Hi
Sorry I not posted in a while. I will write more tomorrow. Just wanted to wish you Sukes and Polly all the best for tomorrow.
M
x
Hi
Many thanks, Mel! - Hope all is well with you - will check here on your news when I come out of hospital on Thursday (hopefully!) Going up to have a bath now - have to get to the hospital by 7.30 am tomorrow and it’s nearly 50 miles from where I live so a very early start is needed!
Again, good luck for tomorrow, Sukes. I hope all went well today when you saw the counsellor.
Speak to you soon and take care all!
Polly
Hi Polly and all,
good luck to you as well for your op tomorrow. Don’t worry too much about your exercises as I have found because I was doing them before you only have a smaller set back so its not as bad as you might think. I hope all goes well tomorrow.
i have just taken a Diasapam tablet to help me sleep b4 the big day tomorrow. The scarry thing is i just feel normal physically and don’t want to loose this feeling. i will be praying to god to help us all through this terrible time and as you say it is doable !
Take care and speak to you soon.
Sukes
XX
Hi Polly and Sukes,
Just to say good luck for tomorrow. Hope everything goes ok and that you are both feeling better as soon as possible.
My thoughts are with you both.
(((Hugs))) Shonagh xx
Hi All
Sukes - Hope all went well today, am thinking of u and sending u good wishes.
Shonagh - How are you doing? Any dates to start the radiotherapy yet?
Polly - By the time u read this you will be home, wishing u a speedy recovery. When will u get the results back?
My latest - Well had my appointment on Fri and now things have all changed. Before it was just low grade DCIS with bilateral mastectomy. Now they are saying they didnt get the whole lump out and need to make sure there is nothing higher grade lurking in there. Surgeon now on holiday for two weeks. Then I’ll have a re excisional on 20th of this month. So another op and more waiting and worrying for summet I was told was just low grade. They did say it was more of a precaution as if anything higher in there I would require radiotherapy that would b bad for the recon side of things. Still more waiting and not knowing whats going on, also talk of if anything higher in there would require chemo too. If all comes back OK and just low grade I now been told that they might want to do one breast at a time!!! When before I was told they would be done bilaterally. This would bring my op total to 6 instead of 4 and finish who knows when rather then my last op being in june. Psychologically it would b really bad for them to do it speratly. So I now have to wait for my appointment with the reconstruction guy an apparently the decision on bilateral or not lies with him. Hes very un ppl person though and just sees things from medical point of view not emotional and what impact doing them seperatly would have on me. Also Im due to go to Cuba with hubby and friends in Sept so I want matching boobs and to wear a bikini. So been a bit down as was expecting answers and just ended up with more questions and more to worry about.
M
x
Hi Mel, Sukes & Polly,
Sukes and Polly hope you are both back home and feeling as good as can be. Thoughts are with you and wishing you both a speedy recovery from surgery.
Mel: What a nightmare, dont you just hate it when they say something that completely rocks your world and then bugger off and even worse that the reconstruction is with someone who you dont feel approachable. I completely understand the wanting matching boobs for Cuba. I was kind of hoping I could have had my so far untouched left side reduced in time for my Italy trip in Sept but was told the radiotherapy would probably shrink and lift my right side further and I would be advised to wait a year for everything to settle before any mtchin up could be done so its a sliver for me topad it out in themean time.
I have my radiotherapy planning session for the 19th Feb. Not sure when it will start but am hoping for the beginning of March at the latest. I’m at a bit of a loose end at the minute. Signed off work until after rads, feeling much better and 2 weeks into tamoxifen with so far no nasty side effects. I will be starting the Zoladex in about two weeks.
Hope this lovely sunny day finds you all well or as well as you can be. Thinking of you all and wishng you love and luck. Shonagh xxx
Hi everyone
Hope you are all OK
Sukes- I hope that all went well on Tues and that you are not suffering too much from the effects of the chemo and are able to get some sleep. I’ve been thinking of you and hope that you are as upbeat as it is possible to be at this time.
Mel- Sorry to hear that you are still in limbo as to the treatment you need. Best of luck for the 20th - hope you get your answers soon and can get your operations sorted ready in time for that bikini in Cuba - something to look forward to at the end of it all.
Shonagh - Glad to hear that you have had no side effects from the tamoxifen. Enjoy the sunshine and rest from work and good luck for the 19th - hope you get an early start on the rads to get them over with quicker.
I had my lymph clearance op on Tues (9am) and only stayed in hospital for one night as they were desperate for beds. It was lovely to get home though and sleep in my own bed. As everything happened so quickly and I had very little rest over the 2 days, I found that by Thursday I was absolutely exhausted! My daughter, son and son-in-law all came to our home for the weekend which was lovely - I had plenty of carers! It’s back to normal today - house seems empty now. I’m feeling fine and just glad the op is over - another stage on the road to recovery! I go to my local surgery tomorrow to have the dressing removed and then get the results on 26th (quite a wait but the surgeon is on holiday).
The sun is shining again today which helps give us all a boost. Take care everyone - my thoughts and good wishes are with you all!
Love
Polly
Hi everyone
I’ve not heard from you for a while now though I have been following news of Shonagh on another thread. Hope all is well.
Shonagh - good luck with the rads tomorrow - will be thinking of you!
Mel - I know you have a lot going on this week - hope it is all going well and good luck for the 20th!
Sukes - I am worried about you - are you OK after your first chemo?
I am fine - getting out and about again now - my next date is 26th when I see the surgeon again for the results of the ANC and the timetable for the next lot of treatment.
Thinking of you all!
Love
Polly
Hi polly,
Sorry I haven’t replied but thanks for asking.
to give you piece of mind and me I suppose i am fine thanks. Had first dose of chemo EPi on 5th feb and touch wood it hasn’t been too bad at all. The worst was constipation - 6 days it took to shift it. i counted i ha6 12 weatabix in my belly and all i can say is when it came it CAME!. Having some serious chemo farts which the kids hate but my middle one told me today that her poo smells of yellow flowers and my poo spells of honey which was really nice to hear.
So far its not as bad as expected just want to make sure if there are any buggers in my body there ZAPED!.
Hope u are all keeping okay. I do read the threads but I’m trying not to get to attached as you can sometimes read things you shouldn’t which can depress you. Oh my hair is starting to thin out and i’m going to see how long I can last b4 i have to get it cut short or shave it.
hope all is okay with you and thanks for caring.
Sukes
Hi Shonogh
Hoping the first rads session went smoothly : ) love Alice
Hi Guys,
Thanks to everyone for all the good wishes. I am just getting ready to go to hospital. Will get back to you when I am marked up.
Hope all is well with you all and thet you chemo girls are managing to keep your spirits up.
Shonagh xx
Hi Sukes, Polly, Alice and Mel,
Well planning went really easily, covered in felt tip and got my first appointment on Thursday (tomorrow) and booked into a physio appointment on the 4th March and got my first zoladex injection booked for Monday 25th. So after 3 weeks of pretty much nothing its back to crazy town and running around with appointments coming out of my ears.
Mel: Hope all went well today and you had a bit of a better dialogue with your specialist than the last time. Hope everything goes well with the op and they manage to get clearance this time. When I read your last thread you sounded so low. I just hope whatever they decide you get to go to Cuba as planned in that itsy bitsy bikini.
Sukes: Well done on getting through your first chemo. I understand what you mean about not being on line too much. I find some of the threads quite intimidating and would love to ask questions sometimes but am scared of the answers. I cant believe just how together we all sound now we are in the treatment stages compared with how panicked we are just 6 weeks ago. Sorry to hear about the blockages. I was like that after the WLE. Chin up hun and even though you arent in here often keep in touch. Everytime I get a call on my mobile from an unrecognised number I always think of you and your brother and God and think “Oh could this be him”!!!
Polly: Fingers crossed for the 26th and the all clear. Its a long wait(dont you always feel like you are waiting for next week) but it will be hear before you know it. I was quite surprised when I rang my GP for the zoladex injection and she said its the 25th. I seem to have lost most of February in a haze of medication to help me sleep. I hope your arm is ok and not bothering you too much.
Alice: Thanks for the good wishes. Where are you up to at the minute. I keep seeing you on other threads but not sure where you are up to> Hope you are feeling OK and things arent getting you down.
Well thats me really. No more news we have booked a weekend in yorkshire at the end of April for our wedding anniversary. I will be back to work by then so will probably be desparate for a break by then. I have the feeling that the novelty of being back at work will wear off quite quickly though I may be being a bit ahead of myself I am looking forward to getting back to normal(ish). The oncologist was discussing an oopherectomy yesterday as an alternative to zoladex injections. Oh decisions decisions.
Love and luck to all. Hope the chemo and ops are going well. Shonagh xx
Hi Shonagh
Where am I? waiting for re-excision, yawn, which is Friday, over 5 weeks since last op!!! Not looking forward to it. It was all so neat the first time now larger wound with top skin to be removed where margin not clear. Like being sent back to GO well almost.
Good you are sorted re radiotherapy and zoladex AND you have a lovely w/e booked with OH excllent plan.
Take care
Alicex
Hi Alice,
Oh hun I didnt realise you were still waiting for the 2nd WLE. Good luck for Friday. I know what you mean about the hysterectomy, me and the OH have just walked into the village for a coffee and were having the same conversation, as far as I’m concerned they can take it all out too. If they do that a couple more possible cancers can be taken out of the equation.
leeping ah that dim and distant thing of the past. I am on dusolepin at the minute in an attempt to knock me out but I seem to feel tired sleep for an hour, wake up for 30 mins sleep for another hour, wake up its and awful cycle I just cant get out of. I didnt take the dusolepin last night and took a zopliclone and slept through for the first time since January. I’m doing it again tonight so I am bright eyed!!! and bushy tailed for the first rads tomorrow.
I lost over one and a half stone during the WLE dx situation (believe me I had it to lose) but have levelled off now and just maintaining the same weight but after hearing the horror stories on tamoxifen I am relieved with that. I just hope the zoladex doesnt make me gain too much if at all. I need to get off my butt and excercise but like you I am in a bit of a daze and what I explain to people as feeling flat, not miserable but not happy just flat. Not sure which medication is doing it or if its just my brain kicking into survival mode.
Well good luck for Friday. I will keep my eye out for you and a clearance this time. Love Shonagh xx
Hi everyone
Just catching up on everyone after a few days of visitors and getting out and about. 2 weeks after my node clearance I am feeling good with my arm much more comfortable now and exercises coming along well. Starting to feel a bit anxious about Tues (26th) now - waiting for results is so awful! Hoping they don’t find any more positive nodes (2/9 when I had my mastectomy) and, with luck, should get dates for bone and CT scans and an appointment to see the Onc. Just keen to get on with the next stage now - the quicker it is all done the better!!
Sukes - Hope all is still well with you and you are recovering OK from your first chemo. Pleased to hear that it wasn’t as bad as you’d anticipated though the constipation sounds pretty horrible - made me chuckle when you said that your little girl told you your poo smelt like honey- how sweet!! How long have you got until your next session?
Shonagh - Pleased to hear that all is moving along well with your rads - hope you are still feeling OK and the rads is not giving you any problems. Good luck with your injection on Monday.
Mel - Hope all went well with your excision on Weds and that you are feeling better now - with a bit of luck you may start getting some answers to you questions now so that you know what you have to face - it will help to know exactly what is going to happen after your weeks of uncertainty.
Alice - Hope all goes well with your re-excision today. Take care.
Thinking of you all and sending you my best wishes.
Love
Polly x
Hi all,
Just popping in to say hello, its a bit mad at the minute running up and down the M56 most of the day for rads. Had my first zoladex injection yesterday and started my period today. My stomach is making some frightening sounds so I think there may be a little bit of a war being raged between my hormones and the zoladex and the tamoxifen. Its like that advert for Beechams cold remedy inside me!!!
Polly…How did your appointment go, I’ve had my fingers crossed for you. Hope it went well.
Mel: Any news. Been thinking about you lots recently. Hope you have some better news too.
Sukes: I hope you are ok, saw you on another thread and you sounded like you were coping ok on the chemo. Your kids chemo farts comments made me smile. I’m really glad your children seem to b keeping your spirits up.
Alice: Glad you are backup and walking and feeling better. I have replied to you on another thread but just in case you dont catch it good luck for the results.
Love and Luck to all. Shonagh xx
Hi all,
Thanks, Shonagh, for the good wishes. I had a good day yesterday - no more positive nodes as all 16 removed this time were clear so overall total was 2/25 - the surgeon was pleased with the wound and my recovery and I found out that I was HER2neg!! Still need chemo though so now must wait for an appointment with the Onc. in 2-3 weeks with chemo probably starting shortly afterwards. May also need radiotherapy and will have tamoxifen or arimidex as I scored 8/8 for oestrogen receptive hormone. At 50 I am on the change so will be up to the Onc as to which he thinks would be most suitable. Still I felt the results were the best they could be so my hubby and I were both on a high yesterday and went out for a meal to celebrate. I now have 2-3 weeks to get out and about as I am still signed off work - off to my daughter’s this weekend and then hope to fit in a visit to my elderly mum up north before starting chemo. I must make the most of my freedom while I have it!!!
Shonagh -Glad to hear that all is going OK for you even if your stomach is doing strange things!! Hope all is still well.
Sukes - When is your next chemo as I think it must be soon? Good luck with it and keep well!
Mel - Hope all is well with you as we haven’t heard from you for a while. Thinking of you!
Alice - How did your re-excision go? Hope you are feeling OK and recovering well.
Take care everyone and have as good a week as it is possible to have!
Love
Polly x
Hi Polly,
I’m fine thanks. 6 rads down 13 to go. A bit pink and prickly but so far so good. I am HER2 negative and to be honest was a bit relieved as it meant the treatment programme was shorter so hopefully back to reality just a bit quicker. Hope you get to see your Mum before your chemo starts and hope you have a lovely mothers day at your daughters. My Mum is coming over for dinner on Sunday so I had better get a shuffle on and clean the house.
I think I have found Mels husband on the friends and relatives thread and they have had the results today from the 2nd op and everything is looking good. I have asked him to pass on my best but it certainly sound good news for her.
Well I am in the middle of making wedding invitations for a delivery tomorrow so back to organza bows for me.
Love Shonagh xx
Hello all
Sorry for not writing for a while, but I have been popping on occassionally just to see how everyone is doing. I got a bit down after that consultation when they decided to to a re excisional as I’d waited for soooo long only for something else to delay my mastectomies. Must say Im feeling more positive today after getting good results yesterday (was all low grade DCIS so no chemo or rads). Also I have an appointment about my double mastectomy and reconstruction on Monday, thats supa fast 
!!! I am hoping he will give me a really quick date for the op.
Shonagh - Thanks for tracking me down and ure kind words. I see you are third of the way through ure rads now! How is it going, must b hard work having to go to the hospital every day but hope now ure a third the way through you can see the end in sight. Hope u not getting too many side effects from the rads or the Zoladex.
Sukes - Hope all is going well with the chemo and u r getting minimal side effects.
Polly - You had such a long wait for them lymph results, must have driven u bonkers waiting. Glad the results came back good. Sorry about you needing chemo and rads.
Alice - Hello there. Sorry you also had a re excisional too. Its very frustrating having to go through it again, like u say its like being right back at go.
All the best to everyone
M
x
Hi
How is everyone doing?
I had the consultation with the reconstruction surgeon on Monday and my positivity was fairly short lived. I got measured for the expanders only to discover that I have a very narrow chest and the expanders do not come in my size as standard. This means he has to get them made to order, which will take four weeks and cannot book me in for the double mastectomy until he has these. So more delays!!! and looking like I will not get on my holiday to Cuba (gutted as we originally booked that as our “getting over failed fertility treatment” then it also became “getting over BC”). I was also a bit upset at the fact they are not sure they can get me to the size I was wanting. It was the one positive thing (besides it saving my life I guess) I was hoping to get out of this, as I’ve always been super small chested (smaller then a AA) and was hoping they would get me to a B but again cause of the small chest width they not sure they could get a B to look right. grrrrr.
Hope everyone is doing OK
M
x