*Tamoxigang Christmas Party* - 45

[Tiny100]

Morning All!

We're nearly in December, so let's get the festivities started.

[adds mince pies to the trolley]

Big hugs trice
I think my hair will be ok, because I used the cold cap it didn't all fall out so I have a full head of hair now just very short and it feels quite robust
I couldn't wait 6 months I want to go back to work before then and would like to be wig free as I'm a reception teacher and spend a lot of time playing outside !

Trice - I wish your cancer would go away too. It's all rubbish and I'm not surprised that you get down days. Lots of hugs.

Malt - I thought the 6 months thing was for permenant dye and that they recommend 3 months for a semi-permenant or vegetable dye - I am sure you will be fine . I'll be dying mine as soon as it is long enough!!

I managed to get some coloured hair mousse from Sally's. this really helps with the grey roots. I have just finished chemo and plan to go back to my highlights etc in march. Just hoping my hair doesn't fall out before then.

Just opened the letter sent from the consultant, following the biopsy. It states that a low grade sarcoma can't be ruled out. Had a cry. The prolonged wait to know what it is, what they're going to do (or rather, when), etc. is so hard. After a 1.5 hour MRI and a CT scan this coming Monday, I'll have another AIT to see whether I have any other uninvted guests!

Wait, not AIT

goodness me goodness they are putting you through the ringer on this waiting milarky (I know we keep saying it, but the waiting really is the worst bit, and you seem to be getting an extra large dose )

trice I wish I had a magic wand that would make your cancer go away :)

hoos another FEC-Ter here - I finished in Oct 13. It does seem to be that if you avoided morning sickness then you aren't too sick with the FEC bit :) The T bit seems to give everyone a bit of a battering, but it's all doable.

Can't remember now who asked about losing nails - I lost a toe nail last night! caught my toe (the one next to the big toe) on the corner of the bed and the nail just pinged off. Didn't hurt a bit and there is a new one half grown underneath :) I have a feeling both big toe nails (currently blue) will go the same way at some point. At least it's the winter, hopefully they will look presentable again by the time it's sandal weather! The bits of my fingernails that lifted have almost grown out now and it doesn't look like it will spread down the nail at all (It was the FEC bit that lifted - the T bit of the nails has 3 ridges across - one for each cycle!)

waves to everyone else

We had another bracing walk on the beach today after my first rads session this morning (uneventful) - I am determined to get fitter and lose some weight.

I have had pretty much the same experience as Betsy with nails. I have spent the last few months reinforcing my toe nails with clear surgical tape etc. but the top parts have pinged off for the most part. The new bits are growing in and they will be fine in a few months. This too will pass.

What do people do about growing their hair out? Mine has come back really really curly (although I like the colour - grey, but a really lovely distinguished grey with black under it so it looks like it was planned rather than old IYKWIM). I am thinking about keeping mine super-short rather than going back to shoulder-length.

I have the 3 ridges on my fingernails too Betsy
Uk not sure what I'll do about my hair, grow it until it's in a nice short style but eventually I would like it long again. Will be so pleased to ditch the wig whatever my hair looks like ! Yours sounds a nice colour

Well I was bored so dyed my hair and total fail it's the same colour ! Think I might have washed it off too early as I was worried !

Malt - you'll have to buy more dye tomorrow as we are relying on progress reports from you!

Don't think I dare use it again for a bit ! It is slightly different but not a lot and I still have the grey !
Foo foo what is the mousse called you use? I looked on Sally's but wasn't sure

Trice - Hope you are having a better day today and are not feeling so down.

KitKat - As soon as I have the info, I will pass on. Good to hear that your brows are growing back so soon - mine are thinning badly and I still have 4 Tax rounds to go.........

Waves to everyone else!

It is exciting hearing all your hair reports. I was told about the chemo curls and also the possibility that my hair could also come back grey - but I kind of thought this was a slim chance, is this not the case?

I have an appointment with my Consultant tomorrow. He wanted to see me halfway through chemo. Does anyone know what this could be about? I meant to call my BCN today, but didn't get round to it. Feel like I should line some questions up.

Ok all, what can I expect from Taxol??
I'm reading the comments about nails. I have heard about sore/achy bones. I know i will take more steroids, so my sleep patterns may get whacked.

What else should I know? Any tips on what can I do to make it easier for myself?

Meanwhile just had two lovely days in fancy hotel with DH. DSIL took DC. Bliss. But I can't believe DC back to school on Mon, what a shock to the system that will be!!!

'evening all. Hooseyermama, I was on FEC x 4 and Docetaxel x 4 and worked right through it, still socialised and went on holiday. So it's very individual. Admittedly I'm nine parts mad, but don't assume it will be un-do-able.
Nails - I had almost no problems because I used frozen mitts or equiv for nails during each Tax chemo session. It stops the chemo getting to the nails. Most units offer these. Or take bags of frozen veg and something to wrap them in so you don't get frostbite. I did. Staff thought I was madder than usual, but it worked.

Amber - that's impressive re the tax. I'm thinking the nail thing can't be worse than the nausea, but I'm knackered enough as weewee barra isn't yet sleeping through.
My consultant also wants to see me halfway through - maybe to start organising my mx? Not sure.

Goodness I hope you don't have to wait much longer, it's awful, I've been at the waiting side of things since diagnosis and things feel so much more manageable once you have the facts, regaining control. Hope it's soon.

Trice I send you {hugs}.

UK good to hear about yours (and all the other FECers!) experience! I'm ready for it, as you say, you just have to deal with it. Will be good to get advice from all of you here as it goes.

It was me who mentioned the fingernail lifting - I'd read about it on an online blog. I'd heard about these ice packs (nightmare situation for me with raynauds / poor circulation!) but probably worth it to possibly help keep them! I'd also read that black nail varnish can help, I quite like the idea of going a bit goth! Anyone heard of this?!

I'm not doing cold cap, I've had the hair cropped from longish and ready to lose it, I'm ok with that I think.

Chemo is scheduled for next Tues, come around much quicker than I was expecting but glad to be in a more pro-active phase.

Given the differences between us all are there basic side effects to expect from FEC as opposed to T, I understand the Taxotere is much worse so will get to that later. Notice someone else has asked about Tax so will be interested to hear that too.

Have a good weekend everyone :)

Weebarra, what stage are you at? Are you getting scans halfway through your chemo? I sympathise on the disturbed sleep, same here but I think yours are younger? My DS still climbs in with me every night but it's improved a bit since I stopped breast feeding (one of the advantages!). We are getting him a big bed to max his comfort in the hope he'll stay there! Not sure how I'll cope with it if I feel ill but perhaps over thinking it. Hope you get plenty of down time.

Thank you, Hoos & Betsy. Knowing there's now even more of a wait (until Monday's MRI & CT results and then the histology after the op.) just makes it seem never-ending. Naively, I thought: 'Get benign results, have op., draw line, move on'. Now I'm also wary of telling anyone about tumour as question to follow is predictable and one I can't answer and would love to know myself!'

Hello all. I was hoping it would be ok to come here for some advice, as my mum has recently been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

She was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2012 and had a mastectomy in April 2013. Over Christmas she was complaining of tiredness and abdominal pain, then when she was admitted to hospital they found she had 'deposits on the sternum and spine', plus the cancer had metastasised to the bone marrow and her platelet count is ridiculously low. She also has cysts in her liver (possibly a separate thing) and a blood O2 saturation of 93%. She had an MRI yesterday and so we're waiting to hear the results of that.

Basically I am not confident of a positive outcome here. My job involves writing about medical treatment and so I've been all over PubMed like a rash, but I would really appreciate any information from people with personal experience of this crapness.

Thank you in advance for any help xx

I kept black or dark nail varnish on during tax, don't know if it helped but worth a try !

I had oral thrush with my 1st tax which was horrid so keep an eye out for that. With my 2nd I had a reaction when it was going in, quite common apparently but scary as I had flashing lights and thought I was going to faint. They stopped and gave me more steroids and anti histamines and when they restarted it was fine

I had really red cheeks as a reaction to one which was a bit embarrassing !

I found the foul taste in my mouth worse with tax is stock up on mints and sweets to suck

And the tiredness seems to get worse and it takes longer to get over each dose. It will pass though, 2 months on and I'm still lacking in a bit of energy but mainly fine :)

Goodness boo to your long wait for answers :(

Think it's rained all night here, I dreamt it was snowing think I would prefer that !

Plump partridge welcome sorry to hear about your mum
We have people on here who gave secondary cancer and are having treatment and doing well so hopefully they'll be along soon

Mom I had 6 rounds of Tax, no FEC. I had the dark marks under the nails (now growing out ) so have used dark nail polish to hide them. My hands were immensely dry - keep hand cream by you as my hands could dry out in an hour. Still got nasty taste in mouth 3 months on - but this has meant I have shifted a lot of excess weight. Week 1 of cycle was not great, but I could do most things 2nd and 3rd week and DH and I went away for weekend every third week (our DSs are grown up).
Don't forget to drink loads of water - especially in Week 1. Mints, ginger biscuits and Haribos worth stocking to help with nasty taste in mouth.

Lovely to hear from you Amber, you mentioned up thread that Mr Amber Light had been poorly, hope he is much better and that you are okay too?

I thought that the Tax would be much worse Hoosy, but my Chemo Sister said that some people suffer so badly with nausea they find it easier to endure the Tax. As I have suffered badly with sickness, I am hoping this to be the case!

Goodness - I too am treading the 'long wait' path for results, so I know exactly how you feel. Whilst my BC was diagnosed very quickly, I have what is described as 'increased activity' in my shoulder, which could be nothing or it could be incurable cancer - literally all or nothing. From the way the Onc is talking, I don't think we will know anything till Summer or maybe even Autumn of this year. I have many a sleepless night and I often feel sick to the pit of my stomach with worry. I cry regularly about the thought perhaps not seeing my son grow up. The waiting game really is f*@king shit. Good Luck for your MRI scan on Monday, hope all goes well and you get your op date soon.

Thanks for the info about Tax Malt and Lily. I am another one about to start next week, there seems to be a gang of us starting in Jan!

Right, I am now off to see a man about a boob - enjoy your day ladies

Tiny - I am one who had such awful nausea with FEC that I prefered Tax. My tax was weekly so not exactly the same but similar side effects. By the end the tiredness and aches and awful taste in my mouth were the worst things but nothing as bad as the FEC nausea. I would say though that I have found it harder to bounce back from the Tax - 3 weeks after FEC ended I felt pretty good but currently 5 1/2 weeks after last tax I am still tired and achey. I kept my nails covered and have no marks or colouring - I also moistuised the the base about 3 times a day on the recommendation of my nurse.

Nothing planned here today - as it's back to school on Tuesday I need to start dragging the kids out of bed a bit earlier or they'll never get to sleep on Monday night!!

I think I'm OK thanks. DH has had eye surgery to retain the sight in his right eye. We think it's worked.

Plumppartridge, I'd recommend the best possible specialists for your mum. I would also recommend (based on the latest science) lactoferrin and curcumin supplements for her, probiotics, a decent handful of raspberries/blueberries a day, an aspirin if the medics will allow it, and (strangely) a bit of very watered down bleach on the skin occasionally. Or a dip in a chlorinated swimming pool. Somehow that seems to act as a boost to the body's defences and no, we don't yet know how. But that sort of combination is putting a number of friends' metastatic cancer 'on hold'. In conjunction with chemotherapy. No guarantees, but it's worth a go.
And meantime, for you. Not easy. Not easy at all.