Not such a bad day. Ashamed to say that I didn’t wake up until 9 this morning. So unlike me! But since then I did a monstrous grocery shop at Tesco, bought sevreral Xmas presents, got the cards bought and the card list written (how many???), went for a quick drink, cooked a lovely dinnerr… So feee quite satisified with my day. Oh yes, and peeled off the left thumb nail finally. Bit fed up with all that rubbish! Legs all swollen and aching but all round not so bad.
Welcome to our forums, I am sure you will find them a great help and get lots of support here. I’m just posting now to let you know of a few things you might find helpful, here is a link to a booklet for anyone recently diagnosed, it will provide you with information about your diagnosis and treatments you may undergo: breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/bcu06_web_0.pdf
You are also very welcome to contact our confidential helpline on 0808 800 6000 which is run by breast care nurses and people who have had personal experience of breast cancer and so will have an understanding of how you are feeling at the moment, they can also point you to other support services which you may also find useful The helpline opening times are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
Hi Everyone, thanks for your kind comments, sleeping tablets have worked to a degree cos’ i slept till 4.30 am. Not feeling too good, my middle daughter is taking the news very badly (she is a mummys girl) and as my friend and the mother of her friend passed away with this disease I think It s bringing everything back to her. Rebecca is at Uni studying to be a Pediatric Nurse, I am so proud of her. My ex husband ad her dad is being a prick as usual and not giving much support but she does have her elder sister Jenni and younger brother Jonathan to talk to so none of them are going thu’ this alone. I just want to scream and shout. I am crying all the time, I think I need to get Tuesday over and get this thing out of me.
First radiotherapy planned for Thursday at 4.10pm - let’s hope they’re running to time !
I’ve been doing Christmas shopping at a leisurely rate over the past few weeks and thought it was time to start wrapping - got everything out on the floor of the back bedroom, sorted it into piles, reached for the wrapping paper and lost interest! Designed some sticky labels on the computer instead.
Packed everything back up and moved it into the front bedroom under the ‘new’ cot - out of sight out of mind! Have considered writing Christmas cards but thinking about it tired me out!!! I think I may be making a lot of excuses over the coming weeks.
Went to Matalan and bought some new flannelette cot sheets, washed the old cot blankets and quilt (though I’ve been told by my daughter that I can’t use the quilt - it’s dangerous with small babies apparently - even though it never did her any harm! ) - getting very broody 'cos they feel and smell so wonderful !
Gill -
wishing you luck for your operation this week - not sure what you are having done but rest assured - someone here will know exactly what you are going through. We’re probably not qualified medically but we’ve all been there and can support you on this ‘journey’ (I hate that word!)
Hi All and welcome Gill. Sorry you are feeling so low. It happens to us all I am afriad but there will be good days as well. What are you havng done next week? can certainly tell you that surgery isn’t as bad as you think. Anyway stay with us and we will do what we can to help.
Dyzee, Julie and all - how are you today? Maddy - I do that a lot these days! I fullyintend to write out the Xmas cards but have got no further than a list of who is going to get one! This is a great excuse to be lazy. God knows where I found the tme to do anything while I was working.
Yay! We have sunshine today. Very cold - but bright.
Dilys- Well done gettting your cards and making a list. You are way ahead of me. (hangs head in shame). Oh hon, losing your your nails, you poor thing, after everything else you have had to endure (and this is an endurance test). My heart goes out to you my love. Will they grow again Dilys?
Sounds like you had a good day yesterday, I bet you were knackered last night. What have you planned today?
Maddy- You sound just like me, I start doing things then completely lose interest. I am having trouble focusing at the moment and can only muster any enthusiasm for things that I really like doing. Everything else is such an effort. I wish we could see a photo of you lovely cot. It sounds so fabulous. Good luck with your rads, we will all be thinking of you.
Julie - How are you feeling my lovely? Soon this horrible waiting will be over, I feel so much for you and your OH. I am so pleased that you will have your Mam and Sister there to support you when you come home from hospital. Your family here will all be right there beside you and waiting for you to come back to us and make us laugh with your lovely posts.
Gill - Great news that you slept last night. Why don’t you tell your daughter about this site. There is a special section for family and I am sure she will get a lot of support. Not long until your surgery, so, like Julie, the dreadful wait will be over. It will help you to become more positive about the whole thing, We will all be here waiting for you to come back after the surgery and we will hold your hand before and after, so keep posting and let us know how you feel so that we can help you my love.
Did you see the post from Katie, the moderator. I sent for the information. The helplines are brilliant, so don’t be afraid to call them
Hope you are all well? I went out for a quick drink and am now cooking dinner. Lovely day here too Dyzee! Made the mistake of taking mail polish off and nearly made a friend ill in the bar with the sight of my nails. Ho hum. If that is the worst thing they ever see…! Sorry to moan about something so trivial really.
Gill - Dyzee is so right about this site. Your daughter might get a lot of help. As indeed will you.
Good Morning Dilys, Gill, Julie, Maddy and JillyB,
How is everyone today?
Dilys, you poor thing, losing your nails is by no means trivial and your “friends” reaction just made my blood boil. You are soooo right, if that’s the worst thing they ever see well bloody good on them!!! ((((((HUGS)))))).
Did you enjoy your roast beef dinner. I just love my Sunday lunch, especialy Roast Beef and Yorkshire pud! My all time favourite is Christmas Dinner Mmmmmmmm!
I only hope and pray that the chemo dosen’t hit me at Christmastime this year.
I am starting to feel wobbly about the whole chemo thing now. I think it’s just pure fear of the unknown.
I have noticed that nearly everyone on this site has FEC in our area it’s only EC. I will have to ask the oncologist about that. It’s seems a long time to wait until the 5th.
Gill called me last night, she has her surgery tomorrow (Tues) she is first on the list, so will be in theatre early. She is having WLE and SNB. Bless her.
Julie. How are you feeling hon? This will be a tough week for you emotionally. We are all here to support you, hold your hand and give you BIG BIG HUGS.
Maddy. First rads on Thursday. How many are you having?
Dilys. Is it your rads validation tomorrow?
Take care everyone,
Lots of love and hugs,
Dyzee.XXXXX
Yes the roast beef was great and we have enough for cold beef this eveninh. Yum! I love Christmas dinner too. And it is indeed rads validation tomorrow so I am hopng to know when it all starts and ends. Hopefully before Christmas but who knows
Good luck for tomorrow Gill. You will be fine. And to you too Maddy for the radiotherapy! You must let me know how it goes.
Julie - how are you? And Jill? You all right?
Off to the hospital for my husband’s appointment this afternoon, so fingers crossed.
Can you tell me what rads validation is as no one mentioned this when I went for planning on Friday, the only thing they told me was that they probabley would not start for three weeks.
I asked that question too on another thread! Someone kindly told me it was a session where they check the original measurements to make sure they are accurate. Some people evidently gain or lose weight for example after the original measurement. My understanding is that they will check it (I am going tomorrow) and then tell me when we start for real.
On the subject of rads validation. I sat for a week wondering where my validation app had got to. I eventually rang james Cook and they didn’t know what I was talking about. They then tracked down the radiographer who told me I would get a validation app only for her to say that she must have made a mistake as they didn’t do them with bc patients!!!
Debbie
xxx
Also don’t be surprised if your apps are changed and they don’t tell you. My first one at 1130am was changed to 130pm. No one told me and I eventually got seen at 430pm.
Sorry for shouting - I’ve just had a phone call cancelling my first radiotherapy session on Thursday ! - the machine is out of order for a week!!! So I should start on Monday 3rd December at 4.10pm - what a lovely time - especially if they are running late !!!
I also went to my GP this morning for a pain in my wrist which I’ve put up with for at least two months - ordinary painkillers and Ibuprofen gel don’t touch it so he’s given me extra strong ones and says he may have to inject it if they don’t help - I had a similar thing with my shoulder two years ago caused by the same thing - sailing on a friends yacht at Portsmouth - you really would expect me to have learned my lesson by now !
I raised the question of my hormone receptor status - GP has no note but he recommends I keep taking the Tamoxifen and contact my surgeon for the results (which should be there!!!) rather than follow what the oncologist says (ie stop taking it)
As my first operation took place back in September I’m grateful that I do have the Tamoxifen (even if there’s no evidence I need it!!!) just in case there are cells floating freely having a party around my body.
Dilys - I do hope everything went well for your husband today.
Have been trying to sleep but have one of those hovering helicopters making SUCH a noise. It went fine for my husband today. They ruled out all sorts of nasties aND THINK IT IS JUST THE EFFECT OF THE STEROIDS. Ooops sorry for shouting! So fingers firmly crossed. Funnily enough the Very Young doctor who saw him today was also the one who helped me when I was neutropenic during FEC and stuck in isolation! She is a sweetie and I trust her, however young she may be.
Bit miserable as my small right toenail just joined many others in the bin.
Off to rads tomorrow so hope I do beter than poor Maddy. AArgh indeed my love
Well I was luckier than Maddy and rads went well today. I did have the first zapping, and am now there every day until 17 December. It is fine, and everyone seems very nice. In good company with lots of other baldies too, which makes a nice change. Miserable dank day to be travelling about though. Am going to have a nice peaceful afternoon. Thursday will be fun as I will have to do herceptin in my usual hospital and then dash off to Barts! Thank goodness there is nly the ne clash in the three weeks.
Good news about your hubby Dilys, so relieved for you both. Glad to hear your rads went to plan and overjoyed that you got your wish and it will be over for Christmas.
Does this mean you can now attend the lunch/dinner that you were so looking forward to? Sorry to hear you lost another nail, ohhh- you do have my sympathy my love.
You just do right to have a peaceful afternoon Dilys - you have had a busy few days.
The weather is miserable here too. I hate “gray days”. Gill will be out of theatre now. I have been thinking of her this morning. Hope she is in a better place when she comes back to us.
Well, good news, we all went Christmas shopping yesterday and I bought a couple more presents. Not as much as I would have liked but if I get a few at a time, I will be happy. They want to take me to the Metro Centre at Gateshead tomorrow, it’s about 45 minutes drive. To be honest, I can’t really be bothered trailing around there iit is massive but I will go anyway. I’ll probs sleep for a week afterwards. I don’t know where all of my energy has gone, I’m getting a bit frustrated as I get tired so easily. I think it’s just my age!!!
Maddy - So sorry about your rads and you do right to have a rant!
Julie - How are you doing my love?
JillyB - Still waiting and wondering how you are - we have not forgotten you.
Take care everyone,
Lots of love and hugs,
Dyzee. X
I am new to this but have read much of the forum messages and it sounds so familiar. I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer on 29 Oct and had a mastecomy and lymph node removal (8) on 12th Nov. My results have been as positive as they can be with complete removal of cancer and no signs of spread to lymph nodes. I am now taking Arimidex and have been asked to make a decision on chemo (FEC). This has thrown me, I just wanted to be told you need it or you don’t!
There are a number of unanswered questions for me at the moment so I need these answers before I make a decision (eg Grade / HER2 Status / hormone receptive status). That sounds very rational doesn’t it, when I have my emotional head on I just think lets say yes as it (chemo) is another insurance policy! I would be interested in your thoughts and how any of you made the decision whether to have chemo or not.