June 2018 Chemo Starters

[RedRose]

[RedRose]

[RedRose]

[RedRose]

[RedRose]

Suggestions from chemo line. Just keep doing what your doing, keeping infection risk to minimium, but how they do not say. Will continue not to wash pots etc and change plasters daily after bath. Just bloody annoying banging them all the time 🙄🤬😖. Will upload some picture to show you what I mean xx

[LJ]

RedRose, I'm starting rads on 26th November too, busy sorting out various chauffeurs to take me each day so DH doesn't have to do it all, especially with it being such a rubbish journey. 

Feel for you with your nails not being stable, must be so awkward. Hope your unit has some helpful suggestions for you. 

LJ

[Kip]

Oh Red 🌹 your poor nails, must make things difficult.  I havent got a date for rads yet am hoping tomorrow i may have some idea though.  Enjoy the circus havent been to one in years and dress shopping .. very exciting!  Enjoy it all and dont think of this crap for a while if you can!

[RedRose]

Did someone else say they were starting rads on 26th November too? Shades and cocktails 🍸 at the ready xx

[RedRose]

Hi Kip. Yeah they are actually coming off. My left hand thumb nail is holding on by a thread. Holding them all down with plasters atm. Didn’t know if to ring the line or just ask tomorrow when get zoledex injection. So awkward though, picking things up and banging them. How’s your seroma doing? I do hope it’s calming down and less uncomfortable for you. Hope all you ladies are coping the best you can, Georgie gee I can’t believe someone was that insensitive. Bless you. What treatment you have or don’t have is up to you and the same as your prognosis, it’s your business. I have had a few that want to know the ins and outs of megs ass but not through caring about me, you can tell with tone of voice and body language, they are noisy and tbh told them bare minimum. Driving myself stir crazy and having a few down days, but have things planned to actually enjoy rather than exist. Step daughters birthday 🎂 today, so circus 🎪 at the weekend if feel up to it and girly day with a friend tomorrow before hospital to look at a few dresses 👰🏼 Xx

[Kip]

Hi RedRose, sorry you've been feeling crappy again.  Hopefully you are coming through it now?  As for the nails, have they actually started lifting?   Mine never lifted but they did feel sore, like that had been hit with a hammer or slammed in a door.  I haven't lost any yet but have noticed since the end of chemo they are more brittle, so I have cut them very short and am still keeping nail polish on them to help.   I have large ridges , especially on the thumb nails, but these seem to be growing out.  I think i read somewhere on another thread that some ladies do lose nails but actually when they go they don't hurt and quickly grow back, just look a bit rubbish for a while.  Have you tried rubbin almond oil into them?  Someone suggested that to me.  I do have a friend who is 2 and a bit years down the line in this nightmare and she said her nails were fine until about a year after chemo and then went a bit rubbish so I'm still wondering if mine will go at some point?  Toenails seem ok tho.  Perhaps ring the chemo line and ask for suggestions, they must come accross it.  Otherwise, how are you doing?  

Kip

xx

[RedRose]

Hi ladies, sorry been feeling 💩 again. Just going to catch up on what I have missed now. I hope you are all doing well? Any advice for nails separating from nail beds? Fingers are so sore and think I’m going to loose at least 3 of my finger nails if not s couple more. Took them all down as short as I can but they are still so tender and keep catching them xx

[Kip]

Thanks Shi.... actually looking forward to a sunbed and a James Bond zapping... perhaps they should offer cocktails at the same time!!  Perhaps they can play "Feeling Hot Hot Hot" whist they do mine!

Kip

xx

[Shi]

Georgie gee, from my personal experiences I found rads or as we called it the 😎😎😎Sunbed lounge a breeze, I didn’t wear a bra during or after rads, I wore loose fitting kaftan type thing round the house to let skin ‘air’ drank lots of water to keep hydrated, still rested when my body told me to and slapped lots and lots of cream on to preserve skin because you do start to sizzle like a bit of 🥓🥓🥓but nothing you can’t handle. Creams lots of us used were e45, Moogoo, Aveno, dr organically aloe Vera and tea tree gel, keep in fridge and one in handbag and slap it on. They will keep close eye on your skin during rads and look after you ❤️ They can play music while you are on the bed makes it feel more like a Sunbed 👍you should have 3 little dot tattoos so they can line you up on the bed each session, think James Bond and that lazer, think we called our machine dr bap Zappa 👍👍so it was part of the team treating us 😁😁 and as for Oct health at work, mine sat there and asked me ‘has it changed you’ she got a polite smile from me and a simple yes, but you do wonder don’t you 🙄 think they mean we’ll it just kind of comes out wrong. Kip glad you’ve phoned up, don’t get fobbed off if you are not happy, just turn up at your unit, they will fit you in, it gives peace of mind if nothing else ❤️❤️❤️Keep focused all of you, you are all doing amazing that’s you too Georgie gee 👭👭👭👭have you got your big meet up arranged yet? Get one sorted it gives you all something to look forward to, is oct17 💃🏻💃🏻🕺🕺💃🏻💃🏻🤪🤪🤪gang had weekend in London 👍👍well it called for nice treat after all treatments 👍👍💕💕✨✨✨Shi xx

[Kip]

Hi All, thanks for the replies regarding the seroma.  I have called the BCN this morning and explained to her how it felt and she thinks is it a seroma but was reluctant to do anythign with it, she says they really like to give it time to reabsorb before draining it as each time they put a needle in they can introduce an infection.  It does feel slightly smaller this morning and the drain wound is not weeping anymore so we agreed to leave things be until they seem me on Thursday where they will decide whether to drain it or not.. unless it gets really painful in the meantime.  She said to keep a cushion or a rolled up pair of socks under my armpit and apply slight pressure to it and to only gently exercise that arm for 2 days, not to go mad!   So I will see what happens.

Georgie Gee - I think that was a bit insensitve for somebody to ask you what your new prognosis is!   People do come out with the most insensitive things sometimes don't they.   Ignore them!   I've never heard that rads can be worse than chemo.  I think once you've been through chemo nothing can be that bad again.  I do understand that its tiring and can cause soreness to the area, but at least you don't lose your hair, taste buds, feel sick, can't sleep..etc etc.   I guess everyone reacts differently and you will always find someone who finds it terrible, but on the whole most people have said its tiring but much easier than chemo.  Its a personal choice again though, and you have every right to not have it if thats how you feel.

Kip

xx

[Georgie Gee]

Hi Everyone, 

Kip, definitely call tomorrow.... sounds like a seroma, but let your team check it out 😘

Shi, thanks for reminding me to keep in touch; now I've 'finished' all of the chemo they can safely give me, I'm suddenly having a planning meeting for radiotherapy next Monday.  

I took a peek at a radiotherapy thread on here and I am quite reluctant to start it all, plus 2nd herceptin this Thursday.  After my first herceptin I wasn't well enough to have docetaxol the next day.  Had temp, nausea and diarrhoea.  I'm so hoping it doesn't happen again.  I feel like if I have one more side effect, I will explode! 

Even with only 75% docetaxol, I've lost all my eyebrows now.   

I was talking to an occupational health person today from work, and she told me that radiotherapy can be 'worse than chemotherapy'...... I haven't heard that anywhere else.

Then also a relative asked me over the weekend what my new 'prognosis' is, now I'm not having any more chemo.  I haven't answered, because I found the question a bit insensitive - is that wrong of me?  I just felt upset..... 

Georgie xx

[Shi]

Hi kip, ring your unit and get that checked out, sounds like something meesh had post op, just get it checked, we are all guilty of going oh i’ll Leave it a day or so but we shouldn’t it’s all about keeping safe and your teams would rather see you every day if you want than to leave things ❤️❤️❤️Keep safe otherwise the honorary gold hot pants will need sending back kip and i’ll Have to tank drive and you don’t want that 🤣😂🤣😂🤣I’m like Cher from clueless 😁😁😁💕💕✨✨✨Shi xx

[Kip]

Hi LJ i had and still do have sometimes the leg aches.  Thats exactly how i felt like id walked miles and miles!  In fact my calves ache quite a bit today too, ita SE of T i think!  Fancy being post menopausal without knowing!  Wow!!  Let us know how the pills go.

I thijk j may have a seroma..  hard lump under arm whixh dowsnt really hurt as such more uncomfortable to put my arm down as it feels like an orange there.  Any ideas?

[LJ]

Well, apparently I'm post menopausal!!!!  I'm not sure when that happened, I must have missed it!  Does kind of make the pregnancy test I had to have as part of my rads planning meeting redundant though!  I think the oncologist was as surprised as me cos she's made a note on my file to say if I show any hint of starting a menstrual cycle I'm to get in touch at once!  So I shall be starting on Anastrzole as soon as I get the prescription. Was expecting it to be waiting in the unit when I went for Herceptin jab yesterday but it wasn't. Shall phone the BCN line tomorrow.  Most common SE seems to be joint pain, so what with that and the Herceptin I'm doomed!

Anyone experiencing sore leg muscles post their last T?  Mine are like I've just done exercise for the first time in ages!

My fingernails look a bit yellow partway up and then have white ridges on the other half - presume that's the effect of two different drugs showing. Look to have healthy nail showing at the base so I'll just keep clipping them short and watch them improve!

Have a hair appointment on Thursday and I'm hoping to have some unsuitablly coloured streaks put through the fringe area where the hair is strongest - can't stand this unbroken grey much longer!

On the subject of hair - is anyone taking Biotene to help with regrowth?

LJ

[Shi]

Reddi how are you darling? Hope you’ve been seen and got some fluconzole, keep safe 😘😘red rose have you selected any favours yet, it was lovely news you shared about the wedding. Georgie gee, don’t be a stranger and keep in touch on here, If I’m right there will be a lot of us wanting to keep in touch ❤️❤️Kip hope you’ve been pacing yourself and are doing ok. Keep 💃🏻💃🏻🕺🕺🕺💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻Ladies you are all amazing 💕💕💕✨✨✨Shi xx

[Kip]

Morning all,  just had a good read through all your posts.

CDC - good news for your brother... what a relief, now just fingers crossed for clear margins for your cousin.  

Reddi - I didn't realise your chemo hotline wasn't manned at the weekend, ours is 24hour.  But definately speak to your GP and he can prescribe fluconozole or something else.   Get on top fo the mouth before it gets on top of you... its was the worst SE I had I think.

KTK - my nails look horrible without nail varnish.  they haven't fallen off but look discoloured and have large ridges on them, they are quite brittle too, so have cut them short and kept a pale pink nail varnish on just to make them look better.  My toenails seem to be pretty much ok though.   Actually my Tingle thumb is feeling a lot better now, probably 90% back to normal, still numb right at the end but much improved, so hopefully your toes will do the same CDC!

Linda - interesting how they could tell how much the chemo had worked.  Thats amazing.  

I get my results from the ANC on Thursday and starting to panic...I hate being back at the hospital but I need to know what happens next.. hopefully the RADs soon and the hormones.. I will be asking how they know which to give me.  I am like you CDC, I was pre-menopause before this started but have only had 1 period since May so who knows whats happenign now.  I am, however, having hot flushes still?  Another question for the ONC on Thursday.  I'll let you know what they say!

As for my wound.. its leaking a little bit, but I keep a dressing on it and it still feels so numb and swollen.. although it isn't too swollen.  I think it feels like your face when you have had a tooth out and it feels like you face is 10 times bigger!   I am trying to get the arm movement back, having some success but it is stiff and painful in places... when I put my arm down I feel like I have a ball under there, but there isn't.  Definately found the masectomy so much easier than this op.   Must remember its only 2 weeks ago and its early days, very impatient to feel back to normal in the arm department again.

Have a good day all,

Kip

xx