I've finished

Woo hoo Cranford !!! huge congratulations at ringing that bell, if it’s any consolation I cried too!! 

Just listen to your body over the next couple of weeks, if staying in bed is all you can do then do it! If you don’t feel like eating see if your Dr will prescribe you some meal replacement shakes for the time being. 

You'll get through this. 

Nicola 

Hello Carole well done finishing your treatment and now you will not have the daily trekking to and from the hospital and can concentrate on healing. When my six week treatments stopped I was feeling sore, my medical team prescribed oral morphine to help with the pain. I took this plus paracetamol and ibuprofen for the next three weeks. I will add if you are prescribed morphine to make sure you are given stool softeners as some pain medication can cause constipation and you definitely don’t want that. I am nearly two years post treatment and remember well the regular trips to the toilet like every two hours overnight. We are all different and some of us healed pretty quickly and some of us took a bit longer. As Nicola says, stay in bed if that helps. I used to sleep most afternoons and I was lucky I didn’t have to cook but I did go off quite a lot of foods and just ate what I fancied as long as it was something. Have your team provided you with some healing creams and instagel to help with numbing the area. Glad you are using the sitz bath and for the burns I used domeboro powders to help the blisters and itching. Luckily I didn’t suffer sickness but I was given some anti sickness medication when I first started the treatment. You will learn to read your body and do listen and don’t push yourself too much and rest plenty as the next few weeks are important. Also I was given a 24hr contact number to call if I was struggling for any medical advice on what I could use to help. Take care Julie

Carole

You did it.  It is all over and now, just sink back and get through the next couple of weeks (which will carry on being painful) but no more sessions, no more chemo, in your own safe place where you can retreat into your bed and recover.  If the pain gets too much, let the team treating you know and they can adjust your meds, take anything and everything you need.  (Just don't forget the Laxido, without fail!)  Truly, one day, not too far away, you will look back on all this and it will seem surreal (that is if you are anything like me!)

Sending you lots of healing hugs and strength to cope with your healing.

Well done - I know you had a rough time.

Irene xx 

Well done Carole ! You did it ! 
So sorry to hear about the awful side effects you’re experiencing . I posted last week when I finished too, as I felt pretty rough and was having frequent poos and pain etc. What a difference a week has made already, less nausea and nowhere near as painful to poo. I really hope you start to feel better in the coming days and weeks. 

It is a terrible thing to go through but now you can concentrate on getting better and healing and resting , without the draining daily trek to the hospital. 

You’ve already shown amazing strength, you will get past this stage. 
Xx

Oh Carole, I'm so glad you're done, and so sympathetic to how awful you feel. I didn't have any euphoria at the end either. It does wring you dry.

I know the round from bed to toilet to chair and all over again is grueling, but rest every minute you can. Your poor body has been through so much. Have you told your team that you need max pain relief? Take your pain meds on time, use all the creams and soothing unguents they give you, and REST. 

Have you tried Ensure? That was all I could deal with for a good while.

It's a hard, hard journey, but you did it, and now all you nave to do is heal. Try to go commando for a little while each day, it helps the blistered skin.

Oh, I wish I were there to baby you!

Hugs

Suz

Hi Sallyanne , I’m so pleased you’re feeling much better this week, considering what we go through with the treatment isn’t it amazing when you turn that corner how quickly things start to improve? It’s a good feeling & although I still had days where the fatigue was overwhelming it put me in a good place psychologically knowing I was recovering. I hope your recovery is s speedy one, keep us updated on how you’re doing. 

Nicola 

Thank you Nicola . Yes just having a slight improvement on those two side effects has lifted me enormously. I know there’s still a way to go but definitely puts you in a better place mentally. xx

Oh Carole, I can only imagine what a bitter sweet feeling it must be.  I've been busy sorting things my end, but I've been thinking of you, hoping you're ok.  Fantastic that it's all over, big big hug sent to you - now time to fully rest and heal....the turning point is not far away.  In the next couple of weeks you will be able to feel the relief and joy in it all being over more so, the very last hurdle in this difficult journey  xx  

Hello all and thank you for your kind words!  I now stand at 8 days post treatment and have the strange feeling I've turned a corner although I don't want to put the kiss of death on that feeling lol.  The last week has been hell on earth but am just starting to get appetite back, nausea is lessening, skin feels slightly better. Most of the days I don't bother dressing as all rather pointless as can't stand up for more than 5 minutes and there's all kinds of leakages that leave me feeling a mess. It takes me a couple of hours anyway inbetween naps lol!!  Going to toilet slightly improved I'm relieved to say. I have slept so much but strangely tonight I'm not tired at all and have been browsing through holidays online maybe for in 6 months time or so! What a lovely idea if a bit premature. I look in the mirror and think I look like a bag lady - an old one at that.  This has put years on me.  And to all you brave souls going through this journey my heart goes out to you!

Carole x

Hi Carole (Cranford ),

I’m so happy to be reading this! It’s a great feeling isn’t it after those few days post treatment where you’re thinking ‘surely this can’t get any worse!’. I found each day I felt a little better & that gave me the boost to start putting a bit of effort into my life again (I spent 11 days either in bed or on the sofa in PJ’s or the bath!). You’ll still have your days where you can’t or don’t want to do much at all because the fatigue hits again so don’t get disheartened if this happens, these days gradually get further & further apart & I just viewed them as a bump in the road to full recovery. 

You’re doing amazing, sending lots of healing thoughts your way. 

Nicola