**APRIL & MAY 2021 BREAST CANCER CHEMO**

I should have put you need limb bag to keep picc site dry in shower. X

Hi Ruby, looks like we're on the same path. I was diagnosed end of Feb stage 2. Need  Chemo , herceptin then surgery. I'm in Wales. After diagnosis I was given an MRI and CT to check for spread. Was absolutely petrified before scans came back clear. Can you ask for a meeting with your oncologist and ask for some tests to put your mind at ease? I have a bad back and my oncologist arranged for me to have a bone scan too.

After first chemo I felt fine from day 9 hoping it's not going to get worse, second round this Friday.

I  drunk lots of herbal teas, fruit smoothies, fruit and water. Constipation only lasted 4 days and rinsed my mouth with warm water and salt every night for first 14 days. 

The NHS is a service we all pay for, if you're not happy with the service you need to tell them. Sorry I know that's not easy to do. I see my oncologist when I have bloods every 3 weeks. Thought that would be standard and the scans. You need to see your oncologist. Chemo ward or breast cancer nurse should have number for your oncologist surely? 

Sending you a big hug. 

Thanks for this. I’m going to get on the case tomorrow and try to get an appointment sorted. I’ll also get a chance to speak to my chemo nurse. My oncologist isn’t actually based in the hospital where I get chemo so there aren’t opportunities to see her, which is difficult. 

Hoping that chemo can go ahead on Thursday and I’ll be another step on the way. 

Good luck for your chemo on Friday, hoping I can manage the side effects a bit better this time. I have herb teas but will try the smoothies too. 

Hug straight back

Ruby xx

Denise hear hear on being able to meet up and maybe that is something to consider when we are all done a get together in London maybe even If only in park at a distance!!  I find you all hugely supportive even if I don’t post a lot x 

  the PICC line has for me been the best thing about this process.  Mine was put in by guided wire in interventional radiology and has never failed me.  They redress it each week to make sure it is always clean and it is now part of my life.  At first I wore picc line sleeves to cover it but now I don’t bother and just let it hang  there. They even gave me a shower sleeve so that’s i can cover it and bathe as normal. I highly recommend it if you have veins that like to dodge the cannula like mine do, as the thought of having a cannula fitted each time made me quite nervous.  Gwennie

Thanks. Good to know I'm having mine put in tomorrow. 

I have cut my hair very short but have realised it's harder to clear up very short hair and it's everywhere! Wore a beanie all day yesterday but then had a headache by bedtime. Think I need to go bald. Any advice? I have super thick hair and don't want to be cleaning for the next few weeks. My husband is happy to do it. Thanks

Hi! I had a number 2 shave four weeks ago...the hair loss started 3 weeks ago and I have to say the wee short hairs are very annoying and prickly. I knew I had a thick head of hair but may have underestimated quite how much I have/had...despite 3 weeks of hair loss I still have 3/4 head of hair...anyone else taken this long for hair loss?

I have one bald armpit, hairs on my legs still growing albeit more slowly!

If you feel confident to go bald I'd say do it!! 

Hi LHM, I shaved mine on grade 2 6 weeks ago and still have little tuffs although most have gone. I’ve noticed some of it has actually grown so it’s all different lengths! 
Take Care

Janine x

Clipper off to a #2 so you don’t get ingrown hairs which can become infected.
I thought my hair would all go very quickly as it is very fine but it didn’t stop shedding like mad till cycle 3 and I still have a small amount of soft fuzz on some of my scalp. I’m on cycle 4 and still have some leg hair, thinner eyebrows and lashes but still some. Think we are all different how fast it comes out though, I just ‘washed’my head every day with water in shower to loosen them off ASAP 

denise x

Sorry to hear you are having so many issues Gwennie I have had the same course of chemo treatment as you just to say you will get there and you will cope the lady next to me in chemo also and hers was not straight forward either with lots of infections but like me she was on her last dose of Paclitaxel.  I finished my last dose of Paclitaxel yesterday I have bright red cheeks, slept poorly last night partly because I was so excited but also due to treatment, my legs ache and I am sure I will get constipation further down the line as I have been suffering from this throughout treatment plus my hair looks like it has been through a hedge cutter and I have had itchy skin.  But hey even with these symptoms it feels amazing to have finished keep going and that joyful moment will be yours. 

I fortunately have not had infections.  My tip would be if you can take extra care about what you eat. This does not mean eating in a cranky way, whatever meal I was having I was thinking had I got some protein in there - tried to include oily fish, liver (once a month) and eggs, but was having some red meat and chicken, had I got some fruit or veg (always made sure I had the 5 a day- prunes in breakfast muesli) in and some carb - muesli and mainly wholegrain bread plus potatoes. Also had yoghurt once a day (preferably natural Greek as whether its high or low fat, it contains more protein than your standard yoghurt) and steered clear of lots of cakes and biscuits or went for healthy ones such as hot cross buns or low fat baby bels and crackers.  Sometimes had a protein boosting drink if intake was really poor and drank loads of milk.  But even with all this still had to resort to meds to control the constipation.

I also believe in exercise and went for a walk every day on days when I felt bad it was short and you can over do it. I played a lot of tennis Sun and did my calve in so wont be walking or playing tennis today, so clearly there are limits!  But at the risk of sounding like a right freak all I can say is that it has worked for me. I have been told that my white blood cell count has been normal throughout chemo with the white blood cell booster.  I might of course just be lucky and don't want to sound preachy but just want to make others aware I think that what you eat and the types of food you eat might really help. Well it seems to have done for me and it was something I was in control of.