Hi everyone
I am a month out of last chemo and I had to rush to loo last night being sick again... wondering if this is normal .... I also still have chemo belly (diarrhoea) and sometimes still get random joints pains ... when will they stop... my hair seems to be taking its time to come back too... I've got few wisps of white hair no eyelashes and limited eyebrows.... any tips for encouraging hair to grow or am I being too impatient .... I suspect the latter fed up of looking washed out 😫
Hey Shelly, I'm sorry I can't offer you any practical advice as I haven't needed chemo but I just wanted to send you a big ((hug)). Sounds like you're going through the wars. I wonder if chatting through your symptoms/side effects with your medical team might help? Maybe they can offer some short term medication - if only to help the sickness? Thinking of you Hun xx
Thank you so much for your kind words got an appointment at end of November to see the nurses hope I feel better by then 😍
Fingers crossed you do Hun xx
Oh no, Shelly! Would it be worth trying to have a chat with your GP to see what they say?
I'm still getting random bone and joint pains 8 weeks later. Not having enough Epsom salt baths obviously 🤓
As for hair growth, mine took around 5 weeks from the last chemo to really start making progress. It was very wispy to begin with, but is filling in now.
Take it easy.
xx
Ooh i'm a BIG fan of epsom salt baths...in fact, just taken delivery of my latest 5kg tub! Think i may have converted the hubby too as he's been going a bit crazy in the garden lately (we have had thee biggest allium attack on record) so it's been helping to soothe his aching body from the over exertion! 
x
My gp is absolutely useless ... keeping fingers crossed for increased hair growth xx
There are stomach bugs and there is norovirus going around so it's definitely worth ringing your GP. Sickness that far after chemo isn't likely to be chemo related however it doesn't hurt to also ring your chemo unit, just in case - they can advise too.
Re your hair, you will suddenly see a 6 o'clock shadow on your head, it seems like a trick of the light but it will be there...then it will start to come back, so exciting!
I suddenly noticed my eyelashes were growing, little baby stubs but there again! Same with eyebrows. Take a weekly photo, my friend gave me a cat head shape of compost filled with grass and I took a photo of that and me every week! A real laugh which I put on both Facebook and my Instagram account!
How you feel better and are also hairy again soon!
Clare xx
Thanks Clare great advice think I'm getting disheartened as nothing seems to be happening and I still not picked up yet xx
Hi Shelly,
Not sure about the sickness, but hair-wise I felt just as you do one month since finishing chemo. However things are happening in your hair follicles and by the 2nd month mark I had fluffy hair appearing and after that it grew the normal half inch per month. By the 5 month mark my hair was passable to go out without a wig. By 5 and a half to 6 months it was short but quite a decent head of hair! I just used very gentle shampoo and did not colour it until 5 to 6 months-when I felt it was strong enough. My eyelashes and eyebrows grew back slowly, but before long they were passable.My eyebrows were a bit different from before- growing in odd directions but I trained them with vaseline and pencilled them in to add extra volume and shape. My eyelashes were very delicate and fell out easily, especially when removing mascara so I decided not to use mascara unless essential-ie not very often and I think that gave them time to gain strength. They do come back so try not to worry-it just takes time. I am 22 months post chemo and my hair, brows and lashes have been terrific (strong and lustrous) for many months now. Hope that helps. Hope you get the sickness resolved asap.
Angel-teal xxx
Thank you for your reply it dies help just looking for reassurance my progress is normal guess the sickness isn't and need to check this out 😍
Hi Shelly, I'm 10 weeks out of chemo and I have a fuzzy head! Nothing happened for weeks and weeks and then at the 7/8 week point I could see a shadow. I have about a cm of growth and so by Xmas I will have another cm at least. It feels great and my eyebrows are springing back too. Eye lashes still not really growing at the moment.
Regarding the sickness I think you should speak to the hospital. I felt a little nauseous when I was tired at the 4 week point but I wasn't being physically sick. We're all different but it's definitely best to check,
T. X
Thank you I will ring about the sickness go useless so will try hospital xx
Can you still ring the hospital unit after finishing chemo ??? I still have some anti sickness meds left over but I don't like to take pills if I can avoid it.
Hi Shelly. I tend to email my cancer nurse support. She then either gets back to me or pushes over to the oncologist. So yes, though my chemo has finished I'm still in touch with queries.
I hope you are feeling a little better today?
Best wishes. T. X
Yes thank you I am feeling a little better today 😃
Hi Shelley girl, I do hope you are feeling better. I did get sick a few weeks post chemo and I thought well the chemo didnt work so but it stopped. you may have a tummy bug. Maybe light foods for a day or so and see how it goes. Flat seven up and toast and then on to light foods, you may have a bug, But you also need to keep up the fluids. I agree if it is longterm then see your doctor, it is probably nothing to worry about. The hair can be slow in coming back, so when you wash it, rub and massage the scalp with conditioner and that does help the growth, I used Boots Coconut Shampoo and conditioner I am not sure if they still have it in stock.
Thanks for your reply I think your right Suzuki I've not been well at all today... think I'm pulling through .... I've eaten toast and managed to keep it down ..... oc just knocks you for six doesn't it and every little thing knocks you out.... think it scares you too a little .... well I've definitely got to man up and get on with things ... will invest in some coconut conditioner sounds fab hope they still have it 😍
Hi, sorry you are feeling a bit rough, the nausea probably isn't anything to do with the chemo, but you are only a month on, speak to your GP or oncology nurses/Macmillan nurses. Fatigue can make you feel a tad nauseous and you will find your energy levels are lower than they were, Always get strange things checked out. Possibly a bit of a bug but always worth checking out given what you've just had. Since I ended my chemo there are foods I am no longer able to tolerate that before I loved so could be similar for you? We all have a new normal now, our bodies are never going to be quite the same again but you're over the worst now. The hair is fascinating, it seems like nothing's happening then suddenly you have baby like hair, use a very gentle PH balanced shampoo, baby shampoo was great for me even though my hairdresser poo poo'd it and said the PH was all wrong. One of my friends still uses it and she's 26 months post chemo. Nioxin is great for stimulating the follicals, Gentle massaging also helps the folicals wake up, they've been asleep a long time and need a little encouragement plus it feels so nice. The eyelashes and brows can be a little sparse at first but they will happen, don't use waterproof mascara when they do as it's harder to get off and your lashes my come off with it. My eyebrows too had a bit of a mind of their own but a soft toothbrush and a little Vaseline showed them who's boss. Hope you feel much better soon & take care xx❤️
Thank you so much for your reply love the Vaseline tip.... I used to love a glass of wine or two but now I find I can't tolerate it 😳 So sift drinks for me .... I guess we have been through so much and like you say after find our new normal 😃
Shelley girl I am just ahead of you 7 weeks post last chemo, I had my bloods done 10 days ago for my onc appointment, my bloods where the lowest they have been throughout my treatment.
I was told by onc it tells her my body is still fighting the toxins, and that the aches pains and nausea is the body fighting. Also Debs who uses the site mentioned Biotin to help with hair growth, I have only been taking this for two weeks and already seeing a big difference.
Hugs Ellsey xx
Thank you for the reassurance it does make me feel as though I am not going through this alone... anything I can do to help my hair grow back I will definitely try .... I'm sure it will help me feel better about myself I still look like a cancer patient 😳
Suggestions to stop sickness please?
PPC newbie here - scared and sick
Update. Still in hospital
FEELING LET DOWN BY EMPLOYER
Feeling a bit low today
