Hi good luck. You sound busy! I’ve got 2nd wle 15 th and scans 19 th I thought that was enough x chin up x
Hi Mel. Welcome to the Junkies. Let me know what chemo you are having and I’ll add you to the list. The great thing about this forum is the support - it’s unfortunate, but we are all in the same position and as a result can appreciate what each other is going through, so with a bit of luck the support will make us feel less alone.
Artemis 17: Thank you so much for the tips about the PICC lines. I’m an avid reader of the June Jewels threads, as I thought I was going to be a Jewel to start with. I had remembered that PICC info had been posted, but didn’t know when, so huge thanks for re-posting (promise I won’t lose it this time!)
Senga: Not sure if it’s easier being busy or not. I’m just waiting for the phone to ring. I did chase the Onc on Friday and have decided to give him until Tuesday before I chase again. Just want to get on with things now. At least you are organised with wigs/scarves etc. Got my head firmly in the sand on that one…
I’ve really enjoyed watching Wimbledon, but now realise how much it has taken my mind off things. My friend Jane has recommended the Tour de France as a substitute - suppose lots of men in Lycra might help xx
Hi Junkies
I am 47 and from Nottingham, I had a wle snb and bil mamoplasty on 6th June. The results showed that the tumour was 1.5cm with vascular invasion and 1/2 of the were affeceted.
I saw the Onc last week and will be having fet-t then rads then tamoxifen. I go for a visit to the chemo unit wednesday apparently I will get a voucher towards a wig then too. So far i haven’t got a date but i expect it will bw next week so would love to become part of the gang.
Debs.
Welcome to all newcomers. Thanks for the PICC info Artemis, it’s really useful as it looks like I’ll be having one. Just looked up exactly what it is - eek! I am so naive about all this. Well we all were, weren’t we. I’m lucky in that I can ignore stuff right up until the last moment, but I’ve got afternoon at hosp with OH tomorrow meeting chemo nurses and watching an hour long presenttion about it all. So I’m OK at the moment, but I’ll be in a right old state by the time we get to the hosp. I keep forgetting to ask for copies of my various scan results and pathology report, but then I wonder if I really want to know the true extent of it all, and would I understand it anyway?
Debsalicious I’m having rads after chemo, but the chemo is the same asyours. I think I start on 18th July, but I’ll find out tomorrow.
I had a call from one of the support team this morning to check that I was OK after my meltdown last Thurs before I got the results of the scans. So far I can’t fault any of my teatment or the staff. Long may it continue!
Had a shower this morning and as I was starting new bottle of shampoo realised that I’ll probably have lost my hair before the bottle is finished. Those sorts of realisations really p*** me off. So does the thought that I’ll have to have the tissue expander for at least year. It’s not very comfortable.
Off to do front of house for a film show in our village hall shortly so better get my skates on. Have a good evening fellow Junkies. x
Hi can I join July Junkies I start TAC on 25th … Just recovering from DIEP. Full of dread and could use the support ladies. Best wishes the rest of you.
Hi have you looked at suburban Turban, love their designs, going to order some soon, I also called then, sent some photos and had a chat about styles. X
Hi, Maybe I will be a July Junkie as I am off to see the oncologist for my first appointment today and I am really scared
Hi Piggystrotter
Your visit sounds like mine, mine is on wednesday and i’m hoping they will give me an actual date then.
I am also dreading loosing my hair although in a way it will be reassuring as it shows that the chemo is working and killing off everything.
At the moment i’m trying to pack as much as i can into my days while i still feel ok.
Off to make the most of another beautiful day
Good luck everyone x
Hi Debs and Bimble! Welcome to the Junkies. And Marion09, if you’re off to see the oncologist today I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re one of us as well! I’ll add you to the list, Bimble and I’ll do the same for everyone else as they give me dates. Bimble, thanks so much for Suburban Turban tip - I’ll take a look. I’m due to see the onc tomorrow to get results of my second op last week. I’m still pretty dopey and sore so don’t feel like doing much. Fingers crossed that the onc gives me a date to start cos the sooner I start the sooner I finish!
Wonder how you are doing Quinny? Hope all went smoothly for you last Friday.
Enjoy the sunshine everyone x
Morning July Junkies the gang is getting bigger.
I’m doing OK, still struggling with the nausea but the Sea bands and ginger are helping. Do find it difficult to drink enough cause that makes the nausea worse!!?? but in this heat no choice. I’ve always been a delicate soul where my tummy is concerned so I suppoes it was inevitable. I am now attractively red of chop due to photosensitivity, which is pants cause I am always so carefull and wear 50+ and I’ve not been out!!! feel a bit like a vampire venturing into the garden when the sun is down.
Bimble I have just looked at Surburban Turban and they are lovely, I feel some online shopping coming on (again).
Kat xx
Hi All. Just found feelgoodscarves.co.uk. More nice looking stuff which is worth a look. Sorry you’re feeling rubbish still, Kat - and bright red into the bargain. Not good. Hope things start to pick up soonish. Still feeling really washed out from the op and can’t drive cos it’s sore, but was taken by immediate urge for comfort food this morning so my OH drove me to M&S and very patiently waited while I stocked up. Too hot to eat, so I don’t really know what I was doing, but I feel better for it, which is the main thing!
Tamsin xx
Hi Ladies- Good morning to you. I start my first Taxotere (docetaxel) - Paraplatin (carboplatin) - Herceptin (Trastuzumab) chemo round in 9 hours and am all packed thanks to the many tips I have found in this forum. I am nervous as I start this big gamble!! Until my THIRD (the first two ImH and Oncotype DX WERE BOTH NEGATIVE) Her2 test came back positive (FISH) I was not going to have chemo but start w rads and then hormone therapy.
Took my 16 mg steroids (dexamethasone) today to prepare and have horrible headache and can’t sleep (it’s after midnight now for me in California) but I’m sure this will pass…or will it?
My status- Stage 1, t1c (20mm), N0, M0, Invasive ductal with micro-papillary factors, 'suspicious LVI but not observed, Grade 3 (9/9) ER+PR+ Her2Neu =; Oncyotype Dx 30.5 - WLE 02/05/2013, Re-WLE 23/05/2013, SNB (0/0).
I’m told it will take 6+ hrs for the first infusions (no catha port or picc …yet)I have read here to bring snacks & drink lots of water so I will- and I’ll let you know how it goes. I agree we will indeed be junkies with the plethora of toxic and anti-SE drugs we’ll be getting!! Any other tips are so welcome. Positive thoughts from Cali to all of you!
Morning all. Another gorgeous day nr Stonehenge. Spent afternoon at hosp talking all things chemotherapy and I think it’s finally sinking in that I have a life-threatening disease and chemotherapy is a really serious business. My OH is astounded that even after MX I wasn’t really taking it seriously. But I wasn’t. I just thought oh chemo, that’s 6 months of feeling seriously sh*tty then life goes back to normal. But I’m not so sure about that now. I hadn’t realised that infection is very possible as I’m having a PICC line, and that it could kill me. Really, how stupid am I? I know I’m a blonde, but really … I’m an intelligent woman and I’ve done some research so I should have been able to apply what I’ve read to my situation, but somehow I haven’t made that connection.
Anyway I’m not going to beat myself up, all my scans were negative, the tumour has been removed, it’s lovely weather, I feel extremely well (how ironic!), and treatment doesn’t start until 26 July. So my darling OH and I are joining a group of friends at the Larmer Tree Festival next week where I intend to have a very very good time.
OH and I have been following the 5:2 restricted calorie diet that Dr Michael Mosely did a Horizon programme about last year, and it has worked brilliantly for us. Mentioned that I thought I’d keep doing it and both Onc and nurse yesterday horrified, so perhaps I won’t. Apparently eating could be a problem because of taste changes and sore mouth, and they want me to eat as much as I can. Frankly, i can’t bear the thought of piling on the pounds because it’s taken me the best part of a year to get the figure I’ve always wanted, but OH says they’re the professionals and I should do what I’m told. Really difficult for a bossy, control freak like me!
Sorry, waffling on about nothing and this is turning into War and Peace, again lol! So for Benedictus’ list, I start 3 x FEC, 3 x FEC-T on Thursday, 26th July. My niece’s birthday, so not a date I’m likely to forget in a hurry!
I hope everyone who’s started is feeling OK, and that all of us about to start aren’t feeling too nervous. I keep trying to tell myself it’s only until Christmas, and it will save my life. xx
Hello All,
I am new to the site. I was diagnosed on 15 May. Had a WLE and ANC on 10 June and am due to start chemo on Monday (15 July).
I am 42 years old - so fall into the category of “one of our young ones” whenever I speak to nurses/consultants etc. My tumour was 26mm and was sitting so high to the surface of the skin (thankfully as I was too young to be routinely scanned) that when I had my WLE the surgeon used a laser to prize one edge of tumour from underside of skin and include a margin that they burnt my areola from the underside of the skin up. Now it sounds painful, and it has looked ugly whilst healing, but I honestly took a total of 6 paracetamol for post surgey pain.
I had 17 lymph nodes removed and 7 had cancer present.
I’ve had my MUGA scan, had CT yesterday and was so relieved to get results today that all is fine. hated the gastrograffin. However, it tasted slightly better than some Dandelion and Burdock drink that my mum got from a well known supermarket the other day 
After todays good news, I am so ready to start chemo on Monday. I am having a PICC line on Monday morning then chemo Monday afternoon. I will be on FEC-T plus Herceptin as HER2 +, ER 3/8, PR -
I have to go back and have a further WLE after chemo - 2 margins were not clear, but after discussions agreed that in my case chemo needed to be started sooner than the further surgery. I am Grade 3 - which is predominantly driven by my age and faster cell turn over.
Then I will have radiotherapy, and then the plan is to try Tamoxifen but because of the ER3/8 the Onc has indicated that if I am having a terrible time on it then I can come off it. I will try it. If I get a reoccurence then I will always wonder if I dont try whether I could have done more.
So I am anxious, frightened but also oddly excited about cracking on and sending in the drugs to seek out any straying cancer cells.
Hi all, well I may not be a July Junkie after all as I had my visit to the oncologist and she told me that the tumor which I was originally told was 1.5cm was in fact 3.5cm and classed as grade 2, she said I had an invasive ductal carcinoma with lymph node involvement but only 1 in the 5 they removed had cancer cells.
The results showed that it is oestrogen receptive but HER was negative and not in my vascular system
I have to hve FEC-T chemo, 3 x fec and 3 x t followed by 15 sessions of Radiotherapy on both my breast and armpit then 5 years on Letrosole or something beginning with A which I cant read.
How does that all sound? good and bad news in there I think but it looks like I could go into August for a start date
I will have a look on here to see what the FEC-T involves and how others have coped on it but for now I am only concentrating on my holiday next week to Devon
Thanks for the lovely welcome all of you, its a pretty scary time xxx
Hiya Marion. I had a mastecomy and 15 nodes removed and only one was cancerous. my lump was 2mm. Although they have said all the cancer has gone with the op they want to give me chemo as a precaution becaause of the node having cancer. I am to have EC90 wich I have been told is mild although it still caused hair loss. i start this next week on the 18th and am not looking forward to my first session. I have six althogether. It is all a very scary time but we wil al get through it.
xxx
Hi ladies, newbie here, may I join you?!
I may not quite be a July Junkie as my oncologist can’t see me until the 24th, but I was diagnosed at the end of May and had a mastectomy on 26th June. Tumour was 9cms (yep, you read it right) and 21 nodes all affected so I’m very scared. I’m having chemo, radiotherapy and hormone therapy so would really love to stay in touch with you all through our journeys.
Xxx
I have just got results of node clearance and due to cost chemotherapy within next few weeks. Waiting for appt to come through. I also was told my lump was about 1.7 on scan and 3.5 once under microscope, also, only a micromet in one node. Now I have 3 out of 11 nodes affected. Freaked out, as their original plan was an outside chance of chemo and now they say after chemo I should have radio too…
Good afternoon everyone. Can’t believe it’s still sunny and warm.
Prionm, it could almost be California here! I hope your first session wasn’t too nerve-wracking and you’re holding up. Do let us know how you’re getting on.
Welcome Nell42. No idea what a MUGA scan is but pleased that yours are clear. I’m having a PICC line as well. Be interested to hear how that procedure goes. At least you have a clear baseline to start from and so you know the chemo is your insurance policy.
Marion09 that all sounds pretty good to me. Chemo and rads seem to be automatic if lymph nodes are involved. We’re on the same regime so be interesting to compare notes. You’re welcome to stay on as an honorary July Junkie! Hope the weather holds for your Devon holiday, it’s a lovely part of the country.
Welcome Tasha101. I can beat your 9cm tumour, mine was 10.2 cm! I had 8 out of 15 nodes affected but my bone and ct scans were clear. Phew! Surely as all your lymph nodes were affected you’ll be having bone and ct scans as well? If not, you should ask why not. Not knowing whether it has spread is the most worrying aspect, and the scans will put your mind at rest. Have you had a temporary implant or are you waiting for reconstruction after treatment? A nursing friend told me it might help to try and think that yes, all those lymph nodes were affected but that only means they were doing their job. It certainly helped me deal with my fears before I had the results of the scans.
Hurrah! Our tickets for the Larmer Tree Festival have just arrived and the weather looks set to at least be dry. How fab.
Hope everyone else is having a good day, and those who have already started the chemo journey are feeling OK. x
Hi ladies, hope I can join you, just had phone call from onc dept. booked in for first session on 22 July eeek!! Still got heart echo and bone scan to get through first , seems I have now officially, joined the roller coaster ( never did care for fairground rides ) I have been reading all your messages and posts and can identify with all the emotions described