**JANUARY BREAST CANCER CHEMO**

Hi Crawler I was told to use a pint of cooled water with a teaspoon of salt 4 times a day to rinse my mouth after food, not sure if that’s standard advice but so far my mouth feels slightly sensitive but ok, early days as only day 4 after chemo. 
I got my 1st filgristim injection last night  courtesy of my daughter as I chickened out and took a hot water bottle to bed with me, I do visualisation of accepting medication into my body as a gift of healing and so far no pains don’t know if it’s cumulative but got the loratidine just in case! 
I have got heartburn after food Hollythecatwhich I’ve never had before so if that doesn’t settle after today’s steroids stop will phone chemo nurse. Sleep has been ok taking them early in the day but will be glad not to have to eat at 7am after today. 
I managed a walk to post box yesterday though had to go slowly so just pottering around the house to keep moving, we will get through this ladies...day at a time. Lots of other inspiring women on here who’ve gone before us for advice.
I’ve got constipation too and hoping once I stop anti sickness meds it will ease but will need to phone for something it today I think, probiotics, prunes and fruit and veg clearly not enough! 
Hope everyone’s SE settle over weekend and start to feel better

Thank you Dclem4, I will try the salt water rinse, it’s not to bad this morning, just a sensitive spot on my tongue.

constipation stopped for me after the last filgristim injection, I do try to eat plenty of fruit and vedge which helps me a lot.

The weather here is gloomy and cold and wet, so today I will try a utube mile walk with Lesley Sansone, enjoy her fitness videos, if I have to sit down she won’t know lol.

hope everyone has a restful day xx

Dclem4hope you manage to get through to someone to discuss your constipation. If not perhaps you (a friend) can get you some senokot tablets to get things moving. My team initially recommend this for me and it did help. I now take it along with docusate to soften things up if needed. I think the docusate is only available on prescription and ask for the tablets not the liquid as that doesn’t help nausea! 
I recall Kelstar also mentioned using laxido/movical. My team were also ok with this but it is also taken in liquid form so might make one feel a bit icky. 

xx

Hi All

Sorry I not got back to anyone, to give an update on how I got on with my chemo after my reaction:- it’s been a busy week, with work, homeschooling and treatment. Seeing all your kind messages made me feel a little bad, I have not given you all an update!

So treatment was on Wednesday, and it was a bloody long day! 9 hours! 7.5 hours of that I was cold capped! They cold capped me before my pre-meds, not realising I had to have 2 hours worth of pre-meds! My consultant definitely covered everything. I mentioned that the antihistamine made me feel extremely drowsy, so I also had premed drugs to reverse that effect, they also gave me premed IV anti sickness as I mentioned I had felt extremely sick during my first infusion.

The nurses attempted to give me my infusion over 3 hours, (this was agreed with me) but 15mins into it, I reacted again. I didn’t pass out, just felt unwell. The infusion was immediately stopped and I was given more hydrocortisone and monitored. A nurse literally sat with me until I felt well again. But to me honest, I was watched extremely closely at all times. So the rest of the infusion was done a lot slower. Instead of it taking 3 hours, it was infused over 4 hours! And I managed it! Yippee! Had a couple of really mild short spells of feeling a bit unwell, but nothing like before. Sounds strange to say, but everyone around me, including the other patients kept an eye on me too, and had their call bells ready. It was so lovely, all these strangers, going through treatment too, were looking after me.

So now I’m recovering, next day, I was extremely tired, think that was a lot to do with coming down from the drugs. I get bone and muscle pain for about 24-48hours, prior to starting my injections, so currently popping codeine and swearing a lot, but doing well.

Very excited now, as I only have one session to go, and can finally see the finish line. I remember seeing other people saying they were close to the end, and feeling it was months away, and now it’s my turn. It’s does go quickly and you learn to adjust. Chemo isn’t nice, but it’s doable. And I can wait to see all of you reach this point! You look back and see how amazing we all are!

I have my first meeting for radiotherapy next week, which I am assuming is the planning meeting, so things are moving very quickly in my NHS trust.

Anyway, back to all of you, hope everyone is doing okay, sorry I got a bit carried away with my excitement of finishing soon, I hope everyone is okay, and coping okay with the side affects! I’m bit me, me, me in this post

Sending you all a virtual hug xxx

I’ll speak to someone if fruit/coffee/prunes don’t work today! My friend who’s on chemo just now used laxido but I’m better with tablets too, I’ve had enough of nasty tastes in the past, hoping it’s just the anti nausea meds slowing things down Crawler as only on day 2 of injections. I do eat fruit/veggies at every meal so once it gets going should be fine, I remember I had the same problem after my operation will check out the YouTube indoor exercise for bad days thanks

its a lovely day up here in sunny Glasgow so hoping to try another short walk outside a bit later  slow and steady...day at a time...relax and breathe! 

Hi Dclem4

Sorry I not been on here for a little while, and very behind on how everyone is doing, but seen you had issues with constipation? (Sorry if I’m wrong)

I had major issues with constipation with my EC, and I spoke to the nurses via telephone and was recommended Laxido. It can be bought over the counter. I was told to drink up to 8 packets in a day if I needed to, to get things moving, to start with.

once I got started, I tended to have one or two packets a day, starting just before my chemo, then stopped when things were okay. I was allowed to monitor my own doses. If I needed to get things moving drink more, if it got a bit loose, stop!

I also was prescribed buscopan, and peppermint oil capsules for tummy pain, which was not required after I started the Laxido. 

Take Care xxx

So pleased that you managed to get through that really long and eventful session, you’ve done amazingly well and nearing the finish line...what an achievement, you should be so proud of yourself! Cold capping for that amount of time...take my hat off to you, well done. 
mots heartening to read that others make it through, even with setbacks it’s doable and you’ve had a hard time so sending gentle hugs and massive congratulations for getting through that session

Denise x

That’s helpful, I have Colpermin as have IBS but not needed to take it yet, I bought Imodium as I usually get the opposite problem but will definitely make sure to get something to avoid the bloatedeeling of not going to poo regularly does Laxido have a taste as I’m not good with yucky tastes/textures? This popped up after I’d replied to an earlier post
denise x

Awh Thanku for your kind words! 

I didn’t find Laxido too horrible, in fact it was okay for me. It’s a powder you add to water. Mine had a slight orange flavour to it, and very mildly salty. It’s just like a very weak flavoured water. After buying my first, they prescribed laxitives for me, and I was given Movicol. It’s exactly the same, without the orange. Just a very mild salt taste.

Definitely give your unit a call, and ask about it, your feel much better xxx

Well done on getting though your very long session Kelstar9 and that length of time in the cap is epic, the longest I've had up till now is 5 hours. It's great for you that the end is in sight, I'm starting to feel like I can just get a glimpse of the end, I have two more FEC sessions to get through and am counting the days till the last one.

Thanks everyone for the tips for sore mouth, I called my nurses today and they suggested Iglu paste as well as mouth washing.