Yes I am glad too Sharon, when they rang I said can you put me in Friday because someone I know is going and they said yes!! They haven’t said anything to me about steroids, maybe they will when I go for tests tomorrow, will let you know.
Tracey xx
Hi,
brilliant I will be there on Wed at 12, it will be even easier this time as I won’t stare intently at every new person who walks in!! So pleased you ahve each other as support, it really will make the world of differene. Bev and I travelled along together and had so many good times in between sympathising the lower parts. Monnshine, Bev had FEc so wil try to get her there if she is free.
Anyone else like to say hi, just post or turn up and we will be there till people leave to pick their children up. You can spot me from my straggly hair and hairband, the others are still looking glamarously normal!
lily x
Hi Girls,
Wish I could join you tomorrow but I’ll steer well clear as I have a nasty cold and certainly wouldn’t want any of you to get it.
Tracey and Sharon I’ll be thinking of you both on friday, it’s great that you’ve got one another to go through this with, it really helps.
Let me know how you get on.
Claire x
Hi All,
Another Tracy from Essex here!! I would love to join the Essex Girls Club if I can?? I am from Ilford and was diagnosed with IDC in August 07. I had neo-adjuvent chemo ( 3 x AC, 4 x Taxotere) followed by mastectomy and 25 rads. I was grade 3 / stage 3 (tumour was 11cm when found, it was missed twice!) 7 / 10 lymph nodes infected. I am now on Herceptin and doing well, back at work full-time and hoping for a recon next year. I was treated at King Georges hospital in Goodmayes, but will have my recon at Broomfield in Chelmsford. I am 47, single, no kids, but am ‘Mummy’ to a 18 week old Yorkshire Terrier puppy called Denzil.
All the best to you,
Tracy xxxx
Hi girls, I would’ve loved to join you tomorrow but I have rads at 1pm - hope I’ll be able to meet up with you some other time… I started back at work in September, although I’m only working mornings at the moment.
Hope everyone is coping ok with their treatment.
Take care, Liza .x
Hi Liza,
I didn’t know they held breast recon awareness meetings, I shall definately go to them if given the chance. I’m still waiting for my initial appointment with the PS, should come through for November apparantley.
Good luck,
Tracy x
Hi girls!
Come over from the TAC thread, but will probably still post there too even though now on radiotherapy!
Just to say about the BRA meetings at Broomfield (hilarious isn’t it - not sure what the ‘A’ stands for though. BR is Breast Reconstruction) - really worth going to. I had really tiny lump initally, and everyone thought quick lumpectomy then rads, but oh no, more in there after the lumpectomy. Anyway, my plastic surgeon was away on hols, and he wanted me to go to BRA before my mastectomy. Last minute thing, and I went on my own, and was completely overwhelmed by the enormity of what I was facing. I hardly cry as I look so rubbish for about 2 days after (vain??), but believe me I was a mess in that meeting at the thought of seeing naked ladies post op. Just wasn’t ready for it. Well, everyone was wonderful, and i am SO glad I did see all those wonderful ladies willing to show strangers what to expect. SO worth going. I also met a lady there who has become a fab friend.
If I get my act together, one day I’ll try and make it as an ‘exhibitor’.
Tracey and Sharon - best of luck for Friday. Keep strong. You are doing something to get rid of this vile thing so all positive, but it is a challenge, but you will soon be through it. Keep going , we who have just finished are all here to support you. It doesn’t seem like 5 minutes since I was where you are now.
Well, thought I was sober, but perhaps not!
Night night!
Rebeccaxxx
Hi everyone,
lovely to hear from you ,apart from the regret that you are here at all. Sharon and Tracy, I think my tummy is settled enough to enjoy the food - hooray. They are quite used to me going in and saying I can only eat potato now! LOL. Bev is definitely joining us after popping into work, I am still banned so no work for me! Skimum thanks for thinking of us with the cold and hope you feel much better soon. Please do come another time.
Tracy1961, I love hearing about people getting to the end, makes me feel much more optimistic. Your story sounds incredible, they missed it twice?? Guess as you are working a meet is out ?
Liza, good luck with the rads. We will definitely be there until 3 if you find you are out and can face it, if not will keep posting and hope for another time.
Will think of you all tomorrow if can’t make it
Lily x
Hi Girls. I’d love to join your thread. I am an Essex girl, born and bred in Shoeburyness, but now live in the West midlands. I was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer on July 13th this year. I had to have a mastectomy, had my lymth glands removed (2 affected), I have had x3 FEC and x2 Tax with one to go. Yippee!!! I am an air hostess usually, but of course at the moment I cannot fly so when i am well I work in the office at the airport. Maybe one day I could meet up with you all when I visit my parents.Julie
Hi Tracey1961 and Liza,
What plastic surgeon are you being referred to at Broomfield? I had a diep flap performed by Mr Ramakrishnan april 07. This year it was completed with nipple recon and tattoo. He is such a brilliant surgeon who I would highly recommend and also a lovely man who I got on with very well.
Just want to echo Rebecca’s comments on the BRA group - very informative, very welcoming and very worthwhile
Hi to Julie,
Claire x
Hi everyone. I’m also from Essex (Upminster). Had Grade 1 lobular for which I had mast just 4 weeks ago with some lymph nodes involved. Am currently awaiting chemo which is starting in a couple of weeks - I am under Queens Hospital. I was offered an immediate recon but decided against this…one thing at a time. I would have surgery at the broomfield though, if I decide to go ahead in the future.
Am mum to two (13 and 24) or three if you include my gorgeous dog, and although not married have been with my partner for 25 years and he has been rock solid through all this. Would love to meet up but currently getting in some hours at work as being indoors is driving me mad. Am out with the dog most mornings for a good two hours, and that is what sets me up … the time I do all my thinking about this crap disease and clear my head for the day until I can have my glass of wine at 5 o’clock!!!
Hope you all have a great lunch.
Pheebster a 5 o’clock glass of wine, you’re a girl after my own heart!!
Good luck with the chemo.
Hopefully we’ll all be able to meet up one day in not too distant future.
Claire x
Hi,
Liza - Thanks for all your advice re; the BRA meetings, I will definatley get in touch with the nurses and go along.
Lily - I would love to meet up sometime, I can always have a well-earned day off from work!! Everyone is shocked when they find out my cancer was missed on 2 occasions, I know I am very lucky that it didn’t spread considering it was agressive and was brewing up for over a year (I first felt a change in the breast in July 06)
Hope you all enjoyed your get together today, I was making Christmas decs for work (I’m a window dresser at Bodgers in Ilford - anyone know it?!!)
Tracy xx
I know Bodgers Tracy…Don’t get to Ilford much as I HATE shopping, so tend to run into Lakeside when I am desperate for knickers or a new pair of jeans. I’m either in uniform for work or wellies and sweats for walking!
My cancer was also missed just 13 months prior to diagnosis, even with a biopsy…hard to believe isn’t it when the lump they removed measured 5cm - still, that’s lobular for you!
Hiya everyone,
We had a lovely time today, hopefully some of you can join us next time. Always difficult with everyone’s treatment to arrange. Lily, Bev and Sharon thank you so much for your lovely company and reassurance. Hi Tracy, think I have spoken to you before, same name and age! very glad to hear you are doing well and little Denzil sounds cute. Think a well earned day off for you is definetely in order. Hi Julie, great you are nearly at the end of your chemo, you’ll soon be flying again!!
Pheebster, have spoken to you before aswell, I am lobular too. Sharon and I start chemo on Friday so you will not be far behind us. Rebecca, glad to hear you are okay and enjoying a well deserved glass of the red, hope you are not feeling so fed up now. Claire, hope you are feeling much better with your cold - blimey can’t keep up with you lot, hope I haven’t missed anyone out! Well one more day to go, will be shopping tomorrow to stock up, have a bit of a go round everywhere, then thats it. Intend to take it very easy over weekend and hope side effects are bearable…watch this space!.
Hugs to all
Tracey xx
Hi,
I think we managed 3 hours of eating and talking today. I am in such good company. Great to see you again Sharon and Tracey and will be thinking of you all day friday of course. You always feel relieved to get the first one done so you are on your way, plus got lots of poison wooshing around to zap any stray little Cs that could be lurking about. Most of all it brings chemo down to a level that you know what to expect rather than the extremes that your imagination conjures up. I don’t like going but I don’t lose any sleep about it, just moan a lot. The unknown is worse than the reality. I get bored sitting in there! Yes I did regret eating the apple! keep your tummies full on Friday and drink loads.
Everyone else I do hope we will meet you some time and if the venue is tricky shout and we can try to meet in a more convenient place, like the hospital canteen. LOL . If not glad to chat on line. Tracey did you spot the thread about the Daily Mail article you mentioned today? The moderator has put some info about it, you lobular ladies might be interested in. Flygirl when is your last chemo, quite an event? How have you been through FEC and Tax? Pheebster have you got a date yet and what treatment are you having? Rebecca and Liza good luck with the slog for rads every day. Everyone else hope you are ok . Hugs Sharon and Tracey for Friday
Lily x
Glad you all had a good day!
I’m off to Roomes Stores today for new bra in readiness for my prothesis (spelling wrong but you know what I mean)!
Lily - I am having 3 x FEC and 3 x TAX beginning 16th of this month at Queens. This is followed by 5 weeks of rads. Luckily only 10 min drive to the hospital so at least I wont be getting stressed from traffic and drugs! BCN did mention they may overlap my chemo / rads towards the end just to speed things along a bit, but one step at a time.
Anyone at Queens in the next few weeks yell, as I have several appointments. CT scan next week too which is scaring me a bit.
Good luck to you girls for tomorrow…will be waiting to hear what it is like
Hi Lily.
I have had x3 Fec which at the time I thought was awful, but I have now just had my second Tax and by god it has been bl***y terrible. I have had every side effect there is and it wipes me off my feet for about 11 days. So I shall celebrate in style when I have my last one, which is in 11 days 12 hours and 36 minutes ha ha.
I hope to be flying again next year…a job i sooooo love
Julie xxxx
Hi
Flygirl, sorry to hear the tax gets you so badly, it does seem to be very hard for some people but hooray in 12 days it will not be on your flight menu!! Just remember it is the gold standard, very expensive and the bad boy who kicks C up the you know what. After the chemo is over, it might make you feel much better that you have got through it and had such an excellent drug. I read it was ove r£900 a shot, but that might be out of date now.
Pheebster, hope you found something you liked. I hear some Asdas sell relly good and reasonable bras for prothesis but only certain branches. When you go for the CT scan the worst bit is drinking a jug of foul stuff first. Make sure you say I don’t think I can manage it and they should offer you a water based version, which is no problem. Fall for the ’ what smoothie flavour do you want and expect something BAD. It is a tiny needle and mine went in the inner elbow. The whole process was just on a bed going in and out a sort of hoop, not enclosed at all. Please don’t worry just don’t get the flavours!! You have been warned!
Sharon and Tracey, still sending you hugs and positive vibes, really just don’t think about it till you walk through the door. You have to go, so don’t let it take any more of your nice time up than it has to. x x
Everyone else hope today was good for you. I did a bit of shopping as my tummy has decided to give enough time to vacate the house!! I am going to start Christmas shopping early this year before I get on to rads through the December mad shopping days. My first appointment for planning is a Friday at 8.50, so will have to leave really early as 45 mins through the rush hour. grrrrrr
Lily x
Roomes had a rubbish selection of bras (am 34f) and the sales lady (though nice) didn’t have a clue! I may treat myself to a Rigby & Pellar when I feel like a trek up town. I have also heard of a mum and daughter team in Gants Hill who have both had BC and now have a bra shop specialising in post surgery underwear, so I may go there first. I am wearing the asda bra now. It is great for indoors - really comfy and only £6 - but to go out it is not the best. I prefer something with a wire and this just makes me look like a bit shapeless. However I would recommend it. I got mine from the Dagenham Asda by coincidence, as we did a stop off on the way to Greenwich.
Make you right on the Xmas shopping - I’m gonna get in early too before I feel totally wiped out.
In the meantime, I’m off for my 2nd/3rd/4th ?! (who cares) glass of rose and some nice pasta. Have a nice evening girls x