Breast Cancer Now Forum

OMG I’m laughing so much about your wee spills. I’ve been horrified and now make a point of wiping under the seat each time as there’s always a puddle now! Why is that??! Hope you’ve all enjoyed the weather today. Have just put roast pork in oven and am finishing the laundry - still feeling good!  Hope you enjoy the meme and apologies if you find the language offensive .... just struck a cord with me particularly the first week after chemo!   ... View more

Sorry you're feeling pants @donkeywoman day 8/9/10 for me definitely the worse tho have faired much better this cycle. No repeat of the giddy spell luckily so will just put it down to low BP and leave it there. Hope your day gets better x Well I've been a domestic goddess and washed all the kitchen mats so they are on the line drying and have just put our bedding on too - ooh fresh bedding tonight line dried .... with none of my hair stuck to it!! dreamy! Just planned the meals for the week too so assuming all ingredients delivered on Monday then am set up for the week. Chatted with my boss yesterday and have agreed to work 5 days in March, spread over 10 dates. Enough to keep me busy but not enough to stress me out. I work for a charity that has really struggled during covid - I cant help but feel bad that I am off and not helping so 5 days feels just right. @Mumboo  how are you doing post cycle 2? And who has treatment this coming week? ... View more

Oh wow @Belinda_F puffin and Toby are two peas!!  I got out today too, beautiful in Windsor great park with the dogs. Robbie pushed Luna into the pond lol had a funny turn in the night. Got up for a wee and kind of keeled over back onto the bed. Not exactly a faint but totally unsteady on my feet momentarily. Scared the what sits out of me. Low blood pressure do you think? Fine now and also pooing pain gone hurrah!!! That bit of sunshine is such a lift to the spirits in at it. Wales v England tomorrow too tho shame Scotland game cancelled.  have great weekends one and all x ... View more

Looks like you live in an amazing place @donkeywoman - that view ❤️ ❤️ where would we be without our furry friends eh? Here’s Toby my devil rescue cat!! He’s a good mouser but other than that we only see him when he wants feeding or when he he torments Luna!   ... View more

Luna is the 2 year old border collie. She’s a Northern lass from a working farm near Durham. Robbie my old boy is a rescue. He’s 12 now. Came from the kill pounds in Ireland. He is a Kelpie cross (border collie/westie!). We had him dna tested lol! He’s the best dog anyone could ever wish for. Luna is a bit of a cow bag but we love her!! thanks for advice re the pooing pains! Definitely not kidneys, much higher. I actually wonder if it’s all connected Toni digestion. But will mention to the team and see what they say. Right ... cricket is on and I have a meeting with my boss to talk through doing a few hours around my next cycle. Take care all xx ... View more

Hi everyone I think I’m getting through the fog! Slept much better last night. Thought I was going to have a waterworks flare up so covered myself in canesten cream and,touchwood, think I’m ok this morning. Am experiencing a weird thing though and I would like to know if anyone else had the same. Also DW would appreciate a nurses view as to whether I should mention to the team. When I have a bowel movement (for last couple of days) I get a pain in my back like at the back of my rib cage. It’s a sharp pain but guess I’m hypersensitive to anything due to the Herceptin. Any thoughts?  sorry you have joined this group @tennis girl. I think we have exchanged comments on another forum. The only advice I would give in addition to everyone else is to keep a daily diary of how you are feeling. I had a gruesome round one and have found referring back really helpful and helped me realise round 2 wasn’t as bad. Honestly it is not going to be a nice journey but breaking it down day by day helps me. I know that days 4-9 are my worst. Today is day 8 so I know the end is in sight.  I have a PICC line which I am so grateful for. Just speeds everything up. I’m also cold capping. I’m having docitaxil which is renowned for being harsh on the hair. I have lost loads on the top but fringe and sides bearing up. Wondering now whether to not use the cap on treatment 3. Need to do some research as to whether it helps with hair re growth. I was never a hat person but have naturally gone down the beanie route now which I am comfortable with. I also got a really good nhs wig but don’t need that yet.  Hope you all have good days today. I attach a photo of my two babies to cheer you up.      ... View more

I'm doing ok - sorry was feeling sorry for myself this morning. Have had a shower and have written my diary, on the whole everything seems slightly better than last cycle. Like you DW i am rarely constipated so dont want to take anything,  it was Day 7 last cycle that I got the awful trots so really want to avoid that this time. just gonna grit my teeth and get through the next couple of days. @Mumboo hope your day improves, I think we are both on day 6 of cycle 2 arent we? Thanks everyone else for your kind words, I am taking the anti sickness meds so am doing everything i should be. The metal mouth is unbearable - can only drink milk but surely that's got to be a good drink to have? Try to have good days everyone xx ... View more

Am a bit fed up. Can’t get comfy. Just want to throw a toddler tantrum and hope someone can come along and make me feel better. I feel sick. Don’t fancy anything to eat or drink yet am really hungry and thirsty. Sitting on the loo again hoping something will happen but knowing it probably won’t!  BUT .... going to make myself eat and drink, then I’m going to have a shower, then I might have a wander in the garden. Mum bought me some David Austin roses for my bday last year and we dug a new rose garden in November. 3 climbers and 3 shrubs and they are all shooting so am looking forward to  seeing how they are doing. Our church is about half mile walk and am thinking I might try that today as the snowdrops and daffs are out. Looking forward to cricket starting tomorrow and also tomorrow is last day of injections so hopefully start to feel a bit better then.  does anyone else have need to wee every couple of hours? Am sure it’s the injections - really interferes with sleep tho. For all of you my lovely friends, grit your teeth, find that resilience. You are not alone and we will get through this together xxx ... View more

Hey everyone well tbh I feel pants today but that’s ok. Steroids finished yesterday (I only have them for three days too DW) and started the dreaded filgrastim injections yesterday. I have 5 days of them and last cycle that was the worse 5 days as it had such a horrid effect on my bowels/waterworks. I took the injection last night with co-codamol and clarityn then had an Epsom salt bath and straight to bed. I did get some sleep but had to keep getting up to wee. But muscle aches definitely better than last cycle. This morning tho gosh, I ache. Am up, watched America’s cup this morning, felt so sorry for Ben Ainslies team losing out in the semis but well done Italy!  thinking of going back to bed soon as more comfy.  thanks @donkeywoman, guts holding up much better this time and have meds if needed too   my hair really going now - but still have loads too. I think when you see it come out it looks like loads doesn’t it. I started thinning 2 weeks after first treatment and am using cold cap. The nhs wig is brilliant tho. So thankful. But don’t really need it yet ... just wearing comfy beanies had a lovely gift from https://www.chemogiftbags.org/ - a jam packed bag full of things that are so helpful. My friend had nominated me for one. So thoughtful. Best thing in there for me is the hand held fan. Those steroids play havoc with the internal heating! I feel like that old ready brek advert! thanks for the kind words about my sisters. My surgeon was amazing when I told her about my sister who died. She put her hand on my knee and said that isn’t going to happen, we’ve caught it early. My cancer is different to my sisters and tbh by the time she found her lump it had already spread. Plus she lived in a dif country and didn’t have access to the amazing licensed drugs we have here. My little sister is putting a brave face on but I know she will be worried. All I can do is support her as best I can.  take care everyone ..... I think we should try and meet up in the summer after this is all over xxxx ... View more

Glad all went well Mumboo and Donkeywoman. I had a great night sleep which I wasn’t expecting due to taking my steroids at 3pm as had forgotten!! Hubby said I snored loudly all night, so great to get my own back!! Starting to feel a bit fatigued now and have just taken an Ondansetron but not feeling nausea at all luckily. Hope you improve soon Mumboo.   My little sister just brought round a Sri Lankan curry for my tea and some soup for tomorrow bless her. Not sure if I told you before but we lost our older sister to BC in 2016 at the age of 49 so I think little sis in particular is finding my treatment very hard. She is only 48 but was advised to get an early mammogram due to family history. She went and they found two cysts (now drained) and is going back for some biopsies of some calcification but they have made clear to her that this is precautionary and they really don’t think it’s anything to worry about. God I love our NHS so much.  so hope you get the jabs sorted soon @Gelbel. It’s such a worry. Hope everyone else is doing ok xxx ... View more

I have a chunky tummy too!! Mind you I’ve lost 5kg since this month - all that diarrhoea was worth it lol. But yes I totally get that about intramuscular- just wondering why in the tummy last time?? Just makes me think they really didn’t know what they were doing!!! Hey ho. Apparently no harm done.  ... View more

Hey everyone Just a quick note to say I’m home. Still 4 hours but much better than the 11.5 last time!! Slight headache and have the steroid glow but other than fine so far. They reduced my Doxi and Carbo slightly from last time and I have some diarrhoea meds just in case I have the same reaction again. Let’s hope not. I saw my husband eat 2 week old chilli from the fridge at lunchtime .... I really don’t want us both competing for the loo!! Cold cap was a lot colder this week due to thinning hair - had to really grit my teeth and persevere. Those of you having Herceptin ... a quick question. Last week they put it in my tummy. This week, am told no it has to go in alternate thighs never in the tummy! Has anyone else had it in their tum? I asked about my chemo nurse ... she is named in my chemo book.  Apparently she was on the ward today ... never introduced herself!! So will make a point of introducing myself next time. Right off to milk some sympathy from the boys  have to say hubby done well and is roasting a chicken for tea - I had earmarked that for Sunday but as I will be in chemo coma by then, he can source an alternative! hope your ok @Mumboo and big hugs to those having treatment tomorrow and those feeling bleughhh!   ... View more

Oh and one more thing (clearly I am not going to get back to sleep!) ...... when I took my steroids yesterday my son pricked up his ears. He studying a level sports studies. He asked if I was going to grow a cock and balls!!! They are studying use is anabolic steroids for performance enhancement and apparently there are cases where female athletes have started to develop male genitalia ! Well it hasn’t happened yet but I will keep you posted. Not bothered about the balls but a cock would be very handy for peeing when out on dog walks!! good luck today @Mumboo! ... View more

Oh and btw Mumboo, we had a long chat with my sons school. He’s doing A levels this year, or whatever they decide. When schools were open before Christmas we kept him home and didn’t send him in. He felt safer and knowing he wasn’t going to bring anything home to potentially kill me was the best option decided by everyone. Lots of kids were having to isolate or also had shielding family members so all lessons were also online. So although he does miss out on the contact, he’s still attending class. Not ideal but better than going in. Much easier to explain to an 18 year old of course than younger but it might help! ... View more

Thanks Mumboo and DW my treatment is at 1pm better be bloody quicker than last time! Is it #2 for you too mumboo? Great too re cold cap. The wig fitter said it was because the outer cap hadn’t been tight enough but because I couldn’t move my jaw, I don’t think that is the case. Will mention to the nurse! steroids kept me awake all night ... no joke saw in every hour to 6am. 7am husband comes in, wakes me up to go walk the dogs!! I didn’t go .... ! Will write this and then try to grab another hour or so before shower and arghhh a hair wash! Will wish you good luck for tomorrow now DW as I feel I may forget tomorrow! lastly, I just saw this on FB. Seems rather apt. We are all warriors fighting an individual battle at a horrendous time for humanity. Take the little wins, be kind to yourself and post the hell out of your worries on here so we can all help! I don’t bake so these words are my ginger/banana bread!  Take care all.    ... View more

Like you @FlorrieBee @I haven’t been offered anything additional. In fact I don’t even know who my cancer nurse is so I am so jealous at the fact that some of you have been offered this. I am going to ask tomorrow! ... View more

Hi everyone. Just had my virtual wig appointment and they were amazing!! They had asked for a couple of photos and they matched the colour brilliantly. All wigs are in stock and will be sent out ASAP. I was so impressed. It’s a company based in London and she only showed me wigs that were covered by the NHS. Obv they try and up sell you on products to look after it but I just bought the leave in conditioner as yours can wash it with your normal shampoo. I’m rocking a Friar Tuck look at the moment!! But the consultant thought I’d probably not lose all of it, it just a question now of whether I can bare the cold cap on the bald spot tomorrow! Had the covid jab last night in my PICC line arm. It’s feeling quite heavy this morning so have taken so paracetamol. How’s yours @donkeywoman ? Also just taken my pre chemo steroids. My hockey friends  sent a care package today full of soups, smoothies, peppermint tea and other lovely bits and pieces. So sweet. I am so blessed with friends and family. speak to you all soon xx ... View more

Covid jab done ✅ Bloods all ok ✅ Covid test negative ✅ So all set for Thursday afternoon Yes wee infection all sorted now thank you. I too had a big issue getting onto the ECV list. GP said I was on it, 119 said I wasn’t. Anyway, I kicked up a fuss and a lovely doc came to my home and did the jab today.  back on the steroids tomorrow so bang goes the sleep 🛌   love to everyone  ... View more

@leianajones That is amazing news. You must be feeling invincible!! 💪 👊 Just had my PICC line flush, bloods and covid test done and then had a phone call from the GP saying they were coming to my home tomorrow to give me the covid jab. How cool is that!! then a quick chat with oncologist tomorrow afternoon and all good to go for Thursday. Who’s had the jab already? Just wondering where they give it to you - do I need nice undies on?! Only asking as have PICC line on right side and had my surgery on the left tho only one nymph node taken. Anyone have a view? ... View more

Good luck tomorrow @FlorrieBee - will be thinking of you xx ... View more