Hy all hope you are all doing well and welcome to the newbies that are at the start of their BC journey. After being diagnosed with BC 2 years ago and finishing treatment January 2026 tomorrow I’m off to the Algarve first holiday in 2 years, I’m buzzing cannot wait to feel the sand between my toes and get some sun, never thought I would get abroad again but I’ve done it got through my treatment which was hard and long. I’m going with my hubby and taking my sister who is 21 years BC free and who has been with me from biopsy to end of treatment. Can I ask anyone who has been in the sun since their treatment how was your skin after surgery and radiotherapy in the sun and any tips x
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@caz591 have a fabulous time in the Algarve, incredibly well deserved, enjoy every minute. I had a lovely beach walk with the dogs early this morning and appreciated every minute of my weekend in Wales. Sun?just go to the careful end of what you usually do and stay hydrated. Enjoy.
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@caz591 Sounds lovely! Enjoy the hols.. I haven’t noticed a change, but I’m always decked out head to toe in sunscreen & SPF clothing so 
I have heard from other people that they’ve needed to be extra careful with their operated on bits since the lack of feeling in the skin means they don’t notice the burning until it’s too late. Sunscreen early, sunscreen often! And moisturise at the end of the day. If I don’t keep my radiated bits moisturised and keep mobilising them, they tighten up really quickly. Being in the heat would mean you dry out and tighten up extra quickly!
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@caz591 I haven’t had a beach holiday since finishing treatment but because of having my lymph nodes removed and fear of lymphoedema, I whack on the sunscreen now. So far, so good. I think @carrie5 and @kartoffel have it covered so all I really want to say is YOU GO AND HAVE AN AMAZING HOLIDAY!!! You’ve been through the wringer and you massively deserve this. Enjoy every moment. 
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By the way, eons ago, we discussed non-alcoholic feelgood drinks and @naughty_boob mentioned Sentia. I have just ordered a bottle of Sentia Gold because they keep bombarding me with emails which have worked. I will try it out this weekend and let you all know if I danced on a table semi-naked singing Hey, Big Spender like the old days!
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@salbert if you do, I want a bottle as well 
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Wanted to say hello. Haven’t been on for a while. I’ve been in the one scan leads to another issue and another scan loop.
However, my second surgery successfully achieved clear margins 
They found one more dodgy lymph node as well.
I will have an appointment soon to discuss radiotherapy and Kadcyla.
I’m so exhausted with it all.
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So pleased second surgery went well.
Hope everyone is doing ok in the heatwave. I’m struggling to regulate my body temperature, one of my drugs can make me more intolerant of temperature. Luckily we bought an air conditioning unit which keeps the downstairs cooler but upstairs was 28c at midnight last night.
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@evicting_00_squatter delighted for you getting clear margins .
@naughty_boob think I’d be sleeping under the aircon unit, probably with a heap of dogs competing for the space, wherever it was! @salbert Maybe back off the dancing a little in this weather.
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@Jaygo I am hopeful never to repeat some of the dreadful exhibitions of myself that I made in the past! I’m hoping for the ‘feel good’ rather than the ‘feel dreadfully embarrassed’ outcome. I’ll definitely let you know. I’ve just received a notification that it has been delivered at home so I may try tonight because I can’t wait and it promises no hangover. Oh let this be true!! 
Hello @evicting_00_squatter . Always welcome no matter how much time has elapsed. I’m very happy for you that you have clear margins. That should be all the dodgy lymph nodes gone now then. This is positive news. You are right in the midst of it all so I hope you can feel even a tiny sense of achievement at being able to tick surgery off the list now. It is exhausting so remember to be extra kind to yourself over the next few weeks and do some comforting things. Mine were musical theatre songs and cakes. I would go for a walk listening to songs from the musicals on my headphones and drop in at the local farm cafe for a slab of carrot cake as it was one of the only things I could taste. Sending love as you wait for your next appointment.
@naughty_boob I have air conditioning in my office and cannot believe the difference in temperature when I step outside. Last night I put ice packs under my armpits and had the fan going in my bedroom and it really worked. I went straight off to sleep. This morning there were two warm plastic blocks each side of me in my bed and I put them straight back in the freezer ready for tonight.
@carrie5 Guess who went dancing last night?!! 
I couldn’t believe I was going but the studio was like a fridge and it was actually a blessing in disguise.
Stay cool, lovely ones.
xx
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Thank you. I’ve have been trying to appreciate the positive steps, but every piece of good news has followed with a but… so there’s been worry hanging over me since my first surgery.
I used to sing in a musical theatre choir it was definitely good for my soul.
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I thought about your ice packs under your armpits and it made me laugh but it makes so much sense. I have just found a hot water bottle that I have filled and put in the freezer to use. Husband is thinking carrying air conditioning unit upstairs for tonight, it’s not exactly light even though it’s called portable!
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@evicting_00_squatter If you sang in a musical theatre choir then you totally understand where I’m coming from. Maybe some singing can go into your armoury of weapons to fight back against how your current situation is making you feel? It definitely helped me but then I have very good-natured neighbours!
@naughty_boob I slept with the ice packs again last night. I also feel the need to report that I tried the Sentia Gold last night. I’m not sure exactly what it did but I did find myself offering my husband a back and shoulder massage and then walking the dog around the Hilly Field in a mild and hazy state without my headphones. I watched a mother deer and her baby eating in the long grass and felt good. So I think it did something! My husband actually asked what had got into me and I replied ‘Possibly the Sentia spirit’. Who knows?!
Hello all. Hope you are coping in this hot weather! 
I’ve posted here before. I’m HER2+ plus ER8/PR8. I watched Liz O’Riordan’s video about aromatase inhibitors yesterday and am a bit confused! She seemed to indicate they are for ER/PR positive, HER2 negative only and are prescribed on on a benefits basis. So if you are high risk of reoccurrence you are likely to be prescribed them (Didn’t really understand how the assessment is done) But she didn’t mention HER2 positive at all, unless I missed it. Are any of you on aromatase inhibitors and, if so, what was the decision made to prescribe them based on? Many thanks.
@alpacagirl I’m HER2+ and OE + and am on an aromatase inhibitor. As far as I know that’s the usual. Check with your team or get more information from BCN s on here, they are great at giving you the background and helping sort what questions to ask! Good luck.
@salbert just keep dancing, I’m guessing whatever the drink you still would!
AI inhibit oestrogen so it’s only for oestrogen/ER+ bc. I’m ER+ and HER2+, some people on this thread are only HER2+ so won’t have AI. Herceptin/Phesgo/kadcyla are targeted therapy for HER2+
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You are exactly the same as me and I’m on Letrozole. Think it’s normal if you are strongly hormone positive regardless of her2 status x
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@carrie5 @naughty_boob @woody2 Thank you for your helpful responses. It makes sense that as I am highly ER positive I would need aromatase inhibitors too. This triple positive just keeps on giving doesn’t it?! 
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Hello! I haven’t posted for ages but have been reading along with the thread and find it so useful to know there are other her2+ women on a similar path.
I’ve had 7 cycles of kadcyla and have worsening peripheral neuropathy, mainly in my feet but now feeling it slightly in my hands too. I should in theory have 6 more kadcyla cycles (I had 5 neoadjuvant phesgo injections too). The oncologists are strongly recommending that I now switch to phesgo for my remaining cycles, to avoid/reduce the risk of permanent neuropathy. Has anyone else done this?
I’m reticent because my Predict 15 year percentage is only 56% and obviously I want to do everything I can to maximise my chances of survival (I’m 54). The oncologists aren’t able to tell me what the difference in effectiveness is between kadcyla and phesgo because there are no trials. All I’ve been told is that it’s somewhere between 1 and 10 percentage points (which made my brain immediately go to worst case scenario - if it’s the upper end of that scale, that takes my 15 year survival to below 50%). The oncologists are doing their classic stern/non-empathetic bedside manner and are making me feel like I’ve brought this on myself and am now being a naughty school girl for daring to ask questions. Esp when I said “I’d rather be alive with crappy feet than dead with perfect feet”. That got a very stern look but no actual response. Ultimately they are leaving the decision to me, which I do understand but actually makes me feel alone and unsupported.
Grateful to hear from anyone who’s gone through a similar situation and what advice or reassurance you might have been given.
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