I was diagnosed with Cancer in March and although we knew it was Cancer its still a shock to be told it. I have had 2 chemo cycles now and have my 3rd at the end of the month. I would love to chat about the chemo side affects to anyone..
Thanks for your e-mail today and sorry I didn't reply until now but I have been in bed all day very sleepy..I didn't get up until 6pm and I am back in bed again.
I am the same as you with my treatment which is Friday your right. I have the picc line fitted tomor then bloods, then Dr, but I have a funny feeling my bloods are low as I feel faint most of the time and nausea. I am dreading the chemo because it is one I have never heard of ( Rotterdam ) and I have to stay in overnight for it as it takes 13 hours, I am going to be taking tablets as well. But because I like you feel crap I want it to reduce whatever is lurking in me...It is really catch 22 isn't it ? feel crap with chemo and crap without.
I do hope your not going anywhere just yet as you always boost me up with your wise words....
Hope the house is back to normal and may be you can have your Christmas now that you missed..
Good to see you back, Eileen has really missed you! Sorry you aren't feeling too well - I'm right at the start of everything but I know how you feel because I have the same symptoms and like you I am looking forward to having treatment next week.
Eileen hope everything goes ok with the picc line and that you can go ahead with the new chemo, you sound exhausted and that is awful for you hugss.......... sorry I haven't posted much doesn't mean I don't think about you all, I have had one cold after another and can't shake them off but I am fine, didn't want to whinge on about it as you and the others are going through the mill at the moment.
I have had my bloods done and see the consultant on the 6th I try to think positive but like everyone else I detest waiting for the results.
poor Eileen can't think of much worse than being stuck in bed, i don't have a lot of stamina but not really tired yet! Now time to be positive about this chemo, each one is different, just because its strong and takes a long time to give don't mean it will make you feel like your previous ones did!!! the PICC line will make it so much easier for you - jealous as I want one but they won't do one cos of my clotting
No the house is not finished!!! I have told them I want them out by Fri as can't cope this it anymore, I think the only thing that won't be finished is the painting and the garden and driveway. we can do the painting ourselves (probably a lot quicker than the bloke that has supposedly being doing it for the last 2 months lol) and the garden just needs tuft (can't seed cos of dogs lol) the driveway will get done when I feel a bit better! I like my own company and it has really drained me having plp around for the last 6 months plus I haven't been able to escape on the Internet to de-stress for about a month!!!
Haze good luck for Friday, it seems to be the day its all happening for all of us!
John thanks and wishing Mary the best for Friday, fingers crossed as usual. I'm about to undertake course 3 and got nearly 16 months from the second one (only 8 from the first gold standard one) so playing around with the chemo is worth it.
Dot! great to hear your still doing good (except colds) I can remember the first check up and being terrified, have actually found it easier since I know its not cured! odd as it sounds when you know its not gone but merely dormant the routine consults aren't so scary cos you know it will be back.
I had almost forgotten what a humbling experience it is visiting the Chemo suite at the hospital. The nurses are just wonderful, caring, professional and friendly all at the same time. There is a feeling of a bonding between you and some of the other patients, we smile at each other and are polite and courteous. We are all on a similar journey, having had to come to terms with a diagnosis that we thought would never happen to us, and all of the distress that it causes. Our specialist oncology nurse Kath seems more like a good friend that we've known for years, it feels like she is just there for Mary, but of course she isn't.
We visited the Lynda Jackson MacMillan Centre on the hospital site to get some info on travel insurance, the ladies in there are lovely too, they will make you a coffee and sit and chat with you for as long as you need.
As Mary was about to go in for treatment, the nurse asked me if I would mind getting some water as she needed to take some tablets. A lady opposite had just got herself some water but gave it to Mary to save us the trouble. When we left, a gentleman patient in reception smiled and said "goodbye, have a nice evening". As we left the car park, we gave our pay and display ticket to a gentleman at the pay station to save him money (a practice that many of the fellow patients all do). Just a handful of examples of all those little things that all together make a big difference. These people are complete strangers and yet we seem to know each other.
If we want to draw on some positives, I feel that the biggest one is how our experiences have helped to bring out our best qualities, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the human kindness displayed by people, and that includes the people on this site who are there for each other, and the moderators who make it all possible.
Mary is exhausted after a long day, so an early night with two hot wheat bags and a couple of Domperidones! Hopefully the chemo is doing it's work and she will feel brighter tomorrow.
Sorry for not being on sooner but Thursday they kept me in as I felt really faint. I had another x-ray and they keep going on about my bowels being full even though I can't stop going. I am begining to get annoyed with them now as to me going properly 4 times on Thursday is more than enough.
Anyway I had my picc line fitted and I was taken to the investigation ward until they found a bed for me. The next thing they said we are sending you for a scan tomor as we think you may have a blockage in your bowel as well. I eventually got moved to a ward at 6pm after been at the hospital since 10am with no drink of tea until 5pm. I was on a 4 bed ward with lovely ladies 3 of who had ovarian and one breast cancer. I had my chemo start at 3pm Friday, it is a 3 hour bag of chemo and all the other bags are magnesium, calcium, and the normal steroid, anti sickness ect.. That all finished at 6am Saturday. I felt really sick in the night ( something I am not normally ) So I had another anti sickness. I am not sure if it was the chemo or the amount I had drank as I got a terrible thirst on me after the chemo that I couldn't seem to quench.
They let me out yest about 10am and I came home had a drink of tea ( I only drink earl grey so I have to take them wherever I go ) I then decided to have a bath while Tony made me some chicken noodle soup. When I got out of the bath and put my arm up to dry it all water came running down and when I looked the dressing was open at the end so I had to go all the way back to the hosp to get it re done. I got back home at 2. 30 and came to bed and have been here since drifting in and out of sleep and feeling sickly. I take my last 2 steroids at 12 and my last main anti sickness (ondansetron ) and at 11 am in a few mins actually I take my chemo tablet ( ETOPOSIDE ) I take them for 15 days..
So ladies I hope everyone else is ok. I am going to read what John has put and anything else I have missed...
Love to all Hi to Dot and Jackie, Sharon. Tony. xxxxx
