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?
hi helen, i found the first chemo the worst, i think it was a shock to my body and my mind. i remember crying to my mum, i cant do this, id rather die. But here i am getting over chemo 5 and preparing for my last chemo. i find i cant stop eating too , its those steroids. but im having to be very careful cos of constipation. Lemon sherberts sound good. i started with rhubarb and custard sweets, then went to barley sugars its helps your mouth doesnt it. i think alot of getting emotional. is due to tiredness we get alot more touchy about everyday things. i thought people should know how im feeling. so in the end i had to tell hubby exactly how i feel on chemo. i feel slow mentally and physically, i cant even speak properly cos tongue swells with thrush, it settles down after a few days with mouthwashes and nystatin. But most of all i get fustrated with myself beacuse im not in total control of my life. and i havent the energy AT THE MOMENT to do all the things im used too. And if we cant have a moan on here where can we.
It does get easier, take it one day at time. if your anything like me thats not really in my vocab. But its the only way.
HI ALL HAD CHEMO MONDAY WAS SCARED STIFF BUT 7 MORE TO GO AND I FEEL LITTLE TIRED TILL TAKE STERIODS BUT IM GETTING CHEMO BRAIN FREEZE WOW I WAS ALREADY SLOW B4 PMSL. CHOSE A BRILL WIG GOING FOR HIGHLITES NEVER HAD THEM B4 A NEW ME NEXT CHEMO IN SOUTHPORT ON 11 MAY NOT SCARED NOW DONE THE FIRST ONE SO I NO WHAT TO EXPECT HOPE EVERYONE ELSE IS GOOD SPEAK SOON DEBBIE XXX
hello all.....thankyou all for your lovely words..... blossom....i did get to that point last night....i could not imagine months of feeling this way, .then i thought of the children and i had no choice. this morning i woke up after not having had a nightmare and the bed did not hurt me. it felt ammazing i didnt want to move incase it changed. iv had a good day. iv had constipation on and off for years...have you tried panting really hard,,,sometimes it helps. gosh we have to be so strong to get through this dont we. its fantastic that you are nearly at the end of the chemo bit. we have done things the opposite way round..... some surgeons in america think chemo first is better. my scars have felt so sore...both breasts and my back, today that has been better too. this is a journey is a master class in mind control. it must be difficult when your children are so young because there is so much to do. mine are pretty grown up, the youngest is fourteen and the eldest twentythree, with two more in between. they are all supporting each other and are so kind to me that sometimes it makes me cry. this is really a whole family illness,,but i suppose all illness feels that way. you just dont know till your in it , do you. lots of love blossom xxxxxx
Hi all Now had 2 lots radiotherapy 28 to go not to bad (early days as yet) worst bit was having my boobs on full show and one of radiographers was a young lad he only looked in his late twentys this was on my first treatment,since my treatment started in oct i have only seen females.When i got marked out a couple of weeks ago they took photos of me boobs i said i hope they are not going to end up in a mens mag lol.
Hi Margaret, it’s great that the radiotherapy is going so well. I hadn’t even given a thought to the fact that yours boob are on full show and men might do it!! Oh well I have no shame lol. You really made me laugh when asking about being in a men’s mag!!
Hi Helen, don’t worry about crying. I’m not sure if the chemo has that affect, I just think we all go through days like that from time to time especially if we are feeling tired, just go with it. It’s fab to hear your feeling a bit brighter now :-) Like Blossom said, I feel my first chemo was the worse too and from then on you have no energy (unless the steroids get you moving). Have you not experienced the chemo coma like Jean and myself yet? You feel exhausted and sleep day and night!! :-(
Like lots of you, I can’t stop eating!! My taste buds are awful at the moment nothing tastes good (really missing a good cuppa cha)! But I still keep trying many foods to find one that hits the spot!! And I’m hungrier than normal. I’m quite small (size 8/10) however I’m beginning to worry that by the time chemo’s finished I’ll be huge!! All these extra symptoms we have to suffer…what a boo! I’m with you Debbie with the brain freeze, I’m humming and haring all the time (have I said that right)??
Hi Stef, What a relief your son took the news well :-D. My two teenage sons took my news very badly. They were in tears when I first told them and they wouldn’t talk about my breast cancer for ages. They are great now though :-D.
Marmalade and Jean, I’ll have a picture of me and Jimmy for all to see as soon as I can get my hubby or son to take a photo of me in it!! :-)
Gina you are sooo right that this lovely sunshine really does give you a boost. Hope everyone is feeling bright today, enjoying this warmth while it lasts.
Not sure what the weather will be doing, as depending on which site you look at, it's either going to be raining here on Sat & ok on Sun, although not quite as warm as it has been or the other way round, so just ever so slightly confused (it doesn't take much).. :-)
Anyway, whatever the weather, hope you are all ok & enjoy whatever you are doing..
Hello eveyone I am new to this posting lark. Have been looking for a while but not felt up to sharing. Diagnosed in January (end of the world as we know it) I have a strong personality but recently feel as if I am having to support my friends through this when sometimes I just want to cry and say why me!
I have had 17 of my 20 radiotherapy sessions but this last week seems to have been the worst, very weepy and very sore at the moment. I was quite unluky as I reacted to the radiotherapy from the second session so I feel that I have been sore for a long time.
I try to keep things normal as much as possible but it's not always eay
Just wanted to welcome you, but sorry that you have to here. You sound very much like my sister..being strong & supportive to other people, when I know she couldn't have felt like that all of the time & that she must have felt very much like you. Don't be scared to let people know how you feel, I am sure you will be surprised by their reaction. We as friends or family members just want to be there for you & help & support as much as we can, so don't worry about letting it all out.. I am sure they are stronger than you think.
It is great that you are so far through your radiotherapy, but sorry that you are feeling the worst that you have felt & that you have reacted to it. Emotionally, you have come on such a journey, so it is not surprising you are feeling weepy. When you think of everything that you have had to contend with, all the appointments & treatment, all the emotional turmoil..it builds up. You don't have to be strong all of the time, maybe it's a good thing to just let it all out..
You have come to a great place here..there are such lovely people on this thread who will give you lots of help & support, so please keep on posting. I really hope you begin to feel better & that you will get some respite soon from the soreness!
hello all, well just when i think things are getting better, i go and get a cough and cold, so all week ive been obsessed with temperature as its my neutapenic time. i went to the doctors and thankfully he gave me a blood test because my temp kept going up but didnt quite reach 38. got the results the next day and i was well shocked white cells were 4.6 and neutrafills were 3.2. so i could take paracetamol and treat it like a normal cold.ive been taking that Life Mel honey i dont know if anyone has heard of it, but it does seem to keep my neutrafills up. i was a bit low yesterday, feeling sorry for myself. this cold seems to be getting a bit better. i dont want anything to get in the way of week before chemo, Cos its the only week that feels half NORMAL isnt it!!! i hope everyone else is ok.
