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?
I did not go to sleep until 03.30 this morning because of the steroids, and alarm was on for 07.00 for the sickness tablets! Good job I only take the steroids for two days.
I still have my eyebrows and lashes. Have a faint hope they might not go... Hair under armpits vanished some years ago because of the change, so did some of my pubic hair (not the part that is below the nicker line of course) and still not loosing any of that! Have always had very small faint hairs on arms and legs so that will not show at all when it goes....
I was told that the eyes become dry under chemo so system produces more tears to make up for it - only it goes overboard doing it!.
I thought you had chemo yesterday - were you on the wino the same day? I was told cannot drink alcohol until I have finished the two day tablets, so I look forward to Friday evening....
Paula, Laila and Jean, my eyebrows and eyelashes started to come back really quickly too. I still have one patchy eyebrow but the other is doing nicely :-) and most of my lashes are looking quite long now, which is fab because i felt i looked odd with piggy eyes when i only had a few strands clinging on Lol. Everyone around me said they didn't notice or think i looked odd, but i knew i did. Infact i had to abandon the makeup for a couple of weeks coz i looked worse...like a clown!! Lol Oh yes and the hair is growing patchy on my legs, underarms and you know where!! Lol
Stef your buff sounds fantastic. Like Jean i can pinch (just) and tug my hair now :-) but a few weeks ago i would have seeked out a buff for me to use. Keep the jokes going they really made me laugh :-D Hope you're not too mashed this morning!! Stef was it you that mentioned periods a few pages ago? I haven't started tamoxifen yet (will be in the autumn) but think the chemo is effecting them, as i feel i'm always trying to come on!! and i have the myrena coil..how annoying!! Anyone else experiencing this?
Laila thanks for explaining your vein and line. I have a porta cath fitted in my chest so i know nothing about lines etc. I had watery eyes when i lost my lashes but you're right about the chemo effecting them too. Hope you get a good nights sleep tonight.
Kev thankfully i'm mostly positive, I always have been. It's just every now and then i feel a pang of anxiety and the feeling is hard to shake. It's being her2+ which is very aggressive that can worry me. Listening to others that have gone through this i realise this paranoia is with me for the rest of my life, although i don't think i'll experience it often...phew :-D. How's your son coping without his mum? It must be so hard for him :-(. Hope you're ok too. I've posted my DLA forms this morning so fingers crossed!
Jean what adorable grandchildren, no wonder you're so proud. Sorry your fingers are no better. What you need is a water bottle to drink your wine from lol...we can't have you spilling any :-D
Lorraine, Marmalade, Marion, Margaret, Kay, Jo, Blossom and anyone i've missed, i hope you are all keeping well. Take care Chelle x
Hi everyone, I don't know all this women talk is making me blush.
Stef, all I can say is you must be drinking the wrong tea.
Chelle, glad you're doing ok. Brad my son is doing ok ta, he doesn't mention Di very much (makes me angry). glad you sent the forms off.
Everyone else keep talking about your bits and pieces, very funny sitting here, you'll be talking about your bunions next and blue rinses on Thursday afternoons.
LOL Kev, I'd give my right arm to have the hair to put a blue rinse on!!! My hubby and sons are cool with womens bits and pieces, no choice living with three women lol
Thanks for all the lovely comments and the wonderful welcome guys. I got a letter this morning saying they have brought my appointment forward to the 14th July. I assume it will be for my results but dont know if its a good or bad thing. What I do know though is I am ready for this and its thanks to people like you who give me the strength and positivity to believe in myself. So again THANKYOU!!
Someone mentioned they watched the 'My breasts could kill me' programme the other day...I was on there but only very briefly as I spoke to Dawn Porter when I did the Moonwalk. It was literally a 2 second appearance but none the less I got on TV lol.
Joining in with the chat about hair loss I only lost the hair on my head during chemo although I didnt go completely bald. I shaved it on a grade one and kept the 'fluff' throughout the whole ordeal, everything else carried on as normal even my periods which they said would probably stop. I did find I got a runny nose alot of the time and dont know if that was to do with losing nasal hair and a couple of other people I spoke to said they got that too.
Chelle just to let you know I applied for DLA when I got dianosed but it was refused the first time so I appealed and got it!! My sister works for the benefits agency and said you MUST appeal as 9 times out of 10 you will get it as your claim then goes to a proper decision maker not just a claims advisor. I got high rate for one bit and mid rate for the other....a nice cheque for nearly £2000 back dated as they took so long to finally put the claim through and then nearly £400 a month for the 2 years of my treatment. I would say to anyone to go for it as it is what we are entitled to!
Laila no one told me not to drink but i dont very often and only had one glass and was away with fairies hence the daft jokes :-) i have to be careful as sometimes what i think is funny is not and can offend (usually only hubby cops for the twisted jokes and i roll round laughing while he stands in a amazement i said it) - sorry you didnt sleep till 3.30am - haha i got in bed bodilly shattered but mouth in top gear - talked hubby to death then straight into snoring without a break - had my afternoon kip today too. Done a bit of weeding walked dog just round block as too tired my boss called for coffee and chat this morning that was nice as i feel isolated more on the first week and like its Groundhogs day every day until 2nd week.
Kev blush away hahaha - if it makes you have a giggle it worth it :-)
Chris i recorded it on sky+ so i will look back at it were you in the first or second part of it - it was on mon and tues. I thought it was very good.
Chelle the anxiety and worries we have like you say may always be there in various depths (sometimes a little worry and sometimes a big heavy one) but i put mine in a box and the box goes to the back of my head and comes out every now and again :-) sometimes i feel dead positive then it seems the further things go on i start to doubt things and think it all wont be ok, but then switch back to positive as that feels much better.
Jean your pic is lovely -i bet your a great nana :-) i cant wait to be a granny (love little babies and up to about 8yrs old then the innocence wears off and it harder but interesting).
I was on the first episode when she is talking to some people at the moonwalk, I have my hair tied back and glitter on my face. In the clip she asks me if I'm all better and I said I hope so (famous last words lol). I actually spoke to her for about 10 minutes and talked about the fact she hadnt done any training at all and that my sister and I had although with a hangover on occasion! I dont think they wanted to show that on the programme!!
I have this taped on my sky box Chrissie so I will look for you. Haven't watched it yet as my twin daughters and I are going through the gene testing programme and I want to get us all in the same room to watch it, (hard with Navy girls) xx
Wow Chrissi that’s a huge amount of money!!! I had no idea that we may be entitled to so much, especially when my cancerous lump has been removed and chemo etc is just to make sure there are no rouge cells lurking anywhere. Now my hopes are up :-) It’s great that your appointment has been moved forward and you don’t have to wait long for those results. I’ve heard of people keeping their hair throughout chemo, I had the odd one hanging on but most of my head was shiny!!
Kev I’m so pleased Brad sounds like he's coping well, in his own way. It’s sad that he’s not talking much about Di though. My sons find the whole ordeal extremely difficult to discuss. I think that it’s harder for our son’s age groups to talk about their worries and feelings more than it is for young kiddies too. If I feel there’s something my sons need to know, I pin them down and chat openly to them (it's usually a one sided conversation) and I get a grunt as a reply…bless em :-) Boys do tend to keep things inside and pretend these things are not happening/real. Maybe there is someone else Brad talks openly too (a friend?). Hopefully with time he'll find it easier to open up and talk freely about his mum. I guess it must be too painful :-( Fortunately for you i have no bunions to discuss, but i'm sure there'll be other 'blushing conversations' to be had here lol
Paula I’m with you..i’d willingly have a blue rinse lol. I keep wondering what colour I should go when its long enough to dye!
Stef groundhog day is exactly what it’s like sometimes!! I'm with you on the bodily shattered but mouth in top gear mode…our poor hubby’s no wonder they switch off so quickly and easily lol!!
What with all the treatments, appointments and side effects, me and hubby decided to put any plans for holidays etc on hold this year and go for it next year!! However I’m going out tonight and tomorrow night…woo-hoo. I’m a chemo rebel!! Lol. I make it sound like I never leave the house..i do!! (I have taken the kids to the seaside, picnics etc). Tonight I’m seeing David Gray perform and tomorrow I’m seeing the Sugababes. To be honest it doesn’t matter who i see, it’s just fab to be going out and being normal for a weekend.
Hi everyone, went to bed at 10.30 and slept till nine YIPEE! I think the chemo coma has overode the steroids this time. Up to now no other effects either. Chelle your right about boys and their reactions. My daughters took it straight on board but the boys couldn't even talk about it. Funnily enough my 18yr old son came in the other night and said he had been talking to a friend who's Mum is my age and also in the middle of chemo. It must have done him a huge amount of good as he has never talked so much about it. Your going out you rebel lol Have a great time I am off to see Simply Red in August and Beverly Knight in Oct. I will still be having chemo but my friends said they will carry me in and plonk me on a seat if needs be lol Have a great day everyone, Steff I hope the side effects are staying at bay xxx
