if i need to look back ?
I still get some hot flushes and oddly enough knee ache, i havent had a period since Nov and fertility issues are weighing heavily on my mind, as well as anxiety and depression but im gettin help with that and i would recommend anyone whos having trouble emotionally to seek advice its the best thing i could have done, its like someone switched the light on. i would deffo recommend the BCC 2 day forums it was marvellous to spend time with ladies who had had same experiences to talk to proffesionals but to also have a bit of a laugh so please if you havent been already get your name down
well after a bit of a ramble, sending you all best wishes TC
Sarah x
sarah, i agree what is “normal”- i am just going through rads and feel like i am surrounded by people saying now you can go back to normal but i remain scared and still physically anything other than 100%. i havent had counselling throughout chemo but really feel i might benefit from some at this point
spoke to the oncologist today who said my aches n pains are most likely to be as a reult of chemo induced menopause and not the chemo itself - that means they are here to stay - any one have any tips/homeopathic remedies to deal with them?
claire
Never posted before so here goes.
Im 3, nearly 4 years into my journey and have recently had an LD flap in response to a shrinking boob as result of heavy duty rads for multi focal DC. Looking good so far, but continental shelf has moved to under my arm! He, guru of surgery, assures me a tidy up in a few months will help.
When do you feel better? I know I will never ever feel the same… My onc told me at point of diagnosis “What doesnt kill you enriches you as a person”. At the time I could have given him a mouthful but 3 yrs on… he’s right. Never a day goes by when I don’t think of my cancer monkey sitting on my shoulder. But most days he sits there passively now, not screaming in my ear.
I worked through the shock, then the anger, then the physical. My Boss at the time put alot of pressure on me to return to school, but I dug in and made sure I had a month after i was physically better to work at trying to mend my head. My treatment, in part had been at Christies - as they go, fab centre of excellence but you wouldn’t have dragged me back in there after my last rad treatment. Instead I recieved councelling over the phone. This was from a cancer councelling charity which has sadly folded now. Its not everyone’s cup of tea… but have a go. I’ve now had some heavy duty surgery, but you know, wer’re lucky… pain relief, no sweat, crank up the drugs. Head hurt on the other hand is not as tangeable. Another thing I have the urge to share (finally over 3 years on), whilst having my councelling, I viewed my anger and fear as this screaming monkey… I knitted one (it was all I could do to count stitches, I couldn’t read a text as I had no concentration)I gave it to my daughter to sleep with. Years on she still has my monkey, and she helps keep him quiet, sitting on the top of her wardrobe! Thank you all for being there. Love and empathy
The aches and pains are really bothering me. They flared up post rads and despite a clear bone scan they are worrying. I’ve just started taking glucosamine and chondroitin in the hope they’ll help. I can’t take my usual anti- inflammatories as I’m on the REACT trial. If these aches continue I may stop the trial drug which I think is the placebo given my aches. My collar bone and shoulders are worse particularly in the morning x
I almost hate to say ‘I’m feeling better’ because so many people, including my OH assume this means ‘completely better’. So I’ve started to say ‘getting stronger’ or something like that that suggests a process, not an off/on switch.
Those of you going through early menopause have my sympathy. I went through it twice, once naturally and once after stopping HRT. Am I going to go through the symptoms a third time on anti-oestrogen? I’m trying not to think about it because thinking about some of the symptoms like hot flushes can bring them on.
With normal menopause, the symptoms eventually do settle down. I had terrible night sweats going through it (the reason I accepted HRT) but nothing like that now. I hope those of you going through chemical menopause find that the symptoms go away or at least settle to tolerable after a while. If they don’t you should see your GP about means of relief. Apparently there are now pillows and perhaps duvets which are meant to relieve night sweats–I wish I’d had something like that.
The routine advice about eating healthily, watching your weight (mine shot up in menopause, went down on HRT and up again after stopping) and exercising is all sound. If joint pain is very bad, you should definitely see your GP to ask about things like pain relief and possibly physiotherapy or at least gentle exercises to do. Ice and heat both can help to relieve joint pain and some people find a TENS machine helps. Anti-depressants may be effective in some cases. Are ibuprofen gels and other skin applications forbidden on the trial, Loupylou?
Cheryl
I’m seeing the research nurse in a few weeks time so I’ll have to ask. I’m pretty certain I’m getting the placebo so it’s probably ok to use the brufen gel. Lymphodoema clinic next week so perhaps they’ll enlighten me on what exercises I can start doing! Lou x
I posted on another thread that all tests on my other breast came back negative. My family is really happy and so am I, but I’m still feeling very down about everything. Have had counselling and been on anti d’s in the past,but really don’t want to go back on again.
blessing - i like the image of the cancer as a “screaming monkey on your shoulder” - i may well adopt that and try to silence him if i can - easier said than done eh?
cherly/loupylou- thanks for info on menopause - i trying to get to grips with this as just another thing that has happened to me in last few years. i hope the side effect settle with chemical menopause -i can cope with sweats but not aches n pains
dolphin - glad to hear your tests are ok
claire
I go through phases of hot night sweats… have discovered M and S sell pillows that are filled with wool/fibre mix. They are advertised as being able to help with heat control. At £25 a pop I thought hard but guess what I think they do help.
ooooh i feel i may need to treat myself to one of those pillows!
Hello again
Well, I’m just over 3 weeks post-rads(15 sessions was decided on by team in the end) and unfortunately I’m experiencing quite a lot of muscular and rib-cage discomfort; movement, coughing, sneezing and especially in bed at night turning over are all painful). The problem didn’t surface until about 5 days after my last treatment so I went to the GP to get some pain killers (just ibuprofen/paracetamol). I rang the hospital who said it was too early for them to assess anything but I just wondered if anyone else who has had mx with immediate recon using implants experienced anything similar after rads…?
I really wasn’t expecting such a strong reaction from rads as so much I’ve read talks about it being so much easier than chemo. So for that reason I’m feeling more down about things than I thought I would be at this stage, I’m not able to physically do as much as I was pre-rads and it’s also delayed my return to work.
All thoughts and words on the matter appreciated…
xx