Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
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Hello everyone,
Spring has finally come to Exmouth.
Camellia shrub
Viburnum shrub
Hebe shrub
Primula
Flower bed that I made opposite the main entrance.
I hope you enjoy the flowers that are in the grounds of the apartment complex where I live. I can finally feel that Spring is here.
Best wishes to all.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia, Mary and all
Sylvia, congratulations on the coming of the spring. Your pictures are so lovely. Our new year will come with the coming of spring in 5 days.
Mary, thank you so much for your kind words. I hope your knee is better now.
Amanda, Im really happy ti hear you are well.
Im also happy to tell all that my check up was good. I hope to stay NED for ever.
Love
Hanieh
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HI, Sylvia,
I did have a look at the article on Soy, and the Study that found it may help women with TNBC. It does indeed state that women with this type of breast cancer seem to do very well with eating soy, to the tune of being 21% less likely to die. And the women with hormone-positive cancer do not show signs of more cancer while eating soy. The study concludes that TNBC women benefit, and E+ women show no change in status. So that all sounds like a good reason to eat soy products, since it is a good way to get protein. The thing that puzzles me in this study report is that there is no data shown which states what else these women are eating, what are their lifestyles, what are their ages and so on? I guess we are just to take it as a general theme, that broadly speaking, soy products seem to be beneficial for women with TNBC.
Sylvia, it seems to have worked for you to eat the organic soy products. But you do many other things correctly as well. I have looked for the tempeh around here, haven't found any yet. I can buy the organic tofu.
I did notice that Teresa May and Nicola Sturgeon are butting heads over the Scotland affair. I'm sure the Brexit process is getting delayed because there are many people trying to throw another wrench into the works. Monday isn't far away, maybe the Brexiteers can hold on and push it through.
I did notice Woollams has sent another post. Too close to the last one! We are going to be overloaded again with information.
My knee pain woke me up last night, certainly hasn't improved!
I will talk to you soon, love, Mary
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HI, Lou,
Good luck with chemo #5 today, I hope you can finish your treatment uneventfully and can get rid of the ear ringing. Also I hope you have good luck with avoiding neuropathy, it is a miserable SE.
I hope Gina is doing very well and resting up after her treatment.
I'm not sure if I like Indian food, because I don't think I have ever had good Indian food. That is a type of food that is not widely-offered around here, I would have to drive an hour, maybe 2 hours, to find an Indian restaurant. I could try to make some, and I may do so; I think curry always sounds so delicious. Around here it's easy to find fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, beefsteak, fried fish, and so on. Here it is called "home cooking"! I usually eat at home, just simple food simply prepared. When I go out to eat, I eat at places that offer choices of lighter food. Thanks for the invitation to eat Indian food, that would be great if possible!
Have a good day, Lou,talk to you again soon,
Mary
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Hello all,
Just a update regarding my appt yesterday with Oncologist. He seems not much worried about it. Thought it could be cartilage but still advised ct. I had my scan yesterday and waiting for the result now.
Mary sorry to here about your knee. Hope you feel better soon. I am aware about acupuncture which you are doing already for your neuropathy. We do cook lot of Indian food with lots of spices 2 to 3 times a week. Happy to advice service out websites. My daughter does not like much higher so we often have roast and Italian.
Your advised Sylvia about soy is very informative. I am going to find the products which you mentioned and try them.
Love to all nilima
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Hi Mary,
Done with #5 and 7 more to go. Hoping for exactly the same thing because I really do want to finish all my treatment. I won't be going for radiation therapy because they said I don't need it. They have a clear margin. The chemo was sort of an insurance they say.
Here also a variety of restaurants and fast food to chose from. Previously, we would prefer to go to Indian, Filipino, Thai, Indonesian and Chinese restaurants but currently no eating out because of chemo. We are back to good old home cooking. Never enjoyed home cooking this much though. Everything is from the scratch. 😀
Hope your knee pain is gone by now. Sending you big hugs.
Sylvia - Love the flower photos they look very pretty. I tried planting roses in the pot but I guess it's not for me.
Hanieh - Congrats on being NED. Hopefully BC will never show it's ugly face in your doorstep ever again.
Nili - Hopefully your scan result is clear. Sending you big hugs. My DH is Indian and we also cook Indian food about 2-3 times a week.
Steroids is keeping me up and I napped during infusion then I also napped when I reached home so it will probably be a long night for me.
Best regards,
Lou
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Sylvia - beautiful spring time flowers in Exmouth. Our Spring is quite late this year although I did spot a rhododendron bush in bloom this morning while out on my walk - so not too long now. My son who lives in Quebec sent me photos - they got 75cm of snow today - that is a lot of snow to shovel and move - so glad I do not live there - I prefer rain.
Hanieh - so glad that your consultation with your doctor was positive - wishing you NED for ever.
Maryna - sorry to hear that the knee is still bothering you - do you take turmeric supplements? That must be so frustrating for you, especially when it wakens you up at night.
Gina - hope you continue to do well.
To others continuing in treatments - wishing you minimal side effects - look after yourselves and accept help when it is offered.
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ur flowers look beautiful Slyvia when the Sturt desert pea is in flower I will post some pics. Saw my breast surgeon yesterday and he was very happy with how I had progressed after rads which were only 2 and a half weeks ago . He did a thorough manual exam of both breasts and nderarms and doesn't want to see me for 6 months when he will do a mammogram . He told me I have be kind to myself and let myself heal from he chemo which only finished 9 weeks ago when u told him about the crawling feelings I had under my skin and remember that I had a fairly hefty dose of chemo and that it will take a while to get out of my system. Not sure how I feel! See oncologist in April so one day at a time!
Cheers
Kath
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Hello Hanieh,
It is always nice to see you on the thread. It makes me feel happy to know that you enjoy the Spring flowers that I have just posted. Be sure to post anything you have in your surroundings that heralds the arrival of Spring.
It was good to know that you had good results from your check up and that all is clear. I hope this gives you peace of mind and the motivation to keep your mind worry free and enjoy every minute of your days.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
I agree with you about the article on soy. We do not know from it what else the women are eating and what kind of lifestyles they have. It may have been an article sponsored by soy manufacturing companies! (me, cynical?!). I long ago decided I would just make up my own mind about what to do and not do in my own life. I am convinced that the unhealthy Western lifestyle of many is causing all these chronic diseases. There will always be exceptions, but on the whole too many people are probably having too much fast food, too much processed food, too much junk and too many unhealthy drinks, including alcohol. Some of the busiest places I see here are McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza parlours, and fish and chip shops.
We can be as strict as we like with our food and drink, but environmental toxins are harder to deal with and I still think stress is a big factor in cancer and that is also very hard to deal with. Life has become too hectic and too complicated.
I cannot really say whether organic soy products have been a big help or not. I have drunk green tea daily for nearly twelve years and have eaten bitter apricot kernels for the same amount of time. Are they helping? Who knows? I am convinced that steering clear of all dairy products is one of the most useful things to do. There are so many factors that can add up to the development of cancer. The experts still say having your periods early, having your menopause late, not having children, having children late in life, especially your first child, taking HRT, taking birth control pills, are all factors. I suppose all you can do is tick all the boxes and hope for the best!
I think that as far as tempeh and tofu goes, the best thing is to add them to stir-fries with tasty vegetables, herbs and spices. As I have read they take on the flavours of whatever they are cooked with. All this fermented soy is supposed to be good for a healthy gut, and the experts say a healthy gut is essential to avoid inflammation and then chronic disease. I am still having some sauerkraut during the week and have just tried fresh sauerkraut, having been told that the one you buy in a jar has been pasteurised and is no good. Apart from these things I just like to keep to simple meals of oily fish and a mixture of vegetables.
Here in the UK all this fighting among politicians is getting to be tedious. The women are the worst and they really get the claw out. I think Brexit may start at the end of March with the activation of Article 50, but I am sure there will be battles raging for the next two years that it will take to finalise everything. Today the Queen has to sign the bill which will allow Theresa May to activate Article 50. This is known as the Royal Assent. Can you imagine anything more archaic?!
I have not had time to look at the last Chris Woollams newsletter and I have not had time to digest the other one in detail.
I do hope you will find a way to get improvement with your knee pain. Pain is so wearing.
I have been thinking about my own health and feel that everything has stemmed from this genetic gum problem. I had had no illness in my life until 2005 when I was diagnosed with TNBC and an over-active parathyroid gland at the same time. I was not aware of the gum problem until 1990 and was not told that it would be a problem. It all seems to have kicked off since chemotherapy and it has worsened since then. We all know how chemotherapy causes problems in the mouth. This is just my theory and I add to is the stress.
Are you listening to Nigel Farrage? I listen on the four nights he is on LBC. He has some interesting callers.
That is all for now.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Nili,
Thank you for your post.
I do hope that you will have a good result from the CT scan that you had yesterday. Let us know when you have the result.
I was glad to know that the information I put on the thread about soy was useful for you. Let me know if you do try some of them. I usually buy my products in a small natural food store that we have in Exmouth.
Take care and keep well.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Nili,
I am glad your oncologist is not worried about your results, and see that you are waiting for them. Waiting for test results is the worst, but it sounds like yours will be good!
I like all types of food, and am going to try to find a simple recipe (if there is such a thing) online for curry. And see what I come up with. If I can find the necessary ingredients, that is. That could be another problem. I have used curry powder frequently when I used to cook a lot, now that it's just me I usually just broil a piece of fish and have a big salad, and/or sweet potatoes, asparagus, kale, turnips, etc. or a mixture of vegetables at a meal. I like raw vegetables, or roasted. Sometimes I bake a clean-raised chicken.
Sylvia gives great advice for healthy eating.
Hoping that you hear good news soon!
Talk to you soon, Mary
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Hi, Lou,
Good job, Lou! I wish my doc had done the 12 small Taxotere treatments instead of trying to push it through in 6, I might have had less neuropathic problems. I didn't know anything then, or I would have told him!
Is your hair coming back? My hair started to return when I got on the Taxotere by itself.
My knee is better, I think. I saw my acupuncture doc yesterday, he is also a chiropractor. He popped my kneecap back in place and massaged my bursa, the fluid sac on the side of the knee. It was swelled, and he told me my quadricep muscles were weak. He thinks will be better by next week, yay!!
I hated taking the steroids, I wouldn't sleep well for 3 or 4 days, and would get constipated. Ugh!
Rest up Lou, you will be half-way through soon!
Talk soon, Mary
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Hello Lou,
It was good to know that you are proceeding normally with your chemotherapy. Take it easy because the fatigue tends to build up. You still have seven more to go, but women seem to cope better with weekly treatment.
If you really do not need radiotherapy that is good, because it is toxic.
Remember with the chemotherapy to keep well hydrated and to rest and keep looking forward.
Thank you for your kind words about the flower photographs. I think photographs of nature cheer us all up.
How many steroids are you taking and for how long? I did my chemotherapy every three weeks for six months but I only had steroids for the first couple of days of each treatment and they did not affect me as far as sleep was concerned. Try to sleep whenever you feel the need.
Thinking of you and sending very best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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To all concerning acupunture,
I cannot remember who asked about the purpose of an acupuncture doc putting needles in the ears. I asked my doc yesterday and he puts them in mine to relieve sinus and allergy problems.
Rhonda, I think it was you that asked about acupuncture and neuropathy....I told him yesterday that I preferred it when he didn't concentrate on the neuropathy points because it seems to cause more pain. He shook his head and said that with neuropathy, more feeling is a good thing. It means things are alive and trying to heal. I asked him if he could do a half-way measure, not sure what I got! He also worked on my knee. I really like him a lot, I don't mind at all driving an hour to see him.
Mary
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Hello adagio,
It was so nice to hear from you. I am sure your Spring is not far away. When I was in Ottawa for nine years I remember how rapidly in April nature suddenly awoke. It was such a lovely feeling after the very harsh winter. If you a have a rhododendron bush in bloom Spring is definitely waiting to pounce. I was surprised that snow had come to Quebec but having lived in Montreal I do remember all the snow. Is you son in Quebec Province or actually Quebec City? I used to enjoy shovelling snow!
Thinking of you and sending best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Kath,
Thank you for your kind words about the flower photographs.
We shall all look forward to your photographs of the Sturt desert pea. It is so interesting to see photographs of every aspect of life in different countries and it brightens up the thread.
Congratulations on having good results from your check up. I do hope this good news will give you some peace of mind and that you will be able to live more peacefully and free of worry. Your breast surgeon gave you good advice when he said you have to be kind to yourself and let yourself heal from your treatment. It does take a long time to get your body back to normal, because it has taken a huge beating with the chemotherapy and radiotherapy. You can do this.
Take care and try to relax.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello everyone,
Rhonda, Pam, Val, 4everStrong, and Gina. I hope you are all well and happy. Please drop in any time and tell us how life is treating you.
I do hope all is well with Lamis, Chris and Maggie. It is a long time since we heard from you.
If anyone has heard from Marias in Colombia, please let me know. I am concerned that she has suddenly stopped posting after being so active on the thread. I have PMd her but not had a reply.
Best wishes to all.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Sylvia,
Your flowers are so beautiful, very spring-y! Here we had a very warm stretch, then this week it got down as low as 15F, I think that's -9C in UK. My pear trees were in bloom, much too early. Many spring flowers were up. I myself don't have many spring flowers, just the perennial flowering bushes which are very hard to kill, I don't worry too much about them. Not sure if my lilacs will flower though. I did attempt to cover my Japanese maple, it has been harmed by frost before, I managed to get it partially covered with bedsheets, too big. We will see what comes out of all this!
I have to say here that I feel a little bad that I was whining about my knee pain, while women here are still going through treatment and dealing with all kinds of ill feelings. My acupuncture doc worked on my knee yesterday, and thinks it will be much better by next week. My injury happened 2 weeks ago, it just felt like another straw on the camel's back, and made me feel as if I don't have many parts that are working well. Maybe the lesson is to appreciate the good things that we do have, I had moments of that; but also subsided into self-pity frequently. Being partially or fully immobile is so hard to deal with! Anyway, I hope to be back to my new normal soon, and back to work on strengthening what I do have, but more carefully!
I had mentioned somewhere earlier that I will be going on a cruise in May, starting in Rome and going around the boot of Italy, ending up in Venice. That was really worrying me too, thinking I wouldn't be able to do it, I have always been a worrier, too late to change I'm afraid. At any rate, our flight lands in London, and we have a one-hour layover before taking off for Rome. I will be in England for an hour, but I'm sure will not have a foot on English soil in that time!
I have been taking a probiotic pill for some time now, and it has been of great benefit to me. I also have some digestive enzyme tablets from the same company, I have to be careful with those. If I take one it's okay, if I take 2 things can get very gassy! I also have a jar of raw kraut in the fridge, and keep some kefir on hand. I have to hold my nose to drink it! I think these probiotic items are very valuable to all of us!
I caught part of Nigel Farage one day and then had to leave. Here he comes on about noon and that is a busy time for me. I will keep trying! Thanks for the reminder.
Politics are crazy everywhere. Over here most of the media is busy trying to destroy the President, it is getting so old, I don't think they realize how boring they really are. All repeating the same things over and over, trying to find something that they think will undo him The latest was trotting out an old tax return of Trump's, which turned out to be nothing. It just stated that he made a lot of money and paid a lot of taxes. I hope UK can get their process going after you get the Royal Assent! I suppose that is purely a formality since the Queen doesn't really have any legislative power, right?
Speaking of unrest, our cruise was supposed to dock one day in Turkey, but that changed because of the unrest there. We will instead have another stop on the Croatian Riviera.
I hope you can keep your gum issue in check, I have that problem too, and i think we will always have to be vigilant. I lost one tooth after chemo, fortunately a back tooth so just had it pulled and left it at that. So far, so good.
I will try to remember Nigel today, I should be at home.
Talk to you soon! Love,
Mary
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Hello Mary,
Thank you for your kind words about the photographs. Please send any photographs of nature where you live. I do like Japanese Maples.
I do think we have to count our blessings. Our bodies have suffered from our treatment but at least we are alive.
You must be looking forward to your cruise in May. I am sure you will enjoy Italy and I hope you will send photographs. Keep telling yourself you will be fine to go on this trip.
It looks as though we are both on the sauerkraut. I have just bought a jar of it and it is fresh sauerkraut. Apparently the pasteurised version of it is not much good.
I listened to Nigel Farage last night at 7 pm on LBC. He was discussing whether Theresa May should call a General Election for May. I think she should in order to get a mandate from the people and I think she will get a large majority. At the moment the Conservatives have a majority of just 12. I have always voted Labour, but I think they have lost their way. We shall just have to see what happens but with our first past the post system the small parties are not treated fairly.
It is true that politics are all over the place. Anything can happen. The results from the General Election in Holland were strange. The Prime Minister won again, but with a small percentage of the population. He kept on about how he was glad that the 'wrong kind of populism' had not won. I kept asking what would be the 'right kind of populism'? Have you any idea? I think Holland is heading for a lot of trouble and I think Turkey is going to make a lot of trouble for the West.
We are back to cold weather today and I have just been in our other building to see the other director. We ended up having a discussion about Freemasons. It was most interesting.
I do not understand why people keep creating new threads on the TNBC forum. There have been so many created in March. There is a huge thread Calling all TNs where they can get answers to all of their questions. Our own thread Calling all triple negatives in the UK is also big and full of information. Do these new people creating threads not see them?
That is about all for now. I feel somewhat weary after a very busy week.
Take care.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Sylvia
I agree, I'm not sure why there are so many 'new' threads. I would think to join and existing one, to get a wealth of experience and information. But that is just my 2 cents worth.
I tire of the news,both written, internet and not to mention the television. It's a lot to wade through. No matter what side you are on, it's all a bit much. Again, imho.
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Photinia (Red robin) evergreen shrub with bright red leaves.
Forsythia deciduous shrub - one of the first shrubs to bloom in spring
Heathers
Camellia - another evergreen shrub with very showy blooms.
Hello everyone,
More flowers to cheer us all up. Some seem to be blooming overnight! I do hope you enjoy them,
I was wondering how many of you are following Chris Woollams' emails. There have been two this month, which is a lot of information to absorb.
I am concentrating on the ones that I think may be of the greatest to us.
I still have to go through the first newsletter this month in detail, but I have also glanced at the second email and have marked off certain numbers to look at in more detail.
No 1, So are vaccines safe or not? - The real truth about vaccines
No 2, The real truth about immunotherapy. - Kite launches a CAR-T lymphoma drug.
No. 4, CRUK and their atrocious research on statins. - a small statin can help fight cancer despite CRUK's rubbish.
No. 5, GMO foods safe or not? - the truth about GMOs and Terminator seeds.
No. 6, Men can get oestrogen driven cancers. - ten ways you can reduce your oestrogen yourself.
I hope you are all doing well and wish you all a pleasant weekend.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi, Sylvia,
Spring has definitely sprung for your part of the world, my part got a little setback with our latest freeze. I had posted a forsythia pic some time ago, and we also had the very early "easter lilies" blooming as we call them, actually they are daffodils. Also many of the early flowering trees were in bloom, my Kiefer pear trees were blooming, but i looked at them after the hard freeze and the white blooms are now brown. So nipped in the bud, they were. I did not prune my roses early, because there is always one last hard freeze here or two. I looked at them yesterday, and they had put out a lot of green growth but it had been damaged. So I started cutting on those. I didn't finish my big shrub rose, more thorny branches will have to go!
You are right about counting blessings, I am noticing that it is easy for me to count my blessings when things are going fairly well. Not so easy when things are difficult. It is one of my challenges to myself to try to be grateful for good things even when distracted by pain, worry and stress.
I am very much looking forward to my trip, my sister-in-law and I have not been to Europe before. We are mentally packing already and are unsure about the weather. From what we can figure, the chances are that early May on the Adriatic and Mediterranean will be nice weather, cool to warm but not hot. Maybe on the cool side, which is fine with me, I can no longer tolerate really hot weather. Does anyone have any advice on that subject? Amanda, the world traveler perhaps?
I tried to listen to Nigel on Thursday, but I tuned in at 2 PM, which I thought would be the right time; instead a man named Iain Dale was on, I did listen a while. Like you, I liked listening to the people call in. I even enjoyed the commercials, they were exactly like our radio commercials, except I didn't recognize many of the products. I don't know why I assumed they would be different, but I did. So I think I have figured out that I will try to tune in at 7 PM here, I assume you listen to a live version, and we perhaps we get a time-delayed taped version? Maybe next week I will catch Nigel, although next week I will be gone for a lot of it. Perhaps he just had the day off! Right now there is a man named Maajid Nawaz on, he is taking calls about whether or not people like Brexit, perhaps you should call in! It is supposedly Live.
I think it's too bad if your government has to have another election to get a mandate, since they already got a mandate! I think these thick-headed politicians like to just keep things up in the air while hoping people will forget or change their minds.
As to the General Election in Holland, and the prime minister saying that he was glad the "wrong kind of populism" hadn't won, you asked if I had any idea about what he meant? I definitely have an opinion about what I think he meant. Our politicians are always arguing about the meaning of words too. Populism to one man is nationalism to another. Anti-illegal immigration to one man is anti-immigration to another. Twisting the meaning of a statement is also very popular, these people have to measure their words carefully or they will be gleefully quoted or misquoted, whatever works. Geert Wilders came very close to winning, and he is promising to be back. As you say, stay tuned!
I have been reading through Chris Woollams' posts too, we shall have to talk about all that too.
Have a restful weekend.
Talk to you soon, Love,
Mary
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Hi, Adagio,
I had missed your last message to me, you asked if I take turmeric. I do take turmeric, I take what I think is a good supplement of it. Something I missed though, when buying it was noting that it also contained 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3. I was already supplementing with 5000 IU of D3 in the winter months, so that put my total quite high. I have been off it all for almost a week and I had my Vitamin D level checked, don't have the results yet. Lesson learned, Beware of those supplement ingredients!!
My knee is a bit better. My acupuncture doc, who is also a chiropractor, worked on it last week. He thinks it should feel better next week, but I should let it heal well before I start exercising again. And then I have to start working on my quads, since they are weak and not supporting my knees well. Gently! The knee is not bothering me at night as much.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Mary
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Hello Mary
Thank you for a very interesting post. I am about to go shopping and will reply later.
The time here at the moment is 3:15 pm to help you work out the time difference.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Mary,
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement.
Small doses of Taxol is easier than dense dose,they say. Another person is doing Taxorete with me but she is doing the dose dense and we have the same MO.
Yes my hair started growing on the 2nd week after my last AC but very slow and not yet filling up much. I did try the Cold Caps trial on my 1st AC but my hair fell off before my 2nd AC. But I am loving the feeling of it being low maintenance. I am thinking of keeping it short when it comes back.
Nice to hear that your knees are getting better.
Aside from the steriods in pre-meds, I still have a take home of 6 tablets but I haven't taken them so far. I am taking Metoclopramide 10 mg instead to combat nausea & vomiting and for each infusion I have only taken 1 each time. So far no problem with constipation but on the 3rd day after infusion I go a few times. Sorry, TMI. 😀
Yes, looking forward to being halfway done on Thursday.
Best regards,
Lou
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Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for your word of encouragement.
Not really sure to be thankful that I am not getting radiotherapy. But both MO and BS decided not to prescribe it for me. I suppose I just have to trust them on this and do my part in my own way to keep BC at bay. Anyway there is no guarantee even with chemotherapy.
Yes, I am hydrating well. I am also eating plenty of fruits and a variety of veggies. I have been making almond milk from scratch as well.
They are giving 50 mg each infusion to prevent allergic reaction to Taxol. It doesn't bother me much actually, I am a good sleeper except during infusion day because I would nap.
Yes, photographs of nature cheer us all up.
Here is a photo of majestic Mayon Volcano from my birthplace in Philippines. This is an active volcano and she erupts without warning. I can watch her lighted tip when she is erupting from my window in my parents house when I was growing up and get awaken in the middle of the night from earthquake aftershocks. She is very beautiful specially up close but very deadly when she is furious. She once buried a whole town.
Best regards,
Lou
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Hello Mary and Lou
I am sorry I have not got back to you. It has been another hectic day. Here is hoping tomorrow will be better!
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
I have at last found time to sit down to answer your last post to me. With gardening everything is so unpredictable and you never know what is going to happen to carefully tended plants.
I think life is a very precarious journey, full of ups and downs and we just have to face things as they come. We have to live in the present and for the day. Nothing else is certain.
I am sure that looking forward to your trip to Europe in May will keep you going through the rest of March and throughout April. I saw the weather forecast for European countries on a French news channel that I watch through TV5 on satellite. I saw that countries like France, Spain and Italy were getting quite warm.
I do hope you get to listen to the Nigel Farage phone in programme. I think you need to tune in at 12 noon to get our 7pm programme on LBC direct. What time zone are you in?
The callers are mostly very informed and have more common sense than our politicians. I do not know how Nigel keeps on the go like he does. He is in all different places. He is sometimes in Brussels or Strasbourg as the European Parliament sits in both of these places and has lavish buildings in both. Can you believe that the whole of the MEPs regularly move between these two cities. It reminds me of the monarchs of old travelling around the country and taking their court with them! Sometimes Nigel takes off to the States and broadcasts from there. Last week he was in France interviewing Marine Le Pen, who is a candidate for French President and then he was off to California. He broadcasts Monday through Thursday inclusive. LBC seems to be on the air 24/7 and is mainly phone-ins. We listen to LBC on our television but just audio. It seems you can watch the show live on Facebook.
Here in the UK there are rumours of a snap General Election on May 4th when we are having municipal elections. The women in charge of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, in Wales, Leanne Wood, not the leader but the leader of Plaid Cymru, the independence party in Wales, and the Prime Minister, Theresa May, really seem to have the claws out for one another. I think we need to get Brexit done and dusted before anything else, but I think we need that General Election because Theresa May does not have a mandate from the people. The cowardly Cameron stepped down, having lost the referendum and Theresa May was elected only on a majority vote by other Conservative MPs.
As for what went on in Holland, the Prime Minister, of the Liberal Party, did not get as many votes as last time and Geert Wilders, the Party for Freedom leader, increased his vote and came second. The powers that be and those in control of the media label anyone who wants to control immigration and secure borders a racist. I do not think this is right. We cannot have people just wandering into your country. I think that political parties are all mixed up and we need to get rid of the idea of right and left.
I do agree with you about right and wrong populism. I just think that populism, the will of the people, has to win out.
I am still reading through all the Chris Woollams information. I think I need to start again with the first email for March, although I have started the second one. I looked at number 1 and clicked on The Real Truth About Vaccines and found it pretty worrying. I also clicked on 2 and went to the sub heading Kite Launches a CAR-T lymphoma drug. I am beginning to think that immunotherapy is just as dangerous as chemotherapy.
It would be useful if posters and viewers would pop in to let us know whether they are following Chris Woollams Cancer Active email and what parts of it they would like to discuss.
That is about all for today, as I work through my list of things to do.
Thinking of you.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Lou,
Thank you for that most beautiful photograph of the volcano in the Philippines. Let us hope it behaves itself. Please feel free to post other photographs as it is a learning lesson in the scenery of other countries.
I do not know what to say really about your not getting radiotherapy. I suppose you can only trust your consultants, but if you really feel strongly that you want it, then you must ask for it. It is your body, not theirs. I know that with me I was told that after surgery and chemotherapy, a patient is given radiotherapy to mop up any stray cells that may have been missed. As you say, chemotherapy treatment does not claim to cure you and I have read that the percentage who benefit from it is quite low. Who knows what to believe? At the moment, as far as I can see, the orthodox treatment keeps a lot of us alive.
I was glad to read that you are looking after yourself during treatment, keeping hydrated and eating healthily. I was interested to know that you are making almond drink from scratch. I knew a young woman from Mauritius who used to do that when I lived in Canada. How do you do it?
It is a good idea that your medical team is proceeding cautiously with your Taxol treatment to prevent allergic reactions.
Take care and keep in touch about your treatment as much as you can.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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