Morning @swk1981 hope you feel brighter this morning.
I too seem to have joined the diarrhoea club, not one I wanted to join! I’ve got Loperamide but did anyone take buscopan as well I’ve got such bad stomach cramps.
Interestingly enough my oncologist has also suggested Abemaciclib for me too, I’ve been told it will be for 2 years and really can make a difference.
Amazing that all these new drugs and targeted therapies are coming through all the time. Sometimes I get a bit stressed about the reoccurrence. Then I think of all the new drugs and things that they are bringing out and who knows what will be available in 5 years time let alone 10!
Josh has his last Chemistry A level today, he can’t wait for it all to be over!!
I hope everyone is OK today, big hugs all round. Helen x
Morning ladies,
Thank you all for the messages it means so much.I’ve my positive pants back on and like @elle16 said it’s dotting the i’s & crossing the t’s. I really do think it’s fatigue.Hopefully I’ll get an appointment soon.
I think when we hear the word scan it just triggers us off.
I got my appointment today for radiotherapy 3rd of July exactly 3 weeks from my last chemotherapy, I also start tamoxifen that day. They said if I feel up to it and as long as no infections and bloods are ok. It’s strange last week I was hoping it would be a bit longer, now I’m ’ let’s Get this over and done with’ @gromit12 I’m delighted for you, that’s amazing news, its great to hear people getting positive news. Although you still amaze with your runs xx @elle16 sorry to hear you have this extra worry of a scan also, I really hope all goes well and will be thinking of you. I try to think if I hadn’t been diagnosed with BC, I’d be thinking totally different about tests and scans and Drs wouldn’t be as concerned either. It’s all precautionary. ( this is me trying to remain calm and positive lol)
@swk1981 I hope you’re starting to feel better and get a bit of an appetite from side effects. It’s great to hear you’re getting some dates also. My radiotherapy regime sounds very like yours also. I’ve to start tamoxifen on the first day of radiotherapy, I’m going to be on it for 2 years and then Anastrozole for 5 years. I asked why they’ve changed it from what they initially said and they explained new research shows this would be more effective for me taking in my type of Cancer and age (52)( This heat and hot flushes is getting to me also, I think I’m going to have to accept it’s going to take time to get back to a some sort of new normal.
@hc1973 so glad to hear your treatment went well, hopefully next few weeks will be good to you xxx
@SL255 I really hope you manage to keep your hair as you’ve preserved so well with it. Please don’t feel bad about others having scan, your worries are as valid as everyone else’s. We’re all doing amazing to get this far
I’m sorry if I’ve left anyone out but hope everyone is doing ok or managing as best as they can.
On a positive note I have a mobile home on the coast ( an hours drive from me) and have decided I’m going to go today. My family will stay the weekend, my younger sister lives 2 hours way is going to come on Monday with my 12 year old nephew and stay to Thursday. Then my 2 nieces( my sister who passed recently daughter’s) will stay with me for a few days. Well that’s the plan at the minute lol. If I get an appointment for MRI it’s just a 45 minute drive.
So I’ve got my factor 50, extra large parasol and a large floppy hat. Think that’ll cover it .
Pauline xxx
@pollyanna1 Have a fantastic weekend Pauline, the weather looks fantastic. A weekend by the coast sounds like the perfect medicine. Hope your appointment comes through soon. Helen x
@swk1981 do you know what that trial is called? I’d like to ask my oncologist if it’s relevant for me when I get to that point. Still got surgery to go but it’s good to be prepared…
@kartoffel I’ve also been offered Abemaciclib due to my node involvement and high risk of recurrence. I wasn’t told it was a trial so not sure. Although I am going through BUPA so not sure if it’s different. There’s so many amazing treatments for us all these days. I hope all your surgery goes to plan as well x
@hc1973@kartoffel I’ll send him an email but it sounded like it was a nationwide trial. I think there are small outlandish trials by specific teams that happen and then there are ones that NICE are involved in, seeing whether the standard protocol would benefit from it. I think that it is basically a case of any oncologist being able to offer it to patients with ER+ HER2 -ve breast cancer who has a higher risk of recurrence (assuming the cut off may be lymph node involvement for that) as it’s been so successful for metastatic BC. A friend has breast cancer liver mets and has been disease free now for 5 years after Abemaciclib. I didn’t know it was that drug that she’d been given until I mentioned that the oncologist had suggested it so I’m now 100% on board taking it.
@pollyanna1 Have the most wonderful time! That sounds like the perfect place to be! I hope you can taste the ice cream. You really deserve a nice breeze, some ice cream and some peace! X
He mentioned the fact that I’m private in reference to my internal mammary chain but not about the Abemaciclib being on offer. Other than wait times/central line approaches, it’s the first time I’ve seen anything be different since they’re NHS consultants too. Seemed crazy that one extra zap area shouldn’t be included for NHS if he believes it’s of benefit. He was very pro-patients bullying doctors into extra treatments though, even on the NHS! X
Just a wee update…. I’m getting my Hickman Line in on Monday don’t have my chemo appointment yet but hopefully it won’t be too long after! At least they managed to get me in within a week for the actual line which is nice and quick
Thanks for all the information @swk1981 you are a little bit ahead of me, I’ve got 8 more treatments left. I don’t know much about the radiotherapy. I just know the plan was radiotherapy, Abemaciclib and hormone therapy so I will make sure to ask a few more questions too!
Hi, those of you who’ve booked overseas holidays or are planning to do, what travel insurance companies are you using? Avanti, who supposedly covers health stuff (husband had heart attack so we need specialised insurance) said they wouldn’t continue to cover me
@gromit12 ‘Insurance with’ are highly rated and I’ve seen quite a few recommendations for them. I intend to use them next year☺️ the woman who founded them actually done a Facebook live with Breast Cancer Now on travel insurance and had gave advice/mentioned other places to check if you want to have a watch of that too
@isthisreal well done for getting out there, but sorry for all the “reactions”, but as you say, good lesson for us all to learn in the future - not much consolation for you tonight though xx
@gromit12, like @ belle said Insurance with is good. It depends where you are in treatment, whether lymph node involvement, need surgery etc.
I priced insurance a few months back for a a trip to Rome in November and it was a few hundred pounds. I priced it last week and it’s £20 for a single trip travel. That is with AXA and they’ve a 5 star defaqto award.
I know M&S is very good and they don’t exclude any conditions as some do. Also try Saga, post office, Admiral. It might be worth going on Go Compare and doing a search. If you need any help let me know. I worked for the NFU for 17 years. NFU is great but excludes some conditions and I know Cancer is one.
Pauline xxx
I booked my hols before cancer and have an annual family policy with Barclays. I’m assuming I’m covered by that since I’m not purchasing after diagnosis. Am I being thick thinking that? I’ll check of course x
Avanti wouldn’t renew my annual policy as I was going to have chemo. Policy expired end of April - but managed to get my summer holiday refunded before it expired but they challenged it as they said I hadn’t informed them I had breast cancer … But I didn’t, and that’s why I’m now claiming,.they were very difficult
@swk1981 check when your policy renewed. If it renewed before your diagnosis it’s normally valid until renewal. At renewal you have to inform them of any new health conditions. This is normally industry standard but double check with your insurer xxxx
.
but they challenged it as they said I hadn’t informed them I had breast cancer 
… But I didn’t, and that’s why I’m now claiming,.they were very difficult