@marymop Hi I am the same as you her2+ hormone - I have had 2 treatments so far 3rd one is due next week xx
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You look beautiful in whichever colour you choose. So lovely to be able to meet you on our call yesterday.
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Yes maybe we should start a campaign for that. I had a bilateral lumpectomy and now 20 months later I would like to look at them and not notice the scars and the indents. I did read that they can transfer fat to smooth out indents but I was never offered this. Maybe will ask and see what they say.
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I think I prefer my little boob post lumpectomy now (I havenāt been perky in so long and always telling the girls who tell me they wish they had bigger chests that anything bigger than a handful is a waste and usually irksome and uncomfortable). I would have been so happy if the scar wasnāt also from the node removal, it goes straight across which wouldnāt be so bad if my surgeon hadnāt left a little flap (to me it looks like a deformed nipple) on my back behind my armpit. Iām glad I canāt see it without looking closely but damn itās ugly (and catches on clothes and can be uncomfortable). The surgeon said heād sort it when I have my reduction on the other side if itās still looking crap. But thatās over a year away probably. Ugh, thank goodness Iām not as bothered about my looks (not saying itās bad to be, I just donāt cos Iām lazy and canāt be arsed).
@marymop Iām only HER2 +, negative everything else. Still donāt understand most of it (whether thatās better or not), and my chemo brain isnāt exactly helpful even when people explain things. Iām still muddling words up, my favourite was when I forgot what a foot was called and I said shoe. I have a 2.1 creative writing BA degree!! I shouldnāt be struggling with words 
Has anyone doing radiotherapy been offered it without tattoos? I really donāt want to be tattooed (whether itās small or not). My oncologist says I might not have to be but isnāt sure.
Surely there are ways around it, there are faiths that forbid tats so there must be alternatives (canāt imagine they force people). Not that Iām against tattoos in general, just Iāve heard of people having to resort to paying for laser removal cos they look like gross blackheads (or just because of PTSD and such from the treatment). If I get a tat I want it to be of something I want, not dots.
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I have read that some people have been offered radiotherapy without tattoos but I think it depends on the unit and the type of machine they use. I had 3 small dots as tattoos and the only 1 I can see is the central one between my boobs. Itās not noticeable when wearing a bra or swimsuit. The two side ones are only visible if I look for them, they are all no bigger than a freckle and fade over time. I was cheeky on the day they did the planning and tattoos to ask if they did requests. They looked a bit puzzled and said donāt I get to choose a design. They laughed and said no itās just a dot.
You have to do what is right for you. Maybe you will be able to have radiotherapy without a tattoo in your area.
This was posted to the nurses some time ago
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Iām not so bothered about dots at the back or even side, I donāt flash that part of my skin and canāt see it unless I look for those areas, but I donāt want a black dot up front on my chest/cleavage. I read somewhere someone got one there that looked like a gross blackhead and I canāt get it out of my mind. They were like traumatised and had to pay to get it removed and I obviously donāt want that.
I spose Iāll find out later, if anyone else HAS been able to avoid it though please let me know (half the time I read things and the clinicians have never heard these things and treat me like Iām looking too far into things and Iām like well yeah so would you if a) your life depended on it and b) your future quality of life could also be determined). Sometimes suggesting things has got me better results during this, we have so little control I like to get what I can.
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Hi. To my surprise no tattoo for me. In our radiotherapy unit they have a machine that reads your outline and everything is based on that and putting you in exactly the same position each time with clever head and leg rests.
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I so hope my radiotherapy unit is like yours!
Itās jarring enough when they tell you all the side effects and stuff, I donāt want to have to deal with unwanted tattoos too.
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You could always turn it into something beautiful and sexy!
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Donāt think I want to draw attention to there really. Nice thought though. 
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Iām not having Kadcyla as the Katherine trial doesnāt apply as I had cancer before, I am more prone to infections as had Sepsis and I think he said more likely to tolerate Phesgo as had itchy arms previously but that may have been due to blood thinners. Anyways thatās good as wonāt have the Kadcyla side effects.
I am recuperating well but still have a small seroma the size of a tangerine which I need to have drained before radiotherapy planning on Friday.
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Hi, I needed tattoos but mines were tiny red dots and Iām very pale skinned but canāt even find mines - even the one in between my boobs lol! Worth checking what colour if you do get them as some still do black dots but my centre uses red now (they were so tiny initially and after a week I couldnāt see them although they obvs could still use it to line me up) and other places have different equipment again that doesnāt even need dots. I think the proper/bigger black dots are for the more old school machines so hopefully youāve got newer equipment!
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Hi Anb Iām onto my 5th Paclitaxel, 7 to go then ECx 3. How have you been with side effects? Lovely to meet you x
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Hi arty, yes diagnosed January grade 3 with 1 lymph node, on my 5th round of paclitaxel and phesgo. I will have the EC at the end
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Girt has left the building!!! Thank you for the support ( Iām so glad I found this group) I actually feel pretty good knowing that itās out of me!!! And not in much discomfort at all, got my pain killers ready for tomorrow!!! a quick question ( itās the only thing I have in my mind at moment) the surgeon came and said surgery went well and they got girt, took some lymph nodes for biopsy and some other bits!!!, itās the other bits part that worries me anyone had something similar, I know every case is different and it could just be the margins but I was pretty woozy and I hadnāt had a cuppa by that point!!!
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@marymop lovely to meet you too Iām on docetaxel, carboplatin and phesgo injection every 3 weeks. Iām ok apart from itās causing me to have awful migraines (I do suffer with them anyway but not like this) Iāve also got bad like reflux in oesophagus but Iām ok at the minute. How are you doing? Xx
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@marymop
Iāve just finished my chemotherapy and am having Herceptin by infusion every three weeks as Iām a tad allergic to it - I was sheduled to have 12 x paclitaxel but discovered I was allergic to one of the ingredients so was swapped to 3 weekly Abraxane (nab paclitaxel ) - I found the worst symptom was the horrific constipation and awful bone aches , how are you getting on ?
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Iām glad you have a plan going forwards. Sorry to hear about the seroma, will they be thinking of draining it?
@jobieejo girt free. 
. Not sure about other bits, letās hope itās just precautionary. I know my surgeon said there may be more surgery afterwards if I didnāt get the clear margins.
@anb1 i had Paclitaxel and was given an antacid in my goody bag of drugs. I think it was ranitidine(Zantac). Docetaxel is a taxane drug and I believe the side effects are similar. Call your helpline and get some advise.
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@naughty_boob I am on omeprazole which I was taking one in a morning and one in afternoon but my oncologist suggested taking two in the morning together instead and it seemed to be better after that not sure if it was getting better anyway or if it makes a difference. Xx
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