Daybreak - Lorraine

Just watching Lorraine and her interview with Bernie Nolan and it has made me sooooo cross.

I do like Bernie and I’m really pleased that her experience was so positive. But to hear her say that Breast Cancer is just a year out of your life, your hair soon grows back and you feel normal again!!! Well that isn’t the reality for most people that I have spoke too, she also said that Chemo is so much better now that she was only sick once - well isn’t she the lucky one, I was sick a lot and still have some of the side effects of Chemo 9 months on! Oh and she also said she has a great left boob Arghhhhhh I can’t go on.

I know it’s great to be positive and I am the majority of the time but to hear her talking about BC as if it’s nothing just makes me soooo cross. Anyway rant over now, I should know better than to watch Lorraine.

G x

I saw this too and I’m absolutely fuming! I *know* that not everyone’s experiences are the same as mine (i.e. bl**dy awful!) but I wish she would stop making it look like a picnic in the park!

It’s no wonder some of us have trouble getting people to believe that breast cancer is NOT pink, fluffy and no big deal! :frowning:

Nymeria

Hi

I didn’t see this but as someone who is really not having 'just a year out ’ of her life right now, I’m really cross too. I reallly think if you can be bothered then you should rng and complain to the network. I don’t even know wht channel that show is on, but I work for the BBC and complaints are taken very seriously there. Especially things like this.

X

I didn’t see the programme but I think that often these showbiz people play it all down as they want to get work and don’t want to be seen as having a problem.

I had a dreadful experience during treatment and now 20 months on I’m left with some significant problems such as shoulder pain - in fact I’ve just been to the hospital this morning for physio.

It’s nothing about being brave or independent or having strong willpower (as some celebs suggest) - in fact that makes my blood boil as though the rest of us are being pathetic, self indulgent wimps! It’s purely a case of how our bodies react to the treatment.

If you feel that you can write in as impatiens has suggested, that would be great. Elinda x

A year out of your life? I wish.

I was diagnosed in 2008, developed bone mets which were found in 2010, am currently bald, on my 5th and 6th chemo drugs, with a new titanium pin in my thigh where my femur had eroded so much that they felt it could break at any time.

My friend diagnosed at the same time as me died last week.

This is my reality of breast cancer.

Juiie x

Julie - that puts a whole new perspective on it and what a lot you’ve been through. I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.
Elinda x

Thanks Elinda.

I Just wanted to show that we all have different experiences, but unfortunately the happy, pink, think positive, look what i’ve learned through my journey, just a year out of my life spin seems to get more publicity.

Jx

I think often the interviewers can’t cope with anything else. I do remember seeing Lorraine interviewing a young woman with ovarian cancer who looked quite well. When the woman said she was in fact now terminal, Lorraine was literally dumbstruck and just didn’t know how to react. It made me cringe, it was awful.

far easier to chat about happy, pink and fluffy cancer things isn’t it. Elinda x

I watched it too “Just a year about of my life” well it’s been 3 weeks since being diagnosed and this feels like a very bad year already, she made it seem like it was just a bad case of flu, absolutely dreadful. I know she is trying to concentrate on the positives but to be as flippant as that is well out of order she should hang her head in shame :frowning:

Thanks everyone, I have calmed down a bit now, I think I should avoid watching such programmes. I’m not at work today as I have a throat infection which has wiped me out probably down to my defences still being low.

I did tweet about it earlier and Breakthrough send me a message saying that everyone’s BC experience is different!!! Really you wouldn’t believe that from what she was saying.

Nymeria, I don’t know why I let myself watch such fluffy crap as this. I felt like throwing something at the TV.

Impatients, I would complain but I’m not sure they would be interested, it’s on ITV. I think the BBC take complaints much more seriously.

Elinda, you are probably right, I’m sure it wouldn’t do her career much good if she talked about all the bad things. As I said I have been left with side effects, rib pain and peripheral neuropathy. I remember watching her on This Morning when I was going through Chemo barely about to get out of bed and she was saying you shouldn’t give into the side effects - it made me feel like I was being a wimp.

Geewhiz, I’m sorry to hear your reality, it’s very rare that you hear secondaries being mentioned - I suppose it doesn’t fit with the pink fluffy image. take care x

G x

thank you for the tip impatiens, I have just been on the website and put my complaint in, took all of 3 minutes, but made me feel better, stated that she talks as if it is no more than a bad case of flu! totally unacceptable. - However, all that said it is brilliant that awareness is being raised, but for some reason she is making light of it,saying she has a better looking boob etc, it is only a year today since she found out maybe she hasn’t really sorted it out properly in her mind yet

I didnt see it but in hindsight they should’ve balanced the interview up, with a guest that didn’t find it ‘so easy’ and explained the se’s and all the other things that go wrong to the majority …

Quote:

Once a year?
“Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day is on 13 October. Find out more at breastcancercare.org.uk/secondary …”
I have liver and bone secondaries.

Absolutely agree with what is being said here. I remember seeing her on TV last year proudly displaying her bald head (I have absolutely no objections to that) however she had so much make-up on you could have scraped it off with a shovel and 4 inch heels! Hardly the ‘I am comfortable with my natural look’. She said she had only cried once since being diagnosed and I thought, bully for you. I found her patronising and unhelpful to many people going through similar or more difficult situations often compounded by work, family and/or financial issues. Not helpful in the least. Take care everyone. J.
PS Thats my rant over!!!

I was a bit annoyed with Bernie Nolan last year. However I do wonder if she handles it like this because there has been a lot of BC in her family - both Linda and I think Anne had it and I’m sure I’ve also read their mum had it before she died. I had an aunty who was very upbeat despite being diagnosed with BC years ago before all the modern drugs were developed, same thing with her it was in her family and she lost both her mother and sister. She went round in a constant state of cheerfulness until her death over 30 years later.

The one who really got my goat at the time was Trisha Goddard, when she said she ran across the park to her radiotherapy sessions and told them to hurry up as she felt she was using up valuable time. It was a real slap in the face for the women who were absolutely knackered and couldn’t get out of bed (been there, done it, got the t-shirt in my own case)and a lot of people complained about her. She was in the MoS magazine at the weekend and was in a round about way saying the same thing again. God give me strength I thought. Then I look at other celebs who just deal with this without fuss like Dame Maggie Smith. I didn’t even know Elaine Paige had been treated until about 10 years after she had it. Shelagh Hancock was another, Liz Fraser as well. I can also never fault Diana Moran the Green Goddess as she has done so much to raise awareness.

I must say the “only a year out of your life” statement did make me angry and I did shout at the tv! I have much more respect for “celebrities” who just get on with it like Sally off Coronation Street. You don’t see her banging on about it on tv all the time telling people to stay positive and all that clap trap!

I did e-mail Lorraine and tell her that Breast cancer doesn’t just ‘take a year out of your life’ it also wrecks and takes lives. I asked if she would also feature people who struggle through treatments and are left scarred physically and emotionally. I also made her aware of secondary cancer awareness day on October 13th. I doubt I will be listened to, but it made me feel better writing it!

I will keep you informed of any response I may get!

Thanks Nicky - I have also e-mailed.

Julie x

I have to be really honest, the interview didn’t offend me in any way. I think all Bernie was trying to do was tell her “story” and her “experience”.That’s all she has to really go on, as we all do with our own individual journeys. I actually liked her upbeat manner and found it strangely reassuring. I appreciate it is a very different journey for every single woman diagnosed but when a celebrity raises awareness through personal experience I see that as a positive.

I feel, though, that she was merely “raising awareness” that:

BC Isn’t That Bad.

She said that she just had her Mx and a recon and was all back to normal now.
I felt like shouting at her, “Well, BULLY FOR YOU”.

Those of us with more aggressive forms of BC are not allowed recons and are left mutilated and lop-sided and cannot just get “back to normal”.