Hi Everyone!

I am finally HALFWAY with my chemo treatments, and it was goodbye to Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide on 24 June 2010 - a day before our seventh wedding anniversary. I don't experience any nausea after chemo, but thinking about chemo makes me feel all queezy... The side-effects linked to a lowered immune system do tend to get me down, and when I am down emotiionally as well as physically, it all gets really bad. Luckily I have Laurika who keeps me going - she has really been a gem.

The mouth sores get me down. After chemo three they actually affected a nerve, which in turn affected my hearing. I have had THREE rounds of antibiotics, low white blood cell count and very expensive injections. And I get flu all the time.

I do know that I am lucky. It could have been worse, and at least I know the chemo is working

Lots of love to all you brave, brave people.

Alicia

Wow, halfway already.... well done Alecia, sounds like you are a though cookie and with Laurika by your side you are surely invincible.

Love & Light!

Hi Alicia,
Glad to hear all is going well with you. I have also been catching up with you on your blog.
Daisy

Hi Alicia, onee you reached halfway it goes quick!

Ask your onco if you are allowed to take some vitamin C and Probiotics.
It helps to strengthen the immune system. You can never take too much VitC, your body will just get rid of it ehen it had enough. I took it morning and evening....2000mg .

I used VitaC 2000 and Lactovita probiotics. It really helped, I just got the flu once and since then only recently had it again.

Hope this helps but as I said, just double check with your onco firtst, it shouldn't be a prob though. Let me know what he says.

xxx

When I was going through my chemo I was told not to take any vitamins or any anti-oxidants so please check with your oncologist first.

Hi Brave Ladies!

Can you believe that chemo 5 has come and gone? I am now on Taxotere and quite taxing it's been... Very bad bone pains and back pains.

Have had conflicting information from the oncologysts: my oncologist has packed up and left East London, so I had to see somebody else before chemo 4. He said no vitamin C, and no vitamins: "I would not do it", were his words. I saw a locum before chemo 5 and he was more to the point: don't put anything into your body that you won't normally put in, were his words. He's ok with Centrum, but not probiotics, not spirulina, not multiforce alcaline powder, for at least the week after chemo. According to him, most of the chemo will then be out of my body, so I can then start taking supplements. It made sense, because you do want the chemo to do it's work. Everybody is always trying to NOT make the hair fall out, or NOT make the nails go blue, but to me these are signs that it is actually doing it's work. I am hopefully meeting my last oncologist before chemo 6.

I can't believe that I am already on the downhill! Things just feel so much better, as if there actually is light at the end of the tunnel. I think the positive attitude of the latest oncologist also helped, since he started discussing my future with me. It makes you believe in the future!

In the meantime I have gone quite bald in the north as well as the south... I am losing my eyebrows and eye-lashes, and have NO idea how to put false eye-lashes on. Anybody can give me advice?

Love

Alicia

Hi, seeing the side effects of chemo as a sign that it is working is wonderful!

Eyelashes - There are beauty salons that put on semi permant ones, its expensive but looks like it might be worth it.

Stay strong!

Hi Alicia,
So nice to hear all is going well with you. When you look back you will wonder how you ever felt like you did at the beginning.
Daisy

Hi Daisy and everybody else!

I have ONE chemo left! Can't believe how much has happened and how life has changed. Am feeling more upbeat now that the therapies are coming to an end. My veins are also coming to and end... I have asked God for at least one more good vein for the final treatment on - hopefully - 17 September.

Now the next question: what happens next? I know I have to start Tamoxifen, and that I have to go for regular appointments with the oncologist, etc. Suddenly one is faced with living your life without chemo, and you have to continue living as normally as possible. What does that mean to you?

Love

Alicia

Hi!

Wow, almost done! I am sure you are looking forward to the end of this.

My friend that finished 3 weeks ago said that it was the wierdest thing not going to the hospital on the first Friday... she daid that it was a happy/sad occasion to have the last one, happy that she was done with chemo but sad as she would miss the staff and other people she had met at chemo.

many emosions you gals have to deal with.

Let us know how it went. XXX