Hello my name is Heather I have just been diagnosed with brest cancer last week for the first time (and last I hope) Both my sisters have had cancer,one died seven month ago Im a bit scared of what to expect with the chemo. Can anyone tell me how soon after the treatment do you start to feel ill? How soon do you lose your hair?
Wendy where are you its drizzling and windy in Manchester today - yesterday was lovely but i was in christies all day nearly having chemo aaargh. Got BBQ foods in freezer ready for my taste buds returning and a bit of sun - all reared up ready :-) x
Feeling fine after chemo and steroid injection. Yucky mouth has set in already, boo hoo! Still going to the pub for lunch, though! Won't taste it very well, but the wine will go down a treat! The bedroom, once more, resembles Boots the Chemists. Four lots of pills, 2 mouthwashes and 2 lots of cream/gel. Hey Ho!
Wendy, I hope you get the all clear on the lymph nodes tomorrow. Good to hear you sounding so positive.
Jenney, watch out for real hair loss anytime now. It usually comes out big style around the second zap of chemo.
Re finger tips. Yep, they get affected too, also the feet! I'm on CMF not FEC but my fingertips have gone slightly numb and soft like cotton wool. I have to watch when picking things up as I tend to drop things!Some are dry and cracked at the sides. Keep moisturising everywhere. Get some aqueous cream from the chemist......a big tub! Got mine from Boots and rub it in everywhere! It's also useful when you have radiotherapy. You should apply it to the area being treated by the radio every day during treatment. This is sound advice given by many on this site.
Blossom so pleased to hear from you. I was getting concerned about you with your double trouble. It's great to hear you sounding so positive. Keep it up, girl, we're all rooting for you.
Caley, I hope all goes well today. I'm sure it will. Keep us posted when you feel like it.
Catch up with you, Lorraine, when you get back from London. Enjoy the pool and let's hope it eases your aches and pains.
Paula must I really stop eating now????........tee hee. I was intending to wait until after the last chemo. But if you say I must then who am I to argue............only joking!! Anyway, what are you doing up at 1.37 in the morning? There's an excuse for Lorraine being up in the early hours as he is on the dreaded steroids. Are you still partying and living the high life??
We haven't heard from Sue in Cyprus for a wee while. Hope she is ok. I know she doesn't get access to a PC very often as she has to use a public one. Maybe and hopefully, she is rolling around the floor after reading all the latest posts. I hope so.
It is pouring down here today, such a change from yesterday. Hope it is better tomorrow. We are off to Shugborough Hall tomorrow night (home of the Earl of Lichfield) to see Mama Mia on the big screen and have a picnic with our youngest son, Ian and his family. Can't wait to see the two wee ones, Katie and Molly dancing around the place. They know all the words to the songs. Every time they play an Abba track on the radio they go wild! Good weather is so important otherwise it is cancelled.
Hope all the chemo kids are OK today.
Love to you all wherever you are in your treatment.
Vicky's having some problems with her company and although I now think I have them by the proverbials, any advice or help would be very much appreciated.
You and I posted about the same time. I think it was Lorraine that told me that it takes about 6 weeks to get over the tiredness after the radiotherapy, so that should help with your appeal. I would suspect that your onc will tell them this.
See page 125. Jenney said that the Mac nurses said we were all entitled to it. So maybe contact them?
Wendy so sorry you’ve been feeling down and your op seems such along way off, but at least you have a date to focus on now. Good luck for Friday, my very best wishes that all is well and you can have the whole lot done in September. The waiting throughout this whole ordeal is unbearable at times but it doesn’t take long to tick each step off. On the up side at least you are being encouraged to eat whatever you want you lucky thing. Go girl, hang in there and chin up x
Jean yippeeeeeee!!! What a relief to get to number 11 eh!! Touch and go for you though. I too would of hated having the last cycle postponed. How annoying that the yucky mouth has already set in. Mines not great but I just hope it doesn’t last too long! Last time my taste buds went for the whole month!! Enjoy your liquid lunch lol, and hopefully the weather will hold for tomorrow night coz it sounds like it’ll be great fun x
Stuart I shall look into that next. Hope you are ok x
Stef I’d try the Macmillan people as everyone says they know how to fill out the forms in the correct way to get those benefits, and the benefit people should get in touch with your doctor and oncologist at some stage anyway. What a bummer though!! Good luck x. It’s still warm and sunny here in Suffolk but who knows how long it’ll last??!! I could eat a BBQ now..even with no taste buds- yummy!
Paula you’re doing well partying for 3 days!! Excellent! Keep it up girl you’re doing great x
Lorraine have a fab time in London, the weather looks good enough to get in that pool..lovely x
Caley your meal with your family sounds brilliant and just what you needed to take your mind off your op..for a while anyway! Good luck and we’re all thinking of you x
Blossom you really do sound so strong but it must be such a difficult time for you. It’s great that you found the counselling helpful. Concentrate on you and your boys and that fab retreat coming up. And it’s great you know your radiotherapy dates, another step forward. I'm waiting for mine x
Jenney I had dry feet for a while a few weeks ago just for a month or so. And like you I suffered with awful tiredness and an upset tummy at times. I’m pleased it wasn’t as bad as you thought it was going to be. Like Jean says your hair usually starts to fall out around the second zapping but it really isn’t too bad losing your hair so try not to worry. Good luck with the DLA, we all seem to be waiting to hear if we have it whilst others are rejected..So I don’t now!! However you’re right that we are all entitled to it and must fight for it!!
Karen like Jean says we start Arimidex soon, although I think I’m having Zoledex injections to begin, as I’m not past the menopause…yet!! We would love to know how you get on with it but can’t help you with any questions at the moment. I’ll be gutted if it leaves you extremely tired because I’ve had enough of that with chemo and was hoping to put exhaustion behind me!! I was supposed to have Tamoxifen as I’ve just turned 40 this year, which means I’m a few years off the menopause as yet. However because of other medical issues I have I cannot have Tamoxifen because it gives me a higher risk of having blood clots!! So I’m having my ovaries removed which thrusts me into a full on menopause, which means I can have Arimidex. Like you I’m also having Radiotherapy and Herceptin lets hope these go smoothly for us. Have a fab time in Crete, you deserve it x
Thanks Chelle :) Vicky's got her 4th Taxotere cycle next week as long as her bloods come back ok for the review. Neither of us need the additional stress but I guess you just have to deal with everything as it comes ;)
Gosh you seem to be having a battle on your hands. Don't these people have any feelings?
I'm afraid I can't be of much help to you, except to say that I think it is so unfair that you and Vicky are having to battle like this, when you have so much more on your minds.
I think Sam knows a bit about this and hopefully she may be able to help you.
Sorry to hear that your partner is having to deal with the extra stress at work. I am not sure if she wants to go down this road but I am taking early retirement due to ill health. They are making me an offer of a lump sum and are paying my pension to the age of 65 as if I had worked there till them. Dont know if you have the union involved if not it might be worth giving them a call. All the dest and keep up posted as to how things go.
I think the side effects of Arimatex are similar to tamoxifen. I had sore joints and hot flushes especialy at night. ~The longer your on the drugs the less the side effects get. Hope things get better.
Hi Lorraine, they may be working up to that point but for the moment they're just trying to force her out without having to follow the correct rules. Vicky's going to speak to her Mac nurse when she sees her next for some advice and I'll be talking to my HR manager on Monday when he's back from leave. If we need to get the union involved then so be it but will give it a brief period to see if they recognise their error first ;)
