I had two rounds of Capecitabine with virtually no side effects, then BANG I have the most awful blisters on my feet. Two on one foot and three on the other. Phoned the clinic on the Thursday before the Bank Holiday for advice and was told I was OK to go away as long as I kept off my feet as much as possible. By Saturday the pain was unbelievable and I was having to hold on to things to get from one end of the caravan to the other. Thought it was time to get in touch again but guess what? We are in the middle of the Yorkshire Moors and no phone signal or wi-fi, so it is a drive back towards York (my preferred hospital especially if I needed to go through a&e, and at least they have my records). Kept trying phone but either I got cut off, or the nurse I was talking to did. Eventually found a reasonable signal and was told to make my way in as there was probably a chair in SDEC and she could see me there.if not it was A&E and I have a fast track card She set me up with dressings and prescribed a steroid cream and codeine. Pharmacy had the codeine but not the cream until after the bank holiday. Wasn't thinking straight so said I would come in and collect three days later. Lo and behold I am back to have my blisters checked and went to the Pharmacy. Told the cream wasn't available anywhere and would need a new prescription. Well at that point I got a bit assertive and said I wasn't going anywhere until I got something, and couldn't they just phone oncology and ask for a deferred prescription and give me something else suitable NOW. Bear in mind I should have been using the cream for four days by now. I don't know why the hospital still uses paper prescriptions. One of the few things my GP surgery is good at is sending scripts online to the pharmacy and they are usually ready by the time it takes me to get there and collect.
Needless to say I had to sit around with my feet up the whole of the time I was away, and the blisters are now going down. I gave up on the codeine when I read the mile long instruction leaflet as I had a bit of reflux/nausea and couldn't take the med I had for it. At least the foot pain is only there when I stand on it, and is much less than it was. Just don't need to overdo it. Got an extra week off the Cape so hopefully back on Friday if the blisters have cleared enough.
My hands seem worse than my feet. I use 
How are you doing now you’re back on treatment? I had a pet scan last week and unfortunately the capaeciteabine isn’t working as my liver is still the same! On the positive it’s not grown but now
m going back to intravenous chemo starting next week. Hope you get much better results. Take care Karen x
