HER2+ and need some buddies

Wonderful picture @hoggie. Like you I had one date that was set in stone and also like you it was my daughters graduation. They have had so much to deal with along with studying, so its a really joyful day. Congrats to your lass

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Hi all. Had 6th Kadcyla yesterday with 1st zelodronic acid infusion. I always have a few days of fatigue after Kadcyla so i thought i may as well keep all side effects on the same days. But been knock out asleep most of the day aching and nausea and chills. Temperature is 37.1. Paracetamol not stretching to 4 hours dose or anti-sickness. Has anyone else done both doses together? Should i ask for treatments to be separate next time? It feels like first chemo days. Any tips?

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Hi everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m 41, mother of two (amazing) children and recently diagnosed with grade 3 Tripple positive breast cancer. The tumor is 2.4cm. I’ve had 2 normal mammograms, 1 ultrasound and 1 contrast enhanced mammogram. I’ve had no all over body scans, which makes me feel very nervous. The BCN informed me that their trust would only schedule a CT or MRI scan if they suspected spread, so I’m hanging on to that (please don’t tell me otherwise). I’ve been searching other sites and groups, but tbh, some of the comments and stories have left me spiralling. I was about to give up when I came across your supportive thread and thought I’d give it a go and say hello. :blush:

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Hello @cass2 so sorry you’ve found yourself here but welcome to this thread of true warriors who are incredibly supportive. What is the plan for your treatment next? I think we’ve all found ourselves at times wondering why they are doing/ not doing something but it generally becomes clear. Keep asking questions of your team, ask the BC nurses here if you want advice or explanation. Im sure you will get more responses from the ladies on here and someone will be in a similar place to you just now. Get your support network together and a plan to look after yourself.

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You’re absolutely right about questioning why they do and don’t do things - I’m 6 weeks into this journey and desperately trying to put myself in the hands of the MDT and trust in the process.

My BCN explained the scans didn’t show any spread and they wanted me to start treatment asap and scans have a habit of showing up things that then need to be ruled out even though they’re unlikely to be talked to cancer which can affect the start date of treatment.

I’ll be having 6 x tchp, surgery, radiotherapy and hormone blockers (absolutely dreading hormone blockers and hoping there are some positive stories out there).

My head is a bit all over the place and my moods go up and down faster than any rollercoaster, but I have accessed counselling early on to try and help with anxiety around the cancer and upcoming treatments. I never thought I’d be here at this age though. I don’t have any family history, I spend my days outdoors facilitating forest school and love my job, rarely drink, exercise 5 days a week, never smoked, eat well and yet here I am. Maybe I should have tried living a bit more adventurously. :face_with_peeking_eye:

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I feel exactly the same @cass2 - I’m 39 at the end of the month and can’t believe what this year has brought to me despite like you say being fit and healthy.

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I listened to the BCN session on diet last night and got some really useful evidence based information. There’s another one on exercise next week
( yeah I too was fit, thought I had a sensible diet and had no risk factors…but still ended up here!) Personally I need to be doing something positive that will hopefully be helpful. I was totally overwhelmed by the diagnosis and treatment plan at the start, I’ve coped by taking it one element/ day at a time, not fun but can be done. On the good days I go and do things I’ve never tried before, hoping Saturday 's ā€˜Have a go at Archery’ session doesn’t get cancelled.
Morning @hasnae87 just checking in on how you are?

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Hi everyone

@jayveebee - that first zoledronic acid knocked me out the following day also. I thought it was the double whammy effect of Phesgo and zoledronic acid at the same time but my onco was right when he said that generally the subsequent doses aren’t as bad. Also, it was only for 1 day that I felt rough that first time; it didn’t last as long as chemo side effects. How are you today?

@cass2 - Welcome to our bunch of wonderful women. I’m very glad you have found us. The internet is a bloody awful place where bc googling is concerned. It just throws up bad news when there is actually so much good news. On this thread we celebrate all the good stuff and let out all the hard stuff. You will find a lot of support and positivity here. You are in the hardest part which is the fact finding time. Once you start your treatment path you will feel more confident and the anxiety tends to subside. The good news is that you are getting straight onto TCHP which will get right around your system. If your BCN says the scans don’t show any spread then that is also good news but you could certainly push for further scans if you feel spread can’t be ruled out. Are they going to do a sentinel node biopsy (take the first lymph nodes under your arm) when they do surgery? Certainly different trusts go about things in different ways but if you want to speak in depth about this to a third party then I would recommend you call one of the BCN nurses on this website on 0808 800 6000. They are excellent. Perhaps do it now so that they can put your mind at rest a bit before the weekend although I’m sure I called one of them on a Saturday morning in a panic when I was at the same point as you. They are very used to it.

We all understand how hideous those first couple of months are and well done for accessing counselling. You are doing what you can to help yourself so that’s excellent. I partied hard in days gone by and I wonder if I brought this on myself but the fact is, we’ll never know and it could be one blooming great dose of bad luck. As far as living more adventurously goes, maybe you should take a leaf out of @carrie5 's book and start tank-driving or pot-holing. Yep, and she’s on chemo!!! Some of our other women do 50k races. They are amazing. While I was on chemo I primarily ate cake. Not as adventurous but jolly enjoyable and it got me through!

@hasnae87 - Yes, how are you, darling? I think you are on a lot of our minds right now.

I’m going campervanning now and to hell with the storms. I’m not afraid of rain!!

Love to all

Salbert
xx

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Morning @cass2 welcome to the group. My treatment centre don’t offer full scans because of it delaying treatment while they check every vague grey blob in your body. And my thinking is that chemo goes through your whole body so any and everything gets nuked. Also HER+ diagnosis now has so many great treatments, i was told it was a good diagnosis to have!
Meanwhile after sleeping all day and evening my temp peaked early morning and i ate a gaviscon chewy in bed which worked wonders for my nausea and reflux. Feel much better today though floppy. Thanks @salbert for letting me know this is the worse one, not sure i could repeat yesterday willingly.
Been mulling over a reply to our brave @hasnae87, my husband also really hasn’t emotionally stepped up this last year, but yours really is a rotter. Are they both spolit little boys still? So hard to deal with both things at the same time in life. But i really do believe we are all stronger because of travelling this path. Go strong lovely warriors.

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Hello, I am good thanks for everyone asking about me, just crying my eyes out if I moved wrongly as no pain killer is working and I think the chemo ruin my senses. Good news I get my indefinite leave to remain today and waiting just to go back to work after I finish treatment and start saving for citizenship.

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Anyone got neuropathy from Phesgo in your fingers? I seem to be getting some of the side effects I got with chemo?

I’m so sorry.
No words, what a hideous thing to do.

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You are so incredibly strong and are already teaching him so many important things that will make him a wonderful man.
I bet you are the centre of his world and he utterly adores you. I’m sure he will help heal you and make you even stronger.

I don’t know what pain relief you’re on but it might be worth calling the hotline number, they may be able to prescribe something, at least short term, or at least get the ball rolling so first thing next week the BC nurses or surgery team can check on you.

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Archery is the best. I’m utterly obsessed.
I’m on the waiting list to join a local club (haven’t done it in ages, especially since I moved up North and then the pandemic).
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.:bow_and_arrow:

I had my first two days at work, started immediately the day after my 6th Kadcyla. Everyone was so lovely, I didn’t see everyone as we have x3 surgeries and I’ll be isolated at the one nearest me (walking distance). I’ve put on another kg which is annoying, I always seem to have put on weight when I feel at my slimmest
Chemo brain is still a thing, my last call of my second day (I’m only doing 3 hours on a Wednesday afternoon and again on a Friday morning to start with) I couldn’t comprehend the difference between the letters g and j, I was taking an email address over the phone.
Oh well, the person I was talking to was patient with me.
I was definitely exhausted at the end of both days, slept all afternoon yesterday when I got back home.
My manager seemed pleased much of my job came back as muscle memory. It does still feel a bit overwhelming but I definitely needed to go back, hoping the walk to and from shifts the weight too (need to lose at least a stone before my surgeon will give me my symmetry surgery).

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@hasnae87 I really hope you find some pain relief soon. What wonderful news about your indefinite residency.
Alas my intro to archery got cancelled due to the storms @sez . Hope they’ll reorganise it, perhaps a bit of a blessing as I did an early raid on the supermarket this morning and just hit a brick wall on energy, I paid, got my trolley and wandered to the coffee shop and just sat! Had had a really good week energy wise, think my system heard it gets radiotherapy inflicted from Monday amd was protesting!

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I’m so pleased to read about your brain and fingers not being in synch. I was like that in the week when I went into the office when they had all gone home. It took me a few minutes to fathom out how to turn PC on :rofl::woman_facepalming:t2:

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I was amazed how quickly the tech stuff came back (I think it was muscle memory) but then swiftly humbled by my inability to recognise letters. :laughing:

Oh well can’t be worse than when I forgot the word for shoes and called them foot gloves or whatever I said (even forgotten some of my funny anecdotes).:laughing:

I was amazed my manager trusted me on the phone on the second day and I didn’t cock anything up (just used an outdated way to do a couple of things, but that may be just that tech has updated in the near year I was off).

My sweet colleague who’s always made sure I eat fruit on a shift presented me with an orange within minutes (she’s my skirvy-avoiding queen). :blush::tangerine:

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Hope you get another go at the archery, it really is such a relaxing sport. Highly recommend checking out some of the tournaments the athlete Matt Stutzman competed in. He has no arms and is a badass Paralympian (and my favourite athlete).

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Well that was the most brutal ultra I have ever done, the terrain was unbelievable! The first section was just sand, and more sand! Then it got hot and the inclines were brutal but the scenery was absolutely stunning. I quickly realised I was not going to finish this anywhere near my expected time so joined up with two lovely gentlemen Dave and Steve. The last 90 minutes was dark and as we crossed the peninsula for the final time it was sheeting rain, gale force winds and mud. We finally finished at 10.30pm, after 14 and a half brutal hours. So so proud of myself

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@gromit12 You are one amazing lady!
Having seen the state of my daughter’s feet when she does these things I am full of admiration for you. Thank you for sharing pics, its a real example of resilience which comes in many forms from you ladies…from ultra races to keeping going when life is constantly throwing you curved balls!

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