Thought I’d pop back in and let you know I have posted on the April 2012 thread so it appears in latest posts. It is worth a read both for some good tips & a laugh!! Our group supported each other through some tough times but we also had lots of laughs. We are from all over the country, range in age from 28 to 64 and all different walks of life, but we will be friends now for life.
Pixie who started our thread has raised over £10000 for cancer research uk since she started treatment by making and selling Pixies Happy Bags. Do google them as they make fab gifts for all the people who will help you on your journey.
Pauline I managed to work all through my chemo as am self employed consultant and could work from home some of the time. Don’t stress yourselves about work, you will know what is right for you, some people can continue & others can’t.
The final top tip & a bit of a motto for us ‘step away from google’!!!
Hi girlies,
Im also from the April 2012 thread and I actually can’t believe I’m writing this a year on ! Like you I read messages of those who had had pervious treatments and thought it sounded such a mountain to climb but honestly it will fly. However I really couldn’t have done it without my other “bunnies” who have now become dear dear friends who i speak with everyday.
Cancer has changed my life for the better and if you asked me if I would have changed things, then the answer is no. I have lost some of my breast but gained a more positive approach, a more determined attitude and a better sense of humour. Not to mention an appreciation of the importantthings in life.
Please please read our thread as its uplifting and quite frankly funny.
Top tip. Do not google.
Hello again
I went to see my consultant on Tuesday to get my results and was told I was triple negative and because of that and my age they will be testing me to see if I am genetically pre-disposed to the breast cancer gene. This felt like one more blow as I have a 12 year old daughter. I’m also trying to find out a bit more about being triple negative. I’m going to see the chemo nurse today to get booked in for my first cocktail (if only!) of 6 sessions then radiotherapy so I’d be really interested to hear from you.
Good luck
Gail x
Hi Pauline
I do hope all goes well with 2nd op today - do I presume that is the nodes under your arm? I was very lucky to get that done at the same time - a bit of a postcode lottery with that one I think. It was a bit weird getting used to carrying the drain around and then I managed to pull it out the day before it was due to be removed! Happy to say no problems caused though and a week on I have increased excercises which feels fine so far.
Speak soon, take it easy!
Nicki xx
Just popped over from the February Valentines thread to say what a great name you have chosen. I understand how you are all feeling various stages of anxiety, especially after what you have already been through, But if an old doddery thing like me can cope, I’m sure you will too. Other problems I have (cancer isn’t the worst believe it or not, I know that can be cured) are Reumatoid Arthritis, Bronchiectasis with psudomonas colonies in my lungs, Sjogren’s Syndrome, & psoraisis.
All the very best for your treatment in April
Hello Kath and thanks for keeping an eye on us. I’ve been lurking on the Valentines thread, and picking up some great info & enjoying the poems. Cripes you’ve got a lot going on. I was (not so fit) but fairly healthy until all this, but the bone scan revealed arthritis in shoulders, hips and back which has explained a lot of recent twinges. I want them to stop looking now before they find anything else wrong with me!
Deborah
PS I’m happy with the ‘Awesome’ not so sure about the ‘Angel’ bit…
Hi everyone,
My 1st FEC-T Chemo is scheduled to start 27th March depending on my wound healing, I still have a slight issue from surgery on 20th February. So if there is a delay I may qualify for your thread!!
I was diagnosed in January with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Grade 2 (Ostrogen 8/8, Progesterone 7/8 and HER2 positive) this all meant diddly squat to me at the turn of the year!!
I’ve had a Right breast mastectomy and axillary nodes removed, my surgery results show that this is unlikely to have spread as only 3 out of 14 nodes had cancer cell traces…phew!
Thankfully though my oncologist would still prefer me to have the usual scans (Bone, Heart, CT etc) but as my Surgeon has reported clear margins it is unlikely that I will need radiotherapy.
Second haircut is planned for tomorrow as it is inevetable that I will lose my hair, for many as I have read this part is more daunting than the surgery…some things are easier to hide than others. Anyway I will try every option to see what I can get away with I already have my first felt hat and hope to seek out a suitable wig soon to have on standby.
I feel I have coped well so far (better than I anticipated) but I have a huge amount of support from Family and Friends so far and that to me is priceless.
We all need support and being able to talk to people that have or are going through similar if not the same is a great help…
Best wishes to you all
Lori
Deborah, so sorry about the arthritis. Seems a daft thing to say to someone who has cancer, but as I said, cancer can be cured and you ladies are doing the best you can to do that. I’m afraid arthritis is something we have to learn to live with. Normally I would be having a once a week injectiion of Methotrexate, but have had to stop that while on chemo, but still take Leflunomide. Oddly enough, arthritis seems to have gone to sleep. Probably because RA is immune system attacking your joints, and while on chemo, immune system isn’t working properly. It seems a lot of people have had bone scans etc., but I haven’t. Maybe because they already know my problems and don’t want find any more
Think of Charlies Angels, they were tough, determined and of course beautiful, we’re gonna fight this cancer head on and come out the other end,
take care
Hi Angel’s - so hospital went ok today - no more surgery which is great news! As suspected, i am def Triple Neg but surgeon didn’t seem to think this was much of an issue and said prognosis was still good - think I will ask the Oncho to go into a bit more detail on that. As for the DCIS they found during 2nd op - all out with clear margin so that’s positive. So 2 from 13 nodes positive, could have been much worse. Intend to ask Onch more about stats on this i.e. what percentage of ladies with 2/13 go on to develop secondary cancer - just so that I understand the size of the risk. Also risk of recurrance in the first 5 years is apprently higher if you are TN so again one for the Onch i.e. how much higher.
I’m honestly not a sadist - just want to know these things
Should get my Onch appointment in next couple of weeks and then should start chemo quite quickly after that (need about 6 weeks to heal after op which was just last week so probably another 4/5 weeks to go) I should still be an Angel hopefully
Hope yopu are all well
Pauline xx
Just popping in from January gems to say hi, and good luck to you all!
Reading some of the earlier comments, I also thought I’d point out that oncologists tend not to give a lot of info all at once, I guess for fearing overloading us! Obviousy some people wish to be more fully informed, but instead we are dripfed on a "need to know basis.
However, with resources such as this site, it is very easy to obtain information, even if not all of it is accurate, so beware of that! My approach was to read a lot of stuff, and then say to my oncologist, “Ok, I’ve read this, and I think that … etc”, and wait for her comment albeit agreement or disagreement. This led to a rather freer discussion of outcomes and options. I suspect it made it easier for the doctor!
Make sure you get copies of all reports, preferably before you get your oncology consult, then you have the information in writing and have time to think about it in order to pay attention to the options, … and always have a second person to help you listen, especially if decisions are to be made!
Hello Amber, I’ll keep that in mind! Now which Angel shall I be…? Suddenly the whole wig thing has taken on a new dimension.
Pauline, I also had IDC surrounded by DCIS, and had 2 ops and hopefully I’ll find out next week if they got clear margins second time around. Ditto on the 2 postive nodes, but then we differ as I’m ER+ and HER2+. I expect to see the oncologist on the 28/29th, and my BCN thought that if agreed I would start chemo about 10 days later. Did they tell you you would need 6 weeks to heal before they would start chemo? It will be interesting to see if we end up on similar regimes.
By the way it seems that there are quite a few of us in our 40s - is that right?
I have been reading the posts on this site for the last 7 weeks (i was dx on 7th Feb) and the support that the ladies give each other is wonderful so please count me in!!! (['ve been following the Valentines and they are all amazing - I love your poems Kath!)
I have grade 2 DCI - they said it was small but then they found other tumors when I had an MRI (they haven’t biopsid these as I agreed to have a MX).
I will be having my MX this monday (18th) with immediate recon as I won’t be needing rads (had a node biopsy last week and all clear). I have been told that I will need chemo tho due to my age (I’m going to be 40 in April - not how I planned on celebrateing - with a dose of chemo ). So they have told me that I will need about 5 weeks to heal which means I should be starting in the middle of April.
I really hope that by being part of a group, will inspire me to keep my chin up and get to the finishing line with a sense of acheivment that others couldn’t possibly imagine.
Hi all, has anyone got a date yet? just wondered who will be leading the way! Panacea , I’m in south London, having treatment at the Marsden. Perhaps we’ll be able to get together at some point? Meemoo , I’ll be 39 in April, am hoping won’t start til after so can at least enjoy the day (although not sure that wigs and scarves are the most exciting pressies!) Pauline , also not convinced by whiskey and irn bru but happy to try anything once!
Zxx
