Anyone from Northern Ireland

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Hi

I was just wondering if there are any ladies on here that live in Northern Ireland. I moved over here from Wirral in England in May last year so don’t know anyone from here that has been through the BC journey.

I live near to Newry, Armagh. I am 34 and have 3 children 18years 12 years and 4 years of age. I had left mastectomy and full node clearance 2 years ago now followed by 8 months of chemo and no rads and am at present wondering if I should go ahead with LD recon. I went through all my surgery and treatment in England but have now had all my check ups etc transferred to Craigavon Hospital where I am under Ms Sloan.

It will be great to hear from you,

Hugs

Neenie x

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Hi Neenie,

welcome to Northern Ireland!..I live in Ballynahinch, Co Down and am treated at Belfast City hospital. I havent met anyone else, apart from my mum with Bc, as i havent joined any groups ect. Im a mum of 3 too, 13,9,7. i was diagnosed oct 06, had partial mastectomy, stage1, grade 3, them chemo,rads,herceptin and tamoxafen…Ive just been tested for Bcra 1 and 2, then might be faced with big decisions!..Currently awaiting gynae appt re removal of ovaries.

It must be strange for you to move here!..There doesnt seem to be many local people on here, especially mums with young kids! I love animals too, rode a lot as a child, now just on hols ect…always had dogs and cats but currently 2 gerbils…but hope to get a lab pup soon.

Jill

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Hi Jill and Thank You for welcoming me to Northern Ireland.

It is a bit strange moving here LOL, I am here almost a year now and still feel like I only moved here yesterday, although I am finding my way around a little better now, even without street lights and signs hehe (taking me quite a while to get used to having no street lights for miles.)

I do love living here though, its a beautiful place and I find everyone so nice. Everyone waves as I drive past and says ‘Well how ya doin, any Craic’ LOL. I never know how to answer that, even now a year on. I still can’t get over the view as I drive my kids to their schools, no busy roads and miles of traffic, just quiet lanes, a beautiful lake and the odd escaped cow LOL.

I think your right, I don’t think there are many of us on here living in Ireland, which I think is a real shame. I have searched the web for a site that maybe was made in Ireland but have not come up with anything yet. I don’t know how they all manage without a site to come and chat to everyone on and to get such great help, info and of course the fantastic support. I find its always better to ask or speak to those of us who have experienced or are at our stage in the whole thing as I am sure you do to.

Well I don’t know where Ballynahinch is yet ( can’t even say it or type it had to copy and past it LOL) but it can’t be to far away, it’s lovely to find someone that lives near by.

I really hope you don’t mind me asking you what your Hospital is like. I hate to say it but I am not very impressed with mine. I have been waiting 8 weeks now for the results of my MRI scan and I am having to chase them to get the results. Its only a check up scan as I have to have them yearly but it would be great to get the results (I hope),

I also went for a new Prosthesis a few weeks ago and some window cleaners were knocking on the window and peeking through the gaps in the badly fitting blinds, needless to say I didn’t rush to strip off and try on my new boob.

I won’t moan on anymore about my other mishaps since moving my care here, all just silly things I suppose, but am very interested to know how you are finding it if you don’t mind me asking.

Got to dash and get the Dinner done, kids are getting impatient but I have been on here for quite some time now as I also use my comp to keep in touch with everyone back home, got to stop calling it that, this is home now LOL.

I will watch out for your posts to see how you get on with everything and wish you all the best news possible.

Chat to you soon hopefully.

hugs

neenie xx

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Hi Jill and Neenie

I’m also from Northern Ireland, before you know it we will have a NI Group. I am age 43, married with two daughters aged 13 and 10 and live in Lisburn and I am also treated at Belfast City Hospital. I was diagnosed last May 07, had partial mastectomy, axillary clearance, stage 2, chemo, rads and I am now on Tamoxifen. In December I started a new job, had my first hair cut and colour, booked my summer holiday and was all ready to start afresh but unfortunately I was diagnosed with Lymphoedema last week and it has knocked me for six, so I’m quite down at the moment but hopefully once I get my head around this lymphoedema thing I’ll be back to my usual positive self. I’ve been very happy with my treatment at the City and have no real complaints.

Welcome to ‘Norn Iron’ Neenie - we are a friendly bunch aren’t we (nothing like self appreciation eh! LOL). Wonder how many more will join this ‘wee’ NI club?

Take care both of you.

Missy

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Hello Jill and Missy,

Yes it certainly looks like we may have a ‘wee’ NI Group starting.

Jill, have you had any news on your results?

Missy, my Great Grandfather was born and lived his whole life in Lisburn, I have been through it many times on my way to the Airport and got lost on more than one occasion hehe, but I am getting well used to that now.

I have lymphedema too and your right in saying it knocks you for six to be diagnosed with it, just when you think your life is getting back on track again, but keep your chin up, you will learn how to manage it as best to suit yourself as I did. I hope I can reassure you a little in telling you that I still do all the things I did before and some that I didn’t do, I am learning to show jump one of my horses at present, well actually I am just trying to stay on while he jumps over the jump hehe, didn’t do to well at that last week or the week before for that matter, the balance is definitely not as good as it used to be when I was 10.

Where r u off on your hols? I am trying to decide where to go this August. I can’t wait for August to come as it will be my first holiday since all this began and I am really ready for it and soooooooo excited. I haven’t been swimming since my Mastectomy as I have had real problems finding a suit to fit well enough to hold my prosthesis in place securely, but I have at long last found one that I feel pretty happy with, now I just have to get brave enough to try it out. I think the holiday will be the ideal situation to give it a go and I am sure the glass of wine in the sunshine will help a lot hehe. It will be great to get back into the water as I used to do a lot of scuba diving and am a real water baby at heart and I miss it a lot, but not for much longer!!!

Lovely to hear from you

Stay in touch

Neenie xx

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Re NI group!

Hi Neenie and Missy,

Neenie your post re the steet lights ect and the CRAIC was very funny!,i didnt realise we are odd to have such dark roads, must adnit i hate driving at night, but partly cos my contacts seem to have a glare from oncoming headlights…Maybe its the countyside, i moved to ballynahinch 2 years ago after a messy divorce and had always lived in Belfast…Its about 18 miles from city centre but i work in belfast, kids go to school there and i like to go out in the BIG SMOKE! I thope you get swimming soon, ur life sounds so exciting…i tried scuba diving on hols 2 years ago but im a bit nervous of water, but great experience…You have had so much surgery u are an inspiration…My mum had a mastecomy last may and was asking me re swim suits and prostheis, did u get one here or on the internet?8 weeks sounds very long to wait for results…but normally means no news as good news as problems are “red flagged”

Missy you are just down the road from me! I find the City very good, very fast treatment…ive 3 more herceptins to get but the healthcare at home team come to me…im so glad bot to go to Bridgewater its soo depressing…I finished chemo a year ago and hair and nail growth very slow, think its the herceptin but Dr Hanna says he hasnt heard of this!

I wont get genetics results for a year!

Going to gynae for poss ovarian removal next month,

Thats awful both of you have lyphodema, does physio help?

I have a static caravan in Kesh, Fermanagh, im heading there for weekend, hope weather improves!

Happy St Paricks weekend, we like to stretch it!..Im normally skiing this week but sadly not fit enough yet nor can i affoerd it!..Heres to next year

Jill

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Hello again Jill and Missy.

Jill, I get my prosthesis off my bc nurse, she usually has a selection available to try out to see which one gives the best appearance. Everyone is entitled to 1 free prosthesis every 2 years I think it is, they can also be bought off the net but most are quite expensive. I get my Bras and Costume from the net, I just type in mastectomy wear and away I go. I find it much better to get them from the net as I have much more choice and they are of course delivered straight to my door where I can try them on at my leisure and in the privacy of my own home. Give your Mum a hug from me and tell her to get shopping, summer is on its way ( actually tell her to put her order in for a snorkel and set of flippers as we seem to get more rain than sun these days, is this rain ever going to let up!! )

Still no news on my MRI scan. My GPs secretary called the MRI department directly today to see what was going on, only to be told that it still hadn’t been reported on as the Doctor who does it, is off and not back until Tuesday, not sure how long the doc has been off for though, but as you said ‘no news is usually good news’.

Skiing WOW!! I had a taster session on a dry slope once, a good few years ago and really enjoyed it and always wanted to have a go on real snow, far prettier too I’m sure, that is definitely on my TO DO list.

Keep me posted on how you get on at your appointment next month, I am really sorry but I don’t understand why you are having face such a horrible decision, is it because of hormone effects etc, sorry for being so dumb, I am sure it must seem like a really silly question.

My Mum and my Dad’s twin sister both had cervical cancer and had to have a full hysterectomy, I have had precancerous cells on my cervix treated once already just before I was diagnosed with the breast cancer but my last smear showed signs again of something not quite right and have to have a repeat smear in a few weeks, I am hoping not to end up going down the same route as my Mum and Auntie, I have far too many things on my TO DO list to get through so don’t want any other surgery time out LOL., other than a possible reconstruction that is.

Right I am off for now

Hope to chat again soon

Hugs Neenie xx

P.S. Wishing Everyone a Great St Patrick’s Day!!!

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Hi Neenie,

Thanks re advice re mum…she has a prothesis but is worried re people seeing it or what swimwear to buy…shes off to Italy and canada, better time than me! yes snow skiing is lovely my fav is Austria, really picture postcard with the cow bells…

The genetics test is very complex as my granda (mums dad) had prostate and bowel cancer, his son has a rare blood cancer (maybe unrelated, hes 60), me diagnosed at 40, mum 6 months later at 66…also complicated by my dad died suddenly due to associated side effects of treatment for prostate cancer at 64…My ex mum in law and her sister died of early bc…and ive 2 daughters!,…Genetic cons thinks that my risk would be through my mums side…but my daughters risks are very complex…they are 13 and 7 and my son 9…So to cut a long story short blood taken, part of sample sent to England…takes a year…so in interim he recommends oophrectomy as im highy er/pr pos…and if i test positive for BCRA 1 OR 2, i have to consider bilate…ral mastectomy …Currently getting on with life…16th herceptin today…i intend being aroud a long time so will do anything…my ex husband is incapable of seeing or providing for my kids and i have a very small family, so really the options for them are Tracey Beaker!!! lol

Im sorry you have had a problem with your smear, i work in the colposcopy clinic in the RVH…and these days hysterectomy is a last resort, the lletz treatments are normally very effective…Hopefully your results will come through quicker than your MRI!!!

Gosh what a heavy posting!!..But at least 2 Bank Holiday weekends…now just waiting for some decent weather…it must be rotten exercising the horses in this!

Cheers, im having a glass of vino, a girl needs some treats!

Hope you have a great weekend, due to weather not sure if ill go to Fermanagh tomorrow or sat or even wait to next week!!

Hugs

Jill xx

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Hi Neenie
Glad to see you started a new thread, you have had an excellent response.

Just wanted to say hi.

Bye for now & good luck with everything.
Jackie x

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Hi Jill

I know how your Mum feels, I am totally paranoid of anyone getting a peak at my prosthesis. I have found that it is just a case of finding the right swimsuit that disguises it the best and holds the prosthesis in nice and securely. I am a 32dd ( on one side of course lol) and a very petite build so I have found it extremely hard to find one that fits adequately enough to hold the prosthesis in place. A great tip for your Mum though, tell her to try using the softie in the swimsuit pocket or to get a light prosthesis especially made for sport and swimming. I tried my normal everyday prosthesis and found it to be far to heavy so made the swim suit gape, definitely not a desired look LOL.

I was told that I could have the genetic tests done too as my Mum had very early signs of of bc age 51 as had a biopsy and found precancerous cells so was given tamoxifen and she and my Dads twin sister both had cervical cancer too resulting in full hysterectomy in their 30’s. so not sure if the cervical cancer would be at all related to the genetics tests, but definitely my Mums early bc. I am definitely wanting to have it done though as I am also worrying about my Daughter who is 12. I am also wondering if it effects sons too as men get bc too don’t they.

I had something done to my cervix in the colposcopy clinic in England and then had repeat smears until they where clear, aren’t I awful I cant remember what they did although I do remember a needle was involved to numb my cervix and I was able to watch it all on the TV hehe. What us women have to go through, Oh to be a man sometimes!!

It actually looks like the weather is improving so hopefully you can get to Fermanagh and enjoy a nice break after all and I can exercise the horse without being head to foot in waterproof clothing LOL.

Have a great double bank hols

Hugs

Neenie xx

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Hi Jackie, lovely to speak to you again,

How are you getting on, how’s the recovery going? Have you managed to get back in the saddle again yet?

Hugs

Neenie xx

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Hi Neenie,

welcome to Norhtern Ireland, I live in Belfast and am treated at Belfast City Hospital and they have been fantastic, never has any problems with waiting either for results of scans, my Onc and Consultant are always at the other end of the phone.

I am also waiting for genetic results and am having my ovaries out next month.

It’s great to hear from other ladies here, I found it quite hard going through treatment not having anyone else in the same boat - family and friends were great but have no idea, I was always putting on a brave face so as not to upset them when sometimes all I wanted was a hug and a good cry.

Happy St.Paddy’s day to you all - go easy on the ‘black stuff’

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Hi All,

Hope you had a great St Patricks Day, weather was great but going to get to -6 tonight!!

Neenie, hope you got out on your horse im soo jealous! Thanks for the advice re swim suits…mum recently got a laptop, ive told her about this site but i doubt shes used it…hope i dont sound ageist…it sits on her breakfast bar but i suspects she uses it to book flights and recipes!! I really hope you get your results this week. Im sure you will be fine, but we all yearn to hear that we are!

Hi Angie, i know where you are coming from re friends and family…we end up supporting them, my boyfriend at time of diagnosis told me recently he couldnt handle it, thats why he was so cold with me, like the day my hair came out in handfulls in the shower and i called out to him, he lay on my sofa saying “you knew that was going to happen” before continuing to watch crappy morning tv!! MEN!!! Needless to say we arnt together anymore…

I had my herceptin last thurs and nurse took my blood preassure, very high, so trying to relax…but at least it could explain the constant headache ive had for a week, isnt this disease awful thast every pain you think its another tumour!!

Enough of my woes…at least its a short week. Neenie it was be strange for you that out Bank holidays are good Friday and Easter monday, but most of us work Friday and are off Monday and Tuesday!

Have a great week,

Jill xxx

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Hi Ladies

Sorry in advance for the woe is me session!!

For me, this cancer thing changed everything, it has made me see things in a totally different way, some good and some not good at all. I know what you mean about having to be the ‘supporter’ rather than the ‘supported’. My partner and I broke up and then got back together and are still struggling along and still trying to make it work, for me it is mainly for the sake of the children, I also remember how great we were together before the diagnosis, which I would love to get back, but now no matter what, I just cant seem to forgive things that happened during this whole journey. I really do want to move on so am still trying.

I think my problem is I now live with this ticking clock that drives me on to not waste any time just in case. No one around me understands what I feel like, my partner drives me insane telling me ‘well we could all get hit by a bus tomorrow’ . I don’t know if I am the only one who feels like this but I doubt very much that I am. This ticking clock has made me a totally different person and I don’t always like who I am now, I seem to be in such a rush to do things!!

My partner and I went out on Saturday evening for a drink and a dance, which I was so looking forward too, shame he forgot I was there in the first pub though for at least the first hour, but I am getting used to that now. He didn’t even notice some guy trying to chat me up, but luckily for me his cousin did and came and rescued me as he could see I was feeling a little uncomfortable. I did very calmly though, make him aware of it on Sunday, so maybe next time he may keep a better watch of me, I am hoping it will do him good to know that men still could find me attractive enough to try and chat me up, especially as he thinks of him as ‘a decent fella who is well respected and from a nice family’ LOL.

Anyway that’s my rant over for today,

At least the weather has improved and I had a lovely weekend with the horses and my daughter. I managed to jump a whole course of jumps without falling off this time so I am on my way to conquering another thing on my TO DO list.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Jill, what did your nurse say about the high blood pressure, has it come down any?

Hugs to you all

Again, sorry for the woe is me session!

Neenie xx

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Hi All,

Neenie your Heather Mills like rant…only JOKING!! Is very funny because my ex partner did the same thing to me repeatedly!!..Im taking a risk here, but is he from Northern Ireland?..English men are much as more romantic!!

I really hope you work it out…the ex i referreded too wasnt the father of my kids, as much as he wanted to be…he couldnt have kids of his own…think we were together 4 years for my kids not me!.I think it does them no harm to realise that we are still attractive!!!..My ex husband is a severe manic depressive…so useless!

I think my Blood pressure up due to rushing, healthcare at home dont think i have to pick up my daughter 10 miles away…ive had probs on Herceptin so need antihistamines so cant drive for 6 hours post treatment, but Cathryn is 7 and i was induced due to high BP,and been on medication ever since!

RE the BUS THING…i read a great quote, it may have been on here, but ive quoted to other people …“at least we can see the bus coming…”…not nice, but makes us sort out the wood from the trees!

Thats another late night ive been on here!..

Night night

jill

Hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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that bl**dy ‘red bus’ - I hate that expression and most definetly did not get any comfort from it.

I met an elderly neighbour the other day who said to ’ you look lovely, I didn’t realise you could look so good after a wee dose of the cancer’ and all I could do was laugh and think God love her.

Hope you all have a lovely easter, luckily for me I’m off the entire week and heading to Donegal for a few days which I’m hoping will take my mind of my mammogram on the 31st. Is it just me or anyone else who gets worked up before this - I’l be totally past myself when it comes around and daren’t say anything to my family as they think I should be well over it.

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Hi All

Jill, It was a bit of a Heather Mills rant wasn’t it LOL, you guessed right though, yes he is from Northern Ireland hehe, I agree, sadly, that English Men do tend to be more romantic. I am not a major romantic myself luckily, but I do appreciate a guy who knows how to be a gentleman for at least some of the time, I was brought up on too many old black and white movies thanks to my wonderful Grandma and Gramps!!

My partner is the Dad to the 4 year old, which is why I am trying so hard to make it work somehow. I was with my last partner (Dad of my other 2 children) for 17 years since the age of 12, got divorced after he decided he didn’t love me anymore, well we were together extremely young!!!

Where did the sunshine go? Its blowing a gale outside!!

Angie5, I hope you have a lovely time in Donegal and I hope it helps to take your mind off the mammogram, those bl**dy tests, your not alone they stress me out too, its only natural I’m sure. I too, keep it to myself and suffer in silence, except on here when I can have a good rant. A glass or 2 of something nice may help !!

Hugs

Neenie xx

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Hi Neenie and Angie ect,

Hope you all had a lovely Easter.
I had a lovely time in Kesh, too much to drink ect…had a wobbly today as i realised kids had trashed caravan with MUD! unintentiuly, cant spell, but Myles, and his kids looked horrified while i ranted… Hes 6 ft 3 , im 5 ft 1 and he said he was frightened of me!.. I think im really moody due to no periods for over a year and tamoxafen, and herceptin, i never used to be so house proud!!But id cleaned and cleaned all weekend, we, the adults took ourselves to Lusty Beg, ok had a few too many, and the 5 kids decided to roll in mud with wee spots everwhere…hmm…But after frantic cleaning all ok…his oldest 15 ,mine 13 both girls, boys 12 and 9 and my 7 yr old…madness…Im wondering if i can stick being a mother to 5!..But myles does all the cooking!
Neenie, it is hard to start all over again, but you will get there, at least you have your horses!!

Angie, good luck with mammogram, hope you had a great time in Donegal.

Im back to work tomorrow, euch, not in the mood!!

Jill

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Hi Everyone

Hope you all had a good Easter.

Jill,Did you have a Heather Mills moment too hehe, My daughter keeps making jokes about me being an obsessive clean freak these days, my moods seem to be very up and down too and I don’t have the patience that I used to have, I do notice though, that if I haven’t had a period for a few months my moods get almost out of control and I explode like a bottle of pop (mineral u call it I think LOL). I am not taking Tamoxifen or any other hormone stuff but my periods seem to come and go, longest I went was 4 months and I was almost turning into the incredible hulk at times LOL, definitely a hormone thing, bl**dy hormones!!

Well I had a great Easter, went out on the Saturday night and got just a little bit tipsy, OK, I was quite drunk, but had a great night and danced lots, spent most of Sunday trying to recover in time to go to the horse show on the Monday with my daughter, we got our first rosettes woohoooo!! Oops out again on Monday night and got a little bit drunk again hehe, well if ya cant beat em join em!!!

Hugs to everyone

Neenie xx

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Hi girls,

trip to Donegal was great though very tiring running aroud after 4 small children - but I thoroughly enjoyed it and the few glassesof wine in the evening to relax.

Had my mammo today and now just waiting with bated breath for the result - was told they would be with my GP in two weeks, but I do not wait for results, I will be phoning consultants secretary on Fri so finger croseed.

angie