Oh forgot to say sadly she leaves behind a husband and 2 year old daughter too 
Angie: I didn’t know Mandy but anyone dying from this hideous disease is one of us. Do the thread and if people want to get nasty - although I cannot see why - then they can go away and be nasty.
J
XXXX
I hope I never have to say that again… sometime it just eats at you doesn’t it.
Hi,
Well day 9 of rads today and 6 left - hooray, only another 300 miles to drive. I worked out it costs £150 for 15 rads from where I live, so much for the NHS being free. Unfortunately no Brad, George or Daniel to spot today, so maybe they got their finger out and warned people. I had another review today and all is good. Apparently you can have certain gaps in rads treatment for breast cancer but not if for head or neck So I have stopped thinking about that now as have two 3 day weeks left to complete the course. I still shut my eyes for the second zap when it comes right next to my face!!! I keep imagining it going in my eye!! Since I heard the rays are erratic I can’t get it out of my head. This is a seriously weird thing to say but I have really enjoyed my time on rads. So many different people have taken me and made it a day out that I forget I even went to a hospital. The waistline is noticing all this extra fuel! Nicky good luck on Monday and I think that will be the last needle this year hopefully? Hope they found a vein quickly for bloods today too. I will find oput later what monitoring I get but not really sure how often it is and what will be involved. My friend was extremely fortunate to have a secondary of one cell in one lymph node when all was analysed. They think it is an occult cell and so have told her a cure is still possible. She did not have chemo with her primary and was sent off with just rads and told to forget about it!!! She is on 2 yearly mammos, so will not get one this first year. I will ask but wondered if it is because of added risk of having too many x rays, etc. Still lying on the rads table like a lump of meat I wonder why I would ever worry about them again? Has your hand flared up again as I notice you are having treatment again. What a pain. Hoping they will get you sorted out so we can all think of you lying on a sofa with a large glass of wine in your good hand watching tv this Christmas.
Lisa I remember what you said so glad to hear your Mum will not have all the extra guilt on her, your poor Dad though. Lovely for the little ones. I think you should be careful about taking Calcium. My Mother in law that died recently had bone thinning and had been taking Calcium supplements for it, prescribed by the doc. She died od Kidney cancer, which is often caused by excess Calcium. She apparently should have been monitored through blood tests if on Calcium regularly. So please check it out, more is not better for all substances. Sorry did not mean to add an extra concern! Hope the party and shopping was fun and good to hear you smiling through all of this.
Julia, very glad if I gave you a chuckle, as good as a dose of medicine I say. Man flu, ohhh no I have heard that is REALLY SERIOUS!!! You have my sympathy. Very impressed you are working your way to a new wardrobe as I have not been back at all. I am starting to wonder if I will like going back to all that work!
Bev that sounds really fab and hope it gives you a real boost. We have a centre here to but not Haven, I have not been yet but they have weekly support meetings too. It was always the day after my treatment but hope to go in future. Lorraine you can’t put me off with green noses, that sounds wonderful. I hope it really gives you a big boost, even if it is tiring. You will be size 8 before you know it!!! Ok I am just trying to flatter you!! Size 10. I have been told you are not allowed to diet while on rads, apparently very important to eat healthily and drink a lot to flush out the toxins!! As usual I am not taking dietary advice! It is all made up by cabbage lovers trying to take over the world!! Angie I wanted to say I was very sorry to read your news and I think having her remembered is a lovely thought, that should not be misunderstood. I have seen worrying threads too. I thought having BC would be enough for most people to tackle. Hope you are getting back to good health.
Love to all
Lily x x
At Lily: cabbage lovers… tusk. You eat your sprouts me dear 
Have a good weekend. I have to reintroduce myself to the hoover AKA Dyson… no my hoover is not my oncologist LOL.
Dear Bevy52, Good to hear about the Havens. I have been to their website and bought a meditation tape and hope to visit early in the new year. I’m in Kent too so bit of a journey , but the free therapies sound excellent.
I’ve also got info from the Penny Brohn cancer centrei n Bristol and they sent out a lot of freebies including a cd on guided meditation and dvd on the centre itself. Also nutritional advice and supplements advice. Was very impressed and has helped me a lot on focusing on what I eat and lifestyle. For the last 2 years I was looking after my sick daughter, trying to earn enough to live on and really didn’t look after myself, was really stressed for a long time, and feel that this bc is a result of this. So looking at the build up to bc for me is interesting.
Best wishes
Hi,
I know my French and I know what vert means, you sprout lover. Sorry I hate sprouts too but will be offering plenty to my guests over the next few days. My favourite course is pudding.
Leadie sorry it has been such a tough time and hope you can draw strength from the help they offer. Lots of luck in fighting this battle x.
Nicky I have sent an email, so hope it reached you with my address. Has anyone got any brain left after chemo on here? If so can we decide whether to stay on chemo thread, which might confuse people in May 09 or are we moving South down the list?
My daughter’s engagement gathering is tomorrow so looking forward to anotherfeast!!! I might have to start an even bigger diet next year if this keeps up. Footy match before that. Maybe wearing no coat will help me shiver some pounds off. BTW did you see the report that people like us should wizz off and get a flu jab quick as worst epidemic for some years?
Lily x
Heya Ladies.
I think we should start a thread in life after treatment as we’re all post some form of treatment regardless of our chances etc.
Leadie, My mum thought stress may have played a part in my own diagnosis and I think it did as having the brca1 gene meant that my defenses to BC were effectively down as I was predisposed really. I have a high risk of ovarian cancer so In about 6 months I will have them removed so I’m being very active in keeping generally healthy until then and I don’t expect after that point I’ll fancy being poorly so think I’ll just carry on probably What you say makes so much sense re nutrition and is exactly my approach now.
Ok so Tommy and I won’t be getting married in Feb probably as we’re going to be moving house on the 1st. A lovely barn has become available up the road with views out etc so we’re going to move there and then get married a little bit later. We’ll see what dates but I’ll let you all know so we can still do the virtual hen night, although facebooks the place for that really as you have live chat there and less observers
Hope you’re all enjoying the run up to christmas, when are the rads finished Lily?
Lots of love
Angie (who braved Morrisons today and is hoping M&S is more civil than it was tomorrow. Thank god the world only ends once the OH said
Hi,
well it was unexpectedly nice weather this morning for standing in the mud watching my son play football. They lost but not before he had caused havoc with the other players as he tends to forget he is not playing rugby these days! Then on to meet our future in laws to be. The food was fab and everything tasted so nice - need I say any more about what I did for most of the time!! They are really nice and very like us, which makes it great to meet up in the future. I took a very healthy fresh fruit salad and then ate double chocolate truffle pudding and added whipped cream - how bad is that. So nice to do normal things again and forget this for a while.
6 rads to go,went to mow a meadow, 6 rads, 5rads, 4 rads, 3 rads, 2 rads, one woman and her dog went to mow a meadow. You need to sing that one.
So up early again tomorrow as usual, no problems so far with my skin but a bit of a cough and not sure whether it is the rads or not. Hubby says no way but I remember reading something about mentioning a cough. Anyone know about this? Would it be a big or continual cough or intermittent? So many bugs around I don’t know. Actually I think I might have been gassed yesterday. We were trying to use up food to make room in the freezer for Christmas goodies and I spotted a box of microwave chips and put them on for 3 minutes. Next thing hubby shouts can you smell burning??? He never reacts or moves very quickly and by the time he opened the door (from being in the same room!!) they were on fire! He threw open the door and let all the smoke pour out into the room with us and then proceeded to throw the box out of the microwave. Problem being, he threw it into a black plastic bin liner full of rubbish! What a surprise it burnt straight through the sack, gassing us even more and was on fire on the kitchen floor next. At this point both of us had to run outside coughing away and he threw the box out into the garden. So guess what the latest Christmas fragrance in my house is? Hope no-one thinks it is my cooking!! Nicky thanks I got yours back.
Angie lots of luck with the move, sounds lovely and keep us posted re the wedding. Will wait to hear from others if they think that section is right for where they want to be. I have no preference.
Christmas hugs
Lily x
Lily LOL. went to mow the meadow…Brilliant 
Re Cough…any other symptoms? Sounds like it could be rads to me. They did say I might have some scarring to the lungs after treatment so that may be what you’re having.
Why don’t you ask them tomorrow when you see them. I’ve got my 6 week post rads check up in the AM too hence the M&S trip while up in carlisle. After 6 weeks I’m more achy than I was back the but not so tired, so more paranoid and the energy to worry… bugger , that backfired LOL. It’s a bit like I was in a matrix style boxing fights with the agents about a month ago (sorry if that makes no sense, you;d need to see the Matrix for it to make any sense.)
Anyway Hope you all have a really good week, ie CHRISTMAS… woo hoo
Oh yes today is the solstice, the shortest day of the year, so the proper end of 2008 for the northern hemisphere as per the real world calender.
so Happy Solstice (or Yule)
Angie
Hi,
thanks Angie, I will mention the cough as long as my short term memory loss does not strike again! I have no cold or other symptoms just start a silly little cough occasionally. Good luck with your check up tomorrow too and hope you don’t get knocked down by the manic M & S shoppers racing to fill their fridges. I am a matrix fan so yes I see what you mean.
Will you do the hormone or not chat this time? I think I read that some oncs prescribe them anyway unless having herceptin as even non hormone receptive tumours have been shown to respond. Sorry I cannot remember what the % was but possibly 10% still respond. Good luck anyway and hope you have some nice weather. Rellies in New York say they have snow, so no doubt heading our way soon
Lily x
so we may have a white christmas… woo hoo.
Hi all
Hope rads went well today Lily - 5 rads etc - went to mow a meadow! The cough can be from the rads hitting the lungs a bit but I don’t know if that’s what you have, as Angie says, it’s best to ask. However there are lots of bugs around so a cold may be on the cards - let’s hope not. I suppose we were all ‘lucky’ to have chemo in the summer as I don’t remember any of us getting colds etc which must be a real problem if your chemo is over the winter months.
Hope the manic shoppers aren’t getting in anyone’s way - it’s not as if WE are is it? I’m psyching myself up for a Tesco shop in an hour or so but not looking forward to it as all the lovely children will be with their Mum’s this week and we all know how they love shopping - not! Thank Goodness mine are over that stage, except my youngest who ends up costing me a fortune everytime she goes with me as ‘let’s just get this shall we?’ Maybe I’ll give her a packet of raising like I used to do when she was a tot to keep her occupied
Fantastic that you’ve found a new place to live Angie, sounds great - it really will be a new beginning for you and definitely don’t try 2 of the most stressful things in anyone’s life at the same time ie wedding and moving house! Keep us updated and I think the ‘after treatment’ is as good a place as any for us to all move to if we want to keep in touch (even if it’s every so often) once we all say goodbye to this long, long thread! maybe we should ‘move’ on NY Day? That’s as long as anyone can remember to do it or where we’ve gone!
I’ve had a better weekend (and end of week) with my 1st social event in ages - luckily just Christmas drinks at some good friends of ours. Managed to have some vino with no after-palpitations woo hoo! However will still be taking it easy over Christmas as don’t want to ruin things. Stomach has calmed down - as long as I eat the right things and managed to get out and about last week as well as a few walks over the weekend - which I have missed being stuck inside. Also did some fudge and choc truffles with my youngest to give as presents so that was nice if rather messy! I’m sure they’re are no calories in the home made type despite the list of ingredients.
I had my Pamidronate this morning and all went well so out before 12, fingers crossed no more hospital for a few weeks.
Hope everyone on here is doing well and looking forward to Christmas, sitting smugly with all the presents wrapped. I thanked the post today as my niece’s present arrived just in time, I’d forgotten to order it and luckily realised last week but the post has been so slow I wasn’t sure if it would get here in time.
Love to all
Nicky xx
hi everyone
happy to see everyone is relatively well.
lily 2000
did you have to call the fire brigade, all those nice hunks worth setting the place on fire! nice that you found the future in laws likeable, so much easier for your daughter too,.
you really are having everything chucked at you, arnt you. (all those rads ) that was what my onc had threatned but i was saved (well hopefully anyway) i would rather have got it out the way at once, than have to have it later. i will just have to be positive.
3rd day in my new job tommorow, im enjoying it, just feel a little tired at times, but i will get used to it,
have a happy christmas everyone.x
Hi,
well got into double figures for rads today, so 5 rads left. Lorraine I just wanted everything done in as short a time as possible, as you say out of the way, particularly after I got the long chemo option. I left work on the last day of March and have not even visited(banned) since then. It is a long time to have an at home lifestyle and then be expected to snap straight back into teacher mode. I am also heading fast for no pay at all and half pay is bad enough! I had a lumpectomy so you have to have rads after that, well docs say you have to unless you have a mx. My onc has given me what he says is a very good treatment, his philosophy is everything first go so you don’t have to think about what to do if. It is a nice positive way to be treated,even if there are no guarantees included! Time and fate decide the rest. Are you finding it hard to get back in to work mode? Little children can be tiring as a lot of lifting and bending over, not good for your back. I laughed about the firemen, I do like a nice uniform and muscles!!!
Well I mentioned the cough and I had to laugh because all they said was ‘if you feel a cough coming, don’t put your hand over your mouth, just cough into the air!’ I thought I would get quizzed about symptoms not just get told not to move. It might just be me a sI feel a bit of compression some days just after I get back in the car and on full expand I cough. If I get another review I will mention it again just in case. Angie did your check up go ok? Have you got much to do before your home goes on the market? Not sure why I am asking as I now recall you are Queen of the anti-bac preparations!!
Nicky - I was thinking the same, that we had mostly been very well and avoided other bugs in our chemo months. I thought maybe it killed them off too! I managed to avoid my son’s terrible cold too so maybe the immune system is still on red alert for invaders! That remoinds me another pesky blood test soon before I go back for my post rads check or whatever they do then. Assume you survived Tescos. Can you believe my hubby has just told me that they have just finished the Tesco refresh at your Basingstoke store!!! He has been going there and has now finished! Humbug I could have snatched a cuppa while he was there! He sent someone else to the last meeting he says, probably because he was on a chemo trip with me! I am in total disbelief that he has been going there! glad the tum is calming down. I was careful for ages after just in case. I ate a banana and an apple today (my word don’t they taste lovely!!) so will see if the cesspit copes ok. Def no calories in home made sweets as there are none written on the packet! Well done for getting the last bone wotsit of the year done and on time as well, unlike most things today. I am shocked if anyone has their pressies all wrapped as I have at least 100 stocking fillers to go. They even go ‘oh Mum’ if I leave the sweets unwrapped so lots more for me to do still. I know I fuss them a lot but you know why. I hope you all get a bit of fuss this Christmas too. So the plan seems to be that we all do a last post on new years eve or close to that day and start our new one, on ‘after treatment has finished’ thread from new years day. Does that sound ok to everyone, if not shout asap.
Crimbo hugs
Lily x
Hi All: Just had a quick read thru everything and mostly we are all OK and coping with the great Christmas rush - I see people with Sainsbury trollies so piled high they can hardly see over them - I feel like saying: Just dump half of it straight in the bin - you will never eat it all!!!
I’m having a domestic morning as OH is out for the day and I am waiting for the venison to be delivered for Christmas Day - sick to death of turkey. Have been doing good things like cleaning the silver cutlery (only allowed out about twice a year as cleaning is a pain) and have double CD of Queen playing at mega decibles which should cheer up the neighbours!!!
Angie - house sounds great, keep us posted on the wedding dates. Lily: you are nearly there, I still have that to do in January but am enjoying having my no hospital weeks and hopefully will be fitter by 5 Jan.
Everyone have a great Christmas, try to put all this as far to the back of your mind as possible. Now it is downhill to summer - will we notice the difference???
Love to all
Julia
XXXXXX
PS: Yes post treatment thread would be good, who’s going to start it? Angie???
J
Hi all
Survived Tesco, surprising well stocked and most tills open so hardly any queuing. However I do hate the forgottten items but luckily we have small local one near us as well and I don’t suppose we’ll starve. Well, Lily - I hope you rapped him across the knuckles - what is he like? A cuppa would have been on standby had I known. Have words will you? Presumably last rads today (for this week) or do you do Chr Eve as well. Have they decorated the Linac’s with tinsel? Or used glitter pens if they need to re-mark you? Ho ho ho! I’m surprisingly well organised this year as I normally have stockings to wrap and fill on Chr Eve and end up with an achey back from bending over or sitting badly for ages. I guess the enforced prison of a couple of weeks ago made sure I just got on with things. A couple more to do today, which I put off from yesterday then I’m done.
Lorraine - so glad you’re enjoying the job but not surprising it’s tiring. Hope you get some time off over Christmas so you can put your feet up and I hope all is at peace in your household?
Julia - sounds very grand - venison - lovely though. I wouldn’t get away without having turkey at Christmas - we all love it. And the best bit is the cold cut after with pickles etc yum yum - hope the gippy tummy holds out though! I’ve had to buy a small turkey just have at home as we are at my parents on Chr Day so can hardly grab the leftovers from them when we come home! Not sure if I’m doing the whole Nigella bit though - don’t know if any of you saw her but I can’t see me bathing it overnight! However it did sound good so maybe another year.
Angie - did you celebrate the solstice the other day? Not sure how into druidism you are However this is the day that a lot of people wait for as after that the nights (slowly) get shorter and the days longer. Luckily I don’t suffer from SAD so it doesn’t affect me however it would be nice to have a good summer next year that we can all enjoy.
Lisa - hope you are well and enjoying the Christmas build up, and get some time off work so you can put your feet up.
Bev - hope you are OK as well
Hope I’ve not missed anyone off and sorry if I have.
Happy Christmas to one and all if I’m not on here tomorrow.
Nicky xx
Hi All,
Thanks Nicky I am feeling better apart from still having problems with the horrible taste in my mouth I have been to the dentist today to be de-scaled (I sound like a boat’s bottom) but it hasn’t really made any difference. My GP thinks it is an after effect of the chemo and will eventually go but it is so frustrating looking at all the lovely food there is around and not being able to enjoy it properly (although this hasn’t stopped me from trying but alcohol isn’t too good) haven’t lost any chub though.
Angie good luck with the move wishing you happiness in your new home a barn conversion sounds lovely.
Lily you’re nearly there!!! I was told I could develop a bit of a cough so maybe that is what is troubling you. yes I think it would be a good idea to start an after treatment thread. I am going on holiday hooray!!! on the 1st Jan so will have to check it out on my return. I then go back to work on the 20th Jan and resume normal life Still feeling a bit tired but so much better thank goodness. The arm is still playing up a bit and I saw a lymodema nurse who has suggested I wear a sleeve during exercise such as gardening etc but it may still be post operative swelling, she was more concerned with my other arm with the tramline from the chemo and told me I really need to exercise to make it more flexible has anyone else had that problem? It does really smart if I try to straighten my arm but I assumed this would go after a while.
love and best wishes to you all as you all deserve a great christmas and may it be filled with peace!
Bev xx
hi everyone
2 more sleeps till santa comes, excited or what? i have finished work till the 6th of January, only been a few times, but im glad of the break, i think it was starting this time of year, when we are tired anyway. i do make time for chill out though, i hope all of you are.
Lily 2000
i know what you mean about missing your wage packet, but i bet your hubby’s a lot more generous than mine? but its so nice to have your own, and be able to go for coffees and suchlike with friends. i hope you do have a break from rads over christmas, ive been finding im waking up with pins and needles in my hands more at night now. when i asked the onc he said it was from my spine where the cancer is, so im praying its not got any worse. otherwise i feel great. except i do feel it when im bending with the children, its difficult to get up sometimes, it could be the tamoxifen ive been told. or i think it may just be because i havnt been as active
nicky 08
glad you doing a lot better, keep it up.
everyone have a merry christmas and a happy new year, but i may come on tommorow., just to say hello. and see what your all up to.
take care x