Essex Girls!

Life after a breast cancer diagnosis Living with breast cancer
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Hi Girls,

Hope you don’t mind me joining your thread. I am from Ingatestone, so Essex girl thats me!

Just wanted to say about the wigs. I just been down to wig shop in Southend and got my two wigs and paid the £59.00 each for them. You can have which ones you want. One the prescription they just put 2x £59 so you get to get two at the same time. I just wanted to say one this this will be the third time I have lost my hair and I have decided to wear the wigs before I loose it and I feel it makes you feel more confident with the wig, because it means that you are in control if you know what I mean. People get used to seeing you with it and all is good, if this makes sense. Also when you go to the wig shop one of mine was Rene of Paris and it feels so good on, better than some of the others. Good luck to you all. Don’t know if any of you are about but will be in chemo suite but will be about for the next six months every week for three weeks then one week off, hope to see you there.
Take Care
Love DebsH

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Hi ladies - I picked up my wig voucher yesterday, it just says ‘wigs please, £59.20’, so if I can two I will at that price, or I may really live dangerously and get three!

School had a collection for me and raised £240, so I am going have great fun spending it.

Work has been fine, one arrested, one expelled from college - like I have ever been away!

Off to Lakeside now, have a lovely weekend everyone.

Daisy xxxxxxxxxx

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Hi to all

How did it go with the wig fitting Daisy?

Hello DebsH welcome to the thread. Sorry to hear that you have lost your hair so many times before, you have the right idea about putting the wigs on straight away. I have had lots of good comments about mine and it does make you feel more confident. I am having chemo at the moment, will be at Broomfield on Tuesday at 10.30am, when is yours?

Hope you had a nice couple of days away Flora.

Enjoy the weekend everyone
Helen x

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Hi Girls,
Hope you don’t mind me ‘butting in’ but I have just noticed a posting from someone new who also lives in essex I have posted the link to the thread below. I have also,mentioned your thread to her as you seem such a friendly group.
M x

breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=21188&p=302836#p302836

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Hi To everyone
Not been on for a few days, and then tried yesterday and it was down Thanks for everyones good wishes to me, Still got pain gets worse as day goes on! Knowing me I am not resting enough! I put a message on here the other day to ask if others had a lot of problems like me especially with this Seroma, done it on latest topic thing but dont know how to see if anyone has commented on it? Got to have more drained on Monday, be 4th time! although not as big as before i am please to say! Seeing onocologist tomorrow for 1st time. Wonder if he will tell me what treatment i will be on? and what else happens. Gtreat to know you can have more than one wig too! Think will go there in a week or so to see, although is it best to wait till visit chemo suite as i think thats when you get voucher? I hope to see some of you Wednesday eve. I hope you are all ok and enjoying this nice sun. Off to Southend now just to walk along front for a while to cheer me up, as feeling low about the constant pain . Lots of good wishes to you all, it actually hurts my arm to be on here but wanted to send a few wordsxxxxxxxx

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Hello Essex girls,
thank you for the invite and kind words. I am a forum virgin so I hope I am doing ths right.
I was diagnoised in September and have had six months of FEC chemo and hormone (Tamoxifen) treatment in hope of haveing a lumpectomy unfortunatly they found another tumour and now face a mastectomy on the 6th April and I am struggling to come to terms with it. Surgeon not very approachable so dont really know what to expect.
Sounds as if some of you had a recent good night out and a number of you having chemo judging by the (WIG) chat

thanks again
Sharon C

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Afternoon all,

Julie, what a b****r that seroma is for you, sorry I don’t know anything about them, hopefully it will heal soon. I tried to find your other posts to see if you had any replies and couldn’t find it either! Have a lovely walk along the front in Southend, such a lovely day for it and an ice cream! They sell ‘Southend Ice Cream’ at my local co-op, it’s very expensive, but lovely.

Sharon.bas sorry that you have been having such a hard time, I had a lumpectomy but quite a few of the girls on here had mastectomy’s and I’m sure they will be able to reassure you and answer any worries you have. We are all at different stages, some finished chemo, some still having it and some about to start. Plenty of us to compare notes with! We try to meet up for something nice to eat and a good old chin wag every few weeks and you will be welcome to join us. There is also a support group at Rochelle House, next one this wednesday evening, which some of us go to, I don’t know if you know of it. So lots of support, don’t feel alone with it all xxx

Lily, you can well laugh about Bobby, tomorrow he comes back to you!!
Y has been very good with him and I was worried she wasn’t being put off! but…then came the night…ha ha…she looked like a mad woman in the morning poor girl. Last night she took the battery out in the night and now it says tampered with…hope thats okay!

Well I hope despite the treatment and the worries we have you are all enjoying this lovely weather, long may it continue, but it probably won’t.

Take care
Tracey xxx

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Sorry, forget to say hi and welcome to DebsH, hope to catch up with you soon and good luck with chemo xx

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Hi Tracey
thank you for responding its a relief to know that you not alone. nights out sound great. where is Rochelle House? I am based in Basildon.

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Hello to everyone

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather, hope your walk along the front in Southend was lovely Julie - blows the cobwebs away doesn’t it?!

Hi & welcome to Sharon C, I’ve had a lumpectomy last Dec and now having chemo 6 x FEC followed by rads. My next chemo is Tuesday (that’ll be halfway for me) so I won’t make it to the meeting on Wednesday unless something miraculous happens and I am not throwing up - ha! Rochelle House is the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Care place which is next to Springfield Capio Hospital in Chelmsford. If you google Helen Rollason you will get the correct address, I think it’s Lawn Lane, Oh and it is 7.30-8.30pm. The meetings are really informal and everyone is very friendly, at least you won’t feel alone in all this!

Off to my mum’s for Sunday roast with my daughter so better go.
Take care all
Love Helen x

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Lakeside ‘Suzi’s’ do not take NHS wigs, typical! So they are now on order with the Southend shop. Will be picking them up this Saturday.

Welcome to the new ladies, we are a friendly bunch and our get togethers are a hoot, even if we do have to change restaurants after complaining to management (long story!)

Last week at work for me before the tests and chemo starts, I don’t want some pukey, snotty child giving me germs.

Helen - I saw Cheryl last week, she hadn’t sussed it was me you were talking about!

Washing machine being delivered tomorrow, I wonder if the launderette man will miss washing my smalls? ha ha

Daisy xxxxxxx

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A friend sent me this poem in an email and I thought I’d share it with you ladies. From those of you that I’ve met, I’m sure you will laugh! You have to read it aloud and try and use same dialect as Pam Ayres

Oh, I Wish I’d Looked After Me Tits

By Pam Ayres

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me dear old knockers,

Not flashed them to boys behind the school lockers,

Or let them get fondled by randy old dockers,

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me tits.

'Cos now I’m much older and gravity’s winning.

It’s Nature’s revenge for all that sinning,

And those dirty memories are rapidly dimming,

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me tits.

'Cos tits can be such troublesome things

When they no longer bounce, but dangle and swing.

And although they go well with my Bingo wings,

I wish I’d looked after me tits…

When they’re both long enough to tie up in a bow,

When it’s not the sweet chariot that swings low,

When they’re less of a friend and more of a foe,

Then I wish I’d looked after me tits.

When I was young I got whistles and hoots,

From the men on the site to the men in the suits,

Now me nipples get stuck in the zips on me boots,

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me tits.

When I was younger I rode bikes and scooters,

Cruising around with my favourite suitors.

Now the wheels get entangled with my dangling hooters,

I wish I’d looked after me tits…

When they follow behind and get trapped in the door,

When they’re less in the air and more near the floor,

When people see less of them rather than more,

Oh, I wish I’d looked after me tits.

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Hope no one was offended by the Pam Ayres poem that I posted??!!

Daisy - I had a feeling that not all shops take the NHS vouchers, what a pain eh? Cheryl said she’s spoken to you - small world isn’t it. She has a been fabulous friend over the past few months. When does your chemo start? Never know we might get to meet up at the chemo unit!

Helen x

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Hi All

The sun certainly shone in Spain, up to 25 degrees. Had to use suncream but compromised on +25 and not as bad as last year +50. Loads of walking and uphill, what a change.

Hope to see some of you again at the support group on Wed.

Welcome Sharon Bas - there is also I think a support group at the Helen Rollason Centre in Billericay but I do not know when they meet. As Moonshine said some of us have had mastectomy with or without recon so can answer some of your questions/concerns. I had a mastectomy January 08. Are you considering recon?

Tracey - Bet you will be glad to get rid of Bobby. Does it really put kids off having them?

Helen - good luck for next chemo.

Julie - good luck with the Prof tomorrow. He will probably tell you what treatment he wants you to have. Best to have pen and paper with questions and to write down what he says, otherwise can be a bit of a blur afterwards. Sorry you are still in pain. On Wed at the support group you can speak to the nurse privately re the seroma etc. if needed.

Daisy - glad you have got organised. If you are there on Wed will bring the stuff otherwise pm you to organise alternative.

Flora x

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Is the meeting on Wednesday in the Springfield Hospital grounds or do I drive past it? What do you do there? It’s not like work training sessions is it where you have to stand up, introduce yourself etc is it?

Helen - first chemo is 27th…bring on the toxic tits & bits!

Flora - glad you are enjoying the sunshine, my Dad lives in Gran Canaria and its 33deg over there!

Night, night all

Daisy x

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Daisy

The support group is very informal with tea/coffee and biscuits, just general chit chat and sharing of info etc. You only need to chat to whoever you want to and only tell them whatever you want. Sometimes they organise a speaker/presentation on a topic like headwear. The nos vary from 4 to about a dozen

If coming from Regiment Way roundabout the entrance is slightly hidden on right hand side just before the turning on opposite side and before you get to the hospital. It is not actually in the grounds of the hospital.

There is a BCN there and you can see her privately if you are concerned about anything. Meeting is only strictly one hour so not long.

It is not as pleasurably as a meal out of course so do not expect too much!!
Flora x

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Hi Flora thank you for the info re meeting.
I am not having a reconstruction but hope too in the future.
worried about how I will look and how i will cope with the changes. dont know what to do before op such as do I have too shave my arm pitt, what about deoderant, drains and things sound scary.

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Hi Helen
Thank you very much for the information on Wednesdays meeting, I will try to find it but I got lost going too Broomfield Hospital for the BRA meeting. Is there anyone on this site that goes too the Billericay meeting and if so when might that be.
hope you enjoyed your roast at your daughters, I have three very dependant sons and husband so I have been cooking all day, it will be intresting too see how they cope when I’m in hospital and recovering.
I hope for some good weather soon so I can sort the garden out before my operation on the 6th of April as hope to have my youngest’s 11th birthday party in the garden.

Sharon C

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Hi everyone,
wow this is getting to be a really big group now and special hi to all the newbies. It would be great to meet you all some time, when it fits in with treatment. I am hoping we can meet during the first week of the Easter school holidays?
Tracey a big drum roll for finishing rads this week and hope you are not on fire from the gadget! So poor old Bobby had his battery taken out, I don’t blame you, he is a little … However, it is a real eye opener for them regarding the commitment and attention needed. Also if they really take the role seriously they get emotionally attached and rather weepy when they hand them back. I expect O wanted to throw it out the window.
I have lost track of everyone’s stages so can I just wish you all lots of luck this week, in whatever you are doing and I will be thinking of you. I didn’t think I would ever get to the stage of just having a tablet to take each day, but here I am after 10 monthe treatment and back at work. Just think about the next step ahead of you and enjoy every good minute that comes your way. My idea of a good day was one without a sharp implement coming in my direction, while on treatment. I am trying not to lose sight of the simple pleasures in life.
Unlikely I will make Wednesday as a family birthday but if they go early I will wizz over
take care
Lily x

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Hi Flora
sorry clicked on submit before I was ment to.
Spain sounded great I hope for some med sun myself this year. you said you had mastectomy did you have a recon? Oh and Helen wishing you well for Tuesday and beyond.

Sharon C