How are you feeling today? Your glassware is lovely (love sunflowers and flamingos) Hope today has been a better day.
@kerrylou mine was T2 N1 as well but grade 2 …I will leave the research before I start to spiral down the “what ifs”. Chemo was rough but I felt safe doing it – guess a Stockholm syndrome of sorts.
I have my first radio tomorrow all and bar the annoying commute, hear it will be a doddle!
Here is to the final stage of active treatment and onwards to the permanent menopause.
Hi @idcand49
Thanks for the reply
Naive is exactly how I felt after being told I would just need lumpectomy and a week of radiation in June (after having a clear ultrasound and mammo in March!) Naive! Think the surgeons tell you want to hear and then throw you to the oncos.
BUT feeling better tonight so hoping am coming out of my first EC cycle from Thursday and feeling sick. Even did yoga tonight - I’m even getting used to the injections so feeling a bit better. 6 weeeks to go!
So glad to hear your into your radiation tomorrow - please let me know how it goes as that will be me soon and yes I have to travel to a major hospital in a city rather than my treatment centre where I go for chemo (which has doorstep parking) .
On the subject of oncologist team. Mine has been a combo of dr, consultant pharmacist and nurse practitioner. I’ve found the nurse and pharmacist the best and approachable. They’ve been fab to be fair. Xxx
Good luck with radio tomorrow hun. Yeah back in March i thought lumpectomy and a bit of radio. Then after op nearly 6 chemo sessions later will start radio next. Hopefully be able to put this nightmare behind us soon. Xxx
@kerrylou1 What yoga do you do? I hear it is amazing for us ladies post chemo. My radio nurse today kept drumming in, to beat fatigue I need to keep moving (within reason lol)
@deb1
Radio was breeze - in for 60 min and that was mainly the waiting. There was some “man handling” as they jostled me around to the correct position but then the gown was put back to cover me during the treatment.
Need to be mindful of cording and all that fun stuff (thought it was just surgery that did this!) but hopefully none of that will happen.
Getting down to UCLH is going to be a slog and pricey. I have worked out it will cost me £140 in tube journeys. C’est la vie.
And glad I wasn’t the only naïve one. I do think they shroud us from info until absolutely necessary.
Have my DEXA scan booked for mid Nov to check my bone density before Letrozole. Anyone else had this? Think some ppl have it pre chemo (I did not).
x
Hi, I’m off for my appointment about radiotherapy tomorrow. I was just meant to have 5 days of radiotherapy to start with, and then after op they said it was worse than they thought and I needed chemotherapy. I just wanted to ask why or if anyone knows why some people have extra boosts of radiotherapy? Just wondering if it was an area/postcode thing or diagnosis or both.
@idcand49
I think it’s restorative yoga. Definitely not yin yoga as this is more fast paced. We do lots of strength poses then relaxation near the end… it has beeen amazing for my cording and my general health throughout my chemo and been able to practice it 3 times a week even with my pic line in (I did build up slowly though) .
I’ve asked for a dexa scan which has been promised to me as I’m worried about bone density but not sure when that will happen? - prob after radio? I’m not sure yet.
@fluffy888 i think radio boosts are given dependent on age , grade and size of original breast tumour. I.e the bigger the original size or age (for example younger means you have a boost to reduce risk of recurrence) .
I was told in July I was having 15 days and boosts .
@kerrylou1 I wonder if mine will change tomorrow at all. I was only 44 when diagnosed, turned 45 last week and grade 3. I was told only 5 days at the start of the year. Just didn’t want to miss out on extra treatment if it was an area thing. Suppose I’ll see tomorrow what they say. Thank you for replying. Xx
Hi I am 45 when diagnosed - grade 3 and had it on one node.
I only know I’m having the boost as it’s in my consent form (they didn’t actually tell me) but I’m going to ask at the next appointment… I ask all the time
So you might find you having one anyway - and some areas I’ve heard do less sessions but higher fractions - so you might be lucky and get away with 5 sessions!
If you don’t mind - could you let me know what they say as it would be useful for me. Thankyou! Xx
@kerrylou1@idcand49 just got back from my radiotherapy appointment. I’m still going to be getting 5 sessions of radiotherapy, every day for a week and it will be 4-6 wks after my last chemo next week. I asked about booster sessions and she said that’s normally for people who have it in a large area or in another area away from the breast, involvement of lymph nodes etc.
She said I’d start tamoxifen after radiotherapy. I said the consultant had said it was probably pointless because everything is negative and I’m only slightly positive for progesterone. She tried to say it was up to me, but I said how can I make an informed choice when I don’t have the information! I have googled it and tamoxifen is mainly aimed at oestrogen and I’m negative for that. 10yrs is a long time to be on something that won’t help and may have horrible side effects, but then if it comes back and I haven’t taken it, will I blame myself? She’s made me an appointment for January to speak to my consultant, so I can just try and forget about it until after Christmas.
@kerrylou1 yeah at least it’s all done within a week. To be honest though, having to have radiotherapy hasn’t really bothered me like the chemo has for some reason. I thought I’d be really happy that it’s nearly over with, but I feel strangely flat. I absolutely hate having chemotherapy, but I suppose it’s a bit of a security blanket that it’s fighting against something.
Hope you’re doing ok. Have you finished your chemo? Xx
I had my first dose dense EC chemo on thursday so just feeling back to normal. Next one next Thursday and then 2 more so should finish on the 21st November as I’m having it fortnightly.
5 weeks to go tomorrow !
Hair still hanging on after 12 taxol plus one EC with the cold cap but expecting a big shed anytime soon.
I found taxol really easy so this EC has brought the side effects - constipation and nausea (but manageable)
Bring on the end of chemo - totally get why you will be happier at the thought of radio - it’s getting to be a long haul now!
Xxxx
@kerrylou1 it’ll be the 21st November before you know it and no more chemo!
I only used the cold cap for my first EC and I had to have my port removed as it was infected and they thought I was allergic to the actual port. I couldn’t use the cold cap anymore after having it removed but I never lost all of my hair. I had a big shed after my first EC and I was just thinner on top and a bit on the sides. It was getting on my nerves though, so I just shaved it all off. I bought a wig, headbands etc but i just feel stupid wearing them all so just walk around with a shaved head now. I think I was so ill off the EC and looked so rubbish that I just thought, i look like crap anyway, what difference does it make. Probably just felt so down about things that I just didn’t care anymore. I still don’t have any bald patches after 3 x EC and 2 x docetaxel, just looks like a shaved head and I think I’ve even got new hair growing in, but it’s def more grey!
Hopefully that’s a good sign that you won’t lose your hair either and using the cold cap on top as well, gives you an even better chance.
EC was definitely the worst for me for side effects. I don’t think I could have done anymore if I’m honest. You’re doing really well having it every 2 weeks. Xx
And I’m going to look up your yoga to see what’s online
Joints starting to ache (thx fake menopause)
What length is your hair? I need inspo to deal with the thin hair I have left - it was a nice thick over the shoulder bob before chemo which I had chopped from boob length
Think it needs to go chin length to handle the regrowth but wonder if a pixie is the way to go
@fluffy888 I flat too after chemo and miss the security of the unit & onco being a bit more attentive
Glad your radio q was clarified (sadly I had lymph after SLNB)
And v hard q re Tamoxifen - hope the pause before the decision sheds some light
- I’m even getting used to the injections 
so feeling a bit better. 6 weeeks to go! 
.
. But I makes me feel better we have all the info.