HER2+ and need some buddies

@shannon27 mine weee the same throughout, the last cycle was the one that I found the most tricky in terms of fatigue

1 Like

Thank you all so much for your replies and advice. :star_struck:
I canā€™t believe how reassuring it is to know there are others out there going through the same thing as me.
I hadnā€™t thought of the fact that instead of fearing the chemo you should see it as zapping and killing the bad cells, thatā€™s a revelation.
Thank you for taking the time to reply and i hope to join the January chemo group to get advice about how to cope with some other side effects.
Sorry I donā€™t know how to add people who replied to this thread, can anyone advise as I just pressed ā€˜heartā€™ at the bottom of the reply?

5 Likes

You can type in @ followed by someoneā€™s username
@diddlydi1
Glad my message helped! I know exactly how you feel as i was exactly same last year. I finished chemo in november and had my double mastectomy and just waiting to start radiotherapy now x

2 Likes

If you want to reply to someone click reply at the bottom of their post.

If itā€™s a reply to the whole thread ,click reply at the very bottom of the thread.

If you want to mention someone in their post ad their user name @diddlydi1 like this.

This might help as well

https://forum.breastcancernow.org/t/getting-started-on-our-forum/97221/2

:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

1 Like

@jeml aw right yes coping so far, hoping that it they dont get any worse :crossed_fingers: meeting with the surgeon again next week. Hopefully can get some answers feel like im not sure whats happening still x

Hello everyone

What a lovely day it is! One of the benefits of no longer having long flowing blonde locks is that I do not have to contend with frizz. Winner!

@louise11 Welcome to you. I continued to work from home doing my IT sales job during my chemo and after surgery but did not do my drama teaching as I was advised not to mix with masses of children which is a no brainer really. I had my mastectomy after chemo in August and started teaching again in September. I found it doable but as @naughty_boob says, we are all individual and respond differently. For me, the normality of a work routine helped me mentally and I would not have wanted to be without it, even if the fly on the wall would have believed differently hearing me curse and mutter daily about customers and colleagues! Itā€™s natural to feel anxious before you start chemo (I got given a Lorazepam and flew through my first oneā€¦.lovely!) but once you get started that will go away. Good luck!

@Linda_Corinne you are a trooper, working through chemo twice in your life.

@hlc I think you have to call up your breast care nurse and check all this out. You need to know what is happening, when and why certain decisions have been made. As @arty1 will tell you (ex-nurse) it is the rustiest wheel that gets oiled when it comes to busy NHS departments. You must advocate for yourself. Surely they will give you annual scans? You must follow all this up. Wonderful that youā€™ve coped so well with chemo.

@diddlydi1 - A warm welcome and a massive hug to you. We all know exactly how you feel. Itā€™s a body blow and it sweeps you clean off your feet and turns your life upside down. Loads of good advice on this thread so do read it if you can. Also, have you joined January 2025 Chemo Starters as thatā€™s a must so you can go through chemo together and share tips. Weā€™ve all been terrified but will all tell you that you are in the worst bit and it WILL get better. Once you are on the treatment path you will feel more confident and it will become your new normal. I was where you are a year ago and I feel so good now in comparison. I think the quote is that the bad times in life do not last, the spring rains will come again. Itā€™s true and whatā€™s more, you will learn how to dance in them. For now, remember that we have Herceptin and itā€™s been a game changer for us HER2+ women. Our odds are fantastic. You are going to be ok but thereā€™s lots of us here to help you through when you are having a wobble. @fimac1 - Itā€™s great to hear you sounding so positive. You are going to kick its arse! In fact, something I have noticed is how different people sound from when they first come onto this forum compared to a few weeks in. There is usually a big difference and then they, in turn, encourage the new starters for whom itā€™s so terrifying. Itā€™s heartening to see how normal this all is.

I conclude we are all normal!! Normal but very special and truly fabulous.

Tonight I get to start teaching a term doing Wicked, the musical. Oh life is good again!!

Salbert
xx

3 Likes

Are you having radiotherapy x

@jane13 I wish they had mentioned that Kadcyla was a possibility. I was really pissed off to be blindsided with those results when I came in for my post-surgery appointment. Such a punch in the gut. I think it wouldnā€™t have been as bad if I had known that there was the possibility, but I donā€™t do well with surprises.

That said, Kadcyla is mostly a non issue for me. Most annoying thing is all the appointments like someone said up thread. Iā€™m almost halfway, done 6 out of 14 now. Iā€™m lucky that my treatment centre is about 10 minutes away from my office, so I can just pop out on my office days for my blood test and I block out about 2-2.5 hours for treatments (and thatā€™s including the drive to/from the centre from my house 25 minutes away). I lead a (slow) running group in the evenings on my treatment days and itā€™s nice because it gets me out of the house and I get a little bit of activity and fresh air which seems to help keep the insomnia at bay.

1 Like

Thatā€™s correct. No skin was removed. šŸ©·

šŸ©· Hi

Home again after 2 nights at the hospital. Got the single mastectomy + lymph nodes removal this Wednesday. Got an silicone implant and I am fortunate to leave the hospital without any drains. If any of you have an upcoming surgery
/ mastectomy and have any questions please just ask :heart::cherries:

The very best news was that they didnā€™t see any cancer by eye. Waiting for PCR!!:pray:

(I was diagnosed with stage 3 - (90 x 50 mm).)

I am very hopeful :heavy_heart_exclamation: I have a good feeling

Big hugs to all of you and thank you for your support

8 Likes

@musestad Good news they couldnā€™t see any cancer, letā€™s hope the pathology confirms it.

Rest and take time to recover.

:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

1 Like

What level lymph nodes are being removed? I assume cancer was found in at least 1.

1 Like

@musestad This is all sounding positive and so are you! Have a really restful weekend. I prescribe cake and a sofa. XX

4 Likes

Sounds very positive! I had my surgery on the 18th December and did not see anything was no scars etc in nodes. And i had a PCR to chemo :blush::pray: x

2 Likes

Hi. Didnt realise you were on same plan, its nice to know someone else is the same. Had my herceptin jab today , 4 so far now so should be done late October. Ive had 1 Zoledronic acid so farā€¦ not sure how /when next will be. I think i remember oncologist saying something about having that in tablet for going forward and if stomach can tolerate it id have 6 monthly injection or was it infusion i dont know.
Tbf ive not needed breast care nurse im just really disappointed that shes not been in touch . I had my surgery at Barnsley and treatment at Barnsley but im under Sheffield oncologist. Im having radiotherapy at Sheffield as its not available at Barnsley. I go to Rotherham to see my oncologist lol. Im all over place.
Ill ask my GP about the cholesterol.
Do you take any supplements for osteoparosis ? Oncologist recommend evening primrose for my hot flashs. Theyve come back with vengeance after stopping hrt on diagnosis.

3 Likes

Im on same as naughty boob so sounds the norm when it comes to no scans

I was prescribed D3 calichew which is calcium and vitamin D, although the vitamins is to help to absorption of the calcium, so I have extra Vitamin D3 in ampules every month.

I understand the thing with different hospitals, Iā€™m in Wales and go to Velindre Cancer centre, Cardiff for oncology and Ysbty Ystrad Fawr north of Caerphilly, originally the Royal Gwent Newport. I love on the border with England so itā€™s a of a journey!

Iā€™ve had 2 Zoledronic acid infusion at 6 monthly intervals for 3 years. I was due to have my first one at the end of chemo but it was delayed because I was waiting to see the dentist and they thought it would be root canal, which is deemed as invasive. Luckily it wasnā€™t just a replacement cap.

How did you get on with oncology appointment this week? Did you get the answers you need?

:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Yes. I was disappointed not to be scanned but was told that its not routinely done. Ct scan will be day before radiotherapy starts. Did miss a private number yesterday but not sure if them or wren kitchens calling.
I got some steroid cream and tablets for my face which i hope helps and told to give them a call if things dont improve. Think i started with a but of neuropathy in foot but as ive done chemo theyre not overly concerned just keep eye on it and report back if no improvement

2 Likes

Thank you for your advice ladies
@naught_boob and @jeml
This thread has been such a help already so thank you all x

2 Likes

Hello everyone, thank you for my hugs @salbert thatā€™s a lovely welcome.
Can anyone tell me the difference between why some people get Phesgo and some Herceptin?
I have so many questions and forget to write them down?
I also get scared looking using Google as there seems to be a lot of stuff I donā€™t want to know :confused:
Thank you xx

1 Like