Piggsystrotter - thank you for your encouragement and making my tumour seem smaller!! Luckily I had scans before MX and they were clear, but then I had a panic about all 21 nodes because I haven’t seen that in any other cases on this forum and I think I’ve read every post…wondering if some rogue cells are already on their way to cause more damage.
I don’t have a temp implant, I knew reconstruction wouldn’t be an option until at least a year from now and having read so much helpful info here, I’m pretty sure I don’t want one. I couldn’t face more surgery just to get something that doesn’t even look too good. I’ve taken advice and ordered the £26.50 prosthesis from Nicola Jane, my BCNs are wonderful but the comfie they gave me couldn’t be more the wrong shape. I think with a proper fitting bra and prosthesis and some clever dressing I will be fine. I’ve also checked out Annabandana as recommended and it looks great so I’ll be choosing a few items in preparation for chemo. I think having the right tools for the job makes everything that little bit less stressful. Big thanks to everyone who offers support and advice, and to the facilitators who have made this brilliant forum run smoothly.
Being in company with like minded ladies is certainly helping me, and I hope I can help others too xxx
Hi All. Just wonderered whether we wanted an updated list as there are now quite a few of us. We seem to be quite a ‘hands off’ forum so perhaps it isn’t what people want. It’s still up in the air as to whether I’ll make the grade as a July Junkie. Results from the second op last week still show evidence of disease so I’m off for round three next week. Bit of a low point…
So sorry to hear your at a low point Benedictus , sounds like your really being put through the mill at mo, I had 2ops and that was enough! But I’m sure you will feel better as soon as they get your surgery s out of the way. Try and treat yourself to something nice over the weekend and be sure that there will always be someone here that will at least listen and understand what your going through sending you big hugs. Lynda
Tamsin that is rotten news, another op poor you. At least you get to watch the men in lycra for a bit longer, and now the cricket!!
I’m keeping up to date and reading everyones news and wishing you all well.
Pironm hope you are feeling OK. Oat milk was my savior. I actually ventured out in day light hours today as apposed to holding court.
I like the idea of knowing where we all are so from down the road a bit from Hampton Court goodnight.
Kat xx
Hi and thanks for asking Piggstrotter . Was a long 8+ hr day at the Infusion Center as the Herceptin loading dose went in OK (slowly) - but when they got to the Docetaxel (Taxotere) - I has side effects twice and they shut it down, filled me with Hydrocortisone and Benadryl (IV) and finally got the last bit in - Numbness and tingling, burning in the mouth, lips, tongue- jaw bone and High BP - Feeling pretty good today -no nausea but still have the numbness in the mouth. Weather’s great here in CA- at work now and hoping to put in a full day - I know this may not last but I am enjoying feeling OK it as long as I can - Thanks for all the support for your CA July Junkie.
Thanks KAt - appreciate it and love the Hampton Court idea down the road!!
Hi - the MUGA scan was done at nuclear medicine. One injectin in…30 minutes later…radioactive injection in…then a nice lay down on the scanning machine and they bring in part of the machine that sits reasonably close to the body on left side. Lay still for approx 20 minutes whilst it gets in synch with your heart beats and gives them a good readings. Believe its a baseline reading as I’m having herceptin and will return every 3 months to detect any damage to heart muscle and intervene with drugs at appropriate time. It was honestly a very relaxed scan. Staff stayed in the room with me, chatting away, they put music on for me to listen to…I go Olly Murs that day, and was made to feel very at ease about the whole thing.
Waiting for the nerves to kick in about starting chemo on Monday…I know they will be there, but am hoping they only start to properly appear on Monday morning. I can but hope.
Morning Junkies! So glad things have gone Ok for you pironm even though the Tax didn’t entirely behave itself. Hope the se’s aren’t too bad. Welcome to all the newbies. Updated list below:
15 July nell42 FEC-T + Herceptin
16 th s_bruce Senga FEC
16thDebsaliscious FEC-T
16th Salad Jules TAC
18 th melena EC90
19th MelindaE Mel Fec-T
22nd pollyanne Lynda
25th Bimble TAC
26th Piggsytrotter FEC-T
Thanks for your positive vibes, Lynda and Kat. I am having a bit of a meltdown at the moment. Not helped by the fact that the surgeon was so convinced he’d got it all out during the first op at the end of May. Then a closer look at histology made them go in again - hence last week - and now the news that even that wasn’t clear. Mind in overdrive… I’m trying to get hold of my BCN to ask a few questions, but no luck.
Still, another beautiful sunny day here in leafy Sheffield - yes, the greenest city in the UK! MS finishes school today, so he’ll be home at lunchtime ready to lie on his bed for 7 weeks (he’s 14!) The family are coming down to Hampton Court in August, Kat. I’d splashed out in a huge mega way and booked the Georgian House to stay in because I’d always wanted to stay there. We tried to change it but Landmark Trust don’t give refunds because, they say, they manage it on behalf a third party - i.e. the Queen. Would have thought she’d have enough money to allow refunds in circs such as this. Seems not. Anyway, looks as though everyone else is going and leaving me at home 
Promise won’t grumble again…
Tamsin x
You grumble away girl.
Dont rule out HCP yet it might be just what you need. It is a wonderful place and I hope they have included one but if not get a pass then you can dip in as you need to, and also visit the other palaces. If you come down we could meet up for tea in the Tiltyard??
I went to school’s summer concert (Les Mis themed) last night which was lovely, my daughter’s (15) fave concert of the year. She plays the flute in the orchestra. We have one more week of school here.
My invisible umbilical cord is tuggng on my son who is in Hong Kong, he has been there for 6 months and has 6 to go. So chemo will be over when he is back. His best friend’s dad died suddenly at the wkd so I know he is really feeling it out there. Thank heavens for Skype.
My genetics letter from the Marsden has arrived with a quite lengthy questionnarie (good quality paper) and I need to get my head in the right palce and start it.
Procrastination is my middle name today.
Kat xx
Hi All
I had my visit to the chemo unit (grim) on wednesday and start chemo (fec-t) on tuesday!!
Had a bit of a freak aboout head gear and panic about having to go out bald so went shopping yesterday and hot 2 scarves and a cap. I am looking at wigs on Monday with my hairdresser friend.
Also had a call from my BCN and felt better after I’d had a chat with her.
Just need to try to keep busy to keep my mind off things until tues
Have a great w/e everyone
Hi ladies, I hope I can join you all. I’m 28 and was diagnosed in early June. i have now had surgery and am due to start chemo next week.
Hi, I start chemo next Friday 19 July i will be having 8 sessions of FEC-T. I think it will finally hit home then what I have to go through. I have been back to work and normailty this week which has been good. I have bought some head scarves and hats so have been wearing them at home for practice! Have also been stacking up on food items that have been talked about by the June Jewels, Back to the wig shop tomorrow, and also to get the pony tail chopped off and sent to a childrens charity. My hair will still be down to my shoulders so a gradual change until the dreaded fall out.
How good would it be if they could find a chemo that is successful for breast cancer that doesn’t lead to hair loss, as that I believe to be one of our biggest fears through all this.
Now to enjoy my last chemo free weekend!
Enjoy the sun
Mel
Hi lottie glad you have joined us although wish you hadn’t had to (if that makes sense) its absolute rubbish to have this to go through at 28, but I’m sure your youth will help you get through it . I’m due to start next week as well , hope all your S.E are few and small . Best wishes and good luck to all the other ladies starting next week and of course those who are already on the way
Evening all,
It may not be the same for you ladies, but for me the hair loss is kind of the final insult - haven’t we all got enough to cope with without having to face the world without our lovely hair?! But my 16 year old daughter assured me its very cool to be bald and she couldn’t understand why that was bothering me. She pointed out that you see ladies in hats and scarves so often, no-one thinks anything of it. I’m just reminding myself its only temporary, and in the autumn and winter it will be easy to hide under a woolly hat, and if I’m honest it really was about time I updated from my long straight hair to a more funky 'do which is what I’ll be doing when it grows back.
welcome Lottie12 and good luck to everyone who starts chemo next week. I just want to get on with it - the sooner it starts the sooner it’s finished
xxx
Hi Ladies,
What a week this has been,like Piggsytrotter I think its finally starting to sink it. In between going to work, I have had my wig fitting session, ordered up three wigs, one blonde, one brown and one vibrant red,(figured people are going to stare anyway so might as well go all out). On Wed. had an echogram at one hospital and a session at Headstrong at another hospital then back to work. Today was back up at hospital for an endescope (got sedated for that one) and more bloods taken, but apart from a sore throat and feeling sleepy got on ok. Of all the things I have had done in the last three months, two ops, umpteen scans, ultrasounds, endescope etc , I think I have coped fairly well. But I think starting chemo on Tuesday and losing my hair, is when it will suddenly make everything feel real and scary. I am on a road that like everyone here, sooo dont want to be on. I wish we all find the strength to get through this and come out the other side
Senga x
Hi ladies, hoping I can join the July junkies!
I was only diagnosed yesterday but as it is also in the lymph they want to start chemo within the next 2 weeks and then I will have surgery after 6 cycles. I will be 40 tomorrow!
Morning all. Diagnosed Tuesday. Grade 3, ductal, triple negative. Lump measures between 2 and 2.8 cms depending on who measures it! (Hoping it hasn’t really grown nearly a cm in 2 weeks…). Scan on Monday (quite scared about results). And hoping to start 6 cycles of TAC chemo on Tuesday (16th). Sponsored head shave sometime next week. Just read about donating hair which would be great but its bob length so not sure I have enough 
Trying to get to grips with all the acronyms (what are SE’s?). Still don’t think i’ve taken it all in really.
Thanks Tamsin for starting thread and sorry u hit a low point recently. hope u get good news soon.
anyway just wanted to check in.
Oh my goodness! I go away and sob for five minutes and when I come back there are all these lovely new women! Welcome to all of you - I know you don’t want to be here but as you are, it’s a great support network. For those with start dates I have added you to the list which is somewhere above.
So, I managed to have a long talk with the BCN yesterday morning and she reassured me that a) it is still being treated as a primary recurrence, b) the surgeon is happy that this op should sort it and c) neither the surgeon nor the onc are worried about the delay in starting chemo. So all being well I should slip in at the very end of the month on the 31st. Not counting my chickens though!
Kat: if I start on the 31st HCP might be a possibility because it would be my third week. Tiltyard would be very nice indeed! It must be so hard for you with your son in HK, but I can imagine much of that worry must be how he is feeling being out there when so much is happening here in his absence. I’m glad the school concert was fab - we love Les Mis in this house as well. We’ve just about finished all concerty things for this year - just one final performance for my little one in Evita this afternoon - he’s in the children’s chorus for the touring production and has loved every minute of it. Good luck with tackling the genetics form…
Tasha101: Must remember what your daughter says about baldies! I agree that losing your hair is psychologically the worst bit, to the extent that I endured the cold cap last time which was absolutely the worst part of chemo. It was horrible. But I didn’t lose my hair. I can’t face that a second time, so have decided to bite the bullet. I don’t know if you read the June Jewels thread, but many of them say it’s the anticipation which is worst. Once it’s done it is so much better.
debsaliciious: Where are you being treated? Was the chemo unit grim just because of what you are going to have to go through or did you find the atmosphere/people unfriendly? I am incredibly lucky to have one of the regional centres 5 minutes walk down the road from where I live, but Weston Park was put up in the 60s and is a concrete monstrosity. But it’s a fab place to be treated.
Lottie12: Welcome, and I’m so sorry that you find yourself here at your age. Have you also joined the younger women’s forum? I know that a friend of mine found it really helpful. Let me know chemo dates and regime if you want to (no pressure) and I’ll put you on the list.
MelindaE: Enjoy your weekend. Impressed by how organised you are!
Senga: I’m so glad the endoscopy went well. When do you get the results of that? I’d been thinking much the same as you about what I’ve had done to me over the last few weeks. I’m feeling pretty battered and bruised and chemo is still some way off. But we’ll all get through it and out the other side.
Justy T: Happy Birthday for tomorrow! I hope you have a lovely day. And this time next year you will be able to look back and think what a heck of a rollercoaster you have had, but that you’ve come through it!
Salad Jules: I can understand you being scared about results - that really and truly is the worst part. I was a complete mess on Wednesday when I had bad news once more and I know that I will be a mess in a fortnight waiting for the next lot. And if you were only diagnosed (dx) on Tuesday then I would imagine you still feel you are on the window ledge hanging on by your fingertips. I was like you first time round - diagnosed and then straight into chemo almost within days and I remember it is a whirlwind of disbelief, but you will get very good advice from everyone in the chemo unit and you will be able to manage. There are a lot of acronyms on this site and I regularly get lost, especially when people post their path reports, so don’t worry if you want to speak in plain english! SE are side effects by the way.
Goodness I’ve burbled. Sorry! Did try the men in Lycra, Kat, but it was soooooo boring. So it’s back to the cricket.
Enjoy the lovely weather everyone
Tamsin x
Thanks for such a quick reply Tamsin. Am mostly good at not thinking too much (and my toddler twins help!) But its always there in the background (especially at night or early mornings!). I had a little blub to know there are other scared people here too.
Oops - self indulgent moment over - better rescue hubbie from the kids (or is that vice versa!!? Haha)
Quick update from me. Nearing the end of third week of my first session of FEC. On the whole gone very well and still feeling positive. Just a small blip last Saturday (day 6). Awakened at 0500 feeling nauseaus and was sick, this continued for a couple of hours and eventually I phoned a friend who had my backdoor key. When she came I was on the floor having fainted. So put in ambulance, given intravenous antisickness drug which quelled the sickness. I spent the weekend in the oncology ward, was given antibioltics and came home fighting fit. I have been fine ever since. This was just a reaction to chemo. My white blood count is good so will not delay my second session Mon 22 July. This is not a common reaction so please do not be alarmed. For the first five days I had not been sick at all. They will sort my anti sickness drugs when I see Onc next week so I have something to take if I feel this coming on again. I will be packing a small overnight bag as a precaution and then I will forget about it unless it is needed, particularly as I live alone!
Still have all my hair and it is bright and shiny so might make it to the end of my first session intact!!. Who knows? I have my wig ready for when the inevitable happens and my hairdresser standing by to make a home visit to shave my head and cut/style my wig.
I now have an understandiing about how I am likely to feel during future cycles. Week 1 feeling a bit grotty, week 2 steadily feeling stronger and more like my old self. Week 3, feeling good and fine but have to be careful of infection and week 4 positively glowing! I did have a problem with constipation but my doctor has given me the meds to sort this and they worked well. I think it is important to keep going regularly through this as it can be a problem due to the chemo drugs for some people.
Enough about me. I do hope the newbees will take comfort from the messages on this site. I have found it very useful. You don’t need to read every message fully, just scan over and take what you need from it and you will find it may answer your queries and be a comfort.
Have a fantastic weekend enjoying the sun from the shade Xxx