** SEPTEMBER CHEMOTHERAPY CHAT 2019**

Wow..glad you have found a wig to suit..thanks to Goldfinch77 I was steered towards the Wig bank, so had two, Derby hospital only do a voucher for £120 if you pay £72 towards it !! So money a bit tight !!  hugs

Hi

glad you found wig bank I'm going to look on there for a fun one don't think it will be long before I lose hair .Scalp is getting sore ...hair even hurts when wind blows it lol 

Must admit surprised when told budget up to £200 but the company they use in North Tees area come into hospital . They do supply other hospitals and are online but no shops . I never found out how much wig was only that it was within budget . I was holding my breath waiting for excess payment . Would imagine the hospital has a deal going where the NHS doesnt have to pay £200 .

They did have a large collection to choose from  but because I liked the short cut my hairdresser had done in prep for loss ,I went for the same in wig .

Margaret x

Hi Northerner, 

I did the same, had a short cut before losing,my hair was shoulder length, loved the shorter cut tho so went for short cut wig my lovely hairdresser cut a little to suit me...  I now have fluff that blows in the breeze when I walk, and my head gets cold, but don't like wearing my 'hairy hat' indoors, too itchy !!!

Do enjoy your swap and style !! xx hugs

Hi Northerner (and all on the thread),

Sorry to hear that your scalp is getting a bit sore - mine did the same before the fallout, as if the hair follicles were preparing to let go.  I recall I had a few days of scalp tenderness before the hair actually came out.  Day 16 was the one when my hair decided to give up the ghost completely, by which point the scalp had stopped being sore.  

I hope that you have had a good day.  I am now on Day 10 post second EC and feeling OK, apart from a persistent metallic taste in the mouth which is a bit annoying.  I have no other mouth symptoms, thankfully, and was prescribed Difflam mouthwash, which helps a bit (but itself has an unpleasant taste, so you just can’t win completely).  I received confirmation in the post of my place on a Look Good, Feel Better course at the start of October, and so am looking forward to that.  I realise that on my next chemo regime I will probably lose eyebrows and eyelashes due to the taxane, so will be interested to see what the course suggests.  I know that you can get magnetic eyeliner and eyelashes which can be used during chemo, as I have seen discussion of this on another thread on this forum.  I never knew about these things before (the same with wigs), so we are certainly getting an education during this chemo process!

I have my first review with the oncologist next Thursday, to discuss how the first chemo regime has gone (2 x EC) and make any tweaks in the treatment plan prior to the next regime (4 x Docetaxel/Herceptin/Perjeta) which starts in ten days time.  As part of the review I will have a breast MRI to see if the first two rounds of chemo have affected the lump.  Like some others on this thread having neo-adjuvant chemo, I have been able to feel some physical changes going on in the tissue following the treatments, so it will be interesting to see if there are any changes from the baseline breast MRI I had in July.  As my lump is HER2+, I am nevertheless aware that the treatments which should have the main effect for me are the targeted ones, and in particular the Herceptin/Perjeta. 

I hope that everyone on the thread will have a good Friday evening, and a restful weekend free of side effects or any other problems.

Blackcat xx

Hi Blackcat20

I think it'll go shortly I'm on day 17 after first EC . I've finally made it back over to Cumbria for a couple of days.Its windy and I've had to put a baseball cap on cos wind was blowing hair and it hurt 

I've read somewhere that pineapple pieces can refresh the mouth . Worth a try also sucking frozen grapes  if mouth go dry .

up til now I've been using listerine twice a day since before chemo started and a little princess soft toothbrush lol so we'll see .

possibly be my eyes are going to be the target for EC they started in the last ten minutes of injections . I'm on 6 EC then 18herceptin .

Hope all goes well with review and the crap has been reduced . 

I agree we are so well educated now bout all sorts of things some of which we would rather not know . I was just talking bout the magnetic eye liner and lashes today . I don't usually bother bout makeup now but will have to see jibe I look minus lashes .

Have a good weekend 

Margaret X

Hi all,

8th weekly paclitaxel completed - just found out yesterday it is working its magic and I can have a 6 week break after another 4 weeks treatment - absolutely fantastic news.

I have three days left before my fourth chemo session. I'm fine. I'm lucky not to have serious side effects like some of you.

There's a pattern on days 3 to 8, but so far more inconvenient than serious. 

Still I don't look forward to these days. Three more sessions to go.

My hair now like a baby's down, and as the weather is cool and wet, my head feels cold and I wear hats outside.

I don't mind to go without hat in town, but in my village I wear hats. Don't want everyone local to see what's happening. 

I’m in the North West I got a £90 voucher for a wig. I paid the rest myself.

We don't get another voucher. So as mine is 6 months ago and it’s already had a cut I will have to go to the hairdressers to get a shorter style on the wig or buy one myself.

They said wigs usually last 3-6 months x

Fantastic news indeed Ragdollyanna. Must make it feel all worthwhile. All the best.

Jojodot

.