Anyone near me? Greystones

Hi there,

i am not living near you but best of luck tommorrow, i am 35 but have no children, (not by choice, the lord had other plans), i had a mastecomy in May and finished radiation today, another thing down, i am on antibody treatment till next June but that is only once every three weeks.

Do you have to have Chemo and Radiation? if i was telling the complete thruth i am 36 next week. (still some vanity left after all of it, ha! ha!)

So i am not on my own then, thanks for the post :@) Yes chemo 6 mths & then 6 wks radiotherapy i was told.. will know for sure when meet with oncologist after surgeon passes me on.. am dreading tomorrow. its awful having to wait for info..i was never any good at waiting. It sounds like you've been through a long year of treatments but looking like the worst of it is over now hey. what is antibody treatment, in all my googling i haven't come across that yet (i know googling is not the thing to be doing really).. ooh this is so crazy .. any tips on losing hair etc? wigs? i think that is going to be really hard for me. how are you feeling now after all the treatments - any spring in your step yet or are you floored? any tips at all are welcome. thanks a million!

I was not bad with any of it, felt very out of sorts while on chemo and food tasted horrible, it was like a hangover when you just eat everything because nothing tastes right. I hated tea during chemo, so drank a lot of miwadi or water with a few slices of lemon in it. You will find what the surgeon predicts and what the oncologist recommends can be very different as they have different areas of expertise.

If i was giving any tips, it is to buy a childs tootbrush as chemo has an awful affect on your mouth, don't eat crusty bread or crackers, or anything too acidic, aloedent toothpaste is a non flouride toothpaste sold in the health shop and contains teatree, i found that very good and also to gargle cool boiled water with salt every night before bed because of the sinues side effect of chemo drugs effect you throat and it clears a lot of the mucus while being gentle on your mouth. i also found walking a great stress releiver so if you feel down just try a gentle stroll to get some fresh air. Massage the scar with bio oil till you start the radiation and during radition and after use loads of aqueous cream, especially before bed. If the soles of your feet are burning and very sore during chemo also use aqueous cream to relieve it. if you have any queries during it please feel free to ask me and i will help if i know the answer.

As for the hair on day 12 after chemo most fell out in the shower, i had a glorious head of hair, long brunette, very thick, straight at the top and curly at the end, i bought a wig in a hairdressers in limerick and they cut it to suit my face, nearly the same as my own hair with a fringe to hide the net so i could tie it up. that was 460 euro, i bought a similar one on ebay brand new for 20 stg. so goes to show you, shop around, although if you are issued with a nedical card for medical reasons then they will cover the wig. My hair is short spiky and grey at the moment so it does not take long to grow back. i find wearing makeup every day has helped me cope with the looks side of things, including eyebrow pencil to colour them in. i bough a lot of the headgear from blue rose waterford .com website and have gotten loads of enquires to know where i got them.

Try not to worry about tommorow as that will change nothing and fingers crossed it was all taken and gotten very early. The waiting is the hardest part of this whole process you will get through it. Antibody treatment that i am on is avastin and is only used as a trial at the moment for triple negative cancer. but herceptin is also an antibody treatment and you probally have came across that. It just stops particular ensymes forming. (however bad my spelling was before chemo it is worse now, that is my excuse and i am sticking to it)

talk soon
take care.

Thanks a million for all your tips its great to get info from an expert who has been through & can help out. i will surely stock up on items to have ready. i am hoping to be prepared for anything! Well great news today, nothing found in nodes from sentinal biopsy also clear margins so am absolutely thrilled. just the chemo in a few wks now before rad..i have a long list of stuff to get from chemist.. am also thinking that if i feel down i might keep a bit of money by to be able to buy myself something now & then without feeling guilt about spending it. retail therapy really does work, even if its a decent pair of tights. i think i might start getting into wearing more earrings too seeing as my hair will be gone in the near future.. i too had really long hair but its now in a bob..actually i prefer it..all the same it took me yonks to grow it that length & keep it etc. thanks for the website checked it out they have some nice head gear & i will def be buying a couple. Am making apt. to meet with wig people in town in the next 2 wks.. figure once i have everything to hand its half the battle. Thanks for all your advice.

Hi Michl,

Just wanted to wish you luck for your chemo and RT. I started mine over 3 years ago now, my cousin is nearly finished her RT and one of my best friends has just started chemo. What I was surprised by is that treatment and anti-sickness meds have improved even since I did mine, which is great.

I am in Drogheda so could travel by train to Greystones at some point when the Malahide bridge is fixed (which should be soon). If you would like to meet. Where are you having your chemo, etc? If you can find one, go to a cancer support centre and avail of the complementary therapies, counselling, relaxation, etc that they offer. Free! And its also a great place to meet with other patients and share your stories and tips. I got the most comfort from speaking to other women going through the same thing.

Regards,

Flo.

PS - I am 40 with one 5 year old boy.

Hi Flo,

I sent a pm or thought i did but it obviously didnt work! Thanks for the support, will go through the process & hopefully no complications along the line, are you totally finished therapies now ? i never knew drogheda train went past greystones ! you are more than welcome to take a trip out your little boy could pass the time happily with mine they are very close in age. well i have lots of stupid questions. i went to cancer support place and they were good thanks, got info on what they do so i will definitely book in for a couple of things. How are you doing now.. do you follow a strict diet, exercise etc?? since finishing.. i am thinking about keeping healthy after all this is over & wonder what i can be doing to stop a recurrance.. also one question re fake tan.. will my skin be extra sensitive or can i keep putting on johnsons moisturiser with light tan... on my head too??! thanks, Michelle

Hi Michelle,

I did get your PM and sent you a reply but its stuck in my Outbox. But here it is anyway....

I think you could put fake tan on your bald head. If you go for a wig fitting, the fitter is usually a hair dresser with good experience of chemo effects on hair, etc, so ask her to be sure.

One thing though, you lose 50% of your bodyheat through your head so you might feel too cold to go bare, especially over the next few months. I found my wig too itchy so mostly wore scarves and hats. I loved to go for walks on the beach but my head and especially my ears used to be freezing. I longed for one of those hats with the ear flaps! Just for the beach walks when no-one could see me!!

Yes, some of the next year will be tough. But some of it will be great too. Strangely there are a lot of opportunities for laughter. At oddly inappropriate times occasionally. But let yourself laugh at anything you can, its good for you!! And a cancer diagnosis can bring a lot of positive things into your life too. I have a greater appreciation for life now, I have deeper friendships with several of my friends, I am less inhibited and self conscious, I have no hang ups about saying 'I love you' to family and friends, among other stuff.

I don't know if there is a direct train to Greystones but it'd only be one quick change at Connolly. So we must look into meeting up at some stage. Where are you having your treatment?

Stay in touch,
Flo.

PS - On the money front, apply for a medical card. Regardless of your circumstances, it is usually given to someone with a cancer diagnosis. Even if just for six months or a year. It is a godsend when on chemo for all the anti-sickness meds, etc. I needed antibiotics at one stage that were over €100 per TABLET!! They might be a bit tighter granting them now we are in rrrrrRecession but I would apply anyway. Ask your GP or local welfare officer for a form.

Hi Michelle,
I'm in west wicklow. Just finished my chemo and going for surgery at the start of March I think. How are you doing?
Celine