11.30am at Cafe 21 Fenwicks sounds great…
it is somewhere I’ve always wanted to give a go…
Theresa x
Hi
Am off to The Marie Curie day centre in Newcastle today- anybody been before?
Just bumping. Meet up on Monday 11.30 cafe 21 in Fenwicks for anyone else who wants to go. Is Krissy a nothern lass? I am not sure how often she checks in anymore. Have a good day everyone. Debx
Hi Deb
I’ve never been to the Marie Curie Centre, I didn’t realise there was one! I’ve just checked online and see that they do complementary therapies. I might have to investigate further. How did you find it today?
Wendy
xxx
Hi Wendy
It was really lovely. I met with the family councillor first just to discuss how the children were coping and to talk about supporting them in school and nursery. She was so nice and has had bc 3 times herself. I then had reflexology- but could have had aromatherapy or reike (sp?). I was referred there through my Macmillan nurse. I have another app after next chemo to discuss them going into school to advise the teachers, also to do some relaxation and another session of reflexolog. I think I can have 6 complimentary sessions. They have loads of resources available. It is def worth finding out about. Dx
Hurrah! Monday at 11.30 Cafe 21 - the Fenwicks one?
so looking forward to it and meeting up with you all
mon xxx
awww wish I was coming to Newcastle!
Just a quick question… I had chemo at 3pm today and am sooo hungry now but the thought of any food makes me feel sick?! do any of you have any favourite things you like to eat that I could try!
xxx
Hi Emma
Wish you were coming too.
Chicken - I tend to eat lots of chicken.esp chicken curries, or chicken with veg or roast pots/ mash/ crusty bread/ rice/ stir fry I also keep myself going with muffins/ crumpets and cheese. I never want anything sweet. I drink tonic water with ice. ( snacks - bananas/ crackers/ ginger biscuits). Hope you find some more things you like. Dx
Hi Monica - yes the one in Fenwicks. X
Looking forward to seeing everyone who can make it…
Deb - I’m not sure if Krissy is not coming on as much now she might be back to work now as she wasn’t having rads after her chemo finished…
Theresa x
Looking forward to Monday - baby sitter sorted!
Emma, the thing I usually fancy straight after chemo is roast chicken, mash, peas and gravy!
Other than that, I’ve found I’ve developed a bit of a taste for roast beef, cream cheese and horseradish sandwiches.
But when I was feeling nauseous the thing I craved was salt and vinegar crisps and sherbet lemons, exactly the same as when I was in the early stages of pregnancy!
Hope you find something you fancy.
xxx
Thanks ladies! I had grilled chicken, mash & Gravy, followed by a crumpet and marg! nice beige dinner for me! ooh and a calipo… this is just like being pregnant!
I’ve got a lump on my neck (I noticed it in Sept 09), didnt get it scanned till just before xmas, they said it was nothing, just a swollen lymph node.
When I found out I had BC they gave me the works with all the scans, 2 ultrasounds (they did the neck lump too), bone scans etc. I asked the onc to feel it and also the radiotherapy doc too, they all said it doesnt feel cancerous, but my breast care nurse said we’ll worry if it shrinks because thats the chemo working. I dont think she meant it, as she had just read the scan report to me, but it has shrunk! I dont know if its shrunk because I’ve tried to stop touching it all the time? even so I had meltdown last night, right in the middle of laughing at Big Brother… It catches you out at the wierdest of times doesnt it!
This chemo is being really kind to me, no aches as yet & just a small headache… fingers crossed it stays like this hey!
Lots of love xxx
Hi Emma
I had a swollen node on the back of my neck. It appeared just before my clearance. I had it scanned, but they couldn’t really see it, but you could feel it. The bcn, surgeon, gp,all looked at it but no one was really bothered- except me. I was v scared. Eventually the onc looked at it and said it was not significant in terms of bc because it was on the back of my neck and that it not a place they would expect a recurrance. Anyway a lady on the helpline said nodes are like spots the more you play with them the the firmer they become. So I left it alone and after a couple of weeks it disappeared. This was just before chemo, so I had it for a few mnths. I am sure if they were really worried they would have kept checking it… Sorry you have this extra worry. I would def talk your worries through with your bcn otherwise they will play on your mind. We all feel very vulnerable at the moment. Hope your chemo is ok this time. Debx
Thankyou Deb thats just what I wanted to hear! thought I would be the only one of us awake yet though! Mine is on the same side as the BC between my ear and shoulder. My GP even told me to feel her neck and her lumps felt like this one does now. I’m always thinking ‘what if’ but I suppose we all do dont we.
My chemo is being kind this time, I’m taking 2 paracetamols and 2 codeine every 4 hours and the headache only tried to pop through when my next tabs are due. Also guzzling lactalose, eating prunes, taking movicol, as I know codeine is a nightmare for constipation!
Hope your doing ok too & thanks again xx
Hi Emma
Mine was on the same side as bc too. Strangely my gp got me to feel her node in her neck too. Maybe they get taught that at medical school, lol. Glad chemo is ok. Debx
Hi everyone, just realised I’m at the Freeman hospital on Monday at 2pm for the LGFB day, so I might get to meet you all after all! I think I know where Fenwicks is, I’ll have my mum with me as she’s going to drive so hopefully we’ll track you all down!
xxx
Hi Emma that would be great. Fenwicks is in Eldon square or you can get in from Northumberland street. Cafe 21 is right at the back through all of the womens clothes. Hope you can make it. Dx
Hi
Looking forward to meeting you all. see you Monday.
Margaret xx
Gosh I wish I could meet you on Monday too! Perhaps next time,eh?
Went to the oncologist on Thursday. The recommendation is for 6 EC chemiotherapy sessions to start as soon as my wound has healed (still producing serum after the reconstruction, I am afraid…). It looks like if it is going to start mid September. I confess I am terrified. I know many of you have gone through it, so it is only a bad memory now, but I’m very anxious about it, particularly about the sickness and losing my hair. But hey, I am sure I’ll pull through it just like many of you have done. And very bravely too, by the sound of things.
Still waiting to hear from my “neighbour” Cazza. Exchanged a nice e-mail with Marli where we realized we have quite a bit in common, as well as living close to one another. It’s great to have a site like this!
Take care!
Lulu
Hi Guys,
Well … have just spent half an hour writing what I thought would be an entertaining and witty post to you all hoping to make up for my absence over the last 8 days. Alas, I have just managed to lose the entire lot! AAARGH! Just for future reference is it possible to save as you go along does anyone know? Anyway what I said was that I was sorry for not being in touch after first chemo, my s/effects have not been half as bad as most people but I (like you Lulu (warm welcome to you!)) have never been ill in my life and it has taken quite a while to get used to it. SEs were bad nausea (no vomiting)for 3 days, moderate for another 3. Indigestion worsening daily till 2 days ago when was prescribed l…? What a relief! Why didnt I contact the unit sooner. Oh and of course the extreme tiredness wich has taken me and my family time to get used to - ongoing process. Every night I hope that tomoro will be different in termsof my energy levels but so far have found that its necessary to stay in bed till lunchtime and then have good few hours in afternoon before less energy in evening. A new symptom which has kept me awake tonight may be associated with immune system booster given day afetr chemo is pain in neck/head but paracetemol seems to have helped. THANK YOU all so much for your kind messages. My heroes … or is it heroines?! I wish I had read them sooner but I havent felt up to turning computer on until this morning. Even the word breast ade me feel sick! Sounds like many of you are meeting up tomoro - maybe I could do that next time. Something else which kept me awake was the sudden realisation about how FURIOUS I am that I have cancer and that I have had to have an op, scans and chemo. Soembody said to me the other day ‘you mustfeel so angry’ and I just didnt know what she meant. I thought there wouldnt feel be any point in feeling it anyway. However, tonight I have just found this extraordinary volcano of fury inside myself - I dont where its come from! Its quite exhilarating actually. Prior to this, without realising it I have been, or have been trying to be the model cancer patient with family/friends and professionals - trying to be appropriately brave but not annoyingly so, appropriately scared/knowledgeable/optimistic/friendly/desperate/grateful/cheerful/sad etc etc but never anoyingly so! Anyway starting chemo and the experience of being fitted for a wig (which I have refused to bring into the house and have named the ‘f-ing ferret’ - its in the car boot) seem to have put me in touch with my anger but Ifelt I was going to burst with it! So, unable to sleep I came down and set up a new hugely password protected document called The Sick Tip where I allowed myself to deposit all the anger and resentment (sometimes quite irrational and unreasonable) I feel towards anyone and everyone to do with my cancer… and that has really helped. It was when I had finished writing that I felt able to open up the BCC website again - I realised I had even been angry with it! So … thats the route I have taken back you all and I am so grateful to find that you are still here. I think what also put me off coming back was that you all sound so brave and wise. Now I realise that there are times when I am too and times when I am not - and probably we are all the same on that score. So thank you so much for for baring (or is it bearing) with me. Lulu I will get back to you specifically with Darlo questions. Love and best wishes to you all and hope you have great time on Monday. Going to send this before I lose it like the last.
Hi Cazza
My advice on losing posts is if they are long do them in a word document then you can copy and paste them onto the site. It always tends to be the long ones that get lost.
I am glad you felt able to post. Dumping your feelings out on the computer sounds very healthy to me. I know I amnot wise at all- just muddling through. If it helps at all I am terrified of my first tax on Tuesday. I am not using that word lightly either. It is keeping me awake at night. I trust the nurses will look after me but I have my OH coming with me for support and will be taking lorazepam before to calm me down. We all have our battles to fight and our own set of demons to deal with. The most important thing to know is that you are not alone. We do know how you are feeling. On here do not have to be a model patient. Let rip. Be angry. Having bc is not your fault and it is crap. Then when you are ready you pick yourself up and get on with it again.
I really hope you get some good days soon would love it if you were able to come to a meet up sometime. take care of yourself. Debx
Hey Cazza
sorry about the way you have been feeling. It’s very understandable. I haven’t felt angry and annoyed yet but I suppose there is time. What I have been feeling is shock, horror and disbelief. WHY ME? I keep on asking myself. But I guess this is the exact same question that all other ladies suffering from BC ask themselves. LIke I said I have never been ill before in my life(other than colds,etc.), I have always taken good care of myself, refusing to take any unnecessary drugs in order not to upset my body (including the pill!). Don’t drink, don’t smoke. I have also thought I had a good diet (plenty of fruit and vegetable, no fried stuff and ready made meals…ok now and again but not on a regular basis). You get the picture. I thought I would be the last person who could possibly be struck down with cancer. How naive was I?? Even my GP was shocked by the diagnosis. Bless!
No point in going on about how unfair it is though, is it? I WAS struck down and I jolly have to deal with the brutal reality of it all. Like it or not.
I am currently reading a few interesting books about diet and cancer to try to understand if there is ANYHTHING I can now do to better protect myself. The one I am reading at the moment is particularly interesting. It is called Anti cancer, a new way of life by Dr David Servan-Schreiber. It is really fascinating. I have also read one by Jane Plant (Your life in your hands) who advocates getting rid of all evil dairy products. Thing is she is FAR too extreme for my liking. Bordering on the Talebanish.PUS I LUV cheese. Life wouldn’t be worth living with all the restrictions she puts in place. I am prepared to cut down but not get rid altogether. Has anybody read any good books on the subject?
Ok enough ranting…
Perhaps it would be nice if people south of the border like myself, Marli and Cazza could meet in an alternative venue closer to home. What do you say? Plenty of good cafes around here too. 
Must get off now. My husband is getting impatient. “WHAT? You are not on the Breast Cancer care site AGAIN!!”. Perhaps he is right…
Enjoy your Sunday everyone!
Lulu XX