Hi,
Do you have the NHS app? I had a non-BC related test last week, my GP’s app (Airmid) didn’t have the detail on it but my NHS app did under Test Results. Might be worth a try?
Also, you may recall I had the same BP issue as you. Took a month off Letrazole but it only came down a bit. Conclusion: it was the stress of last year which caused it.
Hope you get some answers soon!
Love to all,
Bxx
Hiya, sorry for the belated reply but to explain, specifically about the Moving Forwards course…
I was offered it too but with this being my 2nd time round the buoy kind of knew what I needed to do to recover so didn’t want to take a place from someone else who might really need it.
My strategy to move on won’t be the same as everyone else’s as we’re all different, but it’s a brutal cut off from everything to do with BC. I step away, keep informed and seek help where and when I need to, but try to forget about it as much as possible and just enjoy life. When I had my 1st BC I had 2 young children so didn’t really have much choice. My hb worked away during the week, we lived rurally and I was working. It may sound harsh but it was a huge distraction and I just got on with it. I did take up specialist yoga which grounded me too.
So, this time around, 17 years later I knew I had to get through the treatment, get to a point where I was medically stable, then put it all behind me until something else rears it’s ugly head (
it won’t of course!)
That happened for me New Years Eve. We had some friends staying, I drank a bottle of 
and at midnight told 2025 to F Off!! It was so cathartic!!
New Years Day I honestly felt like I’d turned a page and, so far, haven’t looked back and now feel quite at peace with it all.
I wish you, my BBB buddies, all the same with all my heart. I really hope you feel better soon 
Much love
Bxx
Hi Bella,
Thanks for that. I do understand your desire to just turn away and stick two fingers up.
I let 2025 just slip by. I went to bed, early night, and didn’t give it a second thought until the morning and I think I said pretty much said the same 
bye bye 25 f- off!!
It probably didn’t help that I felt unwell still, I was pretty down in early January. But I have to say, I’m now improving and I feel much, much stronger.
The thyroid meds are working, no side effects, and I feel happy to just look forward too. I think also why we are not checking in quite so much on here. We are all trying to just get on with our own lives.
I may try another AI in the summer and see how I get on, but I’m really not stressing over it. I’ll try it- give it a good three months. If I feel crappy, I’ll stop in time to enjoy Christmas 
and then just get on with living life.
I’m sleeping well now. I feel like me. I’m doing more. It’s all good
I wish you well too Bella. I kinda think: if I get it again, just whip ‘em off. It’s just not as scary now and I know I can get through a mastectomy 
I’m living a healthy life and trying to put it behind me too. Shit happens, we deal with it - and move on.
Life is too precious to live it in fear.
Love to all xxxx
Exactly xx I know if I’m 3rd time unlucky right tit will have to go and I know I can do it.
Glad you’re feeling a bit better, keep on being you lovely xxx
Lots of love all
Thanks so much for offering to help with the predict tool. I’ve had another go at it and I think I understand it now and so I’ll discuss it with my GP when I see her. Also, I think I need to be a bit more like you in being more assertive when telling her I want to have a month off Letrozole! I absolutely don’t want to just be put on another BP med until I know for sure that it’s not the AI that’s causing the problem, so I’ll definitely push for a break from it.
It’s so great to have this forum to be able to share ideas and experiences and if anything good has come out of having breast cancer, for me it’s been a joy to be part of the BBB brigade 
so thank you!
xxx
Hi Bella
Thanks very much for your reply. I believe the NHS app only applies to England and I’m in Scotland so unfortunately we don’t have that facility…..yet! I’m definitely going to press my GP to let me have a break from the Letrozole in the hope that it’ll lower my BP!
Watch this space 
!
xxx
That’s good news about your predict. Well done. Once you get your head around it, it’s fairly straight forward. I think I looked at 5/10 and 15?years stats. Mine only gave me a barely above 1% advantage with 5 years of AI’s - hense me not stressing over it . Yes, it’s a risk not being on them, but having felt bloody rotten and in pain everyday, I felt it was a calculated risk and worth it, to get my strength back.
Sorry your boob is playing up still. Are you still peeling or is it just red/sore (“just” she says!
). Mine is still a funny colour underneath - it looks like I need a good scrub! My nips are different colours too… this is wierd stuff, isn’t it?
I’m not sore as such but it still all feels bruised and tender, especially around my armpit and I’ve still got one little bit of old stitch that my body is trying to expel too. Just one last bit… it’s all healed properly though. I expect a bit of a rub with a loofa or a bit of body scrub will get it, eventually 
Hope your underboob calms down soon for you. Flamigel is great stuff. I’ve still got my tube to hand - just in case.
As for your letrozole: yes, I’m afraid it really does pay to fight your corner these days, regardless of where you live.
I remember my hb being told by one of his nurses “be a pain in the ass, you’ll live longer”… that stayed with me. I guess that’s what she meant. Open your gob and don’t be fobbed off!
Lots of ladies have month breaks from letrozole. It would tell you whether or not it is the meds causing your bp. As Bella said, it might not be, but at least you would know for sure. It took me a couple of weeks for it to come back down. For Bella, it made only a slight difference… but it answered the question for us both.
Go tell ‘em! … Don’t ask- inform.
Take control of it. Then, at least, if you DO need bp meds, you’ll know why. And IF it’s the letrozole you’ll know that it’s just while you’re on it that you need them. Or else, if it’s the stress (as with Bella) perhaps you can try holistic therapy too? Bit of yoga/breathing exercises to help you too…
Either way lovie, do what feels right for you. We are all coming at this from our own direction. Just look after yourself - first and foremost 
Enjoy the rest of your weekend and sending you hugs (non boob squish ones, obvs! )
Lots of love xx
Morning @misswoof-88 thanks for your last post. Yes, under the boob, it’s just raw, red and itchy but the Flamigel is helping. It’s aggravated by my underwired bra so I’m going to have to go back to my soft post-surgery bra for a while! One step forward and two back 
!
I like the comment by the nurse to your hubby about being a “pain in the ass” when getting a point across! I’ll bear that in mind when I see the GP about having a break from the Letrozole!
Have a good week.
P
xx
Absolutely! Get your “bitch face” on! Lol
Good luck 
I’ll do my best xx
Hello my lovely ladies
It’s been a long time and I’m still absorbing all your news so please bear with me as I might post multiple replies!
I know we are now in March but one thing I wanted to share was a rather lovely New Years Eve decoration which my sister purchased for me and I thought you lot might appreciate reading all your earlier messages …..
This is my resolution for 26, keep being positive. So much to tell you all and catch up with so will be back online shortly once I’ve cut the essay down to something readable 
Sending lots of love as always 
Hi Charlotte! Love it. I think we all share the same sentiment
Currently in Tenerife and it’s good to be feeling well and enjoying normal stuff. Went to the spa yesterday and didn’t even think about the changing rooms and my scars. I did notice a young woman looking,and probably wondering, but I just thought, hay ho, I beat it & im getting on with life…
Hope you are all doing ok lovely ladies!
Love and hugs from the sunshine 
Hello ladies
Well, I managed to win the argument with my doctor regarding having a break from Letrozole for a month….yay! She gave me all sorts of reasons as to why I should stay on it, but I stood my ground and in the end she relented so I’m now on a month break to see if my BP comes down and my joint stiffness and pain diminishes. She did also tell me or suggest to me that I should try and lose some weight and I do know that I need to do so……but it’s oh sooo hard!! I’m a terrible snacker and I know I’ll have to cut that down drastically but I’m also a real comfort eater and it’ll be tough!
Does anyone have any opinions on the weight loss injections? I’m quite tempted to give them a try but as I’m slightly below the BMI threshold to qualify, I’m in a bit of a quandary! A couple of my friends have been on them and have been very successful in losing quite a bit of weight. However, I do worry about the long term effects they might have so am a bit reticent to try them. I’m going to try and have a better diet but counting calories is so boring 
! Anyway, wish me luck 
!
Btw, I loved your New Year banner, Charlotte….made me giggle 
Have a fab weekend everyone
Good for you!! It’s the only way to figure it out for sure and a month isn’t going to hurt your stats
I can recommend a dose of hyperthyroidism is drop a bit a bit of weight! Lol!! It’s the only upside to having it… I dropped nearly two stone in a few months but now that I’m on the meds, I too am going to have to be really careful. I’m also a snacker lovie
I looked into the jabs, early on, when I was going through my “anti cancer tick list” thst we all go on when we are first diagnosed. They certainly don’t seem to interfere with the AI’s, as far as I can tell. My friend is a senior nurse at a local surgery and she found that she piled on weight during perimenopause. She started drinking wine a bit too much etc, and suddenly found that she had a few health issues. So, so paid private for the jabs about 18mnths ago. She was on them for that whole summer and by the winter was pretty much unrecognisable! It was quite a change in shape. And her health, overall, improved.
When I spoke to her about it, she said it was actually very hard to remember to eat - at all. Because they suppress your appetite to such an extent that you just don’t think about food and don’t feel hungry. Of course the downside of that is that you still DO need to eat. So, she concentrated on eating only really good foods, when she did eat. That way, she kept healthy. She also changed the entire families habits by making them all more active and has largely stuck with it. I saw her about a month ago and she has kept the weight off. She’s not on them now. She stopped once she had lost the weight that she needed to- but she said “if it starts creeping up again, I’ll get back on them just to get it back down again”.
I have to emphasise that she also changed her lifestyle- dramatically- while taking them and has largely stuck with it. She stopped drinking and is part of a walking group in the village, etc. So, I think if you are serious about trying them, you need to honest about your own habits and maybe use it as an opportunity to tweak a few less than helpful habits too?? We all have ‘em I’ve got a sweet tooth… it’s my nemesis!
Are you going to wait until you’ve looked at how the month off if letrozole goes? Or jump straight in?
Let us know how you get on… I’m rather hoping that I can hang on the weight I’ve dropped with the thyroid issue, but if mine starts to creeping up again, I think I’ll be tempted too…
Good luck lovie… keep us posted!
Xx
Hi BBB buddies
I thought I would update you on the Letrozole situation. I’m slightly more than half way through a month off the med and so far I’ve had several good BP readings and the low back pain that I was struggling with is much better, though not gone completely. My knees are just as bad but that’s down to arthritis 
! I have to conclude therefore that the Letrozole seems to be the reason for the raised BP and the back stiffness. I’m due to see my GP again in a couple of weeks time to discuss my options going forward. I know how important it is to be on an AI so maybe I can be changed to a different one, hopefully without the side-effects.
On the subject of the weight loss injections, I don’t think I’m brave enough to try them! I’m still worried about the long term effects so I’ll continue to try and shift some pounds myself. I had a good couple of weeks of better eating and was ecstatic to have lost 3lbs 
! Another two good weeks, weighed myself and to my dismay had put ON a pound 
. It was very disheartening and sent me straight to the biscuit tin!! It’s so bloody hard…..but I will persevere.
I hope all you ladies are doing well. It’s been wonderful to have had a few days of such glorious weather and to see all the daffodils and gorgeous blossom. It’s good for the soul! Enjoy the sunshine. xxx
