Breast Cancer Now Forum

I got my scan results yesterday and it was good news - everything is stable.  I can't have an injection to boost my white cell count so they are giving me an extra week off chemo and re-testing my bloods next week to see if I can start again but on a lower dose.  I celebrated by going to McDonald's and getting a calorific strawberry milkshake - it was delicious.   How did you get on yesterday Stresshead? ... View more

Good luck for today Stresshead - and to everyone who is getting results.  I went for blood tests yesterday morning and got a call from the chemo unit in the afternoon telling me that my neutrafils are down to 0.6 - they stopped one of the chemo tablets because they had dropped to 1.6 so not sure what my oncologist will suggest today.  No wonder I feel tired all the time!  Trying to keep away from germs and people but that isn't easy when you have to go to the germ central stations (hospitals) for blood tests and clinic appointments.  I had to wait 40 minutes in a packed waiting room yesterday to give blood - it was only afterwards that I realised that I could have shown my red chemo card and jumped the queue - does anyone else do that? ... View more

The week off Capecitabine has been okay - except I still have the runs despite taking Loperimide tablets.  I am still losing weight which concerns me.  I have started adding double cream to soups hoping that will help.  Just come back from the hospital, have to have blood tests before my appointment with my oncologist tomorrow.  She should have the results to my last CT scan and the gastroctomy that I had done just before Christmas.  I am due some good news so lets hope she has some for me! ... View more

Thanks for all the replies and advice - I have a big batch of home made chicken soup on the go with double cream in it.  Seems to be going down okay.  Treated myself to a soup maker in the sales so will be looking at recipes for that.  I don't like taking steroids, did a three weeks on them after I finished radiation and they stopped me sleeping but did nothing to improve my appetite.   I have not got some mouth ulcers which is listed as another side effect of capecitabine - it really is the gift that keeps giving.  Soles of feet are still sore and fingertips either numb or tingling.  Last day on the tablets tomorrow and then 7 days off.  Seeing oncologist on January 4th for results of last CT scan and Endoscopy findings.  Wish me luck - I feel like I am long over due some good news. ... View more

Thanks for the replies   I only managed to take one lot of the Vinorelbine tablets before my white cell count fell through my boots and they advised me to stop taking them.  Still taking the Capecitabine tablets daily (this is day 11) - noticed that the skin is beginning to peel on the soles of my feet.  Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas day - this year is the first year that I didn't drink alcohol all day - just gone off the taste and smell - which is a shame.  Appetite is shot at too which is another shame at this time of year!  Weight loss is beginning to cause some concerns - hovering just above the 7 stone mark now which is a bit too light for me at 5 ft 4 in.  Going to have to force myself to take in more calories! ... View more

Cookiepuss - my first chemo was 4 x EC and then 4 x Taxotere followed by Letrozole tablets for the following 4 + years.  I was one of the unlucky ones to get a reoccurance.  Out of the 12 girls in our "starting chemo" group - three of us went on to develop secondaries.  Very scary to think about but not as bad as you think it will be.  There are so many weapons in our oncologists armouries these days - and every week there seems to be something new popping up. ... View more

I decided to go ahead with starting the chemo.  Left the unit with a carrier bag of various tablets which have to be taken for 14 days then a break of 7 days.  Very pretty pink tablets that are just taken once a week, and again more pink ones that are taken daily.  The very pretty ones made me feel sick within a couple of hours of taking them.  I had been given anti sickness tablets but hadn't taken any.  Silly me!   Side effects so far, apart from the first day of nausea have been minimal - but I am thinking that it will take a while for the drugs to build up inside me.  The list of side effects on the information sheets is very long.  One drug (Navelbine) list hair thinning/hair loss as one.  I lost all my hair the first time I went through Chemo and found this one of the worst things about the whole journey.   It was a big shock to find the cancer has returned - but I do not and will not despair or give up.  Not going to mention the "think positive" stuff that everyone spouts out when they hear you have cancer!  All I will say is just stay mindfull - and in the "now" - don't let your mind wander off into the future - all that matters is right now, and for now, we will cope! ... View more

Good morning everyone   Hope I am allowed to join this group - I am starting chemo today.  I will be on Capecitabine and Vinorelbine.  My appointment is at 10:30 at the chemo unit - I have been thinking all week about asking if I can delay starting until after Christmas.  Not sure what difference 2 weeks will make in the big scheme of things?   Anyway - my name is Debbie, I am 60 years old, first diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in May 2011 and unfortunately rediagnosed in July of this year.  I am a very positive mindful person and hope that there is a small space available in this group.    Best wishes to everyone and may all your side effects be minimal x ... View more

I shall put a cushion in my car.  I've been told to make sure the injections are at body temperature - I expect that the thought of having them done will be worse that the actual deed (I do hope so!!)  Lots of soft soft grass gathered and spread around the floor of my tent.  Stocked up on pink gin and cucumber - managed to trap a sleep fairy last night so feeling as ready as I can be for tomorrow.  Today is just blood test and ecg.  Lovely sunny day - perfect excuse for putting the top down on the car, headscarf and big sunglasses - and off we go...... ... View more

We fly from Manchester on next Friday (eeek!!)  Having my first injections in my buttocks on Tuesday, hope I am not too sore to sit down! ... View more

Hope your hubby is tollerant of spiders - last time I went in our shed I disturbed Boris who made enough noise to make me think it was a small mouse.  I leave him undisturbed now. ... View more

Tried everything I can to trap a sleep fairy but to no avail - one seems to sneak into my tent about half an hour before I HAVE TO GET UP - pah!!   Anyway - my long planned escape from the real world to a small Greek Island for two weeks has been scuppered by the guards at colditz who are insisting that leaving the UK whilst on a trial drug is a big no no.  So at considerable expense the holiday has been shortened to 7 days and brought forward a month.  More expensive because it is now peak season - and will be flipping hot and heaving with kids probably.  But a holiday is needed before I start being jabbed in both buttocks with the foot long syringe.  Must remember to go looking for the really really soft grasses to line my sleeping bag with.  Anyone got an inflatable rubber ring I could borrow for the nights in the JM bar? ... View more

Creeping back into camp by the light of fireflies in my jam jar - spent most of the day in the concentration camp (hospital) having blood drained from one arm whilst the other was squeezed tight but an inflating band of torture.  Managed to escape after five hours with a paper bag full of injectable drugs and calcichew tablets.  Cannot find any sleep fairies anywhere so going to leave the fireflies outside in the jar and hope they attract something that isn't a "what if" gremlin.  Today's bad news included realising that escaping to my favourite holiday island next month is off the agenda - oh no - can't leave the UK whilst on a trial drug!!  I would try swearing but noticed that it gets beeped out - which is clever.  Wonder what it does with the word scunthorpe?  Will find out when I post this.   p.s.  If you see any sleep faries please tell them I need them!! ... View more

CT scan results were a bit **bleep**e - signs of the little squatters in my stomach and bowel - but just "signs" - and these will be areas to monitor!   Found my rather tatty two fingered flag to hoist to the top of the flag pole outside the JM bar - if you manage to find Pierce or Noel then tell them to get busy cleaning up the bar and get ready for a party.   I managed to hack my way through some of the old pathways and climbed up one of the old Yew trees to see what state the nests were in.  No chemotherapy planned for me this time so hopefully won't need the nests - but giving the old tent a good clean out and stocking up with chocolate bars, gin and sticky bottomed lemon cake. ... View more

Going to pitch my tent by the lagoon for a few days whilst I wait for the results from the latest CT scan.  I know the buggers have got into my bones but now desperately hoping that they haven't managed to infiltrate any where else.  Been to the supply tent behind the Jingling Merkin bar and managed to find a flame thrower that works and sythe so I am going back to hack a path from the lagoon to the bar so that I can check supplies there.  If needs be I can bring gin but will need to find some clean jam jars. ... View more

In 2011 I had 4 rounds of ec followed by 4 tax.  I tried the cold cap once - not sure the nurse fitted it correctly and the head pain from the cold was horrendous, plus you had to stay an extra hour and a half!  Anyway - within 2 weeks of the first ec my hair started coming out, by the time I had the second ec I was wearing a head scarf and decided not to do the cold cap again.  I know people who used it where is was reasonably sucessful - but it wasn't for me.  5 years on and my hair is long and thick as it was prior to chemo.   Deb   p.s.  I quite liked my wig - saved a fortune in shampoo and I was good to go in half the time! ... View more