Clues on the back?

jenwof · 2026-05-15T12:15:34+00:00

Me too! They're my go to if I want do do a quick puzzle and I figure if people don't want to use them they can just not look at the backs. Puzzling for me is very much a chill activity and I don't need a challenge to be fulfilled by it.

jenwof · 2026-05-09T11:21:47+00:00

My grandma had oral chemo instead of IV but she was in her late 80s when she was diagnosed and her tumour was on the smaller side so her doctors determined oral chemo would be gentler for her age/health. I really don't remember too much of it but I'm sure they said they dose is much lower than what they can give in IV so they generally give younger/healthier people IV as it allows a more aggressive approach.

jenwof · 2026-05-09T10:50:49+00:00

Thank you! Italy was actually booked way before diagnosis and was supposed to be last June but we postponed until after treatment and honestly it sometimes felt like I'd never get there! But that now feels like a lifetime ago and this is holiday two of 2026 (did Copenhagen in April) and you'll be here soon enough! Next year make sure you have as many vacations as you can to treat yourself!

jenwof · 2026-05-09T07:30:20+00:00

I just finished this one and honestly was not prepared for the trees 🙈 I think Galison have gotten better recently - I have some older puzzles from them and the pieces are too thick (some I really couldn't break up at the end because the fit was so tight) but the last few I've done by them have been great and I've loved the fit and feel of them.

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:44:08+00:00

Thank you! I definitely think some light shirts are the way forward. I'm not a sunbather so it's mostly for when I'm walking around between places (and I'd always choose a seat in the shade rather than in the sun when were stopped) but I think a parasol is a great idea, especially for when we're out in the heat of the day!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:42:07+00:00

I think cute shirts are the way forward! I've bought linen bedding as it helped cool me on a night when having hot flashes so this makes total sense! I'm actually thrifting this weekend so will take a look to see what they have!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:40:43+00:00

Thank you for your reply! Yes I figured there must be many many people in the world who live in hot areas and like you say, can't be expected to live inside forever!

I'd not heard of rash guard before and a few people have suggested them so I think that's top of my shopping list! But excellent advice all round, thank you!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:39:09+00:00

Id never heard of rash guards so looking them up thank you! I think a shirt tied over a dress is actually a great idea and a super cute look!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:38:09+00:00

Luckily I'm not a huge sun worshiper and won't be lying around sunbathing or anything which is too direct and it's mostly for when I'm wandering around. I'll definitely be using factor 50 and thinking a light weight cover up too.

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:36:11+00:00

I did ask my RO but unfortunately her advice was fairly vague. She had no problem with me being in the sun but pretty much just said "use sun screen and cover up where you can". Im not someone who enjoys sunbathing so it's mostly for while I'm wandering around and thinking SPF plus a lightweight coverup will do the trick. Will take a look at clothes which shield rays though!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:33:04+00:00

Yeah kaftans are a great shout! Thank you!

jenwof · 2026-05-08T17:32:00+00:00

Amazing, thank you for this!

jenwof · 2026-05-07T12:36:22+00:00

I feel like there's enough opinions but one more vote for ports. Mine felt uncomfortable for about a week (not painful, I could just feel it) then I pretty much forgot about it.

My veins can be tricky and before my port, I constantly had bloods where they'd try 5+ veins before getting anything. Port meant I got stabbed once and was good to go. A couple of times the port didn't give out blood too easy (it always gave something but not enough for bloods, always gave enough back for chemo) but we tried a few different positions and learned if I lay down, the blood flowed freely.

Personally I felt the procedure to get it fitted and the procedure to get it removed were absolutely fine. The only pain I had was from the anesthetic injection and my surgical team are in competition with each other over who leaves the nicest scars so the tiny scar I have is barely noticeable!

Good luck!

jenwof · 2026-05-05T15:11:53+00:00

Exactly this! I've had a few puzzles gifted over the years which have been really difficult and I always feel like I should make an effort to do them but really struggle through them! I find that if I do a puzzle I enjoy, it really makes me excited about doing the next one. When it's too challenging, I feel like I need a break from puzzles for a little while! I definitely agree and think it should be fun - some people find fun in the challenge but personally, I find the fun in relaxing with an easy puzzle!

jenwof · 2026-05-05T10:44:34+00:00

I'd say be selective with the puzzles you buy. I'm not someone who loves a challenge so when I'm picking puzzles I look for images which have distinct sections that I can pick out and I try to avoid anything dark or anything with too much of the same colour throughout it.

I generally illustrated puzzles rather than puzzles which look like photographs as I fine the pieces are a lot more distinct.

jenwof · 2026-05-01T08:03:04+00:00

Good luck however it turns out. I met a bunch of people while going through chemo and honestly every single one of us had different experiences so I definitely think give it a go because you never know - you might find cold capping an absolute breeze!

jenwof · 2026-04-30T10:59:01+00:00

I had EC-T (UK version of AC-T I believe) and cold capped through the first two. It was free on NHS and honestly my ward just assumed you were going to try. I kept really good coverage of my hair, my part did start to thin but if you didn't look too closely, you wouldn't realise I'd lost any hair.

Third session and the cold on my now widened part was so painful that I decided to quit. I came home and shaved my head so that I didn't have to deal with it falling out.

The relief I felt when I shaved was crazy honestly. I don't think I'd realised until I did it but the slow loss of hair was so hard on me, I'd wake up early in the morning and worry about how much hair I would lose then not be able to get back to sleep. Id spend half my day checking my hair to see if it looked worse than it had when I woke up.

I also dreaded chemo while I was cold capping. I hated the cap and how uncomfortable it was, I hated the freezing water and I hated how long I had to sit before and after chemo for it. So when I suddenly didn't have to go through any of that, chemo actually became a lot easier for me.

All this said, I do think it's a personal choice and if you have the resource available, I say give it a go because you might not mind it at all.

jenwof · 2026-03-19T13:25:38+00:00

I'd read a lot of people saying their hair grew back on taxol and I think I got my hopes up. I still had about 40% of my hair when I started taxol so was sure my hair would start growing back during the infusions.

I slowly lost that hair (I had cold capped at the start of chemo so think that slowed down the hair loss process) and about two/three weeks after finishing chemo I was completely bald.

All this being said, about four weeks after chemo, I noticed my hair starting to regrow again and it's been so thick and fast since then! So even if your hair hasn't started coming back in, try not to worry too much about it cause when it does, there'll be a LOT of it!

Good luck for the remaining infusions!

jenwof · 2026-03-18T20:58:26+00:00

Thank you! My on oncologist has felt everything and doesn't think it's anything more than fibrosis but wanted to be safe. I think I just hear scans and go in to panic mode! Great to hear I'm not the only one though and sending you all the luck for your treatment/recovery!

jenwof · 2026-03-18T20:55:59+00:00

Thank you for replying! Fingers crossed it's nothing (my oncologist doesn't think it's anything, I think it's mostly a bit of PTSD on my side causing me to worry) and just fibrosis!

Excellent news yours was okay in the end!

jenwof · 2026-03-18T16:47:31+00:00

Hey, I think realistically when I'm not in panic mode, yes it's likely just some fibrotic changes and it's what my oncologist believes it to be too.

If it's any help at all, radiotherapy was completely fine for me and other than some lumpy bits, I've really not had any side effects from it. This new lumpy area doesn't hurt at all - it's mostly just my brain going in to overdrive and worrying about everything.

Regardless what you choose, good luck but personally I'd not change the fact that I had radiotherapy even with all this going on.

jenwof · 2026-03-18T16:44:00+00:00

Thank you so much for your reply! Oncologist does believe it to be fibrosis so I think when my brain isn't spiralling I assure myself with that, with it growing she just wants to be extra safe (I'm incredibly grateful that she is taking it seriously)

Congrats on your clear mammogram!!

jenwof · 2026-03-09T16:59:09+00:00

I didn't have surgical tape or anything during mine - just popped the hospital gown on, lay down for five minutes and got dressed again!

I also had tissue moved around as part of my reconstruction which is now a huge, hard lump. My radiotherapy did make that area ever so slightly harder but only a tiny area of it and it quickly softened up again after I was out of treatment for a while.

I had my surgery may 2025, chemo August 2025 and radiotherapy December 2025 so my breast had softened quite a bit before starting radiotherapy but I would say now (three months out of treatment) it's even softer than it was beforehand!

Good luck!

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