What has helped you through your journey?

You're not preaching! Thanks for your support and advice. Including thinking I have a great attitude. Currently sitting here with my stomach in knots feeling sick with nerves but it will pass because it has to! Have spent too much time reading about cancer this past week (as one needs to) and it's impossible to not stumble across things that scare me ... so taking a little time out from too much research now decision is made to see if I can rebuild calm and confidence in my head and heart for what lies ahead next. xo

You're not preaching! Thanks for your support and advice. Including thinking I have a great attitude. Currently sitting here with my stomach in knots feeling sick with nerves but it will pass because it has to! Have spent too much time reading about cancer this past week (as one needs to) and it's impossible to not stumble across things that scare me ... so taking a little time out from too much research now decision is made to see if I can rebuild calm and confidence in my head and heart for what lies ahead next. xo

Pleased to see you found this blog... just remember to take it easy.. even when you are at work... and stay away from sick people!!

If I had to do it over again (god I hope not)..... I would

• Exercise more often - An easy 10 min walk is better than nothing (I did a lot of nothing)
• Drink more water, then drink some more - flush the shxxx out. Lemonade worked until my taste buds changed....
• Fibre, Fibre and more fibre - consipation comes hand in hand with Chemo, it creaps up and really sucks.... try a couple of Brazil nuts.. other friends juiced...

Sorry not here to preach.... you've read the blog and you have a fantastic attitude.... good luck.

Trina

Pleased to see you found this blog... just remember to take it easy.. even when you are at work... and stay away from sick people!!

If I had to do it over again (god I hope not)..... I would

• Exercise more often - An easy 10 min walk is better than nothing (I did a lot of nothing)
• Drink more water, then drink some more - flush the shxxx out. Lemonade worked until my taste buds changed....
• Fibre, Fibre and more fibre - consipation comes hand in hand with Chemo, it creaps up and really sucks.... try a couple of Brazil nuts.. other friends juiced...

Sorry not here to preach.... you've read the blog and you have a fantastic attitude.... good luck.

Trina

Hey Dawngirl

I also used to hate pink, was definitely not my colour 12 months ago but now half my wardrobe consists of pink!!!! I bought various pink outfits to go to the Sydney conference recently and I have just continued to buy pink. It goes nicely with my new grey and curly head of hair I now have hee hee.

I am glad you have been able to put a list together from our posts above and hopefully you will be armed and ready should you need it. I had my supplies on hand for when and if I needed them and I felt confident I was prepared for the necessary should it arise.

I also wish you a smooth road with your chemo and hope you sail through with not too many side effects. We will all be sending you good healthy vibes.

There are definitely pro's and cons of working for yourself from home.

Good luck. The waiting and the unknown is one of the worst parts of dealing with chemo. I believe if you are armed with knowledge then you know how to be prepared. I will be thinking of you.

Lots of love, Mich xoxo

what a fantastic thread to have been started....today I took the call that confirms my chemo starts next friday (four rounds, three months), and instead of having very little idea of what to do to prepare myself for this, I have read every post above and can draw up a shopping list of aids to help me get through some of the symptoms. I am of course going to be in denial about about those who have noted it takes twice or even three times as long to get over the treatment as the length of the treatment, but that's allowed for now isn't it ;-).

and i'm keeping all crossed I am one of those who are able to work through treatment....running my own business....oh how I wish I had a boss I could ring up and say I'm taking three/six months leave paid/unpaid whatever!

so booked in for friday sessions, so I can be ill and under a doona saturday, sunday and monday, and then crawl back into the office for at least a few hours a day tue-fri until the next round.

a huge thanks to everyone above for sharing your thoughts, ideas, insiders tips and spirits.

hope i can help someone along the way, in the way, you pink crew above have helped me.

speaking of which. hate pink. least favourite colour in the world. better get used to it, huh ;-)!

xx

I got the sore sore tongue.

mix 1 tsp bicarb with 1/4-1/2 tsp salt in warm water, mix to dissolve and gargle as often as you can, this really helped...

The salt can sting sometimes and when too bad I would leave the salt out and just use the bicarb, but it really helped, the other things that helped were biotene toothpaste , not as strong flavoured as most others, and biotene mouthwash, also not strong and no alcohol, which can dry the tissues out.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck, and congrats on being nearly finished, only 1 more to goo - woo hoo!!

Sharon

Hi Girls, I'm having 3rd round of FEC out of 4 tomorrow, looking forward to the end of the FEC chapter, then onto radio therepy, hope I don't burn too bad. At the moment feeling fine except this damn sore tongue and gum right up the back near my one and only wisdom tooth. It's so sore and annoying.....love Vicki

Hey Shaz

forgot to include you in my last post...have a read at what I replied to Julie and Vicki.

So very very exciting to know you are done with chemo huh!!! Now you just need to get over your last one. Dont be in a hurry. It takes some time to get over it. I am still getting over it my last one at the end of April. Nothing too bad tho. After about 4 weeks, I started feeling like me again. I'll never forget that feeling.

Hope all is well with you 

Tania XX

Its all good Vicki. Bald and fat is fine! It only took me about 2 months to kick the chemo weight. I finished chemo at the end of April. Hair is growing back. I am finally waking in the morning with "bed hair". It made me so happy to wake that first morning noticing that I had to do something with my hair before I walked out the door! 

Julie, the nurses were straight onto it when I had my allergic reaction. I started feeling weird and turned...said nurse...something is wrong and then it was on! So scary. I couldnt breathe, my entire body went bright red, I had this loud ringing in my ears and thought I was going to vomit and poo my pants...All at the same time. Absolutely aweful. They pulled me straight off chemo, gave me a relaxation pill to slow my adrenaline then gave me antihisthamede (sp?). They kept me off for about an hour and then hooked me back up again. From then on, everytime I had chemo I had to have a Zurtec tablet and IV antihisthamede first and then my chemo. It only happens to 5% of us. Day 10 of my first chemo landed me in hospital with no red or white cells and that only happens to about 8% of us. Lucky me huh!! Its all over now so its ok. I am fine. The reaction was over as soon as they took me off chemo. Amazing Nurses...I tell ya.

Hope your both travelling well

Hugs to ya XXXXX