Hi Pollykay
I have been told that after chemo and rads, that I will have a split of tamoxifen and Arimedex (not sure if spelt right) and this is down to my age.
They are not 100% sure I have gone through the change - even blood tests are not showing if this is the case and so they have advised that they will split the drugs.
Not sure if it this is always the reason or if they split for other reasons.
Janette
Hi Pauline,
your dx is very close to mine, would you mind me asking what grade you are ? the reason i am asking is my lump is 13 mm, Er & Pr +, Her -, clear nodes & I have to have chemo followed by Rads & Tamoxifen but it is a grade 3 so that may be the difference.
Love
Sarah.xxx
Hi Janette and Sarah - You may be correct Janette, I’m def post menopausal, so that could tie in with what you’ve been told.
Sarah, my dx was tumour 17mm, ER & PR+ HER2- and nodes clear. Only difference to you was it is Stage 2.
Pauline x
Hi Pauline,
must be because of the grading & am pre menopausal, am quite nervous as right up to results (had surgery Xmas Eve, results 6th Jan) it was going to be Radiotherapy & Tamoxifen & then they upgraded tumour from 2 to 3 even though its small, there was also a ? over lymph nodes but they sent them off for a 2nd opinion & have come back as clear.
Thank you for replying to me
Take care
Sarah.xx
hi pollykay,
I had 20 rads then 2 and a half years on tamoxifen and now on Aromasin for another 2 and a half years, this is a new way of doing things and they feel it is giving good results i was 51 at dx so still pre men now have gone thru it, aromasin can only begiven if you are post men. hope this helps alittle.
Annie
Thanks Annie - that helps. Have you been OK on the hormone drugs? I had a terrible reaction to HRT a few years ago (mega headaches) and had to come off it. My GP says I shouldn’t get this problem, but have read other threads where headaches are a problem. I’ve made up my mind just to take it as it comes tho.
Sarah - hope all goes well with your treatment.
Pauline x
hello Polly kay
Have to admit i felt ok on the tamoxifen although tired and hot flushes, on the aromasin i dont feel as good, have been on it for 10 months now, most of my bones in my body seem to scream at me and i do find sleeping a bit of a problem so i am always tired not had any problems though with headaches, i do work long hours in emerg services so i suppose that doesnt help me, that said i am going to persist with it as it is manageable and as mentioned earlier the results are quite favourable, if you want to PM at any time please do.
Thanks Annie - I don’t know how to PM, but I just got my prescription from doc this afternoon so will probably start tomorrow. Five years seems a lifetime just now, but I have a lot to be thankful for when I read others on forum.
Thanks for your help.
Pauline x
I am not ‘newly diagnosed with breast cancer’ so feel a fraud posting here but it is the early hours of the morning so please forgive me. I posted before Christmas as I had found a lump in my left breast having found a v similar lump in the same place nearly exactly a year before which turned out to be nothing…I felt daft and a bit of a drama queen for posting then but have been keeping a sneaky eye on all your tales…blimey!!! Anyway had mammo and u/s and 2 needle biopsys on said same lump and eventually had the middle taken out under GA for full biopsy, got results on 23rd dec - benign, lump due to hormones (I’m 40 (?) to be left where it is as is too big to remove…Again felt daft and a bit of a drama queen…But, guess what… I found another lump on New Years Eve this time in my right breast…SURELY this is the same as the 2 before (this time the lump in the left breast is still there, whereas last year it went away). My husband (sorry OH…getting into this now) pretty much said ‘here we go again’ and made me contact the consultant - by the way he was so horrid (consultant not husband) - spoke to my OH rather than me throughout all the consultation - he took my stitches out post biopsy before saying ‘oh by the way its benign’. Anyway I did phone him and he abruptly told me ‘of course I can’t assume it is the same as before’ (thanks for that) and if it is still there in 4-6 weeks come in and I will ‘stick a needle in you’. So indeed ‘here we go again’ - this time the only person that knows is my husband (who doesn’t want to even broach the subject. bless him), whereas before having thought only a couple of people knew that i had found a lump in my breast seemingly everyone I know knew, oh and you lot now and a lovely lady called Julie who I have met through this site and has been amazing. Why am I waffling? THE question I thinK I want answering is…how can this lump be different from before…surely it must be just hormonal again …actually what does that mean…it is so confusing, I wish I had paid more attention in O’level biology!!
A month to go until I can begin to get answers…night night!!
Annie, sorry to see you up and worrying so late at night.
Personally, I would take my new lump to the GP and get a referral to the breast clinic. That would cut a couple of weeks out of the waiting. You might also find it useful to talk to the Helpline. Your consultant sounds like a bit of B, so try going to someone else - I’m sure he’s not the only consultant in your area and there has to be someone with a better bedside manner!
Good luck, and keep us posted.
CM
Bless you - I did think about doing that but don’t want to make a fuss - in the scheme of things a couple of weeks wont make a difference surely and by all account this consultant despite his bedside manner is supposedly the top man so worse case if I did end up under him (medically speaking!) it might be a bit awkward - God I sound such a wimp and I am sure I should be putting in more full stops in this!!
All will be well I am sure, and I do feel a fraud being on this site, reading some of your stories - you are all amazing!
Annie - don’t worry about making a fuss, this is YOUR BODY we’re talking about and it deserves a fuss being made of it!
The squeeky hinge gets the first oil.
oooorrr Annie you brought a little tear to my eye when i saw youre post .I really feel for you being up at 1am worrying and looking for answers believe me you are not being a drama Queen and sometimes you really do have to make a Fuss to be seen .If you do go to specialist centre you could specifically ask not to go under this consultant again and ask for some one else you really need to have faith and trust in who is treating you and feel comfortable with them i wish i could ask my team to see you cos they are just amazing and supportive and will answer any questions i want anytime i just have to pick up the phone to BC nurse and she will get me sen if i need to but sometimes its just reassurance we need ,and thats the way it should be . you know you can message me anytime and dont feel like youre being daft or stupid xxxxx big hugs Julie and as chockiemuffin and i told you Shy bairns get nowt ( sorry its my northerness coming out again xx)
Hi Annie - I really feel for you and understand how you feel. When I spoke to my GP in November about still having the lump, I explained that the Consultant had made me feel so small and that I was wasting his time. She was very understanding, but insisted on re-referring me. She actually referred me to another Consultant for a 2nd opinion and I am so grateful that she did.
Don’t give this guy too much respect because of his reputation - he sounds worse than mine!! As CM says, it’s your body and you have a right to expect to be listened to and treated with respect. Think you should consider an approach to your GP and take it from there. Don’t be afraid to tell GP exactly what happened and how you feel.
Good luck,
Pauline x
Hi Pauline i have just finished all my treatment Nov 1st and my lump similar to yours was 2.6 mm had lumpectomy with great results ( no divert and very neat scar tucks away behind my bra) my nodes were swollen and suspicious so surgeon did full clearence but thankfully they all came back clear mine was stage 2 ER and PR +ve HER2 neg but lump was grade 3 so had chemo ( for extra insurance they said) and because of my age followed by 20 x rads fortunately i havent been too bad throughout treatment had a couple of episodes of vomitting /nausea but soon got extra anti-sickness meds and sorted it out only other thing has been tiredness but still managed to have 2 good weeks in-between and go out and about etc so hope all goes well with your treatment xx Keep rubbing in aqueous cream when skin heals in prep for rads I did about 3 weeks before and thankfully it stayed intact after 20 sessions x
Hi Julie - thanks for the advice about the cream, I hadn’t realised I could use it weeks before I start rads. Is “aqueous” a brand name and can I buy it in chemist? Someone told me to use E45 cream, is that the same thing?
Pauline x
Hi Polly Kay,sorry to but in but 
I brought a very large pot of Boots own brand of aqueous cream it was only about £2.99 and last’s for ages.I also think you can use E45 cream.
wishing you all the best with your rads. Mel xx
Pauline you can use both i used aqueous cream from the chemist about £ 1.80 for big pot you can also wash with it in the bath or shower you can get both on prescription free from youre gp too. my boob did go a bit pink lke sunburn but the radiographers check youre skin everyday and gave me some hydrocortisone for itching and tenderness on nipple area make sure you take extra care where 2 skin surfaces rub together like under breast and underarm cos mine did slightly peel under boob but nothing much and soon went . Also body shop or boots do alluminium free deoderant to use during treatment i used to be paranoid that my armpit would smell when i was having treatment and lying there with my arm behind my head ha ha its called biosen and its quite a nice fresh smell and is all spa minerals no nasties in it . xx take care julie
Oi go to bed you lunatics, have you seen the time? X
ha ha i know ok im going x