@belle1 what a traumatic 24 hours you’ve had but you’ve reached the goal in the end so happy new Hickman line 
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Just with you bringing up a break I thought I’d let you know about when I got diagnosed. I was at the breast clinic and got told they were 99.9% sure I had cancer on the Thursday and was due to go to Rome on the Monday for 4 weeks. I was waiting on my biopsy results and official confirmation and my head was pickled/I felt very emotional. We were advised to still go to Rome and they would phone me to let me know that it was 100% cancer and give me what other info they had (although full results weren’t available till the next week). We went as planned even though it’s the last thing I wanted to do and it was honestly the best thing I could’ve done. I had planned out things to do each day and it was just such a beautiful city and so good to get away and see various things that I felt so much better and ready to face things when I got back. I know your trip will be at the other side of things if you do it but I really felt that although Rome was bittersweet and I got the phone call in the middle of it, I actually really enjoyed it and living like an Italian for a few days😉 funnily enough I was looking at Seville or Valencia for after things too in January just to do the same kind of thing
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Oh @belle1 poor you! What a drama from start to finish. I love your story of the “biscuit nurse” so pleased you have the Hickman line in and that you can hopefully get your next chemo as planned.
Helen x
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You’re right. We had Paris booked after my mastectomy and days before chemo started in March. I’ve been to Paris about 30 times due to work and love it so very much. My Dad lives there part time too so I went a day before the kids and Matt and met Dad and Maryse for dinner and then left them and walked for 5 hours straight all around my old stomping grounds and it cleansed me so very much. The free will and silence was so cathartic. It was lovely once they all arrived but actually my favourite bit was the 24 hours on my own. I did 72,000 steps in a few days. Today, I went into Bath for lunch and my muscles are just lactic acid central. I’m useless so need to build up some strength first I think!
I’m going to go ahead and plan something now. Thanks Belle! X
@elle16 check your BUPA as I get a free spa night at Champneys once my treatment finishes as part of the insurance. Random but worth claiming! 
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Thank you for your birthday messages girls, I’m hopeless with this forum so won’t tag anyone as I’ll only get it wrong and leave someone out 
I’d love to say that my top was from some exclusive Surrey boutique but it’s not. It’s from Tesco 
It’s been perfect for hiding PICC lines and additional weight 
so I’ve worn it loads!
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@altoan Ahhh, where in Surrey are you? I grew up in Surrey and miss the countryside there so much! It’s much more arable over here and I miss the amazing woodland and open heathland!
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Walton on Thames, barely counts as leafy Surrey really
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Ahhh, I was down towards Walton on the Hill/Kingswood/Tadworth area but I went to school in Sutton and then Epsom and had a misspent youth in Kingston at Options and Volts!
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My favourite area! I remember (or don’t) many a night at Cinderella’s! I so miss Surrey! X
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Hi ladies, oncology appointment went well, I’m not suitable for the trial as no lymph nodes involved, but I’m grateful they weren’t so not too disappointed, I was offered reduced docetaxel for my last round but decided against it, in for a penny in for a pound just hope I don’t regret it, I will be having 9 radio but no dates yet as she said I would need my scan booked in first. No results from brain scan yet but she agreed no news was good news, got opticians booked in for Thursday as eyesight been awful since start of chemo.
Loved catching up on all the messages,
@swk1981 had all the bupa paperwork signed whilst I was there so thanks again for the info and they have sent a lot of information through the post for me so will look to see if it mentions the spa.
Regards to holiday insurance has anyone managed to get any that will cover you before you finish radiotherapy? Xx
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@swk1981 @isthisreal - it really is a small world! I do love the area, even though it’s getting busier and busier, we have nice scenery for walking/running, great places to visit etc and it’s also easy for access to London (in the other life, not this one!)
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Glad to hear it went well @elle16. It’s good that you were able to ask about the trial and have your questions answered.
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@isthisreal i live in Fleet! And I’m currently having my chemo at the Nuffield hospital next to the Royal Surrey in Guildford!
@swk1981 free spa day?! I’m with Bupa I need to find out about that one!
Interested to find out about insurance for when chemos finished but pre radio, has anyone managed to book any and was it reasonable?
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@hc1973, I’ve been able to got lots of quotes pre radiotherapy. I used go compare and lots of company’s quoted and are very reasonable. What I have noticed drives the price up is, not had surgery yet and also having Lymph node involvement.
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Thanks @pollyanna1 i don’t have anything booked to go abroad which I find really depressing. We usually travel a lot and it’s the one thing that drives me is travelling. I’m not bothered about material things but I do like my holidays!
We have friends coming over from Hong Kong and we are meeting then in Cornwall for 6 nights, the hospital have been really good and allowed me to push my chemo by one day that week. So we are going to get up at the crack of dawn and drive straight to the hospital!
I hate having it weekly as I don’t feel like I have a day when I feel great and now it’s Weds and I go back again tomorrow urgh.
Josh is due to start university in September and my chemo finishes around 23rd Aug so maybe I can fit something in!
It’s so hard though as your finish date is never set in stone so planning is difficult.
However I’m going to start looking!
We are driving down to see my dad in Southampton today and I’m really looking forward to seeing him.
I hope everyone has a good day. @belle1 i hope you slept OK and your line is settling in.
Helen x
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Aw @hc1973 I’m the same as you with holidays! My husband and I don’t have any children either and always said our thing is travelling so it’s weird being grounded for now I moved our holiday we already had booked for January to April too just to give me more time to recover and actually enjoy the holiday as January was cutting it too fine with the end of my treatment as still surgery/radiotherapy to go (and 4 cycles Docetaxel).
Line has been painful till it settles but I’ve slept mostly ok 
they called me yesterday morning as I was due to go in in the afternoon but they wanted to see me. Went in and got my dressing changed and bloods taken (soooo much easier!!) and they had a chat with me. Seems to have been some weird event and not infection related which is random but good. They said they’d normally delay chemo due to what happened to let me recover but after a chat they were happy that I was feeling better and eating again so are letting me crack on with my first Docetaxel and Herceptin tomorrow. Back on the pre chemo steroids now!
I can’t remember who mentioned this (as I also struggle to keep up with who said what lol) but I get acne/breakouts after the steroids each time. It was really bad after the first time and I started using the MooGoo blemish busting moisturiser and it really made a difference. I’ve actually had hormonal acne for the last 15 years and been on the strongest treatment (Roaccutane) for it twice, and before this had a hefty maintenance routine to keep it at bay so I was gutted with my response to the steroids but the MooGoo stuff really helped and my skin is pretty good now with just the odd spot after steroids so I’d recommend if your skin is breaking out on treatment
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Oh and just in case anyone is interested (due to mention of recurrence here) and has instagram, thetittygritty done a live chat with Dr Liz O’Riordan last night that is now on her grid. I watched it this morning as it’s also something that worries me so I like to try educate myself a bit around it as that’s how my brain works/I reassure myself. I found it quite decent so worth a watch if you’re interested
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Not sure if this will open on everyone’s phone but it felt very relevant to us all. She describes it very well. X
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