Ah Sharon that will be lovely to see you ?I’. Let me know nearer the time where/when you want to meet. Just want to get the rads out the way now. Hope I won’t feel too knackered after 5 weeks of them. X
Hi Beryl *waves at you madly*
So glad to hear some of the grey clouds have lifted and life is becoming fun again, woohoo! There’s no point going through all this if we can’t enjoy ourselves afterwards is there so I hope we all get years and years of good times now. Good luck with your swimming, sounds like it’s good exercise even if you do stray into other lanes (if I hear of a woman being attacked in a fit of swimming lane rage I’ll know it’s you :womanlol:)
Really looking forward to meeting you Francine as long as you feel fit enough by then of course. I found the whole radiation thing pretty tiring from about two weeks in but hopefully you’ll have a super easy time of it to make up for all the trials and tribulations along the way. Oh and I probably should mention that I can’t sing at all, can’t hold a note never mind an actual tune so while it will be lovely to meet, you might want to banish me to the other end of wherever you are sitting so that I don’t ruin your evening (the fact that I CAN’T sing doesn’t mean that I WON’T sing!)
xx
Sharon
Hi Sharon. Thank you for warning me about your singing. I shall bring some ear plugs, only joking! You haven’t heard me yet! I used to sing in the car when taking my daughter to school and she used to beg me to stop. I love carols and always remember being taken by my parents to see the Xmas lights in London, no 88 to Marble Arch! Didn’t have lasers in those days. It was a tradition to take my daughter to see Father Xmas in Harrods but my mum always took me to see Father Holly in Selfridges, all decked out in green velvet. Ah happy memories. I don’t care how knackered I am, I’ll be there! Beryl, you made me laugh with your swimming tales! I can’t wait to start again but I suppose it won’t be until the New Year probably, to give my skin time to settle down after the rads. I bet my muscles will be shouting at me the first few times. First time I tried water aerobics I thought it looked a doddle but the following morning I could hardly move! Sleep tight all. Francine xx
Hi Maria. Glad you’re feeling better now. I was told by Mr G the radiology consultant, Spanish chap, that as I have big boobs, I should have 25 sessions of a lower dose rather than 15 sessions of a higher dose. This is because skin problems can be worse in bigger booked ladies. Not sure if this is why you also had 25? It is a long haul for 5 weeks but I’m thinking of it as the last leg now. After 9 months of it, 3 ops and 10 days in Kettering Hospital, it can’t come soon enough! Can I ask what cream you used on the boob and did you have skin problems?
Hi Everyone!
Sounds like a wonderful treat to meet up for a beautiful evening! It’s so good to read and catch up a little. Francine I seem to keep everything so I looked for the burn cream prescription I was given and it’s called Silver Sulfadiazine Cream by Ascend Laboratories. I skipped a couple days when I felt it was too much too. Seems they take us up to the point of very uncomfortable but able to endure somehow!
Life is busy for me working 30hrs and thinking of adding more. I too get tired Sharon but it’s a good distraction, right? And yes the emotional thing for me seems to be once a month now…hmmmm? Although I must say I was emotional when my health insurance was accidentally canceled and I had an 11 thousand dollar herceptin treatment due the next day! Not good times.
Wishing you all well,
Sue
Hi Sue lovely to hear from you over the pond! I’m preparing for my 25 rad sessions which start tomorrow. I’ll be working in my business in the morning, to help my husband out and then leaving about 2.30 for my appt. very luckily I 'be been assigned a volunteer driver arranged by the hospital to take me and pick me up. I can’t drive at the moment, problems with my shoulder and my husband has just been started on some new meds and told not to drive for a month, timing could be better! What a shock to get a bill like that. We have to be so grateful in the UK that we have the NHS and at present no one has to pay for their Herceptin. However, the cancer drugs fund is under review so we can only pray that things stay as they are. I’m very much looking forward to meeting up with Sharon at the candlelight carol concert in London. I think we’re probably as bad as each other so we’ll probably have a really good laugh. My daughter is coming too which will be lovely as I don’t see her very often. Off to an Elvis night at the end of November at the local eating place, should be fun. Xx Francine
Morning Francine, how are you coping with the radiotherapy? Hope it hasn’t been a problem for you so far. I found calendula cream/oil worked well and I swapped to those ‘nighttime’ soft stretchy bras with the deep elasticated bands and no fastenings for the duration and that seemed to work (worked a whole lot better once I took the advice from someone on here to turn them inside out too :womantongue:)
xx
Sharon
Hi Sharon. First three zaps over with, only 22 to go! Have got a fabulous volunteer driver from the RVS, think it used to be called the WRVS, which the hospital arranged for me. He picks me up every day, waits for me and brings me home, amazing. So different from the hospital transport system, once waited 6 hours to get home for them! I still cant’t drive, as I’m having problems with my shoulder on the mangled boob side. They think it’s nerve disruption from the three ops. Holding my arm above my head during the rads can be quite painful so I’m taking a painkiller before I go. I’m taking part in an observational study that Leicester is involved in, with the Americans I think, to try and discover why some people have skin problems with rads and others don’t. They’ll follow me through treatment and for a year after. How’s the job going? Sounds like you were really enjoying it last time you posted. Can’t wait to meet up with you at the carols. I spoke to the organisers yesterday, as I hadn’t had my tickets and they said you should get them a couple of weeks before it. Xx Francine
Hi lovely ladies, haven’t popped in for awhile, where has the time gone. Thinking of you Francine, make sure you rest, it does knock you out. So pleased your job has worked well Sharon, makes you feel normal doesn’t it. Hope everyone else doing well, anyone due for their mamo yet. I had some horrible weeks with scar pain, just felt like glass but I have to admit I wasn’t massaging it as just didn’t want to touch it. Anyway spoke with my bc nurse and I am seeing my surgeon on 30th, but in the last 2 weeks not as bad. Still wearing support bra and that seems to help. Lol to everyone and xxxxxxxx
Hi Beryl And Pandorra, lovely to hear from you. I’m nearly marching on, lol, only 10 months down the line! On day 6 of my 25 rads so should be finished by the end of November. Then only 2 months to my next mammogram, gulp. I can’t wait to start swimming again but suppose I’ll have to wait for my skin to heal. I’ve noticed that I’m starting to get sore already so by no 25 I think I’ll be well cooked! Poor old boob, it’s having in there, literally! Xx Francine
Hi Ladies!
Thinking of you all. We have been through so much. Francine March On…remember to play hookie a day or two if need be… I still have my tan square. You would think they could give us an even tan! Oh and the hair doesn’t grow back so I was hoping they could do my legs! Who wants to shave legs anyway but No such luck. You must be close to half way now, yea!!!
And I sympathize about your arm as I struggle with my shoulder too. Stay strong ladies!
Sue
Hi ladies, lovely to hear from you all :womanhappy:
Still hanging in there Francine? Bet you’ve got that ‘porn star on a bad day’ pose down pat now haven’t you? I guess you’re at the red & itchy stage by now but hopefully nothing too worrying for you. I seem to recall going some funny colours about 3 weeks in, sort of puce colour (ewwwhh!) but it’s gone now and I’ve no marks at all, not even a tan line.
Pandorra I’m so sorry you’re still getting pain after all this time. Must be annoying as well as painful, it’s hard to believe that a disease that had no major symptoms initially can result in such brutal treatment isn’t it. Hope it clears up for you soon and good luck for 30th with the surgeon. Is that your annual check up?
Good to hear from you Beryl & SueBee, sounds as if you’re both moving on still but it seems frustratingly slow for both of you. I guess we have no choice but to just get on with it but won’t it be great when it is finally over. SueBee if I’d known it would kill off the hair on my body I would definitely have asked to have had my legs done :womanlol: Definitely worth 25 sessions of radiation to avoid ever having to wax again!
Life is still going well for me: my new job is just wonderful, really love it and am getting to do all sorts of interesting things that don’t really have anything to do with the work I’m paid to do but no one seems to mind. I’m feeling well too, no pain (other than a bit of an ache now and again which isn’t much worse than normal hormonal aches were) and my stamina seems to be gradually coming back. Just hope my annual check in November is good news so that I can enjoy this Christmas and forget all about last Christmas (seem to recall being a sobbing mess wondering if it would be my last!)
Love to you all
xx
Sharon
Hi ladies, so nice to catch up with everyone. Seems like we have known each other for years! Well done Francine, nearly there and what will you do with your spare time. Ha, didn’t we all feel like we had lost a friend when rads finished. At least there is a new Bond film out so I can see all those weird gadgets on the screen. Looks a great film but has anyone seen the trailer for the Maggie Smith film where she lives in a camper van. Oh, I have to see. Sharon, sounds great on the job front, so pleased it has gone well. Pain in boob better since speaking with bc nurse but will kerp 30th appt to have a check. Mammogram due December, brings back memories of last year but we have to stay strong and positive. Working in the medical centre I see so many referrals going through daily for bc checks and many are so young. So, sending all the best wishes to you all, I still have to carve my pumpkin and hope not too many knock. Have to tell you this though, very naughty but so good , sorry, trick or treat, give them a toffe apple which is not an apple, coat an onion in chocolate, push in a stick and they will never know, until they take that bite! Lol and millions of xxxxxxxxx
Oh dear, here comes little miss bring you down! I have dreadful neck pain so went to the gp on Tuesday. He sent me immediately for xrays and today a letter arrived with an appointment for a bone scan on Wednesday. My late friend’s mets first appeared in her neck so I’m panicking. But it might be nothing. They’really certainly moving fast though. Sorry this is all me, me, me but I’m very scared.
Love to all
Rose xxx
Oh god Rosemary, don’t know what to say, so worried for you and hope it turns out to be nothing and understand why you’re panicking. Nothing I can say or do to help so will just send you masses of hugs and good wishes. When will you know more?
xx
Sharon
Thanks Sharon. I go back to the gp on Tuesday so he should be able to discuss the xrays at least. I don’t know how long bone scan results take. It’s an all day thing. Radioactive dye and preliminary imaging in the morning then go back 4 hours later for the more intense stuff which takes about an hour. And I thought I was wasting the gp’S time. Got to be grateful for the speed and thoroughness. Still trying to convince myself it’s a trapped nerve xxx
Just been googling bone scans Rose but can’t find anything about waiting times for results…piece of string apparently. Just hope it’s something minor but the fear is just overwhelming isn’t it. Will keep an eye on this board for updates and am always here if you want to talk/whinge/cry at the unfairness of it all.
xx
Sharon
Always the fear and the waiting… The treatment is easy in comparison!!! Will post on here when I know anything (Going to feel a right twit if it’s arthritis or RSI!) Xx
Quick interim update: gp is convinced it’s cervical spondylosis which though painful and progressive is not related to BC. Bone scan results should be back when I see him on Tuesday. So it’s probably good news I suppose…
On another note my little Alfie cat had a fit on Thursday. An hour and a small fortune spent at the vet’s to find he has kidney disease and will needs a spacial diet and medication for the rest of his life. Pet insurance only covers him for a year which is annoying. He’s curled up feeling vary sorry for himself, poor little blighter.we both used to be so healthy!
Thanks for your concern, everyone. I will come back when I know for definite.xxx
Hi Rose, Beryl, Sharon, it’s the still not quite marching on person! Have had to interrupt my rads at day 13 of 25 as I was taken in to hospital with a nasty infection. Pumped full of antibiotics, lumbar puncture , all horrible. Now back home resting. Will be driving the consultants on Tuesday to decide whether to continue with them. I am physically and mentally exhausted and seem to have a zero immune system. Talked to my very lovely GP about it and she said it must be my decision and not to be forced into anything. I’m having my yearly mammogram in January anyway (it’s been that long since I was diagnosed!) so anything still dodgy will be picked up. In my head I know I should carry on, after all I’ve been through, but my body and mind is saying stop. My business is slowly falling apart, my OH is battling on but is exhausted and I fear for his health (had a heart attack in 2014) Any wise words for me, such a difficult decision to stop the rads or not.