How you all doing folks? My knees hurt and I’m pretty tired but my eyebrows, lashes and hair is returning.
I was thinking I might keep the old punk look for a bit longer … got used to not having hairdresser appointments to sort out.
Are you all getting your hair back, enjoying the journey I hope. Its been interesting…
@schwartzwald good to see you again. Love the picture update. I too am pleased to say I have brows and lashes again. It’s strange re the hair. Im getting a lot of comments from people and can’t decide how that makes me feel. Some are a neutral comment like ‘short suits you’ others suggest it’s better than my usual look. Thats hard in a way because I still associate with my normal long wavey hair …that it turns out no one likes much 
How’s work?
@pips12 I have also started letrazole and zoladex. Zolendronic acid yet to come. Definitely aches all over the place and bone pain. Today the constant asked if i was going to carry on with it all ….I said yes.
@pollypox don’t know about the rash but i advise hydrocortisone cream
@louise15 congratulations for your son. How’s tamoxifen? How’s work?
@bramble1 sorry about the ciclib sideffects. Especially with eating. Sounds grim. Glad work is ok.
@emma-jayne hope radiotherapy goes OK. Sorry about your mum.
@sunshine-smile you’ve been through a lot. Sending love
Work ok. Ive loved seeing BC patients and being able to encourage them. I start a new job in April which im a bit nervous about.
Now active treatment is over are you all getting a lot of questions like “how do they know if treatment worked?” “When do you get chemo curls?” “How often do you get scanned” etc.
Got leave today. Baking a birthday cake for the daughter.
Looking great @outdoorsy. I’ve had a lot of similar comments, suits you, you should keep it like that! My hair was a bit crap before so its fair. haha. Work is good but I am exhausted after three days. Going compressed soon so should have a little more time to rest and recover and hopefully do stuff for myself once I have more energy.
Been on letrozole since the end of chemo and it’s ruining my joints. Stiff and sore, trying some well advertised collagen supplement with hyaluronic acid to see if it makes a decent difference to movement. I shall report back…
Yes, lots of “you made it”, “you have got to the other side!” … doesn’t feel like I will ever be clear of this experience. Changed forever and I think some think you just bounce back to who you were before.
Off to play golf this afternoon and dinner out after that… be in bed by 9pm I reckon.
Out of interest ladies, how are you all doing with recovering general fitness? We’ve just been away for a couple of days, and were walking (we’ve always loved walking, our Munro bagging days are behind us but we still like a good ramble in the hills). I didn’t do a proper walk all of last year, and this year have managed a few short walks but I’m limited to about 5/6km (so 3 and a bit miles), lung capacity is definitely sort of post-flu level and it’s so frustrating! I don’t want to do a 10 mile hike (yet!), I do appreciate it’ll take at least a year to get back to normal, especially after chemo and radiotherapy (that must have affected my lungs) , plus strictly speaking I’m still having treatment with the targeted therapy, but I feel so frustrated with myself, and also bad for spoiling my husband’s walk (although he says I’m not, I think he’s probably just glad I’m out there with him again!)
Saying that, this weekend I did do a bit of coastal path (lots of up and down, rough terrain) and then moorland walking the next day. But today I’m walking like a 90 year old as my calves have seized up 
. And I really enjoyed it. I just wish I could do more 
In other news I have just cut my nails super short and think I might have just got the last of the chemo nail off 
.
I’m still wearing my wig to work, but otherwise am quite happy with my short mid-brown crop and a baseball cap. Hoping I might be able to get a bit more of a style when I see my hairdresser in June
Hugs to you all xx
Hello ladies! Been a while so thought I would pop in 
I hope you’re all doing well, and settling in to some sort of post treatment life (if all treatment is done for you!) 
I’ve returned to work which I’m happy with. I’m still not working directly with service users yet but I’m leading my team and it’s good being back. Though I have found my tolerance has changed slightly and when staff are coming moaning to me about something I feel a bit like “really?” Managing to not actually say that to staff though! and I’m very much in my “that’s not worth my energy” era, an just trying to let things which would normally stress me out go!
I’m also back at PT, which is so good to be building back strength. taking it very slow and starting on low weights but I’m managing two gym sessions and a run a week as well as my daily steps so for me, this feels so amazing to be exercising again! I can feel the change in strength and energy levels have been impacted but that is improving.
Been out and about seeing people, slowly getting back to my hobbies and have a nice post-treatment celebration tonight with my family and friends which I can’t wait for. Oh, and my son and his new fiancé have booked their wedding! Also, during chemo and being stuck at home so much, I irrationally decided I hated the decor in my entire home and decided that post treatment I would be decorating everywhere so I have started on that this week with the kitchen - nice having a wee project!
I feel good physically, other than small dips in energy here and there. And mentally & emotionally is a bit up and down at times but I’m riding that out and just looking after myself. I’ve mentioned my health anxiety before and there’s been a few times that has flared - had some type of chest infection/flu for a few weeks there so my mind kept telling me my cancer was back 
even though everyone I knew had the same thing and for the same length of time! So I think that, and trusting my body again will be my biggest hurdle over the next wee while.
I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve not been in here as much but plan to keep popping in to see how you’re all doing. Your support and having this space through everything has been invaluable & I appreciate all of you so much. Sending you all so much love
@pollypox The moving backwards comment is funny! Obviously not to them but I find it funny, they clearly don’t appreciate the sense of humour needed to be going through cancer diagnosis and treatment! have you started it yet? I was considering doing it, but now not too sure. I do know that it’s one you can pop into at any point up to a couple of years (or so I was told in Maggie’s) so it’s good knowing it’s there if I feel I do want it at some point.
@emma-jayne did you get stared with radiotherapy? How is your Mum doing? I done another sound bath by the way, and also a relaxation class - very zen! The last soundbath I attended I actually got quite emotional and cried a fair bit - apparently that’s normal though and it did feel like a nice release so I was fine with that.
@bramble1 that sounds bad 
how is your stomach doing now? Were your blood tests OK or show anything they could do to help the issue? In terms of fitness levels, as I said above I’m definitely noticing a difference but for me it feels it is slowly improving and while things can feel a bit of a struggle and maybe zap energy, it’s not that bad and is improving. Just make sure to pace yourself - if I’m doing something I’ve been trying to make sure the next day I have nothing on. I’ve also cut off what I think is the last of the chemo nails (they were all lifting 
) but the new nail coming in looks good and healthy and the polybalm has helped with that. I have provisionally booked in my nail person for next month - they won’t be at a length for me to go back to my funky styles yet but I’ll just feel good having them done!
@schwartzwald looking good! 
glad to hear the hair is making a comeback for us all! How are the energy levels and the knees doing?
@outdoorsy also looking good! I think my Tamoxifen is fine? I’m not noticing any major side effects but I started it a few weeks before radiotherapy and I was still doing my targeted therapies up until last week so I’m thinking the fatigue I’ve felt is more so that than the Tamoxifen. When do you start your new job? I am getting some “oh yay you’re done, it’s all over!” Comments from people. They mean well of course but I’m like, nah my head is still processing all of what’s happened actually so not quite over yet!
New job on 9th. 
Hi @louise15
My stomach seems to be settling, thank goodness. Bloods have all been fine, so they have kept me on the maximum 150mg x2 daily. I’m now on cycle 3 out of 26 
, I have written a 26 to 1 countdown in a notebook and am crossing each one off as I start a new box of the evil tablets as I call them. I haven’t had any diarrhoea for almost 2 weeks, but am taking precautionary loperamide tablets on days I think I need them. I’ve just been in the Lakes for the weekend, and took 2 before driving there (5 hour drive) and back, and one daily in between so I could be out and about and not worry. I will try a few days without now I’m home to see what happens, but am hoping I might be able to try a few more adventurous foods again now (I’m getting bored with ham/tuna sandwiches but know I’m ok with them so have been reluctant to branch out!). Also the evil tablets don’t seem to be affecting my hair which is a relief 
. I spent the weekend wigless which was very brave for me but my Mum (I met her in the Lakes, it’s a good half way point for us) reassured me it looked fine and nobody cares what I look like! But I think I’ll still wear my wig at work for now until I have a proper short style. I don’t have much confidence at the best of times, and it’s taken a real battering through all of the treatment 
.
I have a cross trainer and a smart trainer for my bike in the garage, so am going to get back on them now I have a couple of months at home without any trips planned. We got the smart trainer back in Covid times, and hubby got me the cross trainer for my birthday last year to help with my recovery though I haven’t used it much yet! I hook up to virtual rides and walks/runs and can choose length and terrain, so will be able to travel the world while I gradually build up my stamina and strength again, and also hope that hubby and I can get out for decent walks on Sundays as long as there are no more storms heading our way any time soon!
Hi @louise15. My Moving Forward sessions are split into two and on 22nd and 29th April. Am feeling positive about meeting others in similar situations and chewing the fat. Hoping to get some inspiration from it but we’ll see. Either way, will report back afterwards! X
Hi all, its lovely to read all your posts and to see how we are all getting on. I agree that other people who have not gone through this think that once operations, chemo and radiotherapy is over, that’s it, all better now, and don’t understand the wider repercussions of our diagnosis. If only it was that simple. I am now on letrezole and calcium tablets and touch wood haven’t had any unmanageable side effects apart from the stiff joints. But apparently I ‘qualify’ for ribociclib, which is basically chemo in tablet form and if I decide to take it will have to be on it for 3 years. My oncologist who unfortunately has the bedside manner of a steam train, just gave me a photocopied sheet of the side effects and asked me to make a decision on the spot. I said I needed time to think about it, he said ‘No rush, but when do you think you can let me know’? This is a difficult decision for me to make so I phoned the Macmillan helpline and spoke to a lovely helpful nurse who sent detailed information all about ribociclib making the decision slightly easier. I’m going to ask if they can put me on a lower dose.
I have a young granddaughter and another grandchild expected in July so plenty of reason to get fit and try moving more despite the stiff joints.
Wishing you all the very best xx
