FEC #2

Well, had my 2nd dose of FEC chemo on Friday 20th. After having a good reaction to it last time I drove myself there and back again, which was fine. "My" medical student, Sophie, was with me during this one, to gather more research on my experience for her project/report so by chatting to her and the nurses throughout, it went very quickly! Appt was at 9.30am and I was heading out by 11am. Went via Waitrose afterwards to treat myself to something nice for lunch!!

Spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen, cooking a beef stew, and upgrading my laptop to Windows 7 as the discs had arrived.

Side effects from the chemo so far this time:
-My vein aches a little bit, but that is clearing a little bit each day;
-Felt a tiny bit nauseous on Friday evening, which passed when I ate;
-I had a small dose of lactulose on Saturday and that has kept things moving (with a nice bit of extra wind, lovely!!)
-I have a cold which came on late Saturday night - my tickly cough from last week has turned into a snotty nose. As immunity is usually suppressed 7-10 days after a dose, I think this is just a usual winter cold. I have checked my temperature (pre-paracetamol, as that lowers your temp) and I am normal, so I'm not worried - just annoyed!!

It may not have helped that I spent yesterday afternoon in the pub with drunken boys (well, to be fair it was only Luke that was properly drunk (he's become a lightweight since he lost 3 stone in prep to go in the Army!!! ha ha) and he is a very friendly and happy drunk, and shopping for hats!! Some people on chemo really avoid going out during their treatment, but I couldn't bear to spend months inside so I want to carry on as normally as possible.

I bought this hat: Tweed Bakerboy and I wore a nice grey beanie hat with a flower on that Claire bought for me (thanks Claire!) all day. If I could wear hats inside all day, I might do that instead of wigs, but they're a bit warm and it looks a bit odd....

I can't decide what to do with my head - almost too many choices, none of which is right!!! I washed it yesterday and rubbed half of the hair that is left out, so it is much more patchy than the earlier picture now. I wonder if it would be better completely bald? It'll probably be there in another day or two. Hats are more comfy and most people seem to prefer me in those, and the wig feels too big (as in 'big hair' not 'it doesn't fit') for me. Maybe I shouldn't have got one with a long style... I'm just not used to it. It also comes down further over my face than I really like so I want to keep hooking it behind my ears, which I can just about do, but it makes you feel a bit self conscious about the edges showing!!! Oh well, I shall work it out...

I am also getting slightly horrified at my weight gain. I have to confess I ate a fair old bit just after my first chemo dose (they say its the steroids that increase your appetite) but it had a delayed effect and the weight only showed up last week! I have since eaten fairly normally, but the weight is still piling on! It feels silly to go on a diet at this point (plus, I am back on the steroids, but a much lower dose - I am going to only have half the recommended daily dose and for only 3 days, not 5 as last time they made me shaky and I don't seem to have the sickness that many people get and they are designed to protect you from) but I am now starting to feel pretty unattractive and don't want to make the weight loss harder than it has to be at the end of all this. So, more fruit and veg to fill me up and I must stay away from the chocolate and too many carbs!!! If I didn't have a cold, I'd go on the treadmill for a bit, but exercise and a cold do not mix!

Tomorrow brings a 'MUGA scan' (heart scan) which takes a baseline of your heart function pre-Herceptin, which may or may not cause heart complications, so I shall not be back at work properly until tuesday, which gives some time for my cold to pass a little!

Have a lovely sunday all xxx