advice please

Yes will have to wear a red rose .I also felt better once the lump was out.Yes I agree about waiting till they can give you whole picture and what treatment they are going to offer you.Hope you can take someone in with you a extra pair of ears.Though on saying that I did actually go on my own throughout,personal choice.I hope everything goes ok for you xxx

you know have so many flowers now can wear a red rose!!! realised I have no vases to put them all in - laughed as hubby never ever got me flowers - now have so many from people!!!

I might phone BCN to see if can change dressing as really itchy but in the end its not a problem and certainly not important. I donā€™t blister from it so its ok. Hubby is very interested in all thats going on and wants to be there. we have been really lucky with his employer as they deal with NHS systems and his manager is a women (not saying men are insensitive but in this circumstance understanding is helpful) so she has been really supportive and helpful. Hubby is very interested in the details and really needs to know - must be being in IT code stuff that does it to him. when we went to see my sons consultant it was like a job interview for the consultant as he had his pen and paper and list of prepared questions. they got used to him after 2 years of it. My BCN has already picked up on him being like that!!!

I am really lucky too as two of my best friends are nurses so they help with terms and proccedures - insider info is alway a bonus.

thanks all you lovely people - you really have helped over this very quick process - enlightened me on the scarey points and made it real and possible to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Know what you mean about the flowers I had to borrow vases from neighbours.I work at M&S at handforth dean so lots of ppl from work sent them.Yes mine itched at first but it did get easier,just rubbed it with the palm of my hand.
Yes iā€™ve made lots of friends from this site and now chat to them on Facebook.we also meet up.though not with everybody as they are all over the country.Have met Kharga,I think she has also posted to you.I wish you all the best keep in touch xxxxx

Hi Vicky just letting you know will be thinking about you today and hoping your results are good xxxxx

Thanks walton!!

I have been really positive till this morning when I realised that I might need more surgery!!! its not the actual surgery (although would like to keep my lymphs if possible - am left handed and its on my left side!!) but it will put everything back and I just want to get started to get finished. My hip started to hurt last night - I think that they gave me anti-sickness jab in my bum but it really hurt when she did it like it hit a bone - and I am not shy my Bottom is not one you could miss!!! I will speak to my BCN about it.

Hope you appointment also goes well today.xxx

Yes praying the words i hear today are we will see you in 3mths ,wish you well xxx

well am back - results not back yet so have to go back friday for results. took dressing off at least so can have a proper shower at last. might even stretch it to a bubble bath - know how to live it large!!!

hope you get some good results, Walton.

Oh what a pain you build yourself up to it donā€™t you.I ended up having a scan as they have now found a cyst under my scar,they are hopeing it goes on its own but need to let them know if it gets any bigger,they said they will drain it if itā€™s not gone by the time I go back in 4mths.Keep me posted xxxxx

Hi Vicky Hope your results are through to put you out of the awful waiting,and the results are what everyone is hoping for xxxxx

well the results are still not back. My BCN was very apologetic and didnā€™t want us to think it was really bad just that it needs checking by a second consultant before they release the results. So back on monday afternoon. I feel really low, you build yourself up and come crashing down, lost my desire for food and had a long sleep when I got home. I know its not that long but I just want to get on with it.

going to have a cup of tea and sulk!!!

Oh Vicky I think you are allowed to sulk yes you do build yourself up and it is so not fair that you have yet another wait and the weekend aswell,Will be thinking about you on monday and wishing you the very very best of results xx

finally got the results - good news after all that waiting!!! they got a clear margin and its not spread to the lymph nodes. So Hooray there. It is grade 3 invasive and was 18mm. however I am taking the plusā€™s where I can!!!

I am now to expect Chemo, Radiotherapy, hormone therapy as it was hormone receptive. I am still waiting for HER2 test and if that comes back positive then on to herceptin. Sound like a shopping list but bring it on!!!

Not sure what hormone treatment is so will go do a search on it.

I see the onc next monday so expect to get more info about what types of chemo and such.

going to have large glass of wine!!!

Hooray indded, what a relief it must be!! Fingers crossed my surgeon does as good a job for me on the 28th! Enjoy the wineā€¦!!

Hi Vicky Pleased you got the clear margin and it hasnā€™t spread to you lymps,so yes you should be counting the pluses.
Yes it a long road you ae going to be walking but am certain you will get to the end.Take each stage as it comes,throw everything you can at it.I wish you well take carexxxxx

Hi Snotty,

Glad to hear your results were positive. Keep thinking on the positive, clear margins is good as is being positive for hormone receptiveness (triple negative is not good) as they can give you treatment to treat any reoccurance in that or the other breast other than just the chemo. I had to have a mx but was positive for hormone receptive with one lymph node involved and am 2 weeks past my first FEC chemo so if you want any advice just ask. Its a long road but one trod by many who can give you support, x

thanks ladies!!!

I have really no idea what all the treatments are - there are so many types. I presumed that herceptin and hormone treatment was an oral medication but from looking on here thats not always the case.

Ostrich - what is chemo like?? Has it started to take a toll yet?

I thought that I would be back to work after rad but if hormone is IV then thats a totally different ball game.

Thanks Walton for your good wishes, I really take strength from it. I have now found a woman at work who had BC in 2005 and she has been fantastic - just having people who have been there really helps.

thanks again ladies.

Vicky.

Hi Vicky.

Bearing in mind I am 14 days post my first FEC and some effects kinda accumulate tough wood its not too bad.

My hair began departing on Sunday big time and all over but is managing to do it in an organised way so that my hair is gradually getting thinner but no bald spots yet. It is soo loose though that a gust of wind is likely to see another 20 hairs leave! I am hoping it will hang on until after tomorrow lunchtime as I am seeing old work colleagues tomorrow and donā€™t think I can face it without hair. If it makes it that long then I think it will be clippers tomorrow cos my head and everywhere else with hair hurts.

I wasnā€™t too bad for the 4 or 5 days post chemo, felt tired, felt sick (wasnā€™t sick but drunk LOTS of ginger beer to help), flushed from steroids, hungry from steroids but overall a general sense of having been poisoned. Not nice but not too awful. Its different for everyone and some people are very sick.

From day 6 I sank into an awful deep depression and cried at the drop of a feather, at times a gibbering wreck. NOT nice and I wasnā€™t warned of it so thought I was going crazy. Managed to do stuff but if active for more than 3 or 4 hours was absolutely cream crackered. Sore mouth, cold sore, very sore and pink tongue, itchy eyes also.

Pretty much most of the side effects listed really. By day 11 I was feeling better really and apart from the itchy soreness of soon to be gone hair and still pink sore tongue I felt ok. Am going to make the most of this week before do it all again next Tuesday!

My only really cr*p bit of chemo was that my back wound from my LD recon opened up the day after and now I have a wound on my back with ucky sluff in it that needs dressing and special stuff put in it every day and my healing will be slowed down by the chemo.

For me that is the worst part because you expect surgery to be behind you (ha!) and move on to the next stage. I am a girl who loves deep bubbly baths but am not allowed and havenā€™t been for 7 weeks now. I hoped to be soaking away the chemo side effects surrounded by bubbles but sadly that is not to be - at least not for a while.

BTW - tamoxifen is tablets (if you are + for oestrogen and or progesterone), herceptin is injections - I think every 3 weeks(?) ( and given if you are + for HER2). Unlucky if both! So you could go back to work after radiotherapy no problem.

xx

oh Ostrich sounds like you have been through the mill some what!!!

Luckily I just had my lump removed and although its a larger scar than I was expecting its healing well and can even shave now but might not be an issue soon!!!

I am hoping to find out fully what I am expecting to have, like whether my hair will go - have appointment with occ monday.

Hope you are ok and your back is healing well and that you can jump into a long hot bubble bath sometime soon.

take care and will let you know how it goes on monday, funny really my youngest brother is laughing that I might lose my hair but his hair line is going further back than the tide and at least mine will grow back!!!

Vicky.

Posted on behalf of new user Sandra

Hi everyone, I have just been diagonosed with breast cancer on 7th November and saw my nurse for the first time today. My pre-op is 19th and op is on 27th. I have a grade 1 10mm tumour, still taking it in so not quite sure how im going to feel. Everyone above seems to be incredibly positive, am trying but worried it may have spread to my nodes.

Sandra

Hi Sandra,
Sorry you have had to join us here, but the people here are great and very supportive. It has helped me very much.
I found the first couple of weeks after diagnosis were the worse. I was diagnosed beginning of September. I was so scared it felt like a giant knot in my tummy, I got some diazapam from the gp which has worked well at calming me down. I had lumpectomy and Sentinal node biopsy on 10th Oct, in hospital for 36 hours, hated it. 2 weeks later got results, 2 out of the 5 nodes they removed were cancerous so Iā€™m back in hospital next week, 19th, for a full Axillary node clearance. After that will be chemo, rads and hormone treatment. It isnā€™t fun and we all have our ups and downs but we do it because we have to. I try to stay positive and eat well and get a good amount of exersize and enough sleep, and laugh as much as I can. It isnā€™t always easy but I try my best. Take care of yourself!

Helen x