Breast Cancer Now Forum

Thank you bunnies. It is so good to know that whatever we are going through we are not alone. I had been feeling so worried about the type of pain I was having, thinking I had perhaps started suffering SEs from cocodamol. When I read Sara's post, then Lisa's I was in floods of tears of relief. I don't remember ever feeling so lousy before as I do right now. Xx ... View more

Hi Elaine. I am so sorry tax hit you so hard. I'm finding the tax effect really strange and wonder if what I'm feeling is similar to you. I feel as if I have an army of horrid little soldiers stabbing me from the inside out. It really really hurts. Is this what you experienced? I've been taking cocodamol but now am beginning to feel I need a break from them. I feel I'm o-d-ing on them. Aside from that, myBoobis stillblue but the surgeon has seen it and says it will go back to normal. I get twinges in my wle scar and also developed something called fat necrosis - an angry red blob adjacent to the wle which hurt and started to fill with goo. The surgeon said it would probably go of its own accord and it is now drying up. I think the drugs cause twinges in the scar line too so try not to worry. Easier said than done. Love, margiexx ... View more

This warren is going crazy and how great is that!! I did three grammar schools, two all girls and one co-ed so take your pick. I hated hockey especially because my teacher decided that as I was 'a big girl' I should always be in the goal where nothing would get past me (nice man, eh? Sexist pig) and he decided to nickname me big bertha. Factlets, like others I have been fretting as to what I can bring to the table .... I've come up with two for now. I have written two novels, one a blockbuster type and the other somewhat more risqué .... Sadly not yet published. I got myself a flashy London agent in the 90s who believed in me but he didn't manage to get me published. I'm now seriously considering dusting the manuscripts down, doing some updates and self publishing on amazon. We will see. And the other thing is that I have test driven volvos on a slalom course on a frozen lake 125 miles north of the arctic circle. The ice was 1.2 metres thick. Amazing experience!! Dont you just wonder what the atmosphere is going to be between us all when we finally meet!! Vanns, I'm definitely up for a pink ribbon warren walk. Funnily enough I was reading about these walks myself yesterday and clicked the button for more info when it comes out in November. Pixie, you really should protect your intellectual property in your happy bags. Get a copyright on them. Hope everyone is ok. The tax truck drove into my bed last night and I have horrible stabbing going on all the time in my thighs and groin, stabbing from inside pointing out. Nevertheless we made it to have our pix taken with the Olympic torch. Now I'm off to read some more of the second 50 shades book in my bed! It has a bit more story than the first book. Love, margiexx ... View more

Morning everyone. Lisa, it's lovely to have another bunny in our warren. You'll have to find a bunny pic for your avatar!! My neutrophil booster jabs come over 5 days, days 5-10. I'm on filgrastim which I guess may be what you are also on, slightly diff to neulasta but same overall effect and I think a bit cheaper for the NHS trust. Well, 44 hours on I can feel the tax truck nudging its way on my driveway. Just what the onc predicted. Worse though at the mo is that for all my adult life I have had on going back problems. Every few years or so something gives way in my lower back and I am in agony for days. It is usually triggered by something stupidlysimple. This time just leaning slightly forward to put something down on a low table. Luckily I had already got co-codamol lined up for the tax truck so I started on that yesterday and it is now a case of resting the back for a few days without letting it seize up completely. So, back probs, tax truck and neut boost jabs means I'm writing next week off, but still aiming to dragmyself to that Olympic torch photo call tomorrow somehow. Interestingly the best thing for my back has been exercise over the years. I suffered more when I was immobile in front of a computer doing my high powered job for years on end. When we moved to the east mids due to oh's work four years ago I took welcome early retirement. Everyone said I'd be bored out of my mind and what would I do. I said 'join a gym and get fit'. They laughed. The laugh was on me cos that's just I divi did. So pixie, I'm not sporty but I LOVE my bannatyne gym membership. For 3 and a half years I've gone 4-5 times a week. I do gym sessions, Personal training, swim and do various classes. Zumba is best!! Sadly as the bc treatment has got more underway I haven't been able to keep this up and it is clearly having a detrimental effect on that ongoing back problem. Just glanced up this para - I like 'divi did' on the good old ipad - meant to read 'just what I did'!!! Anyway I'll be back at the gym when this is all done and now I've committed to doing a race for life next year I'll have to get in some serious training!!! Tracy my lgfb goody bag, which iPad thinks should be a KGB bag, contained pretty much the same as gaynor has described. Think that's probably standard, but different brands. Hope you enjoy your session next week. Right, where's my kindle. I'm reading Lullaby by Clare Seeber. Bit heart wrenching about a stolen baby. To add to the books lists, I adore anything by Jodi Picoult, except the tenth circle. Her books are so well written and so well researched. She never fails to challenge society. My book tastes are eclectic. I've been rereading Jane Austen and DH Lawrence recently amongst others I've mentioned in previous posts. Love to everyone. Pixie, hope you are managing to work today. Don't know how you do it!!! Margiexx ... View more

Hi everyone Pixie, first of all I hope you start to feel better very soon. It is a complete disgrace the way you have been treated. Your OH is right. He must complain, but let him take the strain of doing this while you concentrate on getting better. My heart goes out to you. I had my tax1 yesterday. After being checked over by the onc due to my sore throat and mega summer cold, we decided together to go ahead. I really didn't want a delay. Fantastically the nurse got the cannula in first time this time (4 attempts last time) and I felt the 'experience' of tax v fec going in was much less stressful, probably due to just having the one drug instead of 3. Right now, I am having a duvet day but feel OK - but am fully anticipating the tax tank/truck/train to hit me within the next 24 hours. Such a shame because we've yet another 'experience' day coming up on Saturday if I can manage it .... at the end of last year my OH bought a new BMW. The BM dealership nominated a 'charity supporter hero' to be an Olympic torch bearer - he carried the torch in another area but on Saturday is paying a visit to the dealership to meet invited guests and we have a slot booked to be photographed holding the torch ourselves. I'm going to drag myself there no matter what, even if just for 10 minutes for the photo!!! It's proving to be such a strange year or highs and lows. The bc is the obvious extreme low, but what with our jubilee pageant, my dil running the race for life, this olympic experience, tickets for both the olympics and paralympics, there are many highs. I will look back on 2012 as one very unusual year. We also had our holiday in Dubrovnik after my surgery and before I started chemo ... that was amazing. I never said at the time, but for some reason we were upgraded to the very best suite in the Dubrovnik Hilton, directly overlooking the beautiful old city. Some American guests in the next door suite gleaned it was our wedding anniversay on the Saturday, told the hotel manager who organised for our room to be decked out while we were out. We came back in to find kissing swans fashioned out of towels on the bed, surrounded by a big heart of real rose petals and a gift of bathtime goodies for me!! Not bad for a 39th wedding anniversary. We have lots of photos of this and the other 2012 experiences - think I will have to make a scrapbook for highs and lows of the year!! I've blown it as far as Race for Life goes - I've told so many people now that I am going to do it myself next year that I won't be able to renege on it. Oh dear. Some serious training coming up later this year!!!! Well, after my 4th juicing I really am starting to feel the end is perhaps in sight. A glimmer of light is shining through from the burrow above into my corner of the warren. At my next onc meeting in 2 weeks I get to have my first meeting with the radiology onc to start planning the next stage of treatment and also I have agreed o take part in a clinical trial. It is an international trial - sample size amost 3000 - and I fit the criteria apparently. Itis looking into the use of an osteo-arthritic anti-inflammatory as a means of reducing the chances of a recurrence of bc. They believe tumours thrive in inflammatory situations and think this could help. All it entails for me is to take an extra tablet day for 2 years and have on-going check ups and extra blood tests. I can't see a downside (except perhaps the blood letting!). This will be alongside the Arimidex hormone therapy already planned so no change in the planned treatment, plus I get the bonus of more closer monitoring over the first 2 years after chemo. Only ral potential downside I suppose is that it will be just my luck to be one of the 1 in 3 people in the trial on a placebo, but I'll never know! By the by, I had a scam email via bcc forum last night - someone called Vic aksing be to be her friend. Never heard of her and her email was all about her and her baby. I've forwarded it to Mike. Also, is anyone else getting ALL their postings from our thread direct to their email account? No need to log into the forum to read all the messages from lovely bunny friends. I've alerted bcc to this as well. I'm sure it's not a secure situation. That's all for now. Love to everyone, especially Pixie of course at this particular time. Even though I'm not mentioning others by name, we're all together in this and I love and value your support. margiexx ... View more

These pesky steroids have so much to answer for. Started on them yesterday, 4 tabs with breakfast, four with lunch. Acid stomach kicked in during afternoon. Bloated feeling kicked in during evening. Couldn't sleep - had about 3 hours total. Hunger pangs at 4.30am and this morning bright red steroid face. And all that before tax1 this afternoon. I'm downgrading our drugs to lower case now, as well as bc. They don't deserve caps! Sore throat has subsided a bit and after 14 hours of constant sneezing that also seems to be subsiding so I'm not anticipating any delay when I arrive at 1pm. Tracy - I think the only reason for the mega high neut count was the combination of the GSCF (neut boost) injections and the steroids yesterday morning before my blood test. My chemo team say there is nothing you can eat to help it along. Just rest with a bit of gentle exercise. Have you spoken to your onc about booster injections? Elaine, so please your girls have sorted everything. They sound fab. Pixie, I'm thinking of you. Everyone else, thinking of you too! Love, margieteexx ... View more

Just a thought for Elaine. If you have people lined up to come on the day of the twins party and feel you can't change it, have you thought about asking if you can delay your chemo by a week? You might not want to do this, now the end is in sight, but I'm going to ask for a one week delay on my last TAX. It's due on August 1st and we have Olympic tickets for August 3rd so I'm going to ask if I can have the final one on August 8th. What's all this housework people keep mentioning? Even in my third week, even with my high WBC, I still don't have energy for housework. Or maybe that's my excuse!!!! No seriously I'm impressed at anyone doing housework at this time. Well done. Oh and I love your radiologist Vanns. Great news about the bone scan. margieteexx ... View more

Hi Bunnies Galore OK, orchestra first. I played the violin in the Carlisle and County Junior Youth Orchestra about a hundred years ago, when I was 13/14. Would probably be a bit squeaky now and no longer have the violin but would love to give it a try again. I gave up lessons at 14 because I decided I wanted to ride horses and my Dad gave me the choice: violin lessons or riding lessons .... then I discovered boys at 15!!! That leads nicely into the next topic. I read all the postings about sex (what's that????) on my mobile over the weekend while we were away, but couldn't post. Was laughing so much, especially the toilet bowl image. And this ties in with books .... has anyone read any of the trilogy that is currently making up the top three books in the Sunday Times best sellers list???? The 50 shades trilogy? A friend suggested I should read the first one and I started it thinking it was going to be a saga type romance, nice easy reading, especially thinking it must be good if it's at the top of the S Times listing. What a mistake it was to think that. Not actually even well written but quite compulsive when you get started - you have to keep reading because you keep expecting to find a plot. There is of sorts, but very weak. I'll say no more but would be interested to know if anyone else has ventured there (into the book that is, not into actually what it's all about). I checked my kindle and have read 17 books since I started chemo on April 11 - OH ought me the kindle as a pre-chemo prezzie. I've also read a few real paper paperbacks. I really enjoyed Call the Midwife, which I hadn't seen on TV - I have it recorded and will watch it soon. Also enjoyed The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and Sister/Afterwards, both by Rosamund Lupton. I read the Dragon Tattoo trilogy last year - mindblowing. Race for Life was brill at the weekend at Guildford. DIL ran it in 24m20s. Good on her. It was amazing and very emotional. If I felt like this, how must Vanns (think it was Vanns) have felt about all her staff and pupils running for her. I did wonder if any of the many, many people with bunny ears were from our warren, but there were just too many to ask. Was anyone at Guildford on Sunday morning? Well, TAX1 tomorrow for me too. I've had blood letting this morning but not got the results as yet. I don't bother to hang about. I've actually got a sore throat and am starting a cold today and have phoned the chemo nurse to ask if this affects anything and have asked them to call me back. I expect they are waiting till they have the blood results before calling. I am dreading TAX1, like everyone else but don't really want to be delayed. Don't know why some of u change and some not - for the record I was grade 2 with a 10mm tumour and had trace cancer cells in one of four lymph nodes. Just got the call ..... neuts were 9.8, WBC was 11.1 and Hb was 11.9. Mmm, nurse did say that the steroids can boost the white cells and I had my first dose of 4 tablets before the blood was taken and of course I had the 5 days worth of injections, but given that my neuts were at 1.1 a few weeks ago I'm very pleased. She has changed the time of my appt tomorrow from 10am to 1pm as the docs will be at the hospital in the afternoon and can check out my sore throat, but I think it will be all systems go. Natalie - congrats. Little Chick, good to hear from you. Pixie good luck tomorrow. Sameelee I'm holding virtual hands tomorrow. I know there are other messages I intended to add but suffice to say I love you all and am thinking of you all. margieteexx ... View more

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Hi bunnies Eh? Just started typing and the font has changed for some reason. Not my doing! I wonder if it will be the font I'm typing in or the usual font by the time it is posted in the warren. Pixie, so good to hear you are back and hopping around. So sorry to hear you couldn't have both procedures done at the same time, but your surgeon sounds as if he knows what he's doing. The radiographer who did the original op needs stringing up for a big bad fox to come and get him. That sounds glib, but actually he really does need a real doing down. He's a disgrace to the NHS. I've continued to lurk a bit this week - had a slightly better day on Monday which I think is when I last posted, but that has been the only day since my last FEC that I've felt able to do anything, apart from when the adrenalin was flowing due to excitement when we were in London. At first I thought my tiredness was the penalty for my weekend away, but now I realise most of it is due to feccing and neut blast injections. I feel I've been kicked about too which I gather is due to the neut blast. Got my sister coming up for a couple of days, due to arrive shortly, so that'll be lots of nattering and doing nothing else (!) then we are away again this weekend. How will I find the energy? I don't know, but the faces of my grandchildren will help. We are seeing one son, wife, grandson on Sat then going to a hotel overnight and seeing another son, wife and two grandsons on Sunday - that dinlaw is running the race for life on Sunday. We've made tee shirts (big so they can go over coats) for the two grandsons that say 'Run Mummy Run' on one side and 'Run for My Granny' on the other with a pic of me and a pic of Mummy on either side!!! I have my Cath Kidston style chair at the ready!!!! Think I'll need it. And a poncho! Had my onc appointment yesterday. She said the tiredness is par for the course and will be much worse on TAX. Said all the same things about SEs that everyone else has reported. Said the dark nailvarnish does nothing except if your nails do go dark and ridgy it helps to make us, the patients, feel better about how we look. Chemo nurse told me to cut nails very short to avoid snapping them. I spoke at length to the onc about veins - she said unfortunately the soreness and tightness is a SE of chemo in general and particularly of FEC and there is nothing that can be done about it. It should improve after chemo is finished, but not all the veins will recover. Ever. But there are plenty of other veins to transport blood so don't worry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As if. Regarding using the same arm for each treatment - it is desirable in order to avoid danger of lymphodaema in op side arm, but my onc - who I've actually got enormous respect for and trust in, despite my comments above - said that as I've only had 4 lymph nodes (in addition to tumour in boob) removed she thinks it would be a good idea to use my op side for my next chemo to give my veins a rest on the usual arm. I think the most significant thing in deciding which arm to use and whether or not to use the op side is how buggered your lymphatic system has been by the surgery. Removal of just 4 nodes isn't considered too bad. Incidentally, I was interested in Little Chick's comments about the dye not tracking properly (pleased your surgeyr is behind you LC) .... my surgery was on Feb 13th and I STILL have a turquoise nipple. Very fetching!!!! Any one else like this????? Like others, I did LGFB this week - enjoyed meeting others and the whole session was a big laugh - and I now now how to do fake eyebrows - very necessary as I have about 2 hairs in each eyebrow now. The goody bag is fantastic and the beauticians there were great. Good fun afternoon. Vanns, how's your grandad now? And Southpool is your Dad over his appendicitis??? Everyone else, hope things are ticking along whatever stage you're at. I have TAX1 to look forward to next week and that'll be two thirds of the way through. We're getting there! lots of love to all bunnies, margieteexx ... View more

Pixie, I've just read this after writing the pm I've just sent to you so I wasn't fully up to speed when I wrote what I wrote. All the same things count that I've just said, but a thousand times more so. Will be thinking of you and sending all the virtual hugs best wishes everything for you on Wednesday morning, before then and after too. When we all meet up we will be carrying you on our shoulders in a victory march. margieteexxx ... View more

Get better soon myxi pixie!!! Horrid for you having to be in hospital but it is the best place for you while they sort out whatever is happening to your emergency stop button. Hope you can read messages while you are there even if you can't post (hopefully you'll be able to read and post ...) My bags have arrived today! They are incredible. So cute. So pixie-ish. Such a brilliant idea. Thank you so much princess pixie. Anyone out there that hasn't yet ordered some, get on with it. You won't be disappointed with them. I can't wait to see people's faces when I pass them on with thanks for all their support. Pixie I'm sending you a pm about an idea I've had .... I'm feeling for everyone feeling down and hunkering in the back of the warren at the moment. Luckily for me, I'm in my good week, which I have to say feels nothing like as good as my good week in the last two cycles. I think the effects much be cumulative so each cycle we get a bit lower than before. I'm off for my complimentary complementary session at the hospital this afternoon. There has to be something good to go to the chemo suite for!!! And tomorrow I have my LGFB session. Will report back. Love to everyone at all stages ... margieteexxx ... View more

Congratulations to Vanns. You win the prize for the 1000th posting on our thread!!!! Thanks so much for all the info about tax. Quite a few of us are starting this stage of our journey over the next few weeks and I think we are all a bit upended at the thought of change. I may be crying into my wine after my first tax but I am so pleased to see the back of epirubicin, but the tax SEs sound like a whole new ballgame. My OH has been injecting me all this week with neut boost and since Thursday I have been feelng as if I've been punched in the lower back (pelvic region) and in the front of my chest. Last injection was yesterday so hopefully I'm now in for a reasonable week as it's my 'best week' usually. Natalie, I am so sorry to hear how things went for you this week. It makes me so angry that they have made such a cock up of things, but hopefully from now on it will be much plainer sailing for you, once they have the longer needles. It will be worth it I'm sure. Southpool, pleased you've got onto the drops straight away. Tracy and anyone else having acid stomach, have you been given any meds? I mentioned it to my onc at my last appt and she immediately said she would give me something for it. She prescribed Lansoprazole 30mg. It works by reducing the amount of acid produced in the stomach (unlike indigestion remedies which I believe work by neutralising acidity rather than reducing actual amount of acid). I took it for 6 or 7 days after my last FEC and haven't had that foul acidity this time round. Interestingly I've also been 'pooing' nomally so maybe it also helped the dreaded constipation. What subjects we discuss in our warren!!!!! Re our get-together, for myself I would prefer a day time meeting - nice lunch, coffee and sarnie sort of thing - this time round. Once chemo and rads are out of the way I'll be up for a spa and possibly an overnighter. Spas are a no-no anyway during rads. Best times for me would be in one of the weeks before chemo, but I imagine we would all say the same. How about targeting the time between chemo and rads when we should have a few weeks' respite from trreatments????? Why don't we all throw our last planned chemo date into a pile and see where that brings us to? All being well, my last will be August 8th. We are hoping to get out to our house in France for a week in September before rads but not booked yet. Love to all bunnies, wherever you are in the warren at the moment. margieteexx ... View more

Southpool I am so sorry to hear about your Dad. I can understand how helpless you must feel. The eye drops my onc prescribed are called Hypromellose 0.3%. Bizarrely the patient leaflet says they are for Eyes that aren't producing enough tears but they have certainly worked for me. No scratchiness, grittiness etc and no watering. It is insulting that all your chemo team could suggest was Vaseline. Some of these chemo team people seem to think we are idiots. Xxx ... View more

PS to Natalie - I really hope they have managed to used the port today. Xx ... View more

Sarabee I love your jubilee bunny pic! My dil is racing for life for me and I feel so proud of her too. It is a very humbling feeling isn't it ... And reading the messages her supporters are putting on her just giving page is incredible. People keep referring to me as wonderful and brave. No I'm not, I'm just doing what has to be done to get rid of bc - as we all are. Southpool, have you been prescribed anything for your watery eyes? I was prescribed some really good drops by my onc. They are upstairs at the mo and I'm downstairs but if you want to know what they are let me know. Sounds a silly little SE but actually it makes you feel really awful when your eyes are sore, gritty, watery all the time. My drops made a world of difference. Last night I started feeling as if I've been kicked in the back, just above the coccyx. Think it must be the neut boost injections. Last one today so that's good. Love and hugs to all bunnies, margieteexx ... View more

Aaaaarrrrrghhhhhhhh! I am so fed up of having multiple meds injected into me, shoved down my throat, dripped in my eyes, rubbed on my arms, of feeling yukky, having headaches, sore veins, aching wrists, sore eyes, yuk yuk yuk. I know I speak for all of us but sometimes it is good to rant about it. Thanks everyone who sent me good wishes for my jubilee experience in London. It was amazing, fantastic, wonderful and I feel so fortunate to have been able to do it - made even better by the fact that our son who had organised the passes had secretly (secret to oh and me) organised for his two brothers, their wives and our three gorgeous grandsons to be there too. As we live northish and they all live around London we don't manage to all be together that often so it was fantastic. Even the weather held off on Waterloo bridge until about 5pm ...... It was brilliant, but I have to confess that I am really suffering for it now. I am SoOOOO tired and achey. Been resting up since we got back on Monday evening. Ah well .... Onwards ..... It is so reassuring to have read all the comments about veins. It is so good to know we are not alone in the SEs we have. I can see channels on my forearm where once there were veins standing proud. Like others I can't flex my hand properly, the whole forearm is sore and believe it or not I still have signs of bruising from fec2 when the bitch nurse really battered my bunny paw. That is now 5 weeks ago. OMG there was a roll of thunder just now and everything is going dark .... Is this June? I'm going to retreat again to the back of the warren now - not because of the thunder but because I feel so weak and feeble and sorry for my veins. Tears over broccoli - we are all as bad as each other. First though, love to everyone and special big hugs to those having probs right now with anything, chemo, OHs, finances. In other words, love to every one of the bunnies in our glorious warren. margieteexx ... View more

Vanns, sorry I also meant to wish you well for your extra tests. Let us know how you get on. Lee - yes, my eyebrows are getting smaller and smaller and my eyelashes are very short and sparse - obviously just the newer ones hanging on and the older ones fallen out. I have terrible problems with sore watery eyes due to FEC but my onc prescribed some eye rops which are helping a lot. I've also got extra meds for acid stomach - lansoprazole wich apparently stops the stomach making so much acid. I wonder if FEC encourages increased acid production. Elaine - like you I'm wondering about the change from FEC to TAX next time. You're a week ahead of me now so you can report back!! I'm just really pleased to have passed the half way point that this change of drugs means and am also pleased not to be having any more epirubicin which always seems to be the most toxic of the FEC cocktail. Love again, margieteexx ... View more

Oh Sara, I wish I could come and give you a proper, real, big hug but you'll have to feel the warmth and strength coming out of my virtual one. I was going to say exactly the same as Rachel, about reasonable adjustments etc etc. I don't think your workplace is acting as they should be under current discrimination legislation. I think you are so right to have made the decision to take sick leave and concentrate on yourself and getting better. This chemo lark is tough enough on us all without additional problems. No matter how many or how few SEs we're having it is still a very difficult journey we're all on and we HAVE to be kind to ourselves sometimes and put ourselves first. Getting better HAS to be the number one priority. Good luck and try and have a restful weekend and recharge youself. And NEVER, NEVER feel bad about having a whinge. It's not whinging anyway, it's all about getting things off your chest. It's so important to do that none of us minds listening. We are the best people for you to offload to - totally non-judgemental and totally supportive and with you all the way. Lots and lots and lots of love and best wishes. LittleChick and Natalie, so pleased your ops are behind you. LittleChick, let us all know the results of your further tests as soon as you know them. Southpool, I am so impressed that you have been having an interview while going through chemo. I don't think my chemo brain would be together enough for something like that. Hope you get good news soon. Pixie, I'll PM you with my address for 6 of the twins booty bags which I am going to give away to 6 special friends who are being particularly supportive. I'm thinking of you having sparkly stuff today from your army troops. Can't remember which troops made up FEC2 but I'm sure they are there supporting you. Note, my 'FEC bites back' was potentially me biting back at it and I'm pleased to say that has been the case!! I'm happy to say I'm feeling OK at the moment after Wednesday's FEC3 and I think in retrospect my week's delay was a good thing. I went into FEC3 stronger as a result and I think that is now paying off. That leads nicely into the neuts leaderboard .... in my extra week between fecs my neuts tripled. I was 1.1 on Tuesday last week and had gone up to 3.3 - all on my own without booster jabs - by Tuesday of this week. My Hb was 15 point something. I'm feeling up to our planned weekend in London this weekend - thought we were going to have to miss it when my chemo was delayed, but we are going for it! It is too good a opp to miss and it will never be the Queen's diamond jubilee again. We are going down by train tomorrow, coming back Monday, and on Sunday will be in a secure zone on Waterloo Bridge thanks to the charity my youngest son works for. We've had to submit photocopies of our passports in advance to the Diamond Jubilee organising committee and have to take our passports on Sunday in order to gain access. How exciting!! We are staying close to the bridge so I'll only have to walk a short distance and my hubby has bought me a flowery camping chair to sit on - very Cath Kidston! Whatever anyone else is doing over the weekend, try and have a peaceful few days and try not to think too many dark chemo thoughts. We are getting through this and the end of the chemo is in sight. The sparkly stuff is working for us all. Lots of love to everyone from margieteexxx ... View more

Morning bunnies-galore Well, I didn't get the dreaded no-go phone call yesterday to say my white blood count was too low, so I guess I'm on for 3.15 this afternoon for FEC3 - I'm thinking of it as 'FEC3 bites back' which might be me biting back or the FEC. I'll let you know. Neutrophils: I'll join the competition! Here they say 1.5 is the magic figure, so I was interested to read that elsewhere it is 1.0. Another difference between chemo centres. So for me: Blood test on the Monday before FEC2: 1.3. Went up to 1.5 on the Tuesday so FEC2 went ahead on that Wednesday. Blood test last Tuesday for FEC3: 1.1. FEC3 postponed last Wednesday. Blood test yesterday - I'll ask this afternoon what dizzy heights I had reached, but obviously 1.5 or above. Natalie - are you on a white cell booster injection? I guess you are and that's why your neutophils were so good, but probably coupled with you being a good neutrophil producer too. I will be on a booster after this afternoon's dosing because I've now been too low twice, so it'll be interesting to see what I manage to get up to (neuts that is) in 3 weeks time. Yes, there are a few of us up for sparkly carrot juice this afternoon, so good luck to us all. Most of all good luck to LittleChick for tomorrow. Pixie, great to have you back from hols and good on you and OH for the life changing decisions. I think you'd make a brilliant life coach - would you both do that or would you concentrate on the nutrition side and OH the life coaching? Gaynor - really sorry about your sister. A friend of ours had masses of gall stones + pancreatitis last year. He was really ill but recovered at a rate of knots once he'd had surgery. He's now really well and totally back to normal. I think our brains go into overdrive with worry though now we've got bc. It's only natural to be concerned. I'm also really close to my sister who is 3 years older than me. Unfortunately she lives 180 miles south of me, bt we talk several times a week and see each other as often as possible. She's a tremendous support and a lovely, lovely person. Vanns, have you had a reply from Mike about the double emails we're now getting? I emailed to 'moderator@' to say that I still can't post from my phone because the message box isn't active when you click on it. The subject box is active when you click there so it's not my phone settings that are wrong. I emailed a week ago and haven't had a reply. Perhaps there are so many people emailing that they can't reply to us all personally but I find it so frustrating when you read a post on your phone and can't post straight back. By the time you get to a computer you forget what you wanted to say. As always, I know I had lots more to say but like I said, chemo brain always sets in as soon as I get the laptop out! Take care bunnies everywhere and keep posting. Lots of love, margieteex ... View more