How's everyone doing.?

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Thank you Ali, that’s very reassuring.  It just seems that you think you have it all under control and wham it hits you back in the face again.

 

I was thinking about you yesterday and wondering if you were o.k. last night, as my Mum and friend always use to be o.k. For the first few hours on the first day and then start to feel unwell afterwards.

 

As a positive note, I was looking at videos on how to tie scarves and the different chemo hats yesterday. I’m ordering some ready as I don’t intend to have a wig. I also had a look at how to draw your eyebrows and how to stick false eyelashes on - I probably wont bother, but it makes me feel more confident.

 

I have also ordered some onciolife drops for my nails and udder cream for my skin (my Mum used it through her chemo).

 

 

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Great news Emily xx

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Yeeeaaay, Emily that’s really great news. 

 

Ali x

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Sounds positive Emily. I’m really confused about how different health authorities give results - I was told ER+ and HER- after my initial biopsy and the pathology report looks says that this was taken from previous report. Wonder why some authorities redo checks and others don’t.  I’m having a really wobbly day today, tough pants are nowhere to be found. Think it’s probably because it’s back to reality today, and just found out that my daughters partner has been taken to hospital with appendicitis too.  Can’t settle to anything at the moment. Jane

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Thanks for you support Helena. You’re doing great with your rads. Once you get to half way you can start counting down. I completely understand about the 15 minutes every day thing. xx

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I know this is a little thing in the grand scheme of things but I managed to have my piCC line fitted today and the relief is enormous. Lots of the anxiety I had been carrying around has drifted away. Thanks for helping mr get over this bump in the road. Celebrating with a take away curry while I can still taste it (apologies to those who are in that stage!) Love Scotty x

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Well done Scotty! Anxiety really is the pits isn’t it?! Glad you’ve got it done. Feel proud of yourself and enjoy your take away xx

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Great news, Scotty.

 

Jo, sorry you’re feeling so rough. Really good luck for tomorrow. I’ll be thinking of you. 

 

i think that one thing to hold onto, and Sallyann too, is that if you could choose the responder type of your cancer, you’d go for ER+/HER2-. I know it’s a funny thing to say, because obviously we’d all choose NO BLEEPING CANCER. But my point is that that combo is the easiest to treat. Those of us who are triple negative and ER-/HER2+ face more challenges. It isn’t awful, the TN hardly ever comes back after 5-8 years so they have that reassurance, and those who are HER+ have new treatments coming on all the time. But hormone receptive is highly treatable even if turns out to be stage 3. 

 

I’ve got my CT tomorrow. They haven’t even done my sentinel nodes, because I’m straight into chemo. That’s because I’m the combo above, but the CT is checking for any lurking nasties. No need to wish me luck, I’m cool about the scan. Obviously will be bricking it about results, but won’t get those this week. 

 

Have I missed anyone having something tomorrow? Jane, when are you going back? Strudel, you’re the goddess of updates! I’ve lost track. I was going to blame post-chemo muddle, but tbh I’m still good. Even got some work done today. Not much, a few non-challenging emails, but I’m really pleased given it’s only day 2. 

 

Halfway through, Helena. That must merit a glass of something bubbly. (Appeltise obviously). 

 

Love to all, I generally aim for amusing rather than sappy, but you are sanity-savers.

 

Ali x

 

ps Strudel that’s what happened with my HER test too. The first was inconclusive so they did the FISH test, which took a week longer. Unfortunately it came back +ve, but hey ho, you can’t win them all. Although until I got BC I sort off thought I was going to!

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Hi All
Gosh it’s hard to keep up!

I too have had days when I struggled to get out of bed and waiting for results is absolutely the most agonising thing. My surgeon told me that lymph node involvement is still curable. I have 1 maybe 2 nodes affected and they plan to remove them alongside my surgery after chemo. It’s silly of me to say don’t worry because I was a mess while I was waiting and to be honest I still have moments when I wonder if I should have opted for surgery first, but we can only go on the recommendations of the experts.

My chemo has been delayed due to low neutrophils in my blood results which is very frustrating. On the plus side I’m having a Picc line put in on Tuesday to save my veins from anymore pain and chemo next Wednesday. So (blood results pending) it’s only a delay of a week.

One thing I’m very confused about is that you all appear to have been tested for progesterone and I have not. I’m ER+ and HER2-. Does that mean they don’t test for Progesterone???

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow.

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Hi, Charl,

 

You probably have been tested but they don’t always mention it. If you’re ER+ then your progesterone status isn’t very important. If you’re ER -, then you could be PR+, but I believe it’s quite unusual. They’d use different hormone treatments in that case. 

 

I agree it’s a tricky line around worry. I think we all have different levels and we all articulate those differently. Great thing about being here is that no one seems to judge anyone else. The support is there when you need it. I’ve already been told off by my surgeon for being “too calm”. Which was extremely unhelpful and then I cried. He’s a bit of a pancake maker though. 

 

Al x

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Yes, what Strudel said too. Progesterone is the other female hormone. It’s different from HER which is a gene thing to do with proteins (not the BRAC gene though).

Live badger??? We need details tomorrow. I assume you live in the country?

What does a good pancake maker do to his (in this case) pancakes. The answer is there. Though I admit it’s a weak attempt to bypass the bleeps.

Night all

Ali x

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Ali - I have my ct scan tomorrow for my radiotherapy planning.  Feeling better this evening - am sure some of my fragile emotional state is the anastrozole.   I’ve taken it a bit earlier tonight so will see if my sleep is any better.  On the good news front I’ve sat and completed a 1000 piece jigsaw I had as a Christmas present.

 

Susan - hope you have had some positive news on Lincoln. 

 

Strudel - would love to have a badger visit my garden - only ever see squirrels!!  I wonder if your consultant is waiting for the oncotype test to come back before your oncology appointment. My appt was quicker because they didn’t feel I needed oncotype testing. I’m sure I read somewhere it takes 3 weeks to come back, and this might be longer with Christmas. 

 

Will be be thinking of you tomorrow Jo.

 

Jane

 

 

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Ha, it probably was a bit opaque.

So just had to dial 999 because there’s a car full of drug-taking idiots outside our house, playing loud music and drinking. The joys of London. Still could be worse, badgers for example.

Sorry Strudel, meant to say hope tomorrow goes better. I’m thinking that we need to get some action around the issues we’re seeing here. If we weren’t all so busy with this stuff.

Ali x

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Ali - I have my ct scan tomorrow for my radiotherapy planning.  Feeling better this evening - am sure some of my fragile emotional state is the anastrozole. I’ve taken it a bit earlier tonight so will see if my sleep is any better. On the good news front I’ve sat and completed a 1000 piece jigsaw I had as a Christmas present.

Susan - hope you have had some positive news on Lincoln.

Strudel - would love to have a badger visit my garden - only ever see squirrels!! I wonder if your consultant is waiting for the oncotype test to come back before your oncology appointment. My appt was quicker because they didn’t feel I needed oncotype testing. I’m sure I read somewhere it takes 3 weeks to come back, and this might be longer with Christmas.

Will be be thinking of you tomorrow Jo.

 

Jane

 

 

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Everything Emily said below, plus a good luck to her for going back to work.

 

Take it gently, Emily and make sure you accept help where it’s there. Ask if it’s not. IME colleagues are often worried about offering as they don’t won’t to imply anything about capability. (Obviously if you’re self-employed ignore that waffle, but I worked in big/medium organisations for a long time, and it was a common issue.)

 

 

Ali x

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Just received my phone call from the oncologist…
Onco type 13…puts me in the lowest category …chemo not necessary,radiotherapy all being arranged as we speak…so so relieved.

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Yeeaay. Great news, Pam.

 

Ali x

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Good morning ladies,

 

I hope I’ve got everyone.

 

Ali -  started chemo on Tuesday & doing o.k. so far and fighting off hooligans outside her home. CT scan today. 

 

Emily - (I still have the image of you going boing, boing, boing on your horse) back to work today, good luck. I start back on Monday. The course sounds an excellent idea, I’ll see if they do them here. Waiting for onco report. 

 

Strudel - apart from falling over badgers, onco appointment next Tuesday - Hurrah.

 

Sarah - results next Tuesday - are you still stiff?

 

Our wonderful Helena - only 11 Rads to go. 

 

Jane - good luck with your radiology appointment.

 

Jo - good luck today - hope everything is o.k., I will be thinking of you.

 

Charl - having a PICC line next Tuesday, chemo on Wednesday.

 

Our brave Scotty - PICC line yesterday - well done, starts chemo tomorrow - good luck.

 

Pam - just received onco results - just needing radiotherapy - hurrah!

 

AnnCann - Waiting for results from CT & Bone scan & chemo plan - appointment on 12 Jan.

 

Emma - double mx on 27 Jan (I hope I’ve got the date right)

 

KimJane - just had op and going for  results on Friday

 

Patricia - needs to exterminate her in laws -ocon appointment on 13th & MRI on 16th.

 

Zena - just diagnosed and in the horrible waiting zone - it will get better - poss MRI on Friday. 

 

Alex - also in the horrible zone waiting for results - appointment 10th Jan (hopefully) for biopsy results. You come on here and rant and rave and we will comfort you as much as we can. We’ve all been there and know just how awful it is. Glad you found your tough pants in the wash. Mine are kryptonite with an elastic waist & I can fit you in.

 

Nicki - I found her on another thread and she’s not doing so good with all her symptoms - sending you hugs.

 

Mysti - we haven’t forgotten you - please let us know you are o.k?

 

Me - Lincoln still not well enough to come home, but has improved. I have appointment on 17 Jan to find out what sort, how many & when the chemo and rad start.

 

Hugs to everyone and apologies to anyone I’ve missed.

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Thank goodness for you Silverlady! I wanted to put a good luck today sort of thing on but knew I’d end up missing too many off. Amazing organisation! Glad to hear Lincoln is improving and will be back with you soon. Curry was gorgeous by the way! Just the coil to take out this morning and chemo tomorrow. It’s suddenly all happening at once!