@moomoo716 massive step, that. Sounds as though you dealt with it well. I love that “instead of having a Nana nap”, you ran/walked! Not sure I’d have managed that. I’m due to start abemaciclib this week if I ever get my blood results back, and I’m feeling very daunted at the thought of more side effects. Here’s hoping for, at least, ones we can handle!
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Well I had an awful appointment on Monday with the Surgeon who said the histology on my tumour showed there was still a small area of low grade cells in the tumour. The lymph node was clear though.
I had a further appointment with my oncologist last night and he’s suggested I have kadcyla chemo to make sure nothing has escaped from the breast. Even though he is almost certain that there is no cancer left. I’m knocked for 6. So unexpected after being told I had had a Complete pathological response to the chemo.
Just getting used to the idea of going back to work and getting back to some sort of normality.
Has anyone else got to have Kadcyla?
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I can only imagine how gutting must be after getting a complete pathological response to chemo to find out that you need to continue treatment with Kadcyla which is recommended in case of HER2 positive. I was diagnosed with HER2 positive but not on Kadcyla. When they analyse the tumour they check RCB index- residual cancer burden, quantifying remaining cancer in the tumour From what the oncologist told me, if RCB is equal or higher than 2, then Kadcyla is indicated. There’s a thread on HER2+ and they’re ladies who are still on Kadcyla or already completed it so it’s better to have a look. Best wishes xx
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Happy New Year everyone! I spent my Christmas holidays in Ireland with my family which was lovely. @ twinks77 as @jenny4 stated it goes in you stomach, it is a subcutaneous injection. You can request for a numbing cream if you want, to apply to the area before as the needle is quite big. I have been on monthly Zoladex since June 2025.
@cheche sorry to hear you have to have more treatment than initially anticipated, I hope it all goes well for you in the end. I can just imagine how you are feeling. I wish you all the best.
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I’m so sorry to hear that you need more chemo-what a kick in the guts after everything you’ve been through and being told that you had a full pathological response. It sounds like they’re being super cautious but I what a crappy way to start the NY. I hope this new chemo is less rough than the ones you’ve already had. Do you know when you start and how long the course will be? Sending love.
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I’m sorry to read that @cheche how absolutely shit when you’ve already been through so much. Hope you are managing to rest and just be whilst you process this news x
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I’m so sorry, that must have been a shock after the earlier good news on the response to the chemo. I don’t know anything about kadcyla but hope it’s not as bad as the chemo you’ve had before. It brings home how this is not a linear process, there can be setbacks and this group still has so much value sharing stuff like this I think.
I tried my waterpik water flosser today, I think it worked, it will take some getting used to using, so I followed my hygienist’s advice and used it whilst in the shower cubicle before having my shower. Once I’m better at aiming and dribbling I hope to be able to just do this over the sink!
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I found out today it is 14 x 3 weekly cycles so it will last another 42 weeks!!
More upset about not being able to get my hair coloured in May as I was hoping!
I’m starting in March after radiotherapy finishes and after a holiday I have booked to see my grand daughter in Florida. Xx
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Wow, that is a really long course. I really hope it isn’t as tough on the body as the previous chemo.
I’m so glad you have that holiday with your family to fortify you first. I totally get the disappointment with not being able to colour your hair when you’d planned to. I’m counting down to this too.
@runnerjen I’m going to have to google water flossers as I’ve never heard of them. I did meet a woman who had the terrifying sounding jaw necrosis recently. Thankfully they were able to treat it and she looked perfectly normal.
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@cheche I’m sorry you have to go through more of this and for such a long stretch and I hope it’s relatively easy to cope with. A visit to Florida to see family sounds perfect and just at the right time.
I have taken my first Abemaciclib tablet today. I’ve had an awful week of anxiety building up to it, but now I’ve started I’m ok with it.
My gratitude for today is that a letter just arrived confirming that my first mammogram since diagnosis last January is normal. What’s even better is that my mammogram was only five days ago, so the wait was mercifully short.
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This is great @nelly1 a big thumbs up to clear mammograms 
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Great news on the clear mammogram! I was diagnosed in Feb so I expect I will be called for my first one soon. It’s coming up to a year since I found my lump, lots of milestones approaching for us all.
@cheche i can’t get over how much more chemo you are expecting to have. I’m so sorry. So glad you can get that holiday in before it starts, that will be amazing. I don’t know if anyone else in here is due for more chemo but we are all here for you and hoping it’s easier to tolerate.
I had a few days off running last week with a cold, then this week it’s been so icy underfoot that I have missed a couple of days. But when I have got out, even when it’s been bitterly cold I have thoroughly enjoyed it, it feels like a real blessing to be able to run now. So I’m running along with a big cheesy grin on my face, although the locals probably think I’m grimacing in the cold!
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Anyone else having supplements for hair & nails? I bought the Holland & Barrett gummies today to try as my hair only just started growing in Dec so it’s mega short still, plus my nails look like they need help. I went with the H&B pineapple chewy ones and they taste amazing! Hope they help a bit! We are binge-watching Stranger Things and I love that I look like a blonde 11 (albeit much older!).
It’s my husband’s 60th birthday today and his daughter is here with us. We have had a fab day out in Norwich, breakfast at Bills, we watched some of the filming for the new series of Strike, and we’ve got dinner at a local village pub tonight. I also got my blood test ahead of the zoledronic drip on Friday, it felt a bit crap to be back at the hospital after a month away from the place.
Grateful for family, decent weather today and enough energy to do nice things. 
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Happy birthday to your husband!
I’m not taking supplements for hair & nails but have continued using Polybalm & have been using Fushi’s root revival oil as well as rosemary shampoo. My hair does seem to be coming back well through the 30% that clung on through cold capping. It’s a relief to no longer see scalp and to be able to ditch my hats.
Do let us know how your bone infusion goes-I’ve got mine in a couple of weeks…
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I’m trying the rosemary oil and shampoo. I’ve no idea whether it is really helping or it’s just wishful thinking but my hair is definitely growing more and slowly turning back to my brunette colour. Using the oil and then the head massager is lovely if nothing else
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Hello everyone, hope you’re all doing well. @runnerjen I hope the 60th celebrations went well. @moomoo716 your hair/head routine sounds lovely!
Gratitude for this week is that I have a regular check up for a gynae condition that carries a higher risk of cancer. I missed it last year because I had…cancer, so I went yesterday and everything is fine.
Day six of abemaciclib and I’m ok so far, had one rough night. I know it takes longer, generally, for side effects to emerge but I’m just happy with every good day.
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Hello all,
I’ve been using the Hair UK serum and it’s having a good effect on my hair as it’s growing nicely now. Not enough to ditch the wig but hopefully by spring I will be able too.
Good to hear that Abemaciclib is going ok for you @nelly1
I had my radiotherapy planning appointment today. It was fine, went very smoothly. I start on 3rd Feb.
I’m 8 days into Letrozol and it’s been ok so far. Just a bit achy if I’ve sat too long. Had my Zoladex injection on Monday and that hasn’t given me any problems either.
Anyone else feel like they need to point out to people that even after a successful surgery it’s far from over? For example, twice this week I’ve had two friends say to me “I’m so glad your surgery was successful and the cancer has gone” , which is a perfectly reasonable thing to say. But I find I don’t feel that relieved and I have to reply that there’s still radiotherapy to do and hormone and targeted therapy to do. Rather than just accept their congratulations I have to point out that it’s far from done, then I feel like I’m being grumpy. I find it really annoying. But I’m also annoyed at myself for being so negative. I don’t want people to think it’s done and dusted cos it almost feels like they are minimising it even though I doubt that that’s their intention. I guess it just boils down to there’s no way of understanding what we’ve been through unless you’ve gone through it yourself.
That was a bit of a ramble but I had to write it out to understand it myself 
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I know what you mean! I was most annoyed by being told in May that I was ok now and in remission after surgery and before chemo & radio. Technically yes it had gone, I was cancer free, but blimey I still had a long way to go then!
The letrozole seems to have made me more tired, I have nausea some days, and I’ve had a few headaches that could be related but who knows. First infusion tomorrow, so it really doesn’t feel like it’s over!
The birthday celebrations have been great, we have celebrated all week and I am exhausted but plodding along with it as best I can! We have had lunch at Mowgli’s yesterday and just had a Nando’s for tea so at least I haven’t had to do much cooking. We’ve seen family and friends and I think he’s really had a good birthday.
We both just had eye tests, I have chosen the exact same frames as I have now. They really suit me and I feel as though the radical hair change I have already faced is enough of a change in my appearance without getting different glasses! 
Traitors in a bit, I’m enjoying that now I have finished Stranger Things.
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@twinks77 that completely makes sense and I know exactly how you feel. People are astounded when I tell them what other treatment is involved and how long for. But I think I will probably be more economical with information going forward as it’s actually not helping me feel any better by being so open and honest with people. I’ll just smile and say thank you.
On the hair front - it has taken 2 weeks at work but I have now come to terms with not covering up my shortest buzz cut in the world. It stressed me at first but slowly we are all getting used to it, including me.
Only 3 letrozole tablets so far so the jury is out.
I have to have a tooth extraction so I am getting that done before the bisphosphonates. Something to look forward too. You would think I wouldn’t be scared of the dentist after all this.
However, I am feeling reasonably good. Apart from the chemo brain. Today I drove past my exit on the motorway and then took the wrong road once I got off at the correct exit. Was about 40 minutes late for work.
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@twinks77 absolutely spot on! Even a dr I spoke to yesterday looked shocked when I told her what treatment I had had since last February and what was yet to come. And it does feel as though people are minimising what we’re going through when they’re not, really. “So it’s just monitoring now, right?” No. @moomoo716 you are right, it doesn’t really make anything better by being open and honest, although I have found it necessary in work a couple of times. Loving your list of comfort telly, @runnerjen. I’ve become addicted to very formulaic detective series. In the last week, I’ve watched the entire new Father Brown series, plus Patience and Lynley. All full of holes but nicely mind numbing. @moomoo716 your story about being late for work made me laugh. Don’t know if you found it funny at the time.
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