Darling buddies from May - moving on

Life after a breast cancer diagnosis Recovering from treatment
1641

Hi
Lorraine realy glad that you are gaining strength day by day :), how is it on the ward not too noisy for you I hope?

You ladies have been busy took ages to read through all the posts my eyes have gone square!
I have made a very late New Years resolution I am going to come on here and post a message at least twice a week to keep up with all your news :slight_smile:

Lily hope the chalky stuff isnt too bad
Lisa is the decorating nearly finished?
Nicky,Peacock and everyone else hope you are ok.

My romance is still going strong cant get used to having someone around all the time tho, been on my own too long but im sure I will get used to it :). My niece is getting married in September so need a nice posh frock any tips lily? Work has been realy busy going back on to nights for a month on Sunday to do some training with the night staff, it will be good experience for me,just wish i could split myself in 3 cos im being head hunted so to speak got offers from 2 departments to go up the employment ladder not sure if im up to it, sometimes i just want to do my work and come home do i need the extra responsibility and stress? I will have a think about.

Take care and will post again soon i promise
Angie xx

1642

Hi,
15 - love to the patient!!! Well I was right fed up when I had to sit in a waiting room before going to the CT waiting room for an hour and that got me fired up. I looked at the nurse and said I can’t drink the thick stuff, I had the water before and I think she knew I meant business and handed it over hooray. I felt bad as everyone else was grimacing and glugging down a bottle of the thick stuff and then another bottle of water. Victor thought I might start a riot and ordered me to keep quiet and not tell people. Which of course I ignored and told everyone I chatted to. There was a poor little old lady in her 70s and she was really struggling to drink it and her face was distorting as she drank it. How mean they are! Nurse could not find a vein anywhere on my arm or hand. Same as before, the room was cold and I was shivering in just an operating gown and my lucky green pants (from chemo days ha ha). Then the big lady marched in and said this is going to hurt! Eeeek why do they say that, I was nearly out the door! She stabbed it into the inner elbow and told me it was bleeding madly so she must have got a vein. Then the usualscans, then the contrast, which made allmy throat and mouth go hot too this time and then outside for 30 minutes to make sure I had no reaction, then 5 minutes with the cannula out and home. Went straight out for bacon. egg and chips as starving after 4 hours without food. Just a bit worried as they were using my rock solid vein that all my blood tests go from. Then back to school to set up for parents evening, then dashed back to meet ED for her first wedding dress fitting (wow oh wow) then a quick and rather unpleasant lasagne and then back to school till 9. Busy day.
Lorraine hoping you have some nice people to chat to in your new bed position. Are they still moving you this week or is that changed? Hope next week is another good one of them getting your levels back to normal.
soulgirl nice to hear from you and good luck with the romance. Posh frocks well if you have a Debenhams they have a really big range for all ages, the best I have found for a lot in one place. I got mine from Jacques Vert but I am not sure they would appeal to younger folk. Have fun shopping anyway. Lisa hey whose side are you on then?? Victor had his nose in his book pretending I was not with him, his usual escape method lol.
Lily x

1643

Great to hear from you Lorraine and that you are feeling stronger well done and keep it up!! fantastic news.

Lily well done for surviving the ordeal aghhh it sounded horrible my toes were curling as I read it. I had a blood test last week for cholesterol levels and they really struggled to get any blood at all. I am hanging on to all I have got now! the poor old viens have sunk in and look like an indented line up my arm so attractive.

still awaiting results of the bone density scan but the ankle thank goodness is getting much better only troublesome in the evening.

Nicky glad you had such a good time in Paris it all sounds lovely what a great location to be based at.

Lisa you sound a bit busy hope you are not snowed in again!

Well hub has taken the fireplace out but we have a new one being delivered on Tuesday exciting we can them decide on what flooring to go for but are still keen on wood.

Peacock I think Nicky is right it could be the freshness of the eggs or the temperature. Do you keep them in the fridge? as they need to be at room temp to be any good for cakes and merangues. But chocolate cake sounds wonderful.

Welcome newbies

Bev xx

1644

wow i was tired before i came on now im exhausted reading all your antics, you certainly dont lie low much do you? i am used to my new spot and if they tried to move me back i dont think id bother someone has had viral menigitis who went in theat room and even though they say its not contagious i dont think id want to take a chance anyway there hoping i will go home next wednsday after ive had the drain removed which will be put in monday. i am finding i have little strength and am doing more gradually even walking is so hard because ive been in bed about a month!
i am getting on very well with the nurses and boy have they all got a lot of heartache going on in their lives.
i am still eating loads (blame it on the steriods, and because im still on a low potasium diet as a precaution i can order a cooked brekky which im really enjoying. and lily youd be so proud i even had a jam doughnut the other day.
peacock,
the cake i always find it better to use stork marg or something like that and if you really take time to creAM the marg and caster sugar and add eggs slowly, putting a little sifted flour in early on it usually comes out ok.
but im sure it will be humourous looking at your efforts, and thats part of the fun not being perfect which is often boring

magsi is coming to see me tommorow, so im quiet excited.
lily im glad you stuck to your guns everything as always showed up on mine when i just had water so im sure it will be fine

love to you all my dear friends, what would i do without you x

1645

Wow Lorraine, loving your appetite and jam donughts my favourite, well one of them. Things are sounding so much better, great that you can go home best news Ive had all week.

Busy busy here, lots on at work, wouldnt beleive im a secretary to boss, ending up takign the lead with consultnatn on all new health and safety systems for 250 staff, cafes, housing, hostels, domestic violence, furniture stores, training centres and student accommodation - the joys!! Also had to listen to a serial complainer 6 times today 20 minutes a shot, boss has now told me I can put the phone down on him as its out of hand, calls me sweatheart once more I’ll scream, but on plus side got my trainee a nice wage rise insted of pennies so all good.

Off to see Stereophonics on Monday, we were all staying over but im haivng to come back as have training on Tuesday boo hoo.

Chilling tonight with wine, worn out, cos i like making jewellery I have been making silver plated versions of Pandoro bracelets, dad only got me ÂŁ500 worth of orders from nurses at hospital - busy times!!

Im turning into monica from friends tidying up that much lol!!

Well nice to hear from everyone, soulgirl, glad you having fun and relationship going well. Bevy nice to hear from you.

Everyone else, enjoy xxx

1646

Angie it will be nice to see you here more often, if time allows. Glad that your romance is going well and long may it continue. It’s a long time since I’ve “dated” anyone, can’t imagine how to do it now, but it doesn’t matter for me cos I’ve got my soul mate and I know I am lucky to have him. Sounds like you’ve got some decisions to make re work, so good luck with that.
Lily, your appointment sounds horrid but good on you for standing your ground. Why do they make you drink the “thick stuff” if something else can be used? Poor you shivering in the cold room, they always have the air conditioning on don’t they without regard for the poor patients. What an exciting day you’ve had, with ED trying on her dress for the first fitting, I bet you had a few tears?
Bev I can sympathise about the blood test, and for you Lily, and for everyone – is it the chemo that destroys our veins? I had all my chemo & Herceptin through a portacath, which is still my fashion accessory I must say, so how come my veins are caput too? Anyway, back to Bev, glad that your ankle is recovering, are you still doing physio? Are you busy decorating over the weekend? I think wood is great, ours looks fantastic when it is clean and washed, and has a nice shine to it. It doesn’t happen very often though, with 2 dogs and 3 cats, oh and the odd stray chicken now and again it doesn’t stand a chance.

Lorraine, you must fill us in with all the gossip about the nurses, it sounds like you could become an agony aunt? Is it that long you’ve been in hospital, OMG just you take it easy little by little is best. Glad that you are eating well, it is better than not eating isn’t it, cooked breakfasts, wow I’m jealous and a jam doughnut, my mouth is watering.

Well cake model number 2 was baked today, this time I used eggs that had not been in the fridge and were a couple of days old, warm butter, a little bit of baking powder and still not much success with the rising part! It tastes ok, yes I’ve had a sampler, so I’ve decided to whack together the 4 slices I’ve made, with a mascarpone/chocolate filling to cream it together. I’ll let you know how it turns out but, a cake baker I am not!

Storms are forecast for us here, with heavy winds and rain so take care all and have a good weekend if you can

P xx

1647

Hi,
lovely to hear from so many people and where are the rest of you hiding then, hope all is well?
Lorraine pat on the back for the doughnut (I like the iced ones even more) and biggest hugs for finding a ‘get out of jail’ free card at last. Thought you had become part of the staff, gosh that was a long stay and you know this is a really fantastic thing for them to be planning instead of the hospice. I bet your family are so excited and will all wait on you hand and foot. Ok you have lots of men, they will do their best ha ha. Will be fab to be able to see them freely instead of visiting times only. Well done matey and have a lovely visit with magsi x.
Peacock I think you better invest in the failsafe for cakes, baking powder. I have no idea why they make people drink the gloop but they do unless you speak up. They made my friend drink it while on chemo!I think the room has to be cool for the scanner but it didn’t do a lot for my veins.Remember I had a port too so my veins only had one shot of epirubicin up them. However, a hefty dose of glandular fever with weekly blood tests and the necessary ones for 4 pregnancies probably put me on overload and I always had them in my left arm and now that is my only one to use.I have been more fortunate than some, I am sureFunnily I have not cried about the wedding or seeing her in it. I cried at times thinking it was so far off I might not be there but they have been together a long time so I am just happy they are formalising everything. ED and I are a bit telepathic and I sensed it before I was told, my sixth sense makes surprises quite difficult. When I get fed up of teaching and marking I might consider buying a crystal ball and telling fortunes. Peacock I predict you will meet 4 legged friends with feathers in the future ha ha!!!When will the port come out? Mine had to come out before rads and I had to be awake!Cake still sounds nice and lots of layers of cream, even better :slight_smile:
Lisa well it sounds like you could take over if the boss left. Start doctoring his/her tea ha ha! Fab about the well deserved pay rise and do you mean you have your own trainee to bully now? Fab. Serial moaners well I’d have thought after us lot you would be experienced by now lol. Enjoy the concert and I want a bracelet too, they sound lovely. Night Monica x.
Antics Lorraine, what can you mean??? Glad you are settled in the new spot and I wouldn’t want to go back in there either with low neuts.Good luck with the drain on Monday.Bev I have seen friends with veins like that so know what you mean.Good luck for the bone density scan and have you thought about wrapping your ankle in something cosy in the evenings before tha ache starts as warmth usually helps? How about the best of both worlds having wooden floors but with big expensive rugs that you can walk on in critical spots? I know nothing about eggs apart from where they come from so will leave you experts to work that little problem out.
Better get to bed, little chap is arriving at 8 as they are all moving into Md’s flat this weekend and apparently he is hoarding cuddly toys because he caught her trying to throw some old ones away. He is a real squirrel and has so many toys he can’t move but won’t be parted from them. So he is spending the day with us. Md got a job and starts fairly soon, in a school nursery.
Enjoy the weekend
Lily x x

1648

Fantastic news you’ll be home soon Lorraine. There are lots of aids you can take home with you to make life easier until you get some strength back
some aids to help you bath, seat, hand rails etc. Perhaps you don’t need any of these but if anything helps, make life easier

When I was diagnosed with bone mets I had a hip replacement and staff at the hospital arranged for a couple of items that made my few weeks on crutches easier. Take Care and cooked breakfasts are the best medicine of all
I’m having one this morning and jennywren, from these boards, has sent me one of her chicken’s eggs so it will be even more special. :slight_smile: Love Belinda
xx
Have a good weekend everyone
xx

1649

Hi everyone and what a lot of long posts to read! Great news Lorraine that you are being let out - you must have been a good girl! You are certainly sounding stronger all the time and I think the effort to force down that jam doughnut must have really been worth it :wink: As for cooked breakfast, you and Belinda have got me thinking - just have to wait for the bisphos tablets to go down and I might have one myself.
Lily - what a surprise that you got your own way ha ha, at least it meant you didn’t have to have the gloop. You must be getting really excited about the wedding now - are you having to do much at the moment or does the next round of activity kick off nearer the time? Has Victor got his outfit sorted? Or are they top hatting it in which case he won’t have to do much choosing - unlike you were ‘forced’ to! Have a good weekend with littleun, I’m sure you will.
Lisa - what a busy bee you are, make sure you give yourself some time off but guess the gig on Monday will be good fun with your mates. I’d forgotten about your jewellery making, looks like Dad is keeping you busy - is he your agent?
Peacock - hope you and Mr P have a great weekend and enjoy celebrating his birthday with the double decker cake! I’m sure it will taste fab however much it has risen or not. Button down the hatches if the wind is out to get you. It was quite windy on Monday when we were driving up to Calais and yesterday when I was on the M3 near us I was really surprised how gusty it was, a bit calmer here this morning.
Bev - ooh, some planning for a new look - how lovely. I expect you can make some real decisions once the new fireplace is in pride of place, sometimes you can change your mind once you see how things look. Is it a complete re decoration or can you get away with things as they are for a while? All nice and new for the Spring whatever you decide.
Soulgirl - good for you with the new relationship and a bit of a decision about the job front but in a good way. I’m sure the right decision will make itself known to you!
Belinda - hi, hope you are keeping well and have enjoyed the breakfast you’ve just polished off LOL.
Hi to everyone else I’ve missed - too much to read, too little time (and brain cells) to remember it all!
A much quieter weekend for us. A bit of tidying up and getting rid of a few bits. Plus, after the winds yesterday we may have to chop a young tree down as it looks very wobbly. All the snow we had a month or so back made it bend over quite a bit and I noticed last night the wind and wet ground are not helping it either.
Have a great weekend all, hope you get home soon Lorraine and hope the sun shines wherever you are.
Nicky x
ps - I’ve added this bit in later as I just remembered what Bev was saying about veins. Mine are exactly as she describes - real tracks down my ‘chemo’ arm that were dreadful straight after but have got better recently. Apart from the way they pulled in so made visible dents where they track I’ve also been left with very visible blue lines from my inside elbow up which were not there before and don’t show up on my ‘good’ arm. But that’s the ‘E’ of FEC doing that.

1650

Hi,
well little chap wore me out so much that I fell asleep on the sofa and now have insomnia and wide awake. I also have a fat lip from a head on collision with his head and my lip. It feels like I have been to the dentist and I hope the bruise will have gone before school on Monday or I will have every other kid asking me about it. I was most anxious that he had not loosened a crown as not wanting to near the dentist if I can help it. He went home very excited to see his new room, well a return to his old one really. He is funny he was instructing me what you do if you are eating and someone asks you something. Apparently you go ‘uh huh’ and I was given training until I said it exactly how he wanted. It was hilarious. Who tells him these things? We went to take my Mum shopping and I said you better tell Gran what to do as well. She tried and tried but could not get the exact intonation of the sound he wanted. He said Gran you’ll have to keep practising. She said ‘what happens if I can’t and i speak then?’. He said ‘oh you’ll be sick!’ So we dutifully practised making the correct noises until he was happy that we had mastered it correctly. Mind you with this fat lip I am not sure I can do it justice any more lol. Wasn’t it a lovely warm afternoon, well it was here and I had to take my coat off in the car as so hot.
Enjoy the weekend and a nice rest for you Nicky.
Hugs Lorraine, hope you enjoyed the picture.
Lily x

1651

hi there everyone

megga hot flush at moment so got fan on! wow it takes so long to read all the postings at the moment. so glad people still take the timme to come on though because lots of the other threads have broken up but ours as kept going strong!
im still in hospital should be having drain done tommorow, but i have a long way to go as far as getting my strength back for chemo, im not sure if i ever will but lets just hope i do.
im now aneamiic so they are talking about a blood transfusion, i dont really fancy it but like everything else you just have to get on with it and believe it may help.
my grandaughter visited last night and wed got her a nurses outfit, she loved it and was giving me my medicine and mopping my brow.
had a lovely visit with magsi she is so kind and to come all this way it was lovely

lily i dont beleive you ate all those cakes?well maybe i do, you are the queen of cake eaters! love to you all x

1652

Hi,
Lorraine so glad you had a nice visit. Other people with BC understand so much more. Well no I didn’t eat all the cakes you saw because I had my eye on the hot syrup pudding and then was too full up. I bet she looked sweet in the nurse’s uniform, what a perfect present for her. By the way are you in the hospital that has all the bad publicity at the moment, mid staffs? Well I know 2 people who had blood transfusions with cancer and both said it really made them feel a lot better so I hope that happens for you too. Good luck with the drain. I hope you have asked for the doc who did it so well last time.Hoping for a hole in one for you and continued little steps towards feeling stronger.Thinking of you tomorrow. Hugs x.
Despite being on tamoxifen I am cold most of the time with occasional warm spells. I have 3 jumpers on some evenings and the central heating on high. I still think maybe my thyroid is lower than before but they say it is still in the normal range. Maybe not normal compared to what mine was before.I wonder if the time you take the tablets affects it. I was told to take it at night and the only time I feel warm is occasionally during the day but never had the sweats or been really hot. Wonder if I took it in the morning I would be warm in the evening?When do you all take yours?
Nicky the groom has picked the suits but wants to surprise eberyone so just Victor and our son will go along to be measured. Little chap is having a matching suit and has to wait until much nearer the day in case he grows. Not sure they shouldn’t do that with our son though as he has shot up when I compared photos of him in Oct and his girlfriend doing run 10k. He must have grown about 4 inches. I don’t think it is top hats, more prom suit style but all matching with with cravates and hankies I think but not sure. I am feeling very fortunate when I look at my veins as they weren’t used. Not so good when I look at the extra 2 scars, so swings and roundabouts.
Well might go and dive in the bath and see if I can make myself feel sleepy. Take care all
Lily x

1653

Hi Lorraine like Lily I too know others who have had transfusions and they have felt much better for them. I think the process takes a long time but hope you soon feel an improvement
x

1654

Hi Lorraine - good luck with the drain today -it sounds like the procedure can be uncomfortable from what Lily has written but I hope it is done quickly and you then feel better for getting rid of the fluid. I’m hoping you are feeling a bit more comfortable anyway and any pain you are getting is being dealt with. Let’s hope the blood transfusion goes well, I’m sure it will perk you up. Have you managed any more cakes yet? ha ha. Medically speaking, that’s a positive sign :wink:
Hi to everyone else. Can you believe it a wet and windy weekend and then lovely sunshine this morning - something’s not quite right. Hope all your weekends were good and this weekis a good one for you.
Nicky x

1655

Damn sorry I am starting this off in that way as I had just typed my manuscript and inadvertently pressed something and lost the lot aghhhhh!

Deep breath and start again. Lorraine great news to hear you are breaking out of barracks well done you. I too had a friend who had a transfusion and felt so much better afterwards heres hoping you will too. Good luck with the drain hope it can be carried out as delicately as possible. Really good to have you back on here blogging with us again.

Lily what an adorable little chap your grandson sounds. They are hilarious aren’t they the things they come out with. I still have my cold spells particularly at night but now have a single electric blanket(am I bovered about the O/H?)and just switching that on and off does the trick maybe worth getting one if you haven’t already.

Nicky thankfully after such a horrible wet weekend we have sunshine!! hooray I might even try to get out in the garden today as I am not working. We are going for a full re-dec job in the sitting room so really looking forward to the results hub is on a mission and I am very pleased he is.

We went out for lunch yesterday to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday and once I had got all my finery on I pranced about in front of the O/H expecting a comment no such luck so the inevitable question “do I look alright?” “yes” “is that it? can’t you be more demonstrative after all the time I was bald and fat and now I have hair!” O/H grinning “well now you have hair and your not fat so you should be happy” They just don’t get it do they! infuriatingly he still makes me laugh.

Lisa or should we say Monica, OMG you sound as if you could take on the running of microsoft well done you! that must be so empowering having a satisfying job keep it up girl. Great news about your jewellery idea.

Peacock what a great idea putting the two layers together it will look enormous clever you. Hope you enjoyed the weekend and had fun

Hi to all and have a good week.

love Bev x

1656

just had to add a bit as my resident male pheasant is peering in at me demanding for some food and I thought I didn’t have anymore animal responsibilities since I lost my little cat. This bird is so funny he is enormous and just wont budge until I open the door and speak to him with some titbits aren’t animals amazing? and such beautiful colours.

B x

1657

hi all, im back, sorry was hubbies anniversary so go into a bit of a cocoon, 7 years seems so long but also yesterday. anyhow, the sun is shining and hope everyone is doing well and Lorraine your strenght is picking up.

Off to concert after early start taking my niece to school was lovely. Pity I have to come back while my mates part on in Newcastle but hey ho.

Happy Mondays all, catch up tomorrow xxx

1658

Hi,
Lisa we all understand why you would not want to chat at certain times and hope time will make it easier. Hope the concert and a good sing a long and dancing helps lift your spirits again. Enjoy your trip x.
Bev how amazing to have that pheasant so tame. Hide him away and keep him safe.Can we see a picture of him? Have you given him a name yet? I like the idea of the electric blanket might look into that. I see you have your own Victor, they just don’t understand. I think I look for reassurance more now than I used to, but then never been this big before. Hi Belinda hope you are well.
Nicky are you clear of appointments for a while now? I have loads of them all staggered out so don’t feel I get a break from them really. We asked the BCN and she said on a trial I will get a lot more appointments and check ups for 5 years so I better get used to it.
Well I had all these good intentions that I would cut down, nothing too serious but with the wedding zooming up I don’t have too much time left. Well not if I want to flatten some of the bulges in time. All this came back to me during the day as I found myself stuffing chocolate biscuits and more of them than usual!! I have no idea why it keeps going out of my head. I only seem to remember just after I ate the bloody thing! Help everyone!
Lorraine I hope the transfusion went ok. It must have been started quite late so I am thinking you might be going to bed with it in and snooze through to hopefully a more energetic morning. Good luck with the drain and fingers crossed you will be out on parole and up to no good like the rest of us. Take care and tons and tons of luck with the next few things. You are so brave, you must feel like you are in needle city.
Love to all of you
Lily x x x x x x

1659

hi everyone

lots of problembs with veins
the transfusion was really painfull cos they went in a vein that was
no good.i tried to stick pain because i didnt want messing with but it was too painfull i was crying like a baby . in the end i did have it done by a speciallist doc after other docs couldnt do it.
ive now had one bag another one later after drain done x

1660

Hi Lorraine sorry to hear that your tranfusion was painfull hope the pain is easing a bit now :slight_smile:

Glad I m not the only one whos cold all the time where are the hot flushes when we need them, no doubt they will return with a vengence once the weather gets warmer.

Ive done 2 night shifts and Im shatterd dont know how i managed them for 4 years i feel like a zombie will get back to normal in 3 weeks thank goodness.

Lisa how was the stereophonics bet they were fab, i like live bands something comforting about your ears ringing when you leave ha ha.

Its time to start tea think i will have spag bol the choc sponge and custard, need to eat loads before work cos the food cooked on a night isnt edible so have to eat chocolate during the night,any excuse :slight_smile:
Take care ladies Angie xx