I agree with Parsnip - something has to be done for the younger ones who arent eligible for screening and have no symptoms - i guess i comrpe into that too as i was 47 and told to go away - age restriction is silly and id rather be screened and over treated than let it go too far ! X
Evening ladies
Feeling pretty rubbish, have been on Tamoxifen for 6 weeks now and only managing to sleep about 2 hours a night, insomnia isn’t mentioned on the list of SE’s that come with the tablets, but there are loads of articles and studies on the internet about it, I took a half a sleeping tablet last night as so desperate and managed to sleep for 6 hours so had a better day today. I return to work on Monday, my GP has recommended I do a month of half days and then to slowly increase to fulltime, will be having a call with my manager on Thursday so i’ll see how she takes the news, she’s very good so imagine she’ll be fine about it but I expect she had her own ideas regarding how the phased return should work. My gp had a good chat with me about my diagnosis and said i’d have to be very unlucky to have any further problems, but he also said he knew I’d be paranoid about it and he’d be more concerned if I wasn’t as it was normal behaviour, he then told me his sister in law had BC a couple of years ago and he’d had the same conversations with her - nice to hear i’, “normal” certainly don’t feel it!
Carol/Dani, i’m hoping to arriving into Birmingham New Street lunchtime ish on the Saturday of our meet up, have messaged amylou (incase you read this amylou, have sent you a PM) to find out her plans as she’s also travelling by train and isn’t far away from me.
Half term this week and i’m struggling to keep my 5 year old entertained as I have so little energy, hubby is working lates and doesn’t finish work until 10pm so i’ve got no help and no energy, my poor daughter must be really fed up. Have wrapped all of my christmas presents and written all my cards (smiles smugly), wanted to do as much as possible before going back to work, have also booked for us to have lunch at the pub on christmas day. We normally have Ed’s parents with us but they all sit around having a nice time and I do all the work which over the years i’ve become more and more resentful of, so this year I said no, we’re going out, they can put their hands in their pockets for once - i’m very much looking forward to having a snooze in front of the telly, a luxury I haven’t had on christmas day for years.
Just recorded Autumnwatch, one of my favourite programmes so am going to grab some chocolate and get comfortable - the diet can start tomorrow!
Love to all
Lydia x
Lydia - can meet up with you too Sat lunchtime 
x i gave you my mobile no andi think you are in touch with Dani xx
Hi Carol, yes i’ve got your mobile number, i’ll drop you a text so you’ve got mine too x
Hi Everyone
Well had review with onc today and got lymphodema in breast!! None in arm thankfully but breast has been quite hot, swollen and sore last couple of weeks. I did wonder if that was what it was! Anyway he has discharged me back to surgeons who he reckons will sort lymphodema out!! If anyone got any ideas how to treat it let me know as I dont hold out much hope with surgeon!!
KQ- Not sure if train goes through Stockport, dont think it does but dont worry we can sort it out on the sun.
Feeling really fed up now so going to go to bed.
Take care everyone
Maryxxx
Hi Ladies
48 new messages…must pop by more often! Getting used to long days at work now ( don’t like them but it pays the bills). Did my 3rd gig at the weekend & didn’t felt like I needed to be carried offstage afterwards so definitely improving. Still need a lot of sleep though & not too much burning the candle at both ends. Hair growing but still pretty short. I weakened & dyed it at the beginning of Oct. It was fine… didnt fall out & was good to loose the badger colouring. Looking forward to meeting everyone next weekend. Can’t believe it’s nearly time for it! Does anyone want to swap phone numbers? I must pay attention to times & meeting places!
Looking forward to real hugs next week & not just virtual ones!
Twinky x x
Morning - it was a day of appointments yesterday. My dentist sent me to a dentist who specialises in root fillings and I need new root filling re done - ironically exactly to the day last year I saw him and said I was worried as my Grandmother had cancer of the jaw and I had this pain in my gum! Little did I think weeks later… Funny thing though I walked in the receptionist said wow you have had a dramatic hair cut last year you had long blonde hair! For the first time I managed to answer without my voice wobbling that it was not by choice and she didn’t bat an eyelid - I am sure f I had put my foot in it I would have died - She redeemed herself though by telling me I look stunning!
The Onc said chemo burn is unlikely to go nor are the veins likely to go down and if the finger tips and toes are no better by now they never are likely to get better.
I am back to work Friday - back to my 3 days a week but half day for two weeks and two weeks of 3 quarters of the day. I am dreading it - just not sure I will have the same empathy with clients as I had before!
Love Georgie xx
Hi all
Typing this from Rome. Having a really lovely time, walked miles yesterday so having slightly lazier day today. Also met with some friends for dinner last night and had too much wine so feeling a little thick headed.
Dani/Ceej/lydia/twinky i will be arriving saturday lunchtime too and am keen to meet up too. I am getting train from London. I have Dani’s number but am happy to give mine out and will PM you with it.
Jane xx
Hi, Emily from The Premier Inn has just rang to say that the Road outside our hotel will be closed on the Saturday afternoon due to a Christmas Parade starting at 3pm (blimey, a bit early!!). She said she was going to ring all the guests but I told her I would also post a message on our forum.
Bettie xx
Beryl - mine was picked up the same way as yours. It would be a great tragedy if people didn’t have routine mammograms and surely any malignancy is life threatening? I really dont understand what the report is getting at unless it could be about hormone treatment maybe? Any malignancy should have everything thrown at it in my opinion.Also and talking from a purely cynical way - we know the country is desperately short of cash and not treating certain breast cancers would save a fortune. One of the Women on Loose Women hinted at this yesterday but who knows eh.
Now I’ve put the world to right I’ll go and have a lie down as I am sooo tired from my first day back at work. Would love to be a lady that lunches but unfortunately the mortgage has to be paid!
Bettie xx
Hi just another quickie. I’m arriving lunchtime on the Sat so can I meet any of you at the hotel who will be arriving at the same time?
Thanks
Bettie x
Hi Ladies
Just popping in with a quick question, though trying to look busy as its the usual end of the month manic session at work. [Oh, so dont want to be here]. Am really getting bored with the badger look - can I dye my hair and what can I use or what should I avoid. Any help would be great !!!
Sending you all hugs and so wish I was able to join you on 10th xx
Hi Ladies
EBHippo - As far as I’m aware you can put on normal products from approx 6 months from finishing chemo, so that your hair gets a chance to revive itself. There’s also the problem of putting additional chemicals on the skin and I know that some of the ladies were using a veg dye colour on their hair earlier on. My hairdresser is doing a patch test on me tomorrow before I go down the colour route again, which may be next week if I can find a nice colour. I don’t think I’m going to try and match my own colour anymore which is auburn/red colour because it fades far too quickly. I’m going to take my wig in to show her and see if she can come up with something very similar which is a lightish brown with some red tones in it. Don’t know what the outcome will be after trying to dye hair with all shades of grey in it and some very faded red, it will be very interesting to say the least. Will I be brave enough to do it before the get together…? I’m sure some of the other ladies will advise you ref their experiences. Nice to hear from you and take care.
Ooooooooooooooh it’s all getting closer ladies!
Back on later and best wishes.
Beryl XX
EBHippo, I coloured my hair 2 months after my last chemo using an organic dye from Boots - Natur Vital £9.99
Hi all, could I meet up with those coming into new street station on saturday? If you could tell me the times you are getting there I can arrange my train too
Hi Gabbylamb
I’m travelling from Nuneaton to New Street Station, i’ll pm you my phone number x
I’m so looking forward to our meet up 
Hello MM’s
PEANUT sorry to hear you have lymphoedema of the breast, that’s what I thought I had when I went to get it checked out at the breast clinic, thankfully mine is ok. I think you need to get in touch with your bcn asap and ask for urgent apt in breast clinc to get it checked out, they should have a lymphoedema nurse attached, it also sounds like you need some antibiotics as sounds like cellulitus symptoms. I had that in Sept and had to have a course of strong antibiotics, hopefully you can get sorted before your holiday.
TWINKY glad that the gigs are going well have sent you PM mobile n.o for catching up on the Sat.
BETTIE thanks for the info re road closure, have to agree it’s a bit early!!! Have sent you pm with my mob n.o as will be arriving Fri, so could meet up Sat if you need to you can dump bag etc in my room.
GEORGIE sorry your onc didn’t give you much positive feed back from all your lasting problems.
EBHIPPO I was told not to colour hair for 6 months post chemo, but as Beryl says some ladies have already coloured they hair with no problems.
Anybody else arriving before check in on Sat if they want to dump bags etc in my room I will happily share mob n.o so we can meet up.
Love Jane
Hello MM’s
Carabel, hope your Onc appointment went well today
Parsbip, hope you have a nice time in London.
Chascat, sorry to hear about your sleeping problems. Was it you who said way back that you suffer with insomnia? It must be awful for you, especially having to keep going during the day time. Hope you get some relief from it soon.
Peanut, so sorry to hear about the lymphodema in your breast. Hope you manage to get some meds sorted out for it soon.
Twinky, sounds like you are gradually getting stronger. Glad to hear the gigs are going well and that your return to work is going as planned.
Georgie, glad you got through your appointments ok yesterday. Poor you, a root filling! Not the best news from your Onc either, mine had told me that it takes up to a year for veins to recover and for the chemical burn to recover, must admit though mine are no better than they were when I finished. Good luck with your return to work tomorrow.
Wolsty, glad you are having a good time in Rome.
Bettie, I agree, it is early for a Christmas parade!
WS, hope all going ok with you, also Dani and Amylou.
Waiting too, Clare, we arrive at lunchtime on the Friday too so will catch up with you then!
I am so looking forward to next weekend, think it will go by in a flash though! Shall we say that we will meet at the hotel? I am not sure what time the last lady gets into B’ham on the Saturday but some will have to drop bags off so will need to go there before doing the canal trip anyway. Looks like everyone will be arriving around lunchtime, so at least we can be in the warm waiting for everyone to arrive. I am more than happy to give out my mobile number if anyone wants it and for bags to be left in my room if needs be.
Love to all our MM’s
Joan xxx
Hi Ladies
I get into Birmingham Airport around 12.30 on the Saturday and I believe the train goes directly to New Street from there and takes 15 minutes. So I should be arriving at New Street between 1.00pm and 1.30pm. Am I right in thinking it’s just a few minutes walk from there to the hotel? Would be good to meet up with the others coming into New Street if the times match up.
Appt with onc went fine today. He has scheduled another CT scan for end February and I will see him again in March. I am having a bit of bother with my arm but not with the veins (I had a PICC line as veins were bad after chemo 2 but they are fine now) - it is the arm that had the lymph nodes out. I had cording following surgery but it was sorted with physio and massage however it has come back. I find it really hard to fully extend my arm. I am probably getting a bit lax about doing the arm exercises so probably need to keep doing them to keep this at bay.
Peanut - sorry to hear you have lymphodema in your breast. I hope you get it under control.
Woltsy - glad to hear you are enjoying Rome.
Can’t believe our weekend is only a week away now. Am really looking forward to it.
Joan - it might be an idea to have your mobile number in case of any delays with travel etc.
Carole x