Hi all
New here and need some buddies too. I am waiting for my oncology appointment on Monday 14th. Am from Gloucestershire.
Already know I have to have 6 rounds of chemo( not sure which type) and a year of Herceptin in 3 weekly injections. Already had lumpectomy and 3 nodes removed all clear and cancer gone so now to keep it away!
Not gonna lie, pretty scared about the treatment to come.
Any words of wisdom? Xx
Good afternoon!
@carrie5 I love a cave but I must agree with you on crawling through sumps. No thank you very much! I hope you get to go. 
@sez Iām sorry to hear about your dad because I can imagine how he must feel. Poor daddy. Thatās exactly the sort of reaction my husband would have. He wonāt admit there is anything wrong until he has a limb hanging off and even then you have to convince him!
@sooz1 You have one of those jobs that I would say is impossible to do through treatment. HOORAY ON FINISHING TREATMENT AND GETTING THAT PICC LINE OUT! 
What a lovely and happy photo of you too. I am at work and I am honestly sitting here smiling away at my desk. It makes my heart sing to see another one of us reach a milestone. Together we are strong. Fuelled by chocolate brownies/cake in general! @naughty_boob Youāve invented a bench slap emoji, you clever sausage. I love it. 
@jayveebee Iām thrilled to hear that you had a great time at Abba Voyage. Isnāt it amazing?! I am such an ABBA nut that I cried 5 times during the show. A day out with the girls and a damn good sing and dance is truly uplifting and Iām so very glad that you felt well enough to go and let it works its magic.
@shannon27 I have come to the conclusion that I have slightly reduced taste just after a Phesgo injection which then returns on the run-up to the next one. Iāve checked it out and it would appear that it can be a side effect so it could well be something to do with the Phesgo. However, itās nowhere near as bad as chemo related reduction in taste. This would explain why my jeans are tight again. Iām loving the sunshine as Iām sure we all are. Hope youāre getting some too.
Hello and a warm welcome to @raffame77 and @hoggie
Raffame77 - I took CBD oil to take the edge off the anxiety while having all the scans before starting treatment. Once I met my current team the anxiety subsided so I didnāt take it anymore and Iām not on Tamoxifen. Iād say this is definitely a question for your oncologist and Iād be interested to hear what they say. Please do share on here.
Hoggie - You have loads of buddies here and theyāre all brilliant. One of the things I clung onto and which proved absolutely right was something the legendary @naughty_boob said to me at the outset of my journey which was that chemo isnāt fun but itās doable. It is doable. Some of us sail through and some of us donāt, but we all get through it. Definitely join your Chemo Starters group for the month you begin as itās invaluable to have a group going through it at exactly the same time as you. Also, if you have some time to spare then itās worth reading this thread as there is masses of info on here on what to expect and what you can do to help. I was scared too but now I reflect, I see that I didnāt need to be as scared as I was. We will be here to hold your hand and cheer you on. There is always someone here and for any medical questions there are the Breast Cancer Now nurses on 0808 800 6000. Go in fighting with your head held high and your army behind you.
Oohā¦lunchtime! (My day is punctuated by food breaks!)
Salbert
xx
Yay my platelets are rising (bloody slowly but Iāll take it). 79 today. Thry didnāt give me a transfusion. Most of my aches seem to be car crash related but I had another couple of examinations while there to be sure and the ANP was lovely. She said I just mostly need to rest. Very hard to do with my nerve damaged thigh on the right and now painfully bruised left thigh, I really should be sleeping on my left.
Nearly 3 weeks since nerve conduction studies test and still no results.bwhat a pain in the bum.
Welcome @hoggie (is that a Labyrinth reference? 
)
Thanks so much, look forward to getting to know you ladies. You sound like a lovely bunch x
Hy all i start my first cycle of Kadcyla tomorrow 
SE wont be too bad. Start radiotherapy 15th May for 15 sessions. Went into work last week ( not been in since i went off sick 13th September) it was great to see all of my colleagues everyone was giving me big hugs it fairly cheered me up. Hoping i can get back to work after radiotherapy, i work in Tesco so hoping im not too affected by Kadcylo. Been buzzing all week. X
Yes i think i will have that to had a funny taste in my mouth the day after phesgo not as bad as after chemotherapy but still slightly off.
Yes i am enjoying this weather we are just back from a long weekend in loch earn. Was beautiful back home yesterday as its the school holidays so entertaining my daughter for 2 weeks 
xx
Hi @hoggie and welcome to the thread. You arenāt far from me.
There is some super support locally.Penny Brohn charity based just south of Bristol, lots of online help as well as in person.
Bosom Buddies is based in Bristol but supports anyone ālocallyā.
Iām on the Welsh side of the Severn Bridge, both charities are fabulous. I have more to do with Penny Brohn, Bosom Buddies meet for lunch there every month, they have lots of active groups. You join which ones you want and need.
And of course you have already found this lovely bunch.
@raffame77 Welcome to this lovely bunch, I see @salbert has signposted you. The Penny Brohn charity is accessible UK wide for lots of online content.
Hello and welcome, I have my oncology appointment this Thursday the 10th.
Iāve had my lumpectomy and lymph nodes were clear too.
I know Iāll be having chemotherapy, herceptin injections, radiotherapy and then meds for at least 5 years.
I feel so anxious about Thursday and whatās to come.
Sending love 
Good evening ladies
welcome @hoggie to this very supportive group all at different stages
@erica hard not to worry but at least its all happening and youāll have the chemo detail. One bit at a time, try not to think of all the years. Taken one stage at a time it can be done. Good luck
After my first chemo session yesterday Iām still doing ok, got a reasonable nights sleep, bit of a flushed face, very slight headache and a bit tired at times but nothing awful. Have walked the dogs a couple of times, pottered in the garden and done a fairly complex on line claim. Much better than I expected. There will be ups and downs I know.
After all the chaos getting my chemo started I got a lovely nurse yesterday, very on the ball. Managed my herceptin injection with very little stinging and explained all the iv chemo as she did each bit. Drinking loads is definitely helping.
Thanks so much - I have been reading some posts on this thread and you all sound fantastic. Will be great to have someone to talk to who knows it as it is and gets it.
Xxx
As always I turn my back for two mins and there are endless messages to catch up
On 
ā¦ ok a few days but I have a good excuse ā¦
Friday was spent in the treatment chair for hours having my herceptin and then Friday night I felt horrible all night . My body hates the steroids as much as it hates the herceptin ā¦Jittery and awful all night then woke up with the measles rash again ā¦. (Internal fume ) I then drowned myself in piriton and it did stop it in its tracks ā¦
I then ventured back out on bookings on Saturday and Sunday ā¦ and Iām still recovering but the normality was nice ā¦ I felt almost normal ā¦ well if you forget the fact that Iām like a piece of ikea furniture , assembling all my bits and bobs before leaning the house 
ā¦ hair , boobā¦ etc
@shannon27 when I was still having the injection rather than infusion I swear I felt like my leg was going to fall off . Maybe it would have given I was /am allergic to the stuff ā¦ I used to get a beautiful bullseye where the jab went in too ā¦
@marymop - You reminded me , I did a dragon boat race day about seven years ago , it was great fun but I thought I thought I was going to have a heart attack The buzz is amazing though ā¦ I loved it ,the Dragon Boat club sounds like the perfect antidote to the blues x
x@sooz1 - fantastic news , I bet it was a relief to wave goodbye to the picc line , rude of the vape gang to spoil your bench slapping moment !!
@galdiolus -Good grief ā¦ I wish I was as fit as you ā¦ another fantastic achievementā¦ No wonder you are losing weight x I seem to be piling it in alarmingly ā¦ to the point where Iām scared to eat !
@jayveebee - I find that the fatigue just gets me down , itās like my long covid amplified , I feel like Iām wading through sludge and it results in lots of tears . I think itās perfectly normal to feel utterly exhausted , miserable and fed up while going through this ā¦ Iāve felt many a time that the light at the end of the tunnel is just an oncoming train it feels relentless ā¦ do give the Brest cancer now nurses a call if you need to chat about stuff ā¦ x
@hoggie - welcome to the āclubā itās very exclusive but the drinks are free ! Iām in Gloucestershire too x
@rfg - When I was first diagnosed I got into Google , read some outdated her2 stats and had myself dead and buried and the will read and my family running off into the sunset with their inheritance . In the space of a week ā¦ then I found BCN which calmed me down ! Dr Google is a quack ! Avoid like the plague ā¦ on a serious note ā¦ Google contains a lot of outdated info , before targeted therapies for her2 it was a bit gloomy but now it has a targeted therapy ā¦ itās a game changer ā¦. One if my friends had her2 BC twenty years ago ā¦ Herceptin was not available on the nhs so she paid for it privately ā¦ she said years later at a check up her dr said she was here thanks to the targeted therapyā¦ we are lucky we donāt have to pay for it ā¦ x I worry about recurrence and spread a lot ā¦ and then I think how annoyed Iāll be if I spend all my time doing this only to die of something else . What a waste of worryā¦. what Iām trying to say is ā¦ worrying wonāt change the outcome , we donāt know whatās around the corner ā¦ my dad spent years worrying that his aortic aneurysm was going to kill him ā¦ then he died of something else .
All we can do is take the treatment , look after ourselves , eat well and enjoy life ā¦be vigilant for changes most definitely but try not to frighten yourself thinking about what may happen ā¦
X
Had to go to A&E this evening, temp between 38-39. Chest x-ray and been admitted overnight ugh. So much for getting the all clear Tuesday morning. Feel like death.
Morning @sez hope youāre ok and able to get let home as soon as possible. Really rubbish phase for you. @arty1 very wise words about not worrying over prognosis, lifeās for enjoying the good days. I thought of you on Monday when I was at the chemo unit 7hrs but looking forward to it being much shorter in future, youāre a star to do community champion and share your experience.
Hi there. Thanks for the welcome. Your treatment sounds similar to mine. Lots of ladies seem to have the chemo to shrink the tumour before surgery but you and zi are after.
Did they think when they did the lumpectomy that it was only DCIS? They did with me. The invasive element was a bit of a surprise tbh although I was warned it was possible.
How are you healing now? I am feeling a bit better this week. Much better when I get a good nights sleep. My armpit was also the worst with awful nerve pain. Improving now.
Let me know what your plan is when you know, and I will do likewise.
So many people on here going through it. It is humbling.
Take care xx
As always @arty1 very wise words. I think we all go through those ups and downs psychologically. I feel much calmer now. Suspect I will spiral again at some stage though!
@sez I hope you are feeling better today and home soon.
Iām keeping everything crossed for you.
Hi all
@caz591 Itās surprising how much you find you value work and your colleagues once it has been taken away from you, isnāt it. I felt exactly the same as you and Iām so happy that seeing all your colleagues gave you such a boost.
@shannon27 We are setting off for Loch Lomond horribly early on Friday morning. We have also booked campsites in Glencoe and Skye so far. I donāt think it looks like we will be so lucky on the weather as you were though. Have a lovely time with your daughter over the Easter holidays. Precious times.
@erica Itās normal to feel anxious about the chemo and other meds. I was so anxious before my first chemo that I got given a lorazepam and floated through on a warm fuzzy cloud. I also did the same for my second chemo but then decided that it was one drug too many and that I didnāt actually need it thereafter. I also had to cut back drastically on the steroids after going quite nuts (bad reaction) so once I was balanced, the anxiety went away. As is often the case, the anticipation was worse than the thing I was scared of. Sending you love, courage and strength.
@carrie5 Great advice re one day at a time. Itās definitely the way to go. Iām happy to hear that yesterday was ok after starting chemo. Itās a strange sensation waiting to find out what it will do to you. I found that I was ok the day after EC but would have to hit the sofa at the weekend. With the 12 Paclitaxels I was able to pretty much continue as normal but looking back, I didnāt feel anywhere near as good or energetic as I do now. As and when the side effects hit, itās important not to drive yourself on but have those sofa days. Keep drinking lots. Go Carrie!
@hoggie I know Iām biased but I have to agree that this lot are pretty fabulous! I also had quite a bit of surgery before chemo but then I switched hospitals who put me straight onto the chemo and they did a mastectomy at the end. The invasive bit was also a horrible surprise as originally I was told it was Grade 0 DCIS. It turned out to be invasive and had made its way to 2 lymph nodes. Sneaky bloody stuff. Armpit was definitely the worst bit for me too. Stick with us as itās so good to compare notes and have people in the same boat.
Our lovely @arty1 we donāt mind how many days you are away because your posts are ALWAYS worth the wait. Despite all the myriad of side effects you are going through AND continuing with a very taxing job, you always find time to come here, give of your wisdom, empathy and knowledge and make us laugh too. These are such wise words about not worrying about the future. My Dad got prostate cancer 14 years ago now and was told by a surgeon friend not to worry as something else would kill him first! And here he is, still ticking over at the age of 87 after 3 strokes, with a pacemaker and post-stroke dementia. Sometimes I wonder if I should be worrying about recurrence or spread and whether I am burying my head in the sand but then I tend to stick my head straight back in the sand and think of something else!
@sez Iām sorry youāre going through it, darling. Hang in there. Sending you love and strength. Really glad to hear you are feeling calmer now @rfg Itās truly mental torture when the mind spirals. I used to have to go running round to my best friendās house to talk me down. We all recognise it and understand.
Love to all
Salbert
xx
Thank you salbert! We will definitely enjoy the holidays, aw wow that sounds amazing lovely scenery 
xx
Iām home, I was in A&E all night. They think itās a viral throat infection. There was some talk about me being discharged tomorrow but within an hour they were saying today. Iām on a 7 day course of abx. Still feel like crap but a little better. Was on IV abx, paracetamol and fluids all night.
My temp spiked to 39.3, and I thought my hot flushes were bad!!
Think my radiotherapy is going to be delayed now. Iām so congested, wonāt be able to do the breathing. Asking if it can be delayed a week to recover.