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Sadly a friend of mine is having serious dental problems post chemo so I thought I would let any of you having chemo at the moment know that the dental advice we get during chemo is for a very good reason. Apparently when the white blood cell count is low the body cannot react to some infections and we can be totally unaware that there is a problem. Here is what I was told. Please add more tips if you know more! - Brush after every meal with a soft toothbrush - Use gentle mouthwashes to avoid ulcers - Drink often to avoid a dry mouth (less saliva means less natural cleaning action) - Avoid chewing gum for extended periods of time as this encourages continued chewing action during the night which stresses the teeth - Avoid sugary drinks, crisps and any food that sticks to the teeth if you cannot brush your teeth right after a meal for some reason. Take care! Hugs Kathleen

Did anyone else hate their wig after it was fitted? I had my hair shaved off on Monday - laughed and cried through it all with my sisters. It was traumatic but I had prepared myself and got through that part with the help of Jim the hairdresser who couldn't have been nicer... Had the wig fitted and shaped and my only thought was -let me home and once I get working on it it will be fine..... but I've put it on each day and tried to 'play' with it but I just think I look awful with it. Colour is perfect - and it even looks quite real - but to me it screams 'WIG'...... I've got a few of those bandanas and turbans which I've been wearing and think at this stage that I'll be wearing one of those for Christmas - am I being paranoid???

Hi ladies Saw my oncologist on Wednesday which was my baby's 5th birthday.so of course all the questions I had for him went out of mind as was clock watching so I could get home to him.Got great news in that he is really happy with all results I have less than 5 per cent chance of re accurance.beat Christmas pressie ever!! He has though put me on anti-depressants as am so so down.have spent the last 5/6 weeks convincing myself that my hubby and kids would not be better off without me!i don't go out,and have very little confidence in myself or anything I do.he reckons this is down to tamoxifen. My question is has anyone else taken anti ds .i am very wary as I don't want to create new side effects to cure old one!!there was no offer of counselling just straight to pills.got the prescription today but can't seem to go about starting taking them.any advice??? Confused.com Xx w

Hi Girls Out of the shower today and noticed a hair maybe inch long on crown of head just popping up. Have had four chemos and due four more. Looked more closely near sunlight and found around ten of them - they were defo not leftovers from my original hair. I really had to pull at them to get them out - the worst thing was they were grey!!! For my age I have (had) literally only a few strangs of grey. Question is where the hell is this hair coming from - did this happen to any of you these few pop ups during chemo? Any of your dark haired people with no greys before chemo how did your hair grow back. Cheers girls

Hi All Would just like to wish all my friends here the very best for Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. Have a good one ladies will be toasting us all later Love Madge x

Hi ladies Wishing you all a happy new year! Thinking of the "new" improved me for next year .... lol ..... hair short, grey and curly but so novel to have hair!!!! How long post chemo before you can colour it and does it have to be a specific type of product. Don't want to end up with it falling out;-)

I'm finished treatment 2 years now. Am having my usual 6 month check up with the oncologist. Have had bloods done, and ct scan. Appt is on the 10 th of jan. I just seem to be extra worried this time that something is going to pop up No reason, I feel well....it just feels like a ticking bomb. I know it's ridiculous. I just needed to say it though. I don't want to mention it to friends/ family. Does the fear ever go away

[color=#804080:zkv9l8bn]Its been a while since I've posted but I've been busy....with the treatments for cancer. Its seems to take up so much time, like a new full time job. But I am getting there...wherever 'there' is! I've now had my double mastectomy,lymph nodes removed, my reconstruction(phase 1 might add, I have very high standards ) and I'm well into my chemo treatments. I've finished my 4 AC which I hope never ever to have to go through again. Side-effects - I had so many unfortunately yet have spoken to people who tolerated the AC very well. I'm onto the taxol weekly chemo now which is a walk in the park compared to the AC, which is a huge relief. My veins didnt hold up great so got a portacath in which unfortunately has an infection around the incision site right now so on antibiotics again and had to find a vein in my hand for chemo this week as the portacath couldnt be used due to the infection. But the main thing is I'm moving forward and getting closer to the end of all this treatment. It really hit me around St.Stephens Day that I'm really going through all this. I'm not sure why that day but maybe it's something got to do with how much has changed for me since last year. This time last year I had breasts, hair on my head and not a clue of what a cancer diagnosis involved. Fast forward and all has changed. Its a lot to take in and I dont think I really had the time to take it all in......nearly 6mths since my diagnosis and its starting to hit home a little. I suppose I'm getting fed up and tired of looking at hospitals and the little glitches that happen on treatment. I've become so knowledgeable about things like veins, infections, scars etc its crazy. A whole new world. I just hope this time next year I can say its all behind me, well the hard bits anyway. I know I have to live with this for the rest of my life and my life will never be the same again. But here's hoping 2013 is a year of good changes and happy times for me. I want to get through this and still have a smile on my face.....I don't want to be bitter or angry that this has happened to me-because that's just it. It happened to me, I didn't ask or plan for cancer. It is so random and I just happened to be next. [/color:zkv9l8bn]

Hi all, Didn't get to wish you all a Happy Christmas, so just wanted to get in on time today and wish everybody a very happy and especially healthy 2013. Let's hope it's a new era for us all. I will commence my chemotherapy next Tuesday (8th) for 16 weeks, followed by radiotherapy and then tamoxifen for 5 years, but it's all to reduce the risk re-occurence, not looking forward to it, think losing my hair will be more traumatic than me losing my boob! But I suppose who cares what we really look like, once, we can beat this damn disease. Wishing you all the very best! Much love, M xx

Hi all I have two daughters, 14 and 4. My 14 year old knows I have cancer, but my four year old doesn't. I explained that my shoulder was sore when I had my mastectomy, as I am still not able to lift her. Baldness is looming at the end of this month, as I start chemo next week. I just wondered how those of you with smaller children, explained your baldness to them. I don't think I want her to know that I am so sick that my hair fell out, but on the other hand I want to be as honest as I can be with her as well. I would be grateful to hear what worked for some of you. Many thanks, Mxx